Pam writes:
Hi Brad,
While I knew the day was coming, our conventional washer crapped out on Sunday. After searching the internet for hours that night I was relieved to find some straight forward, easy to read, and informative opinions on washers. Thank you as well for the links to other review sites.
I was strongly leaning towards the LG WM0642HM until I couldn't find it on any Canadian store websites. Nor could I find the Maytag Neptune (unless the panic is setting in and I just can't find them). I'm afraid the immediate need to replace our washer is going to lead to a bad buy (this will probably be bought tonight, if not now we won't have time to look until next week).
I don't want anything fancy, just something that gets clothes clean, is reliable and can handle the large amount of laundry (3 boys and a small massage business worth of sheets).
Your opinion would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Pam
My response:
Hi Pam! Thank you for visiting and taking the time to write.
I don't know exactly how different the appliances offerings are in your neck of the woods. I took a look at Canadian Appliance Source, and they do have the LG 0642 on the website. They also have the Maytag Epic listed at $999, which is a heckuva buy for you considering it's going for the same price down here. So those are available in Canada; it's just a question of where to find them in relation to your area.
The site also lists the Amana washer that I have been bragging up. This model is a tremendous bang for the buck.
If you are set on a frontload washer, then I would not hesitate to recommend a washer built by Samsung or LG. Both brands are very popular and offer a lot of performance for the dollar. There is also the fact that LG and Samsung washers feature a direct drive motor. It is simply a simpler design, and less prone to failure.
Despite the amount of Whirlpool bashing I exercise on my blog, I do like their frontload washers (although the Duet Sport is a bit iffy). The Maytag I have linked above (made by Whirlpool) offers a pretty good bang for the buck. Good capacity, good spin speed, and an internal water heater!
I tend to advise people to stay away from most high-efficiency top load washers (such as the Oasis/Cabrio/Bravos washers) and some models made by Frigidaire. But I think if you can hunt down the LG or the Maytag, you will definitely get what you need.
Please let me know if you have any more questions.
Brad
A couple weeks ago, I wrote a post about how Amana offers a frontload washer and dryer that is a tremendous value. If you look around online, you will find sellers offering the washer for anywhere from $600 to $800. Myself, I would pay $800 for this washer. Like I said in the other post, it sucks that the washer does not have an internal water heater, but this washer offers a lot of bang for the buck.
So yeah, I would not hesitate to drop $800 for this washer. Some sellers are offering it for $600, and that is a tremendous bargain.
What Home Depot is doing with this washer, though, defies belief. I do not know how long this special is going on, but Home Depot is offering the washer and electric dryer for $449.10 each. (The website refers to this price as an Internet special, so I am not sure if it is available in stores). That means for $900, you can get an Amana frontload washer and electric dryer (made by Samsung). That is an exceptional deal. You can spend that much on a middle of the line top load washer set!
Like I said, I have no idea how long this is going on, but you can head on over to Home Depot to check out this deal.
Now, I'm a major proponent of buying locally and buying from the little guys, but I guess we all have our price, right? Take my word for it: this is a fantastic offer.
Update: Okay, party's over. Dammit, and I didn't even get this washer for myself! The price is now listed as $538.20 each on the Home Depot website. Hey, it's still a great price on a frontload washer set. Not as good as it was, but still a very good buy.
I've long been an advocate for Fisher & Paykel washers. Numerous times I have stated that the only top load washers I would recommend anyone buy be Speed Queen and Fisher & Paykel. Unfortunately, I am going to have to stop making that recommendation.
The problems with the latest line of AquaSmart washers is many, mostly centered around the fact that they consistently blow control boards. Given the fact that modern appliances are heavily computerized, a blown board renders an appliance as useful as a paper weight.
Home Expo, the high-end division of Home Depot, has shuttered their doors. Expo served as one major arm of Fisher & Paykel retail distribution. The company is also being shut out of Lowes. While firm numbers are not available, I would imagine Lowes alone counted for a very large percentage of Fisher & Paykel's North American sales.
The Clyde, Ohio, washer factory is to be closed in July and production sent across the river to Mexico.
The company's balance sheet is weighted down with around half a billion dollars in debt. This is an increase from $16 million just five years ago.
An interesting interview with F&P chairman Gary Paykel can be found here. The interview raises an interesting spectre: the possibility of a large competitor swooping in to take over the company. Imagine F&P coming under control of the ChiComms in the form of Haier.
Maybe all of the above is just circumstantial, and not really enough to stop recommending their products. However, their AquaSmart washers have problems (as do the Oasis/Cabrio/Bravos washer, with technology licensed from F&P; coincidence?). The top load dryers have a persistent bearing problem. And the company has reduced their very good 2-year warranty to one year, putting them on par with Whirlpool, Frigidaire, and all the rest of the appliances on the market.
I do like to gamble. But $800 is a lot of money to me, far too much for gambling. So I would stay away from Fisher & Paykel for the time being. And I sincerely hope they get their house in order.
Have you ever put on a t-shirt or other garment and notice that the item kinda reeks? Have you ever done a load of wash only to pull the clothes out of the dryer to find a stain did not come out of your favorite pants? Do your clothes feel stiff and scratchy, and can you see a mass of suds in the drum even during the final rinse?
If you answered "yes" to any of the questions above, then your laundry detergent sucks.
I have used Charlie's Soap in the past, and I was very satisfied not only with how it cleaned, but also how my clothes felt afterward. I do not use fabric softener for the simple fact that 1) it's disgusting, and 2) it gunks up washing machines. When I used Charlie's Soap, my clothes came out noticeable softer. Not quite as as soft as if I had used fabric softener, but pretty close.
There was also another noticeable difference: my clothes smelled clean. My clothes didn't smell like I had been frolicking in a field of lilacs.
One bag of Charlie's Soap will clean about 80 loads. The most you will need to use on a large load is one tablespoon. Compare that to some of the brands you get at Wal-Mart. Why the difference? Charlie's Soap is just that: soap. No fillers, do perfumes, no crap.
You can find more information about Charlie's Soap by going straight to the source.
There are a slew of comments at the GardenWeb Laundry Forum about Charlie's Soap.
Or if you just want to take my word for it, click below and order some for yourself.
