Is it just me or is “New and Improved”, “Energy Efficient” or whatever else “they’re” saying to sell today’s garbage just not what it’s cracked-up to be?!?!?!

After almost 20 years of faithful service and a few repairs over the last few years, I had to “retire” my washer and dryer and buy new ones.  I’m not rich, so I didn’t buy top-of-the-line, but I didn’t buy the cheapest, either.  I bought middle of the line units and absolutely hated the washer!!!  Two weeks after having the machines delivered, I made arrangements to return them and bought the cheaper ones.  I’m still not totally satisfied, but I think they’re better than the middle of the line… plus, I had no other choice.  They’re all made pretty much the same.

The mid-priced washer did not have an agitator.  I’ve never not had an agitator before, but the salesman told me that within the next five years, this would be our only option.  I looked at them and found one with a super large barrel, large enough for me to wash blankets and comforters at home instead of running out to the Laundromat… which I hate to do.  I thought I made the right decision until they were delivered and I washed my first load.

The highest the water would fill was less than half the height of the barrel.  I found myself having to split my loads into two loads, thus doubling the soap and doubling the electric.  How is this energy efficient???  As far as the water is concerned, I don’t feel like I was using double the water because if the barrel would have filled to the top in the first place, my two loads would have been a full load.  And, forget the blankets and comforters.  There would be no way I’d be able to wash them in such a small amount of water!!!  What good is manufacturing such large barrels if there isn’t enough water to fill them???

Anyway, as the machine was running, there was no way of knowing how long the cycles ran, whether the machine was washing or rinsing, and if I missed the rinse cycle to add my softener, on my old washer I could re-set it for just a rinse cycle and add my softener.  With the new ones, there isn’t that option.  Oh, and I almost forgot, with every load, unless I physically set the machine to actually have a rinse cycle, there wasn’t one.  The soapy wash water would empty and, while the barrel was spinning, clean water would just run for roughly five minutes.  I guess the water being sucked through the spinning clothes was supposed to be how the soap was rinsed out.

That wasn’t the case with my machine, though.  The water would run through the center of the barrel but, because it was on the spin cycle, the clothes were around the edges, thus the clothes didn’t get “rinsed”.  How is the soap supposed to be rinsed out of the clothes if there isn’t a true rinse cycle… and what a waste of water since the so-called rinse water was just running into the center of the machine, not on my clothes at all, but going straight down the drain!!!  I know because I had a glass top and I could see what was going on!!!

So, I went back to the store, made arrangements to have the set picked-up and ordered the cheaper model with the agitator… but not before talking in great length with another salesman about what I didn’t like about the first washer and what I wanted in a different model.  So, what I was told is that Uncle Sam has put restrictions on the height of the water in new washers, thus their “so-called” Hi Efficiency.  I was informed that today’s new machines can only be filled up to 18 inches high!!!  No higher!!!

I’m not totally thrilled with the replacement, but I lucked-out somewhat with the cheaper model.  It has an agitator and fills more than 18″.  Problem is, it only fills to 3/4-full.  It’s more than 18″, but just not enough.  So… I fill an 8-quart pot with water two or three times and pour it into the machine.  Oh… and the hot cycle… when the hot water is supposed to be filling, it’s only hot if the lid is open during the fill.  If I close the lid, it switches to cold!!!  (Another energy saver, I guess.)  I use hot for my whites and towels and to dissolve the Borax^®, so, needless to say, when I’m doing whites, I have to leave the lid open and close it when the water stops filling.  What a waste of my time, too, because I have to wait by the machine so I can close the lid, because if I leave my laundry room, I get into doing something else, and I forget to go back to close it… more wasted time!!!

So, had I known all this before buying the new set, I would have just kept my old set and kept repairing it until I couldn’t repair it anymore.  I could keep going but, I know this is really long.  So, sorry for the length of this post,  but I wanted to say BUYER BEWARE!!!  If you’re looking for a new washer, do your homework and I wish you lots of luck!!!