Danby? They make a twintub but almost nobody sells them

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arbilab

arbilab

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What's the deal with Danby? Any firsthand or anecdotal experience? Amazon and Walmart carry a model or two but not what I want (compact twintub). Wiki doesn't recognize the company. And I don't recognize the few dealers who have the DTT100A1WDB in stock.

The size/specs/price puts it above the well-reviewed but still questionable Panda. I'd rather spend $340 on something that actually works than $240 on something that conditionally works.

But it seems Panda actually manages to sell enough to get reviewed. Whereas Danby... ?
 
Danby

RUN LIKE HELL!!! Danby washers are awful! I admit it was about 15 years ago that I had one but it stank. They are not well-made and replacement parts are next to impossible to find (I've had better luck finding vintage washer parts, I swear!).
 
Thanks, that would explain why retailers are skittish to handle them. Supposabilly it's a US 'company' but the product is almost surely/purely Chinese.

Mean we've sunk so low that $350 (avg) won't buy a working smallscale washer? Every part of a twintub can be molded plastic except the motors, shafts/bearings and wiring.

Panda sells a VERY small one. Without even trying to hide where they come from (what does "panda" bring to mind?). All plastic (the Danby cabinet is metal). They're said to chew clothes into lint. When they work at all. Worst case, you get a dead one and the seller will only refund the purchase, not the shipping either direction. Nobody said they tried saying "if you want it back come get it". Argh. But Amazon currently sells them.

You may recall, I found a current model Panasonic twintub. But the only place I found it shipping from is.......... 'wait' for it...... Kuwait. Hey, don't they owe us a favor?
 
for that kind of money, I would rather go with an Avanti automatic, hooks to a sink, or permanent setup, the one I used held a 12 lb load, washed queen size sheet set with ease....you have to see and operate one to believe it....too many cycle variations than you can think...wish they made this in a full size unit, although, for the size, it can't be beat...



 
Love that Avanti washer! But the person using it really overloaded it not to mention the copious amount of detergent she used. I wonder if it was Gain that has that wonder green tint to it. And I can imagine the aroma that would be enough to knock anyone over. I cant stand the scent. I used to like it years ago when it wasnt overpowering, but now stink city! The other thing I noticed was how tangled the load was when she was pulling it out of the washer. That has to be a nightmare for long sleeved shirts or strings on aprons. Kinda reminds me of the tangling Frigidaire GM Unimatic washers used to inflict and pics I have seen.
 
you are missing the full effect of that wash action with the lid closed...

the impellor changes direction fast, but also depends on the cycle selected...

there is a manual lint filter, and two sets of spraying waterfalls from half way up and the top of the basket, that shower the load with water everytime the impellor reverses....

a detergent dispenser as part of the fill flume, a bleach dispenser in the upper left of the top, and a softner dispenser built into the balance ring.....

after using this machine, I could not understand why a Cabrio could not be built to operate the same way... as with anything, with proper loading and load size, I had no problem with items tangling....

this set would make a great backup unit, or stowed in a bathroom closet.....something I will add to my collection....the cycles and options are endless, larger machines don't have this kind of flexability....
 
Thanks for the pointers and suggestions. I've spent HOURS researching and not come up with anything I'm comfortable with.

If Danby 100 did what it says, that would be perfect. I prefer the ultimate flexibility of a twintub. And the superior extraction and mechanical simplicity (if designed properly). But I can't afford to be on the long end of a 2000-mile bungee cord trying to resolve integrity issues with a brand that is widely untrusted.

Danby 99 is discontinued, meaning it's likely unsupported. Nobody was very happy with it.

The Avanti would work but for two things. Budget stretch, and I need to be able to disguise this thing as bedroom furniture. A chest or hamper. Appliances other than microwaves are not allowed. You can't imagine how flimsy HUD buildings are unless you've been in one. The floors are not flat. The building leans to the north. The Otis hydraulic elevator is just short of jamming on the 2nd floor where the rails are farther apart than at the top and bottom. Yeah, the building has love handles at 15yo.

Apparently Panda put too much power into too small space. Even positive reviews complain about lint being shredded from fabrics. My 1973 Panasonic didn't do that. Come to think of it, if I could go back to 1973 that would solve juzzbout everything.
 
I have a danby counter top dish washer with a window. I love it. It has a surprising amount of room in it for a counter top. I can esily get a four piec six place setting in it and mechanically it runs like a charm. I got it for 20 bucks at a rummage sale............the down side is the plastic door got cracked in a move, one of its plastic feet broke off when moving it from one counter to the other so housing wise it wasn't the greatest, but as far as running and doing its job I am perfectly happy withit. I use it all the time.
 
I'll lookup the Haier, Thomas. Might not be available here. A lot is not.

Update: The Haier 21 is indeed available here, $220 at Walmart. It's small enough (17x17x30) to hide from management (appliances not allowed in building) and tuck in a closet. Reviews say it lasts 2-4 years but today that's about par no matter what you pay. And I tend to underload so it well could outlive me.

Sounds much more attractive than the Danby or Panda and cheaper as well. At least retailers aren't afraid to offer it.

The caveat with Haier is, only buy it from a trustworthy retailer who will replace it if you get a dog. Haier factory support is almost worse than none at all. They require you to destroy the machine, submit PROOF you destroyed it, then they may replace it at their leisure or they may forget they ever knew who you were. A VERY 010s business model.[this post was last edited: 4/16/2014-05:09]
 
OH-EMM-GEE! Another night of googling, much worse news about Haier. They may support their Asian market but in US/CA all they do is answer the phone and promise things that never happen. Oh, and in review world outside sellers like Amazon, their profile inverts from 85% positive to 85% negative.

If you get 2 years out of a Haier, buy lottery tickets because you're blessed. Some users can't get 2 months, 2 weeks, 2 LOADS out of them. This isn't entirely subjective either. US consumer product safety commission fined Haier US $850,000 for selling known-defective products.

So while they appear to sell the only product meeting goals, their lack of integrity and abject lack of substantive support takes them out of consideration. Haier is just Danby with another name. Yes, walmart online sells them, but who considers walmart a reputable retailer? Amazon lists them through a contractor. Won't take the liability themselves. That tells you something right there.
 

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