Consumer Reports tests the 2008 washers

[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.

 

[rp2813]

I see nothing has changed since I canceled my subscription to CR a few years ago. They provide very little reporting compared to what they used to and their recommendations defy their test results and frequency of repair data. The fact that they could recommend a GE anything as a "Best Buy" is all I need to know to continue steering clear of CU altogether.

 

[toggleswitch]

Without phosphates to hold soil in suspension, excessively long wash times serve little purpose.

Of course in a front-loader, that uses very little water, time is neeed to ensure water reaches all items.

 

[frigilux]

I would love to see them abandon the little ratings "bullets" and give us an actual number. Something can be rated "very good" but we don't know if it's a mere one point away from "good" or, at the other end of the spectrum, one point away from "excellent".

If CR thinks their customers are too dumb to deal with numbers, at least make them available online. A perk like that would certainly make the $$ charged for their online service worth it.

 

[launderess]

CR is a shadow of it's former self, IMHO.

No detailed ratings in print, no real information on how some ratings come to be, and in general lack of clear and factual information.

CR also seems to focus more on electronics and automobiles than any thing else, well that and perhaps "consumer news" such as health plans/insurance etc.

How many times a year does CR need to review computers, HD/Plasma televisions, DVD/DVR, digital cameras and so forth? I mean be fair, one knows the tech market is changes rapidly, but every quarter?

L.

 

[mrwash]

Hi guys,

I notice that you discuss those test results like we do, when there is a washing machine test report in our German consumer magazine.

I don't know if you're interested in but I can show you the results of the last washing machine test a few months ago.
They tested only frontloaders as they are nearly the only machines which are sold here.

1.) Miele
2.) Bosch
3.) Siemens
4.) Privileg (Zanussi)
5.) Zanker (I think also Zanussi but I'm unsure)
6.) Blomberg (belongs to Beko)
7.) Whirlpool
8.) EBD (a really cheap brand, which only produces waste most time)
9.) LG
10.) Bauknecht (belongs to Whirlpool)
11.) Samsung

The mag said, that there is no reliable method to test the effect of Mieles Honeycumb on clothes.
Further it tested the function of the steam option which offers the LG model. Result: It has no effect on clothes. After LG, the steam function should remove bad odors from clothes but it didn't work so they took more points off.

The Bauknecht and the Samsung model broke down during the test, so they got the last places.

Whirlpool, EBD,LG, Bauknecht and Samsung offered not enough safety concerning water damage so they lost points here.

As you discuss the issue that Kenmore is so top-rated but offers poor quality, we discuss the same phenomena with the Privileg (Zanussi) model. It is always on top but the machine consists of plastic, plastic, plastic. Those machines break down after 3 years or even earlier so nobody knows why they are so good in the tests. Rumors said, that they offered money to buy a good test result but when that would be true an come out, the consumer mag would not exist any longer. So that will remain a mystery to us...

 

[rp2813]

CU on line

Another reason I let my CR subscription lapse. They charge for on line access even after you've paid good money for a magazine subscription. No other magazine charges you twice like this. Combined with the bum steers they are giving to consumers (I was a victim and purchased their top-rated Amana washer 10 years ago--what a mistake) they made it easy for me to quit them completely. A GE washer a "best buy"--what a joke.

 

[louvac]

Guys...

With regards to Consumer Reports...

you have to remember they are speaking and comparing models of items from a dollars and sense perspective. I, too, have found that not everything that they recommend is SO great! I just use it as ONE bench mark when I am in the market for something. One thing they do have going for themselves is that their opinions are not swayed (at least that's what they claim) by manufacturers advertisements or endorsements.

With many appliances, I prefer to evaluate the item personally. I like to see how it's made, what the warranty covers and does not cover and for how long, where/how is service available, and all that good stuff. You don't have to be an expert to recognize quality.

 

[louvac]

In case you're wondering...I spelled "cents" as "sense" for a reason, because you must use your own common sense and judgement in such purchases. With Consumers Reports, I find that there is a fine line between experience and expertise!

 

[rp2813]

I would agree that CR should only constitute a portion of anyone's research. Most of the information I found when considering purchase of my Duet pair came from on line.

However, one needs to be careful about what they read on line. When I was looking to replace my mom's vacuum cleaner it was quite obvious that the marketing department at Hoover had infiltrated e-pinions and plastered testimonials about the WindTunnel machine that were nothing short of euphoric. They were easy to spot for me as they all had very similar writing styles, but no doubt Hoover hoped others would actually think they were made by "real" consumers and rush out to buy their own WindTunnel.

 

[pturo]

I think that Laundress'points on: Time, Chemicals, Mechanical Action and Water Temperature are brilliantly clear. A vesitile machine would give us control of all of the above. In the conversion from top load to front load, we seem to sacrifice some chemicals and mechanical action as lesser forces but pay for it in time. Water temperature does come in play for non heated front loaders that take 75 minutes to do a cycle loaded with hot or warm 30 minutes prior.

I have a front loader at a vacation place, I wash everything on hot, by the time it is done, about 75 minutes later, it is cool, and the wash water draining is warm, even in the first cycle. Laundress is right, you don't give efficiency up for free, there is a cost on some end of the spectrum.

 

[rp2813]

Cycle Times

One complaint I have about my Duet is that on the Heavy Duty cycle, the default/shortest cycle time is 40 minutes. If you want more time, you can push the appropriate selector button and it will leap to an hour & 20 minutes. That's DOUBLE the regular wash time! Push the button again and it only adds 5 more minutes to the cycle time. However, I swear that in one instance I saw it display 55 minutes after pushing the button only once, but it quickly "corrected" itself to 1:20. I'm thinking maybe there is an issue with the electronics, as it would make a lot more sense to add 15 minutes when the soil level button is first pressed as opposed to 40!

 

[phillygrl]

CU Online for Free

I found a great resource that has many publications on line for free, including CU. They are text only versions, but I can deal with that. I can get the jist of an article without driving miles to the nearest library that has a subscription. You either give them a library card number, or if your library does not participate, you can join for free. A good resource, link is below.

http://www.accessmylibrary.com/

 

[funguy10]

On Line for free my foot. I clicked on a "See full article button and it is asking me to give what libaray I go to.

 

[launderess]

You Aren't Missing Much

Finally sat down and read CR, and have to say this W&D review is the most poor effort to date. So poor in fact editors don't bother to even mention they are reviewing washers and dryers on the cover.The whole thing takes about two or three pages, IIRC and seems hardly worth the effort, again IMHO.

L.

 

[frigilux]

They mention in the opening paragraph that some toploaders have improved their cleaning scores through innovations like a midwash soak, but then don't bother to tell us which machines offer that feature. They also don't bother to mention GE's new Hydrowave technology, which uses a slow, 360-degree agitation arc.

Also: Why no test of the Speed Queen toploader?!

I still have faith in their tests, but they've lost the desire to really explain anything to us. And I've come to hate those little bullet ratings. Give us the actual numeric score for each parameter. A rating of very good, for instance, could mean the score is as low as 51 or as high as 74.