New Whirlpool Front-loaders

[peterh770]

Chris: Pete posted about the Aaxis washer & dryer; these are the smaller ones. I think you are referring to the Nexxt models which are much larger.

Pete: I also have 1.7 cubic foot FL washers (Miele and Kenmore) and I can fit into 1 the same amount of laundry that used to fit into my large capacity Maytag. It's going to take a while for Americans to get used to smaller looking washers that can wash as much as toploaders. 2 full sets of queen sheets and 8 pillow cases fit with ease, as does a load of 6-8 thick Charisma bathtowels.

Jafrogg: All FL's will transmit vibrations to a non-cement floor. Both my Miele and my Kenmore can be felt in all rooms of my 1300 square foot ranch home when they go into spin. Neither shake raucously, but they do vibrate more or less depending on how the load balances out.

 

[launderess]

IIRC, the Danby unit everyone over on THS seems to be raving about is 1.7 cu/ft, which is the same as many of the older Miele models. What is interesting is the Danby will heat water to boil wash temps on 120v. Will take two hours to complete a cotton cycle on 200F, but it will heat that water.

Problem I have with both Danby and LG is their repair network isn't quite there yet. At least the Maytag/Samsung model and probably the Whirlpool have good in house repair/tech support.

Launderess

 

[petebldg9]

PeterH770 and Jeanne:

Yes, my Bosch Axxis machines are the compact ones. I just measured them, and the cabinets are the same size: about 23" wide and 22" deep. I left 8" of space behind them for hose connections. I have the vented dryer model, which has an exhaust cap in the rear, and on either side. You simply vent from the opening you prefer. I believe a condenser model is available too. Again, I'm very pleased with them. The wash and dry quality is excellent, yet they are gentle on fabric. I can tell because the tags in my clothes look brand new.

Pete

 

[kenmore1978]

WP parts discontinuance

I don't get it, so does this mean that if you buy a WP product and it breaks, that there'll be no parts to fix it? That doesn't seem to make sense.

 

[peteski50]

New Whirlpool Front-loaders

Today I went to Lowes for the 1st time - Very much like home depot Only Nicer. I saw the New Whirlpool. Actually like was stated the control panel was made rather cheap. I was somewhat impressed with the interior. I thought it was a little bigger than my former Equator combo. I did like the fact it has 4 vanes in the tub instead of the 3 that most fl have. I actually think that the tub size is only a little smaller than the fridgmore. I don't think Whirlpool makes this washer. I am going to try to attach a link fron fjs distributers. This is basically the same machine as what others are passing off as a combo. The only difference on the Whirlpool is that the dry control is a spin speed selector. What I don't like about this machine is that you cannot set the temp. I am also sure I have saw this washer passed off as other brands before. So my full assumption is that Whirlpool doesn't realy make it - they are using the name to get it to sell. (I could however be wrong)
Peter

http://www.amtechcombo.com/

 

[peteski50]

New Whirlpool Front-loaders

Here is another link that indicates this machine is being used in a few places. I still don't think it is realy a Whirlpool.
even in Europe.
Peter

http://www.eurotechappliances.com/products/combo.htm

 

[arrrooohhh]

Its not a Whirlpool

And that is why we are all so dissappointed.

Its made by Antonio Merloni, makers of the worst washing machines, including Eurotech and Servis in the UK.

Whirlpool really has missed an opportunity here. Its own Euro made FL's are well built and reliable, though not Mieles of course.

The door handles and controls are nice and operate smoothly and dont fall of when you open them!

And with similar styling to the Duets, they really could of marketed the machine as a mini Duet.

He is a sample of what they could of offered.

 

[paulc]

re, pics by jeanne

Iam shocked and horified that whirlpool are marketing these substandard machines as their own in the USA. They are in fact made by servis ( think they have machines under the name maber in th US). Servis machines used to have an exelent reputation in the uk until the late 90's whwn they were bought over by an italian co and now are the cheapest of cheap machines in the uk. All to often these days companys are selling off sub standard washers to rival companies in order to make a profit. I live in a rented flat and have the misfourtune to be in posetion of a sevris combo ( maber in US) it is a dreadful machine which leaks, has poor wash performance and takes nearly over 4hrs to wash and dry 2.5kgs of laundry. I would urge people NOT to buy the whirlpool models as pictured in Jeannes msg. Whirlpool do make their own laundry systems for sale in europe which usually have dial in front of control panel, if u must buy one of those

 

[westytoploader]

I was at Lowe's yesterday and saw the "Little Whirlpools". YUK! They appear very cheaply made. The wash tub was stiff with short vanes and an inconvenient-to-open detergent dispenser, the dryer was equivalent to a BOL dryer (no advanced cycle options) with a small drum, and above all, both the washer and dryer's door handles felt like they were going to break off in my hand.

Whirlpool should have known better; they won't sell any of these. The Danby machines at Home Depot felt much better made, and they have a better price as well.

--Austin

 

[Abarnes]

Vibrating front loader

I have a Kenmore front loader (bought in 2000) and as Jafrogg mentioned above, it vibrates the floors of the house. My concern is that it is loosening the floor joists, thus making them weaker. Am I just being paranoid or is it a real concern and what can be done about it? Do the platforms available for front loaders help with the vibration?

 

[gyrafoam]

My house is almost a hundred years old and the floors and joists are (petrified) yellow pine. The washer and dryer are in the kitchen. Where the washer sits the floor also dips about 1/4 in. over a 2 1/2 ft. area so the legs on one side of the machine are all the way in and the other legs are extended about a 1/4 in.! Needless to say I have all kinds of issues with the floor! My "Frigimore"(on its highest spin speed) shakes the whole house with high speed vibrations running through the floor especially to the living-room --three rooms away! The 1968 Maytag #806, and Speed Queen set up a pretty good vibration also, but all of them are held in check by their rubber feet. The 1-18 reacts differently--it is so light when empty of water, and comes with hard nylon legs and feet, without rubber feet added (Maytag rubber feet fit perfectly)it wants to vibrate and walk. Full of water and clothes adds much weight as 1-18's are big water hogs---then when the pulsation statrts the WHOLE kitchen floor goes up and down with the pulsator! Quite a ride if one is sitting at the kitchen table! The lamp shades in the living room move in unison with the pulsator! In the spin it is no different than the others. With the '56 "Unimatic" in place the floor does the same thing when it pulsates as the 1-18 but because the spin speed is so fast (and the vibration frequency is such a rapid motion)you can't even feel it! So I guess you could say I have shared some of your thoughts on the floor getting weak! I have been here about 12 years and I have noticed a slight difference in the floor over the last few years---however---this old yellow pine is so tough it almost takes a pneumatic nail gun to get a nail in to it--forget getting an old nail out! I think the joists must be all right. I would be afraid to add a pedestal or any thing that would weaken the platform the washer stands on--even in my case I could not use the really nice "cushy" vinyl flooring when remodeling my kitchen because it would allow the washer to move too much! Good luck! -Steve

 

[peterh770]

My 50 year old house has vibrated with any front loader that I have had connected in the last 12 years. Currently, my Miele gives the house a soothing "thrummmmmmmmm" when it goes into its 1200 rpm spin.

 

[hoovermatic]

Oh dear

Just read through this thread from top to bottom and was dying to see this machine that has been well and truly slated on here. And there is is, a wolf in sheeps clothing. Its a Servis rebranded as a Whirlpool. What a dirty piece of deception by Whirlpool to try and pass this awful white box off as a quality product. Living in the UK and being used to seeing Servis machines polluting the appliance departments I could have picked this trash out with just a small picture of the door handle and the dial on the dryer. SHAME ON YOU WHIRLPOOL

http://www.servisuk.co.uk/

 

[jetcone]

Whirlpool's Blunder

I was just down in DC with Jeff and John L and they both gave me the skinny on this machine. It is even worse! W_pool is dumping this machine on the market to keep market share for a year as they are currently develolping their own version to introduce next year! So all these consumers this year who buy this machine will be left behind next year when W-pool gets their own machine to market!

Can anyone tell me a better way to beat up on your customers???

jet

 

[foraloysius]

Personally I think this is not their first blunder. The Calypso is another one. All washers, frontloader or toploader, let the clothes tumble or rollover freely, except for the Calypso. A horrible design in my opinion.

 

[Medrivewild]

Stop shopping by price

The american public makes me sick. You continue to shop by price. Let go of a few extra hard earned bucks and be happy. You bitch because we are sending jobs oversea's but refuse to pay more for american products. Look at how petty you have become. Of course Maytag, Whirlpool, and the others cannot make a dime here. Outsourcing is the only way to make your little wallets happy. Everyone complains that nothing is made the way it was in the old days. Look at the wage you made then compaired to now...if product followed, a Maytag would cost a couple grand. With the cost of labor and parts, retail prices eroding, they have to produce junk, outsource, or file chapter 11. When you get your sunday paper this week, look at all the fliers front page. They are loaded with ad leaders...meaning, most everything is sold below cost just to get your fat wallets in their door. The buyers of these companies are not looking to buy quality product, but the cheapest stuff they can get thier hands on. You demand lower prices, they scour the world to find it for you. Look at the brands, most you have never heard of and wont 10 years from now.

WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!!!!!

Lets teach our kids common sense, not selfishness and greed.

 

[fixerman]

WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!!!!!

I second your emotions. Great post. Thanks.

 

[tolivac]

Appliance pricing

Lighten Up! I don't think the public is fully to blame--Corporate greed is also to blame-and pleasing the "stockholders" is another-to heck with the consumer.Remember with some of the jobs offered to people to work these days-the "union" scale wages are gone.-Same with the paid healthcare and retirements.At how some machines are priced-its no wonder I see more of a croud at the laundramat not too far from my house. At the prices of the Seimens or LG Washer-dryer pair(TOL models) it would be cheaper to take your clothes to the laundramat.At Home Depot the other day I saw a John Deere Lawn tractor for $4500.For that price it would be cheaper for me to have a lawn service do my lawn.If the appliance makers and other equipment makers aren't more careful in their pricing--people will do just that-they will "outsource" their lawn work or laundry to someone else to do.Thats the big reason I now buy "vintage" appliances and even lwan care equipment-not just as a collector-but as a "user"You get the better quality for less money.At this point in my above examples-my vintage Snapper mower and WP washer are doing great and I will shop vintage at this stage.

 

[christd1]

Whirlpool and America

To tie the two subjects together, the new Whirlpool machine that they are launchin next year a the $699 price point, will be made in Mexico and is supposed to be a miny version of the Duet.
I agree with Medrivewild, tolivac. It is sooo easy for people to blame "corporate greed" for everything. The fact is that corporations work for their shareholders who invest in companies TO MAKE MONEY. Do you take your money and plop it into any old stock of an American company that employs thousands of people and just feel good about contributing your cash to help the cause of the American worker or do you expect a return? The values of this country are going to hell because everyone wants a hand out and then they want more, more, more regardless of their actions.
Take a look at side by side refrigerators and what has happened with that employee base and the market. GE moves to Mexico when their labor costs get too high to compete in the market place. This pushes down their costs below the competition. The competition looks at sourcing alternatives of components, labor efficiencies and relocation options (the money has to come from some where either labor or components).
Competition looks at low cost country sourcing, does a competitive threat negotiation with current U.S. supplier but they can not meet the price. When exploring the labor efficiencies the competition is working in a union environment (Frigidaire in Michigan, Maytag in IL, Amana in IA, Whirlpool in IN) where the employees frown on cutting people because that reduces the flow of dues to the union and costs people jobs (what people don't get is that we have too lose some jobs to keep the majority). Finally after component costs are reduced (but not enough) and labor is better but not even close to GE AND on top of that the price of side by sides dwindles down to 899...799....699.....599 AND other competitors are moving or have moved what else do you do to still provide a return to the shareholders??
Now you will see laundry appliances do the same thing. LG in Korea soon to be in Mexico, Whirlpool starting up in Mexico, GE already has Mexican operations, Maytag sourcing from Samsung in Mexico.
So where does it stop?

 

[coldspot66]

Major appliances are just the latest industry suffering the "trickle down" effect that started quite a while back with countertop appliances:computers; microwave ovens etc. I think sometimes we Americans shoot ourselves in the foot. EVERYONE want benefits with employment, which drives up the cost, but we don't want to pay on the outgoing side for goods and services. It only a matter of time before all appliance companies will employ overseas labor. Maytag says they cannot make a profit on a top mount refrigerator, so they are sourcing from Sanyo or Samsung. I also think that Samsung has purchased Maytag. They are/were ripe for a takeover anyway. Things are out of control. The price of repair parts should be less, and the cost of a new appliance should be more. But big box retailers rule the roost, and they give white goods away!