All washer vibrate, hum, etc. I have one that is pretty quiet and the other sounds like it will take off. It almost does-it walks sideways no matter how leveled.
Someone from this forum posted video on you tube on how Electrolux washes and spin. It does not move at all! Even I'm jealous!

yes, YouTube videos would be nice..

rosesark, should've video'd the problems (w/normal talking for reference audio levels)

Rosesark, I have to agree with you about commercials advertising washers, in fact, advertising anything in general. In the case of washers, I dont understand why they dont show a full load of clothes going in one, not just a few super lightweight items. I do not know what tenchnology Electrolux uses for viberation control, and to date, I havent been able to find anything about it. I understand Samsungs VRT sytem, LG uses it too and as you mentioned, it seems to work well in your case, and some people dont like it. I personally do not think that there is any FL washer made that will spin a decent size load super quiet or in some cases Quiet. True, everyones version of "quiet" will be different as expected. My 9yr old FL is getting louder these days, so I am always interested in finding one that may be quieter, in the event that mine dies. I have a feeling that the quietest HE washers are the HE toploaders, but since I do not own one, I cannot confirm this. I seen a Maytag Bravos yesterday at HHgregg's grand opeinging, the 850 series on sale for 1000.00. normally 1299.00. I like the fact that on this machine there is a clean boost option, which activates the internal heater when you want the extra cleaning on cycles.

There are all sorts of fake reviews everywhere on the internet these days (including here.) Some are paid shills...some may be over-achieving employees or relatives of employees. In the case of front-load washers, some of it may be the need to rationalize the outlay of $2000+ when they could have bought a set for half the price.

Unless you are a long-time visitor to a website it's often tough to separate the wheat from chaff.

That's why I still use Consumer Reports as a starting reference for many of the consumer products I buy.

you all are so right. I also searched youtube and watched what i could find. The electrolux there was why i tried one. I can say that this one did not really walk, but the shaking was bad, but it was the freight train sound that was annoying. It sounded like a train was going to come through the wall. Other than that i liked most everything about it. The dryer is not a sound that we can tolerate. You can't get aweay from it even going to the farthest room. The delivery guys could hear it when i opened the door to let them come in with a stacking kit. Needless to say, i told them not to bother stacking it as i would not be keeping it. I can put up with the whine or jet taking off whine from the samsung better, but i can not seem to get one that works on ALL levels. I haven't tried LG due to some of the reviews, but i am getting desperate enough to. For some reason everywhere we went to look at washers and dryers, the sales person took us to the samsung, and telling us all the great stuff on them and that they were best sellers, i mean every store here. We wondered if they were getting a kick-back from selling them. Maybe i should just not be so stubborn about getting one worked on in the first 2 weeks of having it. I have had delivery guys take the shipping bolts out on the truck before bring them in. I have had guys lay them on their backsd to take the styrofoam bottom off. Some have not been gentle at all. They have ripped the tape off so fast that we had a place in the paint that wouldnt come off. I have had big scratches on the window, and inside the window from the factory. Big black finger prints inside the drum. Some places didn't like that i asked for them to be delivered IN THE BOX!!! it was a hassekl for them for some reason. I could go on, but i will spare you hearing any more of my whining. I really wish that they would have them plugged in at the store so we could listen to them. Most stores only have the samsungs plugged in. Oh well, i can't give up, i am very stubborn in that way and i won't give up till i hear the lady sing!!!!! Fingers crossed!!!

I would not recommend having the shipping bolts removed on the truck, wait till it gets in the house and placed in the laundry room. The shipping bolts protect the machine from damage from moving and transporting them

Best advice I have ever received about interpreting "reviews" was the very succinct:

"consider the source"

I like to do my research and read reviews but I never look at a review without thinking about who wrote it and why. I assume anybody considering my opinion would do the same. Usually there are a lot of clues about the biases of the reviewer in their reviews. In relation to the OP my sympathies on the difficult process it is no wonder you are frustrated but I have to wonder if your expectations in relation to noise levels are realistic. What type of machines did you have before? Good luck.

I think some reviews are skewed because, after spending over $3,000 on a washer & dryer, some people can only see good things in the expensive product they just purchased. I suppose it's only human. This is one area where Consumer Reports shines. Although people don't always agree with the results of their tests, they are one of the only publications that actually tests the products.

I read reviews but I don't trust them.I use my own judgment and buy what I like. It is usually some feature that will sell the product.And of course the look of it. W/LG it was the reversed control panel and the set is very pretty. Little extra noise don't bother me, but I must say, on both machines, pump is the loudest thing. When LG is in the spin,the pump goes on and off. When pump is off you hear nothing just humming.

I had a 12 year old Whirlpool top loader and a Roper electric dryer. Both were noisy of course and the dryer had the usual hum. My washer rarely got out of balance, and you knew it when it did. I can tolerate noise, but for my money, i don't want a washer that will vibrate clothes off the top of it. I can even stand the pump noise, and i have figured out that some will be louder when washing than others. It would be a perfect world to have one as quiet as reviewers describe, but it is not a perfect world. I just want a set that works on all it's options, that doesn't shake my walls, that we don't have to turn the tv up to drown out the sound of it. I am willing to give a little with sound for good cleaning, but have to feel somewhat justifed for the large amount of money i am asking my DH to spend. He feels that a rub board is a good washer!!!LOL!! But in trying another brand, it has made me aware of what to expect or what to compromise. The Electrolux has been a cleaning machine, it really makes laundry smell fresh, and after dried the towels are fluffy and soft. Just wish they could have done better with the suspension, and had a way to tone down the loud dryer motor. Samsung had a couple more options i liked. It was great when i had one that was a smoothe spinner, i think it is the best in that reguard so far. It cleaned well too, maybe not as good as electrolux. Samsung dryer had a congo drum beat. I had one that did the sound in three's all the way through. I have had one that wasn't as bad. Most of the samsung dryers i had did not have any problems. It was always the washers. When i buy again, i am going to insist on leaving the bolts in, being easier when pulling dolly up steps. After all, they didn't put out this kind of money, we did, so i don't think that it is unreasonable for me to want certain things done, but you would think that i am ruining their day, but i have a whip to crack...angry women, you know how it goes.... I do thank you for all the input. It is nice to know that i can come here.

rosesark, I wonder if you can just simply ask your friends to see how their washers sound. I would gladly let you come to my house. And so my friend. We live in Florida.
Both have LG's.

Rosesark, I got a chuckle out your husband liking a rub board. That might work, just put a label on his forehead..KENMORE ULTRA ELITE LOL!! and let him at the laundry. Sorry I just had to say it. I am sure you have checked this, but is the Electrolux washer level? I dont trust installation guys too much when it comes to that stuff, they just want to toss it in and run. I heard a owner on youtube say the dryer has some kind of high output blower in it, which I guess would explain its fast dry times, not sure how true that is, but it might explain the louder than normal noise. Im glad to hear that the washer washes great, I was wondering about that.

I wish i did have some friends who had front loaders, only a sister-in-law who has a Whirlpool Duet, which she says is loud and would get a different brand when hers goes out. We did level the washer. The delivery guys wanted to put the dryer on top, then level by the dryer. After a load, it is off a little again, usually after the first spin, so have to adjust again. Even though it is on a slab, we do have vinyl tiles. We have talked about some of the mats i read about here, but due to the nose of this set, i just can't listen to it every time i wash. The dryer is an 8.0 so we know it is it's size motor that is making it so loud. I told DH that when we re-do the room, i want to do a sound dampening on the waslls!! Having such a small room is bad also because it does not absorb the sound well, it probably makes it worse. When i tried a Samsung 448, the guys did the same thing of putting the dryer on top and then leveling it, but i noticed that the left side of the dryer had a bigger space between it and the washer than the right. After looking, we saw that that side has a piece of black foam, that the stacking kit fit up against. We did not think that because of that that is reliable to level by the dryer. How can it be level, if one side is higher than the other? We wanted them to level the washer first, then stack the dryer on. It's the only Samsung model that is like this, the 4.0's do not have the piece of foam, and in the instructions it does not say to remove it. DH thinks it may have something to do with sound. I guess i could have called samsung and asked. Anyway, i am going to continue on. I know i will find one sooner or later. Thanks Everybody P.S My DH also says i should not say i am tired from doing laundry all day if i was not down at the river beating clothes on a flat rock to clean them!!!! I think he should have a VAN down by the river to sleep in and do his own laundry!!!!

I have never stacked a washer and dyer. It would be my guess that u install the washer first and level it right there. Next do the dryer and make sure it is level as well. Then go back to the washer and cofirm that it is still level. It s a good idea after a few washes, to make sure it is still level along with the dryer.

I have a he3t, yes I can hear it spin, as I suspect you can with most front loading washers. My clothes come out super clean, so if it makes some noise in the spin cycle, so be it. I will trade that off to a non cleaning quiet spin any day. One for thing in your favor, is that you have gotten to experience a few different machines and their performace. I know it has been a headache on you. I too have a small laundry room so I understand your concerns. I just hope your loud spin cycles are not due to faulty installations

rosesark, your husband is funny :))).
When guys from HD were installing our LGs, they did level the washer first and after they put the dryer on top of it and re-checked.It is 3 years without problems. The whole stack moved less then 1/2 inch to the left, I pushed it back few months ago and it is still good.

When I was researching washers and dryers before buying my current set, I found the most valuable online input at Consumer Reports user forums (consumerreports.org), epinions.com, sears.com, homedepot.com, and lowes.com. (I'm probably leaving out some; those readily come to mind.)

The reviews I read were realistic. Very few (none that I can recall) were 'gushy', made outlandish claims.

I also got valuable information from local independent dealers and repairmen.

What you can do too, is go online and download the owners manual before you take delievery of your next washer and read how it is suppose to be installed. I am not knocking all delievery/setup people, but some are clueless as to how to install them properly. So if you have to play supervisor to them, then so be it, after all, it is your money that was spent, not theirs

Also prefer those machine with brushless motors, that are far quieter than traditional carbon brush motors.

Bosch Axxis brush motors were famous for their whines while spinning, finally latest Axxis series do have brushless motors too.

LG direct drive models can't help having a brushless motor (otherwise they couldn't be direct driven = without belt)

Now i'm about to give you a clue of the difference it makes. Once I went to a small laundromat (4 W + 2 D) to wash a king size duvet in a triple size machine. When I went in there was just a 24" commercial miele spinning a full load of towels : it was far quieter than my mieles.
That's why commercial mieles (and even some residential model) have brushless motors. Mine still have carbon brushes.

So, no matter of the brand, brushless motor machines are far quieter (provided they're proper level)

hidroman, I now know what you mean about machines brushless motors. I just got a Miele W3033 and was astounded by how QUIET it is. The only noise when it's washing or rinsing is the slosh of the water inside and slap of clothes as they fall. The loudest part of the cycle is the pump working when it drains.

At first I thought it was kind of spooky that this new machine is so quiet, after all the soothing agitation chug-chug-chug-ing and end-of-cycle transmission shift ka-thunks that my old toploader model made.

Spoke to the delivery manager at L's and he said washer is supposed to be put in house then shipping bolts taken out. He wasn't happy with the way they did mine. They also didn't leave me the bolts, they took them off in the truck and threw them in the truck, so the manager says they need a reminder. Not ditzing all men here, but my HD was out there watching them and let them do whatever. I am a more dominate person and do not mind at all being a boss when i gave to. I am little but LOUD!!!! So i will handle it all next time and double check behind them. Hidroman, wow, i am in overload!!!never knew about the brushless motors and such, but am glad for the knowledge. I wish i could get a Miele, but haven't seen any here at all, plus not sure if they can be stacked. All of the comments here are very helpful, and it is a great place to come to get straight up info. Will let ya'll (yep from Texas) know what i wind up with.

Check this site out and scroll down to read the ratings:

http://www.allbrandservicenaperville.com/products-washer.html

Maybe you can get them to send the bolts (or some bolts) back? You'll need them if you ever move the machine again.

commercial mieles (and even some residential model) have brushless motors. Mine still have carbon brushes.

Does the W1612 have carbon brushes? Not that brushes are critical to the decision, but we're still agonizing over Miele vs. 27".

Thanks!

=aw

rosesark,

I know what ya mean. The same thing happened to me. My washer isn't horrible, but I could have gotten a lot better for my money. I'm pretty sure you can get mieles here in the US, you just have to find a dealer. Usually privately owned appliance stores have them. We got one in my town and they sell Mieles.

Next time around when I have to buy a new FL I am going to get either an LG or a miele. I starting to save up for one now. I figure when mine goes in another 3 to 5 years I should have saved up enough to get one of the two. LOL!

OMG... cannot even follow this thread. Folks, there is a reason for using PARAGRAPHS in the most written languages. I'll leave it at that.

Have you tried different spin speeds? Maybe max is loud while others are more quiet.

I'm not familiar with the washer...

Mike

Let's see...

30lb of wet laundry spinning around at 2000 rpm and you expect silence?

I think it's a relative thing. I went from a Bosch Axxis to a GE and I haven't even noticed the GE making any noise yet. I also know that the installers leveled it properly. Also, the noise of the spin will vary depending on what you are washing. Rugs and towels will be louder than regular clothing.

I'm not sure what's up with the Samsungs you had but mine is *quiet*. Yes, you can hear water sloshing during wash. You can hear the water being spun out. But the machine has very little vibration and noise. I took a video on my iphone so my friends could see. I put quarters on the washer and the dryer. Not even a slip, bounce or jiggle. But my husband picked the unit up from the store, brought it in, took off the bolts and got it in place and the feet adjusted. After reading posts about how delivery/install experiences, I think that makes a lot of difference!

Rosesark, With my LG, there was a specific sequence to setting it up:

Make sure the floor is solid and clean. The floor should not flex or the washer slide easily on the floor surface.

Leave the shipping bolts in place until the machine is within a few feet of its final spot.

Level the machine carefully (use a good level)

Run a test load with about 6 lbs of clothes and during final spin adjust the feet until the washer runs stable, if necessary. Mine did not run any differently, so I tightened the bolts on the feet and called it good.

I followed these instructions to the letter and our 24" LG runs very quiet and stable. The loudest noises it makes is the drain pump cycling on and off during spin cycles and also when it is filling with water. Otherwise, it's a quiet hum that gets a little louder on final spin. I really can't complain about the noise and my office door is less than 8 feet from the machine. I'm aware it is running every time my wife runs a load but it is just normal background noise to me.

Roseark,
You have every right to vent!
People tend to post their dream machine on big box website where everything is spectacular and then they don't tell you the little things that are overlooked after weeks go by. Being on THS get real owner views on how things are going, almost in real time. Yet still everyone must continue to get as much info about what they about to purchase via youtube or word of mouth.

The noise of the Lux during the spin varies from load to load and I know that most MFG plug into websites to get costumers feedback to see what can be changed to improve future sale for next year models. The Lux can be 1/3 quieter if the 1st min of spin is low so the water in the sump can be pumped out before ramping up to higher speed. This is my 2 cents on reduced noise reduction.

Any front loader is quiet during the wash cycle, but the spin cycle is noisy on all machine. Some more than other!

Well this thread is nothing about what I thought it would be. LOL I was expecting the complaints on how loud something was or how all of the reviews are for bad experiences...because those are the people who are mad enough to complain.

I will say...I had an old cheap no frills Frigidaire frontloader w/electrolux drum for slightly over 10 years until the bearings finally went. We made a huge mistake replacing it with a Duet. Not only was it a piece of garbage, but I had never heard a machine so loud!!!! AND it would go off balance which our old one never did. Then it would go bang, bang, bang. And we balanced it many times. The noise was a real issue because the laundry is right next to my husband's office and he works at home and is often is on the phone!! It also ripped through two boots in only a year. Oh...and it was constantly clogged. My dh unclogged it so many times that we could do it in about 15 min and with minimal mess...depending how much the tub had drained. I should have known when the repairman replaced the boot the first time and showed me how to unclog it. I NEVER had a clog in my old machine in the entire 10 years!!!

Walking through Lowes on evening, we spied a Samsung...originally $1,000 marked down to $500 because when it was delivered, it had a tiny crack in the front panel. We carefully inspected the crack, paid for it and had it delivered. I loooooooove this machine!! It is HUGE and relatively silent. I could have written those reviews. I barely know it is on. The most noise it makes is when it drains and the end of cycle song. We bought a Samsung on recommendation of a man who noticed us eying them one day and told us how extremely happy he was with the machines.

I think all of your reviewers previously owned either old top loaders or Duets!!