I did something I said I’d never do again — I bought a new VMW

[ryner1988]

Yep, you guys read that right. After a year and a half of complaining about this platform of washer, I bought a new one and its companion dryer. It’s the same Whirlpool WTW4816FW that I had before, but it seems they’ve improved it a lot since my previous model was manufactured.

You all might remember that my old dryer wasn’t drying properly and a lot of you advised me to verify that it wasn’t a vent issue. Well, I did all the steps to ensure that wasn’t what was happening. Repairman told me that the dryer was heating intermittently and that the timer would need to be replaced. But that wasn’t all. When I was back behind the dryer checking the vent, I noticed a few rather large oil splotches that seemed to be coming from under my then current direct drive washer. I tilted the washer back and had Stacye take a look and sure enough, the transmission, less than a year old, was leaking oil.

So, as you can imagine, I was in a bind and needed to do something fast. I’ve talked pretty extensively about my next washer being a front loader, and that was the plan, but my family was helping me cover the cost of the new units so I wanted to keep the price down. With that in mind, I bought the WTW4816FW3 washer and the WED4815EW dryer from Lowes. They were on a really good sale so I felt I had to jump it. Also, there is no denying these machines are incredibly easy to use, no touch screens or menus for me to get lost in, and as a blind person, this is very important. I honestly thought this washer had been discontinued, and I’d be stuck with a crappy agipeller or wash plate machine, so I was glad to see Lowes still sells this machine, which does clean very well using the dual-action agitator.
There are two ways in which the version of this washer I had before irked the crap out of me, and they seemed to have improved upon both of these problems.

First, I’ve always thought that these washers are incredibly noisy. At least, the one I had before certainly was. It was very loud on agitation, and I didn’t think that I would be able to stand to have another one like it. However, the one I have now seems to be a lot quieter. I can sit in the other room at the kitchen table and barely hear it. I’m not sure if they’ve done something different to them to make them quieter, or if my first one was just a very loud one even as these machines go. I’ve said before that I’ve watched other ones on YouTube that didn’t seem as loud as my old one, so it’s possible I had kind of a lemon the first time. At any rate, this washer is a lot quieter than my direct drive even, and for that I’m grateful.

Also, the auto sense feature on the new model appears to be vastly improved. On my WTW4816FW0, it never seemed like the auto sense worked properly. It was either deep wash or the water level was a couple inches from the top, even on teeny-tiny loads. It seems like on the FW3 that the auto sense has become a lot more accurate. For example, I washed a load of towels on heavy duty and the water level came up to the second row of holes from the top. It was a relatively full load and the towels were submerged, but not swimming, which seems proper to me. On the flip side, I did a small load of men’s sleeveless shirts I got new from Target and I wanted to freshen up before wearing them. I ran this load on quick wash since the load wasn’t actually dirty, and the water level was much lower, about a third of the tub full I’d say. That was a big issue for me with my last model of this machine so I’m glad that’s better.
Not much to say about the dryer. It’s a basic, lint trap on top Whirlpool dryer. What else is there really? I like them because they’re simple to operate and dry well. I will say I do not miss the hamper door on my old dryer — the side-swing door makes it a lot easier to retrieve small items from the back of the drum.

All that being said I really do like my new units. They’re simple, effective, and just get the job done. I can see why user ea56/Eddie likes his so well. It’s laundry with no fuss. I enjoyed my experience with the Maytag Pitman-drive washer and Whirlpool direct drive over the past couple years while I waited to be n a position to have new units. However, I’m enjoying the peace of mind of new machines with readily available parts. In another life, I might have been a collector with many old washers to use whenever, but since I am disabled that was never going to be my situation, and that’s ok. I’ll always enjoy reading the rebuild stories. Of others while I use my plain-Jane units that I actually really do like.

I’m glad to have made my peace with VMW washers.

Ryne

 

[ea56]

Ryne, I’m glad to hear that you’re pleased with your new Whirlpool washer and dryer. I think the dual action agitator on the Heavy cycle with hot water and auto sense, no extra rinse is my go to cycle. Just, add detergent, LCB for whites, fabric softener and the laundry, shut the lid and hit start and walk away, 74 mins later its all done, washed, rinsed and spun dry with no drama. I love mine, hope you’ll love yours too. Congratulations on your new set.

My washer isn’t a water waster using auto sense, it uses just enough water to cover the load, nothing more and agitates quite effectively, lots of turnover and no excessive tangling. Lint is non existent on laundry washed in this machine, a Roper RTW4516, a virtual sister ship to your Whirlpool. I’d buy another to replace this one if it ever bites the dust, that’s how much I like it. Probably the equivalent Amana.

Eddie

 

[ryner1988]

Reply #1

Eddie, it’s funny because I actually thought of you when I purchased the set. The thing is, I really thought I meant what I said in early 2022 when my old VMW died. I didn’t like it much and if I couldn’t have a vintage machine, I was by God going to buy an LG with turbo wash or and SQ or some other expensive contraption.
After nearly two years of owning used machines and trying to take care of them, I realized all I really wanted was a no-thrills basic new machine to get the job done. I am a full-time caregiver and don’t really have time to worry about my laundry appliances breaking down, when the next repair will be and how much it will cost, etc . I remembered how much you liked your Roper VMW TL so I thought, what the heck, I’ll give this one more try. So far, I’m glad I did.

I really think my old VMW was just the very first iteration of this machine, so there were bugs in it. I’m guessing others had the same issues I did, most notably the auto-sense problem mentioned above, and Whirlpool tweaked the programming to work better on later versions.

I’ll keep you all updated as to how I feel in a couple weeks as to whether I still feel the same as I do now.

 

[jamiel]

I've got to agree--the only issue I've got with mine is I can't predict (for detergent dosing) the autosense...I've had several small synthetic loads that fill up nearly to the top. Grinds my gears b/c I would love to just dose for a small load, but if the dilution is too much (this is out in Palm Springs) stuff doesn't emerge well with the hard water.

I also generally double rinse, because have noted some large hot loads aren't cool in the middle (indicating appropriate saturation) when I pull them from the machine after the eco rinse.

 

[ryner1988]

Reply #3

Jamie, have you tried quick wash for small loads? That’s what I used on a just-opened pack of sleeveless shirts that I wanted to freshen up — I always do this with new clothes. The washer only filled about a third of the way, still a bit more water than necessary IMO but definitely not to the top.
As far as the eco-rinse issue on large loads, I’d stay away from the normal cycle for those and use heavy duty instead. That will give you a full deep rinse without having to select extra rinse option.

Hope this helps.

 

[mark_wpduet]

Splotches of leaking oil under the washer

Ok this happened to me too! YEARS ago... Early 2000s. I think 2002 to be exact. I moved into an apartment that had washer/dryer connections. I bought a whirlpool Top Load Washer and matching dryer. This is the place I lived that had horribly clogged vents. I lived there until Sept 2004. Moving the washer/dryer, I saw oil underneath the washer. I was like, OH well, it still works. Whatever. Moved into my new house (which is where I live to this day) connected them up and used them for about 6 mos until I bought my Duet Front Load pair. Gave the washer to a family member who used it for YEARS until it died. I think maybe 8 years or so.. As soon as you said you noticed oil under the washer that memory came flooding back.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

direct drive

So how did you guys like the direct drive Whirlpool? I've heard they're great machines.

 

[quincyman]

VMW??????

You mean....toploader????

 

[ryner1988]

Reply #7

Yes, VMW's are top loaders. VMW stands for "vertical modular washer," Whirlpool's platform of belt-driven top load washer that replaced the direct drive in 2010.

 

[quincyman]

Thank you RyneR1988

Thank you for the clarification and explanation.

 

[ryner1988]

Nearly two weeks in with the WTW4816FW3 and matching dryer

And I still really enjoy using this set. It's been a bit of a trial and error process a couple of times...for example, I tried the deep wash on one load of last week's laundry. I thought, this will give me the performance of my old direct drive. But honestly, I found it put in just a bit too much water for my liking, so I went back to using the autosense.

I believe that heavy duty w/autosense will be my go-to cycle for most of our laundry, primarily because it seems the sensor is more accurate on there than on normal -- for example, it supplied more water for a load of towels than a mixed load of everyday clothes. This is a longer cycle than the normal cycle but I'm fine with that. After all, it's not like I'm standing with bated breath in front of the washer waiting for it to finish. LOL this is one thing I've never understood about the complaints of long cycle times. Were you really that anxious to transfer your clothes to the dryer? I didn't think so. Just go do something else and come back when it's done, calm down, haha.

I was worried at first that the autosense wasn't putting in enough water, so that's why I tried deep wash. However, I tried an experiment. When Stacye had her gall bladder surgery, the hospital gave her these textured grippy socks that are very distinctive to the touch. She doesn't like them so never wears them, but since they're still around I used them for my test because they feel different than anything else we own. I placed them at the very top of a full load of laundry and let it fill, sense, and agitate for a few minutes. I checked after about five minutes or so, and the socks were no longer at the top of the load. I checked again a few minutes later, and the socks had re-appeared. So, I do believe the autosense provides enough turn-over to get the clothes clean, and if I need the machine to fill all the way, such as when washing a large blanket or spread, one can use the bulky cycle. I wish I knew how to disable the lid lock so that I could really know what was going on in there, but I don't want to mess up a brand new machine, so I've left it be.

I've heard people say many times that it's crucial not to over-load these washers because the components can't handle it like those on the older machines, so I've been very careful not to load any higher than the top row of holes and not to pack clothes down at all. Is that about right on the load size for these?

No complaints at all about the dryer, it's been great. Dries like what I've come to expect from a good old 29-inch Whirlpool dryer, and I'm going to actually have someone come out once a year to do the lint cleaning for me, I think, because maintenance is useless about that issue and since we have a long duct run, it's more important to do that than in other situations to keep the dryer performing well.

All things considered, no complaints at all. This set is really everything I need it to be for my life situation, and I love how easy it is to operate. that was the major selling point for me.

Ryne

 

[ea56]

Ryne,
I’m so happy to hear that you’re pleased with your new washer. Your experience pretty much mirrors mine. I always use the Heavy/Normal cycle on auto sense and it always fills with just the right amount of water. I almost always wash full loads, right up to the top, but not tightly packed and they always come out perfectly! I find that a full, slightly rounded 1.5 bushel laundry basket equals a full load. I use hot for whites/light colors and towels and warm for everything else. I also find that an extra rinse is never necessary. I can tell that my wash is always completely rinsed because when I wash a load with hot water and the cycle is complete the clothes are cold through out the entire load indicating that the cold rinse water has penetrated each article completely and there is never any residual detergent left on the clothing.

You can disable the lid lock by either removing the lid latch from the lid and placing it into the lid lock latch on top of the washer opening. Or better yet, order a replacement lid latch and just insert it into the lid lock latch. You will be simply amazed at the turnover! This machine IMO works just like an old fashioned TL, but is not as heavy a water user. Not as parsimonious with the water as an FL, but certainly NOT a water waster either.

I hope that you will continue to be pleased for years to come just as I have been. Many folks on this site really bad mouth these machines. I say, don’t knock it until you try it! I believe that these machines are a well hidden secret because so many folks think a machine is only good if they spend a kings ransom to purchase it. I didn’t buy this machine because it was the cheapest, I can afford any washer on the market. I bought it because it fills MY needs perfectly.

Eddie[this post was last edited: 12/21/2023-12:54]

 

[nmassman44]

I had the 4516 F2 Whirlpool washer and it was noisy. But if this F3 version is better and it sounds like it has been improved some. I know the one I had the transmission gear grinding was a tad much in my opinion. I always used the SuperWash cycle and used Deep Fill. I found that in the Normal cycle it would start agitating with barely any water in the machine and my gawd the clothes came out a tad weary looking.
One thing that Whirlpool should do is use the larger bottom vanes as found in a KitchenAid washer. That alone will help with wash performance I think. But at the same time they should maybe use metal gears in the transmission to take the strain that the larger vanes might cause.
I did like the water extraction on the washer I had and the rinsing was superb as well. I did get a 5 vane Super Surgilator agitator that worked well in the washer but found myself going back to the original Double Duty Surgilator that came with said washer.

 

[combo52]

New basic whirlpool top load washer pair.

Hi Ryne, glad you’re enjoying your new machines however, I don’t understand why you went and bought new machines. The timer is so easy to change in your old dryer. You could’ve done it yourself we could’ve easily walked you through it the money you just spent you could’ve easily bought the LG front loader you wanted, and of course the transmission leaking oil in your old machine was not gonna cause the machine to stop working anytime in the next couple years. All you need to do is put a piece of absorbent cardboard under it and change it once in a while.

With the new front loader, you would’ve enjoyed much better clothing, Care, and saved a good deal of money on utilities.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, you won’t get ahead in life, financially doing the same thing over and over.

I hope you can keep these machines at least 15 years the dryer 20 this is not hard to do.

John

 

[ryner1988]

Reply #13

Hi John,

I appreciate what you are saying, but given the issues I've had off and on with laundry machines over the past couple years, this is what we all -- myself, Stacye, and my family -- decided was best. Being that Stacye and I are both disabled, the consensus was that it was in our best interest to buy new of both machines with an extended warranty. That way, we are covered for years down the road, and I no longer have to worry about when a used machine is going to break on me in an unmanageable way. My parents helped me cover the cost of the new set, so these were the machines we all eventually agreed upon.

I hope you have a very happy holiday.

Ryne