Kenmore Oasis / Maytag Bravos / Whirlpool Cabrio

[brant_ix]

Hello All...

Does anyone have any of these washers? Either with the wash plate or the (preferably) with the Center Agitator?

I looked on Consumer Reports and the new models are highly rated by them, but it appears to be a love-hate relationship from the conumers side.

I am interested in getting one, but not 100% convinced yet.
Can anyone on hear share their experience of having one? What they love about it? What they hate about it? And if you have one of these models with the agitator, would you be able to put up a video on youtube or send over the file?

OR if you know of any Laundromat in Massachusetts where I can do a load of laundry and experience this for myself!?!

This would be GREATLY appreciated and help me to get thru a bout of anxiety in choosing another poor washer...

Thanks!
~Brant

 

[lulundave]

Hi Brant,

I have the Cabrio agi. I have had it for 9 months. So far it has been an ok washer.

What I like about it...it holds a very big load easily. I can do 11 towels easily. I can do 7 pair of mens jeans in 1 load. I like that it senses the right amount of water to use. I also like that you can set your own level of water too.It cleans well.I get a pretty good hot wash. It is hot enough to cause the display to be steamy and my white are white.This machine uses standard detergent.

What I don't like...I can't bypass the lid lock (even with the help of forum friends) I get a beeping and a LOC code on my display.I like to see the washer in action! I also don't like how it leaked once during a heavy wash of jeans.I suspect it was an unbalanced load but I am not entirely sure as I went down to the laundry room once the cycle was complete. There was quite a bit of water and it was sudsy. I have done MANY loads since then and there has been no problem.I also wonder about it's longevity.

I can comment on the Cabrio HE with impeller also as I had it for 6 months then was allowed to trade it in for the Cabrio agi.

My Cabrio HE didn't clean well. Twisted clothes into a tight mess. Set in wrinkles permanently. Sometimes didn't even wet the clothes totally! Didn't have nearly enough turn over - thanks to the see through lid!! In all it was a VERY poor experience for me.

Having said all that. If I could do it all over again I would have saved myself the headache and just bought a standard Inglis super capacity washer and dryer. Here in Canada the set sells for around $700.00. My Cabrio agi washer and dryer sold for $1600.00. I could have had a decent front loader for that price or I could have $1000.00 bucks in my pocket.

Hope this helps you in your decision.

 

[MrX]

From what I've seen of them online, I can't understand how they couldn't be very hard on clothes.

In a front loader, the clothes tumble and are not forced to move against a surface.

In a traditional top loader, the clothes are sloshed about in a lot of water.

These machines seem to push them around on the wash plate / agitator. To me this looks like a recipe for damaged / worn fabric.

Of those three wash actions, I'd go for the front loader to avoid unnecessary friction!

 

[funguy10]

I have the Kenmore Oasis with agitator and Solid Lid. We got it last May when our Kenmore DD Top-Loader died after only 4 years. The machine cleans real well and is nice and quiet. It does make sounds different from a normal Top-Loader since it does not have a transmission. It has the Total Care Flex agitator which despite reviews I've seen that say it twists clothes actually does a better job of cleaning them than the Triple-Action Agitator in the Kenmore DD. The only thing I don't like about the machine is that the lid is locked during the entire cycle, including filling. I've heard though, that it is easy to disable the lid lock with a magnet. Once I can find out how to make my camcorder download to my computer, I will video a full cycle.

 

[hilovane]

There's a video of the washplate-type action on YouTube. Frankly, it reminds me of a breadmaker kneading dough!

 

[brant_ix]

I've looked on You Tube...

...and have been watching some clips of the Oasis HE with the wash plate, and there definetly appears to be some differentiation on teh amount of water. One of them had a number of towels and they were fully submerged. Another had a full load of clothes that had poor turn over.

There is also a posting of the Whirlpool Cabrio with Agitator, but whoever recorded it, did it with the lights off and the lid closed so I can't see a damn thing!!

OH before I forget, do these washers also have Neutral Drain?

Thanks for your input thus far gang! I would LOVE to see the Agitator in Action on those! I noticed a clip on YouTube as well on how to get the magnet trick to work. I think I found it by putting in OASIS Washer or Kenmore OASIS. Good Luck!

Any other comments or experiences will be Valuably Read!!

 

[frigilux]

Unless you have an issue which doesn't permit it, I'd opt for a front-loading washer. They clean very well, are energy and water efficient and don't cause excess wrinkling. It's a tried-and-true format, whereas the top-loading impellers haven't much of a track record, yet.

And every time I watch an impeller machine slogging away on a large load of clothes, it makes me cringe. I can understand why people say they tangle and wrinkle clothes.

Just a thought...

 

[easyspindry]

Fisher & Paykel

I have the F&P set which is the one that got all these machines started -- the Cabrio, etc. It has the agitator. I've had it about 3 years -- the washer and the top load dryer -- and they have given no problems whatsoever.

I did learn how to fool the lid lock and enjoy watching the action. The amount of action is determined by the machine. A heavy load of jeans and/or towels will produce a "heavy" wash. And, MAN, when that happens you better stand back because that agitator will raise hell as it strokes nearly 360 degrees and does it with a bunch of force.

A lighter load will produce a "softer" stroke. Sometimes it's a fairly short stroke and sometimes it's a complete 360, depending on what type of fabric the machine senses.

The machine also senses the amount of water it needs for a particular load, but it is easily set manually if you prefer.

The drain is neutral.

The spin is 1000 rpm.

The noise is average.

There is no transmission because they use a DC motor, and it is the motor itself that reverses and makes the agitator stroke.

My only complaint so far is the amount of lint that gets on my dark socks. I think the next time I change machines, I will probably go back to a front load -- excellent cleaning, quiet operation, water and detergent efficient, and NO LINT. Also, depending on the machine, fast spin for less time in the dryer.

I don't have a video cam, so can't send you any moving pictures.

Oh, and each and every time that I have used the machine, the amount of water that it decides to use agrees with what my choice would have been. But, if you want to change the water level, it's easy to do so.

I haven't figured out yet whether or not you can manually change the degree or strengthof the agitator stroke.

Hope this helps -- probably confuses you more. Give front load a lot of thought.

Any questions, my e-mail is [email protected] and I also check out these forums regularly. Let me know what you decide.

By the way, the top load dryer is the best dryer I've ever had. And by it being top load, i tmakes no difference which side of the washer the dryer is on.

Jerry Gay

 

[brant_ix]

I've thought about a front loader...

... and if I DID, I'd go with the Maytag Epic 9700.
It ranked very good on Consumer Reports and is the only Front Loader to have a near 5*Star rating by Users both there and at Sears. Since it's the old KitchenAid, it has a good history!

I had a Front Loader at my condo and was really disappointed with it... It never cleaned laundry that well and always felt like a chore. I can't explain it, but I have SO MUCH FUN when I'm doing my laundry with a Top Loader!

 

[funguy10]

OH before I forget, do these washers also have Neutral Drain

Yes they do. When I stand at the Oasis as it drains, all I hear is a quiet hum and a urination sound as the water drains out. It does go "thunk" every few seconds which, I think, is the agitator pulsing to check if the water is all drained out before it starts the spray-rinsing.

 

[appnut]

I haven't figured out yet whether or not you can manuall

Jerry, adjusting soil level will also impact agitation patterns, even after the original pattern has been set. I've done that With Glenn's and it is a bit noticeable when ya change the level.

 

[jonv112]

there definetly appears to be some differentiation on teh am

Heh, that was my bad. It was on Sheets/Towels, so it skips the load sensing phase and goes straight to filling the tub with water until the resistance on the washplate decreases to a point. It automatically fills with more water after the lid has been opened, even though more towels may not have been added. The trick on the lock failed a couple of times so thats why it filled with more water. There shouldn't have been as much water as there was in that cycle.

I've had the machine for almost 2 years with almost no problems. The clothes I wear and wash are pretty expensive to some people, but they come out clean, and the wrinkles are dealt with in the dryer, or most of the time cease to exist. My polos have velvet taping on the neck and seams, and when my dad did the laundry a while ago some of the velvet would come out in each wash. But, after I took over my laundry all of my clothes look just as good as they were new, and the velvet lining on my newer polos is perfect.

It just goes to show how many of the complaints that these machines get can easily come from user error. You can't just dump in the whole basket of clothes, add detergent and walk away expecting a perfect load in the end. You would never just pile up dishes in the dishwasher expecting all of them to be clean; you have to arrange the dishes so that the water from the jets contacts them all, and the dishes are tilted so that they dry out properly. In this washer, I make sure that all of the buttons on my shirts are buttoned, collars popped on polos, zippers are zipped up, and I make sure that everything is loaded properly for efficient turnover and spinning, which is why I have no problems with the way it cleans or how my clothes turn out.

 

[DADoES]

Neutral Drain

Urination sound?? Eewwwwww.

There probably isn't any "thunking" until the pressure sensor determines that the water is pretty much all out. And it's not the agitator exactly that "thunks," it's the drive motor (of course, the agitator is bolted directly to the drive shaft) which pulses clockwise and counterclockwise to determine via inertia if the basket has settled back onto the drive coupler (and to help it do so).

 

[brant_ix]

So much to take into consideration...

They just don't make them like they used to anymore...
And at the same time, I want to at least make an attempt to be Green/Eco-friendly too...

 

[retro-man]

Well then Brant the front loaders are the way to go. I have had mine for 8 years now with no problems. I do between 10-20 loads a week, sometimes every other week. Have the Maytag Neptunes and love them.
Jon

 

[launderess]

Nashua!

Just saw an interesing clip on TV last night about the annual air show held there. Lots of WWII planes and military stuff.

L.

 

[laundramatt]

The amount of action is determined by the machine.

Exactly how does the F+P do this?? How does it sense load size? By the amount of resistance to the agitation? Or does it have some sort of scale attached to the basket that weighs the load?

Is there a way to make it think it's washing a full load of sheets when there is actually nothing in there???

 

[bobbyd32l]

The machine briefly agitates and measures resistance, then determines water level. I own a Cabrio HE, and have a few video's floating around google

 

[retro-man]

Launderess

Yes we have an aviation college here. The name is Daniel Webster College. Many a pilot and faa employees have passed through those doors. We have the most incredible planes that take off and land here. From all vintages and sizes. They do have a yearly plane "museum" that comes in, plus tours and planes taking off and landing all weekend. Very good air shows. I graduated from there and had my license years ago but didn't keep it up. Oh well decided to go in a different direction.
Jon