If you had too...

[mich]

Let's say, you *had* to purchase a traditional, top loader washer from a big box store right now (Home Depot, Lowes, BestBuy, etc). What Model, or Brand (besides Speed Queen) would you go with...

Are they still making any with Direct Drive, instead of Belt Drive? Controlable Water Levels?

 

[washman]

Good question

I'm not sure there is a traditional top loader out there besides SQ.

The rollover/agitation on the Whirltag Centenial looks weak.

 

[combo52]

Widely Available Traditional TL Washer ?

About the closest thing is a new WP TLer with the dual-Action agitator, or a WP 24" or 27" Thin Twin, these are still both DD washers, but I bet not for long.

 

[dustin92]

Would probably go for one of the lower end (new) Whirlpool belt drives, I have been using some at a friends house the last couple visits and they seem to perform pretty well, are very quiet, and believe it or not, you can actually get a real, full hot wash. Warm and cool are pretty dumbed down, but hot is full water line hot. If I was to buy a washer and dryer set anytime soon that would likely be it. Possibly thinking about replacing the Maytag performas sometime in the future, so will see. Definitely wouldn't buy a new front loader again, had one and was unimpressed with the performance.

 

[mich]

Hot-Point..

So far is the only one I've seen without a locking lid, and controllable water levels..

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hotpoint...r-in-White-HSWP1000MWW/203517068#.UlQB_SSsiM4

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hotpoint...r-in-White-HTWP1400FWW/204077100#.UlQCCSSsiM4

I'm pretty sure there belt drives though, and will fail quickly

 

[thefixer]

Those are standard GE hydrowave washers. They are belt drive but belt failures are rare. Hopefully they have improved the motor/inverters as they are the high failure item in that design.

 

[thefixer]

"you can actually get a real, full hot wash. Warm and cool are pretty dumbed down, but hot is full water line hot"

The Whirlpool belt drives do not provide a full hot wash. While the water coming out may be full hot at times, cold water is added periodically during fill.

 

[combo52]

Failures Of GE-HP Washers Rare ?

I don't think so, I would take my chances with the new WP built BD machines any day over these GEs. The GE design works fairly well till it breaks and you need a $200 motor or even worse the main seal leaks or the solenoid in the drive unit breaks and this is if you are lucky enough not to have the top support frame bend causing the motor and main drive to grind itself against the bottom panel of the washer. We also regularly see the wash basket come lose and destroy the basket and the outer tub.

 

GE TL washers have not been durable since 1995 when they switched designs. Their dryers are just about as bad whether you are looking at the GE designed and built models or even worse all the junk they bought from Frigidaire including that terrible 27" stack.

 

GE has added a lot to our bottom line with repairs and sales of new SQs, we are often replacing GE laundry products in well under 10 years, sometimes in as little as 3 years because the cost of the needed repairs is ridiculous.

 

[thefixer]

I didn't say GE washers failures are rare, I said belt failures are rare and I did mention the high failure rate of the motor/inverters. My post was short and you still can't read it correctly.

 

[washman]

Combo

I got my GE Profile matching set at Monkey Wards in 1999. Still have the dryer. The washer had a tub seal leak which in turn leaked into the tranny and started the bearing on a slow death spiral.

I knew from the get go it was plastic inside out. What shocked me was when the front panel was removed, how thin the plastic outer tub was.

All that notwithstanding, the warranty was STILL far longer than what is offered today. I think 10 years on the tranny, lifetime on the inner plastic tub. Not sure about the outer tub.

That alone, along with all the other companies, suggests that if warranties reflect confidence in a product, they must not have much.

 

[combo52]

Failures Of GE-HP Washers Rare ?

To the Fixer and everyone else, yes I did read your response too fast, sorry, but why comment on JUST the BELT, it is one of the essayists and cheapest parts to replace. But since you brought it up I checked our companies service records and parts sales from our parts distributor and found that this is actually one more very weak parts of this washer design, they are selling LOTS of belts.

 

The way these GE washers agitate the belt receives a tremendous amount of stress, which is VERY different than WPs well proven BD washers that still have an oil filled planetary drive transmission that reduces the stress on the belt to 1/4 of the GE design. [ WP has had a very similar drive system in some of their TL washers for over 25 years, to what they they are using in the new BD TLers. ]

 

[thefixer]

I was responding to the previous poster who stated "I'm pretty sure there belt drives though, and will fail quickly" which implied belt failure. Iv'e seen lots of motor/inverter and mode shifter failures but very few belt failures.

I don't see how you can call the new Whirlpool BD's "well proven" since the current "VMW" design has only been on the market for 3 years, and there have been lots of problems with them. I think the shift actuator is quickly becoming the most replaced washer part in history. Broken wires are very common due to the cheap wire used and overtightening of wire tie-downs. I really had to laugh at the lid latch when I completely dissected one of those. Unbelievable overengineered piece of junk. Iv'e also seen a lot of failed motor capacitors, control boards and transmissions. Most people won't pay the ridiculously high replacement parts prices and just junk the washer. Lot's of complaints of problems shortly after the brief warranty runs out. Truckloads of these things are heading to the dump.

 

[washman]

Both the GE washer and dryer

I used never had a belt failure. But they were old school, long before it became vogue to go HE and "steam" your clothes clean.

Mom's 1983 era Whirlpool never had a belt failure either. And it got used, abused, rode hard, and put away wet too. In fact, when they migrated to sunny FL, they left it there as part of the sale of their property.

Face it, an entire generation of Millenials has been bred to believe that when in doubt, cheaper is certainly better. And manufacturers are more than happy to oblige.
Plastic in place of metal, 24 gauge wire when 16-18 used to be the norm. Thin, pressed steel from China or Brazil instead of forgings or castings. Cheap soldering instead of actual fastenings of wires. Small high strung motors with bushings instead of ball bearings.
The list goes on and on I'm said to say.

Used to be a washer/dryer could be handed down to the kids. Now it is more common seeing them handed to the junkpile.

As the saying goes “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” – Benjamin Franklin.

Or as Henry Royce once said, "The quality remains long after the price is forgotten".