Wow, I reply to a rant and suddenly a thread explodes that would ordinarily have just a few replies.
So, I have to be careful on what I'm going to add here.
Whenever I'm about to make a post, I always ask myself, "Do I have something I can add to this thread that people might see value in? Is there new information I can put here that people might find useful?" .. If I can't answer yes to any of those questions, I don't post. I would like to urge the OP to ask himself those same questions before he posts and I'd like him to re-read his replies and ask himself, "When I made that reply, did I contribute anything?". If the answer is "Yes", ask yourself, "What was it?".
Further, we know that the OP doesn't like steam cleaning dryers. Have they actually used one? I have. They do work. It's a gimmick, but it's a neat gimmick. (Steam cleaning got me somewhat interested in Thermocoils and Thermoblocks. Read up on them.) Do they last? Not in hard water environments, but in a soft water environment they will.
Stepping back a bit, some of the technologies we've seen in older machines (Like steam cleaning in dryers) actually have been around since the 1960's with a portion of the cycle injecting water into the drum in the last few minutes of the cycle to "Steam" the clothes, de-wrinkling them in the process. Different methodology, but pretty much the same result.
Then I think back to the Kelvinator "Magic Minute", which was, in some ways, kind of the ancestor to HE style cleaning, by using less water to achieve a greater concentration of detergent for better cleaning power.
I admit, I'm a bit of a geek when it comes to gimmicks. I love reading about them. I wish I could see LG's waveforce cleaning my clothes or a Calypso machine chugging away in real life instead on Youtube. LG's direct drive mechanism is fascinating. (They must think it's built to last because it has a 10 year warranty. At least, on the machines in Canada anyway.)
I occasionally head out to Home Despot and look at the new machines, even if only out of curiousity. I admit that the "loose" suspension of modern top loading HE machines does put me off. (I can easily bang the tub against the side of the cabinet with my hand.) However, it makes me wonder if there is something else in the machine that ensures that the need for a stiff suspension isn't necessary anymore? I bet I could probably open up a thread just about that alone.
Regardless, the last thing I'd do is making a youtube video of me going around talking crap about machines, without actually doing laundry in them. I always think there's a reason why an engineer did something a certain way. Was it a cost savings measure or was it actually decent engineering to do it that way?
As much as I would absolutely love to have multiple sets of machines in my basement, my wonderful wife, (As tolerant and as patient as she is) won't let me.
Otherwise, if I could, I'd probably try out some of the neatest, gimmickyest (sp?) machines on the market.
So, I think that in the numerous number of replies in this thread, everything that has needed to be said has been said. Personal experiences speak volumes to me, more than someone just posting an opinion on a forum without ever having used those machines.
GELaundry4ever, if you really honestly think you yourself could design a better machine, do so. Start by learning how these machines work and figure out a better design. I remember reading an article about how automatic tumble drying hasn't really improved since the 1940's when the first machines were put on the market. Modern dryers are horrendously inefficent. If I could put all that waste heat back into my house without all the lint, I would.
This board is the perfect place to put forth technical questions about things. As well, your computer is connected to the most powerful network in the world. There are lots of service manuals on this site alone that could show you how to tear apart and put back together any machine of your choice.
When my parents 1963 Filter-Flo packed it in, (The outer tub was leaking) as a teenager, I tore down that entire machine completely. I could have replaced the outer tub, but my parents had already replaced it with an Inglis machine. I spent hours in the garage tearing that machine down to all the little bits, learning about how everything put together. (I thought the motor coupler was kind of neat!) That's kind of where my interest in washers started.
Now, in some ways, if it weren't for space, I'm tempted to pull apart a modern washer and attempt to repair it, then give it away to someone who needs it. There is a really good thread in here about someone who tried that with an older early 2000's GE top loader. Unfortunately, buying a new outer plastic tub cost nearly as much as what the washer was worth, but the thread was fascinating to read.
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