Which machine is better? Please HELP, I am desperate.

[camillemomma]

I currently have a Whirlpool WTW5200VQ and it is so LOUD, the baby can't sleep. I can't take it anymore, even though it washes the clothes well, and spins well. It is only loud during the wash cycle when agitating. But, it even disturbs me clear downstairs.

I am looking at returning it since I have only had it a few days, and trading up for the Maytag MVWC700VW. It says it has the Quiet Wash 200.

Would this one be any quieter than the one I currently have?

And is the Maytag heavy duty enough to last a long time? I have two messy children, a 1 yr. old, and 4 yr. old.

I need to get a good washer ASAP. Please help.

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whirlpool.com

 

[camillemomma]

I forgot to mention that I used to have a Whirlpool Ultimate Care washer that wasn't loud like my current Whirlpool. The Whirlpool Ultimate Care lasted for 12 years before the engine burned out. I am so sad that my good quiet washer is gone.

 

[laundromat]

Front loaders

If you're looking for a quiet washer,get a front loading one. No transmission,no agitation,verry quiet.

 

[hotpointwf220]

check out some electrolux wave touch washing machines

There is a video by gemini of the whirlpool wavetouch washing machine which is very quiet
plus being electrolux, they will be well made and spins upto 1350 rpm i wouldnt recommend mine if u was in uk thouch lol

Click on the link below to see it in action.

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www.youtube.com

 

[hotpointwf220]

the washer in all colors and specs

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www.electroluxappliances.com

 

[norfolksouthern]

It's too bad about the motor in your old Whirlpool Ultimate. However, these old direct drive machines are very common and the parts are very easy to swap out, especially the motor and pump. I would recommend that you get your money back out of the Maytag, then search Craigs List for a good, used direct drive machine like the one you had before. Then, learn how to work on it. They are NOT hard to fix. Two snaps and a couple screws, and viola; new motor!

NorfolkSouthern

 

[yogitunes]

I would go with the Speed Queen Top Loader....but for best capacity and silence is the Front Loader....

 

[thomasortega]

Electrolux front loader, of course!

And as you have a baby, you also need a proper cleaning, a proper sanitization, a proper rinsing (WITH WATER) and a good extraction to dry the clothes much faster (and also save energy)

My sugestion is the same Electrolux mentioned above. it's huge, it's dependable, it cleans like no other, it has the best HE rinsing, and the spin is amazing (you'll see the clothes almost dry after the spin)

Also, the noise is great. You can't hear almost anything during the wash, even if you're in front of the machine and the spin noise is very accurate. you can hear the acceleration like a jet engine. i'm sure it won't wake your baby unless he/she's sleeping on the machine.

You can also turn on the drum lights and let the baby watch the cycles. it can be very entertaining for a baby and in a few years your baby can become a member of this community.

 

[toploader1984]

front loaders are NOT quiet in the spin cycle, it is going to be walking and vibrating all across the floor, although speed queen makes a very goo machine, go with a speed queen top loader, u WONT regret it! most front loaders today are only lasting an avarage of NO MORE than 5-7 years.... u will be sorry. i spent 2 grand on a new front loader, and just sold it 2 years later, i couldnt stand it.

 

[whirlcool]

I watched that Electrolux operational video. It seems the clothing took forever to get the least bit wet and some of the things in the middle didn't appear to be wet at all.
Also it looked that that machine was slightly overloaded. There was only about 40% compression of the clothing from being wet. If there was more water in the machine, I believe the clothes would have compressed even more.

Give me a Wascomat front loader where the water comes 1/3 of the way up the window any day!

 

[norfolksouthern]

I'm the type of person who tries to learn from the mistakes of others. This is so because I have very little money to spare. So with that, I would heed the advice of Toploader1984 and yogitunes if you're not very mechanically inclined. The buttons, gadgets, gimmics, wazoos, and ding dongs won't mean bo-diddly squat if you lose a control board. Bearings are also very expensive to replace if they go out.

And to top it off: The kid is going to get mighty bored of watching a front-loader after the age of 18 months anyway. He'll thank you later when buy him a few toys with the money you save. Who knows, maybe he'll even like the Speed Queen enough to help you do the laundry!

NorfolkSouthern

 

[thomasortega]

"front loaders are NOT quiet in the spin cycle, it is going to be walking and vibrating all across the floor"

It may sometimes happen with the standard euro size front loaders, never with these american Electrolux front loaders or even with it's older cousin, the frigidaire affinity

Those are designed to NEVER spin unbalanced because everybody knows it's much beter to have a machine that gives up and finish the cycle without spinning in case of extremely unbalanced loads than have a monster machine like that jumping and breaking the floor tiles. Can you imagine the damage it would cause if it jumps on your foot? The relation between it's footprint, it's weight, drum positioning and acceleration ramps are also calculated to reduce the impact on the suspension and the supension dissipates the remaining vibrations before it reaches the floor.
Even if the load gets suddenly unbalanced during the spin, it will detect it instantly, stop almost instantly (if they didn't change this part of the project, this machine can use the motor as a break) and rebalance the load before it reaches the higher and most dangerous speeds.

You can let a glass full of water on the machine and you won't see even a single drop jumping out of it.

 

[cleanteamofny]

Buying that or any Maytag will be like replacing your Whirlpool, for it is a Whirlpool underneath that sheet metal.

I would recommend a front loader now more than ever because you can do more of a wash in one load than doing 4 in a top loader.
The wash cycle maybe longer by 1/2 hour or more but you can save in water usage if you have to pay for it, detergent and saving in drying the load because of the faster spin speeds.
The spin cycle is not that bad as long as the load is balance.
The pump is a little loud but it beats the knocking of the agitator that is in your Whirlpool.
I own a Direct Drive Kenmore and it is not that loud to me, but I'm used to it.

To reduce the noise of any front loader, it must be level from front to back and side to side on concrete flooring if possible!
The load must be mixed with light and heavy items together and hope for the best when it spins.

 

[everythingold]

Sonds like you have a bad tranie, easy to fix, if you go with a front loader make sure it is a Speed Queen. They are fantastic. matt

 

[davek]

There is a lot of push on this site for people who just sound like regular people to buy Speed Queen, which is a difficult brand to find. It's probably also difficult for many people to get local warranty service for them. They are also quite expensive. They may last longer overall, but some of these little problems are the kind that make people unhappy with their purchase and make them unlikely to buy or recommend that brand.

Front-loaders are apparently dreamy for a while, and prone to replacement-type problems in about 5 years or less. They're expensive, too. This is an amped-up version of the problems above, and many buyers are already or will soon be furious over that type of thing.

That's why a direct-drive Whirlpool built (Kenmore, Estate, Roper, Admiral, Inglis, Maytag, and Amana) machine is best for most non-hobbyists to own. They're cheap, reliable, easy to have serviced, and common parts would be available locally anywhere for same-day repairs. Even when it does go down, many parts are cheap and local repairmen can have one going again in an hour from most any problem. This is why they continue to sell so well. People are happy with the overall ownership experience. That's why it's what I'd recommend to most anyone who asked me what kind to buy. Many people buy the appliances as matched sets, and the Whirlpool dryer is similarly simple and reliable.

I don't always recommend that someone buy my favorite brand. There are other factors besides mine that would determine how happy someone was with their purchase. For most people, a DD Whirlpool covers those bases.

 

[earthling177]

I understand that many, many, many people will have the opinion that a DD WP made machine will do just fine. It's a fine opinion to have. It's what most people are used to, and things people are used to seem fine to them. Far be it from me to push people away from their comfort zone if that's where they want to be.

The problem starts when things change. Do you have any idea how many dollars in clothes you have inside those machines? A full load of laundry can easily cost 300-400 bucks, and I'm talking about shirts, t-shirts and jeans that you get at places like Target only, nothing from department stores or even designer stuff. People are used to clothes lasting only 52 washes, as a matter of fact, by federal law in US, clothes have to have a "permanent label" specifying fiber contents and one safe way to clean the garment -- a label that has lasted 52 washes is permanent enough for them. My clothes started lasting much longer after I went with front loaders -- to the tune of hundreds of washes, I have stuff that still looks new that is 10 years old. To the point that my parents see me wearing t-shirts they gave me 3, or 5 or 10 years ago and they say "Oh, jeez, do you still have that?" because they're so used to clothes only lasting a year or two in their household.

So, even if a frontloader is more expensive to buy, I don't care. If it breaks down completely in 5 years (and they haven't), I'll replace it and still come out ahead, because I'm running fewer cycles (they wash bigger loads), I'm using less energy (they use less water in the wash cycle) and I'm saving energy in the dryer 'cuz they spin faster. It's cheaper to use less water/energy and buy fewer clothes and replacing the entire washer than it is to buy a less expensive toploader and use more energy/water and buy clothes more often.

Then again, if you looove shopping for clothes, and looove to own new stuff all the time and keep in fashion, go ahead, the toploader will be a nice excuse to discard "old" clothes and get new stuff. But then you'll understand why people like me call that style of toploader "shredmore".

Peace,
-- Paulo.

 

[thomasortega]

Paulo

Nice name. In portuguese it's paulo too insteal of Paul.

I agree with you. There's nothing better than tumbling, no matter if it's afront loader or a top loader.

That's why it's the favorite washing system on commercial laundries.

Have you ever seen an industrial washing machine with an agitator or an impeller? I don't think so.

Clothes last more, it saves energy (I have to admit the american water saving stardards are ridiculous and exagerated) and it saves time because you can do fewer loads.

Most people complain about time but... What's the problem if the machine takes hours to complete a cycle? Who cares? We don't need to stop everything we're doing to watch the entire cycle. That's why the machines are automatic.

It's much better to have a slow but delicate wash than fast and agressive. This can be seen on brazilian electrolux top loaders too. Some models can take 3 hours to complete the longest cycle, but the agitation speed is very slow if compared to other machines and they have the soaks mixed with the wash. (4 minutes agitating, 4 minutes soak, 4 minutes agitating, 4 minutes soak, etc) the detergent has time to do it's job. and the sinner's circle is completed (reduce mechanical action, increase chemical action)

with front loaders happens the same and the clothes last muuuuuuuuuch longer.

Let's talk about wool or any other handwashable delicates. Would you wash that favorite sweater made by your grandmother 10 years ago in a Shredmore? even on delicate cycle, what would be the result? will it resist?

The same sweater in a front loader? ...???

Doing laundry can be compared to sex. Things can be done in seconds with a partner that looks like a hurricane and hit you like a truck and when it finishes you say "well, it was nice, bye" or it can be made slowly, having a glass of wine in front of the fireplace, talking, giving or receiving a massage to relax, listening to a good music, enjoying every second, every touch and when it finishes both partners can't describe the pleasure sensation and sleep on each other's arms. I bet most of us prefer the second option. (maybe the second option with a touch of the first option LOL)

The europeans are not wrong. They created the best washing system.

Why let the clothes be shredded in 20 minutes if they can have a "beauty treatment" in 2 hours?

 

[norfolksouthern]

The problem starts when things change. Do you have any idea how many dollars in clothes you have inside those machines? A full load of laundry can easily cost 300-400 bucks, and I'm talking about shirts, t-shirts and jeans that you get at places like Target only, nothing from department stores or even designer stuff.

Try rummage sales, the Salvation Army, thrift shops, and the like. An average load running through my "shredmore" typically costs less than $20.00, $30.00 tops. And sometimes, I have no more than $6.00 invested in three pairs of jeans. So, what good is an $1,800.00 front loader going to do me when most of my clothing is donated anyway? And believe it or not, that's reality for people on limited budgets. One of my washers alone is worth far more than my wardrobe!

Then again, if you looove shopping for clothes, and looove to own new stuff all the time and keep in fashion, go ahead, the toploader will be a nice excuse to discard "old" clothes and get new stuff. But then you'll understand why people like me call that style of toploader "shredmore".

Three pairs of jeans and a few shirts will go through far less wear and tear than they ever will in a wash cycle. At least, that's been the case with me. A fancy E-Lux would cost me far more than I could ever save on electric and water bills during its typical life span. Perhaps I may reconsider if someone were willing to pay ALL my utilities for the next 10 years in exchange for my purchase of one.

NorfolkSouthern

 

[davek]

To add to what NS said, CamilleMama mentioned a baby. Perhaps there are other children as well. Children wear out and outgrow clothes faster than the worst washer can destroy them. The more children there are, the less of an advantage the gentleness of FL and the more advantage the speed of TL.

As far as amortizing the costs over time, remember that washers are a pretty big outlay, where any possible energy or water savings are spread out. It's simply much easier for the average person to spend $400 instead of $1,000, even if it does save them $6.50 a month or so. If both machines last 10 years, the total savings are $180. That's more like $2 per month, if that. Add to it that DD Whirlpools usually last 10 years, and US marketed front loaders seldom do.