Whirlpool Duet Sport : WFW8300SW 27 Front-Load Washer - white
by Whirlpool
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Our Price: $600.00 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Lawn & Patio See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Whirlpool Duet Sport : WFW8300SW 27 Front-Load Washer - white
Customer Review: No problems since installation Jan 2008
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm surprised at all the bad reviews this washer (Whirlpool 8300) received. I give it thumbs up since I have not had any problems at all. I have used Tide HE and All HE. No water has leaked from the machine. There was one power failure code due to electrical outage. The normal cycle time is long at 54 minutes. The extra rinse is helpful especially since this machine seems to use very little water compared to a top loader. It sounds like a helicopter 25% of the time when it spins. Installation is key: Whirlpool installed it wrong upon delivery, and the appliance store where I bought 4 other appliances corrected it. It is in the cellar on a cement floor.Customer Review: quality
Summary: 5 Stars
We bought this washer in 2005 and it has performed flawlessly for our family of 5. Never a smell, resonably quiet, and minimal vibration. Washes king size quilts with no problem. I have recommended this model to friends.Customer Review: Were we lucky - or others extremely unlucky?
Summary: 4 Stars
Recently we needed to wash something in extra amount of water, so while checking out any information on the web I ran across a bunch of reviews of this washer.
Hmmmmm. It seems that people either love this washing machine or were saddled with a lemon unit from the very start and in no time HATED this appliance. As in all of life YMMV.
Our experience falls somewhere in between the extremes represented by the other reviewers' experience. It may be possible that the date and place of manufacture of both the washer mechanical and electronic parts make a lot of difference. I also have a hunch a good first installation matters.
We have owned this model since June 2007. We have never had any mechanical or electronic problems with it. To help prospective purchasers, I would like to comment on the usual issues/concerns that I have seen in the various reviews.
Location: Our unit sits on a wood-framed floor (not on a solid concrete slab) in a small laundry room. It was leveled by Lowe's installing crew at the time it was purchased.
Vibration: You bet there is vibration, especially if "high speed" selection is made. One can feel it in the next room on the same level (where the computer sits on which I'm writing this review). Does the vibration threaten to tear the house apart (as some reviewers have alleged was the case for their installation)? Certainly not. I've had worse problems years ago with the old top-loading washer when the "unbalanced load", such as a blanket, would cause the machine to start jumping about!
Noise: During the draining of the machine the pump makes a noise, that some may perceive as alarmingly loud. As I recall, all washers' pumps make a somewhat loud noise.
Cleaning: I think it does a pretty good job. As in all laundering, for any real stains, without pre-treating the affected areas, no washer/detergent combination out there will take care of the problem all by itself. I do think our whites come out especially well.
Capacity: This is the "Sport" model, not as large as the regular Duet model. We don't have a large family and since the unit uses reasonable amounts of water on every load, the size of the compartment has not been an issue.
Cycle Durations: This has not been an issue, since we don't have a large throughput to contend with.
Flexibility: We would have liked to have a water quantity "cheat" button to occasionally wash stuff in more water. Perhaps that can be done as a workaround by using the delicate/gentle cycle and putting in just a few items - not sure about that.
Value: I think we did well for the price we paid. We also purchased it during a "10%-Off Energy Star Models" sale, after lots of researching of similar models.
For the above reasons I give it four stars out of five, though I really think of it as a four-and-a-half stars item. To repeat, no repairs needed, no weird codes, all functions nominal nearly two-and-a-half years later.
BTW, we have also had no complaints about the twin dryer unit.
Customer Review: So Far, So Good
Summary: 4 Stars
I need to qualify my comments by indicating that we purchased the unit from Lowe's (Model # WFW8300SW) JUST a couple weeks ago... but so far, so good. Got 10% off so it was around $720 before tax and extended warranty. Unexpectedly had to replace my 12-year old top-loading Maytag. But maybe for the best considering its capacity. Previously clothes would pile up in a hurry with our 6-person household; resulting in mildewed/moldy clothes (read RUINED) and an overwhelmed stay-at-home wife/mom. Now we (OK, my wife) can pound out 2-3 loads a day and stay up to speed with the dirty laundry we produce daily.
PROS:
--Anticipated Durability (Consumer Reports indicates Whirlpool has lowest repair-rate for front-loaders.
--Quiet.
--Super clean (and pretty dry) clothes.
--SGreen: supposedly consumes way less water and electricity than top-loaders (too little experience to say for sure).
CONS:
--Hecho en Mexico. Is anything made in the States anymore?? (at least it's closer than China). A lot of Americans out of work/make less money so that Whirlpool can make more $$$. Such is life I guess. Jumping off my soapbox now.
--Out-of-the-box warranty is short-lived... but that's common now among washers (refer to Consumer Reports for more on this).
Customer Review: No regrets
Summary: 4 Stars
I was suprised to learn about all the problems people have had with their Duet Sport washer and dryers. I bought my set a year ago and haven't had any problems. It does a good job cleaning, was relatively inexpensive (especially with local utility rebates) and is easy to use. My parents have the same set (bought well before I bought mine) and their set has been trouble free as well. I do agree with the vibration issue. I've tried tweaking mine and it doesn't seem to help much. Don't set anything on top of it; I've had boxes of laundry detergent and countless other things fall on the floor due to vibration. I guess I don't learn. I don't have any regrets with my purchase.