pots and pans
Eugene, when I did pots and pans, yes, I usually put them on the lower rack of my Maytag. The tower washed fine, but I put extra soiled pans on the lower rack as they got a little extra scrubbing.
Oddly, enough, I never had a problem with plastic glasses, etc. toppling over in the lower rack.
The holes on the Maytag wash arm are very small. You don't get much in the way of water, per given hole, as far as actual mass goes, but the small mass does has a high velocity. And there are many holes, so the force is spread out.
On D&M machines that I have had, the holes in the lower wash arm were very large, and few, and let a great mass of water through at any one time. And yes, plastic wear in the bottom rack flew all over. But then again you weren't supposed to put these in the bottom rack anyway.
It's like an adjustable nozzle on a garden hose. Set it for many small holes and you get shower type spray. Aim it at a plastic bucket and the bucket won't fly away.
Turn the nozzle selector to force all the water through one large hole and aim it at the bucket. The greater mass of water concentrated in one opening blows the bucket away.