Whirlpool Cabrio AGI Discontinued?

[300c]

The Whirlpool Cabrio AGI washing machine disappeared from Whirlpool's website at around Noon today. It looks like it's been discontinued. (The Kenmore Oasis agitator washer dropped off Sear's website a few months ago.)

On a contrarily-related note, Fisher & Paykel has come out with a new version of the Ecosmart (agitator washer). They call it EcoSmart 4.2 cu.ft (IEC 4th Edition). The model number is WA42T26GW1. It has a bigger tub (4.2 vs 3.7 cubic feet IEC) and has an Allergy cycle instead of the Woolen cycle. I'd like to have one of these. (They also make a slightly more basic Elba-Branded version sold in Sears Outlet stores.)

THREE QUESTIONS:

Why was the Cabrio pulled? (It outsold the impeller versions at Lowes and H.H. Gregg.)

Does the Fisher and Paykel Ecosmart washer have a future in the U.S.?

Is there a chance that Electrolux might introduce their Water Aid line of agitator top loader washers into the U.S.? These machines have a 4 WELS star rating in Australia. They use a wash system that appears to be a cross between the Fisher and Paykel Ecosmart and the GE Filter-Flo.

 

[frigilux]

A guess: Does the agitator-based Cabrio use a full tub of water, like conventional top-loaders? If so, it may have been pulled for reasons of energy usage.

I visited my local Frigidaire dealer last week to price a pair of the new Frigidaire front-loaders, and he said Frigidaire's conventional top-loaders (like mine, with the indexing tub) would probably be phased out within the next few years.

He was also involved in a servicing training session for the new Whirlpool top-loaders. He said they have far fewer internal parts, but that they were very cheap and insubstantial. He said the new design would be quite easy to work on.

I jokingly asked him if he'd rather have to move/service washers that were super-heavy, like back in the early '60s. He laughed and gave an emphatic "No!"

His supplier is trying to get him to stock Samsung appliances, but so far he is resisting...

 

[aaronfitzy]

Well....

These new front loaders are pretty freakin' heavy....UGH. I'm glad that our basement has a door downstairs that goes straight in!

Aaron

 

[mrb627]

Cabrio with Agitator

I was at Lowes yesterday afternoon. The Cabrio with Agitator was still on display. No signage indicating that it is being discontinued.

Malcolm

 

[300c]

It's Off the Website

There are no doubt unsold stocks of these machines in the the supply pipeline; in fact, I've seen them and the Kenmore Agitator Oasis for sale at Sears Outlets as of yesterday. My belief that production has been discontinued is based on the fact that the Cabrio AGI was removed from the Whirlpool website.

This raises one more question:

Does Whirlpool plan to offer an agitator version of their belt-drive-new-generation washers? Since the AGI Cabrio outsold the impeller counterparts but was nevertheless Energy Star qualified, might Whirlpool offer a new-geheration AGI Cabrio of some sort?
[this post was last edited: 6/13/2010-14:11]

 

[davek]

New Whirlpool TL?

"Does Whirlpool plan to offer an agitator version of their belt-drive-new-generation washers?"

Wait. What? There's a new one besides the Cabrio?

 

[300c]

New Whirlpool TL -- Wishful Thinking on My Part

Wait. What? There's a new one besides the Cabrio?

Probably not. It's wishful thinking on my part.

 

[runematic]

Does Whirlpool plan to offer an agitator version of their be

Yes, and the new washer will still be called a Cabrio.

 

[mrb627]

Whirlpool and F&P

Has the agreement between Whirlpool and F&P reached its end?

 

[kenmoreguy64]

A friend of mine bought an AGI Cabrio on Saturday. We shopped for quite some time on Friday for it or an Energy Star Maytag TOL DD machine. He and I wanted/suggested the Maytag, but his wife wanted the Cabrio. I WAS told by one of the stores that the model had just been discontinued, but there are some still in-transit and in stock. HH Gregg had several and they got theirs next-day.

As of today, there was already a complaint about the Cabrio that it takes 45 minutes to wash a load. Time will tell there. I would not have bought the Cabrio, but I am careful not to impose my opinion on friends unless they ask. He asked for my expertise, not necessarily for my exact suggestion.

I mentioned this today to some co-workers who are well aware of my washer hobby. Two of them had bought the agitator Cabrios in the last 3-8 months. The one who got theirs first is ready to send it back or dump it. They are very unhappy with it. The other, who got it about three months ago, is complaining about spun-in wrinkles, and that it doesn't spin as fast as it did when they first got it (they both said that actually). They both also complained of the machine walking and being out of balance. I told them both to buy DD machines, and the more I think about it, the more I like the Energy Star models being offered now.

We don't have a Speed Queen dealer in Charlotte. Closest is about 50 miles away. When contacting Speed Queen, the sales manager wrote me back saying it was hard to break into the Charlotte market. I told them I was suggesting to people that they get one from out of town, and they were less then enthused about having to warranty-support their machines outside our market. I guess I understand that.

It will be interesting to see how we feel about our old washers five years from now! Maybe even more enthused!

Gordon

 

[frigilux]

Complaints about a 45 minute cycle? That's short, these days. A lot of impeller/front-loaders run 80-110 minutes.

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Yep, I told them that today (about the 45 minute cycle). I forgot to mention the long cycles on Friday, but again, I didn't want to impose an opinion, especially a negative one coming from someone who likes old-school stuff. I didn't want to sound like I just don't want to like the new stuff simply because it's new.

I can't imagine putting my gym clothes in the washer when I get in and having it take 80-110 minutes to wash them. I usually run a load of two or three days of stuff - three days is 3 pairs of workout shorts, 3 t-shirts, socks, underwear, and 3 towels. Normal cycle, 10 minutes wash, warm wash, cold rinse....they're done in 30 minutes or so and 45 minutes in the dryer. In that scenario, they're dried and folded before a new machine would be done washing them! I do this at 9pm at night - do I want the washer running for two hours? NO

I like my belt-drives more already.

Gordon