Berkeley Parents Network: Washers & Dryers

Berkeley Parents Network

Washers & Dryers

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > What/Where to Buy > Appliances & Electronics > Washers & Dryers

Sears Calypso

Sept. 2002

People really love their Neptunes, but at the Sears Scratch and Dent we can get a Sears Calypso washer and dryer for the price of just the Neptune washer. Does anyone have any opinions or advice about the Calypso. It is an Energy Star rated top loader with a large capacity, well rated by Consumer Reports, but it has that odd little agitator or washer plate. Is it effective and easy on your clothes? Can you wash a down comforter without destroying it, does it do well with heavily soiled clothes? Any info appreciated. Eleanor

We bought a Sears Calypso top-loading washer last spring and we are mostly satisfied with it. (We love the energy rebates and lower cost water, PGE,and detergent bills).

We have washed king-sized comforters and sleeping bags with good results,although we've had to do an extra rinse cycle to get soap residue out, even after using the recommended amount of HE (High Efficiency) detergent. I notice that even when washing on the Delicate cycle, clothes come out of the washer highly wrinkled. Once out of the dryer, clothes seem O.K. I'm curious if anyone else experiences this. One other glitch for us is that we need to use unscented products, and the only unscented HE detergent on the market is the Sears brand, which is sort of a pain to procure. It is possible to use regular unscented products, but you need to use about a third of the normal scoop, and you're never really sure if there is too much sudsing for this washer.

In terms of buying from the Sears Outlet, I'd recommend getting the 5 year extended warranty. When my new washer was delivered from Sears, it had what looked like only a cosmetic dent on the side, and although I was willing to take the offered 10% off the price, our appliance person recommended against it, saying the washer could have fallen off the truck or been hit with a forklift and that the balance of the drum could be off. So I sent it back to Sears for a replacement, and maybe our original washer will end up in your house! It could be perfectly fine, but I'd advise buying the warranty. Anne

We bought the calypso washer at the Sears outlet a few months ago and have been very happy with it. It does a good job cleaning the clothes (but I haven't tried to wash a big comforter yet) and is quiet and very easy to use. I like the the fact that it has a different washing system that doesn't require the big spiral in the middle. There's nothing for the clothes to get trapped on and the loads don't get unbalanced. Karen

Front-Loading Washers

2001

I'd be much obliged if anyone who has purchased a frontloading digitalized Maytag Neptune 2000 rated #1 in consumers reports this year could share your experience(s) with it. It's very expensive and I hope to hear your feedback before getting it. Also what is your experience with toploading vs frontloading? Any experience with longevity and low maintenance of some washer brands? Susan

I'm not familiar with the Maytag washer, but I have a Kenmore front loader. My husband and I absolutely love it! It is more water and energy efficient than the front loaders and it is stackable. Our model has two settings for the spin cycle-fast or slow. The fast cycle wrings out so much water that the drying time is cut in half. But, some of the seams on some clothing items have unraveled. So, I don't use the fast spin setting for everything. We chose the Kenmore because my parents, aunts, and inlaws have always sworn by Kenmore. Plus, my husband's cousin is an appliance repairman who works for Sears. He services all brands and makes of appliances and says Kemore washers and dryers have better track records. On our machine, though, there are some limitations. For instance, the washer has a very loud end-of-cycle signal that cannot be turned off (a problem which has been corrected in the newer models). The other thing, the water level is not adjustable. Now, according to the literature, the amount of water used is about 50% less than in toploaders. The only other complaint I have is poor bleach dispensing. I've noticed that if you fill the bleach dispenser with more than the recommended amount, it is dispensed directly into the drum without being diluted first. For me this is a problem because I use an awful lot of bleach when I wash. On the other hand, there is a setting for an automatic second rinse cycle. This is handy if you need to do second rinse cycles for baby clothes or for anyone else who is soap residue sensitive. Overall, though, I must say we are very happy with our washer and dryer set. Well, not quite the information you wanted, but I hope it helps. Jeanette

We have had the previous version of the Maytag Neptune (not digital) for two years and have really liked it a lot. We got ours at the Sears outlet (tiny dent) which saved enough to buy a matching dryer too all for the price of just the new Neptune washer. I really like the front loading machine ... uses a lot less water, less soap, and really does a great job at cleaning. It's great to be able to simply stuff in a huge comforter or even very delicate items and in both cases it works great. We've had zero problems with it, but probably only being two years old is not really yet a test of any future maintenance. So far I think it's been well worth the extra cost. -Mike

I have had a Creda for three years. I find that it washes very well, spins the clothes to nearly dry, and is supposed to be very water and energy efficient. However, it is high maintenance. I have had the motor brushes replaced twice already, the pump replaced, and the door handle parts replaced. Luckily I purchased it with my VISA card, so my warranty time was extended to three years. I would not recommend the Creda. The appliance repair person (who I now know too well) recommends the Maytag. Ruth

We do not have the +latest+ Maytag front-loading model, but one bought 3 years ago. But I must say that I actually ENJOY doing the laundry now with our Maytage Neptune. The front loader is like the European washers, which use a lot less water and soap to do a really fine job on your clothes without mangling them in the process. I can wash hand-washables and many "dry clean only" items without fear of wrecking them. Even "unwashable" stuffed toys, like my son's 4 year old teddy bear, have benefited. My tenants, based upon my recommendation and their own research, waited almost 6 months to get the stackable models, they were so sold on this type washer. Finally, although you did not ask about the dryer, it too is a marvel. I never use softener and nothing ever gets overdried and wrinkled, unless I forget and let the clothes stay several hours after the drying is done. The best prices, we found a few years ago, are at Circuit City. Nori

We recently purchased a Sears front loader and love it. Our water bill is a fraction of what it used to be with the old top loader. EBMUD and PGE offer rebates (or did six months ago) for frontloaders. Darcy

I haven't used a Maytag frontloader, but I did buy a frontloader a few years ago. I was persuaded to by the fact that they used less water (up to two thirds ess) and can be more reliable, because the motor spins the tub directly, not through a 90 degree turn. They are generally also more efficient with electricity for the amount of washing you do. Also, my Mother claimed it made clothes cleaner because the water was forced through the clothes (by gravity). I looked around for a while, then picked up what I thought was a bargain machine in a closing down sale. What I discovered is that not all frontloaders are equal. This one was not particularly energy efficient, and in particular it had problems with sucking baby socks into the filter arrangement if I didn't go through every piece of washing and put small things into washing sacks- a single coin left in a pocket could completely incapacitate the machine and require an hour lying on the floor trying to clean out the filter without flooding the entire laundry. I got quite experienced at this. The particular machine (my nemesis) is no longer made, for good reason, and most repair people hated it. It ended up costing me more than a much more expensive machine, plus the hassle. I began to have fantasies about finding cliffs to tip it off the edge of, or bombs to explode it with. Not all frontloaders are like this, of course. The main thing that's annoying about them is that the washing programs take so long. Also, it turns out that frontloaders, on average wash LESS well than toploaders, which surprised me. I would check on whether all underwear has to be separated and washed in sacks or not. On the plus side, it fitted into our rather small laundry, didn't use much water and I thought it washed okay. There are much better machines out there - Europeans use pretty much nothing else. I've heard good things about the Miele. Fiona

The most striking features that we experience are the massive capacity and the extraordinarily miserly soap consumption. Oh, and the dryer's auto-shutoff feature. With our landlord's old, smaller top loader, laundry was a weekly task that seemed to take all day with lots of interruptions to check for imbalances, and drying was "keep checking 'til it's dry" or "set it for 15 or 20 minutes longer than you expect, so that you'll be sure it'll be done when you come back." Now we just cram scads of clothes in the washer, add a quarter cup of liquid detergent, run the wash, transfer to the dryer, and wait for the buzzer. Mounds of clean clothes come out, we used less water, less soap, less energy, and spent less time. The laundry chore that used to be a high-maintenance production now consists primarily of the folding & putting away. (I don't think they'll ever automate that.) We're happy campers. Greg

I purchased the non-digital Maytag Neptune front-loading washer last October. I think it is a terrific machine. If the claims about water and electricity usage are true, it is much more efficient than any other washer of its size. I have found it to do an excellent job of cleaning clothes and to be much gentler on delicates (I have even washed some "hand wash" cotton sweaters on its delicate cycle with excellent results). You can also get quilts and large blankets into the machine without worrying about unbalancing the machine or getting them wrapped around the agitator (since there is none). Since I've had it only a few months, I don't know anything about the longevity, but Maytag machines in general have excellent maintenance records. It is very expensive, but I think you need to take the lower energy usage into account in determining the real cost to you (especially in this energy environment!). As another note, you don't say where you are considering buying it from, but I bought mine from Sears, who gave me an extremely short delivery window, showed up right at the beginning of it, installed the washer and dryer in 15 minutes and were done. I couldn't have been more pleased. Stephanie

We purchased a frontloading Maytag Neptune 2 years ago and absolutely love it. If you can afford it, I think it is worth it. It does a great job, saves water, washes big loads...With kids, you do not want to mess around with a broken machine or one that is not going to hold up. We just had a repair done and it was covered under warranty and hassle free. Scott

We purchased a new Maytag Neptune washer in November 1999. Overall, I have been really happy with how it washes the clothes and, especially, how little water it uses. I have to say, however, that we have had a few problems (covered by warranty) with a few of the electric components. That said, Maytag service is excellent and they sent out a repair person immediately. We had to have two components replaced within the first 9 months, but haven't had a problem since.I would still buy the same washer, you just need to be aware that sometimes with all the digital parts, some piece will malfunction. The washer came with a one-year warranty and the service was excellent. After we had the problems, I decided to go ahead and spend the extra $$ for the 3-year extended warranty. Hope this helps. It is still the best washing machine I've ever used, far better than any of the top-loading washers I've used before. One other piece of information my mother-in-law has the Frigidaire front loading washer and loves it too. I've used her machine when we've visited them in Texas and it is also excellent (and a lot less $$). I went with the Maytag because it has a much bigger capacity. --Susan

We recently bought a Frigidaire front loader from Galvin's, expensive but not as expensive as the Maytag. The big surprise for us came with the first load. The machine was almost eerily quiet, but when it came to the spin cycle, the whole house shook so violently I grabbed my daughter and crawled under a desk, thinking it was an earthquake. The Galvinians came out to check the machine, said it was fine and properly installed, but that we might have to shore up our flooring underneath the machine, or better yet, move the machine to a cement slab. Since we don't want to do our laundry upstairs in the garage, I guess we're going to have to beef up the sub-flooring in our laundry room. We never had this problem with our ancient top-loader, so I guess frontloaders are just heavier. Our faithful appliance repair guy (who keeps all our ancient appliances machines alive with frequent expensive repairs) was appalled and told us we were crazy to keep the machine, said it was just a yuppie scam and we should get our money back, why risk our house falling down the hillside for a frontloader? But we still have the machine, and haven't done anything about the flooring (anyone have a handyman to recommend?), and our appliance repairman has lost all respect for us. Anyway, if you aren't planning to put the machine on a cement slab, you might just ask if the Maytag is as prone to rattling the windows as our Frigidaire is. Because of this, it's been a hassle--and will add significantly to the cost of the machine when we do the flooring.

I bought a Kenmore front-loader this year and really like it a lot. It is full-sized but it can be stacked beneath a dryer, which I needed. The great thing about it is you can wash pillows and comforters without having to wind everything around that central agitator. It doesn't mash and grind all the clothes so they suffer much less than before. Plus of course it uses much less water. It is so efficient at spinning out water that if I use the "fast spin" the clothes are smashed flatter than pancakes and don't unwrinkle well in the dryer. So be sure to set it on regular spin, not fast. The one thing I don't like about it is the obnoxious 5-second-long buzzer that sounds at the end of the cycle. Ginger

Lori

I bought the Maytag Neptune non-electronic front loading washer and matching dryer a couple of months ago and I just LOVE THEM! This is sick to say, but washing clothes is actually pleasurable! The washer is soooo quiet, it practically purrs when it is washing. Less water and less detergent, machine is much gentler on clothes on account of not having an agitator agitating the clothes. It holds more clothes, especially larger items (I routinely wash queen sized down comforters, lambskin rugs, blankets). There is no need to make sure that the loads are evenly balanced (hence, no "walking" washers). For towels and other thirsty fabrics, there's a Max (water) extract. I feel the extra expense is worth it. The amount of laundry of my family of five produces will increase as the kids get larger and I feel this is an investment in staying ahead of the laundry pile. I also have the matching Neptune dryer. It's a bit noisy, but more like a white noise. I like the electronic moisture sensor, so the dryer will shut off when the clothes are dry. There's a 5 minute cooling before the dryer completely shuts off, which prevents wrinkles. It is a definite improvement from my old 21 year old dryer which needed 3 hours to dry a load! I bought my Maytag set from Home Depot since they still carried the now discontinued non-electronic models. The prices were on sale, even. And free delivery, set up, and take away of old units. Good deal! Plus, there still may be energy saving rebate offers. Aside from the lower cost of the older models, I prefer turning knobs and pressing buttons and having all of my options spelled out in front of me vs. scrolling around looking for some command. Guess I'm essentially a low tech type. LD

I also love my front-loading Maytag Neptune (2+ years old). I bought it (and the matching dryer) at the Sears outlet in San Leandro and saved enough to buy a refrigerator. Plus I got rebates from both PG&E (unlikely now!) and EBMUD because the machines save energy and water. I found I can use any detergent in it (despite manufacturer's information) and only need half or less of the normal amount of detergent. The only drawbacks to the washer are (1) you can't open the washer after it has started to add that sock that fell in the hall on your way to the machine -- it locks once the wash cycle starts, and (2) the rubber gasket around the inside portion of the door traps water -- I generally soak it up with a rag or towel. This design feature isn't present on all front-loaders though, and may not be a problem on more recent Maytags. Karen

I don't have the Maytag front loader, but rather the Kenmore someone else mentioned (also the dryer) and am very happy with them. I'm glad to know that the latest model includes the option to turn off the strident end-of-wash buzzer, because it's the worst feature of mine. If space is at a premium, front loaders offer the advantage of being stackable. My house has only a very narrow space into which a washer/dryer fit, and if I wanted both a washer and dryer they had to be stackable. I didn't like any of the "apartment sized" stackables I saw. The Kenmore (which is, I believe, identical to models sold under the Frigidaire brand, too) stacks and offers the capacity of a regular full-sized washer. It's my first in-home washer, so I have no previous water or utility bills to compare, but the increase in monthly bills was minimal. I live in an old house, and the washer spin cycle does rattle the place. It's not a yuppie scam. My guess is that the spin action in a front-loader works differently than in a top-loader Lorraine

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