The need…
…or should I say “I wonder if the old one will flood the basement or burn the house down first?”
The twenty-two year old Whirlpool washer that served me well for so long had started making a disturbing noise, best described as “GRIND GRIND GRIND GRIND…” Further, my white clothing (dress shirts, underwear) had taken on a distinct yellowish cast. Some of my nearly new t-shirts had holes forming under the arms. Plus, rust was flaking from the bottom of the old clunker. Enough, I said! Clearly, a pre-emptive appliance purchase was in order.
Sorting through the choices
Since my previous experiences with the Whirlpool brand had turned out positive (Estate dryer, Estate dishwasher, Whirlpool range), it had the inside track. (See my reviews for these:
http://www.epinions.com/content_169462894212,
http://www.epinions.com/content_169588199044,
http://www.epinions.com/content_171271818884) I considered Frigidaire models also, but they sounded like a mixed bag judging from some reviews in Epinions.com and that “leading consumer magazine” that never wants to be quoted. Amana and Maytag, both now owned by Whirlpool, had attractive machines in this price range but they’re not as widely distributed in my area of Western New York and they seem a bit less water efficient.
My Estate by Whirlpool dryer and dishwasher have turned out to be solid, reliable values, yet when I compared the rebates on this washer – the Whirlpool WTW5600SQ -- with the similar Estate ETW4300, there was no contest. This time the mainline Whirlpool won the features competition hands down. (A $50 rebate from Whirlpool and a $25 rebate from my local appliance retailer helped level the playing field between those two as well).
Must-have features
Four water levels
As a single guy, I don’t usually wash real large loads. Sometimes I’ll have a lot of bed linens to do, but most of the time I’m doing small quantities of underwear, or a few knit items. For that reason, I made a versatile water level selector a priority. My previous machine’s four-step arrangement -- Extra Small, Small, Medium and Large – worked quite well for me.
The WTW5600SQ’s water level selector has an advantage that I really like: It allows for an infinite level of adjustment rather than three or four fixed settings. Thus, if Small is too small for your load and Medium is too large, you simply aim the pointer between the two settings.
Two speeds
Although I don’t have lots of delicate items, I gather from my extensive reading that a slower-than-normal agitation speed in the delicate or permanent press cycle gives clothes a gentler treatment than a single speed will. What with all the mysterious tearing that had occurred in a lot of my not-very-old garments, I decided to make this a priority also.
Four water temperatures
I keep my water heat set to a low 120 degrees, which means that a warm wash isn’t all that warm. Also, in the winter my household water tends to get really cold – probably too cold for detergents to work properly in a cold or cool cycle.
The WTW5600SQ goes one better here, too: It offers Hot/Warm/Cool/Cold wash selections plus an automatic temperature control that ensures that incoming water is moderated to a predetermined temperature for best performance.
Performance: A “washday miracle”?
So far, that’s how it seems. The WTW5600SQ runs quietly, treats my clothes right and gets them noticeably brighter than the dilapidated machine it replaces. I haven’t washed any really heavy loads such as blankets yet, so I can’t comment on how well it will perform under extreme conditions. A recent load consisting of sweat shirts and heavy bath towels produced no unbalanced tendencies during the spin cycle.
Appearance and impressions
Most major appliances look pretty generic to me. Given the consolidation of manufacturers mentioned earlier, that comes as no surprise. Still, the WTW5600SQ appears a tad nicer in overall finish and construction than some of the other washers I looked at (including Whirlpool’s own Estate and Roper lines). The salesperson I dealt with when buying this machine offered the opinion that regular Whirlpools are constructed with slightly heavier gauge metal cabinetry than the Estate, and that this model’s porcelain-on-steel basket should prove more durable as well. Difficult claims to assess, I’d say, since I’ll never have both machines to compare side by side over ten or twenty years!
Compared to my other Whirlpool (or Estate by Whirlpool) appliances, the WTW5600SQ sports a very legibly labeled control panel. The shape of the knob pointers makes it easy to determine settings at a glance and they all turn to their respective positions with a positive feel.
The noise level of the WTW5600SQ seems inoffensive, although my basement location makes that point sort of irrelevant. I doubt that this machine’s sounds would prove annoying even if it were located in a first or second floor laundry area.
The paperwork
If I have any quibble with this new appliance, it would be with the instructions that accompanied it. I’ve complained about the one-size-fits-all-models manuals that came with my other Whirlpool appliances; unfortunately the WTW5600SQ isn’t much different. First, it forces you to wade through a description of many features that aren’t on your machine. Secondly, the operating instructions lack detail. For example, they tell you that the machine has an Extra Rinse setting, but it doesn’t tell you much about when or why you would use that feature.
By contrast, my previous machine came with a guide that described the cycles in much detail. Better still, it included a laundry guide with many helpful suggestions for the uninitiated (in other words, clueless single guys like me). Those were the days!
The skinny, tri-language booklet does include a good diagram of the control panel, with easy-to-understand descriptions of the washer’s basic operations. If you’re a do-it-yourself person, the installation guide seems quite clear also. Aside from that, the documentation looks very chintzy for a product that otherwise gives an impression of quality.
To sum up: I didn’t get taken to the cleaners
At least I don’t think I did! I got a pretty good price on a mainstream Whirlpool appliance, with a lot more useful features than I had expected to get for the price. It should handle all my laundry needs easily for many years. The only question is: “Will it last?” Unless that answer turns out to be a “no”, I’ll give this washer a clean recommendation.
