calculating cycle amounts

[Cybrvanr]

I've always wondered how the washer manufacturers get the insane amount of cycles they advertise for on their washers. For instance, I have seen washers advertised as "12 cycle, 2 speed". When looking at the timer though, I only see "regular wash", "permanant press", and "delicate" my thought is that they use the different water tempratures as cycles. So, if the washer has hot /cold, warm/cold, cold/cold, and hot/warm, the amount of cycles is calculated by temprature selections X speeds.

The Other thing I have noticed to is that manufacturers like to sub-divide the timer and make additional cycles out of one big cycle. for instance, a washer may have a 25 minute long wash cycle. There may be three lines on the timer within that wash cycle though. At the beginning, "super wash" that runs the full 25 minutes, then a "standard wash" that runs 15 minutes, and then maybe a "quick wash" that runs 10 minutes. This would count as three cycles...then add the different water tempratures avaliable...now you can have 5 timer selections (permanant press and delicate too) X 4 water tempratures for a total of 20 advertised cycles!!!

 

[fixerman]

I think it is a advertising ploy. Advertise a washer sold previously as a 3 cycle washer and the next year advertise it as 12 cycles. Sounds more impressive to the unwary consumer.

This same type of thing was done by GE and others. They put "Large Capacity" on 16 lb. washers even though the tubs are the same size. Then they started putting "Extra Large Capacity" on washers that were still the same 16 lb ones that were sold previously.

 

[westytoploader]

I really don't see the point in capacity labels. For example, 1980's--1990's GE Filter-Flo tubs are dreadfully small IMHO, yet are touted as "Large Capacity". Another advertising ploy I guess...

 

[cleanteamofny]

What really cooked my goose

Why on earth did some of ther MFG's put the soak cycle on the rinse cycle?

 

[DADoES]

LOL. GE used to refer to that as their "activated soak cycle." Makes it sound like something special -- GEEEEE the soak cycle is ACTIVATED!

 

[Cybrvanr]

Hey cleanteam, that's the exact same model GE that my mom has! One of the last filter-flo models, with that annoying two-speed clutch thing. Never works right in gentle, but other than that, a great machine. She bought it in 1985 or so, and it's washed all the dirty laundry my sister and I could make as teens!...still going strong!

 

[david]

Kenmore 70 1989 model

Here is the list of cycles on my machine
Cotton/Sturdy: Extra heavy, heavy, normal (this counts as 3)
Perm Press: Extra heavy, heavy, normal (3 more)
Knits (1)
Delicates (1)
PreSoak (1)
Prewash (1)
Add them all up and you've got 10, exactly what the machine advertised back in 1989, $399.00