louis_reed's Full Review: Maytag NFW7200TW Front Load Washer
When our previous GE washer finally gave up the ghost (after ten steady years of service and countless loads of wash from a family of five), we went looking for a new washer. We wanted a front load machine to save on water, energy (they extract more water during the spin cycle which means less drying time) and wear-and-tear on clothes (because they don't have an agitator they clean clothes more gently).
When we bought our last washer (a top load unit ten years ago) I don't remember it costing more than $350. Boy were we in for sticker shock. Most front-load machines that are built well (inner glass door, die cast hinges, high spin speed) start around $700-$800 and can go as high as $2000 or more. We did not want to pay this much since we needed both a washer and a dryer and our budget was $1300.
We were so happy when we found the washer/dryer set from Amana. Not only did we get what we wanted, but we were able to keep our purchase within the budget.
The machine is fairly solidly built. The frame does flex a little bit when it is moved, but the inner door surface is glass (so it won't scratch up) and it has die cast door hinges (so the door won't fall off).
It has plenty of settings for water temperature and wash cycles (normal, delicate, hand wash, etc), rinse and spin, rinse only and quick wash. It also has a sensor to automatically set the water level.
The spin cycle spins so fast (but surprisingly quiet even though it's on a tile floor) that the clothes feel almost dry when taking them out of the machine, and they smell and look so clean too.
I only have three complaints with it. One...the start/pause button on it is a little bit too easy to push (the controls can be locked out...I just forget to do it), two...the washer lacks a built-in water heater, and three...it doesn't have a self-clean cycle (just remember to dry the door gasket and leave the door open when you're finished washing and it should be fine).
The lack of built-in water heater can be overcome by turning on the hot water in the house somewhere else until it gets hot. The washer uses so little water that if you don't do this, it won't have enough fill time to get the water hot prior to starting the wash cycle.
I think for the money we spent; we received an excellent washer (it says Amana, but they are built by Maytag). So far we have had it for about five months and have not had any problems with it.
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