mouseycakes,
I do have the LG5101 washer and use the extra water option quite often. I can, honestly, tell you that the added water makes a big difference in the cleanliness of my clothes. I've noticed with my washer, when I use the added water option, the agitation is stronger and my clothes rollover faster. The results are amazing.

Another thing you might want to note between the LG and GE washer is the LG final spin is 1100rpms while the GE final spin is 1010rpms.

Also, the Kenmore Elite is made by LG and Samsung VRT is made by Samsung.

washerman8 I was just wondering how you found-out that
Samsung was made by Samsung. The reason I asked is when I last looked at the Samsung Model WA5471AB/XAA looked alot
like the LG/GE/Elite. I will only deal with Lowes and they carry GE and Samsung but not LG. So I am wondering between
the GE and Samsung which is better? I had the GE Harmony
in 2005 and did not like it. So I am currious if the new
GE is better or same as the 2005 model. Or is the Samsung
with the power foam a better choice?
Thanks to washerman8 and to anyone else who posts. All
suggestions are helpful.
Chance1

Thanks for your reply, washerman8! I really appreciate the feedback. The LG looks like a great machine, and my husband prefers how it looks vs. the other branded machines. The *only* reason I am considering *not* getting the LG is that after rebates and sale prices I could get the GE set for roughly $200 cheaper. :)

I did notice the spin difference, but figured either was a step up from my old machine and didn't know how much I would notice the difference. As I understand it those RPMs are for the last part of the spin only, and I could always set it for an extra spin if necessary.

Initially the "hand wash" option on the GE Harmony was leering me its way, until I called LG and they said the "wool" cycle on the Wave was the same gentle rocking motion. Can you confirm for me that this is true?

So now we're down to spin speed and adding extra water. To be honest, even if there *is* a workaround on the GE machine, I wonder if it would be too much hassle for $200 savings over the life of the machine. I guess it depends what you have to do to get extra water, or if you even can, which I still don't know.

Good question, chance1. I too thought the Samsung was suspiciously similar to the LG machines, and thought I saw mentioned somewhere that LG made the "new Samsung top-loading HE" which I assumed to be that model. So confusing with who makes what now-a-days. I also wondered if the Harmonys of a few years ago are the same technology as their reviews don't seem as glowingly positive as the new LG machines. I think I saw it mentioned that the water levels for the Harmony wash cycles are increased from what old Harmonys used, though who knows if that's true, but I didn't see anything about the wash action, etc.

chance1,

I had asked a salesman at Lowe's and he told me Samsung made their new toploaders. It does look very similar to the LG topload washer. That is why I asked.

mouseycakes1,

I believe you will be happier with the LG topload. I, too, had the GE Harmony when the first model came out. I returned it because it did not use enough water to get my clothes clean. I, also, purchased the Kenmore Oasis when it first came out. I returned it for the very same reason. I swore I would never purchase another HE machine. When the LG topload came out and I saw I had the option to add more water with a push of a button, I decided to try it out. I am soooooooooooo glad I did. Believe me when I tell you that extra water makes a difference when you have dirty, sweaty clothes. I noticed when I do not use the extra water option, the underarms of my t-shirts still have an odor when the wash is finished. However, when I use a little more water to really get the clothes moving up and around, the smell is gone.

I would go ahead and spend the extra $200 because I know you will be very happy with the added water option.

Btw, you will not need to use the extra spin with the 1100rpms. My washer has a final spin time of 19 mins. My clothes are nearly half dry after the final spin, and it takes about 35 mins. to dry a full load.

I owned the original GE Harmony...I liked it okay, but seemed to always use the comforter setting to make sure there was enough water. When adding clothes, it sometimes added a slight bit of water automatically, but not always. My dryer just broke and was not going to be cost efficient to repair, so off I went to look at new machines.

Well I chose the Kenmore Elite 29272 after much research and multiple trips to Sears to speak with salesperson. It came down to the Kenmore and the LG - as I liked the concept of the GE Harmony and hoped that many improvements had been made...They sure have...The salesperson told me except for the "Look" and the end of cycle chime, the two machines were the same...When I asked which one I should choose, I was advised to choose whichever one was on sale at the time for the best price. Last week it was the Kenmore. BTW, salesperson informed me that although LG developed the technology for the GE Harmony, the actual machines are made by GE...

They were delivered yesterday and I love love love them so far. The washing machine is soooo quiet, my Harmony was very loud during all cycles. The Kenmore does a much better job of pulling the clothes down and under for better washing...the controls are more user friendly and the add water feature is the best part. You can keep adding until you are satisfied and then it remembers this for the rinse cycle...Still playing with it, but so far huge improvements and you cannot go wrong with the Kenmore or the LG.

Hope this helps....

To Mommydei-Thank you for your input. However, 1: I only
deal with Lowes and they do not carry Kenmore, they do how-
ever carry GE and Samsung. 2: I looked at your Kenmore
Elite model #29272 and I never read or seen the extra water
button. 3: If the GE Harmony is basicly no different then
the previous Harmony, then that would be a waste of money to buy 10-to-1 it would be going back. I wish you well
with your Kenmore Elite.
Now I feel back to Square one. I have read some good re-
views on the Samsung. I may just have to wait until I can
talk to someone who has one.

Chance1

Chancel...

I guess Lowes does not carry the LG either...hmmm...The extra water feature is not a specific button on the panel, you really have to read the manuel. You stop the machine after the first fill, press extra rinse for 3 seconds until beep, restart machine and it starts adding extra water. You do this as many times as you need until the water level is to your liking....Once done during the wash cycle it recalls it for the rinses....

Maybe you should try to get your hands on a GE Harmony owners manuel...That could help you figure out if you could do it with that one as well...I have found in the short time I have had the Kenmore that the water levels are a bit higher to begin with than my old Harmony. I have only added water to the two loads of beach towels I did. Maybe GE has adjusted this as well, hopefully, as I think it was a major complaint by all....Also, the Kenmore really cycles the clothes much better then the Harmony did, so hopefully they improved that as well...

Good luck with your decision, buying a washer/dryer was harder than buying my last car...

I just thought I'd post an update for anyone also considering these machines...

Due to my incessant comparisons and price shopping, I delayed enough that I was able to find the LG Waveforce (WT5101H & DLEX5101) washer and dryer set for less than the initial price that was luring me toward GE set. Since the main reason I was considering the GE Harmony over the LG Waveforce was price, I stopped comparing and got the LG washer and matching steam dryer.

We decided on white. I would have chosen white anyway since it would look better in the space, but I have seen many people say the stainless color is a shrink wrapped covering that can bubble up and not actual paint, so that is something to consider for anyone else contemplating the purchase.

They were delivered last week, and I LOVE them! After getting them perfectly level, we did every piece of laundry we could find and tested out several of the modes. It has worked wonderfully for towels, sheets, clothes, delicate undergarments (on the wool setting and in mesh wash bags) and even fit our california king comforter. I cannot believe how big the drum is! I think I could curl up and sit in this thing. I was concerned about things twisting up, especially our sheet set, but that wasn't a problem at all. The extra water and extra rinse options are really nice to have. I haven't had any issues with soap residue and the wash feels CLEAN! Not just 'clean' but CLEAN CLEAN! I am picky on clean; you can trust me on this! The washer does a great job moving the clothes around. It does really seem to move the water through the clothes rather than tugging the clothes through the water the way an agitator-style washer would.

We applied some Rain-X Interior Glass Anti-Fog to the inside of the washer lid so we could get a good look at what was going on inside. I don't plan to make laundry viewing a regular pastime, but I wanted to be sure of my purchase before the return period was up, and the whole point of the glass lid is to be able to peek inside.

The dryer steam feature I don't see using a lot, but it will be nice to have occasionally for de-wrinkling and anti-static. We of course have used it just to try it out! There is a drying rack you can set in the drum so you can dry bras, sweaters or shoes with no tumble rather than rack or hang drying them elsewhere.

I have a few more modes to try out, and also plan on testing out what the temperatures of each setting are, but so far I am very pleased with the purchase. I expect the warm and hot temps won't "wow" me, but I want to at least be sure each mode is working as it should before the return window closes.

To anyone contemplating getting this LG set, or the GE or Kenmore branded similar machines, I would advise you to shop for the best deal and availability between the brands, and get them! Especially if front loaders aren't a consideration for you, I really don't think you can do any better.

I am not the type to go buy the first thing I see and I often agonize over deciding on larger purchases. Hopefully my review will help a someone currently in their own washer/dryer comparison shopping nightmare. ;)