Thread Number: 29384
New Kenmore Elite branded "LG" H/E top loader.
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Post# 447066   7/4/2010 at 23:13 (5,016 days old) by mtn1584 (USA)        

If you go to Kenmore's website laundry section, and click on new arrivals, you can see the new LG H/E top load washer that they are making for Sears now, along with the matching dryer. Shame on Sears after so many years of using Whirlpool for it's washers and dryers, it won't be long now.....SEARS CHAIN WIDE GOING OUT OF BUSINESS SALE, coming to a town or city near you!!
Mike





Post# 450998 , Reply# 1   7/21/2010 at 19:28 (4,999 days old) by laundromat (Hilo, Hawaii)        
Attention KMart Shoppers----

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Remember,Kmart owns Sears noow and I'm sure that , due too their ignorance and pride,the buyers there could care less about the relationship that spanned almost 100 years between Sears and Whirlpool. Again,the lowest bidder wins the deal as far as who makes what for Sears.Electrolux has been making their ranges for a while now and a few of their feeders in dishwashers.Even some of the refrigerators are made by Electrolux. LG and GE make some of the friges as well.I don't know why the relationship between Sears and Whirlpool has ended at a dead end but my thoughts stear towards saving money and mass production. I'm sure that the one good thing about this,if any, is that the service on the L.G. products will improve tremendously.I could be wrong about that but Sears has a fleat of service techs.

Post# 451000 , Reply# 2   7/21/2010 at 19:53 (4,999 days old) by appnut (TX)        

appnut's profile picture
Well their new line of Kenmore Elite dishwashers are still Whirlpool made!!!

Post# 451045 , Reply# 3   7/21/2010 at 23:16 (4,999 days old) by Frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

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Consumer Reports just tested the LG 5101, and it ranked third amongst the tested top-loaders. It scored a 75, while the top-rated Whirlpool Cabrio 7600 had a score of 77.

Here's the lowdown:

Washing Performance: Very Good
Energy Efficiency: Very Good
Water Efficiency: Excellent
Capacity: Excellent
Noise: Very Good
Resistance to Vibration: Excellent
Gentleness: Poor

Cycle Length: 60 minutes
Price: $1050

After watching videos of these impeller machines grinding away at a load, the gentleness score doesn't surprise me a bit. I wonder if the impeller design will endure, or if we'll look back and say, "Well, they were a valiant but failed attempt to keep the top-loading format viable."





Post# 451114 , Reply# 4   7/22/2010 at 11:59 (4,998 days old) by davek ()        
Impeller

If an impeller washer had water sufficient to cover the clothes completely and the impeller itself was used to create currents in the water and spray water pumped in dishwasher style, you could probably make an efficient and gentle top-load washer. The Cabrio, current mid-level GE, and the old Neptune TL don't use anywhere close to enough water to keep the physical abrasion at bay.

I always figured that a TL washer was built to move clothes through water and an FL was built to move water through clothes. Both also rely somewhat on the clothes rubbing against each other for cleaning. The current HE TL washers with the wash plate/impeller designs seem to have moved backwards into the realm of washboards and abrasion for cleaning power. A look at the YouTube videos of them show clothes that barely look damp (especially the TL Neptune) getting a lot of physical action. More water would make it more gentle and do a better job. If the impeller had jet holes like a dishwasher arm that squirted the water at medium velocity as the impeller itself rotated through water that barely covered the clothes, lots of movement and therefore cleaning would occur.


Post# 451117 , Reply# 5   7/22/2010 at 12:14 (4,998 days old) by SRSwirl ()        
..."valiant but failed attempt to keep the top-loading f

It seems almost insane to me that they don't just start producing top-loading horizontal axis washers. Staber is OK...but lacks capacity, cycle choices, an internal heater, and style. Whirlpool has various patents on the top-loading horizontal axis format...but have never produced one for the North American market. Top-load horizonal axis washers could continue to exist alongside front loaders for years and years. If people truly prefer to have their clothes shredded by an impeller (and you all know most people will overload these machines) rather than have to open a second "lid" (the basket), well...they deserve shredded clothes.

Equator came out with one...but due to various issues, never got it to market. I believe theirs was even 220V. Personally, I would love to have a 220V washer/dryer (single machine) in the North American large capacity format with European styling and cycle/temperature choices. I'd buy this type of machine in either a top-load horizontal axis or front load format in a heartbeat. You couldn't go wrong with it. (LG's large capacity washer/dryer is 110V which means a weak heater...and very slow drying.) Even better would be if the dryer module were vented instead of condensing. Now THAT would be a terrific machine. Weren't there 220V Bendix front load washer/dryers for which the dryer module was vented?


Post# 451435 , Reply# 6   7/23/2010 at 22:05 (4,997 days old) by mark_wpduet (Lexington KY)        

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There is a video of a GE Harmony washer on youtube and it's completely FULL of water just like a top loader; clothes were swirling around. It was pretty cool. I don't know if this person added water or the Harmony lets you add more.

Post# 451439 , Reply# 7   7/23/2010 at 22:48 (4,997 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
Top Loading H-Axis Washing Machines

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IIRC, problems come once one starts going about the rather puny (by American standards), of capacity found on units sold on the other side of the pond. However doing anything larger,say along the lines of 12-15 pounds (capacity of most American top loading washers), requires a rather substantial beast.

One major problem in terms of design is making sure something that large will remain stable, even with unbalanced loads. More so if the unit is to spin >800 rpms or >1000rpms.

Top loading, or rather side loading H-axis washing machines are widely sold for commercial laundries in the United States, but they are *huge* and bolted into concrete foundations. Am also not sure they have the same final high speed extraction as true H-axis washers.

At some point large capacity H-axis top loading washers move from a sideways tub to a long horizontal one. It just is easier to load and unload that way.


Post# 451730 , Reply# 8   7/25/2010 at 05:19 (4,996 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands)        

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The capacity of the European H-axis toploaders is not much less than of the frontloaders here. An H-axis toploader in the same size as a traditional American toploader would probably be able to hold more laundry than the traditional one. Somehow Whirlpool is not willing to give them a try on the American market. Instead of that they keep pushing the impeller machines that seem to struggle with laundry a lot. I do keep wondering why Whirlpool doesn't bring one on the market, the concept does earn it to be put to the test.

Post# 451731 , Reply# 9   7/25/2010 at 05:21 (4,996 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands)        
Mark

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That GE Harmony video was made by our webmaster of his GE Harmony. It was done on a cycle that fills to the top, not a standard cycle.

Post# 451734 , Reply# 10   7/25/2010 at 05:35 (4,996 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)        
Foraloysius

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Yes but, Americans already consider standard European front loaders of having small capacity. Especially when compared to the huge top loading (with agitators) washing machines we have now. Anything with a smaller capacity would be a tougher sell.

Trend for H-Axis washers sold in North America has been >12lbs capacity. Amercian housewives and others doing laundry simply by and large cling to the their old habits of saving washing for one day of the week, and thus need to get lots of it done quickly. Small Euro capacity washers means smaller loads done ideally once a day or so, something American housewives have made known loud and clear they have no time for such nonesense.

As for Whirlpool; R&D costs being what they are, they probably figure Americans would accept something that looks more like the top loader they are used to, versus an H-Axis washer that loads from the top.


Post# 451736 , Reply# 11   7/25/2010 at 06:54 (4,996 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands)        
That is exactly my point!

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Whirlpool has all the patents and the knowledge to bring an uber capacity H-axis machine on the market. Instead of doing that they invest in V-axis machines with impellers that will never do a job as good as an H-axis machine will do.

Here's a drawing of a patent Whirlpool has. I think it looks great and would do well on the American market.


Post# 451767 , Reply# 12   7/25/2010 at 11:18 (4,995 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

SRSwirl: When the Duomatics were Bendix and 36" wide the electric drying models were always condenser type. Only when they went to the 27" Philco machines was there one TOL vented electric drying model offered.

Louis and others in markets where they are offered can maybe confirm this and perhaps explain this, but I have read that even the Miele 220 volt (naturally) combo is a slow drying machine. In the US, the fastest drying condenser combos, like the Bendix design had a good, strong air circulator to move the air in its circuit over the heater, through the clothes, through the condenser and then back over the heater. Westinghouse and Maytag are two that shared this feature, but they did not start drying with clothes that were spun to where you could not wring water out of them.

There was a 24" European condensing combo offered for sale by a dealer on eBay for a while. They claimed that the 220 volt machine offered not only a higher wattage heater, but also a more powerful air curculator to speed up the drying. I never saw times so I don't know how much the drying performance was improved. I think production on them stopped, but the guys who sold them really seemed to believe that the model they sold was the best available and offered comparisons to other 115 and 220 volt combos.


Post# 451781 , Reply# 13   7/25/2010 at 12:28 (4,995 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands)        
Tom

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The only 220V washer/dryer combo available in the USA was a Splendide IIRC.

As for the H-axis toploaders, I wasn't thinking combo. Yes, Equator's H-axis toploading machine was a combo, but most toploaders overhere are just washers. An American sized H-axis toploader combined with an American sized dryer would be an interesting addition to the American market I think.


Post# 451786 , Reply# 14   7/25/2010 at 12:44 (4,995 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

But Louis, does not Miele still offer a combination washer-dryer to the European market?
Thanks, Tom


Post# 451819 , Reply# 15   7/25/2010 at 15:55 (4,995 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands)        

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Yes Tom, they still have a frontloader washer/dryer combo. Actually two, a built in model and a freestanding one.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO foraloysius's LINK


Post# 451825 , Reply# 16   7/25/2010 at 16:34 (4,995 days old) by vivalalavatrice ()        
An American sized H-axis toploader combined with an American

E FINALMENTE!

I've been saing that for years and years and none to agree with me apart from you Louis and some other TLHA lovers like us.

I'm sure (really!) that machine like my Ignis would be largely appreciate in US obviously to be restyled but keeping that basic features they've got.

But I'm not sure a machine like that on the patent you've shown would get the the American market requirements...

We'll see...
Diomede


Post# 451826 , Reply# 17   7/25/2010 at 16:36 (4,995 days old) by supremewhirlpol ()        

I thought that LG had released a washer/dryer combo unit for US market recently. Is that true? Does anyone know the specifics about it?

Post# 451827 , Reply# 18   7/25/2010 at 16:41 (4,995 days old) by vivalalavatrice ()        
Europe?!

And it would be good for European market too to have machine like that again! Just like American way...

Post# 451849 , Reply# 19   7/25/2010 at 17:03 (4,995 days old) by mark_wpduet (Lexington KY)        

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So are you saying all Top Load (HE) washers have a cycle that fills to the top?

Post# 451853 , Reply# 20   7/25/2010 at 17:21 (4,995 days old) by coldspot ()        

Here is the lg washer/dry's

CLICK HERE TO GO TO coldspot's LINK


Post# 451854 , Reply# 21   7/25/2010 at 17:23 (4,995 days old) by coldspot ()        

Also here

CLICK HERE TO GO TO coldspot's LINK


Post# 451943 , Reply# 22   7/25/2010 at 22:05 (4,995 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands)        
fills to the top...

foraloysius's profile picture
No, I didn't say that. I only said the Harmony has a cycle like that.

Post# 453681 , Reply# 23   8/2/2010 at 05:57 (4,988 days old) by jaxsunst ()        

A friend bought a condo that had a LG combo. He loves it, but he's single, sends most things to the cleaners and only runs one, maybe two loads a week.

Post# 454427 , Reply# 24   8/4/2010 at 08:20 (4,985 days old) by volsboy1 (East Tenn Smoky mountains )        

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Mom loves her G.E. harmony she raves about still after years of having it.Its not the towel shredder,Norge 20 pound she bought before I was born.That washer was the hardest washer on clothes but that thing lasted till a family of 5 was grown and gone.That washer with that huge stra8 Vain agitator that would throw up water and lint I will never forget.It also had a blue thing that would fit on top of that agitator but Mom never used that.I don't see her using the clothes shaver now she used it all the time with the Norge.. The G.E. Adora front loader was the worst machine I have ever seen it couldn't clean even on the longest setting.So threw it it the truck and made a scene at lowes and came home with the harmony/L.g. not one thing has broke on it. That Video don't show the G.e. washing but for a min so your not seeing what it does the other 50% of the wash time.It spins out with the water in it and pulls the water through the clothes.This Harmony is a lot more gentle on clothes than the Norge but I would love to still have that old machine.They seem kinda rare to me..


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