Pros: Huge wash capacity, very clean clothes, wide variety of pre-programmed wash cycles
Cons: Pre-programmed dryer cycle selection needs improvement, instruction manual needs to be more detailed, clothes tangling
The Bottom Line: I love it and would buy it again, even with the flaws that I have mentioned. Even my husband and 14-year-old son can figure out how to do use it!
jodeegu's Full Review: General Electric WPGT9360EPL Top Load Washer
Last year my old clothes dryer wore out, so I went back to hanging my laundry out on a clothesline (thank goodness we live in a rural area and it was summer!) Then my washer followed suit a month later and I decided it was time to buy a new set. I shopped in person and online, reading ads and reviews until I was sure I wanted one of the big front-loading washers. Then one of my friends with a front-loader in her 2nd floor laundry room told me that it literally shook her house during the spin cycle, despite everything the manufacturer had suggested they do to remedy it. Another warned me that she had to leave the door on hers ajar or it tended to develop mold along the door gasket. Time to reconsider...
The GE Harmony was still too new for many reviews to be available, but it seemed like my best option. I was reluctant to buy something so new and afraid that I would be making a terrible mistake. Finally, the owner of our local appliance store claimed to have one at home and was so pleased with it that he agreed, in writing, to take it back anytime in the first 90 days if I wasn't happy with it. I took the chance and have never regretted it.
I needed no help setting it up, including reversing the dryer door and the top control panel.
I have never had a service call for repairs.
My clothes are consistently clean.
The huge load capacity is a blessing because I have 3 kids, including 2 girls who change clothes several times a day, and lots of jeans, so laundry is a never-ending task.
I have read comments about how loud it is, but once I close my laundry room door, I cannot hear it running at all. It doesn't shake the house, which my old washer did. At worst, standing near it, I hear swishing, humming and an occasional click as it shifts cycles. My old top-loader with an agitator was noisier.
I like the ability to wash large items like comforters and sleeping bags at home and actually have them come out clean.
One thing I really disliked was that it fills after the clothes are loaded, because I use OxyClean in my laundry and had to dissolve it before I could add it to the wash. I have gotten around that by putting my detergent and softener in the dispensers, then pouring the OxyClean into the empty tub. I start the cycle and let it fill (it won't fill much because there is virtually no weight in the tub), then allow it to swish for a minute or less. I then cancel the wash, add my clothes and restart the cycle. It works like a charm; I have never had undissolved powder on my clothes, nor has it ever caused it to over-fill.
I buy generic liquid High Efficiency detergent from Costco and have not found it to be anymore expensive overall than regular detergent. I have also found that, presumably because of the reduced water capacity, I use half as much fabric softener and Ox Clean than is recommended and I have been very happy with the results.
It uses considerably less water than my old washer did. We are on a well and I can see the difference in the well's electric bill.
There are only a few other things that make it less-than-perfect. I am unhappy with is the USB cable connection to the dryer that tell the dryer what was washed. The cycles are sometimes hotter than I would use for a particular load of clothes, so I have to stand there and wait for it to finish before I cancel it and set the dryer cycle the way I want it. There should be a way to cancel it so you don't have to wait. Very annoying when you're in a hurry. On the other hand, if I like the automatic dry cycle, it is very handy. It tells the dryer how large the load is, how hot/cool the dry cycle should be, and how dry that particular type of clothing should be. I like it well enough that I haven't disconnected it, but I wish I could cancel it when it's unneeded. A great feature, when it happens to be what you want.
I have also found that I have to shake my clothes out before I put them in the dryer because they are often tangled, especially pant legs, long sleeves, and long, thin items like tights. If I don't shake them out, they dry wrinkled and tangled. I used to shake out clothes with my old washer just to help prevent wrinkles, but now I MUST shake them.
Also, the instruction manual was very vague. I wanted a little more detail about how the washer worked, what made it (presumably) superior to one with an agitator, and what a "load" consisted of. I had to figure out load capacity through experience.
If I could make any improvements, I would:
Add a brief cycle at the beginning that allows a small amount of water to enter the tub to dissolve powdered wash additives.
Add a button allowing me to cancel the automatic dry cycle.
Improve the problem with tangling.
Give the instruction manual far more detail.
All of that said, I am happy with my washer and would buy it again. We are moving in 2 months and I refused to let the buyer of my house keep my washer and dryer as part of the deal. I am happy enough that I will tote them 1400 miles across country the to keep them.
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