Looking to purchase a 24" front-loading washer/dryer to be installed side-by-side in a tight space. Surveying the marketplace I've located two possible candidates:

Whirlpool
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- 2.9 Cu. Ft. High Efficiency Front Load Washer (Model LHW0050PQ)
- 3.8 Cu. Ft. Electric Dryer (Model LEW0050PQ)

These models are sold exclusively through Lowes home centers with the washer priced at $697 (the dryer is not listed on their web site). Based on some research it appears they are not made by Whirlpool, but rather some European manufacturer and are reportedly of questionable quality (see discussion link below).


Washer: http://www.lowes.com/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=28485-46-LHW0050PQ
Dryer: http://www.insideadvantage.com/inside/product.phtml?sku=LEW0050P
Discussion: http://216.239.41.104/search?q=cache:YAh3hUiiQ28J:ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/laundry/msg09112310733.html+LHW0050PQ&hl=en&client=firefox-a


Maytag
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- 2.4 Cu. ft Compact Washer (Model MAH2400A)
- (Unknown capacity) Electric Dryer (Model MDE2400A)

These are just coming to market and are price at $679 and $479, respectively (appear to currently be available through http://www.ajmadison.com). Research on these indicated that these machines are being built by Samsung and *may* be of a better quality than the Whirlpools.

Washer: http://www.maytag.com/mths/products/product.jsp?model=MAH2400AWW&show_features=1&cs=0&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes
Dryer: http://www.maytag.com/mths/products/product.jsp?model=MDE2400AYW&cs=0&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes
Discussion: http://216.239.41.104/search?q=cache:I1lATv58k3wJ:ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/laundry/msg100403393955.html+MAH2400&hl=en&client=firefox-a


My Question
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Maximizing quality and capacity are my most important considerations, but I am also cost conscience. Are there any experts who can offer an opinion about these two options, or perhaps recommend an alternate 24" model from another manufaturer that I may have overlooked?

There are some answers to your question in another thread about the Whirlpools. Main advice from the Europeans is to stay away from these machines.

I think Haier also makes a 24" frontload washer and dryer, although the dryer may only be 120v. I'm don't know what the quality is, but they are usually very reasonably priced. I had a tiny Haier toploader while we were traipsing around the country in our Airstream and I though it was OK. The Haier reputation in china is that a peasant working in the rice paddies can throw their muddy clothes and sneakers into a Haier and expect them to come out clean.
Electrolux should dig back into the file and re-introduce the 24" space-mates! (as in Westinghouse)

I have the Frigemore FL and matching dryer. In my case, they're stacked. One on top of the other, I mean, not...oh, never mind.
Anyway, I couldn't be happier with them. I worried that the tub would be too small--2.7CF vs 3.8 (I think) for the Whirlpool Duets. I haven't been able to fill the durn thing yet! Yeah, I can cram tons of stuff in and it looks overloaded, but once the water gets in there, the tub is never more than half full.
Got them at Lowes, too. Good price and the delivery people were knowledgable and pleasant. (Ask me about my friend's daughter-in-law and her recent experience with a Sears delivery guy. Turned off the GAS thinking it was the water, then later turned it back on without relighting any of the pilots. P.S. House filled with gas, and I wouldn't want to be the guy at Sears who got the complaint!)

FWIU the Maytag units aren't available yet according to the only distributor found (A.J. Madison).


These Maytag Compact Neptune washers are rebadged Samsung washers and dryers. Strange thing is they are sold under that brand name in Canada, and Maytag in the USA. Guess Maytag's agreement only covered the United States.

Haier had a horrible reputation for washing machines their last go. Quality may have improved, but I would still be leary.

One washer/dryer you over looked, and seems to get high ratings are the Danby units. They are "compact" units, but offer many features found only on high end European washers/dryer such as Miele. For instance the washer has a SS wash drum and tub, shock absorbers, built in heater that can heat water to 200F, max final speed is 1000 rpms.

You can read about them over on Thathomesite.com's laundry forum

Launderess

Avoid the Whirlpools. A lady who bought them (in an older post) said the washer vibrated and left clothes soaking wet (defective) and the dryer was way too noisy. They are made by Merloni, which makes supposedly inferior machines in the UK (including Servis and Eurotech).

I saw them at Lowe's and I think they have too few cycle options for their price, and are way too flimsy. It felt like the door handle was going to break off in my hand! Danby should be much better. More options and they seem to be much better made; priced about the same as the Whirlpools.

--Austin

A repair tech made this contrubution to a discussion of 24"FLs.

Posted by: Tomato (My Page) on Wed, Oct 20, 04 at 21:26

Went to service training on the new 24" WP step-children. Found out that the reason they were brought here is that Merloni could offer machines immediately that met UL and Canadian UL standards. Real European WP front loaders should be ready in about 6 months. Lowes has an exclusive on the machines for now. They have terrible turnover with installers. This is a big problem with these machines because after taking out the 4 bolts that stabilize the mechanism, THERE ARE TWO RODS NEAR THE BASE OF THE MACHINE that have to be removed also. The end of each rod is bent so that it will lie flat against the back of the machine and is held in place with a screw. Unless the rods, running the depth of the washer, are removed, the machine will vibrate terribly when it tries to spin. Also, none of these shipping braces should be removed until the machine is within a few feet of its installed location. Neither the washer nor dryer dial moves to show progression through the cycle once you make the selection and start the machine. Here's the other kicker: There is no parts availability for these machines through the regular WP parts distributor network. A service tech has to call WP to get a part. It will be express shipped to the servicer. If the part is not available, WP authorizes, at the time of the call, an exchange ticket for replacement of the product
It seems a shame that this machine is going to give WP a black eye and then be replaced. The real WP front load washers are supposed to remain 240 volt machines for our market.

I would be seriously considering the Maytags at this point in time.

I just mentioned the haier cuz a buddy of mine in western Wisconsin has a little haier front loaded and really likes it. I was kinda ticked at him for getting it cuz at the time I wanted him to buy a frigidaire from me. the little haier was cheaper so he got that instead from one of the horrid big-box store. Maybe the quality isn't the best but what aren't you taking a chance on these days-it all seems to be junk

There is junk and there is junk.

Appliances have a hard life with most people and with the need to cut costs obviously no one is going to make the kind og appliances they used too.

But Haier feels cheap and yuk. These were sold in Australia but you didnt see many in stores and when you did, the controls felt hard to turn and the door didnt open more than 90 degrees so it must of been a pain to load.

These Haier FL's seem to have an Ariston/Indesit heritage and these arent fantastically reliable machines to start with.

So from reading these posts, your choice is trying to get the least bad of what seems to be all bad.

Go to Home Depot and check out the Danby.
I've had mine for several months now and don't have the first complaint. It's a great machine.

Dave