On Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:06:23 -0600, Jules
wrote:

On Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:30:20 -0600, Jules wrote:
It'd be interesting to get a few more actual facts behind the story,
anyway.

On the back of that, the whole article seems to be he

http://www.komonews.com/news/consumer/68408867.html

... there's a little bit more beyond what the OP quoted.

Most of that Consumer Reports place mentioned is a pay site, but I did
spot some useful info on the forums (which are freely accessible):

http://forums.consumerreports.org/n/...washers&tid=12

(watch for URL wrapping across lines)

I've never heard of the leaving the door open thing before, but there does
look to be lots of other relevant advice there - and it all starts to
"smell" like a user problem :-) (and down to unfamiliarity with the
tech rather than inherent problems with the machines themselves).

I've no vested interest in top-loaders - IME they do cost less to run,
run quieter and are kinder to clothes than top-loaders, but they also
can't be opened mid-cycle, spares cost more, and failures of door seals
can get messy :-) (power cuts are a PITA too because clothes have to just
sit there until the power comes back on). Apples and oranges...

Front-loaders also seem to be *extremely* over-priced in the US (30%
or more) from what I've seen, so I suspect folk are being screwed by the
manufacturers right now and will be for a few years to come until they
lower prices in line with overseas markets.

cheers

Jules

My vote is for the Fisher & Paykel top loader. It has all the
advantages of the front loader without the price. It uses half the
normal amount of soap, and doesn't require "special" soap like many
front loaders. It uses a lot less water than a normal top loader, and
has the super fast spin cycle like a front loader so the clothes are
almost dry when you take them out. That saves even more money, because
the dryer doesn't have to run nearly as long to dry them. All of the
functions except draining are accomplished by one computer controlled
direct drive motor that needs no gears, belts or transmissions.

My Fisher & Paykel finally needed repair after about 10 years of daily
use. The separate pump for the drain function developed a slight leak
that soaked and corroded its motor. Got a new motor at the appliance
store for $79. You don't even need any tools to replace it. Tip the
washer on it's front, twist and pull the old pump out. Just push in
and twist to install the new pump. 10 minutes, if that, and I was back
in business.