Electrolux @ Lowe's

[sudsmaster]

I visited the Union City Lowe's on the way home from Santa Clara today. I notice they have the new Electrolux front loaders - looking very fetching in the metallic midnight blue (or whatever they call it). The washer was going for $1200, with 10% mail-in rebate from Electrolux. Another $200 or so in utility rebates might thus bring the price down to about $900.

I was please that they had provided power to the units, and the interactive demo mode allowed one to see what the wash and dry times for various selections would be on both machines.

For example, the full bore sanitary cycle with all options selection would run 2 hours. I also noticed that one cannot select the sanitary temperature for any other selection than the "Sanitary" one. I was a little puzzled by that, but I guess Electrolux figures that you should only select the sanitary temp if you're willing to invest a couple of hours into it. Not too surprising given the anemic 110 volt water heater, but that's a "feature" shared by all other large front loaders in this country. I think the only 220 volt machines available these days are the Asko and Bosch offerings, and those are about 1.5 cu ft.

Anyway, the Elux is an attractive machine. It will be interesting to hear some customer feedback on its performance and reliability, even though I have no plans to plunk down $2000 any time soon to replace the Maytag Neptune 7500 pair.

 

[appnut]

Rich, that Sanitary "lock" (only that cycle) is also common for the Whirlpool products. I think it's actually pretty common among all US market-oriented 110v front loads (GE, LG, ...)

 

[sudsmaster]

I guess I'm used to the 220 volt Miele with temperature flexibility, as well as the Neptune 7500 which allows boosted hot water with any combination of functions.

 

[revvinkevin]

Electrolux......

Hey Rich.... when you were playing with the controls... is there any chance you set the machine for the high-rpm spin?

A month or two ago I stopped at a local appliance store here and they also had the E-lux pair on display and plugged in. One thing I did was set it for the highest rpm spin (1400 I think). Even though the machine was empty and very smooth, at top rpm the plastic door started a plasticy-chattery-squeek... and it was REALLY annoying! Not something I would put up with if paying over $2K for the set!

 

[peteski50]

Electrolux!

I am very disappointed in the door design of the machines. Their other appliances seem better built.
Peter

 

[sudsmaster]

I did set it up for a high speed spin... but all it did were slow tumbles back and forth, as if trying to balance a non-existent load.

So I figured the demo mode had disabled the spin.

 

[iheartmaytag]

Here is why I am impressed with E-Lux

I was searching epinions for this particular machine, which there were none. So I searched the Frigidaire machines and there were only a few negatives--here's where I got impressed.

If there was a negative review of a machine, there was a reply from Electrolux asking the poster to contact them with the model and serial number and they would see that the problem was resolved.

Electrolux is the only manufacturer that I have seen where the rep. is reviewing the posts and made contact to attempt to correct a problem.
This is customer service, and I am impressed. So I took it a step further. I sent an email last night to the rep. that offered help with questions abou this Mega-washer. I will let you know when/if I get a response and what it was.

As for Lowe's, I seemed to notice the sales people were not overly anxious to talk to anyone about the E-lux. They were more interested in Whirl-crap and Samsung. Ditto with Sears only they were pushing the HE5. I am wondering if the sales training is lacking, or if they sales people are just not impressed. My biggest angst is the $1,600 price tag on the machine and then another $249 for the pedistal.

 

[rayjay]

Impressed with E-Lux service

I am also impressed with their service. I had the counter depth side by side refrigerator. WHen setting it up I wanted to see how the air and water filters worked. Well...The water filter pos out, but the button to release it got stuck and it was hard to push back in. I call for service, they came the next day, ordered the part, and then came back the following day for service. I have a friend who is a manager of a chain (Pc RIchards in NJ), and he went to class on all their new appliances. He told me that the were A-2 top quality, and if any problems did occur, E-lux would get on it right away. AFterll,, it is a new line of appliances and their could be problems at times.

Electrolux service line is always very helpful. They are open from 8am to 8pm.

 

[sudsmaster]

The top of the line elux washer is $1499, I think, not $1699. At least here. And the mid-line model I was viewing was $1199, with a 10% rebate from elux, which would bring the price down to about $1080 before local utility rebates might lower it to around $900, not including tax.

The sign of the times; I was politely asked if I needed any help by roaming Lowe's employees at least five times while I was in the store for less than an hour. I attributed this to the high local unemployment rate and the noticible slowdown in business in the store. One came by when I was looking at the washer and asked if I had any questions. Of course I said no, as I've learned that regardless of how nice they are, employees at stores like HD or Lowes generally don't know much about the front loader products. Sears people seem a bit better educated, though.

I left Lowe's without making any purchases. I actually went in there to see what they had in the way of corrugated fiberglass and polycarbonate roofing panels, vs. HD.

 

[iheartmaytag]

It was $1,699 I swear

I just looked on line and it was $1,499. But, But, But I was there.

Oh-well, I still liked the machine but not the price.

 

[whirlcool]

When I recently bought my appliances at HD, I also noticed that while the salespeople were very nice and personable, they lacked knowledge about the features of the appliances they were selling. I definitely knew about them though. In fact, the guy who I bought the range from told me I should apply to work there!
I don't think I'd have the patience for it!

 

[sudsmaster]

It was $1,699 I swear

That's more like the price for the base Miele 4.5 cu ft front loader, the 4800...

 

[sudsmaster]

PS-When I first viewed the new elux washer, it as at Airport Appliance in Hayward, where the staff are definitely knowledgeable about the products they sell. The salesman I spoke with said that the vast majority of buyers are getting the lower end elux washers. The main difference is that the top end model has the "wave control" panel, where it has a bigger display, a stain brain and up to three favorites, vs. just one favorite for the base model. But in terms of functions and mechanics, the machines are otherwise identical. So people save up to $400 by getting the plain white base elux as opposed to the sexy platinum TOL model. I happen to really like the deep metallic blue of the $1200 model, tho.

 

[appnut]

I do like the reverse tumble of the TOL dryer though.

 

[gansky1]

Terry, Roger and I played with these at Best Buy and our NFM store later in the week. I must confess a child-like fascination with the pop open doors and the lighted drum! That alone would be worth $400 if only available on the TOL. The more washer drama the better, especially when washing 20 lbs. of clothes in the relative liquid of a Big Gulp. Heating the contents of the Big Gulp, drum and clothes load takes a long, long time but on the TOL Duet I found on Craigslist, the time investment was usually worth it. I wish there was at least the option of a 240v/30A washer but we're still scared to death of everything but guns in this country so I doubt it will come to pass.

Overall, I was rather impressed with the "fit and finish" of the Elux branded products. I didn't get that icky WCI skin crawl of the Frigidaire, Gibson brands. The Elux dishwashers (made by Elux, not Maytag) seem of very good quality and have heard how quiet they are.

 

[nmaineman36]

They are nice I have to say but I did notice one thing though that they are made in Mexico...both washer and dryer. My Miele 4800 did cost about $1600 and the dryer was a cool $ 1000. That set wasnt cheap. Yet they were not made in Germany ...try the Czech Republic. Maddening to say the least. And no where on the machines do they say Made in Germany...my dishwasher does say it. Now if Miele had been smart they would have made an 8 cuft dryer instead of 6.36 cu ft. And still pull the amount of air that it does.
Now I am not saying that Made in Mexico is bad but you would have thunk Electrolux should have built it here in the States...my 2 cents

 

[revvinkevin]

I do like the reverse tumble of the TOL dryer though.

So the E-lux dryer does a reverse tumble? I have a Frigidaire Gallery dryer which does that and I don't see the point.

 

[laundromat]

I had the pleasure of going to Best Buy months ago in Houston and they had the top of the line washer plugged in ready to go.The squeek you heard was probably caused from whoever hooked it up or plugged it in not removing the shipping bolts whic is comon amung sales people who refuse to follow simple directions.The machine I played with did,in fact,spin the full rpm and was amazingly quiet!!!The interior light was easily turned on during that period of the cycle and stays on 3 minutes.It is the brightest ilumination I have ever seen in any front loading machine including any of the oven interior lights!

 

[iheartmaytag]

Nanna-Nanna-Boo-Boo

I knew I wasn't imagining it-Nanner-Nanner-Nanner. There is actually one more expensive than the one I saw:

Image displayed may not be representative of actual product color or finish. Electrolux®
4.7 Cu. Ft. Wave-Touch™ Front Load Washer (Color: Silver Sands) ENERGY STAR®

Item #: 42376 Model: EWFLW65HSS
$1,820.00

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