First "big" HE TL load on YT?

[joeypete]

Good points Jim! Very true that most consumers look for flashy everything, and more importantly NEW. It's new so it has to be better right? Wrong. I guess what has drawn me to HE TL's is that I do like the agitation aspect of the washer. I know a FL would have suited me better, being in a condo with limited space it would have freed up room to make new storage. But I have always found them "boring" because I like to watch the action so to speak. Laundry has become more complex, not in that people's clothes are dirtier but more so that the machines are different. In most of these machines you can't just blindly throw clothes in, pick whatever cycle and they come out generally clean. You DO have to read the manual, which probably 80% of consumers don't do.

That being said, being a forum member I spent a HUGE amount of time researching to find an HE TL machine that I think works the best. I actually ordered the Kenmore version of the LG at first, only to realize that it wasn't going to wash the way I wanted it to. (It figures I find useful information against my purchase after I purchase it). When I bought my GE Hydrowave, I did the same. The reviews I read were very varied. Some loved it, some hated it. Quite honestly the only thing different about it from the old Kenmore DD's was the longer arc and sounds it made. Otherwise it washes just like any other regular washer. I had no problems with mine at all. Everything came out very clean (except my white socks but they are hard to clean anyway).

I did wash my pillows in my new machine and you are correct, it was a challenge. Though they did come out cleaner than before…but I did have to flip them. The recirculating spray helped immensely! I've washed 3 queen blankets and the turnover was a bit slow but again, the spray helped to drench them and yes, they came out sparkling clean and pet hair free.

Thank you for the explanation of your thoughts and I completely understand where you are coming from.

 

[DADoES]

 
<blockquote>I guess what has drawn me to HE TL's is that I do like the agitation aspect of the washer. I know a FL would have suited me better, being in a condo with limited space it would have freed up room to make new storage. But I have always found them "boring" because I like to watch the action so to speak.</blockquote> I had never used a frontloader until I refurbished a 2005 Duet HT in Nov 2012 for use by the tenants at a friend's rental house.  I used it for a couple months until the house renovation was finished.  I found the tumble patterns and load balancing/distribution routines as entertaining to watch as the agitation of a traditional or HE toploader.

 

[warmsecondrinse]

Clarification:

When I moved I chucked all the info I had on the Hydrowave Horror so I can't give the model number. However, I checked some Youtube vids and realized that the "GE Hydrowave" label includes machines quite different from the one I had. I now realize I needed to be more specific:

1. The machine I had was bought new in June of 2011. It had a washplate/Infusor and used "LoWater" technology.
2. There was NO adjustment for load size.
3. If by "recirculating spray" you mean what's going on in the Calypso in the posted link, my machine did NOT have that.
4. The vid I found with a machine most similar to mine is this:



5. My machine didn't use as much water as is shown in the above link. The turnover shown did NOT happen in mine. Very little pet hair was removed. My roommate at the time had entirely too many cats so the lack of pet hair removal was a huge issue.

I stand by all my scathing remarks about the specific model of washer I had. But please accept my apologies for accidentally incuding other models.

Jim

http://https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPqIHLRa3us

 

[joeypete]

I should give FL's another thought. Maybe for my next purchase. haha. I used an LG set for 2 years in my previous home. But I always used "Speed Wash" because I thought the cycle times were too long. Granted my clothes don't get dirty enough where I would need to wash them on a full cycle. Plus my roommate who owned the house was constantly harassing me about using the washer. We were on septic and he wanted me to do only 1 load a day. Considering how little water those machines use, I thought it was silly but I followed his rules. lol

Yesssss that GE is certainly interesting. I know Jamie did videos of it and it seemed to work ok but I was very skeptical of how well it would perform. What really sold me was watching videos of the F&P top load with the impeller. I was really impressed at how it turned the clothes over…and of course the recirculating spray. I'd still like to get my hands on a Filter-Flo…I think that's where my fascination with the recirculator comes in. ;-)

 

[murando531]

A top-load washer MUST have a recirculator, no question about it. I whole-heartedly believe that's what makes or breaks an HE machine. Heck, it's even a requirement for me with a standard top loader. I love my WTW4800 that is stored in a closet but I always wished they could have added that second tiny pump just to soak the load with concentrated detergent before it actually filled up. That would have made a WORLD of difference. I was always surprised that with the success of the Catalyst DirectDrives, it seemed like it could have been an easy and standard thing to do.

The recirc. pump is also what sets the true Oasis/Cabrio/Bravos apart from the VMW versions of the machines, along with them not having the SmartDrive that can adjust and sense the load. The biggest struggle when working in appliance retail was trying to explain why two Cabrios or Bravos models looked almost the same inside but were completely different machines under the hood.

 

[joeypete]

I agree completely! I only wish the spray would stay on during the agitation. I think that would make it clean even better? I dunno why they don't have it that way. I'm sure there is a reason. I was looking at the GE HE top loader with the WaterFall recirculation and I think that stays on all the time, but it is just that, a waterfall. The water falls straight down and the stuff in the middle doesn't get much of it.

In addition to the spray, I'd love to see lint filters again. I have 2 cats and when I wash my blankets I'm constantly wiping little balls of hair out of the washer after it's done with the cycle. A filter of some sort would probably catch most of it. I was seriously going to get a Filter-Flo for just that reason!