Equator leads the way with great machine!
Written: Apr 06 '02
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Pros: Washes effectively, quiet operation, compact size, highly efficient in water & energy use
Cons: Front loaders don't allow you to add items once wash cycle has begun
The Bottom Line: I recommend the Equator. It does a superior job, saves space, and when compared with typical American style machines, saves water and energy.
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| stevekoehler's Full Review: Equator EZ 3600 CEE Front Load All-in-One Washer /... |
After using the same top-loading Maytag washer for 17 years, I'm very pleased with the Equator. Having only had the unit for 2 months now, I will reserve judgement on the maintenance aspect--so far no complaints. Our Maytag machine was still running fine after 17 years when we sold it. We live in a small home in a rural area. We purchased the Equator because after 17 years of strictly line drying our clothes, my partner wanted a dryer. In our case, acquiring a dryer would necessitate a new electrical service panel for an additional 220 amp circuit, as well as remodeling to acquire additional space. The Equator allowed us to have wash and dry functions in one compact unit running on an existing 110 amp circuit..
In addition to the added dryer feature I was pleasantly surprised to find that the equator outperforms our trusty old Maytag in the following ways:
* The machine is quieter! I suspect other reviewers of this unit who found it noisy never lived with other washers and/or installed their machines on an unlevel or unstable floor.
* It gets the clothes cleaner! We generally just wash clothes in cold water. The tumbling action of the Equator seems to do a better job than the agitator of the top loading Maytag.
* It removes lint! Some of my partner's dark clothes would become unwearable after line drying following washing in the Maytag due to lint accumulation. Occasionally she used to make trips into town to place her clotes in a laundromat dryer to remove lint. This is no longer an issue. We still line dry the majority of our wash loads, but the Equator's action doesn't result in our clothes becoming lint magnets.
* The washer's spin cycle does a better job of drying the clothes! The 1000 rpm final spin cycle (you have the option of setting it to a lower speed) leaves the clothes much dryer after completing the wash cycle than our Maytag did. Now we can still line dry our clothes--only they dry much more quickly since they aren't very wet when they come out of the spin cycle.
To be fair, I can not comment on the durability of this machine, having only used it for two months. It appears to be well constructed with quality materials. Though I appreciate an earlier reviewer's comments about Fiats, in this case I'd like to give the Italians a chance before passing judgement!
We are a household of three--my spouse, myself and our 18 year old son. The smaller capacity (about 2/3 of a standard top-loader) is not an issue. As soon as we generate enough laundry for a load, we run the machine. Sometimes this is daily. Formerly we had to wait longer between loads. Something that took getting used to was the fact that you can not add items to the machine once the wash cycle has started. Obviously you can not open the door when water is flowing into the machine. Formerly with the Maytag, at times I would start the fill cycle, and then collect laundry while the machine was filling. Now I have to gather up all the clothes before I start a load. The wash cycle seems to take a little longer to complete than the Maytag.
The fact the machine uses less water is significant, as we can expect water resources to surpass oil resources in importance in coming years. Green types can also be impressed with the comparatively overall less energy use of the unit .
Finally the smaller size of the machine gives us a little more room in our small home. Also being a front-loader, we can place things on top of the machine.
If the machine holds up (and I have no real reason at present to think it won't) I'll say Equator has produced a winner. Right now I'm very happy with the washer/dryer. I consider it one of the best purchases we've ever made.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 990
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Epinions.com ID:
stevekoehler
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Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
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