let me start off by saying i live in a largeer than average household. 7-8 people there at all times so the amount of laundry to be done by the end of the week can just about fill up the back of my dodge pick-up. this translates into 25-30 bucks at the laundry mat every week to run the machines and buy cleaning chemicals and dryer sheets. i've had my eye on this machine for a while now. once we finally saved up enough money to buy a used washer and dryer off craigslist i bit the bullet and ordered this as well as the mini spin dryer for only $130 shipped straight to my door and saved a few bucks in the process. this washer has been a dream come true i wish i had these 20 years ago real talk. despite being so many people in the house i manage to keep up with ALL the laundry simply doing 2 or three loads throughout the day. the washer does a reeeally good job of getting the clothes clean. here's my preferred method. i fill up with hot tap water to the middle mark. add a little liquid tide detergent. like maybe a tablespoon and the same amount in baking soda. give it a quick stir with the spoon kept in the baking soda box and insert clothing until all clothes are wet and come up to the water line. i turn the handle slowly about ten times to build up pressure then walk away. sometimes for 30 minutes. sometimes for 12 hours. when i finally return i turn the crank 20 more times, drain then rinse with about 25 turns of the handle then transfer to the spin dryer and start another load in the wash to begin the soaking cycle. also, in the rinse cycle i use cold water and one tablespoon of bounce fragranced fabric softener. clothes come out super clean, soft, and best of all smellin great. the only reason i got away with buying this set instead of a real washer and dryer is because i do all the laundry anyway so it really didn't matter what anybody else thought, i don't regret this purchase one bit and if it breaks i want another just like it immediately ordered pronto!!! i gotta have it. they make electric washers which are cool too but with my style of washing which includes 70% soaking inside of a pressurized capsule, this works out best to my advantage. Jeans, towels, bedsheets...no problemo. comforters will need a front loader but i'll cross that bridge when i get there. I'm not one of those environmental geek types but man i must admit...it feels good to be conserving power. another plus is i plan on purchasing a truck camper eventually which has a very small compressed living space in it. this makes it possible to boondock for days at a time with only one spare outfit on board. to those skeptical about being able to keep up doin laundry this way...don't be. if i can do it so can you. me and the wife work 50 hour plus weeks and deal with kids outside of work.once u see how incredible this machine works and realize u can do the laundry from the day before everyday and always have an almost empty basket you'll somehow incorporate this washing method into your everyday life. i spend total maybe 25 minutes a day washing rinsing or hanging clothes but my basket stays empty which to me makes it all worth it. normally id spend 2 hours at the laundry mat anyway not to mention sorting thru the clothes, hauling them up there hopin it doesnt rain and being away from home. its just an inconvenience all the way around.most people i tell this about is more less worried about what their gf will think and what others will think. My suggestion..f**k what people think and start saving some serious cash. i giggled to myself using this for the first time but after that wasn't nothing funny about it. this is one serious little machine and it does what its supposed to.


We bought the Wonderwash because we live in an NYC apartment with an expensive laundry room and we just had a baby who makes lots of dirty clothes. We've only used it a few times so far, and it seems to work pretty well. I used it while 9 months pregnant and within a week of giving birth and didn't find it too straining, although it definitely helps to have it on the counter instead of in the bathtub or on the floor to keep from straining your back too much. There are a few cons or areas for improvement that I've noticed, though.

-It would help to have some sort of markings on the inside of the machine to show the lines for a quarter, half, full load, etc., because that affects how much water you use (water fill lines would also be helpful). I know that is kind of a silly thing to say, since you'd assume I can eyeball whether the thing is 3/4 full or not, but I would love to know if my eyeballing is close to what the manufacturers are thinking, especially if that's going to effect how clean my clothes get. I don't weigh my laundry every time I do it, so they could give a little more assistance here.
-I wish the frame were a little sturdier. It really feels like I'm pushing it pretty hard when I'm spinning a full load for two minutes, because the legs are kind of shaky. I haven't heard of anybody saying it just broke or something, but I think they could stand to add some metal to the frame or something. That would add what, like $2 to manufacturing costs? I don't know. But I would pay for it.
-I wish there were a more efficient method for rinsing. It takes a while for water to drain out the bottom (when I rinse, I just tip it over afterward to get most of the water out), and I usually have to do it a couple of times to get all the suds out. Not the worst thing in the world, but I wish it were quicker/more effective.

Overall, though, it's so easy to use, saves us lots of money, and works pretty well. I'm planning to use it for cloth diapers once the baby is out of his tiny newborn disposables, so that will DEFINITELY impact my review. If I forget to come back for an update, just remind me, because I was desperate to find suggestions about whether this machine would work with cloth diapers & I only found one or two mentions of it online, so I'd like to help anyone else with the same question.

**EDIT FOR CLOTH DIAPER INFO**
We've been using this for about 6 weeks now with our baby and our cloth diapers and so far, it's fantastic. No issues with odor, build up, or staining. Same complaints still apply, but it's already more than paid for itself in money saved buying disposable dipes or doing laundry in our building's machines ($1.50/load). A few tips, though:
-We've only ever used Charlie's Soap, which is low-suds detergent and studies have shown it to leave little to no residue
-We keep our routine flexible based on the particular load we have in, generally meaning we leave room to add more rinses and sometimes mix it up with really hot rinses vs. cold rinses (not always the same thing)
-We use BumGenius Freetimes, which have suedecloth and microfiber, and they get really clean. I can imagine natural fibers would only be easier to get clean.
-Since it takes so many cycles, we often just flip the machine over to drain it instead of using the drain spout. It saves a lot of time.

Our routine is this (approximately):
-Warm rinse full of water for 60 rotations
-Super hot wash with .5 Tbsp Charlie's Soap and whatever amount of water is recommended for load size
-Same thing
-3 rinses (one cold & full, two hot with the amount of water used to wash the dipes; the order changes)
-Extra rinses as needed for non-soapy or clear water


I bought this for my family, as we live in a very small apartment with no available laundry. The laundry mat (for me, my husband, and my little girl) was costing anywhere from $70- $100 a month, and that still leaves the massive amounts of dirty towels and sheets and comforters that I never seemed to get around to... The product is really intended for singles, college kids, etc, but as a housewife with normal amounts of laundry (not to mention a baby on the way!) I am very impressed. In 30 minutes, I can wash and rinse about 4-5 loads. Of course, this was after trial and error, and learning to have everything at hand so I didn't have to keep getting up! But generally in that half hour, I may wash 4 shirts of my husband's, 3 of mine, 3 or 4 of my daughters, a pair of pajamas for each of us, several pairs of my husband's BB shorts, 2 or 3 of my daughter's school uniforms, and maybe even a pair of jeans. I don't find that it works my arm out as bad as some reviews mention, and the product itself is holding up very well... I do recommend putting the washer inside your tub, as you will get water everywhere when you fill it and empty it. I also find that the tube for draining does not work as well as simply dumping the water out yourself!

After trial and error, I found this is the process to use for me:

1)  Set washer inside tub. I put latex gloves on at this point, because I have sensitive skin.
2)  You pour in an EXTREMELY small amount of detergent. A tablespoon or less! And I use fabric softener, which I add about the same amount at this time. For whites, this is the time to add your  bleach. (But be careful between loads! You don't want any bleach residue left behind!)
3)  Dump a bucket of water in, temperature depending on the fabric of course. I generally fill it to the half way point. (NOTE: if you dump the water in AFTER the soap, it is easier to rinse later!)
4)  Add your clothes, one piece at a time, making sure not to scrunch them up. (For me, this may be 2-3 adult shirts, 3-4 kid shirts, and a pair of pants or shorts.)
5)  Screw the top on tightly.
6)  Start spinning! I count to 60, 2 or 3 times depending on what I'm washing.
7)  Take the top off, and remove the clothes. I set them aside, giving them a quick squeeze to help get the soap out.
8)  Refill the washer with clean water, no soap this time.
9)  Put the clothes back in, close the top, and spin again for 2-3 minutes.
10)  You should be done. Occasionally, I get a pair of sweats or jeans that holds in soap, and I give it another quick rinse under the tub faucet.

My issue comes in here, where I, of course, don't have a dryer. It takes me maybe 5 or 6 minutes to wash and rinse the clothes, but it takes me another half hour to ring all the water out, and THAT is where it starts to hurt. Right now, I have been ringing them out as best I can, then hanging the clothes over the heating vents or outside on sunny days to dry, but it takes a long time. Soon I plan to buy the spin dryer, and I'm sure that will help alot.

I also want to note that the product has to be assembled, and mine came with virtually no instructions. However, it is pretty common sense, and I got it together in about 10 minutes. The only thing I could not figure out was the metal 'keys' that came with it. Those are for either side, to place in the little holes and keep the unit from falling apart!


I purchased this beverage center to store my ever-growing beer collection in, and it is perfect for that purpose! I've addressed a few different items below to hopefully help prospective buyers (many of these have been mentioned in other reviews as well) -

TEMPERATURE -

The beverage center comes with an adjustable temperature knob. I would recommend following the instructions of initially running the unit at max cool temp for 3-4 hours and then turning it back to the 10 o'clock position on the dial. If you leave it there, it should keep the temperature in the mid to upper 40's while not requiring the fan/compressor to run constantly. Ambient temperature may affect this, but I have mine stored in a pretty warm  room. This temperature falls within the desired range for most styles of beer. If all of your beer is fizzy and yellow and you prefer to drink it ice cold, then you need to take a step back and rethink your life choices.

By the way - this unit does NOT come with any sort of temperature gauge. You should purchase a refrigerator/freezer gauge to accurately monitor it. I went with this model - Taylor Precision Products Digital Refrigerator/Freezer Thermometer

NOISE -

I have this beverage center sitting next to my couch in my loft / MAN CAVE. I can watch TV quietly at night and the sound from the compressor is NOT excessively loud or annoying. Also keep in mind, as I mentioned above - if you don't run the unit at max cool temperature then that will reduce the amount of time that the fan/compressor are running.

INTERIOR LIGHT -

Many people have complained about the warm white or YELLOW "old" looking interior light. I agree that it looks bad. Some have replaced it with strings of cool white LED lights. I recommend just replacing the bulb with a cool white LED bulb - one with an E12 size base will fit. I went with this model and it looks great - Rayhoo 2pcs E12 Base LED Bulb 104-SMD LEDs White Light 5 Watt AC 110V Lamps Equivalent to 40W T3 Halogen Track Bulb Replacement LED Bulbs,6000-6500K, 300-320LM

CARPET -

The door will most likely drag if you put the unit directly on carpet. You should use a piece of tile, wood, or small table to get it up off the ground. Something that is at least 15.5" by 15.5" will cover all of the legs. I used an extra piece of kitchen tile that I had and it works perfectly.

SHELVES -

You will need to adjust the shelves to fit your needs. In my case, I removed 2 of them and kept 2 in there. I use the bottom (not a shelf) to store bombers and extra-tall bottles, the middle shelf to store regular bottles, and the top shelf to store cans and short bottles. I haven not had a problem with bottles tipping or not sitting properly on the wire shelves, but if you do, you can purchase some mats like these, cut them to fit, and place on top of the shelves where needed - Flexible Chopping Mats 4 Pack


I live in an apartment and got tired of the washing machines here, being so rough on my clothes and delicates, not to mention the expense and running back and forth to the laundry room. I thought buying this Haier washer might be a solution, because most of my clothing, I prefer to hang dry anyway, rather than put them in the scorching hot dryers in my facility.
I carefully unpacked it  found that the bottom of the box is separate  so you can lift the box off of the washer without tipping it over and pulling it out.
Assembly was easy, however there was a problem with the base plate  it came with no screws to attach it to the bottom of the washer. Even had there been the 6 screws that they state are needed, I couldn't have used them as there were no holes on the bottom of the washer to screw them into. So, my washer has no base plate attached. It doesnt impair the operation of it  probably its purpose is to keep dust out of the workings of the machine. This means I will need to periodically check under it and keep it vacuumed.
It wouldnt work on the faucet that I have in my bathroom, so I took it into the kitchen to try it there. That was easy enough, but just be sure to follow the instructions about either leaving in or removing the little black rubber washer in the hook-up valve. Well, no matter how much I tried, it leaked and sprayed water all over my cabinets and counters. But no problem! I just draped a kitchen towel over it to catch the spray and I was in business. I stuck the drain hose down into the garbage disposal drain. It stays put when the water drains out, so no need to attach it to the water hose for stability.
So, after hooking it up to my kitchen faucet, I ran an empty cycle with detergent to clean the drum, as suggested. All went well. Time for clothes!
I set the water level to high and ran a normal wash cycle. Logically, you need to not pack the drum tightly with clothes. I placed my items loosely in washer and started it up.  The whole cycle, start to finish, ran 35 minutes. The spin does an amazingly good job and leaves the clothes ready to hang dry anywhere with no concern of dripping. The wash cycle is about 15 minutes but the rinse is short  about 2 minutes. The rest of the time is for spinning, filling, and draining. I would prefer the rinse be a little longer, but with my using liquid detergent, I haven't noticed any soap residue left on the clothes, so maybe it is okay.
Im very impressed with how clean it got my white things. My white, cotton shirt was sparkling white and it had had some make-up stains on it around the collar. Fantastic! The clothes get pretty twisted, so I have found that I like to untwist them after the wash and rinse cycle before they spin.
Finally, a couple more things it has a pretty quiet operation  quieter than my dishwasher. I also, saved the Styrofoam insert that came with it in the drum, to keep it stable for when I move it back and forth from a closet to the kitchen. It is on rollers, so moving it isn't a problem.

After Ive used it a few months, I will report back and let you know how it is holding up. As of this writing now, I have washed about 10 loads of laundry. I've found that it cannot be left unattended, so that the water can be turned on and then off when not filling. The water pressure may be too great to keep the water on when it isn't filling. (When the water was left on when not filling, the water valve shot off the faucet and stripped one of the threads on the screw part right off. I should get a new valve, but it works okay temporarily.) Also, it got off balance during the spin cycle once, and I was there to catch it immediately. I imagine it would be very hard on the machine if that happened and it wasn't stopped.


I got this for a Nostalgia Electric single tap kegerator. It replaced a 2.5" tower after a little bit of work to the top of the kegerator with a drill and some rivet nuts. The quality of the hardware components is all pretty good, and I'll be sure to test it out real well during the Super Bowl. I do have a few complaints with the kit, two of which were fairly easy to fix. The Y fitting on the regulator and the two shut off valves in it were fairly loose. An adjustable wrench fixed it up. The one valve was so loose that I was actually able to tighten it some by hand. The other issue is with the insulation in the tower, or lack there-of. It came with a piece of thin foam that looks more like it was packing foam wrap as it was an 1/8" thick at best. I removed it and replaced it with a piece of pipe insulation with an OD of ~2 5/8" that fit perfectly. The last complaint is that the beer lines are only 4-5' long, and the airlines are basically the same length. I didn't try to lengthen them yet, but will likely get some barbed couplings, clamps, and some more tubing later, but I will see how much the beer foams first.

2/12/2014 UPDATE: Used the system for the Super Bowl and had a few issues. The one side was not getting CO2, not sure if it was a regulator problem or something else. Found it a few days later when the line side pressure was 2 psi. Checked the connections and looked for problems, turned the pressure up and problem solved. A week later, my CO2 bottle is empty after maybe a full sixtel (likely less) of beer from the two kegs. Got my 2.5lb bottle filled and checked for leaks only to find everything at the "Y" fitting leaking. Both valves in going into the "Y" and the "Y" going into the regulator. I guess when I tightened them initially, it wasn't tight enough. The one valve I couldn't get to stop leaking, so I removed it and then all the teflon tape, then had to put more on, probably close to 10-15 wraps before it actually stopped making bubbles with soapy water. Checked other areas and didn't find anymore leaks, but time will tell if I actually got them all. Hopefully they're all fixed now as I'd like to not loose all my CO2 before the beer is gone. I'd rather give it 2.5 stars if possible after the latest issue, but I can't give/take a half star.

2/27/2014 UPDATE: Another update, and the rating on this kit has dropped to 1 star. The regulator that came with the unit is bad. On top of all the leaks from it, it just doesn't work. I could not get it to maintain a constant serving pressure. It would either get set at 8-10 psi, then a few hours later be at 30+ psi, or you couldn't get the pressure to go up at all. Sadly, it usually increased steadily, and there is now a mess in my kegerator as it forced beer out of the lines at the faucet when it was over pressurized, and the beer leaked down into and onto everything inside the kegerator. I contacted the seller, and the response was "we frequently have regulator issues, here are instructions to fix it yourself". Sadly, it took several tries for them to actually send the instructions. I don't see how you sell a product when you frequently have problems with the most critical piece in the product. Needless to say, after I finally got the instructions and took apart the regulator, there was nothing inside it causing a problem, so I put it back together, and would you imagine that it is still bad? Now I need to try and get a refund. Luckily, the regulator that came with the kegerator is fine, so I just swapped the Y fitting over onto it. If I could buy again, I'd go spend another $20-30 somewhere else and get a different kit from another vendor, as this one is not living up to any standard other than poor.


I had an old top of the line KitchenAid dishwasher that was 18 years old.  It worked great execept the top dish rack rusted out and I could not find the part to replace it.  My old KitchenAid was made in the good old USA and when I called KitchenAid to find the replacement part they told me 1) the part is no longer being manufactured and 2) hold on to this unit as long as I could because I will not be able to find the build quality like my old unit.  So I held on for another 2 years till the rack fell apart.

When the rack finally gave way - I had to replace my old KitchenAid.  After weeks of research I decided to purchase the KitchenAid KUDS30ix based on my fist KitchenAid experience on build quality. I was sold on the KUDS30ix front panel display, the fact it had a built-in food disposal, and a number of other features like my old KitchenAid.  Since I upgraded my old oven and went stainless steel - I also went for that option as well- stainless steel.  Out of the box the unit looked very nice, however I could tell by the weight and components of my new KitchenAid it was not built as well as my old unit.  After installation and the first run of the unit the water would not drain - the only way to get the dishwasher to drain was to hit cancel/drain.  That did the trick for a week and now the unit will not even drain.  Also, 2 blue lights are stuck on - "Hi-Temp Scrub" and "3-Ho ur Delay".

When the unit did clean my dishes it did not clean well.  It left a white residue from the dish-washing liquid.  I used a top name dish-washing detergent brand/pre-rinse and rinse-aid as suggested.  This was the same dishwashing detergent I have been using for years in my old KitchenAid and I never had a problem.. So the white residue I feel is not due to hard-water or dish washing products.

One of the great reasons to buy from Sears is customer service - I have to rate them at the top of list.  I called Sears about my problem and the next day the Sears repair man came out as scheduled and after about 15 mins he informed me that the unit had so many problems he suggested I should ask for a replacement unit.  However, he could not write that down on the work order because he is told to replace and order new parts and fix if if at all possible - per  Sears standards & procedures.  However because of the soppy water sitting in the bottom of the unit it had stained the stainless steel and most likely would not come out. My old KitchenAid of over 18 years looked better inside then this new unit.  The Sears repairman felt I had a good reason to ask for a replacement (Ya think).  He also did tell me that I had 90 days to return the unit and ask for a full refund if it was not working up to par.

I called back Sears customer service and they asked me to go back to the store where I purchased the unit "Great Indoors" (a division of Sears) and speak to a manager which I did to work out a resolution getting a new replacement unit. I was informed by the store manager that I would get a call from the installation/repair/delivery manager the following day.  The next day, I received a call from the manager and at first she wanted to repair the machine I said "no way" I wanted a new unit.  In the end she agreed to replace the unit, however I would have to pay for a re-installation because I did not use a Sears installer.  At this point I was so upset I just asked for my money back (under the 90 day return policy) and I asked them to pick up the unit.  She agreed and I'm still waiting for a pick up date.


I bought both the Infinity Pro Hot Air Spinner 2" and the John Frieda Salon Shape 1.5 Inch Hot Air Brush ( JF for short). Both are great products. The Infinity by Conair is rated #1 and JF is rated #2. I had a hard time trying to decide which to buy. Then bought both.
I wanted to share the differences between the two in case it helps someone else choose one or both. I love both products. The biggest difference is that the Infinity spins and the JF does not. The other noticeable difference is that the Infinity spin brush has very soft bristles. My hair is a medium- longish bob. The bristles are soft and won't just "grab" my hair unless I use the spinning option. It works great and it gives you the blow out look. The JF may not spin but the bristles are soft and they have some sturdier bristles mixed in which does grab hair very easily. It also will give you the blow out look. If you have shorter hair, the 2' Infinity Pro Spin won't really be small enough with the overall shape or size. I would opt for a smaller barrel. I believe the Infinity does come smaller. The JF 1.5" grabs shorter hair easily ( it has some harder bristles). It was used on my mom's hair because her hair is shorter. The Infinity worked too spinning, but a smaller barrel size would've worked better on her hair. The JF worked great. As I said, both are great products and I'm glad to have both. Mine is the Infinity and the JF is my mom's. So I have been able to use both and see the differences, pros and cons.
Both have 3 settings, high,low and cool. Both style very well. I have never been able to perfect the art of using a brush in one hand and a hair dryer in the other to dry my hair. I use the Conair styling hair dryer that has a brush attachment to "dry my hair".
Another thing is that both the Infinity and the JF work best when your hair is about 75-80% dry. Then you can fix any frizziness or curl with either product. ( Both my mom and I have curly hair).
I know this review is being written on the Infinity page, I did the same on the John Frieda review. I love how the Infinity spins nicely, and it spins in either direction which is great! It does not tangle and shapes my hair very easily. I can understand why it's rated #1. I love it and have had no problems. It's a learning curve, but an easy one. I used to have the Instyler, and I had a hard time with that one. Mainly because the tip got too hot. The tips or the ends on the Infinity and JF both warm up and can get quite warm. Thermal gloves work fine if you need something, but you can buy cheap gloves at Walgreens and they work just as well. I haven't found a need for either.
The only thing I wish the Infinity had was a few harder bristles mixed in with the very soft bristles. They would help in grabbing hair if not using the spin option. I wouldn't take off any points for that. As I said, both products are great! They both shape and smooth while styling! Both work great at the roots providing extra lift!
I hope this review helps someone make a decision if needed. Both come in different sizes which is good. Both work very well which is great!
I love the Infinity product and highly recommend it! Hope this helps someone!! I know I had a hard time deciding, and I'm glad I bought both. I do use my Infinity all the time. I do not use my mom's JF as often but she does use it and she loves it too! . Sorry I used the word "both" so many times!  :)
Thanks! I hope this helps someone!


I have been saving for a personal 5L beer keg dispenser after seeing all my 'cool-friends' with the Heineken Beer-tender, but the reviews on their life-span turned out to be true (they quit if you keep a close to empty in the unit for more than a day or two) and I wanted something that operated differently.

I love this machine for the most part, and am working on making adjustments to the parts that are a miss for me.  I love that it holds 2 x 5 Liter kegs and the accessories that come with the machine will allow you to use virtually ANY 5L keg style out there: Co2 pre-charged kegs like Heineken and Newcastle as well and any un-charged keg.  The fact that this is an actual fridge protects the item from conking out because of a no-load melt-down like the other dispensers I have experience with.

Now the misses on this unit; this is a fridge and it boasts a glass shelf to chill your beer glasses.  This is included and a really cool idea, however the shelf is way to close to the top of the chiller for anything taller than a shot-glass and so is pretty much useless for any practical use.  Maybe someday I'll find some glasses that fit in there but right now I just can't make it work.

Next miss, and this is the biggest one; the pour spout looks very large and so you would think the flow of the brew would be almost as fast as a bar tap. Unfortunately this was very far from reality.  The handle uses a 3/16" ID vinyl tube identical to the kind used in an aquarium aerator pump.  The pour is excruciatingly slow!  The tap handle works by pinching the tubing within the plastic spout but there is room for a slightly bigger tube.  Today I went to a local hardware store and picked up a 1/4" ID vinyl tube and installed it,(after sterilizing) this helped quite a bit but is still way too slow for my taste. The speed is slower than the included tap on a Heineken 5L for reference.  I will continue to work on this and it is usable, just a sticking point for me but NOT a reason avoid this machine.

The LED light is a cool idea, but that is about as much effort as they put into it.  The light can be seen if you look through the window, but doesn't light up the fridge interior unless all the external lights are off in the room.  In fact I forget it's on some times and leave the room because I can't tell that it's doing anything by just glancing at it.  LED's run cool and it's a great idea, just no follow though on this.

The temperature adjustment is very cool(no pun intended) and even though the fridge settings bottom out at 38 degrees, the fridge is normally sitting at 36 degrees making very tasty beer.

The door is not reversible as described in the product features, the latch is molded on the door and cannot be opened from the right side.

Co2 control seats well and is easy to setup and adjust.

Overall I am really pleased with this product and do recommend this to others as a more reliable alternative to the Beer-tender, but I recommend it most for those who are home-brewers and aren't afraid to 'tinker' with the tap handle to get a better flow.  I am most excited about the home-brewing aspect of this products versatility, as I myself have just started a batch of Oktoberfest home-brew and just ordered a Keg 5 Liter Party Keg with Tap for Homebrew and am beyond excited to have my brew on tap for my friends instead of passing out bottles.


This review is for the "Refrigerator Condensor Fan Motor for Sub Zero 4200740" sold by "partshouse".  (That's the way they spelled "Condenser".)

Our Sub-Zero is a model 690.  This fan motor works great for it.

It appears that Sub-Zero uses the same condenser fan motor for many different models, hence the proliferation of parts that come with this replacement motor.  My motor kit included all the pictured items.  It did not include a new fan blade.

Installation was almost a snap.  It was a very quick process to select the correct connector and insert the wires.  Then the only issue was to remove the old fan motor bracket with the fan motor and fan attached, swap the motor, and reinstall.  It sounds simple enough, but that doesn't mean that it's easy.  (Simple and easy are different.  e.g.  "Buy low and sell high" is simple but not easy.)

Getting the rearmost screw removed from the fan mounting bracket was probably the most difficult task, but if you are handy and have a good assortment of tools you should be able to do it.  It should go without saying that you should have the refrigerator turned off while you are working in the mechanical compartment.  I unplugged mine as well.

When all was said and done, I am VERY happy with this replacement motor kit.  I really can't say whether the fan is louder with the new motor or not, mostly because I don't think my original one was working all the time.  Do you suppose those reviewers who complain about the noise are upset because their old fan was off and now they have one that is turning?

We had two symptoms indicating that this fan motor might have been failing, but I didn't recognize that these symptoms indicated the fan.  The first was that the center wall between the refrigerator section and the freezer section on our side-by-side was hot.  Allison Cummins' review from 18 February 2013 mentions that this is an indication that the condenser fan is failing.

The other symptom was that we were getting "Vacuum Condenser" messages way too often, sometimes within days of vacuuming the condenser.  If I had thought about that for a while, I would have realized that if the refrigerant doesn't cool sufficiently as it passes through the condenser, the system assumes that the condenser is dirty and turns on the "Vacuum condenser" message.  This same condition can occur if the condenser fan has failed or is intermittent, even with a clean condenser.

So, if you see a "Vacuum Condenser" message more than you should, and/or if the center wall between the refrigerator and freezer is hot, you should be checking for a failed condenser fan.

A hint: While we waited for this motor to arrive our refrigerator was getting quite warm.  I bought a small $12 "personal fan" at the local hardware store and set it up to blow onto the condenser.  I also left the front cover off the mechanical compartment.  This kept the refrigerator working and we didn't lose any food except for the ice cream, which had already gotten too soft.  In fact, after I installed the little "personal fan" the fridge worked better than it had in months.

One last tip: I took a precaution to ensure that this fan motor never fails again.  I bought another one as a spare.  I'll store it right inside the mechanical compartment above the refrigerator.  The currently installed motor should work forever as long as the fridge knows there's a replacement ready.

This is a great replacement part for a very reasonable price.  I'm sure that had I bought one from an authorized Sub-Zero parts distributor it would have cost three or four times what I paid for this one.  Don't even ask what it would cost to have a service technician come out and change it.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

- Loren


Found this part leaking on refrigerator, refrigerator model number is ED25LFXHT02, I don't think this model number is listed in the description of the models this part fits but it is the right part. The Sears parts web site uses actual manufacturers part numbers so you can double check parts numbers there, most appliance parts web sites use pseudo numbers. I had no idea Amazon would handle a part like this but found it by accident and I am glad I did. This was by far the best price I found for this part. The part appears to have a better locking piece for the water tubes than the original part (the plastic lip is wider, easier to move with your thumbnail).

Reviewed the online videos on tips to replace this part. It came in a Whirlpool bag, genuine Whirlpool part, nothing loose in the bag.

I had spent an hour or two on the floor finding the leak and removing the old part, Amazon free shipping took about 6 days so no water on the door or ice during that time.

I checked with a local appliance repair place, they wanted $ 70 for the part and they would have had to order it also. They said the only option was to replace the whole housing, they also said this was a fairly common problem. I asked if they thought silicon sealant would work and they said probably for a few days, not long term.  I started to let them fix it but I think it would have run over $ 200 once I added a new water filter, trip charge, and labor. The refrigerator is 13 years old so after looking at the reviews on this part and the videos I decided to try it myself and I am glad I did.

Repair time after I got the part was about 20 minutes for this part. The water tubes are not long so I had to slide the housing part way in and work my hand in to connect the tubes, not easy but doable. There were no leaks on this part the on first attempt.

My refrigerator had a connector in front of this housing that connected two different size water tubes together to feed the water in the door feature, I had to take this loose to replace the housing. When I put it back together the connector leaked. The diagrams I used to get the filter housing part number did not show a part number for the coupler, but they are available on Amazon for about $ 4. The coupler used O-rings just like the filter housing and they were the same age so it is understandable they might fail also, especially after I took it apart and reconnected it.

I wanted to finish this repair so I took the connector apart and used a jewelers screwdriver to remove the O-rings and went to a local (good) hardware store and got new O-rings as close as I could match to the ones in the coupler. My hardware store also had an assortment of similar couplers, just not the reducing coupler I needed, if they had I would have just bought the coupler. I went home and put the coupler back together and put it in place and was thrilled that it did not leak.

The next day I pulled the grille off the refrigerator and rechecked, there were no leaks, I think this repair was successful.

My Suggestions:

Do not be afraid to try this repair on your own.

You might be able to take the old housing apart and find new O-rings to fit it and keep from buying the part. I did not do this but after having success with the coupler it might be worth trying that first. I hope I don't have to replace this part again during the life of this refrigerator but if I do I will try new O-rings first (now that I know how this thing works, it is just water tubes thrust into tight O-rings, the plastic part you push in to release just grips the tubes to hold them firm),

If you order this part and have a water line coupler you must disconnect to replace it consider ordering a new coupler for a few dollars to save yourself the problem I had.

Happy DIY'ing


After several months of studying this "pureWash" and after my wife firmly commented that we were not going to even think about buying one,,,,, I bought one.  When I unpacked the box and she could see what it was,,,, you know what hit the fan.  Man did I get the silent treatment.

After I checked the water pressure and temperature, 60 psig at 58 degrees F, I mounted the unit on the wall, hooked up all the water lines, turned on the power and did a flush on our LG 4.0 front load washer.  In just a few minutes I could begin smelling the ozone's.  Our laundry room is only 9' x 8' so the smell got strong quickly.  Luckily we have an exhaust fan and a window in our laundry room so I was able to remove the smell quickly.  I have even noticed a fresher smell through the house which is nice.  My granddaughter said "it smells like the Ocean."

Anyway, my wife has this blouse that has a stain on the front. She was planning to take it to the cleaner to see if the stain would come out.  I took this blouse and threw it into the washer with towel, t-shirts, p-jays, and whatever else was in the laundry basket.  I did treat the blouse with a Spot Removal product.  When the wash cycle was finished I removed this blouse and the stain was GONE.  My wife looked for the stain, none there, smelled her blouse and smiled but still not speaking to me.  Then I took a white t-shirt that was washed a few days ago in hot water with bleach and compared it with one that was washed with her blouse and said can you tell which one was wash in bleach and hot water Vs the "pureWash".  She picked the "pureWash" t-shirt as being the one washed in bleach and hot water.

Pros; Cleaner clothes, better smelling clothes.  No detergents, bleach or softener.  Occasional spot removal.  Drying time has been cut in half.  Better for the Septic System.
Cons; Made in China.  My wife is speaking to me again.

So if you have the correct water pressure, 40 - 75 psig and water temperature less than 70 degrees F., stop thinking about buying one and just buy it.  I hate to think about how much money I wasted this last winter on my gas bill while I was deciding to purchase this unit.

Update;  I have noticed that after several washing the smell has gone way down.  I hardly notice the Ozone smell anymore.  Must be due to cleaning out the washer.

After using this for more then two months it makes me wonder why the environmentalist and all of the Greenies are not pushing a product like this. Makes me wonder if they do worry about our streams, lakes and drinking water or do they only care about their donations. Shame on them!!!!  Lets be sure to buy their Mercury filled light bulbs.  I am sure that is going to be great for our environment.

A CONCERN; 2/10/14  I called pureWash about why the Ozone smell is gone.  When we do our laundry the cleaning is still great but the Ozone smell has disappeared.  The light in the window is still blue, have strong bubbles but no smell or Red light.  Well the engineer was helpful in telling me what to look for but went on to tell me that they would not cover my unit due to buying it on ebay.  When I bought this unit I filled the warranty card with the Dealers name and the date I bought it.  The next day I received this reply, "The warranty for your pureWash is now registered. We hope you enjoy the effectiveness, cost savings and countless other benefits of using pureWash Eco-Friendly Laundry System to clean your clothes and linens!"
If I new this unit was not going to be covered I would have sent this unit back within my time frame to return.  So before you buy, give these guys a call to be sure of the warranty.


Amazon says 5 stars means "Love it".  It's very hard to love a washing machine part.  This one isn't lovable, but it is an exact replacement, arrived in a sealed, legitimate Whirlpool carton, fits exactly, and is the same quality as the one that came off.  And, delivery was prompt.

Most folks have to change these because of a tear or chunk that comes off near the bottom.  The is happens because of the abuse that occurs when loading and unloading.  It's tempting to shove clothes in and yank them out.... we're all in a rush these days.... but that's the main cause of a damaged seal.  Be gentle while loading and unloading, and your boot will probably not be nearly as likely to tear.

Be forewarned that if your machine uses a teardrop looking trim ring, it's one of the parts that has to come off, and it's held in place by two curved grey plastic strips on either side of the door.  The trim ring is snapped in place, and it's very likely you'll break a few of the snaps.  Each of these rings is $30, and they're not available on Amazon.  In my case, a couple of them broke, but the teardrop trim seems to be pretty secure so I'm leaving it alone for now.

My machine is a WFW9750WW01 duet.  Most Duets are similar but there are some small differences.  Start by unplugging the machine.  The repair sequence is (a) remove lower front panel -3 screws, (b) remove top  cabinet panel, 3 screws located on the back of the washer  (c) remove trim ring (this is where the snaps break), (d) depress the blue tab and slide out the detergent dispenser, (e) remove two screws on either side of the detergent dispenser, (f) Unsnap the control panel and carefully fold it up over the top of the machine, no need to disconnect wires but ENSURE MACHINE IS UNPLUGGED--  if a wire shorts to the cabinet that would be a VERY expensive mistake, (g) open the front door and remove two screws that secure the door lock to the panel, (h) use needle nose pliers or a small flathead screwdriver to remove the spring clamp that secures the bellows to the front panel, being careful not to damage it, then detach the old bellows from the front panel, (i)  remove front panel, leaving door attached - 4 screws, (j)  loosen the worm drive screw clamp until you can get it out - don't damage this either, it needs to be re-used, (k) remove the translucent white detergent dispensing tube from the old bellows, again being careful not to break it since it's plastic, (l) look at the old bellow to be sure you are clear on how it fits, then remove the old bellow and discard, (m) clean up everything, especially the surfaces where the new bellows gets clamped into place.  Take some time and clean it well.  Any crud under there can cause a leak.  Now, reverse the steps to get the new one installed. Be sure to check that the new bellows is seating properly under both the screw clamp and the spring-loaded wire clamp.  That wire clamp comes off easy but can be a challenge to get on...extra hands are useful, and you will need to use a set of pliers or a visegrip to let you stretch the spring.  Be patient, be careful not to damage the new bellows with your tools, and don't overstretch the spring - stretch it just enough.  There are a lot of steps, so it will take a while to do this.  As mentioned earlier, the snap on plastic stuff is always problematic because after a few years the plastic gets brittle, so be careful.  If I had to do it again I would have those grey plastic curved snap strips on hand, but as mentioned mine seems be holding ok with a few of the tabs broken.  Good luck!  It's a very nice washing machine...definitely worth keeping in top shape.


Before I get into the details of my setup, I want to say I am very happy I bought this controller.  It's not hard to install or use and it works really well - but more importantly, I had contacted tech support at Control Products and they quickly helped me.  It was clear that they genuinely cared about resolving my issue.  They were professional, knowledgeable, friendly - just awesome.  It's not often you get that kind of experience when you call customer support and I can't say enough good things about them.  As it turned out, there was nothing wrong with the controller.  I had it plugged into a switched outlet that turned off when the room lights were shut off. Ugh, I know.

I bought this to control the temperature of my fermenting mead and beer.  I placed a small ceramic heater inside an upright freezer and the controller keeps the temperature inside the freezer wherever you set it (within a set window.)  Here's my setup:

Model: TC-9102D-HV
SP1: Cool @ 71
SP2: Heat @ 67
Dif 1 & 2: 2
All other settings are default

This creates an effective range of 65 to 73.  This may seem like a large variance, but it works well for me for a few reasons.  The ceramic heater still radiates some heat after it shuts off.  That causes the temperature in the freezer to raise another degree or two which would cause the freezer to turn on if the cool setting was set at a lower temp.  The 2 minute differential setting prevents any short cycle issues.  Finally, the average temperature works out to be 69 (my target temperature) and since the air temp changes much more rapidly than the liquid in the fermenters, the yeast do not really "see" the change at all.

For installation I used a drill and bit
a #2 phillips screwdriver
4 small sheet metal screws (not sure of size)
some wire to make jumpers
a 3/8" cable clamp connector
and some yellow and orange wire nuts

I got my stuff at HD

I mounted the controller on the side of the freezer using some sheet metal screws.  In the back of the controller there is a hole for wires to pass through into the freezer.  I drilled a hole in that spot -into the freezer- large enough for the temperature sensor wire and heater power cable to fit through.

I cut the ends off the freezer and heater power cords and fed them into the controller.  I used an Ohmmeter to make note of where the hot and neutral wires were when I cut them.  Using the cable clamp, I passed the freezer cord through a hole in the bottom of the controller.  This is also where the power cord for the whole setup goes.  I used a spare computer power supply cord and cut the female end off that.  Then I just followed the wiring diagram found on Control Products website, using bits of solid copper wire for jumpers and wire nuts as needed.  Others on here have said to reverse the hot and neutral wires.

Whew!  That's it.  Not too hard or expensive and works great!  I've got 3 batches of mead fermenting in the freezer and I've ordered another controller to do a second set-up.  Home-brewing is fun!


I recently spent many, many hours over several weeks looking for a new dishwasher to replace our 50+-year-old Kitchenaid. After research online and visits to stores, I would settle on one model only to change my mind after reading more user reviews online. I chose and unchose 3 or 4 dishwashers this way. Of course, even good products have a small percent of negative user reviews online, and this wasn't why I decided against the various dishwashers. At the beginning of my search, I was focused on the question of which features I wanted (`integrated' controls or front facing, hard food disposer, etc.), but eventually I realized that, given today's generally shoddy production standards, the key issue for me was: how well built is the machine, how long will it last, how many repairs will it need? From everything I read, it became clear that many dishwashers on the market that have wonderful features, that are wonderfully quiet and energy efficient, and that perform well on tests by Consumer Reports, are in fact made with cheap parts that do not last (often sourced from around the world for the lowest possible cost). The dishwasher can seem great at first, but after a few years the parts wear out, the dishwasher is not as quiet as it used to be, and it starts to require costly repairs. KitchenAid dishwashers, for example, used to be well made--several decades ago--but no longer. The same seems to be true of Bosch.

I did not want to spend $1000 on a dishwasher only to have it start breaking down in a few years. At this point in my search I took another look at Miele. I had originally dismissed Miele as too expensive, but I discovered that this company had recently released a new low-end model ($999 for stainless steel), the Futura Classic G4205SS, to compete with other dishwashers at this level. The salesman at our store said that Miele tested the G4205 extensively for 3 or 4 years before releasing it to the public to ensure that it would not have any problems. He also said that Miele makes all of its own parts; it does not use parts made by third-party manufacturers. Similarly, for installation, they insist on Miele installers.

The stainless steel on the G4205 has a glass coating to reduce fingerprints. The controls are on the front rather than `integrated.' This is what I prefer so that I can turn the machine on and see the status of the cycle without having to open the door. All other brands with front controls that I considered (<$1000) had a plastic panel for the controls (sometimes the panel is a silvery color to match the stainless steel below, but it is still plastic). In contrast, the G4205 control panel is stainless steel. Also, this dishwasher doesn't have the ubiquitous Hummer-style handle, which I never liked and which will probably start to look old-fashioned soon, once manufacturers begin the next cycle of making current styles look out of date.

I've used this dishwasher for a couple of months now. It is really quiet, the dishes come out super clean, the controls are very simple and easy to use, it has a beautiful, minimalist look, and it's very energy and water efficient. Best of all, I expect that it will last. The only tiny quibble I have is that it is smaller inside than my old KitchenAid; I've learned to load dishes in a very compact way but still can't fit as much into this machine. Some potential buyers might care (I don't) that after a wash the floor of the dishwasher has a bit of water on it (probably an energy saving feature). However, if you open the door a crack the water evaporates before too long.

In sum, a near-perfect dishwasher (for me) in a field filled with low-quality competitors.


I fixed my own freezer!
Wish I had known this info before I did it, as I would have saved about fifty bucks.

If you have a freezer that *isn't freezing*, it is often because it isn't defrosting. (The frost buildup blocks the airflow past the cooling fins.)

#1  The Defrost Timer ( Frigidaire 297318010 Defrost Timer) is VERY likely to give out eventually. It is just a mechanical timer, so it has a small motor that can go bad or its metal contacts can get fouled by the normal arcing that happens as it switches from refrigerate to defrost mode and back. This is super easy to get to and replace from the back of the refrigerator/freezer. It's about ten to fifteen bucks, so it's a cheap easy fix. (To diagnose, look for the little dial that you can turn. If you turn it, it will click and the freezer should turn off, then turn it just a little more and it should turn back on. If that happens, the contacts are fine. (If it doesn't turn the freezer off and on, then the contacts are fouled - so replace the timer.) If the contacts are fine, next mark a line on the dial and move it to the 12 o'clock position. Wait a few hours and come back and check it. If it is still in the 12 o'clock position, then the motor on the timer is dead, and you need to replace it. If however the timer has turned to, say, 2 o'clock, then the timer is still good and it is very likely that there is a different cause for the freezer to have stopped.

#2  This Thermostat ( Frigidaire 297318010 Defrost Timer ) is located inside the freezer, behind the bottom back panel, near the heat exhanger that looks like a radiator. (On mine, it was at the upper left corner of the heat exchanger.) The thermostat is fairly easy to get to, and you can replace it for about ten bucks. (Especially if it looks bloated or like it came apart at all, just replace it.) To get to it, remove the shelves, and unscrew the panel. Pull the dial for the temperature selector straight off, and unclip the temp selector from the panel. There will likely be a LOT of ice behind it, if you haven't already defrosted the unit.  If you still have to defrost it, unplug the freezer and place a fan inside of it (up on a couple boards to  keep it out of the melting water). Leave the door open and the fan going for a couple hours and the ice will all be gone, easily, except for the water all over the floor... I'd defrost it in the garage, or outside if possible.

#3  The defrost heater / heating element ( Frigidaire 216730700 Defrost Heater for Freezer ) is located under the heat exchanger, and is attached with some thin aluminum strips. It shouldn't really go bad, so I'd try replacing the above two items first. But if they don't fix it... well here's another forty or fifty bucks to throw at fixing the problem. Be careful with the aluminum strips that hold the defrost heater in place, and you can re-use them. (If they break, do NOT use a non-aluminum wire to hold it in place, or you could ruin your freezer!)

Other diagnostics:  (I haven't done these, but they came up in my searches and fixes.)
  If the fan doesn't run inside, that's a fairly obvious thing to replace, and looks to be pretty easy. Be sure to cycle the defrost timer to check it.
  If there is just not enough cooling, but there is no frost buildup and the fan works, then the temperature selector might be the problem.
  If the compressor doesn't run, there is a capacitor that I've seen come up as a replacement part.
  If nothing works at all - no lights, no fan, no compressor, then you might have had a power surge that blew out the computer board.


If you are purchasing this part then you feel confident enough in your ability to do the work.  In that case...  do yourself a favor and look at your existing fan motor before ordering.  This is for a couple of reasons:

1. You may get in there and find that ice has just built up around the fan housing over the years and all you need to do is pull the ice out and wipe it down (this was my case).
2. You will realize once all of your food is out and melting that this is a "universal motor" and you'll be sitting there staring at connectors that are nothing like what you need and a set of worthless instructions telling you to cut and splice wires.

Now, I'm actually pretty capable with splicing, soldering, wiring etc. but the instructions are WORTHLESS (see attached pic).  Black and white, tiny pictures, 4 point font and so blurry that you have no idea what wires they are even asking you to cut.  Then if you actually cut the wires?  No way to know what you are splicing into because the colors aren't even the same.  So I am sure based on current reviews that the part works great for those that just need to plug it in but for those with (probably older) models of this fridge, you are going to be standing there scratching your head while your food melts, squinting at worthless instructions.

For people wondering if they should do this:

 It is relatively easy!  All you need is a 1/4" nut driver and I had to use needle nose pliers to get to one of the connectors.  Take all of the food and shelves out of the freezer (place the food in a bin and pour the ice in your ice maker dispenser over the top, make sure you wipe everything down before placing them back in the freezer to avoid adding unnecessary moisture and ice back into the unit).  I do not recommend using a drill to re-insert the screws, most of the screws you are going to be working with will be going back into plastic so there is a good chance you will strip the hole.
 UNPLUG THE FRIDGE FROM THE POWER!!!
 There are two screws on top of the ice maker, just loosen them until you can push the ice maker up and pull it over the screws.  They are held on by brackets that look like ^ so the screws don't need to be taken all of the way off.  Push the sides of the power connector and disconnect.  Set aside.
 There are two screws on the bottom of the ice dispenser motor, remove them and put them wherever you're going to put the dispenser.  Lift and set on the shelf below it.  There is a connector that is in a hole in the back.  My fingers were WAY too big to get in there so I had to use the needle nose pliers to grab it and pull it out.  Set aside with the screws that go with it.
 Take all of the shelves and bins out of the freezer.  You do NOT need to remove the brackets that hold the bins that are attached to the wall.
 Remove all of the screws around the large metal plate on top in the back (the one with the hole you had to disconnect the dispenser motor), pull out and set aside with the screws that go with it.
 Remove the screws around the bottom plate just below it, lift it straight up and set the plate and screws aside.
 You should from this point be able to grab the motor housing and pull it out to look at it (or de-ice it if that ended up being your problem)
 See if the connectors are the same as what is shown on the site.  If you still want to go with this motor because of the price research how you will need to splice the connectors.  There ARE motors out there that will just pop in and connect.
 Reverse the steps to get everything back together.  I recommend wiping everything down (including the backs of the metal plates and the motor housing) to get all of the excess moisture out of the unit at this point.  Everything is going to be thawed and wet.  Now would be a good time to give your ice tray a good scrubbing and remove the calcium build up.


I think I need to review this item in a way I haven't yet seen, for those of us not experienced in converting stoves who have a little trepidation at doing so.
What is received in the kit is a baggie with maybe 15 orifices - small caps to be screwed on top of each of the range's burners.  And an instruction booklet, that's complete, but a little hard for a novice to understand.

There are described 5 main steps in converting the stove:
1. Convert the main intake from natural gas to propane, by unscrewing a small capped item in the back by removing the bottom oven drawer, flipping it over and screwing it back and replacing the cap.  Even I had little trouble with this one.

2. Screwing down the oven gas intake to convert it to propane (less gas is needed).  This one always stumps me, when plumbers say to "hand tighten" or "do no over tighten".  I understand the threads may be stripped by too aggressive tightening.  But, this is less likely with a retired grandmother (me) than with a strong plumber.  It took some effort to tighten this down low enough to limit the flame throwing of the oven burner.

3. Same for the gas intake for the separate broiler intake.  Not hard to do, just hard to get tightened enough to get the flame to the required (lower) length.

4. Replacing the orifices - the little pieces supplied with the kit.  It wasn't hard to remove the burner top and two screws holding the burner down, then unscrewing the orifice already in place.  Then matching the size on the removed orifice and replacing it with the recommended size in the booklet.  There were extra sizes, so a handful of extra parts.  They recommend putting the removed orifices in a baggie & attaching it to the stove in case you ever want to convert back to natural gas.  Good idea and easy to do.

One thing I read everywhere was to BE CAREFUL not to drop the new orifice into the stove top.  You cannot lift up the stove top to get the orifice back out (unless you remove all screws and undo the gas pipes to the burners - too tricky for me).  I had read about using a piece of paper towel inside your socket to hold the orifice and keep it from falling out.  It worked to a point, but, naturally, I did lose the orifice.  DISASTER!  Or so I thought.  I have a hint here that may be useful to others - if you lose the orifice, tilt the stove to the side nearest where you dropped it (to get it to roll to that side).  Then tilt the stove to the back.  Doing this allowed my orifice to roll to the side, then to the back and drop out of the area by the burners and onto the railing below the drawer where it was easy to retrieve.

After this, the stove has to be connected to the gas line according to the stove mfg instructions.  Then the stove burners are adjusted (mine by pulling off the knobs and using a thin bladed screw driver), to the lowest they can go without going out when turned to LOW.  And the oven and broiler both adjusted by adjusting the air flow (a piece above where you adjust them to limit the gas for propane in Steps 2 and 3) - to allow more air if the flame is too big (likely to be).  This has to be done after the stove is connected.

There are a couple of good videos on YouTube for doing this.  The included instructions were there and complete, but a little hard to follow where the actual adjustment was located on the range.

All in all, the was a great product.  I give it a five star because I, an amateur, was able to do it relatively easily (although with some trepidation).  And, now that it's hooked up, I love my new range.  But that's another review.


I received this much earlier than anticipated and began using it immediately.  I had read reviews and was nervous particularly about the packaging, but this had a Styrofoam insert top and bottom to hold it securely and the carton was closed securely using that hard plastic non adhesive tape that is used on large cartons.

Based on the earlier reviews I had read, I recommend you buy through the Amazon affiliate rather than directly as it is taking longer for (them_ to get it from warehouse to shipper than it did from First and Best to get them washer to my home..  So far it has proved to be very useful.!

I was getting ready to do a Laundromat run when it arrived so I have done two to three small load each day since it arrived.  I would be doing more, but since I am still waiting on the spin drier, my hands get tired wringing out the clothes and I have limited hanging space.

I use it in the bathroom,since I have a hand held shower to use to fill it.  It came with a second hose for filling with a small spring style hose clamp.  Until I get some better set up, I used the hose clamp to secure the flared end of the second hose to the end of the drain hose to make it longer so that it doesn't flip out of the tub when draining.  I do check that it is secure before each use.  I just put the other end of the hose on the fill spout when I am washing clothes,.

This actually works very well for me as I wear a lot of intense colors and always had to make the choice between combining my dark colors or doing hand wash.  The first few washes were revealing as a lot of dye STILL came out and some of these clothes are over a year old.

I do find that doing a lot of small loads works better for me than cramming the machine full.  Since it is the motion of the water going through the clothes that does the cleaning, I think I get cleaner clothes and the machine works more quietly.  I did discover just how much the water moves when I did a lot of whites and the bras were all tangled in with the underpants.  Now I do them in two loads and I get a lot less tangles (also fasten the bras before washing - it helps!)

Some people complain about no spin cycle but I did read the reviews and knew that.  My grandmothers both used old wringer washers when I was younger and I just follow their example.  Starting with your lightest colors (unless you use bleach), wash your least soiled clothes first, take them out of the soapy water, set them aside to be rinsed.  Next load is slightly more soiled (or heavier) clothing. i usually do two or three small loads using the same soapy water.  Then I drain the water, and start again with rinsing.  Since these are mostly work clothes and I work in an office, they don't get too dirty.

Do be careful when washing towels as the agitation really stirs up the lint and can get under the impeller.  I found that agitating for a few minutes, soaking for an hour or two, then re-agitating for a few minutes generates less lint than a long constant agitation.

Because I don't overload the washer, I find it easy enough to life the washer, water and all, to the vanity to drain and try to drain into the toilet so that the lint and soap scum don't clog the pipes for the sink and tub.  Then I set it on top of the toilet to fill again, and then place it on the floor to go through the wash cycle.  My bathroom layout is such that the cord isn't long enough to place the washer in the tub to do its thing.  That would be ideal.

As long as you are not tempted to overload the washer, whether with clothes, soap or even too high a water level, it is pretty quiet.  I have only had it a short time, but if it doesn't hold up, I will update my review.

I decided to also purchase a centrifugal spin dryer to make laundry day go more quickly


This is the best range I've ever owned. I've had it for just a bit over a year now; we purchased this after moving into a new home to replace the existing electric cooktop. We principally use cast iron for cooking, which doesn't perform nearly as well on electric ranges as it does over gas. Previously I'd used a 5-burner, in-counter GE Profile range with an enamel finish on both the cooktop and the pot stands with a separate wall-mounted electric oven.

Here are the primary reasons I really like this product:

First, the amount of space on the cooktop beats anything else available in a 30" width. I personally don't use the central burner very much, except very occasionally as a warmer when preparing large meals, but the presence of that central burner means that the other burners are moved outward somewhat, which means that each primary burner has room for larger pots. I can have a large stock pot and a 13" cast iron skillet side-by-side on the front burners and still have the back burners usable for pans up to about 10".

The griddle that comes with the stove is made of teflon-coated aluminum, which I prefer not to use. Instead, for a griddle, I have a large piece of 5/16" steel plate with a rim and a pair of handles welded to it which I place across both burners on the left hand side, which can be adjusted to put out about the same amount of heat. When well-seasoned, this plate beats basically any griddle you can buy in terms of heat stability and evenness of cooking.

Speaking of seasoning, the cast-iron pot stands are another one of my favorite features. As I mentioned before, previously I'd had a stove with enamel-coated pot stands, which were forever looking grimy and scratched easily in cleaning. The cast-iron stands, however, season up like any other cast-iron implement and don't show stains at all. As with most cast iron, never wash these with soap; simply use a rough scrubbing pad and hot water to remove any spills or spatters.

Similarly, the stainless steel cooktop cleans up great. I just wipe it down every few days with a rag, give it a spray or two of stainless steel cleanser, wipe it off and it looks as good as the day it was purchased. I haven't had any trouble with scratches. I'm sure it would be possible to cook spills on to this surface if you really tried, but if you clean up after cooking there's no issue.

Contrary to some reports that I read when purchasing the range, all of the front knobs *do* come off for cleaning. They come off by pulling directly out, without twisting; it is, however, a little hard to get a sufficient grip on them because of their shape. After taking them off a couple of times, though, they come off quite easily.

The double oven feature is also great; the lower oven is good for pizzas or roasting hors d'ouvres (bacon-wrapped meatballs and bacon-wrapped dates are common in our house) and I use the oven for baking bread and making roasts using the probe on a weekly basis. The temperature control is excellent and the probe-based cook option makes doing a perfect pork shoulder roast as simple as turning the oven on and setting the probe to 155F.

Finally, while this won't make a difference to many, it's even relatively straightforward to take this range apart. I was forced to do so after a mouse that had gotten in to the house through the new hole that we'd drilled for plumbing the gas pipe to the stove climbed up into the range and expired after touching an ungrounded transformer behind the instrument panel. To clean up the mess, I had to completely remove the back, sides, and top of the stove, the instrument panel housing, and more. It was a bit of a job, but the whole thing is put together with torx screws and as long as you keep track of your steps and label everything carefully all the pieces will just lift apart, giving you full access to all of the components should you need to access to replace anything (or get in to deal with a mouse corpse.)


To give you a perspective of where I'm coming from, I previously had a 48", 8 burner, double oven Viking range. After moving, I only had room for a 30" range.

Pros:

-Looks good,  This is a freestanding range, not a slide in, but it doesn't have a back piece that sticks up.  I hate the way those look.  You also have to reach over hot burners to get to the controls on most ranges that have the back piece. This is the only range with 2 ovens that is like this except for the Electrolux which is dual fuel and requires a 220 line.  The top of the stove (under the burners) is stainless also. On most ranges it is black even if the front is stainless.

-Huge amount of oven space for 30".  It has more than my 48" Viking had.

-Lower oven preheats to 350 in 8 minutes, which is pretty fast.

-2 powerful burners.  They are higher BTUs than the Viking burners. The left front power burner can also can go down very low- almost like a candle for anything very delicate.

-Electronics. Most ranges have most of these, but the "professional" ranges like Viking do not.  This includes timer, temperature probe cooking, delayed start, etc.

-Lower oven has an electric element on the ceiling to produce more even heat than just the gas burner on the floor.  Not sure how this affects usage costs (electric costs more than gas almost everywhere in US for ovens).  It is not 220, so maybe the draw isn't than much.

-Self cleaning.  Yes, even cheap ranges are self cleaning now, but some professional are not. My Viking wasn't.

-Ball bearing rack. It moves very smoothly.

Cons:

-There is only 1 ball bearing rack in the lower oven. The other 2 (1 in upper, 1 in lower) are standard racks. For this price of stove, it would have been nice for them all to be ball bearing.

-The middle oval burner is not very powerful.  It works fine with the included griddle for pancakes, etc., but you can't generate enough heat for many things.  If I put my cast iron grill/griddle over it (after replacing the griddle with the grate included), it doesn't get hot enough to do a good sear.  Griddle is non-stick and will wear out in time.  I use the grate instead of the griddle. It looks better and gives you a place to move hot pots/pans.

-The lower oven is low to the ground. If you use the upper rack, it is fine. If you use the lower, it is awkwardly low. I try and use the upper oven and middle lower oven racks mainly, so not a big issue.  If you are old, have back problems, etc., take into account that the bottom of the lower oven is almost at the floor.

-The upper oven can handle pizzas, casseroles, veggies, etc.  You can't put anything more than probably 6 inches high.  You can't roast a whole chicken.  I think for most people, that is not a problem as you have the lower oven which is pretty big.  Use the upper for sides, keeping food warm, etc. The broiler is in the upper oven also.

-I wouldn't have minded another power burner. The 2 back burners are pretty low output.  I guess 2 powerful burners is pretty good.

Other notes:

-The noise from the fan is nothing. Those that complained have super hearing or a defective stove.  It is more quiet than my Bosch dishwasher.

-If you like to bake bread, use the lower convection oven. Do your final rise of the dough in the upper oven which will be warm, but not hot from the preheating of the lower oven.


I don't understand all the negative reviews here. When I bought my Cabrio about 5 1/2 years ago, it was one of the highest rated machines by Consumer Reports. I don't always agree with or go by their ratings in some things, and they can overlook problems, but they seem to have a pretty good testing system for washing machines. As mentioned, I've had it about 5 1/2 years, and I have not had a single repair problem, although I only need to do laundry about once a week. I usually use it set on Normal, but I may try Casual now, as one reviewer mentioned it gives it more water. However too little water has not been a problem. I have a white machine with a clear top, so I have watched the mechanism in action as it's washing clothes, and even in the Normal setting it does wet and rotate clothes in the wash. At first I didn't realize it needed HE detergent, but no harm was done and once I switched to HE detergent the clothes seemed even cleaner, about as clean as with an old Kenmore with a traditional agitator used in my previous residence. It seems like the agitation used in cabrio is gentler on the clothes, from observation of the action and perceived wear to my garments. More recently I started adding non-chlorine bleach (hydrogen peroxide). I always run the extra rinse cycle, just to make sure the detergent is rinsed out completely--I did that with my previous machine and would do that no matter what machine I used.

I thought the washer may have been eating some socks, as I was missing about 4 or 5 mates, but I recently found several, including one long-lost one, so it wasn't the machine. I don't know if most modern machines have this, but I like the load balancing mechanism--I assume that's what it is--which gives the load a few spins at first, stops the drum short, and a balancing weight slides into position. If there are too many clothes, at some point in the wash cycle the machine stops, drains the water, shuts itself off and gives its shut-off beeps. The LCD screen reads oL, which means overload, so you need to take out one or more pieces of clothes and start the wash over with more detergent (it shuts off before the bleach is added, so that doesn't need to be replenished). This only happened for the first time in the last year, and only a few times.

I think most of the problems people have with the machine (I can't speak to repair problems, as I've never had any), is that they are not used to the agitation mechanism and wash action, expecting it to fill the tub, and don't understand it. When Consumer Reports did one of their wash tests, which is to leave the clothes in the washer, for a period of days, I think, to see if any mold or odors developed, the Cabrio did fine in that regard, an indication it was thoroughly cleaning the clothes, and I have never experienced any odors in machine.

PS My model, being from 2009, may be a little different than the ones reviewed here, as someone mentioned a Sanitize setting, which mine doesn't have, but I believe it's basically the same model, 4.6 cu. ft., stainless steel drum, clear top, etc.

PPS it's now January 16, 2016, 11 months after I wrote this review, and the problem with the overload shutting the machine down and having to remove a garment, which is not fully spun dry, is happening almost every time now, and I'm not putting any more close in that I did before this started happening about two years ago. Researching the problem it seems this is a known issue, probably related to either corrosion or rust on the driveshaft, or the nut on the bottom which holds the assembly together becoming loose and falling off--this assembly is usually designed with the nut of the top to avoid this problem. It could also be a control panel or sensor problem.


I purchased this washer in January 2010 and was initially happy with the way it cleaned and I liked the top loader without an agitator so it could handle bulky items.  The first year was great and the high speed spin cycle got the clothes almost dry so that very little time was spent in the matching gas dryer.
January 2011 was my first service call, a week after the manufacturers warrantee expired.  Fortunately for me the day I purchased it the unit was on sale for $100 less than I was expecting to pay and I was talked into the extended 4 year warrantee for $79.  I don't usually purchase these warrantees but did this time because it was lower than my budgeted total cost.  Best money I have ever spent!  The January 2011 service call was a covered item, a control board part that cost around $250.  Since then we have had several service calls, another replaced control board, other misc. parts I don't know and several weeks ago it started getting the dreaded UL (unbalanced load) code on a regular basis, to the point a load would have to be rinsed at least 3 times before it would cycle thru to the end and finally it wouldn't do the final rinse with a constant UL code.  I ran the washer with nothing in it because the warrantee company said it wasn't a warrantee issue but I didn't know how to load the machine I've had for almost 4 years.  I still got the UL code so another call to the service center to schedule an appointment.  Based on this information they diagnosed the problem, ordered parts and scheduled an appointment a couple of weeks out.  Service tech comes and it's not the problem diagnosed over the phone but a major bearing, the motor and other expensive parts.  Again at least it's not costing me money, but I will be without a washing machine for almost a month before this worthless POS is working again.  It's less than 4 years old and it's been one of the worst appliances I have owned;  the service tech told me that major appliance like this have a 5 year life span these days, not what I would expect from a $1,000 item and I didn't even get close to that without major problems, in fact I made it only to 53 weeks.
We had constant problems with an oversudsings error code, using the HE detergent; LD - long drain issues where the unit would shut down and not drain properly and UL codes over the years.  Advice from service techs always seemed to be a problem other than the manufacturer design and quality, one tech said the LD issue and oversudsing was the HE detergent we were using (not a bargain no name brand but a leading company) the next tech said the current brand we switched to was the issue and recommended the original detergent we had been using.  Is someone kidding!  When we had LD - long drain issues - there would be a definite foul odor from the machine that didn't make you feel good about putting normal soiled clothes in a cleaning machine that smelled so foul.
I will not spend any of my money on servicing this machine and the next issue will be the last one I deal with.  Nor can I recommend anyone purchase it, at any price this washing machine is not worth the aggravation of a poor design, with a good concept, and obviously poor quality.  I'm not sure I'll buy another Whirlpool product.

Update - Jan 2014 - When the service tech came out with the replacement parts from Whirlpool the replacement part was broken and the machine couldn't be fixed again.  Another delay and reordering of the part, this time the service company promised me that they would inspect the part prior to having a tech come to my house.  They did and the second part from Whirlpool was broken also.  It's bad enough to have a broken appliance, but to have two defective replacement parts sent was the last straw. I have a new non-Whirlpool washing machine.  The first month has been good and I did purchase an extended warrantee.  Other brand names from the same parent company of Whirlpool include Maytag, KitchenAid, and I understand also they manufactures for the Sears Kenmore line so they were all excluded from being purchased.


I love my EdgeStar countertop dishwasher! It is about the size of the microwaves of 1980s, so it isn't huge like a built-in, but it isn't tiny/mini either. I would venture to guess there is about the room of the bottom level of a full-size dishwasher.  It is a perfect size for my husband and me, and it would be perfect for any mobile home or apartment.  I've had it about 1 month, and it is THE best appliance we'd ever purchased. I was skeptical at first because I couldn't go into a store and touch it and look for myself before we decided to buy one. We had no problem hooking it up [and you can go online YouTube for a tutorial to watch how simple it actually is].  We have very hard water, and all I use is one Cascade action pac and I just place it into the soap container and shut the lid of the soap container. I use JetDry rinse agent, which you take the lid off, pour into the specified spot, and replace the cover [the directions state that the container should be refilled every month for great results]. I have no spots on any of my dishes and flatware at all.  I always rinse off my dishes before I place them into the unit, because that is how I am. [If I ever wanted to hire a housekeeper, I would clean house before she came, too.] I don't wash my pots and pans in the EdgeStar, I prefer to wash them by hand. I usually wait until evening to wash dishes, because there is just my husband and me. The last rinse is heated in the dishwasher [there is no heating coil like in the large dishwashers], so when the dishwasher drains for the last time, it will beep 8 times, and the LED reading shows the minutes you had chosen for washing--it will not say DONE or FINISHED, so don't wait for it  I just open the door a couple inches, go to bed, and in the morning everything is dry, spotless, and ready to put away. I washed a load, earlier than usual yesterday afternoon, and after the wash was finished, I cracked the door open, and about 1 hour or so later, everything was dry and ready to put away. After I put the dishes away, I always take out the filters at the bottom of the unit and rinse them off, as the directions state to do.  I take a microfiber towel to sop up some of the water that naturally sets under the filters following a wash, and I use that wet towel to wipe down the inside of the dishwasher, my stove, countertops, and sink, as there is some of the JetDry mixed into that last water. Everything I wipe stays spotless and shiny, as well. I love it!! After I put dishes away, I always leave the dishwasher door ajar because there is naturally a bit of water setting under the filters. Something to note: As the JetDry bottle nozzle is too short, and I found I did more spilling around the "rinse agent", I went to the DollarStore and picked up one of those plastic red/yellow mustard/catsup containers that you refill and take on picnics.  I just emptied the JetDry into the plastic mustard container and affixed the little tab that is attached to the purchased container,  to keep the opening covered. It works great! The nozzle is long enough that I don't spill as I refresh the rinse agent into the container. I hope that this has been a help to you. It is easy peasy and the dishes are beautiful and spotless and I couldn't be happier.  For 16 yrs my husband has poo-poo'd getting a dishwasher until I mentioned seeing this EdgeStar on Amazon.com.  We live in a mobile home and we just didn't have room for a huge rolling unit and I didn't want to give up cupboard space for a unit. He liked the idea, checked out ALL of the comments on Amazon.com, and agreed to get it. We purchased the SmartGuard Protection insurance, as well.  If anything ever happened to my EdgeStar, I would purchase another one in a heartbeat! You will not be disappointed.


I just got rid of the worst washing machine that I have ever had.....Whirlpool duet steam 4.5 cubic feet side load machine. Initially, it seemed like the perfect washer, but it was TERRIBLE! Clothes were stinky and would not get clean (no water), the cycle times were ridiculously long and the machine broke several times and it cost over $300 each visit.  None of the features worked.  So, I wanted to get a non-HE machine that had no electrical components or error codes that would not break down.  I wanted a machine that actually had an agitator in the middle, used regular laundry detergent, would fill with water and didn't need to be cleaned with afresh every 3 weeks.  I also wanted a washer that had a hand wash and delicate cycle.  So after doing a lot of research, I found the perfect machine.  All of the stinky clothes that were never washed properly are now clean and smell great.  Out of all the other speed queen models, the AWN 542 is the only machine that has a fabric selector that has a regular, perm press, knits, delicate options and a cycle selector which has (regular [with pre-wash option], perm press, delicate, hand wash and soak). The tub is stainless steel and large enough for my needs at 3.5 cubic feet. This model also comes with an extra spin switch that you can turn on or off.  Other reviewers are correct in that the washer does not fill all the way to the top (it fills to just over 3/4 of the way full), this is a restriction created by the government to conserve water.  You can fill the tub to the top by using the refill option, but you must twist and hold it until it fills all the way to the top.  Make sure to note that there is no sensor that will tell you when it is full (and the water will not automatically stop) or more importantly when it is too full, so be careful. During the spin cycle you must do the same thing if you have a large load in there (hold the refill button to fill to top).  There is a way to over-ride this annoying feature - you can search on youtube - I haven't done it yet, but plan to.  The wash times are very short and the machine is very powerful. I am so used to my old piece of junk whirlpool that took 1 hr 30 minutes for a normal cycle, that sometimes I wish there was a longer cycle option available (there is pre wash), but I am sure that is just my own paranoia.  For heavy soiled clothes/loads, after the water fills and I added the detergent, I pull the lid open (this will pause the washer) to allow the load to soak before I start the cycle. Everything is manual on this machine - but very well made and commercial grade which is exactly what I wanted.  There are no buttons and gadgets - it's a pretty simple machine that is not fancy to look at.  If you like a lot of gadgets and buttons, this will likely not be the machine for you.  I love how well it cleans my clothes, the short cycle times and being able to control the amount of water that i want in each load (and the option to add more water if I need it).  It is true that the rinse cycle is always cold - there is no way to change this which is the only downfall of this machine and all speed queen machines from what I understand.  I do notice that if I wash any of perm press items (gym clothes, blouses) with anything cotton it attracts lint very easily and sticks to the fabric.  Aside from that, I absolutely love this machine and think you will too.  I also bought the speed queen dryer ADG4BR (gas) it's 7 cubic feet and is amazing!


When my GE profile gave up the ghost after 14 years, I had to search for a replacement washer.  As others have noted, the so-called new HE top loaders and the front loaders are, quite simply, five star pieces of junk.  Imagine replacing a control panel after 2 years, dealing with mold along with numerous "fault codes!".

Thankfully, Speed Queen still produces a machine that does precisely what it should do...clean the darn clothes.

That being said, what you will find here is a sturdy, well made machine that isn't a whole lot different from SQ models of prior years. No bells, whistles, or convoluted contrivances designed to make one crazy, just simple straightforward controls.

This machine is a 2 speed unit, has multiple fill levels (more on that later), a stainless tub, bleach dispenser, fab softener dispenser, and extra rinse switch.

The tub measures 3.3 cu ft in terms of capacity.  It comes with a 1/2 hp motor and a still uses an old fashioned belt to drive the transmission. I won't go into the details on how to use this machine; if you can run grandma's, then you can run this one without having to consult the manual.

How does it wash? Very well indeed! The agitator runs at a 210 degree cycle, longer strokes vs short and harsh strokes on other machines.  The only drawbacks are 1. The "warm" is barely warm (thanks gov't) and 2. the fill on the max load is still a bit shy of full capacity. I understand this is fixable but I have yet to mess with the water level adjustment.

Overall, the machine is very quiet indeed. If you are familiar with an old school top loader, this machine won't throw any surprises at you.  It has a pause/agitate on delicate/handwash cycle and will spray for about 45 seconds on the rinse cycle.  Spin speed on normal is 710 RPM and the clothes do come out less damp than they did with my GE Profile top loader.  The lid does not lock like the anal retentive HE top loaders so if you happen to forget to add something, you can simply raise the lid (wash action stops) add the item, close the lid and go about your business.  In addition, the cycle times are in line with a normal top loader, no 2 hour affair just to wash a simple load of clothes.

Naturally, old school quality has a price and this machine is not cheap. Those who insist on the cheapest of the cheap at your local BIG BOX store should probably look elsewhere. I paid $829.00 plus tax from a local appliance store in my area.  I am satisfied with my purchase. SQ alone actually has a warranty longer than a measly 12 months!  Don't take my word for it, check out Whirlpool, Amana, GE, Frigidare, and Maytag.  Yup, a 12 month warranty, that's all.  But many will insist cheaper is better. Good luck to you on that one.

SQ on the other hand obviously has confidence in their machine as noted by the warranty terms below:
Topload Washer Models
* Three (3) years parts and labor limited warranty on the complete washer.
* Five (5) year limited warranty on cabinet assembly against rust from the inside out. Year 4 through 5 parts only limited warranty.
* Five (5) year limited warranty on the motor. Year 4 through 5 parts only limited warranty.
* Ten (10) year limited warranty on the transmission assembly. Year 4 through 10 parts only limited warranty.
* Lifetime limited warranty on the stainless steel tub and outer tub against rust or corrosion.

I highly recommend this machine for those who are put off by intrusive government regulations that have resulted in masses of cheaply made machines that cause more grief than should be.  On the other hand, for the skinflints out there, keep on keeping on heading to your local BIG BOX and grabbing the cheapest pile of junk you can.


I have to stand up in the midst of these glowing remarks and speak my peace.  While these washers seem to be wonderful - mechanical (which was one of our requirements when we were looking), stainless tub, top load, real water temp (hot is really hot) - they don't wash dirty clothes worth beans.  The washing cycles are too short, and they don't rinse out well - even with the second rinse.  In addition, for example, my son came home the other day from hiking with his friends and the bottom of his pants were dirty and sandy.  No problem, right?  Throw them in the washer with the second rinse and we should be good.  After all, that is as simple as it had been for the last almost 20 years with my Maytags.  Sorry, major fail.  All it did was migrate the dirt to other clothes in the batch and to other parts of the pants!  Not only that, there was dirt and dirty water in the bottom of the tub. And no, I did not over-load my wash.

Other minor issues:  The top discolors quickly and easily - it's just paint, not porcelain.  The hinge on the lid also squeaks and has to be lubricated.

These are ok for those who may not need heavy duty washing as we do since we have four kids at home.  But if you really need good cleaning - try something else.  Our friends who bought the Samsung front loaders have been very pleased over the last 2.5 yrs they have owned theirs.  This Speed Queen was a mistake.  My dryer review will list separately, but it has been even worse.

We have had ours for about two years now and we are thoroughly disappointed.  If we could afford to dump these and get the Samsungs that we should have bought in the first place, we would do it in a heartbeat.  I give it two stars since it does at least function and nominally wash clothes.  But hate it we do.

Update as of February 2014.
This washer continues to disappoint.  It does not rinse all the soap out, continues to wash poorly and leaves dirt and sand in the bottom of the tub.  When you look carefully, the holes in the tub are not positioned for the dirt, sand, etc. to drain out of them with the water - the holes are more up on the side so the heavier sediments just gather on the bottom of the tub.  Not only that, but that sand and dirt just seems to get re-distributed throughout the load and onto different parts of the dirty clothes.

The company is not helpful in trying to deal with these things. Come on, it's a washing machine - after all these years can't you get it right?

UPDATE as of 12/19/2014
Well, I updated my rating for the washer to two stars.  It has been doing its designed job in an OK fashion.  We have adjusted to its challenges, kinda of, but still not happy about the fact that the wash cycle is so short and it won't wash really dirty clothing very well, just transferring dirt around to different parts of the clothing (usually pants my kids have been camping in).  Still noisy and since the top is just painted, it is starting to discolor now as well.

FINAL UPDATE as of 2/7/2015
Well, the washer left the house last Thursday, never to return.  Goodbye short wash cycles, inability to get clothes clean when they are really dirty, goodbye poor rinsing.  Sorry, but it just didn't balance out the manual controls, straight hot water and a wash tub that actually filled with water.  It just couldn't wash clothes very well.

In it's place is now a Maytag MHW7100dw front load washer.  After just a few days, we have found that it can wash clothes in very little water just as well - in fact better than the Speed Queen did - RIP.