Works well
Written: Mar 02 '04 (Updated Mar 03 '04)
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Pros: Great cleaning, quiet, energy efficient, large capacity
Cons: Expensive, HE detergent is recommended which is also pricey and not available in large sizes
The Bottom Line: Above Average rating given because of expensive price. Does a good job cleaning though.
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| ehandi's Full Review: Kenmore 44832 \ 44834 \ 44836 Front Load Washer |
Instead of trying to fix our 12 year old Kenmore washer, we decided to get a new washer. After doing some quick preliminary research on the internet on washers, we decided to look at the front loading types. The advantages were the energy savings (1/4 to 1/3 of a top-loading washer), water savings and that they were gentler on clothes. This was important since we're expecting our first child soon and realized that we'll be doing more laundry, especially since we've decided to go the cloth diaper route.
The first store we went to made a pretty good sales pitch for the Maytag Neptune but we resisted the temptation at the time so that we could do more research. We're glad that we did because we've read that a lot of people are having problems with the Neptune. In fact, we came across a class action lawsuit against Maytag recently because of the many problems that people are having with them. Enter the Whirlpool Duet and Kenmore HE3. Whirlpool actually makes the front loading washers for Kenmore. The differences between the Whirlpool Duet and our Kenmore HE3 was that the Kenmore has a warm/warm wash/rinse cycle and also has an electronic control panel instead of a dial. The HE3 also has a sleeker look to it instead of the toy-like appearance of the Duet. Mind you the regular price of the HE3 is slightly more than the Duet so you are paying for the extra features. What sold us on the HE3 was that it was on sale which put it in line with the Duet and the Kenmore warranty was better.
Setting up the washer is easy. We also bought the stands to raise the height of the washer. This makes loading and unloading VERY easy. It also adds to the overall size of the washer so it's not good if you've got a tight space. Also, the stands can't really accommodate a bottle of detergent. You can throw in some small boxes of dryer sheets, etc but don't expect them to hold much else. We actually bought the stands at a Sear clearance warehouse for practically half the regular price. It was the wrong colour and had some scratches but it worked just fine. I ended up buying a couple cans of white spray paint and painted them white. They look great now.
So how well does it work? First off, you can fit a lot of stuff in there. And the opening is pretty large so that removing the laundry is easy. We're still trying to figure out the detergent. The manufacturer recommends using High Efficiency (HE) detergent which don't suds up as much. Problem is that this detergent isn't available in large container sizes and therefore you pay more per load. However, we've been told that you don't need to follow the detergent's recommended amount to use. In fact, we were told to cut it in half and you'll get the same cleaning results. We're still trying to figure out how much detergent is too little and how much is too much. You can also use regular detergents but you use only half the recommended amount so that you don't get as many suds.
We've done several loads of laundry including bedding, towels and all of our baby clothes and linens. We were both impressed on how clean everything came out. We swear that the whites are whiter compared to our old washer. The winter coats that were washed were thrown in without any kind of stain remover which we would normally have to do with our old washer. They came out nice and clean. (BTW, we're using the HE detergent). Watching the washer through the front, it does appear that the washer is gentler on clothes. There's no agitator for the clothes to get all twisted up in. Also, the machine is very quiet during operation. While it sounds like a turbine when spinning up, it's not at all bothersome. Just ensure that you have the washer level and it shouldn't pose any noise problems. The spin cycle does appear to be able to spin out more water out of the clothes which, in theory, should reduce the time required in the dryer (we're still not so sure about the dryer yet).
So, overall, we're very pleased with our purchase despite the expensive price. If you want to save some money, you don't need to buy the stands and you don't need to buy the matching dryer (a dryer is a dryer, they all do the same thing). You probably won't make up the extra cost of the washer in the energy and water savings, but your clothes will sure come out clean and undamaged.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1000
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Epinions.com ID:
ehandi
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Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 0 members
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