I purchased an LG in May when we moved back to the States and moved into our new house. I opted for the largest size, but one step down from the top (I think the model with the steam function is just an advertising gimmick.).

I also purchased the bases, not because I think they're really saving my back any, but because I'm always worried about resale value in case we move again and people seem to want to have the bases. The base drawers aren't big enough to store large sizes of detergent or bleach, and I'm not sure what other people use the drawers for, but I finally found a use for mine: I store my beach/pool towels in them which are bulky and now located near the back door!

I cannot begin to explain how quiet this machine is! For this reason alone, it gets my vote!

As far as stinky problems around the door/seal, the solution is simple, only you can decide if you can live with it: when not in use, leave the door open. Excess moisture evaporates and odors have not been a problem with mine. One time DH closed the door before we went on vacation and it was musty smelling when we got back. I just ran a load of whites through with bleach and hot water and everything was fine.

Some people complain about the HE detergents you have to buy. I will say, I like my clothes to smell like detergent when I'm done washing and the Tide detergent never left my clothes smelling "clean." They didn't smell dirty/stale, there just wasn't any smell (some people may like that). I've switched to an environmentally friendly, lavender scented HE detergent I buy at Costco and am happy with the fact that I have a slight lavender scent to my laundry and it's cheaper because it's the Costco brand!

I researched the heck out of Consumer Reports, on-line review, etc. I couldn't justify the difference in price for Fisher & Paekel versus the LG when the LG got excellent reviews.

Haven't looked at the model you mention, but depending on what you have, a leaking machine is pretty laborious to repair. A clogged up drain system, is also pretty laborious to repair. The parts being expensive....well....maybe not. The most expensive parts are usually the timers, unless your drum is totaled.

Unless your significant other is mighty handy with a wrench, you probably would be better off with a new one.

I have never found paying for more than a Whirlpool, made much sense. They last for 20 yrs, and cost around $350. You might have to replace the timer, once, at around $75. (That is a simple enough job.)

They may not be the quietest out there, but they are pretty reliable.

I love my ten year old front loader. I use a tablespoon of Charlie's Soap powdered detergent per load, so the detergent cost is no problem. You'll find more discussion than you could imagine on the Laundry Forum - both of front loaders & Charlie's Soap.

We do have the washer & dryer raised up, though on a platform, not a shelf. DH built in some storage bins underneath.

Kenmore front loader with HE Tide no pedestals and a cheap dryer. PJ

Thanks for all the good advice. I didn't know garden web had a forum on washing machines, so I will definitely take a look there about information on Charlie's Soap.

We ended up going to a locally owned appliance store that has a "scratch and dent" store attached where they sell overstocks, last year's models, etc. We found a Fisher Paykel top loading washing machine for a good deal. We're getting it delivered this afternoon. Yeah! We're going to have clean clothes again! I realized while looking around there that we couldn't get a front loader anyway because the double doors that go into the laundry room would be in the way if we tried to leave the washing machine door open. So, we had to get a top loader. I also talked to some ladies where I workout and they highly recommended the Fisher Paykel. Someone I know had access to Consumer Reports online and sent me a washing machine ratings page. Fisher Paykel had good to excellent ratings, so we felt good about this purchase. Our city also has a rebate program for high efficiency washing machines and I will get $75 back on my utility bill once I get the paperwork turned in. That covers the extra cost of delivery and hauling away the old machine plus a little bit extra.

Anyway, thanks again for your advice.

Kewl! PJ

I just wanted to say that I LOVE my new washing machine! It spins so much water out of the clothes, they don't take hardly any time to dry, so the dryer is run for less time, thus saving electricity! Woo-hoo! Not only that, my clothes come out cleaner than they ever did in the old washing machine.

Great! I'll keep that in mind. I've realized that my machine is more like 18 years old. I've no idea what its life expectancy is, but I imagine it's less than mine.

We bought a new washer machine in May, and I wanted to use it for a few months before I posted to this forum. It's a Fisher Paykel top loader (the "middle" brand) and I LOVE it!! It works really well, and I love that it spins my clothes so fast they are almost dry when I take them out of the washer. Our laundry room is designed so that a front loader could not fit in it (the door to the room would be in the way of loading it), so that was not an option. I'm not sure I would have bought a front loader anyway. I can't see paying upwards of $1000 for a washer (plus, I'm not in to stooping to load the washer).
We got the Fisher Paykel for $550 and I feel that it's every bit as good as any front loader out there. One particular feature I like is the "time saver" wash. Seems to get things just as clean, only quicker. I will tell you, this is NOT a quiet machine when it's in the spin/rinse cycle. Sometimes, it spins so fast that it sounds like a jet taking off! It doesn't vibrate, just hums loudly. But the "loud" period of time is thankfully short. When it's not spinning, it's so quiet I can't even tell it's on, unless I in there with it. Overall, I think we made a great choice.

Fisher Paykel T/L have had for over a year no problems other than sometimes if too much detergent is used remnants will sit in bottom under tub and then smell, but do a wash of just h/w and bleach and is solved....love this machine...purchased for a second floor laundry after questioning many members on this site....if you are planning on placing on 2nd floor highly recommend a pan that washer sits in as well as a water shut off if it starts to leak....great machine F/P I am very happy with it.

Thanks all for that information. I have been enjoying my new washing machine! It does sound like a jet plane taking off when it spins, but I just close the doors to the laundry room and it isn't as noticeable. Our laundry room is on our first floor, but if it was on the second (and I wish we had it built that way since I'm hauling clean clothes upstairs almost everyday), I would have certainly had the builder install facilities in case of emergency overflow.

My Fisher Paykel dryer died this week. It will not heat up. It goes through the cycle but does not dry. I check the vent and it is clean. Any suggestions?

Yes, check the heating elements. We had a GE in Alaska that was easily fixed by inserting new heating elements. (Of course I say easily fixed: by my dad and husband.) All I remember is that they had to hold the switch on the door manually, turn out the light, turn the dryer on (holding the switch so it would run with the door open) and confirmed that the elements were not turning red/heating.

A quick trip to the parts store, and we were back in business.

Did a search for Fisher Paykel washers and noticed that you had purchased one about 4-5 months ago? Since I am needing a new washer-I just wondered if you are still happy with yours after using it for a while. Thanks.

I'm still loving our washing machine.

Love it but got transferred to NY and our apartment has no room for it =(
Anyone interested let me know.
Regards!

I have a Fisher and Paykel IWL 16 and of course right after the warranty is up is when it breaks down.
It was great for the first year and a half but one time the drum started shaking so bad it fell of the the mounting rods that suspend it. I had to go hook it all back up again (which was real easy) but it has not been the same since that day. It was supposed to stop on an unbalanced load and didnt! Now the water pump is leaking and nothing is working right. I have researched that the controller messes up when other things like the punp leaking go wrong! Very hard to find parts! Our local appliance parts store who have been around forever doesnt even sell their parts!!! I have to go 40 minutes away to get the cheapest part, and in this economy I have to do the work my self to try and save some cash. Not really happy with the whole experience of this "TOP OF THE LINE" washer. I paid over 1200.00 for the set and have had washers last as long as 6 years or longer before breaking down that cost me $250.00
Hopefully the dryer doesnt start doing the same thing?!

I have been following the excellent discussion on this forum about possible selections for washers and dryers. I was all ready to go to Lowe's and buy the Fisher & Paykel washer and dryer, probably the CW2 or DW2 as I like the Best of Both Worlds - Dual Washing Modes option. I do want a HE top loader.

However, when I got to Lowe's (St. Petersburg) - they no longer are carrying Fisher & Paykel as they have had so many problems with them! So I came home and phoned the 4 repair shops in our area that are the service centers for F&P, and 3 said they do have a great number of repairs for F&P and that the parts are expensive. I was so disappointed.

Repairs are mentioned frequently for F&P on this forum, but for those who purchased in the last 2 years - any problems? Has F&P improved themselves of late?

Also, would I be better with a Whirlpool or Kenmore that has copied the F&P "no agitator" technology?

Thanks very much for taking the time to reply.

I have been using Whirlpool appliances for many years, and have had very limited service needs, with most of the needs being main controller switches, which I just order and replace myself.

Now that I'm getting older, and less interested in doing that, I call in a service man for some things, if needed. After so many years, you will also need to replace the heating element in the dryer. The newer ones are a little harder to get to, for this old body, so I quit doing that myself.

Overall, I have owned a grand total of 2 washers, and 2 dryers, since 1972. The only thing done to the washers, was the controller replacements, but of course, eventually the machines get so old, that you really need to replace them anyway. I am still using the 2nd set. Recently had to replace the controller and the heating element in the 2nd dryer.

We also have had 2 dishwahers, one was Whirlpool for Sears Kenmore, and that was still in good working order when we changed houses. We were about to replace the new house GE piece of garbage, with a Whirlpool, but Lowes had a deal on a stainless interior KitchenAid, for not much more total, including installation, so we went with that.....only because of the stainless interior......and because Whirlpool now owns KitchenAid.

One thing I can share about appliances, is that some of those being made today, have way more features than you need, and the more features you get, the more there will be to need repairs.

Get a good reliable brand, like Whirlpool (or another of their several brands), and only as complicated a model as you really need, and you will minimize your future problems.

I am not a fan of GE appliances, or Frigidaire (GM).

Investigate who actually owns who......you might be surprised. Most of the brands on products today, do not reveal the company who actually makes the product. That is especially true Of Sears, who uses different manufacturers for Kenmore branded products, and hot water heaters, where only a couple of companies make almost every brand. (Whirlpool does not actually make their own hot water heaters. They just put their label on it.)

Air conditioners, by the way, are the same. Not as many companies, as there are brands. Several brands are made by the exact same maker. That might be important to know, in TX. Most important to know there, if you have to replace your unit, is that the best ones are the higher priced ones. (Unfortunately.) The best warranty is Goodman, which makes several brands, besides their own.

The first year and a half I LOVED my fisher & paykel Wl26cw1 then it started clicking and wouldn't start. I called up and it was the touch pad brain. Had to replace it under 2 years old. Now it is only 10 months later and it is going AGAIN! Now it is not under warrenty. Looked up how much the control is and it is $342 without labor!! Sent an e-mail to the company a week ago and havent heard anything. Will not buy from this company EVER again. Next time I look at reviews, I will disregard the ones that just got the product and look at how long they actually owned it! Live and Learn. I know this post is old but hopefully if someone is looking to purchase F&P I can swing them to another machine and save them a lot of $.

Purchased a GE last June. It only uses a small amount of water, but the GE Washer WHRE5550KWW does a very poor job of cleaning clothes, because for a good part of the wash cycle a lot of the clothes don't even get wet. The online videos are NOT accurate. They show about one-third as many clothes in the washer as GE claims it should handle. â¨â¨They claim the GE WHRE5550KWW washer is 4.1 cu. ft. colossal capacity, but if I put more than one set of sheets in a load they don't get clean let alone get wet. It doesn't clean the clothes. It does an okay job if you use the super capacity setting and then put in a very, very small wash load, and even that doesn't clean very well. â¨â¨The rinse cycle doesn't get all the soap and fabric softener out, unless you use the 2-rinse cycle setting. They tell you in the owner's manual after you buy it that, if you use the double rinse setting, its not considered energy efficient. But its certainly NOT energy efficient to only be able to put one-third as many clothes in it and then have to run it 3 times as often, because you'll use 3 times as much water and 3 times as much electricity when you do. Tried to get some help from Associated Appliances where I purchased it, but they won't even return phone calls. â¨â¨I managed to get channel 12 involved and Wendy from GE sent an appliance service to install a new infusor with holes in it (?). Wendy told me to call back in 5 to 7 days, which I was unable to do because of illness. When I called, Wendy was quick to let me know it was 18 days! I explained that the new agitator had not made any difference in the poor performance of this machine. She told me GE will NOT take it back, nor refund me. They would replace it with a lesser model or I could pay another $550 to upgrade. I believe they realize it is a lemon, but don't want to compensate their customers. But it's the flawed design that's the real problem! â¨â¨This washer just DOES NOT clean clothes well. I would discourage anyone from buying a GE model WHRE5550KWW washer. In fact I will never buy another GE product.

I have an almost 4 yr old F&P Washer & dryer set. (L26CW1). We got it @ Lowes & the salesman was stuck on it. The pair was between $1000 & $1500. I am not happy with either piece. We have had to have the dryer repaired & it was very costly & took a long time. My Consumer Report rated them very low. There are lots of little things I don't like. Would never buy anything in this brand again.

I had a message from jennykD211984 asking if I still like my F&P washing machine and yes I do. It still works like it did the day we hooked it up. It gets the clothes clean. I especially like how I can program it so it knows there is fabric softener or not and when it spins, it gets so much water wrung out of the clothes that it takes a lot less time drying them. There are settings for specific stains and also for a traditional washload - for comforters. It senses the amount of clothes in the washing machine so only uses enough water for what is in there.

We bought an LG front-loading washer and an LG dryer seven years ago. Both have had major repairs already. The front-loading washer dripped water from the door just about from the first day, but no repairman could fix it. We recently replaced the washer with a Whirlpool (so far so good) when its drum mount broke and the main bearings went out.

If you can believe it, the drum broke in the dryer, too. I'd never even heard of that happening: it cracked right through. We run completely ordinary washer loads, no bowling balls. I will not buy LG again. These two appliances were the first washer and dryer I'd ever had to call a repairman for, but we've had nothing but trouble with them.

I did the diagnostic on my washer and I got the number 37, Any suggestions?

Too bad I didn't read all this before getting my stacked Frigidaire Washer-Dryer combo. The washer is a top loader that has started to shred clothing. This happens in all settings, but a bit less so when using the delicate (gentle) cycle.

Can anyone here tell me what might be wrong with the machine? What specific repairs are needed? It's as if the clothes are geting caught between the bottom of the tub and the agitator vanes, but I have not seen any pieces of fabric stuck there.

I have looked into the tub during the wash cycle numerous times and seen nothing peculiar. However, when I take the clothing out after the machine shuts off, there are holes in the clothing about 20% of the time. Most of the holes are under an inch across, but recently it put a foot-long rip in a bedsheet.

Does anyone have any helpful ideas?

Our Fisher Paykel GWL11-us makes it through the wash cycle ok. When it goes to the rinse cycle it spins to medium speed, when it should go to fast speed it stops, runs water as if it is out of balance. Spins again stops, runs water and keeps on going like that. If you stop the machine and go to spin cycle it runs fine. Changed the board and with no changes. Ran a test of diverter valve, lid lock. water valves and the out of balance switch everything was fine. Please help

Hmmm...I have absolutely no issues with my Fisher Paykel washer. If I am washing a comforter or sheets, it sometimes gets out of balance, so I open the lid to redistribute the wash load, turn it back on and it runs fine for the rest of the cycle. I suppose if you are having problems with it, call a repair person to get it fixed.