Got a problem with smelly clothes or unexpected streaks on the washed clothes? Perhaps you're overdoing the fabric softener, or you aren't running a cleansing cycle every so often, as recommended by the manufacturer, who notes that you WILL have a smell and streak problem if you don't pay attention to this.

Leaks water? Are you sure you aren't setting it on high when you have only a medium or small load? The manual notes that the splash factor, when the washer has too much water for its load, can lead to puddles. There is, however, an automatic option that lets the machine decide how much water is enough for its load.

I confess I was baffled by the guy who said he got clothing items in the motor. Huh? But maybe that's a symptom of the previous glich -- too much water may leave small items, like little baby socks, too close to the top of the washing chamber on spin, and they just might spin right out the top. Dunno. I'm not a washing machine repairman.

The top-loading dryer is a problem for short people? Well, maybe. But anybody who can get the wet clothes out of the bottom of the top-loading washer is not going to have a problem getting the dry clothes out of the bottom of the top-loading dryer. A non-issue, anyway. There are stepstools for us altitudinally challenged people (5'3" here).

At any rate, I bought the pair. They were on a great sale as floor models, and the savings more than paid for the 5-year service contract that I decided was probably a good idea based on the repair record in the reviews.

I've had the machines for two weeks now. There was a problem right off the bat, when the machine wouldn't progress to the next wash cycle and beeped pitiously and endlessly. Again, I went to the manual. It was installed incorrectly. The drain hose was left too long and the water was siphoning out of the machine between wash cycles. Easy to fix. I yanked the hose out of the drain, snipped off the excess, and the washer was so pleased that it hasn't beeped since.

Noisy? Yeah. They are, both washer and dryer. There are jet whines, and clunks, and funky beats that you could rap to. It definitely sounds European to me. I've lived across the pond, and it seems people there find some appliance noise reassuring -- like it means it's still working. These machines aren't exactly speed demons when it comes to getting the job done, but that also seems quite European to me. And since I leave the appliances to do their jobs while to go do something else, I don't mind how long it takes. It doesn't hold me up.

My only complaint is the bleach thing. You can add bleach before the wash, but you're supposed to carefully pour it down the inside of the agitator where the fins are. And then you have to run an extra cycle to make sure all the bleach is out of the machine. Sounds excessively German to me.
And I love the design -- smooth lids that don't have any crevices to collect grime, easy-to-clean digital control panel. I don't like to spend time cleaning my appliances.


Recommended:
Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 370