Thread Number: 36227
Reliability of GE top loaders
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Post# 539728   8/26/2011 at 11:18 (4,588 days old) by cleanclothes ()        

I'm looking for a top load washer that will allow me to select my own water levels and does not have an annoying locking lid. All of the Whirlpool/Maytag models I have found with adjustable water levels have a locking lid or excessively long wash times so I have taken them out of the running. The only washers I could find that do not have a locking lid are all made by GE. The washer that I liked the best was the GTWN4450 because it allows you to select your own water level or you can operate it in HE mode and let the machine determine the water level for you based on load size. It has a glass lid that does not lock so it should allow me to add clothes to it easily. This model hasn't been out long though and I was unable to find many reviews on it. Reviews that I read for other GE washers weren't very positive. I read several reviews which stated that their GE top loaders overflowed on them or needed frequent repairs at an early age. Do GE washers tend to have more problems than other brands? The only other washer I could find was a Speed Queen but their website says that there aren't any repair facilities in my town so I don't know how I could get any work done on it if needed. If GE isn't a reliable brand, does anyone know of any other top loaders that are still available that will allow you to select your own water levels and don't have a lid lock or excessively long wash times?




Post# 539781 , Reply# 1   8/26/2011 at 16:42 (4,588 days old) by mrb627 (Buford, GA)        
GE Washers

mrb627's profile picture
Be warned, the "SUPER" water level on the GE machines is just barely a half a tub of water. Be prepared to cut your load size in half.

Malcolm


Post# 539791 , Reply# 2   8/26/2011 at 17:20 (4,588 days old) by KenmoreBD (Mass, usa )        

Hey that's my washer!
It is a fun washer. Yes the super load seems to be a lot less then super sized, but if you load it just like any top load washer it seems wash a big load to just fine. How long will this washer last? 7 years I would think it is a nice washer but, they dont build them like they use to.


_Andrew


Post# 539792 , Reply# 3   8/26/2011 at 17:21 (4,588 days old) by KenmoreBD (Mass, usa )        

Hey that's my washer!
It is a fun washer. Yes the super load seems to be a lot less then super sized, but if you load it just like any top load washer it seems wash a big load to just fine. How long will this washer last? 7 years I would think it is a nice washer but, they dont build them like they use to.


_Andrew


Post# 539824 , Reply# 4   8/26/2011 at 18:51 (4,588 days old) by tgm8000 (New York)        
Good reviews!

If you go onto the Home Depot website the GE 4250 & 4450 have great reviews from people who have purchased them!

Post# 539907 , Reply# 5   8/27/2011 at 03:49 (4,587 days old) by alr2903 (TN)        

Beware of whatever model has the dreaded rinse and soak, my aunt reports it only agitates about 25 seconds for the rinse and then just rests until drain and spin.  She dislikes the GE  and complains that her towels are rough. A basement flood killed her norgetag. alr


Post# 540181 , Reply# 6   8/28/2011 at 15:51 (4,586 days old) by suds14 (Pittsburgh)        

My mother has the same washer with rinse and soak. She stays in the basement on washdays and after the machine fills for the deep rinse, she turns it back to the wash cycle so she can add fabric softner and let the clothes agitate for a few minute then she moves back to the rinse & soak to finish he cycle. The newer toploads just seem to keep get less rinsing features on each model.

David


Post# 540364 , Reply# 7   8/29/2011 at 10:15 (4,585 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)        
RELIABILITY AND GE LAUNDRY

combo52's profile picture

I am not sure that reliability and GE laundry should be used in the same sentence. But actually the short run reliability of some GE laundry products has been very good in the last ten years. But the fact remains that GE has not made any really well built ruggered laundry appliances in about 15 years now. All of thier laundry appliances are difficult and very expensive to perform major repairs on and as a result we throw lots of them away before they even reach 6 years of age. They are built to perform fairly well but not to ever do a major repair on, How many GE Laundromats do you see lately?. 


Post# 540986 , Reply# 8   9/1/2011 at 05:51 (4,582 days old) by retro-man (- boston,ma)        
Dont' tell me 6 years

I have a bol GE washer and dryer that is 6 years old. These are located in a hair salon and have been overloaded I can't tell you how many times. They are used for towels and sheets only. They have done on average 25 loads a week faithfully. The only problem was the timer died on the washer just after warranty expired. Replaced that and the back interior panel on the dryer. Someone put a plastic bag in by mistake and it baked onto the back panel so venting was compromised. The dryer is natural gas. The washer has the short stroke agitator. I have well gotten my money out of this set and they seem to work as well today as when new. Hope I get a few more years out of them.
Jon


Post# 541027 , Reply# 9   9/1/2011 at 09:09 (4,582 days old) by PassatDoc (Orange County, California)        

I had a 1997 GE pair. Worked fine until 2006 when the washer began leaking water. Repair company tried to repair it once. Began to leak again. They said the machine could not be fixed and to go get a new one. I suppose since it lasted nine years I shouldn't complain but it was a pain to go out and buy a new one. I would have been happy to pay several hundred to repair it.


Post# 541515 , Reply# 10   9/4/2011 at 06:19 (4,579 days old) by retro-man (- boston,ma)        

One other thing about the pair that I have is that I have never seen a washing machine that never and i mean never goes out of balance. I don't know what type of system they have set up but it always spins smooth and the machine never vibrates.
I can throw a mop head in by itself and when it goes into spin its like a load of towels, fast and smooth. I wish all washers had this type of balancing system.
Jon


Post# 541519 , Reply# 11   9/4/2011 at 06:50 (4,579 days old) by pierreandreply4 (St-Bruno de montarville (province of quebec) canada)        

pierreandreply4's profile picture
i know that speed queen washers and inglis washers (Classic models do not have a locking lids and you could also look into rebadge whirlpool washer brand roper or estate. like this model is one of the models with non locking lids.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO pierreandreply4's LINK


Post# 541589 , Reply# 12   9/4/2011 at 10:56 (4,579 days old) by KenmoreBD (Mass, usa )        

This washer never has gone off balance no matter what type of load we wash. It has to do with the way the ge washes. Changing the stroke of the agi, to make the load even on all side with in the last min or so of the wash. That plus the tub is not rigid like the Kenmore dd washer I have. So the tub rocks but, it wont rock the washer.

Post# 957813 , Reply# 13   9/16/2017 at 20:41 (2,375 days old) by dd850 (north carolina)        
BE AWARE!!

do NOT ever, EVER, buy anything with "GE" on it. I take calls setting up service for GE appliances, and they are worthless pieces of sh*t. GE gives a 1-yr. warranty, and MANY people call when their appl. is 13 mths. old. Many other people call when they've had an appl. for 4-5 mths., have had 3 service calls, and it is STILL not working.

these days GE gets its appliances from Haier--now, ain't that a high-quality brand?!

Buy either a Whirlpool or a Speed Queen---MADE IN USA!!!!!!!!!!!!

DO NOT buy a front-load washer--that technology has not been perfected yet. WAY too many problems need to be ironed out!

DO NOT buy a washer, or any other appl., with a digital control panel. Get one with good old-fashioned, tried-and-true knobs you can turn. Those control panels often come completely loose from the appl., and they cost almost as much to replace as a whole new appl.

DO NOT go to Home Depot and give them your hard-earned money thinking that what you are ordering will be delivered when they tell you it will. HD hires the SORRIEST delivery co.'s they can find, and most of the delivery teams do not have English as their native language, so they talk in front of customers in some other language.

i could go on and on about how sorry GE and HD are, but i got things to do!

if there was a way, i would have GE and Home Depot put completely out of business.



Post# 957854 , Reply# 14   9/17/2017 at 09:41 (2,374 days old) by wishwash (Indiana)        

I've always had good experience with GE appliances. There's a GE wizard washer in our family that has never caused any trouble since it was bought brand new in the early 2000's. The dryer it's paired with is much older than that and again, no issues.

Post# 957860 , Reply# 15   9/17/2017 at 10:47 (2,374 days old) by kenwashesmonday (Carlstadt, NJ)        

GE went to hell long before Haier bought them. The downfall of the GE major appliance division goes back to Jack Welch. GE major appliances are still made in the U.S.A., but that doesn't make them any good.

Haier is a Chinese refrigeration company that has been around since the 1920s. About 10 years ago I bought a Haier 5000 BTU window air conditioner for my kitchen simply because it was the cheapest one I could find, and I knew that life in the kitchen would be hard on it, but it still works like new, blowing nice and cold, and running nice and quiet.


CLICK HERE TO GO TO kenwashesmonday's LINK


Post# 957863 , Reply# 16   9/17/2017 at 11:38 (2,374 days old) by pierreandreply4 (St-Bruno de montarville (province of quebec) canada)        
after the holidays peurchuse a ge dishwasher and the model w

pierreandreply4's profile picture
after chrismas my mom and i needed to purchuse a new dishwasher and its a ge made in the usa very satisfied with it

Post# 957902 , Reply# 17   9/17/2017 at 18:40 (2,374 days old) by ptcruiser51 (Boynton Beach, FL)        
Inherited GE TL

ptcruiser51's profile picture
When I bought my house, the TL came with it and looks like it saw a lot of use. So far so good after four years. "Regular/Cotton" cycle is hit-or-miss, sometimes it will completely shut off during the cycle. I've switched to "Easy Care" and no problems. I just leave it set there and push the "start" button and that's it. I have noticed if I set the water level for "super" it does fill up completely, and also does a spray rinse after pumping out the tub before it goes into a fast spin.

Replaced the crappy BOL Roper Estate dryer after about a year. Took an eternity just to dry sheets or other linens. New GE electric model does a great and fast job. I set a kitchen timer for about 20 min. and pull out tees and basketball shorts to hang on a rack. They dry wrinkle-free.


Post# 957910 , Reply# 18   9/17/2017 at 19:36 (2,374 days old) by Yogitunes (New Jersey)        

yogitunes's profile picture
somebody forgot to take their meds today!.....

nuttier than a fruitcake....where's Ralph's eye roll when you need it?...


Post# 957959 , Reply# 19   9/18/2017 at 02:54 (2,373 days old) by qualin (Canada)        

I had a GE washer/dryer set that I purchased in 2004 after replacing the positively ancient early 1980's era Whirlpool set the house came with.

The washer worked well, but it tended to put L-Shaped rips in sheets. (No, I didn't overload the machine.) As well, right around 2010, after about 6 years of service, it started making loud SKRUNKA SKRUNKA SKRUNKA noises whenever it was washing. Common problem with these machines apparently.

Modern GE machines that use "Hydrowave" technology have had mode selector issues. I'm not sure if they've resolved these issues now, but Whirlpool approached it another way, which was far more reliable. I won't get into the technical details because I'm pretty much scared that I'll get some details wrong.

When it comes to wash times though, Speed Queen's top loader pretty much has everyone beat. No lid lock either. You can get them with the electronic or the mechanical controls, but the electronic controls have a better warranty and have already been proven in their commercial products.

The sad thing is though, is that Non-HE top loading machines are starting to become rare and no HE top loading machine is going to work all that well, at least in comparison to a traditional deep fill top loading machine.


Post# 958083 , Reply# 20   9/18/2017 at 23:41 (2,372 days old) by chetlaham (United States)        
GE

chetlaham's profile picture
Went from one of the best, to one of the worst in the mid 90s. They have improved somewhat in the last 7 year, but I still take Whirlpool and Speed Queen any day over disposable GEs. Their stack units are absolutely horrific from the stuff I am hearing, and if you are a service guy taking calls for those, I do not blame you for having those views.


Post# 958085 , Reply# 21   9/19/2017 at 00:02 (2,372 days old) by Maytag85 (Sean A806)        

maytag85's profile picture
I would never, ever would buy any washer and dryer from Lowe's, Home Depot, or Sears, and any big-box appliance store! The only good washer and dryer you can buy today would be Speed Queen! Speed Queen washers and dryers are built just as good as the old Maytags, and they work just as well as a vintage Maytag. If everyone decided to Buy Speed Queen as their next washer and dryer, all the other manufacturers would have to switch back to the old school design, to complete with Speed Queen, and a lot of people are beginning to learn about Speed Queen washers and dryer, and how they offer old school top load washers.

Post# 958118 , Reply# 22   9/19/2017 at 08:24 (2,372 days old) by mayken4now (Panama City, Florida)        
Anyone Ever

mayken4now's profile picture
Consider a Roper? They are so easy to work on. When they break down, you open the back door and through it out and go get another one.

LOL, Quote from an old friend of mine who retired as a 37 Year Maytag Dealer.

In my family alone, in the last 3 months, Three speed queen sets were purchased. The word is spreading quickly. Was thinking one should open a dealership.


Post# 958120 , Reply# 23   9/19/2017 at 08:26 (2,372 days old) by pierreandreply4 (St-Bruno de montarville (province of quebec) canada)        
i totaly agree with what maytag85 is saying

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i know speed queen started to sell again in canada and if like stated in the last post speed queen sell more than other brands like whirlpool ge or maytag these companys will have to compete to sell there brand and the only way to do this would be to bring back this line of washer dryer set as well as the classic ge filter flo washer credit to some of the members pic i am using as exemple

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