I just bought the Maytag 2400 washer & dryer about a week ago. I've done 3 loads. I don't like the machines. The washer does sound like a jet engine in the spin mode. When I did my first load and heard the sound I was so surprised and shocked. I even went downstairs to the people below me to appologize for the noise. I live in a condo on the top floor. The dryer rolls everything up into a ball. At first, I put 2 sheets, a towel, and some small things like underwear, socks, etc. Just like I use to in my old machine. At the end of the cycle, it was all rolled up into a ball and everything was wet inside. Then I tried just putting the 2 sheets into the dryer and they came out in a ball. I hope I don't have to dry one sheet at a time. COULD YOU PLEASE GIVE ME SOME ADVISE OR TIPS ON WHAT TO DO WITH THE DRYER.

Your old dryer never balled up the sheets? I've never owned a dryer that didn't!

I am thinking of buying the Maytag Compact stackable washer and dryer (MAH2400AWW and MDE2400AYW). Reviews in general seem to be either love it or hate it, and the haters hate the size, the noise, long cycle, probably new to front loaders (see epinions link below).

I was wondering if after a few months, those that have this combination are still satisfied with it. The only downside I see, is that the MAH2400A washer does not heat the water like most front loaders do. Is this a problem?

Is there really no filter before the pump, meaning that a penny left in the clothes could break the pump mechanism?

Thanks!

Here is a link that might be useful: Epinions reviews of MAH2400A

Sorry for the long post.

This Maytag 2400 set came with the apartment I live in now. In my previous apartment, I purchased a Danby FL washer/dryer set for that place. They were my 1st experience with a FL machine. Very unfortunately, I had to sell the Danby's because when I moved to my current residence, the Maytags were already installed and my landlord would not let me move the Maytags to put my Danby's in their place.

I must say, after experiencing both sets, the Danby was definitely the better one.

I would wash white towels and t-shirts in my Danby with it's internal heater regularly at 140 degrees, sometimes at 160-200 degrees if they were really incredibly dirty, and they would always come out blinding white. with the Maytag, the same t-shirts and towels that were previously washed in the Danby are now that dingy gray shade, and I think it is because of the lack of an internal heater. The hot wash temp. on the Maytag is actually warm to the touch after the load is saturated.

As or the dryer, hrp3ks, I am surprised to hear you say that it takes such a short while, because mine takes FOREVER with just about everything. My Danby dryer wasn't perfect, but it did take less time than this Maytag.

Now don't get me wrong, the Maytags are better than coin-op. And this washer actually does have some advantages over my previous Danby washer. My Danby could hold a big load of clothes for what appears to be such a smaller sized washer. However, the Maytag washer does in fact have a bigger capacity. As hrp3ks says, it has a HUGE capacity for a compact machine. It also spins faster than the Danby did and in terms of vibration, both machines are tolerable for me and fellow tenants, but in my experience the Danby did vibrate a bit more than the Maytag does.

But in terms of cleaning capability, the Danby was the winner hands down! Oh, how I miss my Danby!

As for the jet engine sounds during spin, Sue2, that is normal for FL washers. My Maytag 2400 makes this sound on spin and my Danby did as well. Even my grandmother says her Maytag Bravos makes this sound as well when it spins, and that's a HE TL. Go figure.

Also Sue2, as twebbz says and in my experience as well, sheets do tend to ball up in any dryer, even the large capacity ones. They even did this in my Danby dryer despite it reverse-tumbling mechanism designed to make garments not ball up in the dryer. Sometimes I put tennis balls in with the sheets and this helps.

Oh....and in terms of cycle times, both machines have longer cycles than typical TL machines, but this never bothered me, but that's me. I knew that these machines had longer cycle times before I bought the Danby's.

Anyhoo, this is my experience with the Maytag 2400 set. Miamibeach, unfortunately, the Danby FL washer I had has been discontinued for a while now and it is probably highly unlikely you'll find one to purchase. But the moral of my story is that a FL washer with an internal heater is IMO and in my experience a better washer than a FL without one. If you must have a washer that is 24 in. wide, check out Bosch Axxis, Asko and Miele washers. Others on this forum seem to love those particular machines, especially Miele's. But the downside to them is that they are way more pricey than the Maytag. There is a reasonably priced compact FL from Whirlpool that has a heater, but I believe others on this forum have said it is a lousy machine in terms of quality.

If space is not an issue and you are able to have a 27 in wide machine, stacked or not, than the Frigidaire Affinity's (the Affinity 7000 is the one w/ a heater) seem to be highly praised here on this forum. As well as Whirlpool Duets and Bosch Nexxt 500, 700 & 800 series. And I have not heard one complaint about Maytag Epics as of yet.

You may also want to check out the Amana Enlighten washer and dryer as well. I've seen these at The Maytag Store. It seems to be the same as the old-style Maytag Neptunes with nicer styling, but from what others say on this forum, all the problems those machines had seem to be worked out and it is now actually a decent washer. Plus,it is priced right at $500-600 for the washer. HTH. Good luck! :o)

Kevin

Thanks very much for that review, it was very helpful.

Unfortunately space IS an issue, so I must get a 24" pair. And the reviews on the compact Whirlpool units are just horrible, and the controls on the machines are not very good (no choice of anything except a preset "program").

I can't find any Amana 24" models, only 27"s. I would love to get an Asko or Miele, but I don't think I can justify their price, and their reviews are mixed as well. The Bosch models are more expensive, but not that much more than the Maytags, but the reviews are mixed too. I will do some more research on the Bosch models, but so far it looks like I may be "stuck" with the Maytags. I may end up purchasing the extended warranty on them in case I have problems like some of the reviewers on epinions did, and live without the water heating feature.

I just pulled up the installation docs on the Bosch and they maximum recommended duct length is much shorter than the Maytags:

Maytag MDE2400AYW:

90 deg____Rigid___Flexible
Elbows
0_________46 ft____30 ft
1_________38 ft____25 ft
2_________31 ft____20 ft
3_________24 ft____16 ft

Bosch WTA4410US:

90 deg____Rigid___Flexible
Elbows
0_________30 ft____20 ft
1_________22 ft____15 ft
2_________14 ft____09 ft
3_________06 ft____04 ft

and this is only if venting from the rear. If venting from the side, the numbers go down one elbow, so 2 turns from the side become 6 ft/4 ft.

I think this alone will make me pass on the Bosch models.

BALLED UP SHEETS-- When you take your sheets out of the washer shake them out, then fold them like you were folding them to put up(you don't have to be perfect though). Throw them in the dryer and dry as usual. See if this doesn't help. It works for me.

Sparky823 - Thanks for the tip! I will try that.

Miamibeach - I was wrong, you can still find Danby FL washers to purchase!

Also, I believe someone else mentioned in another thread that they are also still being sold at various online stores under the brand name Simplicity, so you may want to do an online search for the washer/dryer under that name. Here's a link to an online store that has only one left that is on clearance. HTH! :o)

Kevin

Here is a link that might be useful: Danby FL washer

Oh.....and here's the matching dryer, at another online store called Absolute Home. Couldn't find the dryer on beveragefactory.com, where the washer was.

However, something I didn't mention before, if noise is an issue, I found this Danby dryer to be a bit on the louder side. Well...it was definitely louder than the Maytag is.

Here is a link that might be useful: Matching Danby Dryer

Wow, great find appliance_researcher! It looks like that may be the only Danby washer for sale anywhere! I'd be a bit nervous to buy a product that has been discontinued for that long though. Also, the beveragefactory.com website lists the Danby washer with 1.7 cu ft capacity, while the Maytag is 2.4 cu ft. Are those numbers accurate? The reviews on the Danby seem to be mostly positive, but almost all of them are from 2004-2005.

I think I will probably stick with the Maytag pair. Their only downside seems to be the lack of a heating element. I just found reviews on the Home Depot website and all 5 reviewers gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

Thanks for your help.

Here is a link that might be useful: Maytag MAH2400AWW Reviews at homedepot.com

Miamibeach - Yes, those numbers are accurate. The Maytag does have a bigger capacity.

My guess is that slow sales was what discontinued the Danby set maybe because the name brand isn't that well known. However, I bought mine because of this forum and because most people here rave about the Danby! Then again I could be wrong. Other products from Danby don't seem to get much publicity, either, again maybe because of the brand name. So how come the rest of their product lineup hasn't been discontinued? Who knows? Maybe the person who was in charge of the decision to discontinue the Danby washer was simply a moron, because my Danby was AWESOME!!! A reasonably priced 24" wide FL washer with an internal heater is a very hard find. And I can honestly say that I have not heard many negative reviews of the Danby on this forum or elsewhere.

But like I said, the Maytag set is certainly not a bad set, just mediocre in terms of washing performance compared to the Danby......well......at least in my experience. Good luck on whatever you decide!! :o)

Kevin

I'll add an opinion about the Samsung branded version of this washing machine pair in a month or so. Samsung is actual manufacturer of both brand versions of these machines. Just picked up the WFB1254 washer and matching DV665JW dryer pair for only $699 for both.

At this price I could not turn then down. We currently have full size laundry in the basement. But with these machines on the 2nd floor, we won't have to walk through a non-heated construction zone, to do our laundry :-)

Our 105 year old house is undergoing a total gut rennovation and rebuild - all new structure including a re-inforced floor area for the stacked compact washer/dryer upstairs. The second floor is nearly done. We'll be living on the second floor, "apartment style" while the main floor and basement finish their total re-construction.

At this price, they were sold out everywhere, but I found someone at a FutureShop location in Markham (north Toronto) who managed to arrange a set for later pickup at the boxing week sale price.

For those who don't know - here in Canada, boxing day is on Dec 26th, and is the biggest sale day of the year, much like the thanksgiving black Friday in the U.S.A.

FutureShop is owned by Best Buy U.S.A.

http://www.samsung.com/ca/products/washerdryer/washer/wf_b1254xac.asp?page=Specifications

http://www.samsung.com/ca/products/washerdryer/dryer/dv665jwxac.asp?page=Specifications

Futureshop product link
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=BDL10002005&catid=

Hi Miami Beach

The washer is 120V. The different model numbers seem to just be newer versions - but the specs on the latest versions seem indentical.

We are happy with the washer. It does NOT have an internal water heater - so you will have to be sure that the water reaching the washer is hot. I'm thinking of adding a simple instant water heater, about $200 like the kind commonly used under a kitchen sink - to make sure that washer always draws hot water when it wants to. Right now - I tend to just run a nearby tap prior to wanting a hot water fill. The washing machine seems to wash quite a bit better than our old top loader did. It's not the quiestest washing machine - but it is hardly a bothersome noise either. The sounds are less "boomy" i.e. less "bass" than what a top loader would produce - likely due to less volume of water or mass.

Apparently the Maytag branded version has automatic temperature control on some water temp settings - which means is basically runs water down the drain for you - until it gets hot - then fills with water. Personally, I prefer my idea to install an adjacent, simple, easy, electric instant water heater.

They maytag version was recalled and ultimately discontinued in Canada, as for some reason, Maytag's version had problems with potential fires from the motor - did not control itself as well. As a fix - Maytag simply sent people GFI outlets?? This according the web - and a good service tech.

Speaking of service tech - my complaint about the pair would be about the dryer - not the washing machine. The dryer is slower - but I expect this of a compact dryer. It also has a very tiny heating element. The plus - it never gets too hot, so less damage possible to your clothes. My real complaint about the dryer is that the sensor simply does not work right. I set it to "damp dry" - the least dry setting, and the dryer still completely dries out the clothes - and keeps drying for about 20 minutes after the clothes are already completely dry. I have had the first dryer completely replaced, the second dryer a sensor replaced all under warranty - but they continue to act the same. Serivce tech who was over told me they use inferior sensors in the asian machines - more of a temperature sensor than a proper humidty sensor. Now with a reno going on - they dryer is in an unheated room - temperatures around 44 to 55 Farenheit - so perhaps when it is back at normal room temp it will be okay. Since we got the pair for such a ridiculously good deal - we have decided to live with it if need to - and probably switch to a manual timed dry to prevent over drying. Samsung customer service in Canada has been very good - they have been quite willing to address the problem - a cuple times - even though so far - no success. We'll have to wait and see when the room temperatures are back to normal. Our prior bottom of the line GE full size dryer, was able to accurately dry clothes, even in these lower room temperatures.

As to the size of the machine - we can pack as much or more than we could is our extra large old Kenmore top loader - so no concerns there. The king size front load machines are quite unnecessary. They have only become so popular because customers IMO in North America, can't seem to grasp the concept that a front loader really does have a lot more room inside than what LOOKS like a comparable sized top loader.

Good luck!

I have just recently acquired a Simplicity F/L washer & dryer. I have been lead 2 believe it is made by Danby. I would like 2 inquire about it but can not find any info --anywhere.Can u help me?? washer model #SWM5500W-1 / dryer model #SCD5505W.. Many Thanks--Rob