Stupid Washing Machine Being Stupid

This is not the kind of washing machine I would have purchased, had the decision been mine.
This video demonstrates the problems I see with the engineering going into modern things. It seems that not enough thought is being given to what happens under adverse conditions. More worryingly, the quality control (assuming there is any) efforts aren't catching these problems.
I don't know where the fault lies: if it's a new generation that has forgotten the lessons taught by the past, if there's too much focus on OOOH SHINY, if it's feature creep, China Pride, insufficient if any quality control, other factors or maybe even a combination of these things. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you *should*.
On the other hand, this machine does have some interesting capabilities. There are multiple hall effect sensors in the drum that I believe determine through minute timing differences how fully loaded the machine is, the variable frequency drive system employed to operate the primary motor and what appears to be a multiple-phase based balancing system. (By which I mean that a secondary driving signal that is phase shifted with regard to the primary drum motor driving signal is used to help keep the unit balanced, once it has figured out how far off it is from perfect balance. One can sometimes see these out of phase pulsations in the drum at higher spin speeds.) All this cleverness, of course, doesn't add up to much without decent engineering and quality control having gone into the design -- as I think it hasn't.
Whirlpool does deserve some credit for standing behind the machine when it broke down outside of warranty. Only time will tell from here on out. I'll be surprised if it lasts ten years.
Don't get me wrong when I say that Energy Star is a crock of hooey. I think people should do their best to use no more energy than is required to reasonably accomplish a task. At best I think the program is feel-good "greenwashing" and at worst, I think it propagates the fallacious notion that buying low quality appliances for some nebulous "energy savings" relative to an older and longer lived unit is somehow acceptable or appropriate.
As this machine has a cleaning cycle that you're supposed to run after every 30 washloads, and said cycle uses a truly amazing amount of water, I further call into question how much energy or water is actually being saved here.
Again I reiterate that these Maytag Bravos XL machines do NOT represent what I would have purchased, had the decision been mine. Sadly, I do think they're probably the "cream of the crud"...the "least worst" of a bad lot for generally available machines.
For those of you who actually read down this far, some cheezy humor: I guess you could say...a heavy load of towels was enough to make this machine throw in the towel!

[@zekeholloway4413]

I hate these new stupid washing machines.

[@leeharvey8334]

Hi there folks, I'm British and live in London, top load washers are very rare hear, in the 1970's/80's Hotpoint sold a american style top loader hear, I had one, the amount of water it used was alarming but speed and cleaning was first class. Because of EU law, this machine is no longer made/sold hear now because of the water consumption/energy use. All we have on sale hear now are front loaders, using small amounts of water, longer program times but energy efficient. The HE top loaders iv seen in the states seem to waste a lot of time/water sensing the load and then trying to balance it before spinning repeatedly refilling trying to redistribute the load. The old mechanical top loaders(speed queen, fridgidare, whirlpool) were so much better as you no. I think washer manufacturers making in and selling to the states are going to have to go back to the drawing board with this High Efficiency thing. I have a Miele front loader which is never a problem, it washes, rinses and spins well and always sorts it self out. Take care and have a nice day. Best wishes Lee.

[@jackcasey7037]

My late grandmother had this same machine. Once it got out of balance while carrying a comforter after I had spent the night there, and it’s control board eventually gave up after filling and draining the machine *four* times, sought human intervention, and eventually got to the point where the controls refused to operate, much like you stated had happened with this one.

[@TheRealE1337ist]

I used to have one of these newer machines at the family house. Maytag brand, too, though less glitzy (no glass top, LED display). It wanted us to place clothing or sheets in a specific way: always towards the outside edge of the basin, and in segments. It didn’t like clothing being in the middle of the basin. Took twice as long as the old unit, no matter what we did. In retrospect, a Speed Queen would have been a much better way to go, despite that being the more expensive option. We use them at the apartment building I live at now and never have issues with them.

[@22408aaron]

We used to have a very similar Maytag washing machine with matching dryer before we moved, and it would throw the unbalanced load error during almost every wash cycle. The only way to make it not throw the error was to barely load the drum up which I thought wasted time and resources. After we moved, we got a pair of LG machines which still go crazy with the laundry at the spin cycle but at least they doesn't stop every time whining about the load.

[@tallboyyyy]

I think I'll stick with my 1978 Maytag washer. I bought it from a used appliance store in 2001 and the only thing that has failed in it is the hose that goes from the valve where you connect the water lines to the tub. It started leaking when the tub was filling but I could shut the machine off after it filled and it wouldn't leak anymore. After replacing that hose no more leaks. Anything else that I've done to it I consider routine maintenance. The drum brake after 37 years started slipping on large loads and would allow he drum to rotate with the agitation so I replaced that and also a couple bearings that are easily done at the same time. I also replaced the belts on it once when the old ones were getting a bit crusty and slipping. It's kind of beat up looking but it's still chugging along just fine at 38 years old. I have videos of it on my channel if anyone is interested.

[@jakemcgregor8117]

I remember the old days as a young kid watching the machine agitate the load with the lid open. It didn't care as long as it was shut in time for the spin cycle. Modern electronics can be great, but sometimes it makes the process more complicated and likely to fail. It's one reason I still have several rotary phones in service, they far outlive anything modern by several decades.

[@TheRadiogeek]

You crashed your washer? It must be running Windows. If it's running Windows then it must be a window washer.....

[@stevew270]

After 24 years, 2 drum roller replacements, a heating element repair and the usual periodical cleanings I hope and pray my Kenmore dryer lasts 20+ more years! The matching washer wasn't so lucky.

[@Blacklight8001]

I love the term "hooey" in the energy star bit

[@aly369]

Back when my mum moved into her first home she was bought a brand new Zanussi washing machine at the time, it lasted 25 years before in the end we scrapped it as it was used in a shed when we moved to France for a number of years, even when we bought it home it still worked. The only reason it was scrapped as my dad struggled to find a new timer mechanism for it (it was a completely mechanical machine). We still have a zanussi fridge in over conservatory and that's coming along nicely to its 24th birthday! That thing will freeze a can of coke in a flash if you get daring with the temperature control.

[@peterstarick627]

I've had a washer for 26 years and that's older than me it's just started to go out in late June it still works great!

[@georgelackey622]

So much bullshit with the new appliances with features nobody needs or asked for!

[@zx8401ztv]

Bill, most modern front loaders seem to have the same mad programming, i have one that messes around so much its unreal, i think the programmers of the computer want a kick up the bum, they really need that kick lol. I have to turn my machine off for 10 mins as it gets stuck in a stupid loop. Im so supprised to see you having to use that crap, the typical mechanical ones just do the job, no messing around!!.

[@toltec13]

People need to use their common sense when using these machines. For starters, read the manual and understand it. If your going to wash bed sheets, put couple of them and that's it! Don't be adding jeans, towels, etc. I have a Maytag Bravos and it's about 10 years old and I've already replaced the tub bearings & drain pump. In addition, depending how much you wash, these machines need maintenance about every 3 years: the inner tub needs to be removed in order to remove any lint around the drain guard cap.

[@richardhz-oi8px]

Never used to matter with an old school top loader with a center-post agitator, or even a vintage front loading washer like a Bendix or Westinghouse.

[@fargeeks]

@@richardhz-oi8px all that mattered was wether or not its overloaded to the point of no turnover

[@chrisransdell8110]

We have a different but similar HE top loading washer. For ours, it is important to arrange the clothes in a doughnut shape leaving the wash plate visible in the middle. Regarding Energy Star, I actually think it is quite useful in some product classes. Air conditioners in particular show a clear distinction and the Energy Star mark makes it easy to identify those more efficient models and provides manufacturers with an incentive to create extra efficient models and helps them market them effectively.

[@themaritimegirl]

I'm going to keep this video in my favorites in case my Mom, who for some reason thinks her 10 year old fully mechanical Frigidaire washer could die at any time, ever considers one of these electronically controlled washers.

[@Browningate]

My parents have had the same electronically-controlled KitchenAid brand machine longer than I've been in existence. It still works, but it is hard on our family's clothing. At least it pre-dates most of that energy-saving nonsense.

[@LightTheUnicorn]

Glad I'm not the only one who takes interest in what the household appliances are up to. Our old washing machine (they're pretty much all front loaders here in the UK) lasted a good long while, before one day deciding to fill the drum with smoke and the kitchen/clothes with a rather nasty burnt smell, hm. The new washer we have has a digital control panel that occaisionally tries to think for itself, unsuccessfully, but it does at least clean things quicker and better than our old one did.

[@stephanievondrasek1115]

"and it farts around longer than time itself" lolololol...I came here looking for more ancient yet workhorse Singer furnace info...but watched this one just for entertainment!

[@uxwbill]

When something works as well and reliably as that furnace has, there really isn't much more to say about it. (The Singer air conditioner that I also made a video about is still going, though its brother (or sister, I suppose) was replaced a while back with a brand new Goodman.)

[@PLATINUM2U]

Dont feel too bad. At least your washer isn't dancing around the floor like my LG does with SMALL loads. It's on my channel feel free to look at it.

[@capolaya]

My parents had a Kenmore washing machine. That thing was built like a tank and it lasted well over 30 years when it started to leak and we couldn't fix it, but the motor was fine, and it found new life on various projects my dad worked on.

[@RetroPCUser]

I have a front loading washing machine, dryer, and a water heater from Whirlpool and they still work. My dad and I had to fix the water heater since the pilot/burner controls fizzled out, we purchased that part at Lowe's for $50 + tax, and the burner part for only the $30 shipping (free of charge with the warranty).

[@Lyrabon]

Washer: Your stupid not me uxwbill: No you are! *Washer displays UL*

[@uxwbill]

I walked in on it displaying that, actually, so there was no chance to argue with it. :-)

[@nathanlee105]

My grandma’s washer would fill and drain as well when it was on evenly loaded but after about 15 minutes it would lock up and the only way to reset it is to unplug the entire washing machine

[@nathanlee105]

But the thing is it wasn’t unevenly loaded The water hose going into the washing machine was the old hose from the old washing machine so it wasn’t an evenly loaded it just wasn’t getting enough water

[@qwertykeyboard5901]

Mmm... shit code

[@Squidboyy]

We have a Samsung front loader from like three years ago and I must say it's the best washing machine we've ever had, it's very intuitive, the the touch screen is big, it's just very straight forward and easy to use and it does what it's supposed to do. Our old washer was a Whirlpool top loader and we've had that all my childhood up until we bought the Samsung one. It worked wonderfully well, never broke but its performance in washing declined with the years passing

[@michelinman8592]

Great video and description! I grew up with a matching set of Kenmore top load washer and dryer from 1996. They had to be left behind at my former residence as I was downsizing, but those outlasted every Maytag and Whirlpool I've come across. I've had family and friends, all with Maytag in particular, in which the machines were utterly, disgracefully, useless junk after 5 years. Anything from a top load safety switch to a bad motor, in only five years time. And who in the industry thought it was a good idea to get rid of the agitator in the top load machines!?

[@RogerRHF]

I still have washer and dryer bundle from Lowes that I bought in 2007 and after many years of heavy use they are still going strong.

[@grawey77]

These new age top loaders are junk. The electronic control board will fail before long without a surge protector inline. This happened to me on my Electrolux front loader which has been a great washer, but the appliance repair man basically told me that without surge protectors in line on these newer machines with control boards failure is almost guaranteed. I am glad I bought an extended warranty on it. i now have it plugged into a surge protector.

[@mariemin946]

I HATE my new “forced to buy Energy Efficient” , Energy Star whirlpool.!!!! That’s all the appliance stores make & sell around here now days. It will not let you do a Hot water wash, darn temp sensor , because of the Stupid gov. Regulations & restrictions !!!! I wish I had repair & mechanical training , fix it skills ! I would have certainly kept my old washer that lasted 25 years. I wonder how hard it is to get parts for old machines ?? Dryers too ? If they even sell those parts anymore.

[@uxwbill]

Many parts are still available and a lot of failures are easily repaired in the older machines. I don't care for the new machines either, and don't believe they produce any great savings. For at least a little while longer, Speed Queen is still manufacturing high quality machines. They might have to be custom ordered at this point. It's my understanding that the government has come down on them as well, and that their newer machines are nowhere near as good as what came before.

[@DFX4509B]

It's going around the AW grapevine that Whirpool/Maytag's commercial line may not really be all that bad. I believe the MAT20 is the Maytag counterpart to the Whirlpool model being demonstrated. kzbin.info/www/bejne/g2m3c4aInN-SbK8

[@fargeeks]

The 2019 speed Queen washer allows hot washes and has traditional agitation and you can do a full tub of fill or half tub of fill however that is it, anyway the cycles are simple and not complicated and the extra options are extra rinses, presoak rinse and heavy duty ( extended wash cycle to any cycle)

[@markschommer7407]

Grand Appliance does still sell Speed Queen. I looked at them when I got my microwave. likely when mine die I might get these.@@uxwbill

[@graywolf3354]

We have the same model on machine, and it behaves in a similar fashion when unbalanced. It typically throws the uL error and begins filling itself until it's contents are suspended, and then proceeds to preform a wash cycle until, I suppose, it feels satisfied that the contents are thoroughly redistributed. With placing my laundry, as recommended in the instructions just under the lid, in a ring around the center of the drum, and then giving it a spin to check the balance, I have only had to intervene two or three times in the, probably almost a year now, at least, that we've had it. As for it taking it's time. Yes, it sure does seem to love doing that. I will say though, that the very first time we used it, some stains on my cloths, which I had thought would likely be permanent, disappeared.

[@22408aaron]

My family has a similar washing machine with a matching dryer made by Maytag. I can't seem to put more than half of a load in the washing machine without it throwing an unbalanced load error and it sits there and cycles cold water until it gets its attention. Never was personally fond of either machine.

[@jaykay18]

It's retarded washing machines like this that make my blood boil. Everything you said in this video is true. Energy Star is a hoax, just like "Cash For Clunkers". There's absolutely nothing green about this machine whatsoever. It can't figure itself out, of course that's due to the firmware. One of the biggest problems is we don't have any good programmers anymore, everything today is extreme bloatware, so there's probably a lot of {poorly written} code in that firmware that could be done without. There was never anything wrong with an older machine with a center agitator. Somebody, someday, decided that those weren't necessary anymore, because agitation doesn't do any good, it just wastes energy and doesn't clean anything. But as you and I both know, if there is a stubborn stain on an item (and I'm sure you've seen your mother do this a hundred times), you pretreat it with either a stain remover or detergent, then rub the fabric together briskly. That's known as agitation! It separates the fibers to allow the cleaner to get into them to help remove the stain. Water, and plenty of it, does the rest. How the designers of these machines could possibly think they could improve upon designs that had been in production for 50 years or more is beyond me. I guess it's a different breed of people, from a different generation. The part that really bothers me are "millenials", who I don't think in the least would be please about an hour and 9 minutes for laundry to be done, at which point it still needs to go into the dryer. Especially since they're all about "instant-on" and "NOW", not some time in the near future.

[@stonent]

We had a front load GE washer that developed a fault in the inverter board and it would no longer spin in one direction, that of course being the normal operating direction. It was more computer than washing machine. There were more chips inside than a laptop had. It got replaced by a $50 Maytag that was about 10 years old. Its only problem was that it wouldn't stop filling. I opened it up and found it had not a single electrical component inside, just knobs, switches and timers. The problem was a mouse apparently had chewed through the level detect hose. I quick splice and it was back in action. The GE's matching dryer had also died some months before the washer did. It was replaced by a craigslist special who at the last minute decided he didn't even want to charge for it. It died after a month, but was a $5 temp sensor that I replaced and back up and running like a champ again.

[@quillbin4065]

We replaced our original with the house 1987 washer and dryer recently with an LG product. It seemed like the quality of the digital controls was quite a bit better than the other cheap Kenmore options

[@isaac24]

This is why you use vintage.... JK I know you would rather use a vintage things. We use a 1996 Maytag, and it works perfectly. The only thing we replaced on it was the water shutoff solenoid (what keeps it from over filling).

[@jeromedavis8575]

The only new machines I'd use are the Speed Queen Classic pairs.

[@DFX4509B]

Currently got a 10-yr-old Frigidaire Gallery top-loader with mech controls and a corkscrew agitator that still works fine over here.

[@connormason7907]

My grandmother had a whirlpool dryer from the 1970's along with a trusty sears refrigerator from the same era. They both died out around the same time. The heating element in the dryer failed, along with the refrigerator

[@junker15]

Just one more data point that bolsters my decision to keep my Kenmore from around 2001 until it breaks beyond repair (if ever). Put some new agitator dogs in, had to replace the water valve (cost for both was maybe $30). If the time ever comes to replace it, I'll be getting the Speed Queen. I'm confident one of those will outlive me.

[@MonkeyHunch1]

We have had a Bosch front loader machine for about 14 years now, from the UK here. It has been very reliable, it has broken down twice but all it needed was new brushes for the motor and i fixed it my self both time for just £5 and an hour getting the motor out and back in. They don`t make em like they used to.

[@EgoShredder]

Does yours have an LCD display? Our top of the range 2006 Bosch model has one, and it did not last very long and now virtually all the digits are missing, making it totally impossible to know what settings we are using. I gather this is a problem with having LCD displays in a harsh environment like a washing machine. However my sister has a bottom of the range Bosch, and that is much better and more reliable in many ways, and she is not a person who looks after things.

[@alanmaier]

Frustrating thing I've learned... my mother needed a new washing machine. You can only milk a 1970's Whirlpool so many decades until I finally croaks for good. Bought a Roper (Whirlpool) and that POS still has the electronic operation and locks the lid... on a standard spin top loader! Good God! I am hoping to keep my Kenmore (Whirlpool) washer and dryer from the 1990's going as loooooong as possible. Both have needed minor repairs, but are very much DIY fixable.

[@uxwbill]

We had a 2011 or so Roper model in excellent working condition. It was the long suffering Whirlpool dryer that died (motor failure) and rather than repair it, my mother decided she simply wanted a new set of matched machines. So the dryer went off to be recycled and the Roper washing machine went to another house. The Roper was everything a washing machine should be and nothing it shouldn't: mechanical timer control, decent set of basic cycles and a conventional enamel/concrete drum with agitator. My mother's complaint centered around its being "small". Which was really rather ridiculous, the only larger machines were those without a conventional agitator. I would have kept it until the day it died.

[@alanmaier]

Funny thing, when my mother's Kenmore dryer was done for, we bought a Roper and it's exactly the same dryer as my Kenmore, at a lower price. 3 temps, automatic via outlet thermostat, good old reliable technology. That is why I didn't think a thing of buying another Whirlpool/Roper from Lowes to replace her old Kenmore washer. Little did we know.....

[@presario4255]

5:46 "Commercial"

[@daveyjones8821]

In Australia our white goods are covered under warranty for two years It includes parts and labour

[@josh6715]

i am going to put better stiff suspension struts on my samsung top loader as we have the same problerm but it was free so we dont really care what it does

[@musicnerd72]

Speed Queen is the way to go. I've had mine a little over 4 years. I'll never go back to an electronically controlled machine. My last machine was a Frigidaire front loader.. Electronics burned out after only 4 years... In my opinion, electronics should never have been put into appliances.... just adds to the complexity and more things to go wrong. When it comes to appliances, keep it simple!

[@DFX4509B]

Ehh, you see commercial-grade appliances with electronic controls all the time that seem to work without issue, I know most of the newer laundromats, for example, like the one closest to my place, seem to be mostly Huebsch or Speed Queen washer/extractors with electronic controls, or Dexters, with the dryers being the same marque and control scheme, and I haven't had any real issues with them. The big dishwashers at my current job - Hobart FT900s, also have electronic controls and they see hours upon hours of use every day while rarely failing.

[@jeromedavis8575]

Exactly!

[@karen4you]

When the day comes to replace my washer, I will remember the more mechanical the better. Yours looks like a real pain to deal with, more modern is not always better for sure.

[@dualactionsurgilator]

What a joke. So glad I have a Speed Queen FL. It would be DONE with this load by now! It also will last 30+years. This one will take a shit in 8 or less.

[@uxwbill]

I think you're giving this machine way too much credit when you say it *might* last for eight years.

[@NJRoadfan]

Wait until the tub bearing goes. You'll know it when it sounds like a jet engine taking off in the wash room!

[@dvddmc]

Have a good Standard Crosley Washer and drier have had them for about 2 years now Still Perfect working Order. both are XL capacity but were a nice Cheap Pair.

[@schomminater]

Even Maytag has cheapened their stuff since Whirlpool took them over. The Maytag washer and dryer Mom bought in 2007 are nothing more than rebadged Whirlpools. The washer and dryer before them were 1986(Washer) and 1992(Dryer) back when they were real Maytags. The washer had a problem that supposedly required more than it was worth at 21 years of age. It was used a LOT and had NEVER broken down until then. So it did well.

[@CoteaGeorgeC]

My parents had a top of the line Bosch front loader since 2000 they won at some contest thingy. It worked perfectly until 2015 when my mom dropped a bottle of chlorine on the door. We replaced it and it worked until May 2016 when the balance sensor broke and now it makes a weird noise. We got a cheap Beko frontloader.

[@branhicks]

Speed Queen's are the only machine left with a mechanical brake. The other manufactures removed it to save money and replaced it with a lid lock

[@robertestes4703]

As of today I am 53 years old,I would rather have an old fashion top load washer any day. These new ones are a piece of SHIT.

[@IfYouLikeGoodIdeas]

My family's fairly recent Kenmore washing machine (not sure who actually manufactured it) did something similar to this recently. I came down to check on it, and it had shut off with "uE" in the display. I figured it was complaining about being unbalanced, so I tried to fix it. First, for whatever reason, despite the fact that it had shut down, I still had to press Start/Pause to get it to unlock the door, which I would think it shouldn't need human intervention to do. Once I had rebalanced the laundry (or tried to, at least), I started it back up, and it went through several runs of filling, draining, and spinning (kind of like what yours did, except with a bit more logic and reason to it) as it tried (and failed) to redistribute the load. Eventually, it just shut down with a "uE" code again. The machine was never very happy with that load; I don't recall how I got it to like it. Another thing I've noticed with these newer machines (both washers and dryers) is that they often have a rather interesting sense of time. In the incident above, the washer indicated 1 minute remaining through almost the entire time it was trying to redistribute the load (5+ minutes), before eventually deciding it had 12 minutes left, then shutting off soon after. I've also noticed that on the dryers at my college (Speed Queen units installed last year), they often underestimate the amount of time it will take to get a load dry when the sensor function is active, and they end up hanging on 10 minutes remaining for quite some time before deciding that the clothes are dry and starting the cool-down cycle. More strange, however, is that sometimes, when making their initial predictions of dry time, the dryer will claim that it will take longer to get the clothes "near dry" than to get them "dry".

[@uxwbill]

Whirlpool is the OEM for a lot of Sears Kenmore branded large appliances, although that is not as universally true as it once was. Apart from this time and the time when it crashed, this machine has either rebalanced itself or I've been able to get it done without further incident. The estimated time remaining displays on both this unit and the dryer are not at all precise. The dryer tends to have its time estimate jump up, while the washer will occasionally just knock off several minutes from its estimate. Given that both units have a standby power supply and are never truly off, and I'm sure the microcontroller would have had cycles to spare along with some nonvolatile RAM, shaping the timer's behavior based on prior runs wouldn't have been that difficult. Funny thing is, the simple feedback circuits used in machines with mechanical timers aren't ever that way, if only because the timer motor can't run backwards! Instead, it seems like they hired the Microsoft programmer who wrote the code behind Explorer's time estimation in Windows 95 and 98. (Okay, not really, but it makes for a humorous aside.)

[@subbookkeeper]

Dunno this machine but in my case it was a broken rubber tube that lead to the pressure switch - hydrostat. This caused overfilling. After replacing the tube washer started to work properly again.

[@speederbrad95]

we had a haier front loader that the computer failed in, it wouldn't start the drain pump so it would then go erratic driving the drum motor so it would jump around a lot, we replaced that with a second hand relatively modern hoover top loader with traditional hard controls and no computerization of any kind

[@CoolTim44]

First, OL/UL stands for “Overload”, so in other words, the washer things the tub is too hard to move because it’s overloaded and the motor is struggling or the unit is way out of balance causing the washer to struggle. The most common problem is a nut below the inner tub that needs to “float”. Floating is when the tub fills up with water to a certain level the inner basket will rise about 1 inch from the center agitator. What this does is disengage the basket from the motor so that the agitator can rotate independently from the basket. If the basket does not float then when it tries to agitate the whole basket will turn back and forth at the same speed as the agitator and this will cause the OL/UL error code.

[@uxwbill]

I'm reasonably well aware of how the machine works and as such, I disagree pretty much completely with your assessment and diagnosis.

[@appliancessuck5581]

the only reason why your clothes come clean is because there's a chemical reaction between the soap in the water. your average high efficiency soaps nowadays only operate in temperatures between 72 to 78 degrees. instead of an agitator beating the stains out of your clothes they now use an enzyme that literally attacks the stains and dissolves them. but I don't feel bad for consumers. you deserve everything you get.

[@uxwbill]

These are not the machines I would have purchased. I would have bought a decent used machine or a brand new Speed Queen.

[@IAmNotAFunguy]

At least it gives up after a few times and stops wasting all that water. If our LG washer goes out of balance it will keep going again and again forever unless we stop it and re-balance it manually. We eventually installed automatic timers on the water valves that turn them off after about an hour.

[@douro20]

GE Commercial, for around $1200. I know they're solid-state but they are a carry-over from the old Filter-Flo washer and are very well built.

[@uxwbill]

Hmm, I had no idea anyone else still gave a crap about making a decent washing machine. Might have to put them on the list, so long as Haier doesn't completely wreck everything about GE Appliances.

[@BronsonTheCat]

Our LG which we've had for ten years is on the way out. It keeps thinking the washing is uneven and will cycle between rinse and spin as a result. I wouldn't mind a speed queen but it's the initial cost which may put me off.

[@myfunrandomvids]

We have a maytag bravos xl too and it doesn't always work right either. I put a load in it before and came back to it a while later and found it off before it had even done the spin cycle.

[@Johnbass37]

Engineers have admitted that a portion of water gets splashed inside the outer walls to start rotting and have people use the afresh cleaning system things that cost a fortune.

[@Bluethunderboom]

Whenever the HE washer has failed for good, I can turn them into a Utility Sink for fun. =)

[@mostlymoparih5682]

Wow a soapstone tub. I haven't seen one of those in years. We have had 3 washers the first a GE I think then my mom gave me her Maytag that was 15 16 or 17 years old when she gave it to me we used it for another 12 years. I replaced a number of belts and 2 timers one shortly after she gave it to me. We are on our second Maytag and have had it 18 years. I need to get a seal for the tub as it is leaking but I think we did pretty good. When all the kids were at home there were 10 of us.

[@uxwbill]

That laundry tub is very probably original to this house. I think it's great, and I definitely want one when I reach the point of having my own house.

[@mostlymoparih5682]

Yeah they were very common, just about everybody had one in their cellar or laundry room. My dad got a bunch of soapstone when Exxon did some remodeling and we used it to make a walkway. TFS

[@09ThomasEF]

I agree that the "high efficiency" thing is a big scam. I think it's more wasteful to build new appliances than keep running older ones, which, as shown in this video, may not even be that much less efficient than new ones. As for bad quality... 6-8 years ago, we had a horrible run of Whirlpool appliance bad luck. Our GE dishwasher, which worked well from around 1992, died (I don't remember how) around 2008. We got a Whirlpool Gold dishwasher, and its motor wasn't seated correctly at the factory or got bumped during shipping, didn't seal, and leaked water everywhere. The replacement had a cracked plastic "leg" (or whatever you want to call it) and we got it replaced again. The third one, which we kept, had some minor crack in the plastic near the foot, but nothing we thought would cause long-term problems. It worked OK for a few years, and now it seems as though it sometimes fails to heat the water enough to clean the dishes. And the door seal started leaking, and my dad patched that up so it's sealed for now. Perhaps the brokenness upon arrival was due to it being purchased from a discount appliance store, but the heating and door seal shouldn't have been. Then, around 2009, the motor on the Whirlpool dryer (also from around 1992) died. My dad, in a rare bit of pro-activity, decided to replace both dryer and washer, thinking the washer may not be far behind. After the dishwasher experience, he decided to just get the cheapest, most basic model, mechanically-controlled Whirlpools he could because they would just die soon after. Well, after a few years, I believe it was the switch that runs through the cycles went bad in the dryer. Then, around 2010, the transmission or whatever gear was between the motor and the drum went bad, and it wasn't worth replacing. So, I did some research and found that one of the more basic LG front-loading dishwashers (though fully digital) got great reviews, and when we looked at it in the store (I think it may have been Sears), we liked the build quality. Plus it has a 10-year warranty on the direct-drive (no gears to blow up!) motor. That washer hasn't had a single problem. It seems to clean well enough, I just don't like that it twists and tangles the clothes, and it vibrates and shakes a lot on the spin cycle. But the reliability is worth those inconveniences.

[@irishinsomniac1]

It looks like your clothes are covering the center part. Not sure if that was like that when you loaded the machine. You're not supposed to cover the center. You're supposed to spread the clothes over the sides (like a donut). I think that's what the sticker says. I have a similar machine and that's the catch. Doing this may help with your issue.

[@uxwbill]

There's no way clothing can't cover the center portion when the tub is full of water, since it floats around. What you're seeing is how the machine left things, not how I loaded it.

[@mraiwa1000]

Fortunately at big box stores like Lowe's or Home Depot, they still sell basic mechanical control washers & dryers. Don't know how good they are however I could only imagine it would be a helluva lot better than this pos. We've had a Kenmore set for about 11 years now (we bought it to go along with the new house) Basic, no thrills unit; but guess what! Both the dryer and washer have been doing it's job for many years now without a single dip. As far as I can remember, we've never had any work done on it. Perhaps best *last* washer made?

[@twocvbloke]

I'll stick with my late 90s/early 2000s Hotpoint WM53 washer, cost me £35, a pulley (which I already had) and a lot of cleaning (prev. owner left it closed up for a long time so went skanky), but it does the job, fill it up, add the soap, shut the door & drawer, turn the knob, switch it on and off it goes, no annoying eco-friendly-except-when-it-has-to-go-to-the-dump electronics to mess about with balancing the loads... :P

[@Bluethunderboom]

When the Washer has failed, would you show us what does the E-Control Panel looks like? And did you heard when other YT Users complaint that their LG, Samsung, Whirlpool, and/or Maytag Washers exploded when on Spin Cycle include the Chinese Made Washers?

[@yorgle11]

We have an "Energy Star" refrigerator. It has a bunch of sensors and control logic which attempts to figure out the optimal time and duration to run the defrost cycle, and who knows what else. The justification for all this complexity is to save a little more energy, because energy costs money and people like to save money. The PCB has been replaced 4 times. The first 3 replacements (each of yet another revision) each bought about 2 more years of service, but the 4th time it did not. It's inability to cool itself to an acceptable temperature and stay there on a permanent basis remains unresolved. The fancy built-in self diagnostic tests, while entertaining, haven't clarified the problem. Each PCB has cost $100-$130, and that's DIY - labor would multiply that figure. The value of your time, cold food, and peace of mind would multiply it even more. Energy efficiency in it's current state of "operation" is unknown, but unlikely to be anything near what the EPA advertised on their cute yellow tag. Out in the hot garage we have a refrigerator from 1993. It needed one part replaced in 1994. That is it's entire service history. All the cold food is kept in that refrigerator, because it works. It might use a little more electricity but has accumulated $0 in repair expenses. It consistently runs ice cold in 100 degree summer heat without issue, year after year. I don't know whose money that modern refrigerator is supposed to be saving, but it's not ours. I suppose some lobbyists made a lot of money for their employers getting it legislated though.

[@catgirl_eva]

We have a Hotpoint washing machine and it's broken down four times in just over a year. Unfortunately, we can't afford a new washer right now, so we're just going to have to get it fixed.....AGAIN! However, come tax time, we're going to just buy a Speed Queen, It'll cost us $850, but I have a feeling that it will outlast any of our other appliances.

[@lolman123401]

I got an LG washer, and it's got like 250-300$ put in it, and we had it for like 6-7 years. Pretty reliable

[@arcticarrowhvacr]

You think 6 years out of a piece of shit Lousy Garbage is reliable?!?! Boi your standards are low. Expect something to last atleast 10.

[@andymann1231]

I have a Indesit washer/dryer I purchased in 2007 and it still works perfectly

[@WaybackTECH]

Knock on a lot of wood, my mid 80's Whirlpool washer and dryer are still going strong, and I've had them for 14 years now, payed $50 for the pair. They are used to not only clean clothes, but as a workbench when such need arises. Keep my drill press on the drier :) Sure seems like to me if they end up breaking, i'll probably just do my best to fix them and keep em going. Seems like this crap made the last decade or longer is just pure crap and in the long run would be better just to fix what I have at least as long as parts can be found. I keep hearing the same stories about washers breaking, sometimes even within a couple months. That much water going down the drain there certainly is not "green" or "energy saving" lol total BS.

[@Johnbass37]

I have same bravos xl. You have to unplug for 10 sec and slowly add wet items to new loads.

[@samuelkowalski8409]

My family is still using the Washer and dryer that we bought back in 2004. Our washer and dryer are both manufactured by: Maytag and yet to have any issues our amazing, fantastic and magnificent Brand New in 2014 Washer and Dryer.

[@2149091108rw]

the only things happened to the LG 10 year old dryer front roller bearings from all of those big laundry loads

[@2149091108rw]

I bought an LG 10 years ago front load basic model got five years extended warranty abused it to death big area rugs oversized comforters stuffed full of laundry now it's out of warranty ever used not ones what mainly happens to the front load that makes him too expensive to repair is the rear bearing way to labor intensive feel lucky

[@leewakefield737]

good old speed queen you should have gotten

[@uxwbill]

They're not mine, and that's what I told the people who bought them.

[@lord_erdrick]

I've found that those machines with an impeller have a good probability of unbalancing when just dumping your laundry in, as opposed to taking the time to lay the items around the drum evenly. For the most, I hated the Cabrio we had. It suffered the dreaded f1 error, and would require 10-minutes worth of stop/start button fiddling for it to start any fill cycle. I was happy when one of the inlet solenoids froze and that junk was put on the curb...after stripping it, of course. :)

[@ryanhegner6858]

we have the exact same washer dryer and its never did anything like this

[@Bluethunderboom]

It could be the suds built up in the tub causing the sensor to detect saying Unbalancing Loaded which that's my guest.

[@randytorboli]

I just had to replace my 10 year old Maytag Centennial agitator washer and it had a lod lock on it as well and it had been replaced many times and that machine finally died altogether in January of this year and it was replaced with a Whirlpool WTW4816FW3 washer and I also bought the matching electric dryer with it and have been pleased with them so far

[@BayanihanBoi]

any other appliances having difficulties?

[@theloneone381]

5:47 literally made me look outside to see if a fire truck was coming down my street. It sounded like a siren "winding down"

[@eliwhitworth158]

😂😂😂. It’s funny to say that all of the bravos xl’s do this

[@any123-og]

There would be no "auto load balancing" if they had not decided to cost cut and instead added a tub suspension

[@cynthiasims8120]

Going through this right damn now. It will fill with water, then won't agitate. Why it take so long to fill? I hate this. Now my husband and sons use it and no problem. I use it, it get stupid.

[@uxwbill]

I can't answer your second question...unless it happens that you just aren't waiting quite long enough for agitation to start. As for the first question, it does take this model a long time to figure out how heavily loaded it is. I believe this is done by spinning up the drum and looking at the timing differences returned from multiple hall effect ("rotation") sensors. GE/Haier Appliances has washing machines that do the same thing in far less time.

[@cynthiasims8120]

Season Greetings!! The machine will fill with water a few click then it will attempt to agitate/impell then stop. Or it will fill up, a few clicks and the impeller won't move at all. I drained the water, the tub will spin, as of now the impeller wont move at at by hand.

[@uxwbill]

It's certainly possible that something got under the washplate and is jamming things. I'd really expect the machine to throw an error code in that case. It's been a while since I had the tub out of this one (hall effect rotation sensor failure after a basement flood), but it's not terribly hard to do if you're mechanically inclined. I didn't particularly care for this machine then and I really don't care for it at all now.

[@craignehring]

YES Speed Queen... Made in Ripon Wisconsin Great machines, Whirlpool yikes

[@Bunkysworkshop]

Go with speed queen top loader. The old time but new and the best out there.

[@uxwbill]

Had it been my choice, there would be nothing else here and this video probably wouldn't exist.

[@SpeakerFreak95]

I have to say, I can truly appreciate your videos.

[@Krivulda]

Ummm... Did you know that every washing machine has max load weight? Seems like you overloaded it.

[@GeneraleRus]

Bill, while i've been to the USA for a trip, i had to use a coin-op washing machine. I was impressed that they had very old mechanical machines in there and for me seeing these kind of top loaders was a first, but i was amazed that when i washed my clothes, it didn't do the fast spinning cycle like the washing machine i have here at home so the clothes came out completely drenched! It was a faulty machine? or it is common for laundromats to not have the fast spin and make you spend 5$ in dryer? :P Here at home (in italy) we have two washing machine, a front loader and a top loader, but the top loader is basically like a front loader, with the opening on the curved side of the drum instead of the flat side

[@ifragisk]

leave them open after or they smell. old style is best

[@stonent]

Yeah, our previous front loader would frequently smell like ass.

[@Bluethunderboom]

At least for my 2010 American Made Admiral (Whirlpool) Direct Drive Agitator Top Load Washer last long which I had them new from Home Depot back in 2010, and it's 6 years old which it's only mechanic type!

[@Johnbass37]

Additional rinse seems to trip mine up for some reason.

[@daveyjones8821]

Send it back

[@Honeypot-x9s]

My Samsung washer and dryer combo seem to be holding up well.. 3 years strong, no glitches or errors other than user error. My friend triggered a soap sub error code for using too much soap and filling it directly instead of though the soap slot loader. But it self cleared and started running again. Even if my load get hugely out of balance it self balances and and adjusts accordingly... my Samsung fridge however, I had to replace within same 3 years... and lucky for me Samsung offered a refund but only valid if I got another fridge directly otherwise they offered send A out a repair tech for free.. I took refund after seeing I could get new touch screen fridge for only $1200 difference... (sorry I love technology, even tho it sometimes proves to get in the way) see how that hold up... seems to detect its own issues and adjusts temperature regions... big issue my previous Samsung fudge gave me was constant water or ice build up on bottom shelves and bad temperature regulation...

[@randomrazr]

i bought a 5.2Cu samsung front load onyx washer. its amazing, but i dont see it lasting more then 10 years. i will say it does clean better then the old maytag top load washer. at least we save on hydro and water with the samsung. as you say in the video uxwbil, speed queen is prob the last brand left that makes washers that last ive never heard of the brand called bravos before? whered yu pick that up?

[@KylesTechChannel01]

Its a whirlpool bravos machine

[@randomrazr]

Kyle's Tech Channel ohhh whirlpool...doesnt danby own them now?

[@uxwbill]

No, Whirlpool is the world's largest manufacturer of major appliances.

[@EgoShredder]

My mum prefers the German brand Mielé and the last one she had took a real pounding over 16 years. However she had it running all day long every single day of its life, so in real use terms it was at least twice the age, e.g. 36 years old. It only had one minor repair which was down to user error by forgetting to remove the metal frame of a bra. It was also only an entry level model, but it was built like a tank unlike the pile of crap Bosch top of the range model we have now.

[@randomrazr]

EgoShredder what she doing laundry everyday

[@cee128d]

Speaking of Speed Queen, I lived in Ripon, WI (home of Speed Queen) for about 20 years. Mother in Law lived right across the street from the main plant. I've actually seen (and held in my own hands) the actual, very first Speed Queen Washer (a manual model), It's on display at the Little White Schoolhouse (Birthplace of the Republican Party) in Ripon.

[@EgoShredder]

Wow I know there are many English (UK) location names that were used to name parts of the USA, but I never knew Ripon was one of them. Here in England there is a quaint, rural town called Ripon, situated in the county North Yorkshire. Very beautiful place with some history and has a church built in 7th Century. www.google.co.uk/maps/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x487eac4b8078603d%3A0x387ca10bb7b416a3!2m5!2m2!1i80!2i80!3m1!2i100!3m1!7e115!4s%2Fmaps%2Fplace%2FRipon%2BCathedral%2F%4054.1351861%2C-1.5209723%2C3a%2C75y%2C115.54h%2C90t%2Fdata%3D*213m4*211e1*213m2*211s2MiHCDPMpgRPBlrYN0eu5g*212e0*214m2*213m1*211s0x0%3A0x387ca10bb7b416a3!5sRipon%20Cathedral%20-%20Google%20Search&imagekey=!1e4!2s72295048&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjXlPKT_LHOAhXHKcAKHRC6Aq4Qpx8ImAEwEA

[@cee128d]

Ripon, WI is named after that very town in England.

[@EgoShredder]

cee128d Cool :-) I only live about 28 miles from there. The common term for the part of the country I live in is, "God's Own County" which is Yorkshire. I'm not religious by the way but it is a well used phrase.

[@Johnbass37]

One big prob is any coins from pockets getting into the space around the spin platter.