hi Wendy my name is ric i joined in the fall of 2010 and i'm having a great time trading and learning. it is so much fun sharing your favs. i would love your grab bag and take a look at my list i don't have a lot yet to offer but you never know. p.s. i share with three other gardeners so its unlikely anything will go unplanted

I have a Maytag Bravos washer. Different cycles use different amounts of water. The Bulky cycle (for comforters, blankets, pillows, etc) completely submerges them in water. The Wrinkle Control, Delicate, and Handwash cycles also use more water than the other cycles. When I use the other cycles, the washer DOES add more water when I pause the washer and open the lid to add an item. I can do this as long as the "Add a Garment" light is on. I have found that a number of appliance salesmen don't really know very much about HE toploaders in general, and Maytag Bravos in particular. I have seen and heard a number of misinformed comments such as the one you were told. It helps a lot to hear from someone who actually owns one. :-)

Metamorph, I share your pain -- and curse the day that, being a silly naïf about the then-new world of HE machines, I passed on a $600 drum replacement for my trusty (and LARGE capacity) non-HE top loading Maytag. It wasn't perfect, but it got the clothes and comforters and towels clean and didn't think it was smarter than me. I won't recount the sordid tales of two subsequent sets of HE junkers (one FL, one TL) and their causes of death, but suffice it to say that I'm now in the market for a top-loading machine that (1) permits the user to manually set the water level; (2) does not leave the last of the prior load's rinse water in the bottom of the machine to "save" water for the next load (a synonym for "mildew factory" unless you always leave the lid open when the machine is not in use, and sometimes not even that works); (3) permits a long-term soak of really dirty items (after an initial rinse and drain) without automatically draining after its unchangeable preset time or even if you turn off the machine; and (4) has at least a 4+ cubic foot tub capacity so that we can wash a lightweight down comforter, more than one set of sheets and pillowcases, or four pairs of medium weight canvas coveralls used in outdoor work. Well, after hours and hours of hunting, I'm here to tell you that you have to give up on #4 unless you're prepared to go to a really serious commercial machine -- like one with a 100 pound capacity that will mean that, other than a basement location, you will need to reinforce your floor, plus likely plumbing and electricity re-fits. Look at commercial laundry equipment suppliers in your area, concentrating on "OPL" (on premises laundry) machines that are intended for salons/spas, restaurants, etc. (These are not coin-operated machines for laundromats, dorms, apartments.) The problem is that all of these machines are 3.3 cubic feet. Nothing larger is available in the US. Ok, so you have to do more and smaller loads of wash (federal regulators are historically oblivious to the value of your time) of towels or rags or other smaller items, but the real point is that it is now impossible to get those larger items -- a dog bed, a comforter, a sleeping bag, a 9x12' lightweight canvas tarp, a medium size rag rug, into that machine at all. So, off to the laundromat for you, or trip$ to the cleaner$ with the comforters. This is the "unintended" -- but in fact perfectly predictable -- consequence of the regulatory drive to force us into water "conservation." The problem is, the solution is bogus and probably doesn't save much if any water at all. Final word: our excellent regular appliance repairman told us that, in his long experience, HE machines -- both FL and TLs -- require about 4x the number of maintenance/repair calls of traditional machines. Consider the fuel consumption involved ther, not even counting the value of human time and the cost to the homeowner. He also reports that many, many customers tell him that they regularly put a load of wash through two full HE machine cycles in order to get the items really clean. Sorry for the "vent" here but I just want to do the wash effectively and efficiently and I'm frustrated that that's no longer possible.

I like the look of the OTR, but I will not buy a Samsung again, that is for sure, and probably will not buy another OTR. Mounting them is a pain and requires new holes........every 7-10 years maybe, but after 1.5 years, no. Quality is BAD, it is an inconvenience fixing or replacing, and the whole unit then needs to get hauled somewhere probably into a landfill with the millions of other worn out things. Yes some can be recycled (also takes energy/resources). I know companies are always pushing their extended warranties now..............but things should not break after a year or so.........a company should stand behind their products for normal life and under normal use.