When did Whirlpool start go to bad?

[whirlpool862]

For a long time I’ve been recommending Whirlpool machines of VMW and VMAX platforms but I don’t recommend them anymore because I’ve been seeing that the newest models have a massive control board problem.

The lower end ones have issues with the pressure system within the board causing it to drain continuously, and higher end models have different issues with their boards.

The older VMWs are reliable if maintained well, like I know someone with a 2010 Maytag Bravos VMW that’s still trouble free now, and needed no repairs. There’s no bearing noise either.

I know one friend who has a Maytag Bravos X model MVWX700XL2 from 2012 with no issues and is completely trouble free and needed zero repair. No bearing noise on that machine.

My 2014 Whirlpool VMW does have a noisy bearing but works otherwise.

I’d say whirlpool dropped in around 2020 during the pandemic, and I’ve noticed that their newer VMW and VMAX machines just have more problems. I’m not sure about their front load models, tho.

 

[ultralux88]

I considered the Maytag merger to be the beginning of the end for them, maybe for Maytag too, but they seem to have already been heading south.

 

[Marky_Mark]

Again?!

Is there going to be a separate thread for when each manufacturer "went bad"?!

 

[ultralux88]

The easiest answer for when any company went bad, really, is when did some private equity group or other corporate conglomerate buy it and begin milking the company for its cash, while also doing nothing to grow or improve the company and its products.

 

[whirlpool862]

The Maytag merger was not the first sign

The Whirltag direct drives were great machines

 

[Chetlaham]

My opinion

Around 2010 when Whirlpool let the tooling and resulting quality of their direct drives drop. At that point it was showing that Whirlpool no longer cared, only wanting to extract the remaining profit out of their factory.  

 

[whirlpool862]

All Whirlpool direct drives were good

All of them were good machines and lasted 15 years on average.

 

[thatwasherguy]

In my opinion,

Whirlpool has been on the decline since the early 2000’s. However, about 2017 (which is when they got a new CEO), seems to be when they hit the rock bottom that they’re at now. I don’t recall hearing about the ridiculously high rates of board failures before that point. At this point in time, the only product of theirs that I will recommend (outside of spare parts) is their mechanically controlled top filter dryers.
Hope this helps,
Thatwasherguy.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

my opinion

2008. I had a point voyager dishwasher from 2007-2011. In 2008, the cleaning power declined.

 

[Chetlaham]

IMO, some direct drives were better than others. Toward the end of the run the tooling had decline significantly shortening their life and increasing defect rates. 

 

[whirlpool862]

Direct drives were still good

I do agree that the newer ones were a bit worse, but they were still better than any VMW machine. My uncle has a Maytag Centennial direct drive from 2009 that’s 16 years old and has had zero issues at Al.

 

[Chetlaham]

I agree, though don't get me wrong IMO a precision built direct drive could rival a Maytag DC. There are Kenmore's from the early 90s that are exceeding expectations. I remember there was a Maytag lets talk service (or something to that effect) where they put a Kenmore direct drive and a Maytag DC side by side running 24/7. The DD rumored as only needing a few minor repairs was able to keep up. 

 

[gelaundry4ever]

GE!

How would Kenmore and Maytag compare to GE when you put their wash actions together? GE did have the audacity to compare the washability to Maytag and Whirlpool/Kenmore which is the subject matter.

 

[Chetlaham]

If you ask me Kenmore had the best wash action, Maytag was the most gentle action, filter flo was in the middle. Model T is hard to compare due to the lack of turn over on their straight vanes. I dare say that model Ts managed to beat up clothes without actually getting clothes clean for the level of roughness they presented.

 

 

Personally if I could travel back in time and had to choose between a single speed straight vane model T and a BOL Kenmore or Galaxy I'd hands down choose the BOL Kenmore or its variant. 

 

 

BOL Kenmores cleaned better, rinsed better, lasted much, much longer, and I'll go on a limb and say they were actually gentler than a model T. I'm surprised landlords and home builders couldn't get bulk pricing on Galaxies. At least it doesn't seem that way. If every model T could have been replaced with a comparable Kenmore washer the world would have been a much, much better place. 

 

[whirlpool862]

The model Ts and HydroWaves were absolutely terrible machines and shouldn’t be mentioned.

The Kenmores, Whirlpools, and the WP built direct drive Maytags (2006-2011) were great machines. The Whirlpool/Kenmore direct drives from the 80s to early 2010s were great machines.

The model T and even HydroWaves were aggressive. Despite the HydroWave being supposedly gentle, it was actually not. The HydroWaves didn’t get your clothes clean either.

This video proves that, and this machine is being properly loaded, mind you. And it’s from 2014 due to its serial number and this video is from 2014 and the seal already failed causing the bearings to go bad.

The direct drives were kind of aggressive on the clothes like a model T but they cleaned much better. The pre-whirlpool Maytags had gentler action. The Norge and Amana ones were not the greatest, the true Maytags were the best.

When the HydroWaves shifted, they sounded like rattling chains on a roller coaster!!!

For people who like HydroWaves, I send them fishes of them having issues to prove that they were horrible machines.

Everything about the HydroWave was terrible, they were pretty quiet when working properly, although the motors on those were pretty loud on spin cycle, the motel Ts had quieter motors.

The Whirlpool VMWs aren’t too loud on the spin cycle if the bearings are good. And when you disconnect the drain pumps on a VMW they are pretty quiet on spin cycle. The drain pumps on the older VMW machines were pretty loud.

The older Whirlpool belt drives were also great machines. The GE model T was also one of the first washing machines to use a neutral drain other than Whirlpool.

It was also one of the first machines to have a separate drain pump. I think GE would’ve been much better if they just used Whirlpool’s direct drive system on their machines. If they did, then GE would’ve gotten a good reputation. Same with if they used Maytag dependable care designs or Speed Queen designs. The model T was also the first washer to use suspension rods.

The plastic tub models of Model-T made a weird high pitched “whirring noise” when on spin cycle. The HydroWave had a louder motor on spin cycle and also made the whirr on the lower end versions. Some of them don’t seem to make the sound, tho.

The WCI Frigidaire machines were terrible and didn’t turn anything over, and they had reliability problems also. They also lacked tub brakes. The WCI Frigidaire washers just didn’t clean your clothes and didn’t last very long.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

chetlaham...

What about the dual action agitator in the GE model t?

 

[gelaundry4ever]

model t agitation

I remember when the model t GE's did a whirring sound during normal agitation.

 

[Chetlaham]

GE did turn to Whirlpool for their thin twins. Personally I think GE should've just turned to Whirlpool for their whole laundry lineup. Even Kenmore couldn't trust GE's laundry. GE branded Whirlpools would've made everyone happy. Literally.

 

 

I agree Model Ts should not be mentioned in the sense you are inadvertently glorifying a tragedy. However, at the same time you can't tell the history of modern appliances without them. Model Ts accustomed people to cheap short lived garbage. They were the test which basically told manufacturers the public was willing to accept disposable appliances. People gave their consent buying the model T while relatively saying little in protest. Once it was known horrendous quality could rake in profit the race to the bottom began. 

 

[Chetlaham]

The dual action agitator in the model Ts was an improvement, but still not as good as Whirlpools.