Showing posts with label Maytag front load washer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maytag front load washer. Show all posts

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Maytag MHWE450WW Washer Review

MSRP: $999, Internet Prices: $798, shipping included

The Maytag company has been a major player in appliance manufacture for a long time here in America, and they certainly have brand recognition for washing machines. While not offering quite as many sizes and colors as some other manufacturers, Maytag does offer a full lineup of front load washers with a variety of sizes and number of features. As the mid-sized front load washer offering Maytag has the MHWE450WW performance series washer, which is rated as having the best cleaning ability among major leading brands of comparable size, using comparable cycles with default settings. With Maytag's commercial technology and a strong list of features the Maytag MHWE450WW makes its presence known in the midsize front load washer market.

Features:
* 3.9 cubic foot capacity allows massive loads of laundry and handles bulky items, such as pillows and comforters with ease
* Conveniently located front panel controls, with display to show estimated time remaining
* Sensi-Care™ wash system: the wash basket moves faster when washing big loads, moving gently at slower speeds for delicate loads
* 10 preprogramed cycle options to choose from include for easily choosing settings for most loads
* MaxExtract extended spin option to remove as much water as possible in the washer
* National Science Foundation certified sanitary cycles
* 3 tray dispenser for detergent, bleach and fabric softener
* ENERGY STAR and CEE Tier II rated for year-round energy and money savings
* Stainless steel wash drum is built for durability which leads to long life and also protects clothes from snags and pulls
* IntelliTemp automatic temperature control monitors incoming water for correct temperature
* IntelliFill uses sensors to always fill the washer to the proper level
* Fresh Hold with Dynamic Venting Technology keeps clothes smelling fresh for up to 10 hours after the cycle ends
* QuietSeries 300 system and Smooth Balance suspension system work together to keep noise and vibrations low
* Stackable design provides flexibility for the laundry room

Looking around at the reviews that are out there for the Maytag MHWE450WW does not paint a good picture for this model of front load washer. Relative to most of the other front load washers reviewed here, this is an extremely low rating, that comes with a fair degree of stability as there are a reasonable number of reviews out there for the MHWE450WW. There are about half as many reviewers that gave this washer a 1 star rating as that gave it 5 stars. Reading through the 1 star reviews quickly shows a trend. This washer seems to have issues with the bearings for the washing drum. There are numerous reviews that complain about the need to replace the bearings early on into the life of this washer, and a number more that complain about severe vibrations, which it is conceivable could be caused by bad bearings. If this happens after the warranty period is up, then the machine is just junk, as the repair will cost well more than the price of the machine brand new, which is somewhat puzzling. If this happens during the warranty period, sure they will be replaced without charge, but the washer might be out of service for a few days.

It is entirely likely that the Maytag company does not manufacture that bearings that there are so many complaints about failures of for this model. Also, it is curious that there aren't more complaints about bearing failures for other models that Maytag makes. The reality of the situation is that this particular model does have these complaints, and consumers have other options when it comes to a midsized front load washer, for instance there is the LG WM2140CW, which has received much better ratings from consumers and is even slightly cheaper. For approximately the same price as the Maytag MHWE450WW there is the Bosch WFVC6450UC, which has a slightly larger tub and Bosch's industry leading efficiencies. With all purchases of this magnitude, do your homework before making a final decision, and hopefully everything will work out well.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Maytag MHWE200XW Washer Review

MSRP: $749, Internet Prices: $598 includes shipping

Maytag is a well recognized brand in the American appliance market, and they offer a full line of front load washers. Their entry level front load washer is the MHWE200XW. The MHWE200XW is a high-efficiency washer providing superior cleaning ability with the PowerWash cycle. In addition the Fresh Spin option will fluff and tumble clothes periodically for up to 6 hours to keep clothes fresh. With Maytag Commercial Technology (MCT) commercial-grade components help provide a durable and high quality front load washer to consumers. With the MHWE200XW Maytag clearly intends to be taken seriously by consumers shopping for a new from load washing machine.

Features:
* 3.5 cubic foot capacity allows large loads of laundry as well as bulky items, such as pillows and comforters
* Conveniently located front panel controls
* Sensi-Care™ wash system: the wash basket moves faster when washing big loads, moving gently at slower speeds for delicate loads
* 12 cycle options to choose from include Soak, Power Wash, Whites, Heavy Duty, Comforters, Rapid Wash and Silk
* My Cycle button allows creation and storage of a favorite cycle, including options
* ENERGY STAR and CEE Tier II rated for year-round energy and money savings
* Stainless steel wash drum is built for durability which leads to long life and also protects clothes from snags and pulls
* IntelliTemp temperature control automatically monitors incoming water for correct temperature
* IntelliFill uses sensors to always fill the washer to the proper level
* Delay Wash set the cycle to begin cleaning when you want perhaps when utility rates may be lower
* Fresh Spin keeps clean laundry fresh by tumbling clothes after the wash cycle ends
* QuietSeries sound-reduction system keeps noise low to not disturb the household
* Stackable design provides flexibility for the laundry room


The overall rating of the Maytag MHWE200XW is 4.6 out of 5 stars, with 92% of reviewers being willing to recommend this front loader to a fellow consumer. There are a good number of reviews to be found for this model, so these numbers can be accepted with a reasonably high level of confidence. The 4.6 star rating is slightly lower than that of some of the other front loaders reviewed on these pages, but the 92% recommendation rate is right there along with the highest of any washer here. The general tone of the positive reviews is similar to that of most other front loaders. It gets strong marks for performance, by getting clothes clean and relatively dry to reduce drying time. Owners are generally happy with the overall build quality and durability, as well as the list of features.

As is typical with many front load washers, the worst reviews seem to come from people who just didn't do their homework and really know what they were buying. However, this front load washer does receive some complaints that other front loaders reviewed here have not gotten. There are a number of complaints that small items, like socks, or small childrens clothes must be put into a garment bag or else they get stuck in a door gap of some sort. This is certainly an extra step that is not required with top loaders, and has not been mentioned in other front loader reviews. Perhaps this represents a design flaw with the Maytag MHWE200XW.. Beyond this seemingly unique complaint there is the normal mix of vibrations, and a few complaints of equipment failure that were repaired under warranty, though no one is happy to be without a working washer for a the amount of time needed to get it repaired.

Overall the Maytag MHWE200XM looks like a strong contender in the marketplace for that entry level front load washer. It has a price competitive with many of the other models of the similar size. Granted, it loses out to the LG WM2140CW by being slightly smaller, more expensive, and based on fluctuating prices, slightly more expensive, however the prices are quite close. Based on the reviews out there, and the list of features, choosing the Maytag MHWE200XM is likely not a decision that would leave one disappointed.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Maytag Front Load Washer Review Model MAH2400AWW

MSRP: $748
With a suggested price of $748, this will be the most expensive front load washer for which I am compiling reviews, though it does still fit my original requirement of being less than $750. I was somewhat surprised by the Maytag ling of front load washers. If you took a survey of people, I bet Maytag would be listed among the top makers of washers and dryers, but they only offer a few front load washers in their product lineup. This was the least expensive that I found.

Features:
2.4 cubic foot washer tub capacity
detergent, bleach, and fabric softener dispensers to add each at the proper time
Multiple wash settings
1 year warrant for both parts and labor
compact size
self-cleaning lint filtering system
stainless steel washer tub for durability
Energy Star Qualified

The first thing that really stands out about this Maytag front load washer relative to the others that I've researched is that it is smaller, by about 30%, but also the most expensive. These are things that are easily recognizable without even reading and customer ratings or reviews. Once reading through the reviews, the situations doesn't look any better for this Maytag front load washer. Overall the reviews for this front load washer average out to about a 4, but the variance is quite high. On one retailer's website, the average was only a 2.9, while on the website of another they averaged to a 4.7, with more responses at the latter website.

As with all front loading washing machines this one gets high marks for its efficiency. Most reviewers that left positive reviews talked about the low water consumption, and decreased drying time. Interestingly one of the most commonly mentioned things in the positive reviews were that this front load washer is compact. Units of measure being what they are, I can't say as such that the compactness of this particular unit is a debatable thing worthy of review.

Following the trend of most other front load washer reviews out there, the people who gave this Maytag model poor marks did so most often because of durability issues. There were some complaints of shaking during the spin cycle, but that is typical of the reviews of all front load washer reviews. There are, relatively speaking, more negative reviews for this Maytag front load washer than some of the other models I have reviewed.

All in all, although this front load washer doesn't get as high of marks as some of the others, and despite having a smaller capacity than all other models that I've reviewed, I can see a few good reasons to purchase this particular model. For one, as stated before, it is the most compact of the models I've researched. If space is an issue, and you want to reap the benefits of a front load washer, stacking this with a similarly sized dryer can be a reasonable alternative to buying a combo unit.