GE WHRE5550KWW 27 4.1 cu. ft. Top-Load Washer - White

by General Electric

Product Features

• HydroWave System With Infusor
• 5 Wash/spin Speed Combinations
• RainShower Rinse System
• Dimensions (WHD): 25 1/2 X 42 X 27 In

Product Details

• Item Weight: 148 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 148 pounds
• ASIN: B001E4C4MI
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #430,298 in Appliances (See Top 100 in Appliances)

Product Description

ENERGY STAR Qualified Meets or exceeds federal guidelines for energy efficiency for year-round energy to help save money

4.1 IEC cu. ft. colossal capacity stainless steel basket Colossal size stainless steel drum can handle family-size loads

HydroWave system with Infusor Advanced wash action provides gentle, thorough cleaning

700 RPM spin speed Fast speeds remove more water during the spin cycle to minimize drying time

5 wash/spin speed combinations Washer alternates speeds for great clothes care

RainShower rinse system This system uses less water than traditional toploads, and provides clean rinse performance similar to a frontload washer rinse system

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique new washer, July 31, 2009

By 

Frankland S. Strickland (Memphis, Tennessee) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

First, let me say that historically I've never bought G.E. appliances---especially laundry appliances. My youthful years spent working at Sears as an appliance delivery/installation technician (1986-1991) showed me more than a fair share of fairly new but recently deceased G.E. washers. I remember one customer who had only had hers about a year (and was obviously rich enough to simply buy another rather than repair it). I know that all of this was nearly 15 to 20 years ago and much can change with a company's quality (remember when Maytag appliances were still good and Hyundai cars were horrible?), still, it kept me away from G.E. washers for many years. Ironically, G.E. has built for many years probably the best line of refrigerators and ranges in the industry.

If you're reading this review then it's obvious that you know a thing or two about washers. I don't really need to go into the hows and whys, but I'd like to focus this review on what is unique about this washer.

1. Stainless steel tub!!! Hey, I'm a fool for a stainless steel tub, although I can't really say that they are any better than others. Remember the cool Speed Queens and their once-patented stainless steel tubs?

2. Lack of agitator/"Hydrowave." One benefit of front loading washers is that they can wash more clothes, yet get them cleaner and treat them more gently than a top loading washer with an agitator. Well, this machine is still a top loader but lacks an agitator---at least what we know as an agitator. I suppose the little "nub" in the middle of the tub is the agitator. At any rate, this machine employs what G.E. calls its "Hydrowave" system. Most likely, this is yet another industry buzzword.

3. Super capacity! According to the manual, this has a capacity of 4.1 cubic feet. That's big! Other "super capacity" washers are usually around 3.5 cubic feet. This extra capacity is achieved, of course, by the lack of the traditional agitator.

4. Quiet! In terms of quietness, this machine is what I'll call "library quiet." It really is wonderful not to hear the "clunka clunka" from the Maytag piece of garbage it replaced! It sits perfectly still like a good little church boy during the spin cycle.

5. Drier clothes. No, this is not a one-in-all machine like I've seen in motor homes and Parisian apartments, but this thing gets clothes drier after the spin cycle than any washer I've ever known. Drier clothes after washing means less time in the dryer and, ultimately, less energy consumed.

6. Options. In addition to the multiple cycles and settings on this machine, two extra "bells and whistles" that may prove handy are the "Extra Rinse" option and/or the "Extra Spin" option. I've not used them yet, but certainly see the benefit.

***** WORD TO THE WISE ***** Do not overfill your washing machine! 4.1 cubic feet doesn't mean that you can force 50 pounds of dirty laundry into the maw of this appliance---or any other washer. Nothing shortens the lifespan of a washing machine more than overfilling the machine, yet almost everyone does it. The rule is to fill it no more than halfway from the bottom of the tub. If fact, this washer only fills slightly more than halfway on "Super" capacity. This is probably the reason some reviewers have complained that the machine left some articles of laundry dry in their machine.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Stay away!, December 9, 2009

By 

JamesCA (Orange, CA) - See all my reviews

Stay away from this machine. GE markets it as 'colossal' capacity and the instruction manual indicates it can be loaded with clothes up to the top holes in the basket, but UNTRUE. It will only handle clothes up about 1/4 to 1/3 of the height of the basket, which eliminates washing of blankets, table cloths, large towels (unless you want to wash one at a time). The GE field service technician was surprised at the poor performance, but GE customer service said that it performs as designed! Stay away! In fact, based on my experience, stay away from GE. Never again will I purchase a GE branded appliance.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Watch out!!!, August 8, 2010

By 

Jane Gleason (Longmont, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: GE WHRE5550KWW 27 4.1 cu. ft. Top-Load Washer - White

The good:
1) Machine IS quiet (that's because it really doesn't agitate).

The bad:
1) Doesn't get clothes clean. Doesn't agitate well enough to scrub dirt or even underarm deodorant off cloths. I have to wash all my clothes twice and even then the underarm deodorant doesn't come off the insides of my husband's clothes.

2) Washer isn't really saving us any money (Energy Star whatever) because I am washing everything twice... and for really dirty stuff I'm washing three times!

3) After only 2 years washer has started making horrible banging noises... we think it's the agitator.

4) We tried taking the agitator off ourselves and wasn't able to get it off (UNLIKE every other washing machine we've had), and GE said that's because it can only be removed by a trained repair person... ...ok? Why I wonder they have done this?

5) Trained repair person wants $80 just to walk through our front door. Then there is the $40 and hour he/she will spend pulling the agitator and assessing the problem. Then the cost of parts and such... estimated at approximately $100. Then the additional $40 an hour to install the new part (maybe it will only take half an hour?). ...so maybe as much $260 to repair a $450 washer. Over the phone the repair guy says that if we are lucky he may be able to get it done for as little as $180 IF there's nothing ELSE wrong with it... ...oh yeah... THAT'S why only a trained repair person can pull the agitator.

6) We're just going to buy a new washer... We recommend you do the same and save yourself a lot of extra washings and frustration of high repair costs.