Dependable, Competent, Cheap

The day our 20+ year old Kenmore died was a sad day in the Bernie Household. She had been with us through thick and thin w/nary a whimper. Sadly, when she bought the farm--she bought it lock, stock, and barrel. Unfortunately, she was one of the deluxe models, and we weren't feeling in the mega-rich mode necessary to replace her w/another washer that had all the bells and whistles. What we did have was about $350.00, and the need to get a reliable washer that could handle the weekly loads, that are often heavily soiled. I golf, we both garden, and we both work out. That can place some pretty hefty demands on a washer. This one definitely lives up to the task at hand.

THE CORPORATE LINE VS. REALITY

"This washer features 3.2 cubic feet which is large enough to handle any load." Actually it is a lot of space, but --any load?! No, I've managed to throw her off balance now and again w/an extra heavy load or two of terry towels and denim jeans. Still- she will handle any normal sized load that a busy household can dole out. "Load Flex Agitator helps insure that all loads are washed properly from the most gentle to the heavy duty ones." Yes we have found this to be true for the most part. "The Dependable Clean Cycle manages temperature and agitation levels to in order to achieve the optimal cleaning of laundry for all cycles." Oh definitely a touch of hyperbole here. Not too much mind you, but really now---"optimal"?!! You still have to pre-treat heavily soiled items, and whites will always need bleach. It's simply common sense vs. corporate hype on this one, though all in all it does a better than average job. "Quiet Series 300 system helps washer stay quiet, even during the heaviest of loads and cycles." Yes it is rather quiet compared to my 20+ year old Kenmore. "Commercial grade parts have been used in laundromats and insure years of trouble free operation." After eight months of trouble free operation, and their once stellar reputation, I am counting on this to be the case. "Two speed motor insures proper level of operation from the most delicate clothing to the most heavy duty." This too has proven to be the case. Delicate items that our old industrial strength Kenmore had no problems shredding have come out of this thing unscathed, and as clean as a whistle. "The 1/2 HP. Drain pump w/rubber impellar to prevent clogging from loose change etc. should offer years of trouble free operation." So far--so good. All in all this machine holds up well against the hype. It has delivered good reliable service over the past eight months, and looks like it really will continue to do so for years to come.

TECHS AND SPECS

At $350.00-450.00 you certainly can't expect all the bells and whistles of the $700-1,000.00 machines, but you do get a lot for your money with this one. In return for your hard earned cash you will get 3.2 cu. feet of capacity which is pretty darned good for an old-fashioned top loader. You get 6 wash cycles which is also pretty good if you ask me. It's enough to get most jobs done. You also get an extra rinse cycle which is good for the sensitive skinned folks such as me who can live w/out all the excess surfuctants in their clothing. There's also the standard issue Bleach and Fabric Softener Dispensers, as well as a lint filter. In addition you get a stainless steel tub which is really quite nice. Anyone else out there get one of those well worn wash tubs that left rust spots in all your clothes before you figured out what went wrong?

Some of the things you might find missing as compared to one of the old school mega-washers. There is no extra spin cycle, permanent press cycle, wool cycle, pre-wash cycle, soak cycle, or cotton cycle. There is, however, a handwash cycle which has worked well for our delicates. I've found that I don't miss the old perma-pressed cycle as long as I wash things in warm water. The temperature adjustment on this thing is very dynamic. You can get very cold to fairly hot water simply by dialing it in. At 44" High X 26 7/8" Wide X 25 1/2" deep she is a fairly convenient size for the load she carries. She is also Energy Star Compliant, and comes w/a full one year's warranty on both parts and labor.


Overall we've been happy with our purchase. We didn't get blown out of the water with a heavy up front fee, and we have a washer that is more than capable of handling everything we can throw at it. I wish she had a pre-wash cycle, but I just tend to pre-treat a little more. Fortunately, years of laundry experience has taught me how to adjust the temperature manually, and the manual adjustment on this one is quite good, and very self-explanatory.