frigidaire washer

[toploader1984]

i have a question, not sure if anyone knows, maybe frigilux does, i am wondering if the new frigidaire top loader FTW3011KW has the dual action agitator or the straight 3 vane agitator? i cannot find ANY specs on it, even frigidaires website.

 

[appnut]

Well, if ya believe pics in the user manual, it's a common 3-vane agitator.

 

[appnut]

According to the specifications for that model, it has Auto Temp control. The manual state hot wash is temp regulated but warm & cold washes aren't temp regulated.

 

[supersurgilator]

I think the lower end of the two would have the straight vane and the TOL would have the dual action.

 

[appnut]

I think the lower end of the two would have the straight van

The manual was one of those more common "universal" types. In fact, the control panel it showed the most was the higher-end model and all pics, including one with the fabric softner dispenser on top of the agitator, showed the straight-vane agitator.

 

[mrb627]

Funny.

I was looking at these machines on the website last night. I wondered if they had made any advances in their top-loader line up.

Malcolm

 

[frigilux]

This is a complete guess, but now that they have only two top-loading models, I'll bet they both have the dual-action agitator---which, in this case, would probably be a good thing. From what I've seen, the standard 3-vane agitator produces even worse rollover than the dual-action.

Warning: If you do get a Frigidaire top-loader, be prepared to HATE several things about it: The limited water level; no cool-down for perm press; the new, dumbed-down hot water limit; no temp control for warm/cold washes; in-post softener dispenser that leaks its contents during the first spin; final spin that's ridiculously long in the Whites cycle (12 min.) and too short in the Colors cycle (3 min.); the Colors and Delicates cycles are identical except for the wash times listed on the cycle dial.

I like my machine--the indexing tub is unique and fun to watch, but I wouldn't want it as my only washer. I use my 2002 Frigidaire front-loader far more often.

Malcolm----Have they made any advances in their top-loader line-up? No, none at all. In fact, they screwed up the temp-control, which now limits the hot water temp, but doesn't boost the warm or cold temps, which is one of the more stupid things I've ever heard of; but I suppose they're trying to get the energy use as low as possible. The water is about 42 degrees coming out of my tap in the winter. Unregulated warm water comes out at about 60. I need temp-control, even if it does mean the machine uses a bit more energy.

 

[gmmcnair]

I agree with Frigilux....

...I wouldn't want one of these as my only washer. I had one...the Kenmore laundry center with the top loading washer. It was brand new and came with my house when I bought it in 2002.

The straight vane agitator action was pretty pathetic, although I will say it didn't have the dumbed down temperatures or the 12 min "Power Spin." I hated it....the indexing tub initially looked cool, but after living with it for 5+ years, I was glad to see it go. So was my ex-partner, my mother, my grandmother, my ex MIL (all have older Maytags), everyone that used it didn't care for it.

It worked, it was reliable, but it just didn't work very well overall.

 

[frigilux]

Rollover with these washers is good if you get the water-to-clothes ratio just right. And if you don't load clothes past the third row of holes down from the top of the tub, rollover is great.

I got tired of jerry-rigging my water level control with a rubber band and a picture hook (which I can hook right under the face of the console, so I usually just load it to match the water level, these days. I suppose it's about an 8-lb. load. max, which gives it the functioning capacity of an early 1950's washer.

Having said that, I washed a very large load of highly-stained kitchen whites last night (and used my hook/rubber band on the water level control). Using liquid Tide With Bleach Alternative, 2 Tide Stain Release pacs and 1 cup of liquid chlorine bleach (during the last 6 minutes of the wash cycle), everything came out perfectly clean. And yes, with that toxic brew, I used the extra rinse option!

But boy HOWDY, they're an easy machine to overload. The manual says to "load clothes to the top of the agitator blades", which on the dual-action agitator is up to the top row of holes in the tub. I tried this once, and watched the clothes get dragged around in circles with no rollover whatsoever. It made me cringe, like when I see a huge load grinding around in an impeller-based top-loader.

Oh, one more thing: When you wash sheets, load it as you would a Unimatic Frigidaire---in quadrants---and tuck the loose ends of the sheets underneath. I put one queen-sized sheet in at 12:00 and one at 6:00; then I put three pillowcases in at 3:00 and another three at 9:00. This pretty much stops the wild tangling that can happen with sheets in these indexing-tub machines.

One big plus for the Frigidaire: It's nearly impossible to cause a cabinet-banging unbalanced load. I regularly wash 1 pair of heavy jeans, and have never had a problem. A front-loader (and some top-loaders) would either stop (and buzz if you grew up with a BD Kenmore), or slam the cabinet around. I've never, ever had a load it couldn't spin. Occasionally, I'll open the lid on the final spin and wonder why the wildly-oscillating tub doesn't just launch out of the machine, but it's spinning quietly at top speed, LOL!

 

[toploader1984]

i have noticed many people (even ones who own)frigidaire top loaders have mixed feelings, i have a budget of $800 for the set, but i am NOT going to have a whirlpool dd machine OR ge for that matter, i have had both machines and got sick of my clothes getting tore up, so i decided i want a longer slower agitation stroke, and i also think the indexing tub is cool, i know they are very sensitive to overloading, but me and the bf are very careful about that. one thing that i wam going to HATE is the dumbed down hot water temp, yet cold and warm ar not regulated!!??? that is the stupidest thing i ever heard. all that being said, i think i will be happy with the machine, as long as they are reliable, i would love to have another machine but the place i am moving to has no basement like i have here, which is why mark is going to steal my filter flos from me when i move.

 

[appnut]

One way to get around the regulated hot water

Set for a warm wash fill and turn off the cold tap while it fills until it starts agitating.

 

[toploader1984]

good idea appnut

 

[frigilux]

Toploader1984: Having a Frigidaire TL'er washer/dryer pair is better than having to go to the laundromat. And despite its numerous drawbacks, I like having one, as it's fun to watch; and I do use it for several loads a week; usually loads of whites, sheets, bath towels, and "around the house" clothes---shorts, T-shirts, etc. I always wash my dress shirts and pants in the front-loader (usually on the Delicates cycle) as I wash them quite frequently, and I think the FL'er is a little more gentle on them.

One more thing: Be prepared to deal with the shock of a smallish 5.8 cu. ft. dryer drum. Having said that, I've lived with one for 14 years. I had a first-issue '96 FrigiLux FL pair (which I left behind at the warehouse apt. I lived in prior to buying a house).

When I wash a full load of dress shirts and pants, I always split the load in two for the dryer. I don't enjoy ironing, and my shirts usually emerge without wrinkles that way.

Also: skip the Colors (Perm Press) cycle on the dryer. Although it leads you to believe there's a "less dry/more dry" continuum on the cycle dial, it is actually a fixed-setting cycle, and I find that most loads come out a tad damp for my liking. I use the excellent Delicates cycle, instead. There's a nice wide drying range and it also has the extra tumble extension at the end of the cycle.