22 months of great service
I have the 2140 and matching gas dryer. Although my machines are in a garage alcove and I don't have the space limitations imposed by a closet location, I still had to stack my machines. In front of the washer space is a building code required bollard (steel pipe filled with concrete) to prevent a runaway car from taking out the washer, dryer, hot water heater, and gas furnace, all of which are side by side in the alcove. The bollard is embedded in the slab and and is 30 inches tall.
The house was built in 1988, when there were no FLs for sale here (unless you went to an import store), so they never stopped to think when they set the bollard that they would be blocking the door of a future front loader. The pipe is 30 inches tall, so it would block the door of a washer even on a pedestal.
In order to enjoy a front loader, I had to stack (freestanding) both machines in what used to be the dryer space, leaving the former washer space for a table to fold clothes, and a wall mounted cabinet for storage space. Depth of the machines was not an issue, as it would be in a closet, but the height of the stack would be a problem with larger machines like Duets, about 40" tall, meaning the top of the stack ---and the dryer controls panel--is about 6 foot 8 inches off the floor.
(the dryer is rear vented, so there is about 4 inches of space between the rear of the machines and the wall...had I requested a side vented machine, I could have placed them closer to the wall. But the stack is stable and there is lots of room depth-wise)
I am 5 foot 10 inches (178 cm) and I could reach such a control panel, but it would be difficult for people shorter than me. Apparently Duets are approved for stacking, but due to the height, few people do it. Frigidaire does not approve the use of a pedestal under a freestanding stack, due to the weight of the stack, instability, plus the fact that the top of the stack would be over seven feet off the ground...useful only for someone 6 foot 8 or taller. Frigidaire does supply a stacking bracket approved for closet or freestanding stacks, as long as there is no pedestal.
To me, the beauty of Frigidaire is that they kept the standard 27 inch footprint on their machines, so their FL washers at 3.5 cu ft are about the largest capacity machines one can find in the USA that can stack. Anything larger will have a greater depth and height, such as the Duets and LGs. I have friends with a large family who bought TWO pairs of 2940s plus dryers and stacked both of them, to double their capacity in a standard laundry room. They got two pairs for about the cost of a fancy single pair like Duet or Miele.
So far, washing performance has been excellent. The 2940 was one of the top rated machines in the most recent CR review, for what's it is worth. The big question is durability. My machine is 22 months old, so far no problems whatsoever, and it gets average but not heavy use (one load per day average, but not 2-4 loads a day). In any newer, more complex technology, it is prudent to take out extended warranty insurance. I did this for a five year plan for $100 addition. If the machine goes past five years with no problems, then the added time is icing on the cake. If a $1000 machine went dead on me in five years, I'd go nuts, but if a $550 machine goes dead, the loss is not so great.
I wipe the gasket dry after each wash day, and keep the dispenser clean and dry (it accumulates water due to siphoning even if you don't use the dispenser). After reading posts here, I am transitioning from liquid to powder HE detergent, since a number of technicians have remarked that there is less residue and a cleaner machine with powders. I never use chlorine bleach, to protect the aluminum spider, and I clean the machine monthly on a hot water cycle with some powder detergent. I hope that this diligent maintenance will extend the life of the machine.
