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This review is for my front-loading washer I purchased a couple of years ago.(2005)  Purchasing an appliance which costs over $1,000 is a sizable investment, so I will try to write in detail how I think and feel about this machine.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.  I will write a review for the Whirlpool electric dryer separately.

How satisfied am I with this machine, about 92% satisfied.  It was hard to believe that a side or front loading washer could clean as well as a top loading washer.  Can it?  Yes, for the most part.  Although I've noticed with jeans, if you have mud (especially New Mexico clay mud) on them and it dries, it may not always remove the entire stain.  You'd have to pre-treat the stains.  Otherwise, everything else comes out VERY clean.  Especially whites, towels and bedsheets.  These front loading washing machines act like the good old days of washing clothes by hand, beating the stains out, all while being gentle on the fabric.  These types of machine are supposed to make your clothes last longer and fade less.

Pros:  Very quiet.  The sounds you hear are the water entering the machine, the wash cycle which amounts to just pleasing quiet and soothing splashing noises.  Nothing like the top loading machines which swish back and forth.  Since the drum turns or rolls left and right like a wheelbarrow on its side, it is very quiet, all you hear is the clothes splashing in the water. 

The spin cycle, depending on how fast it's spinning, is relatively quiet.  My model can spin up to 1,000 revolutions per minute, that's fast, the clothes are almost dry or just damp when they spin on high speed!  Saves LOTS on water using only a few gallons per wash, sensors determine the amount of water needed depending on amounts of clothes.  For those of us in the Southwest or those wanting to help the enviromnent, saving water is essential.  Electricity usage is very low as well.  I live in a 2100sf two person household.  My electric bill runs about $45 per month.  I wash about two to three loads per week.  (this is an energy star rated appliance on the most efficient end of the scale).  Being a high efficiency washer (HE) it uses very little soap or detergent, fabric softener and bleach.  You save money there too!  Don't add more soap than is needed or the sensors will require extra water and minutes to remove the extra soap suds.

Lots of room to wash large loads.  Including bedspreads and sleeping bags with no problem. 

Cons:  There a few and minor at that.  If this machine is not level and the washer spins on high or medium cycles, not only will the machine vibrate but so will your house.  In Kansas City, the machine was in the basement on concrete, not an issue.  In New Mexico, they are on the first floor, became a major issue.  Make sure the machine is level. 

Secondly, sometimes, when you add about 8 pairs of jeans and some shirts, they will "tangle" up.  So when you removed them, you have to detangle them, can be an issue.  I've noticed this mainly only happens with jeans and or towels.  NO problems with shirts, linens, whites, etc....  "Tangling" only happens about 30% of the time with jeans.  With all the washes, only about 10-15% of the time.  Lastly, make sure all items are out of the pockets.  If you leave, lets say a paper clip in your pants, when the machine spins at high speed, it can shred your clothes, I learned this the hard way, my fault, not the machines.

Lastly, not really a big deal.  This machine locks the door when the cycle begins.  You have to push the pause button wait a second then open the door to add more clothes.  DONT push the pause button twice or you will reset the machine and it will have to run through the entire wash cycle again!

The controls are very easy to use.  One main knob, with the different cycles.  You can change the water temperature or spins speed if desired. 

Smart dispensers add the soap, bleach and fabric softener when needed.  It is self cleaning too. 

FROM THE MANUAL:

Auto Water Level:  Sensors determine load size, load composition and suds level.  Never more or less water than needed to do the job.

Suspension System:  Combination of Springs and Shock Absorbers minimize movement or vibrations, hence why its quiet.

Stainless Steel Drum:  No rust and enables the spin cycle to spin at high speeds minimizing drying time.

ACCUWASH Automatic Temperature Control:  The system regulates the incoming water to keep it at a constant temperature.

CATALYST cleaning action with direct injection:  Fancy for mixing soap, bleach, fabric softner and water before it touches your clothes.

Dynamic off balance deduction:  The two sensors will redistribute the load if the washer is off balance.

If you install this machine yourself, be sure and read the directions.  There are four plastic orange bolts located in the back of the machine, that must be removed before the machine is used or damage can occur.

I wrote this review on 02.26.07.  I will add more info in a couple of days. from the manual which answers questions or concerns, check back in a day or so:

Updated: 09/09/07