You can’t bring back the older direct drives
The reason why the direct drive was discontinued was due to a U.S. passed in 2011 that would mandate washer efficiency, in order for them to come back, the law would have to be reversed which likely won’t happen.
Another thing I forgot to mention with GE HydroWaves and Model Ts is that when they went out of business they went crazy, they just were shaking so violently and banging so much and sometimes they’d bang so hard that it’d dent the cabinet or cause the cabinet to blow off, that’s actually scary.
I remember using a HydroWave on vacation and once it went off balance that thing was going absolutely crazy, because of their poor suspension system and the lack of balance sensors. It had a bad mode shifter of course so it had the Speed Queen “TR” wash action.
It eventually stopped draining meaning a drain pump maybe failed. I don’t hate GE washers as much as I used to and I’ve been quiet impressed with the newest models lately, they’ve significantly improved and seem to hold up as well as your run-of-the-mill Whirlpool-built VMW washer.
The newer Whirlpool VMWs are much worse than the original models. The older VMWs made before 2020 were pretty decent in terms of reliability if taken care of properly. In fact, I recommended Whirlpool VMAX and VMW machines until about now.
All the 3.8 to 3.9 cu ft Whirlpool models with the redesigned stainless steel drum (3.8 to 3.9 cu ft), depending on if it has the agitator or washplate (such as the WTW4950HW, WTW4955HW, WTW4850HW, WTW4855HW) were known to violently bang on the spin cycle and cause a hole in the wall, likely due to their poor tub design. The models with the older stainless tubs made before 2018 never had this problem likely due to a better and thicker balance ring (which is now only used on the Maytag commercial units), they’d bang around if the load was uneven or if suspension rods were bad but they never violently tilted or dented the side of the machine like those models do. They also make a horrible popping type of noise when on spin cycle even if balanced due to this poor tub design, while the older ones never did. The higher end models don’t make as bad of that popping sound but they often have vibrations on the spin cycle if new, either due to many of them being unleveled or just that poorly designed balance ring.
The Whirlpool 4.2 to 4.3 cu ft machines (like the Maytag MVWC565FW, MVWX655DW, Whirlpool WTW5000DW, or several Kenmore models), actually used the proper balance ring, the main issue with those units is the plastic tub bushing often worn out, causing them to shake violently on the spin cycle. Neu has found a solution to fix the problem. Another common issue with those was the hub, where it’s wear out. The reason why the smaller Whirlpools don’t have as much of this problem despite using the same hub and center sleeve was because the tub was smaller and less heavy causing less friction on the parts.
The older agitator VMWs made in 2010 to 2015 (2010 to 2017 for Kenmore machines), with the older style balance ring were good machines, but the suspension rods on those were known for failing which isn’t that hard of a repair to begin with. When the suspension rods went bad on those they’d run wild.
All the older VMWs were known for bad bearings, whether it had an agitator or washplate, and it often occurs after around 7-8 years of operation. To fix it you have to either change the transmission, run it until it dies, or buy a new machine.
Rarely see bearing issues on the bigger VMW machines (4.2 cu ft and beyond), but VMAX and the first generation Cabrio design are a different story.
This is what a bad tub bushing on a Whirlpool VMW washer looks like.
