Front Load Washer FWT449: Better than Network TV
Written: May 02 '02 (Updated May 15 '02)
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Pros: Saves electricity, water, detergent, and money while getting clothes exceptionally clean.
Cons: More expensive, but it will pay for itself over the life of the machine.
The Bottom Line: The FWT449 gently washes clothes super clean, while saving water, energy, and money. It's a workhorse, performing flawlessly through two years of heavy use. Buy one, you will love it.
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| WulfsDen's Full Review: Frigidaire FWT449 Washer |
Two years ago, when I bought the Frigidaire Gallery Front Load Washer FWT449, it was the best washing machine available for the money. Although newer models have since superceded it, it is available in many stores for discount prices and is still a terrific value. It gently washes clothes cleaner than any top loader, while saving water, energy, and money. Its huge capacity easily washes a king-size comforter, but it can also handle a tiny load without special adjustments or wobbling.
Best of all, the high-speed spin sounds like a turbine, and will attract passing males like a power tool. You may even be able to persuade one to wash a load or two. Watching the load tumble, froth, and spin through the clear glass door is both entertaining and relaxing. It is often better than the offerings on Network TV.
Seriously though, the FWT449 has proved a workhorse, performing flawlessly through two years of heavy use. Once you use a front loading machine, you will NEVER buy another top loader.
Controls:
Cycle:
Regular: Pre-wash/Heavy Wash/Wash/Rinse & Spin/Final Spin
Perm Press: Wash/Rinse & Spin/Final Spin
Knits and Delicates: Wash/Final Spin
Extra Rinse (Regular and Perm Press): Yes or No
Cycle Signal: Off. Quiet to Loud.
Wash/Rinse Temperature: Hot-Cold, Warm-Cold, Cold-Cold, Warm-Warm
Features:
Automatic Dispenser: Detergent, Bleach, and Fabric Softener.
Automatic Water Level Fill
Automatic Door Lock with Door Lock Light.
Dimensions: H.36" x W.26.76" x D.27.12
2.7 cubic foot capacity stainless steel drum
Stackable with matching dryer.
Typical cycle: About 50 minutes.
Basics:
Front loading washing machines have a horizontal drum, which rotates back and forward tumbling the clothes through the water. This is a very gentle action compared to the agitator in a top loader, giving much less wear and tear on the clothes and producing less lint. It is also a very efficient washing action, using less energy but getting clothes far cleaner than a similar sized top loading machine. It also uses about one third of the water required by a top loading machine, and thus requires less detergent, bleach and fabric softener too.
The drum may look small when you see one in the store, but that is an optical illusion caused by overhead lighting. Because there is no agitator, it is easier to load and unload a front loader, and you can wash very large items like a king-size comforter. The water level automatically adjusts to fit the load, and small loads and even single items are no problem. The spin cycle self-balances the load, and never knocks or wobbles the way a top loader can, not even when you wash a pair of jeans.
This machine is extremely quiet during the wash cycle.
It has a particularly fast 1000-rpm spin cycle with a distinctive jet-turbine sound. This gets clothes exceptionally dry. This reduces both dryer time, and/or line time for delicates. Since the fast spin cycle gets more water out your clothes, it removes more of the residual detergent too. This is a boon for those with delicate skin, or allergies.
(In fact, some front loader manufacturers recommend that you use NO DETERGENT the first time you use their machines. The residual detergent left by a top loading machine is more than enough to wash the load.)
Energy Saving:
The FW449 uses a lot less energy than a similar sized top loading machine. It uses much less hot water and, because it cleans so well, you need to use hot water less frequently. In addition, the clothes come out of its high-speed spinner amazingly dry, reducing time in the tumble dryer and saving even more energy.
The Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) in Boston estimates that, compared with standard clothes washers on the market, an average family will save up to 580 kWh and about 5,000 gallons of water per year. Larger families or those that do more laundry than average can save a lot more.
Planet Saving:
Since it uses less water, you require much less detergent, less fabric softener and less bleach to get your wash clean. The gentle washing action produces less lint making it septic system friendly. Less pollution has to be a good thing, right?
Money Saving:
Energy, water, and washing supply savings mean money savings too. You also spend less money heating water, and less money running your drier. These savings add up over the life of the machine. Your clothes last longer because of the gentle, deep cleaning action. Although the up front cost for a FW449 may be a little higher than a similar sized top loader, you will end up saving money. In the long term, you will probably save enough to pay for the machine.
Detergent:
The owners guide recommends that you use about half the detergent that you would use in a top loader, but experience shows that for most loads, this is too much. I usually use about one third of the "normal" amount. The clear front window allows you to see the wash, and you can easily judge the correct dose from the amount of suds produced.
Don't waste your money on special front-loader detergent. Your normal stuff works perfectly well. We use the planet-friendly Ecover ( http://www.ecover.com/ ) detergent, bleach, and fabric softener with excellent results.
Cleaning:
The stainless steel drum does not build up a soap ring the way a top-loading machine does. All you need to do is give the drum and rubber seal a wipe with a kitchen towel now and again, and clean out the dispenser drawer periodically.
Spillage:
Some folks worry about opening the door and having water spill all over the floor. Worry not. The water level in the drum is never high enough to spill, even if you open the door mid-cycle. It is not recommended, but in an emergency you can open the door and add or remove stuff without any problems.
Mildew:
Some folks may have heard that there is a problem with mildew. This doesn't happen when you use the machine regularly but, when you don't use it for long periods, mildew can build up around the rubber door seal. The resolution to this is easy, simply don't close the door. Leaving the door ajar when the machine is not in use allows the drum and seal to dry, and prevents mildew.
Warning: the User Guide advises against leaving the door open because it could be dangerous to small children.
Loud Alarm:
Some folks have complained about the cycle alarm being suitable for a meltdown warning on a nuclear reactor. On the model I have, this alarm can be switched OFF. You can also adjust it from a gentle reminder, to a volume that you can hear from several miles away during a hurricane.
Comparable Machines:
At the time I bought my machine, the only comparable one was the Maytag Neptune. The Maytag was not getting good reliability ratings, was slightly less energy efficient, and it cost over 50 percent more than the Frigidaire -- about $300. Although Kenmore also had a front loader, it was just the Frigidaire in disguise, and it cost more. For me this decision was a no-brainer.
Current Frigidaire models have a slightly larger drum (3.1 Cubic Feet) and meet the new Energy Star (http://www.energystar.gov/products/clotheswashers/ ) requirements. The GLTF1040A and GLTF1240A are very similar to this model.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 500
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