Consumer Reports tests the 2008 washers

[supersuds]

This is from the February 2008 issue, ou this week.

Remember how CR dissed the top loaders for poor cleaning performance last year? Never mind! "Our latest tests found budget priced washers, including a $400 budget priced top-loader, that cleaned as well as the $1,500 top-loader at the top of our Ratings." The $400 top-loader is an Estate, which, they note, is essentially a Whirlpool.

Some of the highlights:

* Top five frontloaders: LG Tromm Steamwasher, a normal LG (WM0642H), the Whirlpool Duet Steam, the Miele W4840, and a Kenmore Elite Steam.

* Best Buy Frontloader: Frigidaire Gallery GLTF2940F (7th overall)($650).

* The Speed Queen frontloader was 18th out of 20.

* Top five top-loaders: Maytag Bravos, Whirlpool Cabrio 6600, Fisher & Paykel Aquasmart, Whirlpool Cabrio 6200, GE Profile Harmony.

* Best Buy top-loader: GE WJRE5500G, a hydrowave model ($480).

* Most reliable frontloader: Whirlpool, closely followed by LG (!) Kenmore, and other brands; only Maytag is really behind, however.

* Most reliable top-loader: Roper. Least reliable: Fisher & Paykel, Maytag, Amana.

* Quote: "Miele's front-loader has a tub with a honeycomb design that's billed as gentler on clothes. But the $1,900 Miele was only middling for gentleness. Staber's $1,300 washer, the priciest top-loader tested, requires that you load clothes through a top into a chamber that spins like a front-loader. Yet that design significantly reduces capacity."

* Top-rated dryer was an LG; best buys both GEs. Staber was 39th out of 39.

 

[supersuds]

Oops!

"cleaned as well as the $1,500 top-loader at the top of our Ratings" should be "cleaned as well as the $1,500 FRONT-loader at the top of our Ratings."

 

[peteski50]

Ratings!

It's amazing Im not saying whats good and bad. But when I sent consumer reports my information about the trouble with LG and the poor service I had they never responded. Also their is no number to contact them. So I do think a lot of the ratings are fixed.
Peter

 

[DADoES]

Already Outdated!

Of course, WE know that the least reliable Maytag is now essentially mechanically identical to the most reliable Roper. Strange, ain't it.

And of course, my five Fisher & Paykel appliances with up to eight years of use with no repairs aren't included in the statistics. LOL.

 

[launderess]

Roper

Washing machines have been on top of CR's reliable ratings for ages now.

Finally, am glad to see Miele move out of the dead last category, and into a top place. However as one has always suspected, CR slapped down Miele washers in the past due to their "small" capacity (5kgs/11/pds), so the uber Miele removes that complaint.

As for front loaders, Miele or otherwise being less gentle on laundry than either top loaders or machines of the past, well a DUH! Between that damn Energy Star and US govt mandates, front loaders use so little water to wash laundry, in most cases clothes are literally rubbing against themselves/slapping against the tub.

Personally think CR is the cause of more problems than they solve these days rating wise. One year an appliance/product is "in", the next "out". Yet one sees all manner and sort of person roaming car lots to appliance stores carrying CR,and quoting from said magazine as if it was the Bible.

L.

 

[vintagesearch]

maytag bravos 'excellent' for cleaning hmmmmm if i know them well CR probably claims that also it isnt very gentle! i havent read or seen this new issue but what i can recall from the past is the also gave the maytag TL model 'excellent' washing score but a 'poor' score for gentleness, also maybe whirlpool really learned how to beef up the design via the cabrio and oasis problems. I wonder how there bravo agi models are?......

 

[funguy10]

You have the Whirlpool Cabrio twice. Unless you meant to type Kenmore Oasis. How well did the Kenmore Oasis HE rank for this year? How about the Kenmore Oasis Agitator version? Fisher & Paykel is the least reliable Top-Loader my foot. They are very realiable machines. Just ask DADoeS. Unless his now out-of-date appliances didn't make the rankings. Although I doubt those rankings are for the newest ones too. What was Consumer Reports's overall rating on the Staber Washer? I'm just curious.

 

[MikeS]

Roper Still Running Strong

I'll reserve judgment on the ratings until my new CR comes in the mail. But I'll say this: The magazine's readers are spot-on when it comes to reliability. That ranking was the reason I bought a Roper washer and gas dryer for my new condo in 1999. Today, it still does two or three loads a week, and I've never had a mechanical breakdown. (Maybe it's because the machines are based on time-tested components and lack the gadgets and gimmicks of so many other washer-dryers.) When the time comes, I'll buy a front loader washer and matching dryer. But for now, my Ropers will continue slugging on. If that isn't value for the money, I don't know what is.

 

[oxydolfan1]

"And of course, my five Fisher & Paykel appliances with up to eight years of use with no repairs aren't included in the statistics. LOL."

What strikes me as odd about this is the fact that CR, which is based in my general area, claims to cull their appliances randomly from local appliance stores...surely, they are aware that F&P appliances are HUGELY popular in my neck of the woods!

"Best Buy top-loader: GE WJRE5500G, a hydrowave model ($480)."

I've long admired this machine in the stores and was very happy to see it (and GE) at least acknowledged in CR's ratings for a change.

What I have found frustrating is, I have always had questions for store salespeople regarding cycle times, spray rinses, water levels, etc., and not one of them, not even the proprietors of a couple of indie appliance dealers, has ever been able to come up with this intel.

I get that appliance salespeople are not as knowledgeable as they used to be, but you would think that any company marketing their machine for its new "Hydrowave" washing action would at least school their vendors on the rudimentary details of how it works, or a fact sheet for customers with the basics...

 

[laundromat]

product knowledge

Unfortuneately,most salespeople aren't even interested in any so called features or the way appliances operate much less knowledgeable.This is an epidemic that's been around since the 70's.The Ge's do have a spray rinse after the deep rinse.None after the wash.The Whirlpools have the same as well as the new Maytags and Kenmores.Cycle times vary depending on the fabric settings on the timer but the average wash time is 7 minutes.Usualy,the main/normal cycle wash can be set from 18 to 4 minutes

 

[jons1077]

CR ratings

I will give a little history on my experience with new appliances vs. ratings in CR. I remodeled my condo a couple of years ago and outfitted the place with all new Kenmore Elite appliances. Everything was top of the line for Kenmore at the time (2005). I had only two of the appliances NOT have something break. My dishwasher had to have a new motor replaced after one year. My fridge had a castor break in less than a year after rolling it out ONCE to hook it up in the new kitchen. My range with the glass-touch panel was completely out of service for several months due to computer boards going out. Lastly, I discovered that my He4t washer had apparently been damaged when delivered as a side panel (not visible when in my bathroom) had been severely crushed. They installed and went on their way never mentioning it to me.

I had to deal with Sears non-stop and got virtually nowhere when it came to dealing with these issues despite the overwhelming amount of warranty coverage I had on all of them. I also submitted complaints with the BBB to help me resolve issues and, again, got nowhere. Since CR always gives Kenmore products such great ratings and repair histories, I felt it necessary to write to them and share my terrible experience with Sears and their high-dollar products. Again, I heard nothing and got nowhere with them. I immediately discontinued my subscription to CR and will no longer give Sears or CR ANY of my money again.

I don't trust any of the ratings I read and take them for a grain of salt. My next house will have strictly vintage appliances and I couldn't be happier.

Just something for you all to read.

Jon

 

[seamusuk]

Same thing with which over here !

In all honesty i wouldnt believe a thing they come up with !

 

[dascot]

"You have the Whirlpool Cabrio twice."

Looks like two different model numbers to me...

 

[washabear]

I just read the report. It is somewhat puzzling to me. It says that the conventional top loaders have addressed the energy restrictions by having more aggressive agitation. What does that mean? Have all the Whirlpool-made machines speeded up their agitation? I can't imagine that they have. And from what I have seen, the GE Hydrowave agitation could hardly be called aggressive, and that is their Best Buy. Not that I'm knocking the GE, but it seems to conflict with their editorial comments.

I don't get it.

 

[nmaineman36]

I too have noticed the huh? factor in the report. They rated the Miele 4840 4th and while it got an 81 it raked 81 with the other 3 machines. Yet it outcleaned them and still was ranked 4th. As far as the Honeycomb drum..what the hell are they talking about...its very gentle I think. The Miele dryer ranked in the middle and I want to say it ranked 25th...the capacity was very good and drying was very good but they gave it a fair rating for noise. Well yeah its going to a tad louder since it pulls a higher volume of air thru the washload...hence its an HE dryer. Makes me wonder why the report isnt all that much in depth as I think it should be.
Can you imagine if any of us were to do the testing and reporting...I would love a chance at it and have fun too. Just seems that the info they give is making me wonder what the hell is going on at CU.

 

[launderess]

Remember The Four Factors of Good Laundry

Time
Chemicals,
Mechanical Action
Water Temperature

Any increase or decrease in one usually means a corresponding action in the others. Am guessing since cooler water temperatures are being used, the agitation has become more aggressive to "beat" soils out of laundry that would have been easily shifted by hotter water temps.

Moi?

I'd rather have less aggressive agitation and hotter water.

L.

 

[frigilux]

Mike, I, too, miss the more in-depth articles of the Consumer Reports of yore. Remember when you'd find out the spin speed, the rinsing prowess, etc? Now we get a few measly paragraphs. Bah!

 

[supersuds]

There are a lot of things that are unexplained. I think once again Laundress has nailed it, however.

For instance, the Bosch Nexxt 800 gets a "fair" for gentleness, while the Bosch Nexxt 500 is "very good." Why? Could it be just the cycle time on the 500, which is given as 80 minutes, while the 800 takes 105 minutes? It stands to reason that if you rub something a lot longer it will wear more. The short cycle Speed Queen also ranks tops for gentleness.

This is just guesswork since they don't say.

washabear, I have a nearly new Whirlpool 5800 toploader. I guarantee there is no difference its agitation and the 10 year old model it replaced. The water levels seem just as high too. other than eliminating the warm rinse option, I don't see how it can possibly save any energy over any other DD Whirlpool. Or wash any worse, as they said last year.

 

[sudsman]

As Launderess put it

The 4 factors that make or break washing have always been true. No matter what the machine is or the make. If one is short something else must be longer there are no good trade offs. Longer washing just wears out items sooner no matter what the temperature. And as we have found here a longer wash DOES NOT mean cleaner work it can actually make is worse.. 2 12 or 15 min wash is much better than a 20 min. wash.. Or a 5 or 6 min prewash and then a main wash of 12 to 15 min always will work well. I have found that even on the heavy soil surgery items and drapes ,that 3 short washes cut the overall time and improve the quality far better than longer timed washes. Most of the formulas we use have washes no longer than 12 mins even for the most the heavy soil items.. Detergent useage is not that much grater either, as after the First Prewash then we only use half or a 4th of the amonut of detergent for preceeding washes.