FL Tub Capacities - I think they are lying!

[qualin]

OK everyone... This has been bothering me for a while.

I stopped by the local Future shop today and noticed something interesting.

I think the washer manufacturers are lying about tub capacity..

Here's why...

The first shot I'm going to post is of a Frigidaire Gallery machine with a claimed 3.1 cu.ft tub capacity. I put my fist into the photo as a reference. The tub has a small opening and is quite deep.

 

[qualin]

This shot is of a Samsung machine with a claimed 5.0 cu.ft capacity.

 

[qualin]

This next shot is of a Whirlpool machine with a claimed 4.0 cu.ft tub capacity.

 

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And finally, a picture of my Huebsch, with a claimed 3.3 cu.ft tub capacity.

 

[qualin]

Is it just me, but:

The Frigidaire has a considerably smaller tub capacity than my Huebsch..

The Whirlpool has a slightly larger diameter than my Huebsch, but is about the same depth...

The Samsung looks like it the same capacity has my Huebsch, but the tub is much deeper in comparison, even though it has the same diameter....

Opinions? Thoughts and feelings?

 

[pierreandreply4]

my toughts on this

well qualin my toughs on this is maybe the tub is made by a sub contractent and not by the actual company

like for expemple if i look at your pic of the fridgedair Gallery the tub looks like it was made by lg for frigedair the samsung machine the tub looks like it was made by a company that makes smaller capacety machines and the whirlpool duet washer tub looks like it was made in there dryer factory and they only drill holes in the tub ss for water to evacuate and as for the tub of your huebesh washer i would estimate its made by lg because of the holes in the paddles but these are just my toughts on this i am not an expert...

 

[dj-gabriele]

You're right, manufacturers are lying about capacity!

Here in Europe, where the capacity is expressed in kilos of dry MIXED cottons, you can find different machines with the same tub:

as an example Candy might (and indeed does) sell the same machine branded as Hoover with a 7 kg capacity and another machine as Candy with a 6 kg capacity but the drum will be the same at around 54 litres of volume.
Top loading machines follow the same path! Hoover has a 8 kg toploader with a drum volume of 56 litres and Candy has a 7kg top loader with the same drum volume! (Which is anyway better than Electrolux claimed capacity of 8 kg with a 51 litres drum!)

They simply tweak variables like water loading and cycle time to manage the bigger washing capacity where the load is slightly more compressed.

The worst offenders are Asian brands like LG and Samsung that couple shoddy quality with exaggerated claimed capacities! So you can arrive at things like 11 or 12 kg in drums that are only around 75 litres of volume! Quite unbelievable uh? To fit that much laundry in there you really have to cram the machine full but thanks to the front loading washing machine qualities the load will come clean (long cycle times!) albeit much more creased! :O

 

[revvinkevin]

Looks can be deceiving - use a tape measure instead of your

 

 

I have wondered about this too and used a tape measure to check interior dimensions.  I know the Frigidaire (1st photo) looks small because the door opening / boot is small.

 

I've found that the tub diameter (measured across) are all very close to each other, usually within a 1/2 inch.   It's the depth of the tub and the size of the paddles / baffles that makes the difference.   Granted I've not had the opportunity to measure a Speed Queen FL, but I will when I can find one.

 

Kevin

 

P.S.  Frigidaire is owned / made by Electrolux.

 

[nrones]

I don't think

we can call that lying, or whatever similar...

There is just one thing that everyone should know, and it is that bigger capacity written on the label doesn't nececarily mean it has bigger drum. It means machine can wash that amount of laundry in once.

It is up to "personal decision" of manufacturer weather they will choose to have bigger drums and shorter time, less creases etc, or smaller drums, with longer time, but time saving comes on less washes per week. Many of them choose creases, and long washing times, because nowdays higher number of KG machine can take is one of most important marketing parts

Everything written on the label is true, and can be done, otherwise "lie" machines couldn't go out on a market, and lot of them don't, however we are just not informed about that (at least regulations in Europe are like that)

dj-gabriele
Just a little correction, 7kg Candy's have 50l drums not 54 (you can see that in my images from the factory)

Dex

 

[dj-gabriele]

7kg Candy's have 50l drums

...even smaller than I tought!

But they wash so damn well! :O
Candy anyday for me (when it comes at washing!)

 

[pierreandreply4]

my 2004 duet whirlpool washer

when i bought back in 2004 my generation 1 whirlpool duet washer the tub drum was label 3.8 capacety but when i look at it it has the capacety of a 3.2 topload tub so i think that they should but when it comes to capacety kilos on the label the actual tub drum size when it comes to the size when i have to wash my double bed comftor i have trouble loading it in my fl washer unless i fully push it in by hand if not the door will not close

 

[revvinkevin]

A few examples of what I was talking about...

 

 

This is the interior dimensions of the small round door Frigidaire (first photo) rated @ 3.1 cu. ft.

 

21.5" across by 11" deep

 

[revvinkevin]

 

 

Here next model Frigidaire came out with (after?) the small round door.  It had a larger opening, a "square door". and was rated @ 3.5 cu. ft. 

 

22" across by 11.5" deep

 

[revvinkevin]

 

 

This is a Maytag Neptune which was rated @ 3.2 cu. ft.   It was a little difficult to measure because of all the rounded "corners".

 

Basically 21.5 across by 12 - 12.25" deep.

 

[revvinkevin]

 

 

This is a 2009 Kenmore Elite (last year of the Whirlpool built machines), rated @ 4.4 cu. ft.

 

21.5" across by 14.25 - 14.5" deep.

 

When I was looking at this before I bought it, there was this blue one and a red one next to it, except for the color the machines looked identical.   Upon closer inspection I noticed the RED one was built in Germany, was rated at <span style="text-decoration: underline;">4.0 cu. ft</span>. and had a top spin speed of I believe 1300 rpm.   The BLUE washer I bought (the red one was sold, ARG!) was built in Mexico, was rated at <span style="text-decoration: underline;">4.4 cu. ft</span>. and has a top spin speed of 1100 rpm.    The internal dimensions were was EXACTLY the same on both.   The only difference.... was the paddles, or baffles.   The RED washer with 4.0 rating had LARGER paddles/baffles then the BLUE washer rated @ 4.4 cu. ft.   I was surprised to see only smaller paddles/baffles made the difference of 0.4 cu. ft.

 

Kevin

 

[qualin]

Wow, Good point. I wonder what the sales people will think if I bring a tape measure onto the showroom floor.

 

[frigilux]

I'm wondering if there was a change in how tubs are rated for cu. ft. capacity.  Case in point:  When my 2010 Frigidaire washer (model 4474) was first advertised, the tub was rated at 4.6 cu. ft.  A few months later, I believe that number was reduced to 4.2 cu. ft.  If you go to the Frigidaire site today, it's rated at 3.81 cu. ft.  Did Frigidaire really reduce the size of the tub, or is something else afoot?

 

 

 

[ronhic]

My 6.5kg Westinghouse badged and Italian made Zanussi is 11" deep and 17 3/4 wide....

 

[iheartmaytag]

The reason washers began being listed by Cu. Ft rather than lbs was a more honest approach.  18lbs of blue jeans is going to be considerably less than say 18 lbs of lace curtins.  In fact one probably couldn't get 18 1bs of lace in a machine. Where as 3.0 cu ft of either is still 3.0 cu ft.

 

Now that's not to say that manufacturers didn't gild the lilly a bit on either measurement.  I think as someone said above, the measure is more of what you can get in it rather than what you should. put in it.   It is also my understanding that the measure is taken before the agitator is added on top loaders. but with the baffles/paddles on front loaders.