Need Help Picking a New FL Set

[decodriveboy]

For Panasonicvac

That 8100 set looks really nice and almost exactly like the 8900 we are getting.

Definitely would love some recommended cycles to use from your experience with them; what is most important to me is a cycle with the highest wash and rinse levels. The Towels cycle has been mentioned by members several times.

 

[mark_wpduet]

I think I trust WP refrigerators the most...and dryers
but their FL washers when they started using plastic instead of glass in the window turned me way off from their washers. I don't like that their TL HE washers with wash plate don't seem to have as good of wash action as the other TL HE washers I've seen (not that I would buy any of them)

It's really hard to escape CHINA products in anything

Lorainne(S?) Furniture did a full breakdown of the LG washers to see how easy a repair would be and he totally recommended them compared to others.
This was five years ago (the video) but I think it still mostly applies to their washers today.

 

[iiijohnnymaciii]

LG Temps

I believe from threads that I’ve read that LGs do get up to proper temps: 140 for hot, 105 for warm, ect. All you have to do is select the corresponding temp with the highest soil setting, I believe. You can even check your washer’s temps with the press of a couple buttons. There is a great thread on it somewhere in here that explains it well.

 

[appnut]

John, great minds thn alike. I was gettng ready to address this subject. The temps you cite were before the latest round of energy star adustments in like 2016 or 2017.

Push the delay wash and temp buttons to see what Temp (in celcius) is. The following temps are for Whites, Perm Press, Bulky/Bedding, and Towels. Hot is 112, warm is 90. For these cycles the heater does come on but once the set temp is reached, it turns off an does not come back on to maintain. These temps are also the same for Heavy Duty, but the heater never comes on for those temps. For Normal hot is 95 an warm is 80. Extra Hot on Normal & Heavy Duty is pure hot water fill and depending upon soil level, wlll heat water from 140 to 160.

If you add 4 to 6 cups of water to the tub before puttng in laundry, that wll trick the machine into thinking it's a very heavy load. That results in more water being added per fill, each rinse segment is doubled (1 minute is 2, 2 is 4, ...) and the final spin is lengthened.

Extra high on Normal And Heavy Duty add about 18-20 minutes to final spin but doesn't get a spin speeed of more than 1120-1160, not the 1300 rpm. Seen a couple of comments in YT videos confirming this. Have only seen ex high spin speed get to 1190 to 1210 once. [this post was last edited: 8/7/2023-10:17]

 

[panasonicvac]

I like using the towels cycle for towels, warm temperature for colored and hot for whites with bleach. I use delicates for stuff that can't go into the dryer. Speed wash for something I'd clean really fast with. And normal for everything else, warm temperature for colored and hot for whites, some whites I'd use bleach but some I don't. Only the towels I can get up to two extra rinse cycles while the others I can use up to three. And the delicates can't use the turbo wash jets while the other cycles can. I don't use the extra hot or steam temperature anymore as I find they don't make much of a difference from my experience. Bleach with hot water is what helps clean and maintains the washer tub from any build up, just make sure you leave the door open whenever someone isn't using it. If you're using powder detergent or fabric softener, be careful not to use too much as that can build up inside the dispenser tray compartment. Honestly, I don't use fabric softener. I'd rather use vinegar instead which can also help clean and maintain the tub. And I clean the lint trap out about once a month.

As for the dryer, I use the towels cycle for all the towels. Delicates for silk quilts. And normal for everything else with the wrinkle care mode on. Once in a while I'd use the steam cycle to unwrinkle some things, it works but it doesn't fully replace an iron or a hand steamer. If clothes or towels aren't completely dry, I'd use the timed cycle to finish up as it doesn't use the moisture sensor. Make sure all the lint is out of the trap before you'd start the next cycle which I'm sure you already know that. I vacuum out the inside of the lint trap about once a month with this attachment. And be careful not to open up the lint trap door completely as the plastic will break, mine broke from opening it too widely.

https://www.amazon.com/Cleaner-Vacu...la-791030200460&ref=&adgrpid=79166366594&th=1

 

[decodriveboy]

Panasonicvac

Thanks for the tips!

Which cycles have the highest water level for wash and rinse from your experience?

 

[panasonicvac]

I'm pretty sure the towel cycle since the towels absorb more water than the rest. But if you're looking to add more water in your washer, you should check this video out from one of our members here. I might try this someday to see how well it works.

 

[mark_wpduet]

Last night I got lost for 4 hours scrolling through youtube shorts...I just kept watching one, and scrolling down...watching another, scrolling down and I couldn't stop!!

I came across several videos that a couple of appliance techs out in the field doing repairs or cleaning stinky machines...They must really run across this MORE OFTEN than not...I just can't believe there are so many people out there who don't know how to do laundry and how many disgusting machines they come across...The techs seem to think people should stop using Fab Softener and don't use too much detergent...Like that's the CAUSE of their issues when it's so much more than that...

I think these people are packing their machines full and using way too much product and most likely using tap cold... a recipe for disaster as has been discussed on here a lot..

One tech was not a fan of anything but SQ....He basically bashes all other brands and I get where he's coming from. SQ's are built like a tank..but I've watched MANY LG videos and I think lots of people are very happy with them...sure, things can go wrong.. I still think people should plug their washer into a surge protector even though it's built in.

 

[mark_wpduet]

Look at this

I mean, one look at this and you can't see that whoever owned it just didn't care...and he's blaming the fab softener... does he seriously think that if you just took the fab softener out of the equation this machine would probably magically look perfect?

 

[combo52]

Replies, number 26 and 27

Thanks for all your research Mark do you have more patience than I do to watch four hours of videos of washing machines of course I work on washing machines all week long.

Reply 27 is barely worth a few seconds. It takes to watch it but it shows how little most repair people know about washing machines.

Yes, fabric softener can contribute to nasty build ups in washing machines, but the real problem is not washing in hot enough water using enough good detergent, etc.

If you use fabric softener, you must wash it out thoroughly both out of the machine and the clothing the next time you wash, so it really requires hot water and plenty of good detergent.

Speed Queen, washers and dryers are in a class by themselves they are the only machines you can buy that are based on machines that are intended for commercial use. It’s much like KitchenAid dishwashers of old. They were the same basic machine that was used in commercial establishments.

John

 

[littlegreeny]

I always thought Speed Queens were well built but wonder when did they change the door latch to plastic on the FF7? It seems like that would break pretty quickly.

 

[johnb300m]

Ugh. Yes. My brother’s family washes everything in cold water. Even their undies.

 

[combo52]

Reply number 29

Hi David, Speed Queen has always had a plastic door strike on the door since their first front load washers almost all companies use plastic for this part I have never seen one break. It’s a really tough material. Here are pictures of my 18 year old Speed Queen frontload washer in my current three-year old one they use the same latch.

All door locks on all machines worldwide are plastic as well.

You’re far more likely to have a door lock part of the machine fail. There are many parts on machines today that failed door locks on almost all washing machines are a problem area as our drain pumps and water inlet valves and there isn’t much difference whether are talking about a Frigidaire or a Miele or Speed Queen.

John [this post was last edited: 8/8/2023-20:01]

 

[mark_wpduet]

I wouldn't say I spend a whole lot of time watching that...The other night when I was watching youtube shorts it was all sorts of different types of videos.(not just laundry)..and I found almost all of them interesting. I think it's because the videos are so short like Tiktok

I do wonder what changes LG makes in their FL washers with turbo wash from year to year... their latest one with AI looks like a nice machine, but I haven't actually seen it wash... It has turbo wash but I wonder if it's equivalent to one from a couple of years ago vs now. My fear is by the time I need one they will have dumbed everything down each year until I no longer like them...

 

[logixx]

This YouTube channel has some clips of the latest LG laundry with "AI" (also knows as sensors...).

https://youtube.com/@LuLu_777

 

[mark_wpduet]

Thanks Logixx

Wow - whatever is going on after the first spin here is really cool.. It reminds me of what my duet does only this is even more extreme than mine...Like it spins after first wash then fills with water but the drum slowly keeps spinning pushing rinse water through everything...I haven't seen any of the other turbo wash cycles I've seen do this. I think whoever this is chose the normal cycle (shocking).. It looks REALLY good. I already like it

 

[ryner1988]

Reply #32

Mark, what you are discussing is a major reason why I was contemplating buying a new washer even though my current machine works fine. I don't want to be in a situation where I wait for my washer to break down and then there's literally nothing I like out there to choose from. It could be that in a few years even FL's will have been hit with dumbed-down cycles so hard that most everything just kinda sucks. I hope that doesn't happen of course, but time will tell. But yes, I'd like a new washer at some point while the current offerings are available, because who knows what's coming next in the lineup of energy savor washers? And I'm not even against energy saving or government regulations, but I just wonder how far they can go before washers just aren't very effective.

Ryne

 

[combo52]

Newer front load washers

It’s very unlikely that anything is going to change much with the design and water use a front loading washers in the next five or 10 years.

They may get a little more expensive or they may even stay stable or come down in price some. I certainly don’t see any reason to buy anything now if you don’t need it.

There have been so many changes in the last decade is really a good time to wait and let things settle out a little bit so that reliability and so forth can be better predicted.

John

 

[combo52]

Turbo wash

Or recirculated water, wow this looks exciting to watch and does get the detergent and everything mixed up and wet faster there is no proven benefit in cleaning and in fact, it picks up all the dirty, sediment and lint from the sump and just throws it back on your clean laundry constantly.

It also adds to the energy consumption of the machine and it’s one more thing to break down make noise, etc.

John

 

[petek]

I was just reading through this and saw that John just posted what I was thinking. When it comes to all these cycles on front loaders in particular there is a point of diminishing or no returns at all and the rest is just smoke and mirrors. For instance I have the LG WM3700 and my clothes come out perfectly clean on the regular or heavy duty cycle. Heck even a few things tossed in on Speed Wash 15 minutes come out clean. I can guarantee you that if I had the fancier model with "turbo wash" the clothes would come out no cleaner than my machine without that feature.