Reviews by a62dave

a62dave says "WTW6500 - A better way to wash." about Whirlpool HE Cabrio 5.0 cu. ft. I.E.C. Top-Load Ultra Capacity Plus Washing Machine (WTW6500)

a62dave — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 01:08:17 GMT

Took delivery last month. Still looking good and performing well! We are happy. Sometimes my wife thinks that the dryer doesn't take long enough--it beeps the end-of-cycle signal earlier than she expected. That's because the up-to-1000 RPM spin of the washer extracts so much water that the dryer has much less work to do. Indeed, the dry times are much shorter than with our old set (Kenmore 27522 conventional washer and 64732 dryer). Our electric bill is only $43 this month. The average house in our area is $78.

Lessons learned: read the manual. I did; my wife did not. You must select the correct clothing typ in order for the washer to do it's job correctly. Check out these videos:
http://assets.whirlpool.com/files/usr/animations/ANM000013.htm

All in all, it is a different way to wash than with the old Kenmores, which are essentially unchanged since my grandmother's days of washing. That said, it is a BETTER way to wash. We like it.

Oh, and did I mention? They look gorgeous!

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a62dave says "13899 - High end looks, midrange price." about Kenmore 24" Built-In Dishwasher with SmartWash Cycle (1389)

a62dave — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 15:04:34 GMT

I talked my wife into replacing our 5-yr old white GE Nautilus tower-wash system, which came with our house. The GE just roared when in use. I wanted something that looked nice and that was quieter. While I would have loved to have the 13199 (47db), I wasn't willing to pay over a thousand dollars. The 13899 looks almost as nice, and is under $465 (black or white) on a good sale.

It has no adjustable upper rack or TurboZone, but it does have two fold down tines on the upper rack, and one on the lower. At 57db, it is MUCH quieter than the old GE. Being a tall-tub model, it also does away with that ugly access panel above the toe-kick. It has the high quality UltraWash system just like in the current KitchenAid dishwashers.

The dishes load differently in the 1389 than in the old GE, but there are three pages in the manual with pictures on how to efficiently load it. It seems to hold more bowls up top and more plates on the bottom than the old GE.

The dark grey interior looks much better...

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a62dave says "Many complaints are from folks who don't use it properly." about Kenmore Elite Oasis HT High-Efficiency 4.6 cu. ft. Top-Load Washing Machine (2809)

a62dave — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:06:53 GMT

Many complaints are from folks who don't use it properly. Also, models 270xx should not be reviewed with models 280xx. 270xx are the older first/second generation. 280xx are current third/fourth generation models. The videos here should help: http://www.youtube.com/user/Medialab3DStudio

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a62dave says "Gets the job done, but noisily." about Kenmore 35 pint Dehumidifier

a62dave — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:06:53 GMT

I saw that the Kenmore came with a 5-year parts-only warranty on the refrigeration system. I did NOT buy the Protection Agreement. Three and a half years later, and it, too, has stopped taking moisture out of the air. I always clean the coils and filter, as required. In hindsight, maybe that Protection Agreement was worth the extra $59.

During the 42 months it DID work, it did a wonderful job.

It was noisy, almost as if bolts or screws weren't tightened somewhere, even though they were. I had it in my 24x24 basement in Pennsylvania that I used as a computer repair shop. I usually turned it off while I was working so I could have some quiet. Sometimes I would forget to turn it back on, and my wife would know that was the case because the basement would start to smell moist the next day, so I know it was doing its job.

I bought this 35 pinter after the 40 pint LG branded one I bought at WallyWorld leaked its refrigerant all over at the 13 month point. Looking in the owners manual for the...

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