Excellent front loading washer

Background

We bought this washer (with matching dryer - DLE0442W) in April 2007. We needed to replace our older Kenmore Calypso washer and matching dryer. Our old dryer was still functioning, but the Calypso washer was having numerous problems and we felt it was not worth fixing.

We also wanted another washer with the High Efficiency rating (as the Calypso had).

My wife did not want to get another Kenmore so we looked around at the other brands of front loading washers. We did some research and had cautiously decided on a new Frigidair model. So we went to BestBuy, to look at the Frigidair, but the salesperson showed us the LG front loaders. We were glad that they did. My wife really liked the LG and we decided to give them a shot.

We were also pleasantly surprised to find that an extended 5 year warranty at BestBuy for both the washer and dryer was only an additional $120. So we bought the warranty as well.

Appearance

The overall appearance of this LG model is a cross between a modern front loader with the look of a conventional top loader. This model has a raised control panel along the back (reminiscent of conventional top loaders). The washer also stands about as high as a traditional top loading washer.

Overall, I do not think it looks quite as sexy and cool as the more colorful front loaders with their forward mounted controls. But the washer does have its own particular good looks. Plus, how many times do you have people over and they go into your basement of your laundry room?

Features

The washer has an almost intimidating array of features including various combinations of water temperatures, washing cycles, and spin cycle speed. You can select from the degree of soiling on the items to be washed, the size of the items (bulky items like a comforter), permanent press, and hand wash. There is even a sanitary cycle that can be used to sterilize bedding, clothing, etc. The sanitary cycle takes over an hour to complete, but it is a nice feature to have.

The control panel consists of a dial on the right hand side that allows you to select the washing mode (e.g., sanitary, cotton/normal, permanent press, hand wash, etc.).
Then this selection can be further fine tuned through a variety of buttons that allow you to set the spin, amount of soiling on the items to be cleaned, water temperature for wash/rinse, and the alarm sound. Then the wash can be further modified with several other buttons that can add extra rinse cycles, stain cycle, pre-wash, delayed wash )time delay), and quick wash.

I could literally go on and on about the various combinations of washing modes this washing machine has.
I calculated that there are well over 13,400 combinations of wash mode that this machine can perform. I would be very surprised to hear that there was some washing need that this machine could not handle in the average home.

The raised control panel also displays a time to complete timer that is very useful.

Mechanically, the washer seems to be very solidly built. Lots of metal and a solid door and hinge.

The drum is stainless steel and it is directly driven (so no belts or pulleys to worry about). The drum is also angled ever so slightly (barely perceptible to me), to ease loading and unloading. The drum capacity is also 3.83 cubic feet, which is not bad. Slightly smaller than some of the largest front loaders, but definitely large enough for most family needs.

The machine has a built in water heater (when hotter water temperature is desired). The built in water eater is also an energy saver as just the amount of water needed for the wash is heated to temperatures that exceed your typical hot water heater setting.

The drum also has these roller jet contraptions that both spray water and also lessen the harsh treatment of your clothes during the wash cycle.

There is a safety lock that secures the front door when the washer is in operation. So future young scientists (a.k.a. children and other inquisitive individuals) cannot get too curious and open the door and let loose the floods.

A drain pump filter is accessible from the bottom front of the machine. So if some items get left in pockets and they were to pass through the drain in the drum, the items can be caught in this front drain.

The spin cycle on this machine is amazing. I thought our Calypso washer could spin fast, but this thing is ridiculous. Its maximum spin speed is at 1200 rpm. Your clothes are nearly dry by the time the spinning stops. Which then makes short work for your dryer. This is probably one of the key attributes of a High Efficiency washer. More on the spin cycle later.

The compartment for adding detergents is well designed. You pop open a little door on the top of the machine and there are compartments for prewash detergent, primary wash detergent, liquid bleach, and fabric softener. It could not be easier.

General Use

I am very impressed with this washing machine. It does a wonderful job on cleaning clothes, towels, sheets, what have you. It is definitely the best of the four washing machines I have ever owned. We have not had any clothing get damaged during the wash cycle.

We have five people living in our house and our washer and dryer (all our appliances for that matter) get some real use. On the weekend it is not uncommon to have six to eight loads of clothes run through the washer and dryer. Plus probably three to four loads are run through it during the week. On average we are talking about at least 10 loads of clothes per week.

The spin cycle on this machine can vibrate your floors. It is essential to take sufficient time to level this machine perfectly before use. I spent some time trying to make this machine as level as I could, and we still notice some minor vibration during the spin cycle. Ironically the wash cycle is very quiet. But we do know when the spin cycle is on. It is not so bad that pictures fall off the wall. But it does vibrate the chimes in our grandfather clock (which is against the wall directly opposite the washer). I don't think this is a big deal.
If your laundry area is in your basement, then this should not be any concern at all.

My only complaint thus far (after 8 months of ownership) is that I wish LG had thought about making the machine either stand a little taller, or decided that this machine also deserved a pedestal. Pedestals are quite common options with almost all the other upright washer and dryers as uprights typically sit lower and cause the operator to have to stoop down to access the front loading hatch. Of course the pedestals are almost always sold separately and they can cost you an extra $400-500 bucks that you might not have expected to spend. So on one hand, it is nice that this LG does not require you to buy the pedestals (as none exist for that model). But it would probably make accessing the front loader a little easier for tall individuals. In the end, I view this as a fairly minor inconvenience.

Conclusion

I think if you are in the market for a front loading washer then you should definitely give this model a look.
It can do most of the things the more expensive uprights can do and it is solidly built. It is more expensive than a conventional washer, but it is cheaper than some of the more expensive upright models.