Whole lotta shakin' goin' on with Daewoo's new washer

Consumer Reports

Matching washer and dryer pairs are a popular purchase. Sure, they look good together but performance trumps style when you're tackling 300 loads of laundry a year—that's the average for an American family, according to Energy Star. Our latest tests of a matching Daewoo front-loading washer and dryer prove that they get the job done, but as couples go, this isn't the best twosome we've seen.

Daewoo's DWDWD3011WW large capacity front loader was excellent at cleaning and the normal wash cycle is a brisk 55 minutes; some front loaders take 90 to 100 minutes. Most front loaders offer superb water- and energy efficiency and the Daewoo was very good. It was also gentle on fabrics and at $690, the price is lower than most. But this washer was relatively noisy and vibrated much more than other front loaders in our tests.

Front loaders spin at such high speeds that some do vibrate. Concrete floors can absorb the vibrations well, unlike wood-framed floors. So if your laundry room is near living space this isn't your dream couple. You'll want a washer that scored very good or better in our Ratings for vibration and noise. The matching electric dryer, the Daewoo DWRWE3011WW, $680, did a fine job drying our laundry and, unlike its mate, was relatively quiet.

Reliability is something else to consider. While models within a brand may vary, and changes in design or manufacture may affect future reliability, choosing a brand with a good repair history can improve your odds of getting a model that lasts. Since the Korean-made Daewoo is new to the U.S. market, the brand isn't in our brand reliability data yet. If you're looking for a dynamic duo with proven reliability, take a look at the matching washers and dryers that cleaned up in our tests then see our Ratings of washers and dryers for the full details on their performance and features.


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