Glad I purchased this washer-Comparison to Miele
Written: Oct 27 '02 (Updated Apr 23 '03)
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Pros: Easy to use; flexible; good cleaning; high energy rating; low water usage; 1000 rpm spin
Cons: Can't stack; still has agitator; water usage not as low as front-loaders; no sanitizing
The Bottom Line: A wonderful value in washers. For 6 months, I've been able to compare it with the Miele...I have no regrets about purchasing my Fisher & Paykel
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| berniss's Full Review: Frigidaire GWL10 Washing Machine |
Latest update (4/22/03): I was moved to a temporary apartment in Switzerland and a Miele washer/dryer came with the apartment. Now that I've lived with and used both, I can compare the two. They are both fine machines. The benefit of a Miele over the FP is that it cleans whites much better, is stackable, takes up less room, the water usage is superior and that the fabric softener dissolves much better. The benefit of the FP is that the cycles are shorter, it costs $1000 less, and its stainless steel drum is much gentler on my delicates. I find that my stockings get snagged in the Miele drum and find that even with the agitator in the FP, my delicates are treated more gently. If I had children or did lots of whites in hot water, the Miele would be my machine of choice. For everything else, the FP is optimum and is a good value. I have no regrets about purchasing my Fisher & Paykel
Now on to the full review.
I found out my 18 year old Whirlpool was leaking transmission fluid, so I decided to buy a new one and used different internet reviews and eopinions to help me. I was shocked at the cost of the front-loaders (bt 1300 and 2000) vs. the cost of top-loaders (bt 299 and 699). Normally, I always buy the best and just try to get the best price.
After reading the reviews, it appeared that one should go with front-loaders. The Bosch and Miele washers seemed to be able to do no wrong..everyone loved them. The benefits of front loaders were the low energy costs, the low water usage (avg 14 gals), superb cleaning with the use of the water heater, the lack of agitator which is much gentler on the clothes and the ability to stack the washer and dryer.
I was intrigued by Fisher and Paykel as being a favorite on eopinions, so I read about it. It seemed to be a very good machine, but no Miele. I was also disturbed about a very negative review on the system which referred to an appliance store near where I live. I called the store and asked them about their issues with the Fisher and Paykel. The salesman told me to ignore this review..he was familiar with the review..and said this is the machine he recommended to his sister. He agreed the Miele was the best, but said the Fisher and Paykel had many of the same features as front loaders and offered a superior value for the money.
He quoted the price of the largest and top Miele as 1800 plus a 220 converter kit...which brought the cost up to almost 2000 and the cost of the Fisher and Paykel as 699. I asked my husband to read the reviews and he said that even though the Miele seemed better, was it 3 times better?? Since we have a brand new dryer, we couldn't even take advantage of the stacking advantage. And, we usually do cold washes, so the heater benefit didn't really seem to justify the cost.
So, I went with the Fisher and Paykel. What have we found? The machine gets the whites very white and the extra rinse cycles seem to make the clothes seem much softer. The machine has a myriad of options...how fast the spin cycle should be,lower energy costs, different water levels, rinse cycle options, length of cycle, etc. Additionally, it has an energy star rating, low water usage (avg 26 gallons), is easy to use, very quiet, load balancing, automatic water leveling, no belts/ pulleys..from checking with appliance retailers and repair shops, a good reliability rating, and a 2 year labor warranty and a 5 year parts warranty. It has a 3 cu load capacity, so it is considered able to handle a large load. It has a stainless steel drum and a 1000 rpm spin cycle, which gets the clothes very dry. By comparison, the fastest front loader is the Bosch with a 1600 rpm spin cycle and the Miele has a 1200 rpm spin cycle. Interestingly, the top lid is made of plastic and can be removed for cleaning. The machine comes with a video, and some packages of detergent. There are 5 wash cycles (heavy duty, regular, delicate, wool and permanent press, which automatically adjust wash time, agitate time, wash temperature, rinse time and type, spin speed, spin time. You can also program any combination of favorite options. There is a delay function, a self-cleaning lint removal system, a 2-hour soak option, a time saver option, a clothes care safeguard (e.g., won't let you wash woolens in hot water), a spin hold for drip dry, out of balance recovery, and 3 rinse options.
How does it work? It uses a combination of front loader and top loader wash systems. The washer fills the tub, at the selected temperature, with just enough water so that the clothes are 100% saturated. This small amount of sudsy water is circulated though the clothes, up the side of the tub and back onto the clothes with a waterfall effect. The chemical action provided by the small amount of water, combined with the detergent, targets soil and stains at the fiber level, supposedly boosting soil removal and accelerating the wash process. After 3 minutes, the washer fills with just enough cooler water to suspend the soil in solution. Agitation then begins. However, because of its head start, the wash requires less agitation than a conventional top loader. You certainly get a lot for your money and a machine which is a far cry from other top loaders.
Would a front loader have made us happier? I don't know. I do know the Fisher and Paykel does an excellent job for the money. I'm sure a Rolls is a better car than a Camry, but does it offer a better value and do I really need a Rolls? All of the salesmen said that I shouldn't expect a longer lifespan with the Miele or Bosch vs. other machines.
I am more than pleased with my purchase. If I had to worry about sanitizing my laundry, there is an advantage to getting a washer with the sanitizing capability. If I had a space consideration and I was also buying a dryer, it might make sense to buy a front loader. If money were no object, it might be worth buying the Rolls of washers and opting for an agitator free front loader. These are the considerations you must make when selecting your washer. Remember, that with a Bosch, you need to add a 220 line for the heater--an additional cost. It's all trade-offs and what you need for your money. If you need a superlarge capacity washer, the only front loader which afforded enough capacity was the Duet washer (3.7 cub capacity). The Bosch seemed to have a 3 cu load capacity. The Miele was smaller with a very small opening to put your clothes.
Good luck and hope this helps.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 699
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Epinions.com ID:
berniss
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Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 1 member
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