my pic is the kenmore....it has the internal heater and a water plus option.If you are not a hot or warm wash person, then choose the maytag or the whirpools as they do not have the internal heater, nor the water plus option. Keep in mind that these machine use less water so if your water heater is on the other side of the house, you will never get a true hot wash inless you have the heater. The internal heter works on the sanitary and whitestest whites cycle on the kenmore, taking your wash water to 120 degrees for the whitest whites and up to 160 for the santitary cycle.

Thanks for the info; what is exactly is a water plus option?

I like the Kenmore over the others too as the Kenmore seems to have more wash setting cycles.

Just wondering too if the extended warranty is needed.

Don't like the typical problems associated with front loaders;

As mentioned at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washing_machine:

"This bellows assembly around the door is the source of problems for the consumer front-loader. The bellows has a large number of flexible folds to permit the tub to move separately from the door during the high speed extraction cycle. On many machines, these folds can collect lint, dirt, and moisture, resulting in mold and mildew growth and a foul odor. Some front-loading washer operating instructions say the bellows should be wiped down monthly with a strong bleach solution, while others offer a special freshening cycle where the machine is run empty with a strong dosing of bleach. In the past, suggested remedies have included adding vinegar to the laundry detergent, running an empty cycle with bleach every few weeks, wiping the door gasket with a diluted bleach solution every other week, and leaving the front-loading washer door ajar between loads."

According to Consumer Reports:

"Front-loading washing machines are more efficient than traditional top-loading washers. Sure, you'll pay a $400 to $500 premium over the average top-loader, but your electricity and water savings should offset the added expense over the lifetime of the appliance. Plus, front-loaders are among the highest-rated washers in our tests.

But front-loaders don't have a spotless reputation. We've received myriad comments from readers about water left behind at the end of the wash cycle, bleach spotting, excessive vibrations, unhelpful service reps, and other complaints common to all washers. But one issue seems unique to front-loaders: mold buildup in the rubber gasket of the door and the resulting odor on clothes. "

thanks houseman2.

It's something i was looking into and seems like they are slowly phasing out top loaders and if they do make them they take a lot of features out of them so you would buy the front loaders.

Also after reading a lot of comments and complaints about front loaders i was somewhat comfortable with them but now i am wishy washy (no pun intended) between top vs front.

Have you had a front loader before? Once you do receive your washer/dryer please post your thoughts.

thanks.

What makes you think they are phasing out top loaders???

Seems like there are more complaints with front loaders than HE Top Loaders.

In canada here atleast everyone is pushing for fl and lot of places only demoing FL and no tl.

The complaints are of mouldy smell.. or?

fl have been used in europe for a long time.

Anyone own one of the following that can provide some feedback?

Kenmore Elite White 5.0 cu. ft. High Efficiency Top-Load Washer(Model#29002)

Maytag White 5.0 cu. ft. Top-Load Washing Machine (MVWB750W)

Whirlpool White 5.0 cu. ft. Capacity Top-Load Washer Model# WTW7300XW

If you read the online reviews, you might be better off going with the Kenmore version of the new LG or the LG. Kenmore 29272, LG5001, or LG5101. This is based soley on reading views on the sears site and best buy's (for the LG models) site. But this technically isn't answering your question.

Unfortunately those are even more expensive cause they are bigger; 5.2 cu ft.

Also, both the Kenmore Elite White 5.0 cu. ft. High Efficiency Top-Load Washer(Model#29002)and Kenmore Elite White 5.2 cu. ft. Top-Load Washer came out the same time; Oct 2010.

its interesting that whirlpool/maytag front loaders have internal heaters but not top loaders?

This is not accurate. I own a Maytag Bravos HE toploading washer which does have an internal water heater. I love my washer; it's the best one I've ever had.

I'd go with the Kenmore, but upgrade to built-in heater.

We just bought one to replace our old LG front loader, which died a horrible "tub seal death" but which had performed admirably for 7+ years. We loved that washer, and I really felt it would be difficult at best to replace it. It was a champ, washing delicates and dog beds, sanitizing stuff in our household when we had 2 cancer patients in residence, cleaning things that had to be hand washed. It did all of this well -- and significantly reduced our water and utility bills. The only time we had "mold issues" was when I used Costco detergent.

Enter the kenmore 29272. I'm in love. The only downside I've found to this washer, for me (a short person) is that it can sometimes be difficult to get that stray sock that ends up at the far side of the tub. But for our needs, this washer is just about perfect, or as close as we were going to get with current options. It doesn't vibrate our house, it can handle GIANT loads of towels, clothes, dog beds, rugs...and it's done really well with hand wash delicates as well. It's quiet and mostly very intuitive. I'd highly recommend you consider upgrading your choices to this one. We found ours on sale at Sears (see my earlier posts) for not much more than the link you provided lists for the Kenmore without the heater. And they threw in free delivery. You'll notice, too, that the upgraded Kenmore gets much better reviews than the one without the heater.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kenmore with built in heater

OP, My Bravos washer is 5.2 cu ft and the number 850 is in the model number. I specifically wanted this one because I needed the internal water heater. If you want to be able to wash laundry in true hot water (140 F or above), your washer will need the internal water heater.

I've been looking at these for a while now and if you're thinking of getting one with the heater, I'd highly recommend looking at the Bravos also. There hasn't been a lot of talk about the GE Harmony of late so I don't know if the units with the heater are doing well or not but the base unit, built by LG has been around a long time and has been a solid performer.

For me, at least at this point, I'd go with the Bravos over the LG. Its features fit my needs better than the LG would. But of course, your needs and desires are different from mine.

My Duet FL died last night and I'm going to go buy a WP 4.0 TL (WTW57ESVW), is has a water sense feature that makes it a bit more efficient. The FL use less water/electricity, but I'm not really happy with the cleaning. I had a T/L 2 years ago at our last home and found it a much better machine for cleaning.

This new WP is 449.00 (Lowes) plus tax, plus 4 year extended warranty (100 dollars), minus 10 percent discount so about 560 out the door. I looked online but can't really beat that price.

Another thing I hated about the FL was that HE soap requirement. I like to try different brands of soap from time to time and that HE soap limitation was a pain.