THIS MODEL SHOULD BE RECALLED

Category: Review on Fisher & Paykel WL80T65CW1 8.0kg Top Load Washing Machine

Posted by: 13-Jan

Strengths: NONE

Weaknesses: PLENTY

I couldn't agree more wholeheartedly with petro_z.

This is the WORST washing machine I've ever owned. Purchased to replace my previous F&P Smart Drive (had for approx. 9 years without too many problems other than control panel needing replacing once and chronic problems with lint, for which F&P sent me a lint collector, which helped tremendously...however one of the selling points of the machine was its so-called capacity to remove lint without the need for a filter - go figure!).

When purchasing the F&P toploader, energy and water savings were my foremost priorities and the open bowl (no agitator) concept was appealing, so I decided to go with this model despite the hefty price tag......BAD MOVE!!

This machine has been a nightmare from the word GO.

Let's see, where should I start?

It has destroyed my clothes and linens (towels I'd had for years - wrecked in a matter of weeks, with my brand new replacement towels being well on the same path to destruction). Clothes come out badly tangled/knotted. It doesn't wash the clothes properly (making matters worse, the so-called 'high efficiency cycle' utilises dirty rinse water from the previous wash). It leaves lint all over the wash and soap residue on everything (particularly noticeable on darks). The high efficiency cycle leaves the wash badly crushed/creased and clothing dries stiff as a board and misshapen. It doesn't rinse the wash properly (leaving clothes smelling unclean and sometimes worse than they did pre-wash). Unlike it's predecessor, it does not have a 'fast wash' cycle (baffling, to say the least, esp. given it's meant to conserve energy/water). It lacks a fast rinse and fast spin cycle (a real pain when you just want to rinse/spin just a few items in a hurry....both the 'rinse' and 'spin' cycles on this model take forever - again, power wastage). It doesn't hold the 'soak' cycle for long enough (so if you wish to add a few items to the wash, say, 10 mins. after the wash/soak cycle starts, you need to re-commence the whole wash from scratch, even more waste of power, not to mention my precious time.

Sure, this model provides numerous supposedly impressive selections catering to a multitude of specific laundering requirements (e.g. cycles for blood; stuffed toys; runners; sweaty clothes), however the majority are completely over the top (i.e. in reality you'd never use them) and even if you did, they'd require excessive consumption of energy and water - which most people purchasing this machine are trying to cut back on in the first place!! To add insult to injury, opting out of the 'high-efficiency' cycle reverts this machine to a water-guzzler.

Badly designed/engineered, I've been forced to use extra water/power in order to re-commence cycles and re-wash loads.

Out of 10, what rating would I give this machine? ZERO.

P.S. Messrs. Fisher & Paykel - I would appreciate a full refund!! (and replacement costs for my clothes and linen).