GE, Frigidaire or Whirlpool FL Washers

[rp2813]

Hey guys,

A local dealer has the following washers all at the same price:

GE WCVH260
Frigidaire AFT7000
Whirlpool Duet GHW9150

These are all going for under $700 (after rebates)

Would like to get some input from knowledgeable guys who frequent this site on which they'd choose and why. There's something about the look of the Frigidaires that I like, but my main concern is functionality and reliability.

Thanks for any opinions!

Ralph

 

[toggleswitch]

I'm still partial to Frigidaire machines, since they are by Electrolux (Sweden) who has decades of European experience with front-loaders.

If I am thinking of the correct models the GE and the WP are quite nice as well....

 

[rp2813]

Thanks TS,

I've never seen the Fridigaire up close in a store so will need to go get a closer look at that pair. With GE I'm concerned about quality and reliability. Whirlpool has a good reputation although I see some things posted here that make me think twice about a Duet pair. Largest capacity is something I want and I think these three are all pretty close on that. I'm not in any hurry to buy, but I don't trust Consumer Reports anymore and would like to be a bit more educated going into my purchase when the time comes.

 

[frigilux]

Every brand has its champions and its detractors. I've had good luck with Electrolux-made Frigidaire front-loaders, but if I were buying again, I'd get a Duet pair.

In fact, I'm now saving up for a new FL pair. I was going for Duet, but I'm a Maytag fan of late, so I'm now going for the Duet-twin Maytag Epic.

They seem to have worked out the bugs and their capacity is greater than the Frigidaire's. Also, I'm not a big fan of the Frigidaire dryer--the drum is fairly small, especially compared to the Duet.

 

[rp2813]

Frig, capacity is a concern and will be the major deciding factor as I have large king sized comforters I'd like to stop hauling to the laundromat. Sounds like Frigidaire might come up a little short in that aspect. Too bad as I like their styling best.

Should I be surprised that nobody has said anything positive about the GE pair?

Ralph

 

[frigilux]

Ralph-- If capacity is what you want, the Duet is definitely the way to go. Neither the GE nor the Frigidaire has the capacity of the Duet.

 

[frigilux]

Ralph--- If capacity is what you want, the Duet is definitely the way to go. Neither the GE nor the Frigidaire has the capacity of the Duet.

 

[rp2813]

Thanks Frig,

I'm back to having the Duet pair as my #1 choice then. And I should point out that I've seen "foreign" brands such as LG that claim largest capacity but the negative comments I've seen here about parts and repair on those machines make it necessary to rule them out.

Thanks for everyone's input.

 

[volvoguy87]

Avoid GE!

As I wrote in another post, my mother recently got a GE set of front loaders. The dryer is not bad, but the washer takes for EVER! I am also not impressed with its washing ability. I think that she would have been better off keeping her old Kenmore DD.

I would vote for Frigidaire on quality, followed very closely by Whirlpool, and GE a distant third, a VERY distant third.

Hope this helps,
Dave

 

[rp2813]

Thanks Dave,

Sadly, your comments about GE come as no surprise. I'm trying to visualize what .2 cubic feet looks like. I think that's the difference between Frididaire and Whirlpool washer drum sizes. I'm thinking it might not be a big enough difference as far as getting my king size comforters in either of them. I really do find the Frigidaire's styling very clean and attractive compared to the Duet.

 

[launderess]

King sized down duvets are a challenge for domestic front loaders on more fronts than just capacity. You will need a unit with strong construction and very stable.

Down is difficult to launder because it naturally resists water, thus it will not compact down readily unless throughly wet and the trapped in said down is forced out. Large commercial units are so huge that the duvet can tumble freely, which aids in saturation, spinning will then force the water and air out of the down. One can mimic this using small down filled items, meaning items that are not too large/heavy so they will not just tumble round and round. Also remember down filled items will become heavy and hold quite allot of water when fully saturated. This means you will need a machine with good bearings and a pumping system able to cope with lots of water.

If you are one that launders down duvets frequently, look for commercial or near commercial quality front loaders IMHO. Speed Queen's homestyle units come to mind, but not sure if they will hold a king sized duvet. Miele is set to introduce early next year, a washer with a down cycle, but again not sure if it will hold a king sized down duvet.

L.

 

[rp2813]

Thanks Laundress,

The down comforter gets sent out for cleaning. These would just be "bed in a bag" variety comforters that I've even been able to force into my Amana TL, albeit with mixed results but I don't think they should be a problem for a machine like a Duet washer to clean well.

 

[golittlesport]

Take your largest "bed in a bag" comforter to the appliance store and try the machines on for size. There isn't all that much difference between the washers, but there is a bit of a size difference between the Whirlpool and Frigidaire dryers.

 

[rp2813]

Thanks GLS, I did notice the Frigidaire dryer was much smaller compared to the Duet. Just this weekend I needed to wash a puffy king size mattress pad and even that was a little much for the Amana TL. So a front loader will make that an easy job and yes, I'll take a comforter with me when I go seriously shopping. I remember laughing at a lady who brought her pots and pans with her when she was trying out different stoves. I wish I had done that, as I really have ended up disappointed by the noisy and flimsy grates on my Jenn Air gas cooktop.

 

[golittlesport]

I saw the new Maytag Epics at Home Depot over the weekend and was surprized when I looked in the dryer....looked the same size as my Frigidaire. Checked the back and sure enough it is not extended way back like other WP/KM super capacity models are. Maybe the Epic dryer is a Maytag design, which I think was a 6.0 capacity (Frigidaire is 5.8). The nice thing is that makes installtion easier, without the dryer being 4 or 5 inches deeper than the washer.

 

[zipdang]

Epic size

The KitchenAid Ensemble dryer, which I believe the Epic is a re-badged version of, is rated at 7.0 cubic ft. I had a 29" wide KitchenAid before I had the Ensemble, and the Ensemble is narrower but deeper.

 

[golittlesport]

The Maytag Epic dryer was at most one inch deeper than the washer.

 

[zipdang]

Sorry Rich, I meant the shape of the drum, not the outside dimensions of the dryer itself.

 

[toggleswitch]

Statement~...capacity is a concern and will be the major deciding factor as I have large king sized comforters I'd like to stop hauling to the laundromat.

Response~ Has anyone considered that perhaps the DRYER is a critical part of this equation?

I have no problems washing a comforter/duvet in my litle FridGeMore. BUT...it got burned in the dryer... my nice BIG GE dryer.

Yes, I used a low heat and a timed dry and rotated and re-positioned the thing every 10 minutes, but apparently the rotating metal back piece heats up (ever so nicely) such that the hole pattern burned onto the fabric.

At least a huge commercial dryer is a perforated cylinder revolving in another one. Methinks the heat injection site is at least a few inches away (and it's not possible to make direct contact with same). Therefore, in my opinion, the whole drying process in a commerical machine [of the proper type] is much safer for big bulky items.



Just a thought.

 

[golittlesport]

Yeah, I usually line dry something that big...smells fresher air drying too. One time I had to wash a comforter during a winter rain because of a pet accident and took it to the laundromat to dry after washing it at home...got pretty good results in the huge commercial tumbler.

 

[rp2813]

Hey Toggle, yes for sure the dryer size is an issue. That's why I have to rule out Frigidaire. I'm hoping the large capacity of a Duet dryer can handle the king sized comforter in question. I've managed OK with my Amana dryer and that thing likes to fry everything to extra crispy, so am thinking I can only be better off with a larger capacity Duet. The laundromat is probably the best option but I'm lazy that way.

 

[gadgetgary]

Never a problem for me......

With a king sized down comforter in my 'original' Maytag Neptune........I wash and dry the comforter with tennis balls...

 

[toggleswitch]

Yeah, I usually line dry something that big.

See, not I thought you HAD to machine dry such items to get the innards fully dry or they would mildew*/smell.

*IIRC mildew is mold, but on fabrics.

 

[tumbler]

Which FL...

I had a Frigidaire (Kenmore) FL, and the tub bearings were shot after 6 years-pretty pathetic. I had recommended the machine to four other folks, and two of these machines also fried the tub bearings. I now own a Whirlpool Duet HT (the one with the heater and 1250 rpm spin) and couldn't be happier. I wash a queen-size duvet in it with no problems at all, and dry it in the matching Duet dryer, also with no problems other than occasionally repositioning it. (only a laundromat-size dryer, like a 50 or 75-lb. capacity machine will dry these without repositioning).

 

[rp2813]

Thanks Tumbler. Looks like Duets are running away with this one.

 

[launderess]

You can dry down in a dryer until almost dry, then allow to "air" dry the rest of the way. Problem is finding a spot to either hand or lay out larger duvets until they finish drying.

L.

 

[rp2813]

Yes Laundress, exactly the issue I have at home. I have too much shade in my yard and not enough room in a sunny spot to use my retractable clothes line for much more than a few items of clothing. A good sized dryer and usually one re-positioning of the large item is the way I get things like king-sized mattress pads and comforters dried. My partner has discovered the look smell and feel of line-dried sheets and has taken to draping them on patio chairs and the patio umbrella to dry instead of throwing them in the dryer. Winter is coming so that routine will be over soon, but it was nice while it lasted!

 

[cbosch]

Line dry

I have to agree with your partner I like line dried sheets when everpossible. Don't care about hucking everything else in drier so long as the sheets are line dried. This is a problem during the winter living in Scotland so I have learned to compromise

 

[rp2813]

Cbosch, even here in supposedly sunny California it's tough to get much line drying done in the winter. Unless you're in southern California it's damp most of the winter and line drying will have mixed results at best. I hope to have a new system rigged up for my clothes line when the warmer weather returns next year.

 

[gadgetgary]

Line dried sheets.....

are really the BEST!

Brings back so many wonderul childhood memories of my grandmother drying her sheets(from her Filter-Flo) on the line, and then putting them back on the bed....so fresh.....

I am lucky I have those retractable clotheslines and am able to line dry my sheets.

But here in Ct, unfortunately, the line drying season is coming to an end.

But now is the perfect time for leaf peeping....