Simplicity
I could not agree more EEMac! I love, love the washer in this video. I wish there were full size versions of this machine. From very BOLs, to TOL programmed cycle washer. 80s Hotpoint font would have made everything all the more better.
Manufacturers could easily build a machine like this today at minimal cost. They already have the wash plates, motors and drive mechanisms in place to do so. The solenoid and a brake band used on Whirlpool portables could would rid of the lid locks, and a slightly smaller impeller could remove the gears from inside the VMW mechanism. If anything reliability would go up.
@cfz2882: Can you post pics of the Haier in your collection?
You make a perfect real world example of why electronics should not be in these simple washers, or really any washer for that matter. A good Midwest timer is all you need and will last for years without trouble or none sense.
And you hit the nail on the head- people fall in love with PSC motors when they try them. They are simple, durable, economical, efficient, cool running, can be reversed/cycled many times, accelerate slowly without a clutch when putting a basket into spin, and no centrifugal switch to fail- among a laundry list of other advantages.