Reliable Machine with a Few Quirks

Background:
Buying an expensive appliance is a dreaded chore for my husband and me, particularly because neither one of us is very good at making decisions.  However, when our hand-me-down Maytag Neptune (yes, the awful original model that, by the time it was given to us, had had every part replaced) finally kicked the bucket with a tub full of sopping wet clothes in its clutches, we were left with no choice but to buy a new washing machine.  Not fun.

We made an emergency trip to Sears and, without doing much research, decided to go with the LG WM2016C.  We did shop around for prices, but the washer itself was a bit of an impulse/necessity buy.  We'd heard LG was a good name, we wanted another front loader, the price was right, and Sears could deliver it the next day.  Sold.

What I wanted:
Why am I telling you this?  Because I want you to understand that I was not in love with the machine for its looks, its options, etc.  I just wanted a front loader that was under $700 and wasn't a Maytag, basically.

So here's what I got:
•    The LGWM2016C Front Loading Washer, for me, has made laundry (dare I say it?) fun and very simple.  I was immediately wowed by the ease of use.  Without even reading the manual I was able to use the machine (and I am not a high tech person).  For most loads, I need only press 2 buttons and turn 1 one dial about 25 degrees.  Laundry's ready to go.  I know all those buttons look itimidating, and I'll admit there are a lot of modes I haven't tried in the 8 months I've owned the machine but, for everyday washing, the process is simple: press the Power button, choose the type of garments you'll be washing (with a dial), choose your temperature (with a button), choose your spin speed (another button), choose any options you like, press "Play" (yes, it's a play button!), and you're ready to go.  I know it sounds like a lot--it's really not.  The machine lets you customize your washing experience, but defaults to: normal clothing assortment, warm wash/cold rinse, high spin speed.  This is usually what I choose anyway, so I have to push fewer buttons.  The buttons and dials also make pleasant tones that relax me while I do laundry.  There aren't any loud snapping or grinding noises when pushing buttons or turning dials as in older machines.  I like this!

•    The capacity of the washer in fantastic.  I tend to really stuff a lot into each load, and this washer can handle it.  I continue to be amazed at how much I can fit in at one time (Within reason, of course!  See below for an overloading no-no).  LG claims that one can wash 15 bath towles in one load with this model.  I've never tried that, but I have stuffed in 4 pairs of jeans, 2 hoodie sweatshirts, pajamas, 2 bath towels, several shirts, along with various smaller items like dish towels or socks, with no problems and very clean clothes.  So I do fewer loads which saves me time!

•    Regarding the "noise" factor that others have reviewed: I am extremely satisfied with the low noise level of the machine.  Usually I forget that it's running.  This is a major contrast to our old Neptune, which sounded like a plane taking off in our basement!  The majority of the time I do not hear any noise from the LG washer.  However, there are times when it can get off balance on our basement floor (we neither purchased the stand nor set the machine on any type of risers).  Once in a great while (maybe twice in 8 months?) the machine shifts a little bit and vibrates.  So what do I do?  Give it a slight push back into place and no more virbration.  Then it reverts back to its code of silence.

•    This model is environmentally friendly as well.  It automatically senses the weight of the load and therefore pumps in the precise amount of water for each individual load.  The water is not poured in as with top loaders; it is shot in.  The machine spins the clothes, shoots in a little water.  Spins again, shoots in some more water.  This continues until the clothes are wet, but not immersed.  I know it sounds like they wouldn't get clean that way, but...

•    My favorite quality is that this washer gets my clothes CLEAN.  I didn't realize how poorly our old Maytag was laundering our clothing.  Stains disappear with very minimal or no pre-treating (I rarely pre-treat stains) with the LG, and use such a small amount of detergent (HE) that it's amazing the clothes get as clean as they do.  It's also noticably gentle.  Even when I choose the high spin speed, the clothes come out very soft (and I do not use fabric softener) and only slightly damp, which means they dry much more quickly.  It has been consistent in this regard load after load.

Here's what I don't like:
•    While I appreciate that the machine has a digital countdown clock to let me know when the load will be ready, I don't always love the fact that my average wash time is 52 minutes/load.  However, this is largely what one gets with front loaders, so I let it slide.  If the clothes are heavily soiled, however, one load can take over an hour.  So long as I'm at peace with the fact that my entire day will be spent doing laundry, I'm ok with that on occasion.  I can go out and run errands, and be back in time to put the load in the dryer, so sometimes I don't mind the long wait!

•    Another reviewer complained about not being able to switch the direction from which the washer door opens.  I agree that this is a design flaw and should be rectified.  My dryer is on the left and we cannot move it due to logistical issues in our laundry area, so we're stuck with it.  I thus have to lift the clothes up over the washer door to get them into the dryer.  Inevitably, I drop damp clean clothes on the not-so-squeaky-clean basement floor.  Again, I've gotten used to this, but it can be annoying.

•    Still other reviewers complained about a "musty" smell in the washer.  LG does recommend wiping down the washer after use and leaving the door open to dry out.  I do this after I'm done washing for the day.  It takes literally about 5 seconds and now I'm just used to it, so I don't really consider this a flaw.  I've never experienced a musty smell.  What I do dislike, however, is the "changing of the guards" as I like to call it.  About once a month, one must open a little door at the bottom of the washer, remove a stopper from a rubber hose, and drain out excess water.  There is also a plastic filter that one needs to rinse out, although I've never had any build-up in mine to rinse.  The draining of the hose, though, I take issue with.  It always leaks on the basement floor.  No matter how hard I try, or how well I secure the hose so that it drains straight into a little plastic dish, it leaves a rather large puddle on the floor.  This only happens when I drain the washer--never during or after a load, so I know the washer itself isn't leaking; it's that silly little hose.  This is an annoying, seemingly useless task, but I grudgingly do it month after month to avoid a potentially bigger problem in the future.

•    By far, however, my biggest peeve with this washer is the unbalanced load issue.  This drives me crazy.  Sometimes I get a little over-zealous and decide to really give the washer a workout.  I'll throw queen sheets, mattress cover, duvet cover, and a couple of bath towels in there for good measure.  As I press "Play" I know what I'm in for, but figure maybe this one time it will work.  It doesn't.  Inevitably, when I go to check the load 45 minutes later, I see the dreaded "UE" code on the display screen.  This stands for "Unbalanced Error."  I've overloaded the machine.  Normally, in a top loader, one could simple redistribute the clothes, close the lid, and the washer should pick up where it left off.  Not so with this machine.  The manual says something like: redistribute the clothes to fix the error.  Sounds easy enough.  I do this and press Start.  Nothing happens.  The screen is blank, no pleasant tones.  Hmm.  I try pushing all sorts of buttons, but still nothing.  Now, this has happened to me 3 times in 8 months.  I cannot find anything in the manual other than "redistribute the load."  So, I created my own fix.  I press Power, Rinse and Spin, Play.  Obviously what this does is put the clothes through 1 rinse and spin cycle.  It takes 25 minutes, but it's not the time that bothers me.  It's the fact that my clothes are already clean, soaking wet, and just need to be spun dry.  Now I have to waste time and water.  Again, this has only happened about 3 times and at this point I've learned my lesson--just wash large items SEPERATELY, but it's been an annoying lesson to learn.  I wish there were just a "spin" cycle!

Overall:
I'm happy with the machine.  It's easy to use, gets my clothes very clean, doesn't damage any garments, is quiet, uses less water/electricity than a top loader, and is reliable. 

It does have its quirks to be sure, but after using it for almost a year, I definitely feel that the postives outweight the negatives.