CR Washer Tests January 2007!

[neptunebob]

Actually I do believe that CU was right about the $800 GE oven baking a cake as well as the $5000 Viking - those professional style ranges are mostly hype, just as I believe the 3000 dollar TVs are not 10 times better than a regular television. That remark about the ovens was the only sensible thing they said in the December issue. Now, does anybody here not watch much television? I have limited my TV watching and get more done in life so no, I do not need to spend that much but I am disappointed that Consumer Reports says I do and they will get cancelled! Is anyone else here going to cancel their subscription?

Another question I have for Tolivac: If this equipment is so expensive for the stations how do they pay for it? Is this why we see as many as 10 commercials in a row at night and will there just be more commercials coming? Already too many, and around here the worst commercials are made by car dealers to get people to lease SUVs. What has America turned into, a nation of big spenders of junk?!?

Sorry for the rant, just frustrated about CR, which used to be my favorite. I might write to Consumer Reports about this, will let you all know when I do.

 

[vintagesearch]

hmmmmmmmm, well im a former CR subscriber and i was glancing through the washing machine section (for the first time) gasp in the buying guide i know right lol although the book is for 07', i saw it had some better judgements on products for example they seperated judgements and reliabilty for front loaders and toploaders and HE toploaders i saw a major difference. i had no idea that the "kenmore elite" or more famous as "the catalyst" then "the calypso" then finally "the kenmore elite" lol.
As i was reading due to thier crappy design and "repair prone" character they where NOT recomended so i think they took great consideration for the consumer in thier part also stating that "it left clothes tangled and wrinkled". wow isnt that washer or was it retailed for like 1,200 at first my mom was at first yearning for that model thank god they didnt get it. I was reading online that after months gone by that due to its excessive problems and failures they not only dropped the price significantly but changed the name 3 times lol! the kenmores somewhat distant cousin the calypso had somewhat of a high rate of problems but ones not common with the kenmore though. the most common of its whirlpool cousin is the pump would give out, bad lint problems, tangled laundry, and leaks. Im sure this is NO new news to you guys but i was kinda surprised. which brings me too my next question:
So hows the new "cabrio" and "oasis" there supposed to be phenomenol/detesterable as through reviews in CR and on eopions i found very 50/50 reviews(good and bad) i think there really amazing if i had my own place and the money without a doubt i would get one howver im gonna see as a year goes by how they reallly hold up i'll stay tuned. by the way anyone own the new GE PROFLIE HARMONY? i heard its similar, does anyone have info pictures or better yet a video please respond i wrote an immensely long response here wow take care to all _

 

[launderess]

Well don't think CR focuses so much on reliablity anymore as the American consumer tends not to rate that particular trait very highly anymore. That coupled with the trend of people moving house more often and or disposing of appliances just because "stainless steel is so last year".

As for Miele, the new "uber" washer and dryer line will be interesting. As I've said before, there is no free lunch. You cannot build a larger washer and dryer and have them at same or better quality than similar smaller units but cost less.

L.

 

[oxydolfan1]

Rnady....I personally am avoiding the "new-tech" top loaders (except maybe Fisher & Paykel) because what I've heard has made me nervous....but look back in the archives....jasonl has the Oasis and seems VERY satisfied....he's put up at least one video of its wash action. When I first saw it I was skeptical, but he seems positively impressed by its performance, and I think he's pretty strict....

Launderess....to me, Miele is still the best of the front-loaders...I share your concerns about the new machines bringing down the quality level. I am still KICKING myself for when I had a chance to get one about ten years ago at a good price, and didn't (especially since I liked what they had out then better then now.

But, maybe, Miele is digging deep into their pockets and putting out these new, larger machines to be the gold standard of the popular market, figuring they'll make it up in volume, and they will be as reliable and effective for the money as the higher-end models....

There I go, seeing the Easter Bunny in January again! LOL...

But it would be nice to see substance over style win out.

 

[tolivac]

On the digital TV broadcast equipment-Small town markets the station or its owner has to pay for the new digital equipment,and its installation,proofing-commision.Yes the station tries to sell more ad space on the station and will try to raise the advertising rates the sponser will have to pay.this required conversion ISN'T going to be free.Which means all of us will pay in one way or another-the purchase of the new digital set and related equipment if you want to still watch,and the prices on products can rise as the advertising time the product maker has to pay to promote his products.As far as CU-"Communist reports" as some call it-may not renew this time when it comes up.Their reveiews on products no longer makes sense.And they are being paid "under the table" by some companies-Witness how they gave Maytag and Hoover products good marks-and some of these were the worst you could buy at that time.

 

[pulsatron]

CR Washer tests.

I would be curious to know if C.R.,rated any twin tubs in their reports, you see the equivalent here in Australia called Choice magazine, did their reports on washers here a few months ago and they never test any twintubs at all, even though there are about 4-5 different models to buy down here, so I e-mailed them and asked them why, and the response was less than 2%of the population own or intend to buy a twintub washer so they basically were not worth the effort.
Well, I wrote back I was a part of that 2% and seeing as though I am a subscriber to Choice I feel you don't care about my needs, so therefore I do not require your magazine any longer and cancelled my subscription.
Cheers folks.
Steve.

 

[danemodsandy]

Steve:

I doubt you could get anyone here to purchase a twintub machine so long as there was any choice whatsoever- collectors excluded, of course.

Americans are just too lazy to deal with something like that nowadays, and most people here are so status-conscious that they wouldn't be caught dead with any but the latest technology. A lot of people here are buying front-loaders because they're so obviously NEW and therefore trendy machines, not because there's anything wrong with their old ones.

I personally won't read CR any more; I'm too offended by the repeated emphasis on throwing out the old and buying the new. We need to be digging less stuff out of this earth, not more.

 

[pulsatron]

Thanks for info

Danemodsandy,
Thanks for the info and don't worry most Australians are pretty lazy in that respect and show-offy as well.
It just so happened the other night I was at a friend's place for new year's eve,and washers became a topic of discussion as someone else there just bought a new one and was bragging about how spaceage it was, (I think it was Fisher-Paykel T.L. from memory),and each person was asked what machine they owned and of course when I answered twintub, I was met with sneers and how old fashioned it was and why wouold you bother with those things.
I simply replied that,
1.I can wash 3 days laundry in about 45 minutes can you(answer no).
2.I can re-use water over and over again thus saving water can you(answer again no).
3.If one side of my machine breaks down I ca nstill operate the other side can you use your automatic at all if 1 wire breaks in it(answer no).
The discussion was suddenly changed to "Oh well then to each his own."
Cheers.
Steve.

 

[golittlesport]

How can CU focus on reliability? Unless a machine continually breaks down during the testing period they have no way to know how it will stand up over a period of years. Their reader survey is about the only reliability gage available. And has been said before, the vast majority of Americans could care less about quality...it's all about $$$.

 

[frigilux]

One more thing to consider with CR's 'bullet' ratings: The difference between a rating of Excellent and Very Good in a particular trait, for example, can be as little as one point. This can account for some of the seemingly inconsistent ratings between similarly engineered machines. It doesn't necessarily mean one scored a 99 and one a 79 on that particular trait.

That's why I wish they'd actually publish a score for each parameter they test, rather than the 'bullet'. 1-19= Poor; 20-39= Fair, etc.

This method would give readers a truer picture of each machines performance. don't you think?

 

[oxydolfan1]

Yes, and the consumer could hone in on the attributes (or deficiencies) that are most important to them.

 

[norgeman]

Re: Consumer Reports

I haven't liked CR. for quite some time like in the past 30 years. For instance when I worked for M.W., in the early 80's they always raited our washers very low when we really had one of the best washers money could buy. It was stronger than what anyone else was putting out at the time. C.R. raited them low because of reliablity when we sold a set espaicaly the Norge sets we rarely had a service call on them, not unlike the Westinghouse sets when we sold one of those sets we most generally had a service call right away. It seems to me that maybe Whirlpool is bribing the testers at C.R. in raiting their washers higher and not being fair to the rest of the washer manufacturers. What I'm thinking is that they test the top of the line in the Whirlpool and Kenmore and test the mol or the bol in the other washers. For instances my dad has a Frigidaire washer and has had it for four years now with no trouble and not one service call and it was used heavily when my mom died last March and it washed very well and I liked the way it washed it got clothes very clean. So I feel people should start writing to C.R. and demand that they stop being so biased against the other brands and get back to testing the washers themselves and watching them as they do there thing. So they can make acurate assements fairly. IMO. Danf.

 

[agiflow]

I can agree about the Norge washers being powerful and cleaning well. The one my family had was a very good machine, though noisy as you know what.

I don't think WP has to bribe C.R. for better ratings though. Love them or hate them, they make a very reliable DD washer that cleans great. I have used 2 of them already and they are just good workhorses. I would like the agitation stroke to be a little longer and not hyper speed, but with a three speed motor, i learned that most things clean well on the slower speed.

A lot of machine for the money spent.

 

[tomturbomatic]

In the early days of washer testing, CU had endurance runs where the machine was operated continuously for some extended period to simulate several years of home use and the number of breakdowns for each machine was noted in the rating. When they tested the ABC-O-MATIC, before they instituted endurance testing, they recommended it as the best washer to buy. Droves of people went out and bought them and they had more repair problems than Carters had little pills. Neighbors who bought one said that was the last time that they read Consumer Reports.

 

[mixfinder]

No Pattern

If you watch the trend, CR will rate Kenmore ranges good and downrate Frigidaire or GE while the stove is made by GE or Frigidaire. We've seen it in laundry, refrigeration and small appliances. Almost always, Sears soars to the top in many categories and does not manufacture any of what they sell. That's the piece I struggle with, why does CR have their nose so far up Sears hindsight?.
Kelly

 

[rp2813]

Dan, regarding bias toward a particular brand, I think the actual manufacturer provides the machines for CU to test. I guess WP consistently supplies them with their better machines rather than the MOL ones with the price point the average consumer can handle.

 

[frigilux]

Not true! Manufacturers do not send any items/appliances/cars to CR for testing. CR sends people to stores to purchase them, just like any other consumer would. This ensures that no manufacturer can send a perfectly tweaked or slightly modified item in to be rated.

 

[exploder3211]

UM, Dearie
You need to read Consumer Reports they pride themselves on not recieveing gifts,etc from companies and buying stuff like you and i would. Been like that scince 1936 (or whenever they where invented)

 

[oxydolfan1]

"on not recieveing gifts,etc from companies..."

Well, I know they buy their machines, but even I don't buy that they don't get SOMETHING....

 

[exploder3211]

No nothing... I know of some one who worked there for 30_years and she stands by that fact ( i have almost every issue from the past 33 years in my possesion!)..She says that many have tried but no one ahs succeeded... LoL