Updated

It was an inauspicious beginning to the New Year. My old reliable washing machine quit in mid rinse cycle, leaving me high and dry (and my clothes soggy wet). The obvious solution, of course, was to call a repair service and have the thing fixed. But given the age of the appliance and the fact that this was not the first time it had needed repair, Himself and I decided it was time to go shopping.

Making the Choice

I had assumed that shopping would begin on the weekend. In my mind, the demands of our workweek and our long commutes seemed to offer little time for browsing before then. Himself had other ideas: like a proper citizen of the Internet age, he did his research online, did field research at a local appliance store during his lunch hour, and left me a voice message at my office proclaiming that unless I had strong feelings to the contrary, he intended to purchase a new Maytag Neptune washer AND dryer within the half hour.

Well, quite naturally, I was taken aback. As the woman of the house, I felt that I should have at least some say in this process. "Hold on," I replied. "At least give me a chance to have a look!" That meant waiting until the weekend, of course. Meanwhile, I was strongly lobbied on behalf of the Maytag Neptune:

~ It was very efficient, he said. It would save on water and electricity. That sounded good to me. No issue there. . . .

~ He liked the front-loading approach. I wasn't so sure: I liked my old top loader. I preferred looking and reaching down into the tub in lieu of stooping in front of my appliance.

~ He liked the stainless steel tub. Frankly, I didn't care whether or not it had a stainless tub, an enameled tub, or some form of plastic. Durable, that would do for me.

~ He liked the fact that it didn't have an agitator. He said it made for a cleaner wash with less damage to the clothes themselves. It was European technology, he added. Hmmmm, no agitator? In retrospect, I think I must have felt a bit like my grandmother when she was told she'd have to give up her trusty ringer washer--a modern Luddite opposing technological innovation.

~ He liked the dispenser wells on top for detergent, bleach, and fabric softener. With the in-tub wells of the past in mind, I imagined a haven for buildup of sticky detergent and fabric softener--not to mention lots of white patches on our clothes from misdispensed chlorine bleach.

With the arrival of the weekend, we were off--jointly checking out the options for replacing our old appliances (emphasis on joint). The machines were indeed handsome. To be honest, however, we really gave an indepth look only to the Neptune. Himself had made up his mind, and in the end, I cared less about persuading him to look elsewhere than I did about reconciling myself to a new way of doing laundry. By the weekend, I wanted reassurance that these new appliances would meet my needs. I pointed out other less costly (but also high-quality) machines, and he pointed me back in the direction of the Neptune. By the time we made our purchase, it was to the point of being an anticlimax.

What Appeals to Me

After living with my new Neptune for 16 months, I must say that so far it passes all the tests of practicality and performance I might care to establish:

~ The front-loading door, which in the end was my principal objection to this particular machine, has a compensation I've already learned to love: since the door to the washer opens left and door to the dryer opens right, laundry can be moved easily and quickly from one appliance to the other. (If your laundry area requires transposing the usual placement, with dryer on the left and washer on the right, the appliance design allows the doors to be detached and reattached on the opposite side. The end result is that, no matter which way you position these appliances, clothes can still be taken from machine and placed in the other with a single smooth action.)

~ The automatic dispenser on the top of the machine permits placing detergent, bleach, and softener in the machine at the beginning of the wash cycle. Each is dispensed at the right time--no monitoring required. Moreover, water flushes through the dispenser area, diluting each compound in its turn. This design element prevents spotting on clothes and keeps the dispenser area clear. Hence, there is no buildup of liquid detergent or fabric softener.

~ Built-in sensors allow the user to forgo deciding between small- and medium-sized loads. The machine determines load size automatically and uses the appropriate amount of water accordingly.

~ The absence of an agitator truly is a blessing. The rotation of the tub provides the cleaning action, not the thrashing of the agitator. It's easy to see that this action causes less wear and tear on clothes. Moreover, large loads are less likely to become tangled and torn.

~ A variety of cycle choices allows the user to select a pre-soak, an extra rinse, a "stain" cycle, a "maximum extract" cycle, and even a timed delay. The wash menu can also be set for heavy, normal, or light soil and it includes a quick wash option. Finally, the fabric type can be set for hand wash, delicate, wrinkle free, or sturdy/cotton. These menu choices allow the user to select the right wash for each load. I can already see a difference in my laundry. The whites are whiter and many of the brights are brighter.

~ The LED touchpad controls are protected under a layer of pliable vinyl, which means there are no knobs to fall off and no traditional pushbuttons to collect spills and dust. At added cost, an LCD touchscreen version of the Neptune is available. (Sorry, for me, the touchscreen was just a bit more than my modern Luddism could handle.)

~ For getting started with my new appliance, Maytag provided a how-to video--much more to my liking than the user's manual that was also provided.

Where the Verdict is Still Out

Since acquiring my new appliances, friends and colleagues have come out of the woodwork to tell me that they too own Maytag Neptune washers (and here I thought I was on the cutting edge). Most are relatively happy with the performance of their machines. Still, some have complained that the gasket connecting the tub with the door panel is a collection point for water and mildew. Indeed, two friends have said that while they otherwise love the design and features of their Neptunes, they would not again make their purchase unless a redesign solved this problem. In my machine, there is a small hole in the gasket that seems to serve as a drain for excess water that might collect there. Time will tell on this issue, but so far, the problem appears to have been resolved.

Then there is the matter of cost. The Neptune sells at roughly twice the cost of Maytag's top-of-the-line agitator washer and roughly three times the cost of washers that would have served as a simple replacement for my old appliance. I've yet to be fully convinced that the new options are worth the higher cost. Still, if it helps the economy . . .

© DAnneC/BawBaw, updated 2004

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 1029 (color)