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09-15-2011, 02:38 AM
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2,186 posts, read 7,777,153 times
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Frigidaire Affinity FAFW3577KW Front-Load Washer
Rating: 3 out of 5
This is the first-front loading washer I have owned, and it definitely has its pros and cons. Retailing around $650, it falls in the mid-price range and offers features comparable to other brands.
Capacity is fine- 3.5 cubic feet, which is pretty standard. It offers a wide selection of wash settings from heavy duty to delicate, and you can either manually set the water level or have it determined automatically based on load size. Detergent, fabric softener and bleach are easy to load, in a tray that slides out of the upper-left front of the machine.
As with most front-loaders, this machine requires high efficiency detergent and uses less water than most top-loading washers. In the two years I have owned this unit I have washed everything from clothing to rugs to stuffed animals and used virtually every wash setting- items always come out clean and intact. It even handles large loads of heavy towels without difficulty.
Unfortunately, this model does have its drawbacks as well. Vibration is a huge issue- the spin cycle runs at a very high RPM, which results in wonderfully dry clothes but also causes the machine to rock quite a bit. I found that placing rubber stabilizer pads under the machine greatly reduced the amount of movement, but there is still a noise issue.
Secondly, the filter design on this machine is absolutely terrible. It is prone to sucking up large items, like children's socks, hair ties, bobby pins and other items left in pockets. If the filter clogs, the machine is unable to drain and will not function (giving you a persistent error message) until you remove and empty it. Getting to the filter is a huge headache- the machine must be turned over and a number of difficult, hard to reach clamps removed before you can pull out the rubber filter housing and remove the filter basket. The entire process is very unfriendly and I believe they designed it with the intention of forcing you to call a professional repair person. When this issue happened with my machine (after approximately one year of use) it took us nearly 4 hours to fix. We found close to a dozen bobby pins, a huge hair clog and a plastic ID card stuck in the filter. Getting it back in was as much of a pain as getting it out.
Given how difficult regular maintenance is on this machine, I would not purchase another like it. While it otherwise functions well, the filter issues are an absolute deal breaker.
Review by professional reviewer, Aug. 25, 2011
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