Frigidaire : FTF2140FS 27 Front-Load Washer - White Review

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(More customer reviews)When looking to replace my washing machine, I started out looking at the traditional top loaders. The cheap ones were around $300 and more standard quality ones around $400, and I saw some that were another $100 or more beyond that. When the salesman asked me about front load washers, I didn't give it much thought because they tend to be more pricey and out of my range. In fact, the first one he showed me was about $700. When I asked him what the cheaper ones cost, he showed me the Frigidaire FTF2140FS for $550, and seeing as they had $100 off deal, it was only slightly more than the standard top loader. So I took him up on the deal, ultimately paying $475 after tax, and so far I'm very happy with its performance.
I usually have two or three people who rent rooms in my house. The old washer took 40 gallons of water per load. The Frigidaire takes just 15 gallons! So right off the bat I'm going to be saving a lot on my water bill, as well as a few bucks on electricity as this washer takes less of that to operate, too.
The controls are pretty simple to figure out. Ten cycles, four temperature settings, you can set how fast you want the basket to spin, and there's a few extra options, too. Shut the door, hit start, and let it go. Just be sure to remember that you must use HE (High Efficiency) detergent.
The wash is very quiet and the spin dry sucks the water right out of the clothes. I can dry my stuff in half the time!
I did encounter one problem twice. When washing my bed sheets and blankets, I heard a beeping noise. The washer was stopped and I thought it was done, but it turns out my sheets were still soaked. I looked at the manual and apparently if the load in the washer basket becomes uneven, it won't spin (that's why it was beeping). So I just pushed the blankets a few times, shut the door, and on the cycle dial there's an option for Final Spin, which is just that, the final spin dry. So I selected that, hit start, and it worked both times. I haven't had that problem with any other load of laundry before or after that.
This was my first foray into the world of front load washers and so far I'm very pleased with the results! It's quiet, efficient, my clothes are clean and smell fresh, and most important of all to me, it isn't tearing my clothes like my old washer was. And for the price I got it at, it's a great value!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Frigidaire : FTF2140FS 27 Front-Load Washer - White

Frigidaire is the largest manufacturer of front load laundry in the world. So you expect contemporary styling that's beautifully designed to fit your lifestyle. You trust that the iCare Intelligent Fabric Care System gently washes and completely dries to keep your clothes looking their best. With no agitator, you count on tumble action to wash so gently and rinse so completely that your clothes feel fresher and last longer. And, with the added capacity and efficiency of front load, you look forward to spending less time doing laundry and 70% less on energy and water consumption. You expect all this from Frigidaire... and they deliver. Your laundry never looked so good.

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Haier HLP21N 6.6-Pound Pulsator Wash with Stainless Steel Tub Review

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(More customer reviews)I estimate that I have used this washer for 4 loads each week since buying from J&R in early October, 2006. I live in a studio in New York and bought this one because (1) it has a sink adapter, which the front-loading 14.3-lb model didn't seem to include and (2) at 17.5 inches wide/deep, it fit through my bathroom door, which the front-loading 14.3-lb model (at 20.5 inches wide) wouldn't.
Out of the box, you have to install an included metal pan at the bottom. Install it so that it is convex: there's a reason that the legs are so high. One of the problems I had during installation was that one of the screws holding this metal pan to the body comes very close to a clamp holding the gooseneck drain tube as it exits the body. The clamp had fallen out of position, and the end of the screw is close to where the clamp goes. I don't think I was ever in danger of puncturing the drainage tube, but it's something to watch out for.
You need a place to hang the drainage tube, between 31.5 and 40 inches high. The machine cannot fill the tub with water to a height above the maximum height of the drainage path.
On my first two loads, I made a puddle of water on the ground. There were two reasons for this: the first time, the water supply hose was not tightened sufficiently at the machine end, and water dribbled out and behind the machine until I figured out what was going on. With that tightened (I used a wrench), there was no leak. On my second load, I put in too many clothes (more about that later) and there was a water-resistant nylon jacket on top. Just before the very first spin cycle, some water was cupped on that jacket and did not drain out with the wash water. When the tub started to spin, that water came out. I never loaded that many clothes into the washer again, and haven't had any spills since.
During a normal wash cycle, the machine does the following steps three times: fill, agitate, agitate, drain, spin, drain, spin, drain, spin. The second and third iterations are called the "rinse" cycle. Often, the water out of the drain is still bubbly after the second spin. (I use a quarter capful or less of All no-fragrance 3x liquid concentrate.) So, I run another rinse cycle. If the machine detects an unbalance condition during a spin, it will stop, fill the tub with water, and agitate in an attempt to redistribute the clothes before draining and spinning again. I think the machine does this two or three times before giving up and beeping ten times to alert the user of the unbalance condition.
During the agitation process, this machine tends to intertwine long or extended parts of clothing --- shirt sleeves and socks --- into braid-like knots, which often trigger the unbalance condition during the subsequent spin. For example, when I wash four or five long-sleeved shirts together, I always have to untie and separate two or three of the shirts where the sleeves have been twisted together. I think good washing is where the wash water can touch every surface of the clothes, and being tied together prevents this. These problems probably would not happen with a front-loading washing machine.
What is the capacity of this washer? Well, I would say:
2 bath towels; or
2 pairs of jeans or pants; or
2 sweatshirts and 1 pair of sweat pants; or
4 long-sleeved oxford shirts; or
6 small-size undershirts; or
8-12 medium-size boxer underwear.
That's at the "high" water level. You may be able to load more than that, but I think the clothes won't get as clean, and the machine will probably reach more unbalance situations.
I once tried to wash a terrycloth robe. The robe fit in the tub, but the machine always got to an unbalance condition when it tried to spin. I think it's sort of like trying to run a centrifuge with only one tube. Sometimes after the spin cycle I find a sock or a shirt stretched across the middle of the tub, instead of having been thrown centrifugally against the tub walls.
Using my DSC-P71 digital camera in the multi-burst 30 frames-per-second mode and a light and a dark shirt in the washer, I estimate the initial spin at 450 rpm (light shirt passed once every 4 frames) and a final spin at 780 rpm (light shirt passed about 6.5 times in 0.5 seconds - about once every other frame). If I hang the clothes in my studio (not in the bathroom), then they dry in about one day or less, depending on the humidity. It takes much longer if I hang them in the bathroom.
Update (November 2007): This machine is still running. After a year, here are my comments:
After getting tired of the drain tube clamp falling out, I made two small wedges out of a folded-up credit card to hold the clamp in place.
I made a third spill (and this one was a big one): once, the gooseneck drain hose came apart from the U-shaped drain-pipe hook. So, now I check that connection every week or so.
I always run an extra rinse cycle (or two). If I have time, during the spin cycles, I lower the drain tube to allow more sudsy water to drain out. (This is a high-maintenance tactic, though --- it can lead to floods if you're not careful.) Some types of clothes absorb and retain more water (and detergent) than others, and my skin is better after more of the detergent is rinsed out. You can take just-washed clothes from a standard washing machine and re-rinse them here to check how much detergent is left.
Update (April 2008): In the past two months, I have had two more major spills. Both times, it seems that the water-level sensor got stuck and failed to tell the inlet valve to shut off. When this happens, the water overflows the tub and comes out the bottom of the machine. (Usually, you hear a click when the water level is reached, and then the valve shuts off; but in these cases, the first click never occurs.)
Now that I live in an apartment building with a good laundry room, I use this washer mostly for small items: socks, underwear, undershirts.
Update (April 2009): It turned out that the water-level sensor had failed. The sign of impending failure is that the sensor will sometimes fail to close the valve when set to "high", but will always close at "low" and "medium" water levels. Then, "medium" will stop working and the valve will only close when the water level is set to "low". Since the manufacturer's warranty had expired, I had the part replaced under my credit-card-based extended warranty program. Haier suggested two authorized repair operators; one of them said that they didn't service this model. The other did, and charged $85 (diagnostic service call) plus $60 (labor) plus $21.52 (part). The part had to be ordered and took about five weeks (!) to arrive.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Haier HLP21N 6.6-Pound Pulsator Wash with Stainless Steel Tub

Perfect for a small apartment or dorm room, this compact pulsator washing machine will help save on money and time wasted at the laundromat. The machine's 1-1/5-cubic-foot stainless-steel tub holds up to 6-3/5 pounds of laundry, and it connects to the kitchen sink in just five steps thanks to the included quick-connect sink adapter. Even more, the washer's smart technology and electronic controls allow for selecting the wash setting and water level to ensure a perfect load every time. Choose from three water levels based on the size of the load--save water by choosing a lower level for smaller loads. The unit's standard wash cycles include normal, heavy duty, whites, soak, and delicate; its special wash cycles include hand wash, sanitary, and unique or exclusive. The washing machine delivers a maximum spin speed of 740 rpm and its cycle status lights, estimated time-remaining display, and end-of-cycle signal provide added convenience. Other thoughtful details include a removable lint filter, a side strap for easy mobility, and an adjustable leveling leg to balance the machine if it rests on uneven ground. Fill and drain hoses come included. The washing machine measures 17-1/4 by 17-19/32 by 29-29/32 inches and carries a one-year warranty.

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Haier HLP140E 2-3/5-Cubic-Foot Compact Tumble Vented Dryer Review

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(More customer reviews)I have only had this dryer for about 10 days now, but I'm very happy with it! There is one other review for this dryer and in it they say it takes a long time for the clothes to dry... this is true. But I think it's to be expected since this dryer can simply be plugged into any outlet unlike a normal dryer. So, smaller dryer... less power... longer drying time. The reason I'm giving this unit 5 stars is because if getting out the laundry mat is as important to you as it was to me, then the extra drying time is more than acceptable. Also, this dryer is VERY QUITE, simple to use and set up. For the first 5 loads I just had the machine sitting on the floor near a window - I didn't even have the hose out the window. It did get my apartment a little warm and humid (not since I've put the hose out the window of course), but I'm just making the point that it is very easy to set up.
How long does it take to dry clothes? I'm still trying to get all the drying times down myself. But I'm having much better luck using the timed dry instead of the auto dry. On auto drying it does seem to take hours before it finally stops. So I've just started to try and figure how long certain things dry. For example, my sheets (fitted bottom and the top sheet) I'm drying now between 60 or 90 minutes. On both times the sheets are close to dry and hanging them up for a little longer is enough. I guess this review is a little premature since I don't have the dry times down yet. But I have the feeling 90 minutes will dry most stuff about 90 percent.
I think once I make the adjustment and get things organized drying will not be a hassle at all. And for me the extra fiddling I have to do while drying in my apartment is so much better than having the hassle of organizing taking everything out of apartment, waiting, digging up quarters, using a machine that has been used 10,0000 times instead my nice new machine.
UPDATE! THE SOLUTION! March 18, 2009
I have owned now the Haier Washer and Haier Dryer now for 5 months and I still am incredibly happy with my purchase. Even with the very long drying times with the dryer I love not having to go down to the W&Ds in the apartments laundry room.
But there is a solution to the long drying time with the dryer: Not long after posting my review C. Mok posted this comment (note: the spin dryer is very small 24 inches high, 14 inches in diameter - $134.00 + shipping - and only one company seems to sell them in the US):
C. Mok says:
May I suggest complementing your electric dryer with a small spin dryer? I bought a spin dryer on a whim when I remembered those were the only things used in Asia when I was there during the 80s. It has worked really well along side my small portable washer in my small apt. I hang dry most of my laundry except when I'm in a hurry. The spin dryer cuts drying time in half easily. Most spin cycle on washers go about maybe 600 - 800 rpm. The little spin dryer spins at 3000rpm. On a small wash (2 bath towels) it can spin out over a quart of water (over 32fl oz) in less than 2 minutes. That is a significant amount of water to evaporate using normal dryers. This will shorten your drying time and also save your clothes from heat damage from the prolong drying times. The only catch is trying to balance the load in the small spin dryer. I find it easiest to load all the heavy cotton clothes on the bottom and the lighter synthetic clothes on the top. Then give it a good shove and compress everything tightly down. Thats has worked really well for me. Check out [...]for a small spin dryer. Good luck!
I finally bought the spin dryer to work with my Haier dryer about a month ago and now washing and drying is very similar to using normal sized machines. Now there is just a very short middle step. I'll give examples of some of the basic loads I do each week.
Whites (socks 10-12 pair, underwear 10-12 pair, t-shirts 2-4):
After using the washing machine I put all clothes in the spin dryer. It is important to pack the spin dryer the way the manual suggests to prevent the dryer from bouncing around like R2-D2 in a bad mood. With small items like socks and underwear though, it's pretty easy, and after experience you will see what you can just drop and press in the SD (spin dryer)and what you need to wrap around. I does sound like this middle step is a pain, but after you use it a bunch of times, it's pretty easy and you don't give it a second thought. When you turn the SD on, it starts to spin, shakes a bit, then settles down and gets very quiet as it picks up speed. When you first use the spin dryer, you think, wow, i got ripped off! No water is coming out!.... But wait... after about 30 seconds water starts flow out. Dribbly at first but then... wow! With a full load, CUPS of water fill your water catcher. I have had between 1 and 5 cups of water (normally 2-3), depending on what I was washing. Once the water flow starts to slow down, you turn off the machine. It only takes 2-3 minutes.
I then take my clothes and put then in the Haier dryer and set the timer to 90 minutes. After 90 minutes the clothes are BONE DRY. I'm not sure how long it actually takes, but if the load is a little smaller there is a very good chance they will be dry after only 1 hour.
Darks: 2 pairs of pants, 6-8 T-shirts, 1 sweat shirt. In the SD, you do now need to put the pants in first, wrapped into the bottom of the machine, then the sweat shirt, then the shirts. Again, after 90 minutes - bone dry (as I said, they are probably done after 70 min? 80 min? I'm not sure because I just open it after the buzzer goes off.
Sheets (king size): OK, sheets are the only thing that I wash that can be slightly problematic. Because these are large items, they can make R2-D2 (the spin dryer) unhappy. You have to be the most careful here wrapping them into the spin dryer. In the Haier Dryer also, they can at times ball up. I normally wash 2-3 sheets at a time. Put them all in the spin dryer at once, then in the Haier dryer for 60 minutes EACH. I found that they don't ball up when you dry them separately. So yes, it would still take you 2 hours to dry 2 sheets.
The Washer and dryer are freakishly quite, but the Spin Dryer does have a lot of vibration at the beginning and end of it's 2-3 minute spin. Not a big deal because of the short time, but if you have thin floors and a neighbor under you, they might wonder what is going up every 45 minutes for 3 minutes while you are doing laundry. I suggest getting 1 or 2 thick squares of carpet.
UPDATE July 6th, 2009
I did just read the comment from someone who had problems ordering a spin dryer. I can't speak for that company other than mine arrived on time and in good shape and still works like new. I did go to the BBB link and did only see 1 complaint about the company.
For reasons I don't understand, I was only ever able to find 1 company in the US that sells a spin dryer. Maybe some enterprising individual might think of importing some from a country that uses them more and start a business selling them. I had a friend who told me that they are pretty common in Europe. (Note: I do remember I had to wait a month to order a spin dryer from the Laundry Alternative because they were out of stock. I'm not vouching for the company - just giving my personal experience.
November 6, 2009 UPDATE
I was curious to see how long I've had my washer and dryer to calculate how much I've saved in quarters (13 months x $20 = $260). It's been over a year so I thought I'd add a first year update. The washer, dryer, and spin dryer all work like new. Which is great, I'm not sure if I'm lucky or not, but in my case they are fine. I did make the decision not to use bleach early on. I'm not sure if that has made any difference.
As far as drying. I reread my review and while it is true, if you use the spin dryer before the Haier dryer your wash will be bone dry in 90 minutes, that is with a small-med load. If you fill the dryer to the max. It will take 2-2.5 hours to dry. I just make sure to do medium loads more often.
My mom told me a secret to drying sheets! I still dry one sheet at a time for 90 minutes, but my mom said, AND SHE WAS RIGHT, if you put in a DRY towel (I use a big one) the sheet does not ball up while it spins. This has made a big difference in drying sheets, which are a pain to dry. I also bought a retractable clothesline from amazon. So when I dry sheets, (I don't use the spin dryer for sheets because the sheets are so big they can make the spin dryer go out of balance), I hang one on he clothes line, and they dry 1 for 90 minutes. Then I take the one out of the dryer and put it on the clothes line and put the one one from the clothes line in the dryer. Sometimes I have to put a sheet in for another 30 minutes.
Also, you really do need pull out and clean out the filter after every load. It really makes the drying time MUCH faster because it allows the air to flow out of the machine. You have to clean the lint off the "catch" and also the black filter thingy. Someone posted that an improvement on removing the filter would make the dryer a lot better. I totally agree with that.
The bottom line is: It depends on your personality; which do you dislike more? Digging up quarters, piling up your soap on your clothes in a basket and making a bunch of trips to the laundry room once a week or setting up these crazy contraptions in your apartment and turning your laundry doing into an art form where you have to get creative and be a little unorthodox.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Haier HLP140E 2-3/5-Cubic-Foot Compact Tumble Vented Dryer

Designed for use on its own or to coordinate with any Haier portable washer, this compact dryer makes it easy to quickly dry clothes, sheets, table linens, and more, without taking up a lot of room--perfect for apartments or other small living spaces. The efficient 1100-watt tumble dryer plugs in to any 120-volt outlet and features a spacious 2-3/5-cubic-foot drum, a removable interior lint filter, and a user-friendly digital touch control panel. Simply add clean, wet clothes, close the door, and make a selection. Choose from four dry cycle settings, three temperature settings, and the drying time, from 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 minutes. A wall-hanging bracket comes included for exceptionally convenient out-of-the-way placement. Weighing about 54 pounds, the CSA-approved, rear-venting dryer measures 16-3/4 by 24-4/5 by 27 inches.

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21 Portable Washer with 2.3 cu. ft. Capacity 12 lbs. load - White Review

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(More customer reviews)In past 2 years I have purchased 2 Avanti machines, each one lasts about 7-8 months before it breaks. and then warrenty runs out. As I spoke to customer service of Avanti, they say "its unfortunate that it breaks, sorry to hear that" you can get it fixed, yes machine costs around $300 and to fix is $200 with change. They appologize that they don't stand behind quality but there is nothing you can do, so if you want and ready to buy Avanti on a yearly basis , it most definately lasts a year, I called mechanic only 2 times to get it fixed within the 1st year.
other then that, Avanti machines have another exellent feather, each wash takes forever about 30-40 min considering it's a very small machine, so its implied for those who have $300/year to buy on yearly basis and those who have plenty of time to wait for each small wash. Another feature i would like to point out is leakage from the bottom, as mechanic said "it's manufactured like this" it's non fixable, so in other words, once the wash goes on it leaks downstairs, it ruins my floor but the best part, if you don't like your downstairs neighbor you definately give them a problem of leekage from top.
when you speak to customer service, they are great with their responses "sorry unfortunately nothing can be done"

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Avanti W797 Washer W797 Portable Washer and Dryer

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Haier HLP23E Electronic 1-1/2-Cubic-Foot Touch Pulsator Top-Loading Portable Washing Machine Review

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(More customer reviews)I live in a one-bedroom unit in a massive apartment building with 6 laundry machines in the basement. I did not buy this unit from Amazon but rather from a Chinese electronics dealer in my area. Haier is very popular in China and the machine came highly recommended by the dealer.
The dealer delivered it to me, set it up and away we went. I have had this unit for about a month and here are my comments:
1) The unit is quieter than a traditional laundry machine.
2) I have had no problems with balancing the machine or with water intake. It fills quickly so long as there is high water pressure. The machine balances itself by stopping and starting until the clothes are balanced.
3) The high water level can accommodate a lot of clothes. I do about 3 loads a week: shirts/undies, pants, and towels.
4)It uses a lot less soap than traditional washers (about half I would say)
5)The regular wash runs for about 45 mins which I found excessive. The quickwash runs for about 22 minutes and I find that my clothes are perfectly clean. I only use the regular wash for very soiled items.
6) My unit came with casters so I had no problem. You may also buy casters at the hardware store... the casters are fairly standard.
7) Hooking it up to the sink did require a trip to the hardware store but it was easy to find the adapter as I brought the intake hose with me.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Haier HLP23E Electronic 1-1/2-Cubic-Foot Touch Pulsator Top-Loading Portable Washing Machine

Ideal for small apartments or homes with limited space, this portable washing machine connects to a sink in just five easy steps with the included quick-connect sink adapter. The appliance features a 1-1/2-cubic-foot tub that can accommodate loads both large and small, plus an electronic control panel with an LED display for simple operation. Choose from four wash cycles (soak, wash, rinse, or spin); four water-level settings (very low, low, medium, or high), depending on the size of the load; and six cycle programs (standard, heavy, gentle, quick wash, wash, or spin). It also provides a power "on/off" button, a "start/pause" button for starting or pausing the wash cycle, function indicator lights, a beep to signal the end of the cycle, and automatic shut-off after about 10 minutes. Leveling legs make it possible to stabilize the unit even if it sits on uneven ground, and its see-through top lid allows for checking in on the wash cycle at a glance. To ensure safety, the unit will not operate with the lid open. Accessories include a power-cord clip, a water inlet hose, a drain-hose outlet plug, a gooseneck drain hook, a drain hose clamp, a lint filter, and a water filter--both filters can be removed for cleaning as needed. Fully assembled, the CSA-approved washing machine measures 19-11/16 by 21-1/8 by 34-23/32 inches and carries a one-year warranty.

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