Worst washing machines

[cfz2882]

in my collection: VMW Cabrio...

2010 Cabrio: suspect durability,but the worst feature is the goofy balance routine this thing can get on before giving up and doing a slow spin...Machine will do a good wash job if all conditions are right This Cabrio gets rotated into use on occaision and will be kept as a historic artifact

 

[foraloysius]

Bauknecht - Hotpoint

Oh goodness, you are right! They stopped selling washing machines in the NL, so I didn't notice the change.

 

[launderess]

IIRC those early Whirlpool Duet washers (built in Germany's Bauknecht plant) were pretty decent if not down right good machines. Famous Germany quality and so forth, like Miele almost commercial washers in terms of quality...

As noted yes, WP shut down three Bauknecht plants moving production out of Germany all together.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bauknecht_(company)





Look familiar?

 

[launderess]

Regarding SQ Coin-Op Washing Machines

Our local laundromat has them, and has have said many times best results are obtained by thinking about these machines are they are designed.

By this mean they come from commercial side of things were chemicals are still widely used instead of say enzymes. Pre-wash cycle is barely a few minutes (at least at our local), followed by a main wash of barely 12 or so minutes. That just isn't time enough for modern enzyme detergents to do their thing.

Without built in heaters "hot" or even "warm" wash relies upon whatever comes out of taps. Keeping in mind pre-wash is cold or warm (depending upon what owner has machines set for), meaning unless "hot" water is a or over about 160F it is going to be substantially cooled by coming into contact with cold laundry.

Machines seen in video are same our local has, and will give them points for what you can see. When fully loaded (but not over loaded) mechanical wash action is actually quite good. Standing near washer you can hear laundry being slapped about inside tub.

 

[rp2813]

I like that my 2004 Neptune FL will do a pre-wash with hot when hot is the temperature selected for the main wash.  Is it the best washer I've ever owned?  Not quite, I suppose.  That would be our 2007 Bauknecht Whirlpool Duet HT.   It was a joy to use and it still had knobs and dials, which are superior from an ease of use standpoint IMO.

 

The question further up about criteria is key here.  Effective washing?  Reliability?  Cost of ownership?  Worst washer in the history of washing machines IME by far:  Wards Signature sourced from Norge.  Effective washing?  Some will say very effective -- if you like to buy clothes a lot.  Reliability?  Don't make me laugh.  Caust (intentional spelling) of ownership?  Worst by far.  Unless you like to pay for your machine twice due transmission failure not much more than a year after purchase.  My hate knows no bounds.  The least they could have done was provide a lifetime supply (that would be a little over a year's worth) of earplugs with the purchase.

 

 

 

[qsd-dan]

"The least they could have done was provide a lifetime supply (that would be a little over a year's worth) of earplugs with the purchase."

I'm assuming you never experienced a Frigidaire Rollermatic or 1-18 in person. I'll take a thundering Norge with solenoids a snappin over those any day.

 

[maytag85]

I’ll take the woo woo sound of my ‘63 Whirlpool along with it’s unique wig wag sounds along with the solenoids engaging for the wash and spin and I can put up with that but will NOT put up with something newer that supposedly saves water and energy but yet will take forever and will use all of my energy up just having to watch over the machine to make sure it doesn’t destroy itself or anything around it.

Again I’ll rephrase what I said reply #2, not every single newer machine is terrible but since Speed Queen has the first spin on the lower speed it doesn’t spin out enough of the soapy water and detergent which will result in poor rinsing performance. Since machines don’t wash or rinse like they used to, might as well say a good majority of machines aren’t what they used to be.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

I'd take

a GE filter-flo anyday of the week. They never sudslock. I would use normal speed at all times. And yes, with the ramped activator with minibasket.

 

[gusherb]

Maytag badged Samsung I'm sure falls toward the bottom for most things and especially longevity. Knowing what I know today I'd be happy living with a SQ AWNE for the rest of my life.

 

[lakewebsterkid]

mark_wpduet

The bearings are shot. Considering replacing the bearings and donating to my brother when he moves out. Will not be a bad first machine. Especially a free one, at that.

 

[washerguy02]

For me the worst washing machine is the Indesit Moon and the newer Hoovers and Candys as the brushed ones have a whiny motor that is noisy as hell and the paddles are pretty much non existant. They don't heat up properly, they only heat to 55*C which is pretty shocking and horrific for what is meant to be a boilwash. The paddles on the newer Hoovers and Candys are so weak they can't grab the garments very well and the laundry is pretty much floating in the drum

 

[agiflow]

I can attest not all new machines are terrible. I have many videos of my Amana NTW4516FW3 washing all kinds of loads with 4 different agitators.

Hey they might be computer controlled and the unreliable vmw design but mine has been going on for a year now with no problems to speak of and they wash as well as any I've owned and used.

In any case if all fails with the Amana I have the 24" Estate washer as a backup.

 

[tolivac]

What kinds of agitators are avalaible for these washers? Would LOVE to find an agitator that doesn't tangle and wrap my things!I so miss the Hotpoint Rimflow I used to have-it was so much BETTER than these VMW junkpiles!

 

[kenmoreguy89]

There are many today that would fit in the "worst" category.

One of the worst and ugliest useless machine of all time I think was the Indesit Moon that by the way got recently re-proposed IIRC.

Newer Candy Bianca is another.

But again so many to mention...

[this post was last edited: 5/23/2021-08:41]

 

[agiflow]

Any DD agitator will fit in these as it has the same tubs and spline as the DD washers. I never had the problem of clothes getting wrapped around any of the agitators I have used.

It does tend to pull the strings out of sweats or shorts though so I keep those tied.

 

[kenmoreguy89]

Honestly Patrick, it doesn't look like it is a great turnover though.

 

DD machines gave more turnover and beating even having that short (fast) stroke vs the machine you show though.

Some shredded stuff, yup that is also why gearbox speaking I like a million times more the wig wag system. 

Am recently experiencing the joy of owning a wig wag WP.

Plus the tub that moves along with each stroke that I'm seeing vanify much of the action, that is another common issue I see with some modern TL's for some reasons looks like they can't build a proper tub brake system.

 

Said that, there are some modern machines that I do not despise  all that much agitation wise.

Like Commercial Maytags, but the biggest issue for me with modern units is not even <span style="font-size: 12pt;">about agitation only but the dubbed temperatures and or partial deep rinses.</span>

Hot water is essential for some loads, whites for istance 

I would never want to own or rely on one, I would rather use a plunger and boiler, that is why as I alsways say if I had to be obliged to pick a modern machine my eyes would go towards a FL with built in heater and a +140F  sanitize cycle that IMO would outperform a dubbed temp. top loaders.

Again, I will never understand why Asia keep making deep rinses and non dubbed hot fill machines without probs (pulsator TL's but  water used is same of an agitator TL)  India even got TL models with a back up heater that increase or keep hot water hot and claims to offer sanitize cycles. 

 

 

 

[this post was last edited: 5/23/2021-08:52]

 

[kenmoreguy89]

It doesn't look all that bad, does it?

 

[agiflow]

Roll over is fine and I have many videos to prove it.The DD is/was a great washer. I now also own my 3rd DD in a period going back as far as 1988.

The Amana did better on 7 pairs of jeans than the Estate did on 5 and the Estate wasn't overloaded.

My new home came with these Amana machines installed and so far like I said they wash as well as any washer I have owned. Listen to what some of the people on this site who own the equivalent Roper or Admiral machines say about them.

The rollover isn't a DD but there is also more flex like an older belt drive. I did a full towel load on delicate with one of the straight vanes I have and turnover was fine with a big load like that.

I also had a front loader I gave to a member last year because I was moving and also my Speed Queen.

Let someone else have fun with them.

 

[kenmoreguy89]

Jeans or whatever thick and rigid such as a rag never went along well with short fast strokes.

Especially if no dual actiotn spiral was present.

That was so even with later Maytags  and even GE's.

I remember having to "underload" my Maytag commercial and put jeans very loosely to get proper action, that is something you do not experience with fluid smooth longer strokes and I never did with the Filter flo, SQ and by all means am not experiencing at all with the wig wag "84 whirlpool. 

I did experience this issue also with the DD whirlool especially after being fed of dealing with the spiral thingy dogs wearing out every so often I switched to a commercial black straight vane.

The '84 whirlpool is virtually perfect.

I like it just as much I liked the filter flo.

 

[this post was last edited: 5/23/2021-09:34]

 

[DADoES]

 
Rapid-fire rollover in an agitator toploader is overrated and unnecessary.  Cleaning occurs moreso via the clothes getting sloshed and flexed by the lower fins than from swimming through the water in circles top-to-bottom.  Roll the load 3 or 4 or 8 or 10 times through the wash period so everything gets sufficient time at the bottom and all is good.  Rolling 500 or 5,000 times isn't necessary.  Longer wash time and slower rollover gives better results IMO, with enzyme detergents involved.