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Merry Christmas Mr Whirlpool

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Peters
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 3034 Northern AL
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2006-12-23          138311

Well I bit the bullet and bought a new washer last night. This is after a year of nursing the old one through its cycles. The old one was a Kenmore - GE front load. It failed in waranty and was nearly catatonic after five years of service. I was never sure if it was the motor or the electronic controller that failed. I pulled the board out and checked the capacitors thinking it was the problem starting the motor, but they checked out. It would operate but the motor did not have enough power to spin the drum from a dead stop. Likely one winding in the motor is bad. The motor is $150 and the contoller is $150. A Kenmore washer the same is $600 now.
So I end up at Sears complaining and end up with another Kenmore. This time a Kenmore Elite - Whirlpool front load T4. Maybe the old Maytag? Naturally this thing is twice the price. Is there any way to leave the wife at home when you are buying a cloths washer? Actually the regular price is $1500 dollars and I got it at 1/2 price. It still seems like a lot of money, but maybe a deal.
Now it seems to me we had an engineer on the board that knew a thing or two about washing machines. Why wasn't I smart enough to quiz him before I stuck myself with another head ache? Merry Christmas Mr. Whirlpool the kids are getting lumps of coal, I can't afford anything else.


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brokenarrow
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1288 Wisconsin
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2006-12-23          138318

Peters
I went against consumer reports advice (which they usually are wrong or not even close anyways)and bought a Fisher/Pakel washer. CSR said it is prone to break downs.
This washer has a direct drive with no pulleys/belts etc, it spins out at 1000 rpms if you want it to. The clothes come out of it nearly dry and they take half as long to dry in the dryer as with my old washer. That was around 5 years ago. No problems with the machine at all and its awesome. Hope you get the same from yours, BTW, this one was $599
Guess I am lucky since when I ask my wife what she wants for a washer/dryer,,,, she tells me, "One that works, thats all, no fancy gadgets, just one that works!"
Yep, I think I look a gift horse in the mouth all the time, and I dont know it! ....

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Merry Christmas Mr Whirlpool

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ncrunch32
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 762 Kingston, NY
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2006-12-23          138319

Yep, my wife also seems to end up with the most costly appliances. We made the mistake of buying a calypso washer a while back but Whirlpool refunded our money in total. Then my wife went out and bought another Whirlpool. If we get estimates on anything seems my wife always goes with the highest :(.

But really, rather than complain I just decided to go spend money for myself on tractor attachments or whatever I want. Took me a while to get the hang of it. This Christmas my wife brought home one of those chainsaw bears that sits outside your door. I asked her the price but she won't say. I see a 3 pt chipper in my future! :)


....

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2006-12-24          138321

NC are you saying the bear is headed for the chipper? Ever see the movie "Fargo" with the chipper scene? Ouch. That'll leave a mark. ....

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ncrunch32
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 762 Kingston, NY
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2006-12-25          138337

EW, never saw Fargo but I guess I should look it up to see how this should be done! :) By the way, Merry Christmas! ....

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2006-12-26          138345

Consumer Report to me proved good when they report on owned and used machines such as autos. Not as great on new and them only tested. But, I have not looked at them in years.

Without a doubt price does not mean a better machine. Might be more bells or trim. Then it may mean a better cabinet or heavier motor. Now ask the big box people why the price or feature difference and a deer in the headlights.

A few years ago we built and installed a double oven and separate cook top. Could have purchased two free standing stoves for much less money with the same features and had an additional cook top. Reason given, the manufacture knows a person that wants a double oven will pay for it. My thoughts, when you get away from the standard, you always see the price jump. This is so in most products or industries.

I realized years ago, if considered a necessity we price shop and feature shop carefully. If a luxury item, higher priced is bragged on!
....

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Peters
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 3034 Northern AL
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2006-12-26          138346

Ken; My brother in-law has subscribed to the consumer reports since before he was married. He researches everything to determine what is the best item and considers the consumer reports the bible.

He has a Dodge minivan that gobbles about 3000 a year in repairs and a Jeep renagade that does about the same. At the moment the Jeep will not pass emmissions and is off the road. I on the other had have a Dodge Diesel which has cost $200 in seven years (100,000 miles) and a Volvo 940 which has run about $100 per year in the last 7 (170,000 miles). Both of his two vehicles have about 1/2 the milage of ours.

That been said, the Consumer reports rate the He4 washer we bought as high, but there are a number of dissatified customers posting on the web, many complaining about the consumer report. It does a nice job, but it might need the extended waranty. ....

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Iowafun
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 955 Central Iowa
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2006-12-27          138367

Peters, Were you thinking of me? I left that industry 3 months ago. But here's what i know. The Kenmore unit you bought is made by Whirlpool in Germany I think. Definitely not made in the US. The top-loading Kenmore units are made in the US and Whirlpool has the contract with Sears to make them because no one else makes a unit that costs less to build. I could tell what will probably break first and when in the top loader. Nuff said.

The front loader units are better than Whirlpool's top loaders. But there are better ones on the market. But at 1/2 price...

My biggest/latest issue with the Whirlpool dryers. I'm living in an extended stay hotel so am stuck doing laundry using their pay units. There are 2 dryers, one a Maytag made at the factory I used to work at and the other is a Whirlpool unit. Both operate for 45 minutes for $.75 except the whirlpool unit shuts off a few minutes early. Now, I put the heaviest/biggest load into the Maytag and it's dry in 30 minutes. I empty out those clothes and then transfer the still very wet clothes from the Whirlpool dryer into the Maytag dryer to finish up the remaining time. Maytag comes through!!

That experience just pisses me off that Whirlpool is so pig-headed as to kill of the good unit and replace it with their POS. Why did Maytag have 50% of the commercial market and Whirlpool 8%? Just stupid. ....

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Peters
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 3034 Northern AL
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2006-12-27          138368

I was unsure where this front loader was from. I thought maybe it was just a refronted Neptune. It is a heavy unit and most of the problems related on the web seemed to be vibration relating to weak floor structures or improper leveling. The unit makes little noise on the cement floor.

It is a heavy sucker so 1/2 the cost would be shipping if it is from Germany. ....

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yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
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2006-12-27          138369

Iowafun:
We had some cheapie brand (Hamilton) dryer that we bought with the house used for $100.00 and it lasted about 23 years. We then bought a Whirlpool dryer to match the Whirlpool washer. The problem with the dryer like you said is that it has a cool down cycle which may be good for permanent press clothes but doesn't get them dry. My wife isn't happy with it either. The Whirlpool washer has been great!

P.S. Are you going to change your TP handle! ....

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Iowafun
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 955 Central Iowa
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2006-12-27          138371

Change my handle? Huh, I just might have to. I'll have to think of a good Wisconsin name...

CheddarHead?
Packcheese?
Beer-n-Brats?

Whirlpool's front loading washers are made in Europe. I was guessing as to the actual country. The first units that Whirlpool came out with were terrible. But they have gotten better. I remember the unit we had in the test lab was broken every week. It was one of the first ones made by Whirlpool. Maytag bought it and ran it to see how well it worked. They lost money with all the warranty repair visits to our lab!! But they have gotten better.

The important thing is your wife being happy. Without that... Well, better just not go there.

The Whirlpool front loading units are not Neptunes. The old classic Neptunes are marketed under the Maytag and Crosley brands. Maytag did come out with newer Neptunes (front loading with glass door and controls on the front). These were made by Samsung are complete garbage. Stay away from Samsung laundry units. Ungodly ridiculous warranty rates on those units. But Whirlpool was ditching the Samsung made units for re-badged Whirlpool units. But I can tell them apart, but I'm not sure how to tell you to tell them apart as I think Whirlpool was using the same model number. Doh!! ....

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