Thanks Babka for the hints.
I have been dropping my clothing in since I got it.
But I have not used the soak option when doing a bulky item or delicate either. These 2 cycles are where I have the most trouble cleaning clothes.
With my old KitchenAid TL I NEVER had to soak stuff like comforters, coats, or delicates. It just did the job right the first time.
Seems kind of like you really need to re-vamp your washing style with this machine. I used to be able to throw anything in with TL. But now I must go through alot of presorting. Which I always did do - whites,darks,towels,colours,delicates.

I will keep experimenting. It does look like I may get a replacement. But they will only repalce with a CABRIO. Is it going to be "agi" or not???
Just afraid of "agi" and the reports of it ruining clothing with strings on it. Hard to stuff all stringed items into small mesh lingerie bag.(ie:coats, large sweat pants)
And what is the deal with those "fins" on the agitator? Does any other compant make "fins" as this is the first washer I have ever seen like that.

What I think Babka means is that when you use the bulky item cycle it uses more water to saturate the item during the cycle. You do not have to add a soak option. This just makes it a bit more like a traditional top loader to be sure the item cleans well. A very absorbent comforter washed with a low water level might not get completely clean. This cycle adds extra water at the beginning of the cycle and, from what I have seen, during the cycle as needed.

In my first post I wrote that the "booger" on the comforter was washed in the Bulky Items cycle. It did not do the trick.

It is my opinion that this machine often twists things so much that those twisted areas are not being cleaned. And sometimes they are twisted so much that they are not totally wet.

Which was definately the case of the work pants with the blob of stain spray on them that never washed off. The way I placed them in was the exact same way they came out.

Please try something on your delicate cycle. Smush some food onto the clothing or squirt some thick stain remover on the clothing. Tell me please if the dirt etc. is removed.
The work pants I am referring to are 3-4 pairs of corderoy's. The reason I have to do them on delicate-low spin is because the washer twists them so tightly that they are embedded with wrinkles that the Cabrio dryer cannot get out. Who has time to iron everything these days?

Again - thanks for the tips and I will continue my battle with the Cabrio!!!!!

Have you tried using the Perm Press Cycle for the pants? I have washed things that were quite dirty, and had stain stick on the that had sat in the hamper for a number of days before washing, in the delicate cycle. They came out perfectly clean. I do switch the soil level to heavy, and sometimes change the water temp if it is appropriate. I have never had a problem with twisting or wrinkling. You did say you were dropping the cloths in, not laying them along the edge as Babka said will cause twisting. I can only guess it must be a bad machine. If you make thousands of something, a percentage of them are bound to be less than perfect. Machines with delicate parts can also be damaged in transit, or sometimes by the installers if they are not trained properly (though that is probably more of a problem with Fler's). If they are willing to replace your machine, go for it and hope for the best. A lot of people seem to have had great luck with this machine.

I did not start by purchasing this machine. I started with a Bosch Nexxt 700. It smelled like it was burning when it ran, my whole house stank like burning plastic. It was replaced with a Nexxt 500 (700 are special order at my store and I did not want to wait 2-4 weeks for another machine. The 500 caused such strong vibrations after being leveled and re-leveled by 3 people, one a pro, that I exchanged it for this Cabrio. Thank goodness it works great, and it does not make my pots rattle on the stove. Just hang in there, I'm sure it will work out fine in the end, it is just very annoying getting there.

i as well have tried different ways to was my jeans... only 4-6 at a time, and usually they are twisted so much that i have to pull each pair out, untwist them, and fold them in half hamburger way (if you can make that visual... at the knee of the pants) and lay them on top of each other so they somewhat get unwrinkled by the dryer. is that normal for my "i love my CABRIO people" ????

My jeans never twist or wrinkle. On the other hand, I always try to wash full loads so I never wash only 4-6 pairs of jeans. A load with cotton would usually be :
2 pairs jeans, 2 denim skirts, 5 pairs cotton cargo pants, 2 pairs sweatpants, 4 cotton polos, and maybe 1 or 2 t-shirts, and possibly a jacket or two.
I would wash this on the Perm Press cycle, normal soil level (unless there were stains, then heavy soil level), warm wash - cold rinse. Perhaps you should try mixing your load some, some t-shirts or sweats, maybe even towels with the jeans. And use a low or medium spin speed to reduce wrinkles. Or just use the Perm Press cycle that is programed for low spin speed.

Sometimes I mix my jeans with my delicates. Then a load would be : 2 pairs jeans, 4-5 pairs dress pants, 4-5 dress shirts, 3 skirts, 5 blouses or tanks, and a dress. I wash this on delicate cycle, normal or light soil level, and either cold/cold or warm/cold depending on what is in the load. I have no wrinkling other than what is expected (a couple of the skirts require ironing no matter how they are washed).

alright my repair man just left and I have a lot to say...

#1. the harness holding the rpm sensor loosened itself, he said that he has fixed over 400 already, factory problem.

#2. he has gotten quite a few complaints about washability, whirlpool is working on that as we speak.

#3. as long as your machine(s) is/are registered, and there are any recalls or upgrades to solve these problems... you will receive a card/part in the mail, they will service your machine, free of charge, regardless of warranty coverage.

#4. he said that he has seen a lot of this...
- people over filling their washer and an article of clothing falling between the basket and wall, making its way to the bottom of the basket, not visible... well next time you go to use it... it wont work properly.

#5. he's also see a lot of people doing this...
- in the cold months of Michigan he suggested not to run cold/cold constantly... BECAUSE there isnt an HE detergent that breaks down in extremely cold water. so it doesnÂt break down the detergent properly, hence clothes not being cleaned properly...
- also, people using way too much detergent... a lot of HE detergent is concentrated... and these machines use less water, so make sure your using that correctly.

#6. MAKE SURE there is an Air break in your drain line (it acts as a syphon) because when you use the clean cycle and the drain line is not hooked up correctly, there will be a back flow into the washer, and thatÂs trouble.

#7.use of the clean cycle, to clean the machine, which if you're using the proper detergent, and correct amount of it... you should rarely ever need to use it.

#8. things twisting, another thing they are working on.

#9. people needing the HINGES replaced... when people hit the lid hinges with the bleach, its breaking them down, they're working on a newer configuration for that...

#10. people with high water pressure, the water has been spraying in between the basket and that ring, causing a dribble on the floor, they should be coming out with a new ring soon so it catches the water a deflects it into the basket.

#11. And last but not least, the dryer... if youÂre getting an error with your dryer... try cleaning out the air vent before you call for help... that is not covered. And he said its not cheap.

So I hope I helped a few people in this big spiel if anyone has any questions, just ask I will try to answer as much as I can.

kailie9214

WOW!!
That is quite some list.

Guess there are alot of people out there having these problems. For those who aren't consider yourself lucky.

My repair guy is coming tomorrow (thurs). I'll keep you updated.
Hopefully he declares it a lemon and I can trade it for another Cabrio with agitator. (they will only replace with the same model - the dreaded Cabrio)

Wow! Kailie's repairman has lots of useful info. However, there are somethings that aren't necessarily specific to Cabrio.

For instance, #4. It doesn't matter what washer you have, you shouldn't fill it up any higher than the plastic ring at the top of the tub. It's okay to push things under the ring, just don't let the clothes go above the ring. The reason for this is that small items like socks, etc, can spin off and get caught between the inner and outer tub, just like Kailie's repairman says. If you do have an extra large load, try to avoid putting the smaller items on top.

#5 is also true of any washer as well. If you live in a part of the country that gets especially cold in the winter, your tap cold water temperature is going to be way too cold for your detergent to work properly. In fact, you might find that powdered detergent won't even disolve properly.

#6 is true of a lot of different washers as well. It'll also mess you up on cycles other than the clean cycle too. This is usually an installation error though, not a user error.

And finally, # 11 is also good common sense. No one wants to pay for a service tech to come out and clean their dryer lint filter.

I thought I would pass on a tip I read the other day to people who were complaining about wrinkled jeans. You should wash your jeans in warm water because that will relax the fabric more than cold water, so if you usually wash them in cold, try warm. You can even try a warm rinse for less wrinkling. If you check the label, most jeans are marked warm wash. When you go to put them in the dryer, pick a pair up by the waist and shake them out before popping in the dryer, I have always done this, even with my old TLer. It helps cut down on ironing.

Don't want to sound like a Luddite here, but what bothers me about the Cabrio (I bought on a few months ago) and seemingly every other fancy pants machine is that the simple act of washing your clothes has been turned into rocket surgery. This is progress? I wish I still had my third hand bought 1965 GE which finally expired in 1998. The replacement ASKO reached its end of economic life late last year. And now this Cabrio hasn't made it 1/2 year without needing a service call. I got a LD code indicating long drain - check for drain hose obstruction. Except one end of the hose is inside the washer. Pulled the plug and waited a few minutes to see if it would clear the code. No joy. Next waited overnight to see if it took that long to clear it. Still no joy. Repair scheduled for tomorrow - hope its only that the swash plate ate something small and plugged the washer side of the drain hose.
Off to work now where I will be dealing with something simple. My workstation is a dual Xeon processor with 2 terabytes of disk and 6GB of RAM. I use an explicit dynamics FEA program to predict the effects of impacts and collisions. I'm thinking about how much damage could be done to a Cabrio dropped from a second story..... If I ever buy another Cabrio, it will definitely have six forward speeds and a clutch.

the cabrio uses magnets to run... new technology from new zeland, whirlpool purchased the technology... and its only been out for a year... and well... we are the lab rats they're testing it on...because i know you all wanted to know that! :-D

The drive motor used in the Cabrio and sibling Oasis is either very similar to or *identical* to the SmartDrive motor Fisher & Paykel (the aforementioned New Zealand company) has been using in their toploaders on the U.S. market for 10 years, and longer on the NZ market I imagine. Nothing particularly new about it. I have a F&P toploader bought new in 1999, never any repairs or trouble. The motor was submerged in water for about 8 to 12 hours during a flash-flood several years ago, and the machine was connected to electric power for several hrs of that time. After drying for a few days, it has continued to run perfectly fine.

Well repair man #3 came today. We still have no answer. He was totally shocked to watch 7 pair of jeans on a normal load washing with only 6 inches of water in the tub. He was also shocked that the ones on the top of the pile never got a turn underneath.

Then we ran the same 7 jeans on a Bulky item wash and the tub filled 3/4 of the way full.

If the machine is supposed to weigh the clothes and then fill with water accordingly then, why are there two different levels of water? (this was his most puzzling question)He assumed that the differences in cycles were not water levels but instead :length of wash time, agitation speed etc.(Hope that makes sense.)

He has worked on Fisher and Paykel models often - which he says the Cabrio comes from. But he said he needs to research this one more as he has never been called to service a Cabrio yet. As for the agitator model he appeared somewhat skeptical.

So I guess I am waiting another week until he finds out more info on this machine. At that point he will make his decision - unrepairable or not.

It seems odd your repair man was surprised by the different water levels in those cycles. The Bulky Item cycle on my machine always adds more water than the Normal cycle, it is suppose to. I have never measured exactly how great the difference is, but generally the water level is just about to the top of the cloths after the are soaked and settled in the washer. The exception is the towel cycle , the bulky cycle and to a lesser extent, the delicate cycle. The delicate cycle adds a bit more water to make the wash easier on the cloths. The towel cycle adds a bit more water to ensure that larger item get cleaned and don't tangle. The bulky cycle adds a lot more water to thoroughly soak the items before it start washing, the adds more water as needed. A full load of laundry weighs a lot more than two pillows, but two pillows in the bulky cycle will get more water than a full load on normal.

Your machine obviously has a problem if it does not turn the cloths during the wash cycle, but I would be concerned about a repair man who does not know that there should be different water levels in different cycles. He probably has not done many Cabrio repairs.

I did not notice the line that said he has never repaired a Cabrio before. He should read the manual at least, some of this basic info is in there. And a quick call to Whirlpools service would also provide info. Doesn't Whirlpool have any service people in your area?

lulundave, kailie9214, I'm sorry to hear about your horrible experiences with your Cabrio's. I just got finished describing in another post how my grandmother loves her Maytag Bravos. It is possible that you may have a lemon machine. What jcrowley99 is describing in terms of water level is exactly what my grandmother and my aunt described to me when they were elaborating on how her Bravos works (I haven't seen for myself how the machine works, will see it in June when I visit my family).

However, I will say that based on all the reviews of these machines that I have seen, I seem to notice a pattern with them, especially since reading kailie9214's list. Some Cabrio's/Oasis'/ Bravos' turn out to be stellar and do an outstanding job of cleaning clothes, and others turn out to be duds with some or even all the problems described on that list above. So far, my grandma's Bravos washer is awesome, KNOCK ON WOOD! Let's hope it stays awesome for she's only owned it for a month.

Keep us posted on what happens. I hope everything works out for you both! :o)

I did not look at Maytags when I was washer shopping. Is the Maytag Bravo the same as the Cabrio and Oasis? I don't remember hearing much about them.

So the repair guy shows up to fix our 1/2 year old Cabrio. Its been unplugged for about 30 hours. He checks the polarity of the receptacle - good, the neutral and hot are wired right. He then plugs it in and it works. BTW, I don't like any appliance that comes up hot even when it is ostensibly off. At least that's how I interpret the little spark when the plug tangs engage the receptacle. The guy tells my wife that the control boards are sometimes fluky and a trick that sometimes works is to press the power button in while plugging and unplugging the washer. He also mentions that if there are voltage drops/brownouts the controller board sure doesn't like it. Swell, now my clothes washer needs a UPS, just like our computers.....

After losing a dryer to a power outage (fried electronics), I've got both my washer and dryer on a surge suppressor (no UPS, though *smile*). These days, both washers and dryers have a lot of electronics, and are expensive enough that a surge suppressor is a really good idea. Yes, just like your computer.

As far as being hot when you plug it in, most appliances are hot when you plug them in if they have a lot of electronics. At least part of the circuitry is always awake, ready for something to happen whether you've pushed the power-on button or not. That's one of the prices of the technology.

-Roger

Hi Roger

I do have a whole house surge suppressor. I don't know if it has any effect on brownouts though. Guess I'll research line conditioners.

Whew!! What a saga for the Cabrio. I will cross this one off my list. The purchase of a W/D for a second story laundry area in my 1927 year old home has turned into a "growth experience". I am also choosing appliances for a kitchen update. For the W/D I have zoned in on a FL.
Thank you all for sharing!

JA

I originally discounted the Cabrio because of stuff people wrote about it here. But when the FLer I bought caused horrible vibrations, and, in my opinion after about two weeks of use and twenty-four loads of laundry, was not miracle of modern machinery that many people claimed, I had to switch machines. I could choose between trying a different brand of FLer, or trying the Cabrio. I was assured that either way if I was again unhappy with my purchase for any reason, I could exchange again. Well after the trouble I went through with leveling the first FLer, I decided to give the Cabrio a try. And lo and behold, it is probably the best washer I have ever owned, and there have been six. I say probably because it has only been two months, I hope after a few years I can say that definitely.

Regardless, make sure you decide what to buy based on your needs, not because of what someone else tells you. And most importantly, make sure you can count on the store you buy it at to take care of you to your best advantage. I can't tell you the number of people who feel they did not receive the level of service they felt they deserved after making such a major purchase. I feel blessed to have had such a wonderful experience purchasing my washer. There were days I just wanted to scream, but the gentlemen who helped me with my purchase bent over backwards to make it easier for me. And they took a $500.00 loss without a word of complaint.

Well. The wife and I went to Best Buy. Found the Cabrio and it sounded great. Large capacity, high spin speed(less dryer time) and reduced water usage. Once in use, I thought it was great but was perplexed about the aforementioned 'balling up' and extreme compression of the clothes during the spin cycle. Those wrinkles are IN there! Heheh. Then, after about a month, I went to the washer to see the infamous error F51. I went to the 'net, specified search criteria of whirlpool, cabrio F 51. Imagine my dismay to see a large list of very angry customers that all had the similar F51 error. It is supposed to mean 'unbalanced load' but even if there are no clothes in the machine, it will stop washing and report this. In the main, it appears to be either a sensor or a circuit board gone bad and only repairable by an authorized Whirlpool tech. I have a Tech coming over tomorrow to see what he can do. Wish me luck!

I really like my Cabrio. It's been great. My only issue is that with heavy things like flannel sheets and towel, the load needs to be balanced, or the machine walks. Otherwise, it cleans great and handles large and small loads just fine.

Mightyquickz, An unbalanced load error in the Cabrio is "uL" not F51. I think people here said that was generally a circuit board problem. Did you try unplugging the machine for a while and then plugging it back in? Kind of like rebooting a computer. This sometimes works for computerized items. If you do not want your cloths to wrinkle during the spin cycle, use the perm press cycle or delicate cycle. Or just set the spin speed to low or med. I have never had anything ball up. If there is a problem with the circuit board, maybe once it is fixed it will not ball stuff up anymore.

Rosecmd, I do like my Cabrio, but I have not had a problem with it moving. Did you use a level as it shows in the manual to level the machine? Front to back, side to side, and diagonally. It does not have to be perfect, just as close as you can get it.

Watch out for service techs that blame everything on the circuit board. It's just too easy to replace an expensive electronic control when you don't know what's causing the problem.

In the case of the F51 error, I think some posters have reported that it's a problem with the alignment of the speed sensor on the motor. It probably isn't snapped in right, and should be fixable with very little efort. You'll still need a service call though.

I recently purchased the cabrio washer & dryer, they seem to be working well, except for the fabric softener dispenser doesn't seem to empty out into the basket durring use, (have had the same fabric softener in the basket for 60 days). I do have a question for those of you that have a cabrio, when useing the soak feature does the clothes actually sit in water and soak? The soak feature on mine just lets the tub spin really slow and every now and then sprays water and detergent over the cloths then the tub stops and sits there for a couple of minutes then starts again, never leaving water in the tub for the cloths to actually soak. Is this the right way to soak?

Sounds good to me. Soaking basically requires keeping the clothes wet for an extended period of time with minimal mechanical (washing) action.

Yes, I believe that is what mine did the one time I used soak. I thought it was very similar to the soak in the FLer I used which wet the cloths, tumbled them a little, let them sit a little, then repeated until the cycle was done. The important thing is to keep the cloths wet.

I am a new Cabrio w & d owner - I've had my set for one month, washing at least five loads a week, every week. (Having two active boys and a husband will necessitate that!) We replaced a pair of 16-year-old Kenmores that were workhorses but finally pooped out when the washer refused to spin after a wash, and the dryer started taking 2 hours to dry a load of laundry.

I am very happy so far with my Cabrio washer w/agitator. I went with the agi model because I checked with Consumer Reports and people who reviewed the Cabrio HE said that the moving plates seemed to twist up the clothes. My Cabrio w/agi doesn't twist my clothes any more than the old Kenmore did, but it spins out more water so the wet wash is drier.

My husband is in the nursery business so his clothes are always crusted with dirt. I can wash a load of six pairs of jeans and four pairs of shorts using the "auto" water level setting and the jeans/shorts come out perfectly clean each time. I use All concentrated detergent (comes in a little bottle and you use just a tiny bit.) I just drop the clothes in and try to make the load even, and everything works just fine.

The w & d do not "walk" and they have performed wonderfully so far.

Another reason I decided on Whirlpool was because Consumer Reports said it was one of the least repair-prone of the brands out there now! But after reading everything everyone has said here, I'm now a little nervous!

I just got the F51 code on my Cabrio. I was washing a large load of king size sheets and pillow cases but I have washed this same load 10 times without issue. I guess the next move is to call for service.

Just a quick question to all the Cabrio washer users....I am a new user of 2 weeks, love it but I need to wash some throw rugs (bathroom rugs) and I read the book and there is no tips on rugs. Any advice....maximum # of rugs, cycle, spin??? I'm trying to avoid the 'off balance' messages. Any help would be appreciated. Love this board! Diane

Diane - would the bulky items wash seem like the one to use? It will fill the tub quite full. I would probably wash more than one to avoid the UL code. (unbalanced load)

I do my bathroom rugs on the "bulky" cycle. No problem.

From what I read in the manual, the Bulky Cycle is for things that don't absorb a lot of water. Things like down filled jackets and comforters.

The problem with large single items causing offbalance messages is a single large item doesn't have anything else in the wash tub to counterbalance it. One solution is to never only wash one single large item. If you want to wash a bathroom rug, try throwing a couple of large fluffy towels in with the rug. The towels should help the washer move the rug properly, and the washer can also use them to counterbalance the rug.

Actually, now that I think about it, maybe the Bulky Cycle would be better for throw rugs, because I think the Bulky Cycle also spins at a lower spin speed, and you probably don't want the washer to spin a throw rug at a high spin speed.

The advice about adding some large fuffy towels still stands though ...

Thanks for everyone's tips on the bathroom rugs. I just finished in the bluky cycle (l large rug and 2 smaller ones) and threw them in the dryer and they are fluffier than they ever have been....like new.

Now another question. My old washer (Maytag) had a lint trap in the washer. I don't see one in the Cabrio...is there one I should be cleaning out? If not, where do you think all the lint and stuff (I did shake the rugs before washing) goes?

Thanks....Diane

This is where top loaders have an advantage over front loaders, because top loaders have the ability to filter lint, pet hair, and particulate soils out of the wash water, and keep them away from clothes.

In top loaders there are radial vanes molded into the underside of the agitator or impeller. Also the inner wash tub has large openings in the bottom hidden under the impeller or agitator so that these vanes can pump the wash water from inside the wash tub into the space between the inner and outer wash tubs.

Once the wash water has been pumped from inside the inner wash to outside the inner wash tub, it returns to inside the inner wash tub through the holes in the wall of the inner wash tub. This recirculation continues for as long as the wash cycle lasts.

In the case of the Cabrio, and the Fisher & Paykel washer that the Cabrio is based on, the holes in the wall of the inner wash tub are very small, and consequently act like a big filter that allows water back in, but prevents lint, pet hair, and particulate soils, from getting back inside the inner wash tub, and back onto the clothes.

As the wash cycles progesses, lint, pet hair, and particulate soils, collect in the space between the inner and outer wash tubs, and are then pumped out and flushed down the drain when the wash cycle ends.

So, in effect the lint trap in the Cabrio is self cleaning, in that it self flushes at the end of each wash cycle, and there is no need to clean anything manually between cycles.

"Washer Man", which is a better machine: the Cabrio without agitator or the Fisher & Paykel washer?

Fisher & Paykel now has a model with a wash plate like the Cabrio/Oasis. They call it the AquaSmart. Unlike the non-agitator Cabrio/Oasis, the AquaSmart has the ability to do BOTH a low-fill HE-style wash, or a FULL-FILL non-HE wash.

Whirlpool, Kenmore, and Fisher & Paykel ALL offer toploaders with either a wash plate or an agitator. Maytag also has their Bravos, which I think only comes with a wash plate.

IIRC,I believe the Bravos will also have an agitator version just as the Cabrio and Oasis do, but it's not out yet.

I just finished raving about the Bravos HE that my family and I recently purchased for my grandmother on another thread. It's an awesome machine and very interesting in terms of how it operates while washing clothes. She just loves it!

tcake,

You pose an interesting question. Are you referring to Fisher & Paykel's new Aquasmart impeller washer? I assume that you are, because the impeller version of the Cabrio is actually quite a bit different from the agitator based F&P washer.

Unfortunately, I don't know nearly as much about the Aquasmart as I do about F&P's agitiator washers, but I will try to compare the two products based on what I do know.

The biggest difference between the Aquasmart and the Cabrio is the drum capacity. Whirlpool claims 4.5 cubic feet IEC drum capacity, whereas F&P currently claims 3.7 cubic feet IEC drum capacity for their washers, which is actually cheating on their part, because the "IEC' capacity rating was originally intended for washers without agitators, and until now F&P's washers have all had agitators. They justify this by claiming that their washers are HE rated, and so the rating applies to them as well, but they are wrong. The rating only refers to usable wash capacity, not energy efficiency, or water consumption. Anyway, the "true" capacity of these washers is 3.9 cubic feet for the Cabrio, and 3.0 cubic feet for the F&P. This is for F&P's agitator washers, so the Aquasmart with impeller will have more than this, probably something close to 3.1 cubic feet, which means that the Cabrio has a 0.8 cubic feet drum capacity advantage over the Aquasmart, or 26% more usable capacity. This is a lot. Cabrio obviously has the clear advantage in this regard.

Unfortunately however for Cabrio, this capacity advantage requires a larger size washer. The Cabrio is 27 inches square, while the Aquasmart is 25 inches square. This means that the Aquasmart will fit into a lot more laundry closets, a clear advantage for Aquasmart.

The Cabrio has a porcelain top with a tempered glass lid, while the Aquasmart uses plastic for both the top and the lid. This is definitely an advantage for Cabrio, because plastic tops and lids are not nearly as durable, and will probably start to look scratched and dingy after just a few years of use.

The Cabrio has a rotary dial cycle selector, while the Aquasmart has an LCD display. This is probably more of a personal preference thing, but I'm inclined to favor the Cabrio rotary dial for more ease of use.

The Aquasmart probably uses spray rinses, while the Cabrio doesn't. This will result in significant water savings for Aquasmart over Cabrio, but it requires the user to specifically select a deep fill rinse if they want to use fabric softener. In my view however, this is the better compromise, because water savings are important. However, it's important to remember that spray rinses will not be as effective as a deep fill rinse for particulate soils and pet hair.

I think the Aquasmart lets the user choose a deep fill wash, while this choice isn't directly available to Cabrio users. It is possible to cheat a little however, because there are some Cabrio cycles that use more water than others.

These are the major differences. Other than these the machines are probably quite similar. As far as which machine is best, if you have the space, and want the extra capacity, then the Cabrio is a good choice. If not, then the Aquasmart is probably a pretty good choice as well.

The Cabrio has a porcelain top with a tempered glass lid, while the Aquasmart uses plastic for both the top and the lid. This is definitely an advantage for Cabrio, because plastic tops and lids are not nearly as durable, and will probably start to look scratched and dingy after just a few years of use.Whatever kind of plastic F&P uses ages very well. My 2004 IWL12 & DEGX1 (both have the same lid, I can literally swap the lids between the two) look like new.

My 1999 GWL08 is a bit less than pristine, but is far from "dingy." Note that the timer knob on the matching DE04 dryer has yellowed with age and exposure to sunlight but the control panel itself has not, nor have the washer's top, lid, or control panel.

Cabrio sucks!!!

We have been having the same F51 error on washer.
The first tech that came said we where usinig the wrong detergent. My wife threw him out.
The second tech said that the connector under the motor had too much laquer on it in the factory and it melts into the connector. He cleaned it and it worked for a few months.
The error came back. This time the tech used a special cleaner on the connector that Whirlpool provides now. He also fixed somthing in the rear. Also he said the springs weaken under the washer that does the self level, said he fixed something there.
He said when it breaks again(not if), that he will try and get Whirlpool to replace the washer.
He also said he was at Lowes fixing 7 of them in the back room. At that time they offered him one for $200.00!! He declined and a storer associate bought it and called him the next week to fix it.
He said they are junk and Whirlpool doesn't want anything to do with them.
DON'T BUY!!! GARBAGE!!!!!

I am so glad I found this site!! I purchased the Whirlpool Cabrio W&D in Oct 06 without agi and glass lid. I get the same error you all get F51 and the board replaced after 1 week. Everything comes out of the washer twisted and wrinkled from the dryer (except for sheets and towels.) I have tried using the casual setting and wrinkle feature, but still needs a light ironing. I will definitely start troubleshooting with everyone's suggestions!!
Thank you!

This is the absolute worst appliance I have wasted money on. Clothes come out worse than when they go in. I have the soap stains most others are getting, I have the seriously wrinkled clothes that many are mentioning, and I get 2 things I did not see anybody mention. I get black spots left randomly all over some clothes, and I get a wicked sewer odor if the washer does not get used for a day or two.

I do run the clean cycle with the afresh as recommended about every 10 loads, cause the smell is so bad, and we live in a major city (calgary) that has excellent water quality.

I gave everything a try to get to an answer of how to make this work, but no changes or patterns seem to help. This washer is junk. Not even sure we can sell or get rid of this unit, even though Calgary and area is recovering from major flooding that wiped out entire towns and small cities. And many many families need everything due to the flooding.

A product so bad, you can't even give it away to desperate families.

We have enjoyed our wtw6600sw2 cabrio except for washing our king size quilt in heavy duty or the bulky setting. It has always gotten out of balance 3-4 times every time it was washed. It did not matter how we put it in washer and would show ul code.
One tip that may help with smell is to leave the lid open after unloading so it will air out and dry inside. We read so many reviews about front-loaders get mold growing inside, so we opted for the top-loader.
We also ran the clean cycle after washing throws our dogs slept on and towels that were used to dry our dogs off to get dog hair out of machine.
I now am trying to decide on getting a fl or tl or if I should have this one fixed or even have a repair man check why it is leaking water. I noticed earlier this year water on floor under washer and thought it was from when I would add 2-3 buckets of water to soak our quilt. I just moved washer and found a blackish wet spot under and the size of tub.
Does anyone know what may cause this and how much it could cost to have fixed by repairman?
Thank you for any help or suggestions. This is such a great board to read and seems to really be helping people be more informed.

So about the sand--other than vacuuming it out and running clean cycles multiple times, how do you get the sand out?

Was getting DL code and three clicks like the lock was trying to extend. Put shaving cream in the lid/female end of the lock mechanism to see if the lock was extending but catching on something. Imprint showed it going all the way to the back wall of the hole/socket/female part. Cut out the back wall with a utility knife. No more DL code.