The old Euro front loaders, that I was used to, were stuffed
Therein lies the rub. Here in the U.S., water levels in washers are becoming smaller and smaller, due to government incentives or regulations (not sure which).
When One Used The Word "Fists" Did Not Mean To Imply
Explict and direct instructions for loading would have such a word.
Rather something one read in various online and elsewhere directions for generally for loading front loading washing machines. The idea is that for most cotton loads *NOT* to cram the machine til it was packed tightly, but to leave a given amount of space at the top which one asssumes historically has proven workable.