|
Thread Number: 40838
Recent opinions on F&P Aquasmart / Aerosmart |
[Down to Last] |  |
| Post# 604253 6/17/2012 at 13:36 (4,320 days old) by mysteryclock (Franklin, TN) | ||
Well I managed to disassemble the back of my Nexxt dryer and reset the high-temp switch, which brought it back to complete working order...for about 2 days. Now I think it is starting to develop "Dryer Dementia" since it refuses to heat about every 3rd load, but works perfectly the rest of the time. It has been making a noise for a few years like a plastic playing card in a bicycle's wheels ("ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka") which hasn't impacted performance and which appears to be related to the drum spinning vs. the blower operating, but I couldn't find the source of when I was working on it. And that noise isn't getting any quieter. Add to this the fact that the matching Nexxt washer has starting make bearing noises every now and then (squeaks & groans), has a drain pump that keeps getting a bit louder all the time and occasionally refuses to balance and I'm starting to believe that the pair is about to reach their EOL after 6+ years of *very* frequent use.
So...I will probably be in the market for a new HE washer soon. I've been looking at HE FLs, but none were really knocking my socks off. I'd consider Speed Queen except for the fact that we have no dealers worth a darn in my area (local furniture stores with a few random appliances in the back, really!) and as a result I'm concerned about service, etc. Plus they are pretty spendy relative to the flexibility they offer. Quite unexpectedly I started examining the TOL F&P models and I find myself very intrigued. I know Dadoes is a big fan of their products so I'd be interested to hear his and others current opinions of these models, specifically the wash plate versions. I like the idea of a TL dryer, and especially one that reverses every so often since our Nexxt one can really "log up" a set of sheets in no time! I haven't had a TL washer of any kind since 2001 so I'm a bit iffy on that part though. My questions are: - How reliable are these models? Opinions online range from "awful" to "years and years with no problems", but considering the brand's reputation and the age of the designs I tend to think they'd be more reliable than other newcomers to this market. - Are they almost as gentle on clothes as a FL? Their cleaning performance seems to be quite good from what I've read. - I know water usage is somewhere greater than a FL but much less than a traditional TL. Has it been an issue for anyone in expensive water areas? - The TOL models seem to have a really wide variety of cycles with customized water usage levels for each. Are these genuinely useful or total marketing fluff? - How is the parts / repair availability? Our laundry room is very skinny so having a TL would actually be sort of nice, not having to squeeze past open doors, etc. I appreciate any and all feedback - thanks in advance! | ||
|
| Post# 604380 , Reply# 1 6/18/2012 at 06:06 (4,319 days old) by twinniefan (Sydney Australia) | ||
Aquasmart
Hi Mysteryclock, the Aquasmart gets many bad reviews here in Australia,due to a big linting problem.
If you go to www.productreview.com.au... and click on the reviews you will see what I mean. Sorry I dont know how to do links. | ||
Post# 604575 , Reply# 2 6/18/2012 at 16:47 (4,319 days old) by logixx  (Germany) |
||
Another source | ||
| Post# 604583 , Reply# 3 6/18/2012 at 16:58 (4,319 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia) | ||
Aquasmart products appear to get a pasting.....492 reviews and a rating of 1.8/5
CLICK HERE TO GO TO ronhic's LINK | ||
| Post# 604594 , Reply# 4 6/18/2012 at 17:25 (4,319 days old) by mysteryclock (Franklin, TN) | ||
|
Well the washerdryerinfo.com site is an interesting one. They seem to be very scientific with all their test strips and measurements, but then when you go to look at the actual stain removal results they would say "really good" when it looked just awful to me, or "as good as brand X" when it didn't' appear to be close. That could just be a photography thing with how they're taking pictures, but it was very confusing. For instance, their review of an Asko makes it look like it was by far the best at stain removal, but it ranks towards the bottom of the pack. Overall, I appreciate the info, but I can't always untangle how they reach their scores and conclusions.
Anyway.... I'd read the plethora of negatives on the Australian site, but it seemed really unusual that model that's been around ~so long~ could fare so poorly and still sell well enough to remain on the market w/o a major redesign. It is that logical disconnect which is confusing to me, which is why I asked you guys. A more general question - is lint removal an issue with TL HE designs in general, the F&P "family tree" of theirs, the Bravos and the Cabrios, or is it all a bunch of hysterics washing white flannel with black dress pants, so to speak? | ||
| Post# 604681 , Reply# 5 6/19/2012 at 05:51 (4,319 days old) by twinniefan (Sydney Australia) | ||
|
Aquasmart linting
Hi Mysteryclock,
I have no doubt that soem of the linting problem would be caused by some people loading and sorting incorrectly, however I also think a big problem would be an agitator/washplate washing system combined with small quantities of water resulting in constant rubbing and friction on the clothing. I understand that F&P advise people to use extra rinses or a higher water usage cycle to avoid this problem, but doesn't that defeat the purpose of being a high efficiency washer?. Apparently there is a similar problem with the Whirlpool Cabrio models. I guess with it being a popular model might be due to top loaders are still the higher sellers here in Australia and F&P are usually regarded as a quality brand. Hope this helps you. Steve. | ||
| Post# 604857 , Reply# 7 6/19/2012 at 19:32 (4,318 days old) by mysteryclock (Franklin, TN) | ||
|
liberator, thanks for your comments. Your comparison to a FL was especially interesting - stuff occasionally gets tangled in our Bosch FL but it is usually the longer sleeves /leg items, so I'm sort of used to that.
And your observations about lint were also helpful. I've often wondered where all the lint goes in my FL since I never seem to have much on the clothes unless I really mis-match the load, or unless my dryer is just amazing at getting it off (doubtful.) For comparison, at the place we rented for vacation recently they had a BOL & compact Whirlpool TL with an agitator, and it really kicked out the lint. I washed a (probably ill-advised) load of beach towels and swim trunks and the latter came out absolutely plastered with stuck-on lint. I've done the same load at home and usually don't see any. So I guess the TL form factor in general has me a little nervous in that area. One other question - do you or anyone else happen to know if the tub mounts in the F&P are plastic or metal? Most of the recent (hyped) press about "exploding" washers seems to center on the LG that uses plastic mounts, so I'm curious what F&P chose. The Cabrio and Bravos I ~think~ use metal ones...but fee free to correct me on that, anyone. | ||
| Post# 608681 , Reply# 9 7/6/2012 at 13:09 (4,301 days old) by Iheartmaytag (Wichita, Kansas) | ||
A co-worker has the Aqua-smart. She calls it a towel shredder, but my Nephew's wife calls her Kenmore (whatever it is) HE_TL the same thing.
Co-worker just had her drain pump go out, which caused the PCB to burn out as well. $500 repair bill. Here's the good news. She went back to the store where she bought the F&P looking to buy a new washer not of the F&P variety, when they said "wait just a minute" "I remember when you bought that machine five years ago." "Let me call F&P and see what we can do." Withing 10 minutes a rep from F&P offered to pay parts for the repair, acknowledged it was a mfg flaw that the PCB went out, asking her to only pay labor. I felt this was something very unheard of, Whirlpool certainly would never do that. So with the knowledge that F&P will stand behind their machines, even out of warranty. I would recommend one. | ||
| Post# 608861 , Reply# 10 7/7/2012 at 11:18 (4,300 days old) by mysteryclock (Franklin, TN) | ||
|
Thanks for the updates guys...I really appreciate the continued feedback.
Iheartmaytag, my wife had a late-90s Kenmore TL (non-HE) before we got married that was of the "Shredmore" variety - great cleaning but really REALLY rough on clothes. As long as the F&P is within the same roughness range as a FL (so to speak) then I'm fine with that. | ||
| Forum Index: |
| Other Forums: |
|
|
|
|
|
Comes to the Rescue!
