DO NOT BUY a Staber Washing Machine - What they won't tell you
PT
had horrible results, especially for the premium price ($1300). The
very first time we used it, we put in an expensive quilt (new Amish
quilt), used much less detergent than normal (as per the directions),
and it oversuds, would not spin up or drain, and caused the fabric to
bleed. We tried running it back through the rinse cycles time after
time to no avail. We knew it was expensive, but if it lasted a very
long time due to its supposedly rugged design and was frugal on water
and electricity, it should have been a good choice.
If you think you are buying a rugged, care-free machine that will last
forever, be frugal on water, and be a good long-term investment, think
again.
Problems with Staber washing machines they won't tell you BEFORE you
buy:
1. If it is still under warranty, and it fails to work, YOU have to fix
it yourself (though they may be "gracious" enough to send you the
parts), despite the very high price you pay for it. You probably will
have to buy a wet/dry vac if you don't have one, so you can suck up the
water when you replace your own water pump (observe how the pump design
allows hair and other debris to get caught up under a lip of the
impeller and wrapped around and is next to impossible to remove
totally).
2. It is extremely sensitive to being perfectly balanced and it still
is prone to going out of balance when it attemps to spin up. Want to
wash a single rug due to a pet accident? Forget it. It will attempt to
spin up infinitely until you stop it. Two rugs? Better chance, but
often a failure as well.
3. Unless your machine is on a concrete slab (as I guess is common in
Ohio where they are made, but not out here in the West), your floor will
vibrate heavily vertically when the machine spins up, such that when you
stand near the machine when it spins up, your body will shake up and
down. Nowhere in their literature did it say you needed to either have
concrete or triple reinforce your floor to take the beating this machine
puts out and prevent extra vibration. Our machine is in a laundry nook
in our hallway, which you have to walk through to get to the bedrooms.
The house is 20 years old, so it isn't an old, rickety floor.
4. It very often will not properly go through the rinse and spin cycles
because it oversuds (too many suds) and is super sensitive this way. It
will just sit there rumbling through, trying in vain to drain and spin
up until you stop it. Eventually, I suspect it will cause your pump to
burn out. You have to reset it back to go through 1 or more rinse
cycles again, negating the supposedly miserly water use. In the worst
cases, we had to go through as many as 6 or even more rinse cycles to
get it to properly rinse, drain, and spin up. Even being extremely
sparingly with detergent (tried three kinds), it often requires an extra
1 or 2 rinses to be able to spin up.
5. When you call and complain that even though you are using only 1/4
or 1/5 of the normal amount of detergent you use in a top loader and it
is still oversudsing, they will claim you need to buy a case of their
RECOMMENDED detergent, which is a 20 year supply for us, as this machine
is miserly in detergent use. I am sorry, but no where on their website,
their literature, or the sales floor at one of their retailers does it
say anything about being restricted to a single brand of detergent. We
have tried 3 detergents that all say it is good for top and front
loaders and use just a very small amount, just a small fraction of
normal, and it still oversuds. They "helpfully" suggest you can also
dumping in vinegar to cut the suds when it oversuds. One rug required a
third of a gallon of vinegar.
6. The main knob that you use to set the washer in motion feels flimsy,
has a plastic stem supporting it, and if you accidentally pull it when
it is already pulled out, it pulls right off the machine. In contrast,
my 4 year old standard Kenmore washing machine has a very solid feeling
knob that you can't just rip right off.
7. If you have to stop the machine to check after it won't rinse and
spin due to suds and to add vinegar, etc, or if it spins out of balance,
you not only have to wait a couple minutes for it to unlock the door,
but you then have to push against the tub (it is like a hexagon) to
rotate it to the position where you open the "trap door" to get to the
clothes. This is difficult for my wife and the holes in the side of the
tub are in such a way as also to be uncomfortable on the hands. The
"trap door" you open has a left door and a right door that interlock and
is difficult or nearly impossible if you only have the use of one hand.
Other front or top loaders I have seen can easily be used with one hand.
8. It is very noisy when it spins up. There is no insulation to cut
the noise level. It sounds like a jet plane. It will also vibrate your
floor (unless you have concrete slab), adding additional noise as well.
Yes, they have those shock absorber-like things holding the tub (which
Staber actually touts as a feature), but it still vibrates the floor
heavily. One can only imagine what it would be like if it DIDN'T have
that feature.
9. When you call for help because of some of the problems stated above
(not draining, oversuds, pump not working, etc), their attitude always
seems to be that there is something YOU are not doing right, not because
of design flaws of THEIR product.
Yes, you can take off the front panel and have "easy access", but how
many times should someone have to take off the front panel in the course
or fixing or diagnosing the machine in the first year or two of
ownership, especially when it costs so much? I would rather have harder
access, and only have to do it every 10 years or so.
Buyer Beware. Preserve your marriage or relationship, DO NOT BUY a
Staber washing machine.
-Piner
Post a reply to this message in the newsgroups if any of you unhappy
Staber users out there wish to add anything or confirm you are
experiencing some of the same things I am.
domesi
and most recently from my brother in law who failed to consult me
before buying one. He is one very unhappy person with the performance.
In my opinion, it's the worst on the market and it seems they stay
in business somehow. Their customer service is NON-EXISTANT.
Keep informing people and you will save many people from unhappiness.
Best Regards. D
"PT" <pine...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:3D2A3330...@nospam.com...
> We have had our Staber washing machine for the last two years and have
> had horrible results, especially for the premium price ($1300). The
> very first time we used it, we put in an expensive quilt (new Amish
> quilt), used much less detergent than normal (as per the directions),
> and it oversuds, would not spin up or drain, and caused the fabric to
> bleed. We tried running it back through the rinse cycles time after
> time to no avail. We knew it was expensive, but if it lasted a very
> long time due to its supposedly rugged design and was frugal on water
> and electricity, it should have been a good choice.
>
> If you think you are buying a rugged, care-free machine that will last
> forever, be frugal on water, and be a good long-term investment, think
> again.
>
Paul M. Eldridge
previous washer was a Frigidaire Gallery front loader and I was
extremely pleased with its performance; a very solid and well built
machine.
When I moved to my new home, I opted for a Kenmore Elite front loader
which is very similar to the Frigidaire (in fact, it could very well
be made by the same company). What I like about the new Kenmore is
that it has a longer and faster final spin, allowing it to extract
even more water, which in turn further reduces drying time. It's also
amazingly quiet (with the exception of the final spin).
For other opinions on front load washers, including the above
mentioned Frigidaire and Kenmore models, please see:
http://www.epinions.com/hmgd-Large_Appliances-All-Washing_Machines-Front_Load
Cheers,
Paul
the_original_
usually operator error.
Shane & Tina Anderson
Ours has been trouble from day one. Called to complain that it wouldn't it
wouldn't do small loads like a sweater or rug, the lady at Staber told me
that this was an easy fix, don't do small loads, so why does it have a small
and large load setting?
Have pulled many items from the pump inlet that has no screen, only a
matter of time before something gets in the impeller and shucks the motor.
The most aggrevating problem has been that it goes out of balance before
the first rinse and will spin out of balance until you turn the knob
manually. Again I called Staber and was told (by that devil woman) that it
was not level and my floor was not solid enough. I screwed a 3/4" 4X8 sheet
of plywood to the floor and anchored the base of the washer to this and
guess what it still didn't work.
I did find out that if you can get past that bitch that answers the phone
and talk to Jim or Rob (I think) these guys will bend over backwards to help
you, they sent me out of warranty replacement parts for free, except for the
timer I replaced last week which that bitch found out about and charged me
for.
Before I bought a Staber all I heard was good things and thought that this
machine was the cream of the crop, where were all you guys 2 years ago?
Disgruntled
Shane
Anthony Matonak
I do not own a Staber so you may regard my reply in that light.
> The very first time we used it, we put in an expensive quilt, used much
> less detergent than normal, and it oversuds, would not spin up or drain,
> and caused the fabric to bleed.
I'm amazed that you took an expensive quilt and placed it in an untried
machine. If the fabric bled it likely would have in any washing machine.
Oversuds means that you used too much, or the wrong type of, detergent.
This is clearly operator error.
Yes, you used less, as per the instructions, but you did not use enough
less. I have even heard that enough residue remains in most peoples
clothing, from normal machines, that it takes a couple of washings without
any detergent first before you need to add any at all.
This leaves the problem with it not spinning up or draining. These sound
like legitimate complaints to me at first glance.
> 1. If it is still under warranty, and it fails to work, YOU have to fix
> it yourself
Their warranty, and user manuals, are available from the web site prior
to purchase. They clearly state that they only offer on-site service if
you have an authorized service center near you. This is something that
you should have checked prior to purchase.
That said, it is clear that you were able to fix it yourself and that they
did send you all the replacement parts. This sounds like they stood behind
their warranty exactly as they advertised it and that it was easy enough for
you to fix. I fail to see where you can have a complaint with this.
> (observe how the pump design allows hair and other debris to get caught up
> under a lip of the impeller and wrapped around and is next to impossible to
> remove totally).
This sounds like a design problem but I do not know how this compares to
other washing machine pumps. This may be typical of the industry and your
problem may have been related to the "too many suds" issue.
> 2. It is extremely sensitive to being perfectly balanced and it still
> is prone to going out of balance when it attemps to spin up. Want to
> wash a single rug due to a pet accident? Forget it. It will attempt to
> spin up infinitely until you stop it. Two rugs? Better chance, but
> often a failure as well.
This sounds like the same complaint as the expensive quilt. That you can
not wash only one single item. How does this compare with other front
loading machines?
This sounds like the old doctor joke.
Patient - "Doctor, doctor, it hurts when I do this!"
Doctor - "Don't do that."
This does sound like a legitimate warning though. Do not buy this machine
if you expect to be washing only a single item at a time. Of course, washing
only one item at a time isn't very frugal anyhow and how difficult is it to
wash full loads?
> 3. Unless your machine is on a concrete slab your floor will vibrate
> heavily vertically when the machine spins up, such that when you
> stand near the machine when it spins up, your body will shake up and
> down.
This sounds more like a cosmetic problem than anything else. Yes, noise
and vibration can be annoying but it isn't knocking down your house or
causing the machine to malfunction. In my experience, every washing
machine makes noise and vibration when operating and the ones with the
super-fast spin cycles sound like jet engines taking off.
> 4. It very often will not properly go through the rinse and spin cycles
> because it oversuds (too many suds) and is super sensitive this way. It
> will just sit there rumbling through, trying in vain to drain and spin
> up until you stop it.
This sounds like operator error. Use less detergent.
I agree that it should have some way of dealing with this more elegantly
than rumbling forever but once you get the detergent thing worked out
correctly I think this problem will disappear.
> 5. When you call and complain that even though you are using only 1/4
> or 1/5 of the normal amount of detergent you use in a top loader and it
> is still oversudsing, they will claim you need to buy a case of their
> RECOMMENDED detergent, which is a 20 year supply for us, as this machine
> is miserly in detergent use.
Again, perhaps you were simply using too much detergent.
Their manual states that you should use one ounce of low sudsing liquid
detergent or not more than 2 ounces of powdered low sudsing detergent.
For the low water level setting they say to use half this amount.
I do not know what your "normal" amount of detergent is.
A quick websearch seemed to indicate that Tide HE liquid says to use 4
ounces. This would mean you should have only used 1/4 to 1/8th the normal
amount, depending on the water level setting. If you put in 1/4 the normal
amount and set it on low (which would require 1/8th the normal amount)
then you were putting in twice as much as you should have.
Was a 20 year supply all that expensive? I looked at their webpage and it
would cost me only $17.50 for one bottle and $49.00 for a case.
You did NOT have to buy a case. You also did not have to buy their pump,
which is only $2 or $4 and a one time purchase anyhow.
I don't know how many bottles are in a case, or how big a single bottle
is. The image appears to say 54 fluid ounces but it's fuzzy. Since you
use one ounce or less then each bottle should last at least 54 loads. If
you only do one load a week then a 24 bottle case could last you 20 years
indeed, but it would only have cost you some $2.55 a year. I would consider
that frugal. Do they say that the stuff will go bad in 20 years? Perhaps
you could sell off half the case to someone else for a profit.
> 6. The main knob that you use to set the washer in motion feels flimsy,
> has a plastic stem supporting it, and if you accidentally pull it when
> it is already pulled out, it pulls right off the machine. In contrast,
> my 4 year old standard Kenmore washing machine has a very solid feeling
> knob that you can't just rip right off.
I've got an 11 year old Sears washing machine that I've had to replace
the silly knob twice. It's a standard top loader. Flimsy knobs are not
unique to Stabers. I might recommend some rubber cement. Sounds like an
easy fix and not a deal breaker.
> 7. If you have to stop the machine to check after it won't rinse and
> spin due to suds and to add vinegar, etc, or if it spins out of balance,
> you not only have to wait a couple minutes for it to unlock the door,
> but you then have to push against the tub (it is like a hexagon) to
> rotate it to the position where you open the "trap door" to get to the
> clothes. This is difficult for my wife and the holes in the side of the
> tub are in such a way as also to be uncomfortable on the hands. The
> "trap door" you open has a left door and a right door that interlock and
> is difficult or nearly impossible if you only have the use of one hand.
> Other front or top loaders I have seen can easily be used with one hand.
Once you get the hang of using it right I think you won't have to stop
it in the middle of the cycle very often.
That said, it does sound like a legitimate concern for someone who has
only the use of one hand. It does not sound like a handicap friendly
machine. Their manual does clearly say to "use both hands" in more than
one place so I can't say that they didn't warn you.
> 8. It is very noisy when it spins up. There is no insulation to cut
> the noise level. It sounds like a jet plane.
Every washing machine with those super fast spin cycles sound like this
and will cause vibration, especially if they are not level. There are
a lot of warnings about making sure the machine is level in the manual
so they do warn you about this.
This noise is the cost of having it remove more water from the clothes
so that your dryer does not have to work as long and hard. It does not
seem fair to compare this to another washing machine which does not use
a fast spin.
> 9. When you call for help because of some of the problems stated above
> (not draining, oversuds, pump not working, etc), their attitude always
> seems to be that there is something YOU are not doing right, not because
> of design flaws of THEIR product.
Perhaps because the majority of your complaints are something you are not
doing right. Maybe the machine could handle misuse better but it seems to
me that if you can "fix" it by simply using less detergent or more clothes
per load then it's not really a design problem.
Perhaps you could lobby them to revise their manuals and add the following
notes.
- Standard washers do NOT remove all detergent from your clothes. Use no
detergent the first couple of times you wash an item that has already been
washed in a conventional washer.
- Start by using 1/2 ounce of liquid low sudsing detergent (or 1 ounce
of powder). Use more only if your clothes are not getting clean.
- Wash full loads only. This machine will not wash properly with only
one or two items.
- The operation of this washer requires TWO hands. Do not operate with
only one hand.
- Place this machine only on a solid floor. The spin cycle may cause
noise and vibration in some structures.
You could also try to get them to revise their design so that it will
handle the situation of too much suds more elegantly, and without
burning out the pump. Or perhaps to add some kind of filter to keep
things from getting into the pump.
> Yes, you can take off the front panel and have "easy access", but how
> many times should someone have to take off the front panel in the course
> or fixing or diagnosing the machine in the first year or two of
> ownership, especially when it costs so much? I would rather have harder
> access, and only have to do it every 10 years or so.
Well, the choice to buy a different washing machine was yours from the start.
I looked at their user manuals and they clearly state that they will cover,
under their one year standard warranty...
< Staber Industries will pay for:
<
< Replacement parts and repair labor to correct defects in materials or
< workmanship. Service must be provided by an authorized Staber Industries
< servicing outlet.
You should have asked if there was an authorized servicing outlet near you
before you purchased it. If there was, or if you had your local appliance
repair person become authorized, then your repairs would have been done for
you at no cost for the first year.
Anthony
01d...@cox.net
<pine...@nospam.com> calmly looked over the stall at me and
whispered:
<snip problems with Staber>
We just went through the "time to buy a new washer and dryer" routine.
At first, we wanted a front loader, like the Maytag Neptune. However
google searches came up with more negative remarks (e.g. expensive,
cleaning is average, water leaking around door seals, no window in
door, water pooling around door seal causing mold build up etc.), than
positive ones, so dropped the idea of a Neptune.
We also looked at Kenmore/Frigidare equivalent front loaders as well
as the Whirlpool Duet (which IMHO looked *really* cheap in spite of
their $799 price just for the washer alone).
After much consideration, especially about door leaks and "braiding"
(when clothes tie up in a braided knot in some front loaders), we
decided to stick with a top loader.
After reading reviews both in print and on the web, we opted to
purchase a Fisher Paykel washer and dryer. In the end, it still ended
up costing us about $1,200 for the two but I think we'll be much
happier than having to deal with any of the front loading stories I've
read recently.
Now we just have to endure the 3-4 week delivery wait. : - (
Aclavern33
loading machine with a top load feature. Why? Front loaders have been around
for years and have a reputation for all the things your where looking for. In
Most European coutries they have been used for many years now.
No way I would have bought that contraption called a Staber. Did you buy it
off the internet? I wonder because most people when making a major purchase
try out and check out carefully all the features before they buy.
Just looking at the instructions to load the basket was enough to make me
run..run very fast away from that peice of junk!!
I am however sorry that you are stuck with a very larger paperweight inyour
laundry room. I'd do some more research on front loaders and try again.
Another sugestion is trying BBB..file a complaint..they have a web site. If
they get enough complaints then they will definately take action. Also whine
very loudly at the store where you bought this piece of junk..that usually will
get you at least the option to return it and get something that works.
Shane & Tina Anderson
"Anthony Matonak" <res0...@gte.net> wrote in message
news:3D2AC180...@gte.net...
> PT wrote:
>
> I do not own a Staber so you may regard my reply in that light.
>
> > The very first time we used it, we put in an expensive quilt, used much
> > less detergent than normal, and it oversuds, would not spin up or drain,
> > and caused the fabric to bleed.
>
> I'm amazed that you took an expensive quilt and placed it in an untried
> machine. If the fabric bled it likely would have in any washing machine.
Not true, Staber claims it is gentler, but this machine tumbles the fabrics
against each other instead of rinsing water through the fabrics like a
conentional washer. Colors are more likely to smear when agitated more
roughly, the tumbling action is definitely rougher than sloshing in in 20
gallons of water.
>
> Oversuds means that you used too much, or the wrong type of, detergent.
> This is clearly operator error.
>
> Yes, you used less, as per the instructions, but you did not use enough
> less. I have even heard that enough residue remains in most peoples
> clothing, from normal machines, that it takes a couple of washings without
> any detergent first before you need to add any at all.
As far as the wrong detergent I just receive a flyer from Staber trying to
sell me a detergent made to work in thier machine with all positive remarks.
Sounds like the same hoopla they told me about their washer. Typical ad
campaign, all sunshine.
Maybe they used the recommend amount detergent for the Staber but there was
residual soap in the fabric from previous washings. If thats the case this
means the quilt was previously washed in a conventional washer and colors
did not bleed (see above). If this were a new quilt and was washed with the
proper amount of soap I can still see there being a problem with suddsing.
Staber claims that this machines drum can be packed full of clothes and work
well. Well quilts are rather large and to put one in this machine you would
have to pack it in, which Staber claims will work, thats what the woman at
Staber told me on the phone too. This machine has a double rinse cycle and
it needs it since claimed water usage is about 16 gallons a load, how much
water can the recommended amount of detertergent (2 TBLS) sudds up, bet its
more that 16 Gallons.
> This leaves the problem with it not spinning up or draining. These sound
> like legitimate complaints to me at first glance.
>
> > 1. If it is still under warranty, and it fails to work, YOU have to fix
> > it yourself
>
> Their warranty, and user manuals, are available from the web site prior
> to purchase. They clearly state that they only offer on-site service if
> you have an authorized service center near you. This is something that
> you should have checked prior to purchase.
>
> That said, it is clear that you were able to fix it yourself and that they
> did send you all the replacement parts. This sounds like they stood behind
> their warranty exactly as they advertised it and that it was easy enough
for
> you to fix. I fail to see where you can have a complaint with this.
I agree, if you can get past the receptionist and talk to someone incharge,
they will bend over backwards to help you. And getting past the receptionist
can be a trick. In my opinion a unused warranty is better than any warranty
in the world.
>
> > (observe how the pump design allows hair and other debris to get caught
up
> > under a lip of the impeller and wrapped around and is next to impossible
to
> > remove totally).
>
> This sounds like a design problem but I do not know how this compares to
> other washing machine pumps. This may be typical of the industry and your
> problem may have been related to the "too many suds" issue.
All other washers that I have had apart have a lint trap (which Staber
claims you don't need since there washer is so gentle) and a screen to
protect the pump or the pump is positioned in a manner that forgein objects
cannot enter the pump. This is a major design flaw.
>
> > 2. It is extremely sensitive to being perfectly balanced and it still
> > is prone to going out of balance when it attemps to spin up. Want to
> > wash a single rug due to a pet accident? Forget it. It will attempt to
> > spin up infinitely until you stop it. Two rugs? Better chance, but
> > often a failure as well.
>
> This sounds like the same complaint as the expensive quilt. That you can
> not wash only one single item. How does this compare with other front
> loading machines?
>
> This sounds like the old doctor joke.
> Patient - "Doctor, doctor, it hurts when I do this!"
> Doctor - "Don't do that."
>
> This does sound like a legitimate warning though. Do not buy this machine
> if you expect to be washing only a single item at a time. Of course,
washing
> only one item at a time isn't very frugal anyhow and how difficult is it
to
> wash full loads?
I know people that own Neptunes and they don't complain of problems washing
single items. How frugal is it wash wash a $30 sweater with other clothes
only to have it ruined. Yahh I know wash it by hand, why, I have a $1200
washing machine that claims to do what other washing machines do.
>
> > 3. Unless your machine is on a concrete slab your floor will vibrate
> > heavily vertically when the machine spins up, such that when you
> > stand near the machine when it spins up, your body will shake up and
> > down.
>
> This sounds more like a cosmetic problem than anything else. Yes, noise
> and vibration can be annoying but it isn't knocking down your house or
> causing the machine to malfunction. In my experience, every washing
> machine makes noise and vibration when operating and the ones with the
> super-fast spin cycles sound like jet engines taking off.
In my case it did cause the machine to malfunction. My machine is mounted in
a inside corner in a 20 year old house, floor is very sturdy. I ended up
screwing down 3/4" plywood to the floor and anchoring the base of the
machine down to the plwood
>
> > 4. It very often will not properly go through the rinse and spin cycles
> > because it oversuds (too many suds) and is super sensitive this way. It
> > will just sit there rumbling through, trying in vain to drain and spin
> > up until you stop it.
>
> This sounds like operator error. Use less detergent.
>
> I agree that it should have some way of dealing with this more elegantly
> than rumbling forever but once you get the detergent thing worked out
> correctly I think this problem will disappear.
Mine consistently did not want to go thru the first spin cycle from day one,
the receptionist at Staber told me I was not loading the drum properly. Well
2 years later when I figured out to skip talking to the receptionist and
talked to someone incharge my problem was fixed by installing a new timer,
of course it was out of warranty by then and I had to pay $30 for it. What
this womans actual job is at Staber I don't know but is obviously shouldn't
be diagnosing problems.
You obviously live by yourself or wear clothes till they stand up straight
on their own, my family does a minimum of 8 loads a week. Any low suddsing
soap should work, I shouldn't have to buy their brand soap just to make my
washer work properly. I didn't see anything in their add 2 years ago when I
bought the machine that said I needed to use their soap for it to work
correctly
>
> > 6. The main knob that you use to set the washer in motion feels flimsy,
> > has a plastic stem supporting it, and if you accidentally pull it when
> > it is already pulled out, it pulls right off the machine. In contrast,
> > my 4 year old standard Kenmore washing machine has a very solid feeling
> > knob that you can't just rip right off.
>
> I've got an 11 year old Sears washing machine that I've had to replace
> the silly knob twice. It's a standard top loader. Flimsy knobs are not
> unique to Stabers. I might recommend some rubber cement. Sounds like an
> easy fix and not a deal breaker.
I'll agree with you on this too, shit happens. To fix the problem all you
have to do is remove the instrument panel and on the back of the timer there
is a black shaft about 1/4" in diameter, reinstall the knob and push the
black shaft towards the knob. If this still don't work put a drop of Elmers
glue in between the forks of the shaft that the knob goes on, this glue is
weak enough that if removal is needed it will still come apart. Should take
no more than 10 minutes and a Phillips screw driver.
>
> > 7. If you have to stop the machine to check after it won't rinse and
> > spin due to suds and to add vinegar, etc, or if it spins out of balance,
> > you not only have to wait a couple minutes for it to unlock the door,
> > but you then have to push against the tub (it is like a hexagon) to
> > rotate it to the position where you open the "trap door" to get to the
> > clothes. This is difficult for my wife and the holes in the side of the
> > tub are in such a way as also to be uncomfortable on the hands. The
> > "trap door" you open has a left door and a right door that interlock and
> > is difficult or nearly impossible if you only have the use of one hand.
> > Other front or top loaders I have seen can easily be used with one hand.
>
> Once you get the hang of using it right I think you won't have to stop
> it in the middle of the cycle very often.
>
> That said, it does sound like a legitimate concern for someone who has
> only the use of one hand. It does not sound like a handicap friendly
> machine. Their manual does clearly say to "use both hands" in more than
> one place so I can't say that they didn't warn you.
It is kind of a pain having to use 2 hand to open the drum when one hand is
full of clothes or detergent. Sure the lid lock is a saftey feature, but
waiting 3 minutes for the lid to unlock (even when the drum is done
spinning) is in conveinent. I am there to wash clothes not babysit. A better
way would be to remove the timer an install a motion sensor so that the lid
would open when the drum stopped rotating. This small additional cost could
easily fit into the $1200 price tag.
>
> > 8. It is very noisy when it spins up. There is no insulation to cut
> > the noise level. It sounds like a jet plane.
>
> Every washing machine with those super fast spin cycles sound like this
> and will cause vibration, especially if they are not level. There are
> a lot of warnings about making sure the machine is level in the manual
> so they do warn you about this.
>
> This noise is the cost of having it remove more water from the clothes
> so that your dryer does not have to work as long and hard. It does not
> seem fair to compare this to another washing machine which does not use
> a fast spin.
I agree, the Staber does a great job of exracting water from clothes and
the additional noise is worth it.
>
> > 9. When you call for help because of some of the problems stated above
> > (not draining, oversuds, pump not working, etc), their attitude always
> > seems to be that there is something YOU are not doing right, not because
> > of design flaws of THEIR product.
>
> Perhaps because the majority of your complaints are something you are not
> doing right. Maybe the machine could handle misuse better but it seems to
> me that if you can "fix" it by simply using less detergent or more clothes
> per load then it's not really a design problem.
In my cases I think that the receptionist that answers the phone has no
business trying to diagnose your specific problem, her attitude is that you
are doing something wrong no matter what and any warranty claim comes out of
her check. I do not deal with this woman at all, if Jim isn't there to help
me I'll call back when he's there. In my opinion he makes the Staber worth
keeping, he has always made me feel like #1.
>
> Perhaps you could lobby them to revise their manuals and add the following
> notes.
>
> - Standard washers do NOT remove all detergent from your clothes. Use no
> detergent the first couple of times you wash an item that has already been
> washed in a conventional washer.
> - Start by using 1/2 ounce of liquid low sudsing detergent (or 1 ounce
> of powder). Use more only if your clothes are not getting clean.
> - Wash full loads only. This machine will not wash properly with only
> one or two items.
> - The operation of this washer requires TWO hands. Do not operate with
> only one hand.
> - Place this machine only on a solid floor. The spin cycle may cause
> noise and vibration in some structures.
This type of information would have been very enlighting when I purchased
mine 2 years ago, I might not have chosen a Staber. That is probally why
they don't include it!
>
> You could also try to get them to revise their design so that it will
> handle the situation of too much suds more elegantly, and without
> burning out the pump. Or perhaps to add some kind of filter to keep
> things from getting into the pump.
>
> > Yes, you can take off the front panel and have "easy access", but how
> > many times should someone have to take off the front panel in the course
> > or fixing or diagnosing the machine in the first year or two of
> > ownership, especially when it costs so much? I would rather have harder
> > access, and only have to do it every 10 years or so.
>
> Well, the choice to buy a different washing machine was yours from the
start.
> I looked at their user manuals and they clearly state that they will
cover,
> under their one year standard warranty...
>
> < Staber Industries will pay for:
> <
> < Replacement parts and repair labor to correct defects in materials or
> < workmanship. Service must be provided by an authorized Staber Industries
> < servicing outlet.
>
> You should have asked if there was an authorized servicing outlet near you
> before you purchased it. If there was, or if you had your local appliance
> repair person become authorized, then your repairs would have been done
for
> you at no cost for the first year.
>
> Anthony
And yes I am to blame too, I should have,
1. Posted a question to a news group such as this one about this machines
merits.
2. Called Staber with a mock washer problem before I bought it to evaluate
the help I received.
3.Better evaluated the people that recommended this machine, since they
were the tree hugger type and are more willing to live with
inconveinences.
Shane
Bob Ward
>-:
>-:Another sugestion is trying BBB..file a complaint..they have a web site. If
>-:they get enough complaints then they will definately take action. Also whine
>-:very loudly at the store where you bought this piece of junk..that usually will
>-:get you at least the option to return it and get something that works.
Exactly what is the "action" that the BBB will take? They have no
legal standing for enforcement action.
--
This space left intentionally blank
Aclavern33
for front loaders. I don't know why as I don't own one. I would assume that
it has something do to with sudsing. Did you try the detergent recommend for
front loaders?
Aclavern33
>>-:Another sugestion is trying BBB..file a complaint..they have a web site.
>If
>>-:they get enough complaints then they will definately take action. Also
>whine
>>-:very loudly at the store where you bought this piece of junk..that usually
>will
>>-:get you at least the option to return it and get something that works.
>
>
>Exactly what is the "action" that the BBB will take? They have no
>legal standing for enforcement action.
>--
>This space left intentionally blank
>
>
>
>
>
>
They will investigative the complaint and try to negociate a solution. If that
doesn't work you could always try the local TV news channel. Many have a
consumer action area. Most merchants like free advertising but not the
negative kind.
I'm curious but what retailers sell this peace of junk called a staber. never
seen this on in Sears or any of the other main appliance retailers?
Carl Levin
my own repair work and I figured the design looked easy to work with and
that someday....... Little did I know that I'd spend the first few weeks
getting the bugs worked out. I became the laughing stock of the family when
soon after we purchased it we needed to go to the Laundromat to mix with the
unwashed masses. (It burst a hose and Staber said that the supplier
substituted a unreinforced one. I ended up going to a local auto supply
store to buy a hose sturdy enough.) It still spills over and Staber sent me
a little do-dad that I am supposed to put in the inlet hose. But I don't
know about you but I think that for 1200 buckaroos they shouldn't be sending
no do-dads to install yourself. Also they said it would greatly increase the
wash times. When it breaks, I am going to take it to the dump and save the
aggravation of dealing with it. I had a old top loader for 20 years that I
bought for 50 bucks and replaced a motor one time. I have spent 5 times the
effort in the short 2 years I've had this thing. I am happy with the
cleaning job but I was happy with the old top loader too. Most of the things
will get your clothes clean, for 1200 bucks I thought I'd be getting
quality - not ripped off. I also lost a lot of face with my wife who will
never let me pick out a major appliance again. "But dear, It LOOKED like a
good idea!" Live and learn. BTW I found "the bitch" easy to deal with and
she was quite helpful and friendly. I could understand becoming a bit short
with all the disgruntled people she has to deal with all day long. It was
just too bad that I needed so much help. Now I am worried about the motor,
which seems to be trucking along just fine.....so far.
Karl Chase
don't have them here. Not that I would EVER spent what was it $1300 for
a washing machine, that just sounds extreme.
Anthony Matonak
The Staber is made by a small company and doesn't market in major chains
such as Sears or Wallyworld. Their main selling point is that the machine
is supposed to be the most efficient. It uses less water, less electricity
and less soap than anything else out there. It's also supposed to be more
rugged and easily repaired.
It's advertised a lot anywhere you would expect to find environmentalists
or people who are not connected to the grid. Obviously saving power and
water are of no concern to the majority of the population because these
things are pretty inexpensive in a city.
While $1300 might sound like a lot, I believe you can get the base model
for around $1000 and this is competitive with other "environmental" style
machines like the Neptune. Some power or water companies will offer you
a buy-down or subsidy when you purchase these machines.
Obviously there are always tradeoffs with anything.
Some other things you may not have heard of.
Composting toilets
Sunfrost refrigerators
Superinsulated homes
Cob, Strawbale or adobe construction
Solar heating, hot water or electricity
Recumbent bicycles
Personal Rapid Transit
Phantom loads
Anthony
Carl Levin
If you check out the washers on the market now, Staber is not so special
anymore. Especially over the past year, more and more super economical
machines are available from manufacturers that have a guarentee in a more
commanly acceptable format. Ie. you don't call'em so they can mail the part,
they send a guy out to fix it. Like i said, it does clean clothes good but
so does my friends front loading maytag and they got both washer and dryer
for less than I paid for the Staber. (It does use 2 times the water though.)
Carl Levin
talking just loud. We're talking 747's taking off in my basement. We're
talking, "WHAT DEAR? CAN YOU TELL ME AGAIN WHEN THE LAUNDRY IS DONE?" We're
talking, duck and cover, before you realize it's only the laundry.
Marianne
Composting toilets
http://www.compostingtoilet.org/
Sunfrost refrigerators
http://www.sunfrost.com/models.htm
Superinsulated homes
https://www2.srp.gov/homeenergymanager/advisor/superinsul.html
Cob, Strawbale or adobe construction
http://www.earthgarden.com.au/strawbale/strawhome.html
Solar heating, hot water or electricity
http://www.eren.doe.gov/erec/factsheets/heat.html
Recumbent bicycles
http://rotatorrecumbent.com/
Personal Rapid Transit
http://www.cprt.org/
Phantom loads
http://www.wagonmaker.com/chapter_3.html
The abover compliments of GOOGLE. Special thanks to "An Evening of Insomnia"
sponsored by Marianne in PA!
Anton Elron
like it, BUT all of the complaints here mentioned have some validity.
It sounds like a 331 Garrett on startup (the JT9D Pratt on a 747 is
quieter....) and it does the pogo thing pretty bad. The four year old
thinks it's cute.
The concept is good but details need working out, definitely. I have
an Emerald Series Wascomat laundromat machine in my basement and
really like it. But then I drive a Chevy Blazer with a 3-53 Detroit
every day...
Cat
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.consumers.frugal-living
Subject: Re: DO NOT BUY a Staber Washing Machine - What they won't tell you
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<3D2CC32D...@austincable.com> <3D2D23E4...@gte.net>
NNTP-Posting-Host: 12.234.55.14
Anthony Matonak <res0...@gte.net> wrote in message
news:<3D2D23E4...@gte.net>...
> Karl Chase wrote:
> >
> > Never heard of a Staber, and I am thanking my lucky stars that they
> > don't have them here. Not that I would EVER spent what was it $1300 for
> > a washing machine, that just sounds extreme.
>
> The Staber is made by a small company and doesn't market in major chains
> such as Sears or Wallyworld. Their main selling point is that the machine
> is supposed to be the most efficient. It uses less water, less electricity
> and less soap than anything else out there. It's also supposed to be more
> rugged and easily repaired.
It is a far cry from the most efficient today. It has a Modified
Energy Factor of 1.48, with a capacity of 2.00 (cubic feet). Staber
is down at the bottom third of the list for energy efficiency of
energy star qualifying washing machines. (see
http://www.energystar.gov/products/search-results.asp for reference).
I looked at a whirlpool that has a 1.69 rating (the higher the number
the better the efficiency). It's capacity is 3.18 cubic feet and
uses 282 KWH a year, vs the 264 of the Staber. which comes out to
using 1.5 KWH more a month on average.
Fisher and Paykel has the highest MEF at 2.20.
>
> It's advertised a lot anywhere you would expect to find environmentalists
> or people who are not connected to the grid. Obviously saving power and
> water are of no concern to the majority of the population because these
> things are pretty inexpensive in a city.
Living in California means maybe rolling blackouts. We want to go
off grid someday and that is why we bought the Staber. If only we had
waited.
>
> While $1300 might sound like a lot, I believe you can get the base model
> for around $1000 and this is competitive with other "environmental" style
> machines like the Neptune.
Did they just drop their price???
Some power or water companies will offer you
> a buy-down or subsidy when you purchase these machines.
>
> Obviously there are always tradeoffs with anything.
There is no need to trade off reliability in the hopes of saving water
and power. Not much water or power is saved when extra rinses are
required to get the damn thing to rinse. And I am using front loader
detergent..
Even on paper Staber doesn't look very well any more. And experience
is the best teacher. I am so sorry we bought one.
K
Karl Chase
> While $1300 might sound like a lot, I believe you can get the base model
> for around $1000 and this is competitive with other "environmental" style
> machines like the Neptune. Some power or water companies will offer you
> a buy-down or subsidy when you purchase these machines.
Still even $1000 is way too high, you can get a great washing machine
for $500 or less. The amount of water and elec. and all does not bother
me so it's not worth all the extra cash.
> Some other things you may not have heard of.
>
> Composting toilets HEARD OF, DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT
> Sunfrost refrigerators NOPE
> Superinsulated homes HEARD OF
> Cob, Strawbale or adobe construction SAW SPECIAL ON TV ABOUT THEM
> Solar heating, hot water or electricity YEP HEARD OF
> Recumbent bicycles YES, BUT HAVE NO INTEREST IN
> Personal Rapid Transit EXPLAIN
> Phantom loads EXPLAIN
>
> Anthony
Anthony Matonak
> > such as Sears or Wallyworld. Their main selling point is that the machine
> > is supposed to be the most efficient. It uses less water, less electricity
> > and less soap than anything else out there. It's also supposed to be more
> > rugged and easily repaired.
>
> It is a far cry from the most efficient today. It has a Modified
> Energy Factor of 1.48, with a capacity of 2.00 (cubic feet). Staber
> is down at the bottom third of the list for energy efficiency of
> energy star qualifying washing machines. (see
> http://www.energystar.gov/products/search-results.asp for reference).
> I looked at a whirlpool that has a 1.69 rating (the higher the number
> the better the efficiency). It's capacity is 3.18 cubic feet and
> uses 282 KWH a year, vs the 264 of the Staber. which comes out to
> using 1.5 KWH more a month on average.
> Fisher and Paykel has the highest MEF at 2.20.
I think I've come to the conclusion that there is something funny with
Energy Star calculations but I can't seem to place my finger on it.
They seem to try to boil down a lot of different variables into a single
number and I'm not certain this is possible.
For instance, the Staber can be set to use 12, 16.5 or 22 gallons per load.
The difference between 12 and 22 is significant. Which one did they choose?
Is this choice an accurate representation of how people use washers? Did
they use the same water settings on all washers?
This is compounded by the fact that they include in the KWH an estimate
of how much electricity an electric water heater would take to heat the
water used in the washer. Playing games with estimates of the water use
could then skew the numbers significantly.
The Modified Energy Factor also makes a lot of assumptions.
http://www.energystar.gov/opie/library/qualprodspecs/modcwefcalc.pdf
This is a 32 page document describing the test procedures, assumptions
and calculations used. It is not in particularly large print.
Part of this document describes which manufacturers participated in the
review (and rule making) process. These players were...
Whirlpool Corporation
Fisher and Paykel Limited
White Consolidated Industries Inc.
Maytag Corporation
The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
General Electric Appliances
Eugene Water and Electric Board
Miele Appliance Inc.
Proctor and Gamble
Speed Queen Company
Clorox Company
American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy
The Consortium for Energy Efficiency
National Resources Defense Council
Frigidaire Company
Lever Brothers Company
Raytheon Appliances
White Consolidated
It seems to me, reading that document, that Fisher and Paykel had a lot of
things to say about how the testing procedure and calculations were done.
In fact, waivers for certain manufacturers (including F&P) are/were in
place so that their machines did not use the same tests as others.
Is it any wonder that their machines come out at the top of the list when
they had so much to say about how those numbers are calculated? Is it very
surprising that manufacturers that did not participate in this process are
further down on the list? Isn't this how politics works?
Maybe the F&P product is better but I'm not convinced it is so just by
the Energy Star sticker. On epinions there seemed to be at least one person
with negative comments so even this machine does not appear to be perfect.
...
> > While $1300 might sound like a lot, I believe you can get the base model
> > for around $1000 and this is competitive with other "environmental" style
> > machines like the Neptune.
>
> Did they just drop their price???
I don't know. I think they have had their current pricing for at least a
year or two. I looked at their web site and it says...
"The Staber model HXW2304 is available for just $999."
> > Obviously there are always tradeoffs with anything.
>
> There is no need to trade off reliability in the hopes of saving water
> and power. Not much water or power is saved when extra rinses are
> required to get the damn thing to rinse. And I am using front loader
> detergent..
>
> Even on paper Staber doesn't look very well any more. And experience
> is the best teacher. I am so sorry we bought one.
Well, I agree, it's hard to argue with experience. I've heard people
have had bad experiences with the Neptune as well even though it's
being pushed heavily by major department stores.
Perhaps you could sell your Staber on Ebay or in one of those treehugger
magazines and use the money to buy something else. This might make
both a treehugger/home mechanic and yourself happier. :)
Anthony
Anthony Matonak
...
> Still even $1000 is way too high, you can get a great washing machine
> for $500 or less. The amount of water and elec. and all does not bother
> me so it's not worth all the extra cash.
Well, the advertising fluff claims that if you wash 8 loads a week then
you could save $300 a year. Even if you only wash two or three loads a
week you might save that extra $500 in 4 or 5 years.
Add to this the fact that, depending on where you are, you might get
some form of rebate from your utility. Here in LADWP land they will
give you $150. That brings the price down to $850.
Anthony
Karl Chase
Anthony Matonak wrote:
> Karl Chase wrote:
> ...
>
>>Still even $1000 is way too high, you can get a great washing machine
>>for $500 or less. The amount of water and elec. and all does not bother
>>me so it's not worth all the extra cash.
>
>
> Well, the advertising fluff claims that if you wash 8 loads a week then
> you could save $300 a year. Even if you only wash two or three loads a
> week you might save that extra $500 in 4 or 5 years.
I do perhaps 3 loads a week, use cheap store brand detergent. Got
Whirlpool washer and dryer as part of a deal on a home (sold home kept
washer/dryer) so I got a good deal. But advertising if done right will
make people buy anything. Thanks for the info
Sharx.
"Karl Chase" <kch...@austincable.com> wrote in message
news:3D2E2242...@austincable.com...
> >
> > While $1300 might sound like a lot, I believe you can get the base model
> > for around $1000 and this is competitive with other "environmental"
style
> > machines like the Neptune. Some power or water companies will offer you
> > a buy-down or subsidy when you purchase these machines.
>
> Still even $1000 is way too high, you can get a great washing machine
> for $500 or less. The amount of water and elec. and all does not bother
> me so it's not worth all the extra cash.
I agree. Here in Canada most front loaders are DOUBLE the price of the top
loaders. Considering their life span, I doubt that the savings in water and
detergent, etc. is worth it. Once the price goes down, of course, make make
them a FRUGAL choice. For now, NOT!
Sharx.
IF you believe their claims. Has Consumer Reports ever substantiated them?
Cat
Anthony Matonak wrote:
Since Staber has a huge problem with small loads in the final spin out, it seems
a mute point they have the different settings for gallon use. Ours has two
settings, and nearly every small load has had a problem.
My impression is that one reason other machines tested better is that they spin
out more water than the Staber. The MEF refers to less drying time required
since more water is extracted.
>
>
> ...
> > > While $1300 might sound like a lot, I believe you can get the base model
> > > for around $1000 and this is competitive with other "environmental" style
> > > machines like the Neptune.
> >
> > Did they just drop their price???
>
> I don't know. I think they have had their current pricing for at least a
> year or two. I looked at their web site and it says...
> "The Staber model HXW2304 is available for just $999."
>
> > > Obviously there are always tradeoffs with anything.
> >
> > There is no need to trade off reliability in the hopes of saving water
> > and power. Not much water or power is saved when extra rinses are
> > required to get the damn thing to rinse. And I am using front loader
> > detergent..
> >
> > Even on paper Staber doesn't look very well any more. And experience
> > is the best teacher. I am so sorry we bought one.
>
> Well, I agree, it's hard to argue with experience. I've heard people
> have had bad experiences with the Neptune as well even though it's
> being pushed heavily by major department stores.
>
> Perhaps you could sell your Staber on Ebay or in one of those treehugger
> magazines and use the money to buy something else. This might make
> both a treehugger/home mechanic and yourself happier. :)
> I would not feel comfortable foisting this headache onto someone else.
K
Anthony Matonak
...
> IF you believe their claims. Has Consumer Reports ever substantiated them?
I don't know, but I recall that Consumer Reports once rated the Coleco Adam
as the best home computer. I would take their recommendations with a train
full of salt.
Anthony
Carl Levin
that they spinout more water than the Staber. The MEF >refers to less
drying time required since more water is extracted.
This is what the woman at Staber told me when I mentioned the low score.
So - the point is mute if you air dry anyway. and, but - it seems to me that
there is - usually, but not consistently - very good in this department.
As far as the cost goes, I paid shipping from Ohio to Portland, Or. (a
pretty hefty chunk of change) and even saved money by picking it up myself
in my pickup. (That's why they call'em pickups.)
Thanks for the link on energy star stuff. It will be helpful in the future.
Ebay, hmmmmm.
Cat
Anthony Matonak wrote:
> Karl Chase wrote:
> ...
> > Still even $1000 is way too high, you can get a great washing machine
> > for $500 or less. The amount of water and elec. and all does not bother
> > me so it's not worth all the extra cash.
>
> Well, the advertising fluff claims that if you wash 8 loads a week then
> you could save $300 a year. Even if you only wash two or three loads a
> week you might save that extra $500 in 4 or 5 years.
Yep, its all fluff. Why spend that kind of money on a machine that is a
major headache when you can spend similiar money on a machine that is not a
constant source of frustration? Add that to the fact that other machines
are more efficient and can wash more clothes in one load.
You seem to like this machine so much, why don't you own one?
>
>
> Add to this the fact that, depending on where you are, you might get
> some form of rebate from your utility. Here in LADWP land they will
> give you $150. That brings the price down to $850.
What is LADWP land?
>
>
> Anthony
cw
these posts then forward that to Stabler for comment? If not for comment
just to let them know the feelings and thoughts about their lack of design
and customer service.
Anthony Matonak
>
> Anthony Matonak wrote:
> > Well, the advertising fluff claims that if you wash 8 loads a week then
> > you could save $300 a year. Even if you only wash two or three loads a
> > week you might save that extra $500 in 4 or 5 years.
>
> Yep, its all fluff. Why spend that kind of money on a machine that is a
> major headache when you can spend similiar money on a machine that is not a
> constant source of frustration? Add that to the fact that other machines
> are more efficient and can wash more clothes in one load.
>
> You seem to like this machine so much, why don't you own one?
Ah, two questions.
"Why do you like this machine so much?"
The answer is that I don't particularly like or dislike it. It appears to
be a solid machine from what reviews I've read from credible sources. The
whole "Don't buy a Staber" thread seemed to be pretty heavy handed and some
of the complaints did not seem legitimate to me. Certainly other machines
in the same price range seem to have issues as well so just buying a
different machine is no guarantee of it being any less frustrating.
I do believe that there is room for improvement in anything. Perhaps the
Staber people could use this feedback to improve their product.
For instance, by making the internal drum larger, allowing one handed
operation, adding an easily accessible lint trap/filter, anti-oversuds
protection, optional high-speed spin setting, more sound insulation and
concrete weights to keep it from vibrating as much.
"Why don't you own one?"
I already own a washing machine. It is paid for and operates perfectly.
I don't do a huge volume of laundry, don't pay for water, and have about
the most reasonable rates for electricity to be found in California today.
I therefore have no particular reason to buy a new washer and little
incentive to purchase an efficient one.
That said, if I was in the market for a washing machine I would consider
the Staber along with some of the other more efficient machines out there
for the same reason that I use CF lights.
> > Add to this the fact that, depending on where you are, you might get
> > some form of rebate from your utility. Here in LADWP land they will
> > give you $150. That brings the price down to $850.
>
> What is LADWP land?
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. A strange and powerful
combination of utilities that make Los Angeles one of the more
interesting, if not always better, places to live.
Anthony
Eric Lee Green
> Cat wrote:
>> Yep, its all fluff. Why spend that kind of money on a machine that is a
>> major headache when you can spend similiar money on a machine that is not a
>> constant source of frustration? Add that to the fact that other machines
>
> The answer is that I don't particularly like or dislike it. It appears to
> be a solid machine from what reviews I've read from credible sources. The
> whole "Don't buy a Staber" thread seemed to be pretty heavy handed and some
> of the complaints did not seem legitimate to me. Certainly other machines
> in the same price range seem to have issues as well so just buying a
> different machine is no guarantee of it being any less frustrating.
The deal with buying, say, a Frigidaire Gallerie, is that it will a)
be $300-$400 cheaper than the Staber, b) use less water and energy
than the Staber on the Energystar ratings anyhow, and c) be backed up
with free (or very cheap) on-site installation, delivery, and on-site
warranty service, as well as holding more clothes.
Paying $1,000+ for a machine with no on-site service and no to-my-door
delivery and installation simply is ridiculous. While the Whirlpool and
Maytag offerings are similarly priced, they hold many more clothes,
have on-site delivery and service, and otherwise are a better buy for
the money.
> I do believe that there is room for improvement in anything. Perhaps the
> Staber people could use this feedback to improve their product.
I'm not sure they can afford to. It appears to me that they bought a
design, and have stretched their resources to the maximum just
manufacturing that one design. It's unclear that they could afford to
pay for modifications to that design. Even if they did, they'd still
be facing some serious competition from the foreign front-loaders, all
of which are slightly larger than the Staber, slightly more efficient,
have much better sales and distribution, and far better
designed. E.g. if I wanted a true top-quality front-loader, I'd buy a
Bosch. It sucks to be a small undercapitalized manufacturing company
in America, and I feel for the Staber people -- but I'm not a charity.
> That said, if I was in the market for a washing machine I would consider
> the Staber along with some of the other more efficient machines out there
> for the same reason that I use CF lights.
I'm in the market for washing machines. The Staber isn't even on my
list of candidates, much less finalists. I need a dealer and repair
network, not a mail order washing machine with no local support.
--
Eric Lee Green
EMAIL: mailto:er...@badtux.org
WEB: http://badtux.org/eric
ede...@comcast.net
We had given it to my elderly mother in law to wash a light half load once a week.
The only reason it was kept for so long is she became incapable of using it due to her advancing age and it remained idle for years, a reminder of a bad decision.
This machine was horrible. I expected so much and got so little.
She passed away last month and we dumped the machine.
It never drained completely from day one and after a short period of use a spring broke on the door.
How can you build a washing machine in which the drain pipe must be below the level of the washer's drain pump.
I guess that works if your drain consists of a hole in the floor of your double wide.
You would have to disassemble a significant portion of the machine to replace the spring and a replacement pump would not solve the design flaw.
I'm so disappointed I had hoped that I would be able to be proud and satisfied about buying something made in America.
This machine proved to be no better than the cheapened pieces of crap from Whirlpool & GE.
It amazes me that you can design a machine that does not drain and a wear item (spring hinge) that cannot be replaced easily.
The Bendix Corporation introduced the first automatic washing machine in 1937, 70 years later and you can't seem to figure it out.
My LG washer and dryer have been working properly for 12 years.
When they fail I will buy a Speed Queen not a Staber.
Dumping the machine reminded me of the money I wasted and pissed me off all over again.
>
> Problems with Staber washing machines they won't tell you BEFORE you
> buy:
> 1. If it is still under warranty, and it fails to work, YOU have to fix
> parts), despite the very high price you pay for it. You probably will
> have to buy a wet/dry vac if you don't have one, so you can suck up the
> water when you replace your own water pump (observe how the pump design
> impeller and wrapped around and is next to impossible to remove
> totally).
>
> is prone to going out of balance when it attemps to spin up. Want to
> wash a single rug due to a pet accident? Forget it. It will attempt to
> spin up infinitely until you stop it. Two rugs? Better chance, but
> often a failure as well.
>
> Ohio where they are made, but not out here in the West), your floor will
> stand near the machine when it spins up, your body will shake up and
> concrete or triple reinforce your floor to take the beating this machine
> puts out and prevent extra vibration. Our machine is in a laundry nook
> in our hallway, which you have to walk through to get to the bedrooms.
> The house is 20 years old, so it isn't an old, rickety floor.
> 4. It very often will not properly go through the rinse and spin cycles
> because it oversuds (too many suds) and is super sensitive this way. It
> will just sit there rumbling through, trying in vain to drain and spin
> burn out. You have to reset it back to go through 1 or more rinse
> cycles again, negating the supposedly miserly water use. In the worst
> cases, we had to go through as many as 6 or even more rinse cycles to
> get it to properly rinse, drain, and spin up. Even being extremely
> sparingly with detergent (tried three kinds), it often requires an extra
> 1 or 2 rinses to be able to spin up.
> 5. When you call and complain that even though you are using only 1/4
> or 1/5 of the normal amount of detergent you use in a top loader and it
> is still oversudsing, they will claim you need to buy a case of their
> RECOMMENDED detergent, which is a 20 year supply for us, as this machine
> their literature, or the sales floor at one of their retailers does it
> say anything about being restricted to a single brand of detergent. We
> have tried 3 detergents that all say it is good for top and front
> loaders and use just a very small amount, just a small fraction of
> normal, and it still oversuds. They "helpfully" suggest you can also
> dumping in vinegar to cut the suds when it oversuds. One rug required a
> third of a gallon of vinegar.
> 6. The main knob that you use to set the washer in motion feels flimsy,
> has a plastic stem supporting it, and if you accidentally pull it when
> it is already pulled out, it pulls right off the machine. In contrast,
> my 4 year old standard Kenmore washing machine has a very solid feeling
> knob that you can't just rip right off.
>
> spin due to suds and to add vinegar, etc, or if it spins out of balance,
> you not only have to wait a couple minutes for it to unlock the door,
> but you then have to push against the tub (it is like a hexagon) to
> rotate it to the position where you open the "trap door" to get to the
> clothes. This is difficult for my wife and the holes in the side of the
> tub are in such a way as also to be uncomfortable on the hands. The
> "trap door" you open has a left door and a right door that interlock and
> is difficult or nearly impossible if you only have the use of one hand.
> Other front or top loaders I have seen can easily be used with one hand.
>
> floor (unless you have concrete slab), adding additional noise as well.
> Yes, they have those shock absorber-like things holding the tub (which
> Staber actually touts as a feature), but it still vibrates the floor
> heavily. One can only imagine what it would be like if it DIDN'T have
> that feature.
> 9. When you call for help because of some of the problems stated above
> (not draining, oversuds, pump not working, etc), their attitude always
> seems to be that there is something YOU are not doing right, not because
> of design flaws of THEIR product.
>
> many times should someone have to take off the front panel in the course
> or fixing or diagnosing the machine in the first year or two of
> ownership, especially when it costs so much? I would rather have harder
> access, and only have to do it every 10 years or so.
>
> Staber washing machine.
>
> -Piner
>
> Post a reply to this message in the newsgroups if any of you unhappy
> Staber users out there wish to add anything or confirm you are
> experiencing some of the same things I am.
ItsJoan NotJoann
>
> We just threw out the Staber washer I purchased over twelve years ago.
>
>
Ding-a-ling poster is replying to a 13 year old thread, glad to see he has awoken from his long coma to give us this wonderful information.
blinking...@gmail.com
Patti Ryan
That link has nothing to do with Staber Washing Machine, you fucking
imbecile.
kb4...@gmail.com
On Monday, July 8, 2002 at 7:49:55 PM UTC-5, PT wrote:
> We have had our Staber washing machine for the last two years and have
> had horrible results, especially for the premium price ($1300). The
> very first time we used it, we put in an expensive quilt (new Amish
> quilt), used much less detergent than normal (as per the directions),
> and it oversuds, would not spin up or drain, and caused the fabric to
> bleed. We tried running it back through the rinse cycles time after
> time to no avail. We knew it was expensive, but if it lasted a very
> long time due to its supposedly rugged design and was frugal on water
> and electricity, it should have been a good choice.
This washer has many stainless parts and is well built. You can open the door after it starts washing and see how much suds it makes.If it makes very little you can add more soap . Start with very little and add more each load to the desired amount of suds.
I have run the queen size quilt,sheets and pillow cases. It ran fine. It has to pump the water out and then spin the water out. Maybe the pump isn't working.
>
> If you think you are buying a rugged, care-free machine that will last
> forever, be frugal on water, and be a good long-term investment, think
>
> Problems with Staber washing machines they won't tell you BEFORE you
> buy:
>
> 1. If it is still under warranty, and it fails to work, YOU have to fix
> it yourself (though they may be "gracious" enough to send you the
> parts), despite the very high price you pay for it. You probably will
> have to buy a wet/dry vac if you don't have one, so you can suck up the
> water when you replace your own water pump (observe how the pump design
> allows hair and other debris to get caught up under a lip of the
> impeller and wrapped around and is next to impossible to remove
> totally).
> 2. It is extremely sensitive to being perfectly balanced and it still
> is prone to going out of balance when it attemps to spin up. Want to
> wash a single rug due to a pet accident? Forget it. It will attempt to
> spin up infinitely until you stop it. Two rugs? Better chance, but
> often a failure as well.
> 3. Unless your machine is on a concrete slab (as I guess is common in
> Ohio where they are made, but not out here in the West), your floor will
> vibrate heavily vertically when the machine spins up, such that when you
> stand near the machine when it spins up, your body will shake up and
> down. Nowhere in their literature did it say you needed to either have
> concrete or triple reinforce your floor to take the beating this machine
> puts out and prevent extra vibration. Our machine is in a laundry nook
> in our hallway, which you have to walk through to get to the bedrooms.
> The house is 20 years old, so it isn't an old, rickety floor.
>
> 4. It very often will not properly go through the rinse and spin cycles
> because it oversuds (too many suds) and is super sensitive this way. It
> will just sit there rumbling through, trying in vain to drain and spin
> up until you stop it. Eventually, I suspect it will cause your pump to
> burn out. You have to reset it back to go through 1 or more rinse
> cycles again, negating the supposedly miserly water use. In the worst
> cases, we had to go through as many as 6 or even more rinse cycles to
> get it to properly rinse, drain, and spin up. Even being extremely
> sparingly with detergent (tried three kinds), it often requires an extra
> 1 or 2 rinses to be able to spin up.
>
> 5. When you call and complain that even though you are using only 1/4
> or 1/5 of the normal amount of detergent you use in a top loader and it
> is still oversudsing, they will claim you need to buy a case of their
> RECOMMENDED detergent, which is a 20 year supply for us, as this machine
> is miserly in detergent use. I am sorry, but no where on their website,
> their literature, or the sales floor at one of their retailers does it
> say anything about being restricted to a single brand of detergent. We
> have tried 3 detergents that all say it is good for top and front
> loaders and use just a very small amount, just a small fraction of
> normal, and it still oversuds. They "helpfully" suggest you can also
> dumping in vinegar to cut the suds when it oversuds. One rug required a
> third of a gallon of vinegar.
> 6. The main knob that you use to set the washer in motion feels flimsy,
> has a plastic stem supporting it, and if you accidentally pull it when
> it is already pulled out, it pulls right off the machine. In contrast,
> my 4 year old standard Kenmore washing machine has a very solid feeling
> knob that you can't just rip right off.
sdpier...@gmail.com
> We have had our Staber washing machine for the last two years and have
> had horrible results, especially for the premium price ($1300). The
> very first time we used it, we put in an expensive quilt (new Amish
> quilt), used much less detergent than normal (as per the directions),
> and it oversuds, would not spin up or drain, and caused the fabric to
> bleed. We tried running it back through the rinse cycles time after
> time to no avail. We knew it was expensive, but if it lasted a very
> long time due to its supposedly rugged design and was frugal on water
> and electricity, it should have been a good choice.
>
> forever, be frugal on water, and be a good long-term investment, think
> again.
>
> Problems with Staber washing machines they won't tell you BEFORE you
> buy:
>
> it yourself (though they may be "gracious" enough to send you the
> parts), despite the very high price you pay for it. You probably will
> have to buy a wet/dry vac if you don't have one, so you can suck up the
> water when you replace your own water pump (observe how the pump design
> allows hair and other debris to get caught up under a lip of the
> impeller and wrapped around and is next to impossible to remove
> totally).
>
> is prone to going out of balance when it attemps to spin up. Want to
> wash a single rug due to a pet accident? Forget it. It will attempt to
> spin up infinitely until you stop it. Two rugs? Better chance, but
> often a failure as well.
>
> Ohio where they are made, but not out here in the West), your floor will
> vibrate heavily vertically when the machine spins up, such that when you
> stand near the machine when it spins up, your body will shake up and
> down. Nowhere in their literature did it say you needed to either have
> concrete or triple reinforce your floor to take the beating this machine
> puts out and prevent extra vibration. Our machine is in a laundry nook
> in our hallway, which you have to walk through to get to the bedrooms.
> The house is 20 years old, so it isn't an old, rickety floor.
>
> because it oversuds (too many suds) and is super sensitive this way. It
> will just sit there rumbling through, trying in vain to drain and spin
> up until you stop it. Eventually, I suspect it will cause your pump to
> burn out. You have to reset it back to go through 1 or more rinse
> cycles again, negating the supposedly miserly water use. In the worst
> cases, we had to go through as many as 6 or even more rinse cycles to
> get it to properly rinse, drain, and spin up. Even being extremely
> sparingly with detergent (tried three kinds), it often requires an extra
> 1 or 2 rinses to be able to spin up.
>
> or 1/5 of the normal amount of detergent you use in a top loader and it
> is still oversudsing, they will claim you need to buy a case of their
> RECOMMENDED detergent, which is a 20 year supply for us, as this machine
> is miserly in detergent use. I am sorry, but no where on their website,
> their literature, or the sales floor at one of their retailers does it
> say anything about being restricted to a single brand of detergent. We
> have tried 3 detergents that all say it is good for top and front
> loaders and use just a very small amount, just a small fraction of
> normal, and it still oversuds. They "helpfully" suggest you can also
> dumping in vinegar to cut the suds when it oversuds. One rug required a
> third of a gallon of vinegar.
>
> has a plastic stem supporting it, and if you accidentally pull it when
> it is already pulled out, it pulls right off the machine. In contrast,
> my 4 year old standard Kenmore washing machine has a very solid feeling
> knob that you can't just rip right off.
>
brownj...@gmail.com
I love my Staber. When I returned to where my family lives, I brought the Staber with me.
The Staber is now located at my sister's house. Lots of different family members go there and do their laundry. She has a beach front so she uses tons of towels in the summer.
I did have to replace the pump (my husband washed clothes without checking his pockets and the pump did crack - I used it in my former home basement which was a cement floor for several years) when the machine was moved to my sister's house and resides on a floor. I did replace the belt (after over 4 years of strenuous use). I realized when I replaced the motor that my nephew and nephew-in-law did not level the machine so it had worked extra hard for about 3 years of abuse. I have since let down the one leg they forgot.
Yes, it does make a lot of noise. But I miss it when I am doing laundry at my father's house where there is an agitator washer. It takes far longer to dry my clothes after washing them in the agitator washer and I see more fabric wear with the agitator washer.
If my sister did not love the Staber, I would haul it to my father's in a heart beat.
This Staber machine works great and my son brings his laundry with him when he comes back every couple of months because he likes how his clothes come out cleaner and softer than from the agitator washer in his apartment building.
My experience with Staber has been positive. I have always been mechanically inclined so making the repairs was not difficult for me.
I am saving up to purchase another Staber. I, after years of using HE laundry detergent, finally bought a case of Staber laundry soap and I love the soap. It was expensive to ship it to Wisconsin but was well worth the price. I think we have used two cases so far and are using the last bottle now.
I am saddened that your experience has not been more positive.
I plan to purchase a Staber again. I think my Staber is nearing 10 years of heavy use and still working great.
holod...@gmail.com
I can say that the Staber washing machine we bought has performed flawlessly over the years, up until a couple of years ago when we decided to replace it and the dryer with Kenmore ELite models.
As for shoving an 'expensive Amish quilt' into the machine the FIRST TIME you ever attempt to use it, I will say that YES, there IS a learning curve (not a long one) to understand how this thing works and what it can do. As for the colors 'running', my guess is that the water was much too hot for the expensive Amish quilt. I can tell you that IF you do NOT FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS and use TOO MUCH detergent, it will OVERSUDS. I don't care if you say you followed directions, you obviously did not follow the directions because it will ONLY oversuds if you use TOO MUCH DETERGENT. I used the Staber detergent and it worked fine. I have also used any HE detergent. I have had only TWO OVERSUDS incidents when too much detergent was used. Period.
As for noise, yes it is louder than normal washing machines. We lived in AZ and we had a separate room for washer and dryer, no problem.
In the time I've owned it, I have only had to grease the bearings TWICE and replace the belt ONCE. The unit is made simple (mechanical timer, etc) for simplicity. This washer was designed to use very little water and electricity, so much that it can be run off a 1500 watt inverter if necessary if you live off the grid.
As for the pump? NEVER HAD ISSUES as I never let things fall into the machine - if you are careless and allow coins, screws, etc to bounce off the top and fall down into the bottom of the machine (not inside the rotating wash tub), then you may damage your pump. It's easy to work on and it is easy to take apart and maintain.
As for its cost? Yes, I think we paid $S1100 (included shipping) to Sierra Vista, AZ but as also said, I happened to be back in town where I grew up and Staber industries is just down the road. It is AMERICAN MADE from the GROUND UP. Staber makes everything on site and they employ AMERICANS. Regardless of this 'negative' review, I can say it is a quality product, good design, and designed to last. It's easy to maintain (if you know what you are doing) and easy to service.
As for 'off balance', yes, we did notice that it can get an off balance condition, but if KNOW what to look for and follow directions, again, it's NO PROBLEM. I can think of a handful of off-balance conditions that happened over the years, all easily solvable.
IN short, I believe the negative review was the result of not following directions and not understanding how the machine operates. It's easy to stuff into overload as well, and again, not following will cause problems. The Staber website has MORE than enough information and videos on the operation of this washing machine, and it should be easy to determine if this machine wills suit your needs, or if you need to purchase something else.
Enough said.
jcli...@gmail.com
catalpa
<jcli...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:798e713e-e7ab-4213...@googlegroups.com...
No one cares about washing machine problems from 15 years ago.
ItsJoan NotJoann
>
> <jcli...@gmail.com> wrote in message:
> We have had a Staber for over 20 years and have never had any problems or
> even repairs. We are replacing it simply because the frame is slowly rusting
> away. Those of us who live off-grid are looking for low energy, self
> repairable appliances that last a long time. That is what Staber provides,
> and in a very robust manner. I would agree with a previous post that the
> problems listed come across as not understanding or following the manual,
> and an expectation that all appliances should work the way the owner wants
> them to, rather than what they are designed for. And of course there can be
> lemons in any appliance (or car or computer, etc.)
>
>
>
hollywo...@gmail.com
kop...@hotmail.com
Hi
I own two of those Staber washing machines.
One is at my daughter's and one at my house.
The older one about 10 years old is working fine.
The other at my daughter is in need of motor after maybe three years of use.
Now i have to tell you about my adventure with German front loader washing machine MIELE ..what a total junk. Paid over $3500.00 Canadian for it. It took four adult man to carry it inside the house. It is small and heavy, reminded me of German WW2 tanks. No one warned us about it. beware. After connecting it it worked like a charm for about two months. Plugged filters. Almost everyday on the city water. My wife had to unplug it. Of course she needed help from a handy husband Lol. In the first year water leak developed we called the company and were told that the technician will come but if it's not covered under warranty we will have to pay $200.00 for his visit. we have and ended up paying $200.00 for nothing as we were told the seal where the water pump filter is located is leaking and we have to tighten the screw. Well after about two and a half years dealing with the ever present leak the washer started to leak some seriously. we call Miele again this time $250.00 for the call and technician tells us that we need to purchase a rubber boot for water drain connected to the machine basin and wait for this part as he didn't have it in stock, cost was about $800.00 plus $250.00 repair call.
Well it sounded like "the real German engineering" do you recall VW diesel programming scam and lately testing the diesel emissions on people "Dr. Mengele style" ( Dr. Mengele was German Nazi Dr. who tested all kinds of cruel pseudo medical methods on children and prisoners at the German Nazi Concentration Camp in occupied Poland during WW 2)
We sold the house where the biggest German Miele scam of the washing machine world remained. Not paying anyone to brake their back moving this piece of history.
One more word of caution, German Miele had control of the price the Enbridge gas in Whitby, the store where this item was sold and for how much. I was told that if they were to lower the price Miele would take away their right to sell Miele line of products. All stores were to sell it at the retail suggested price.
No exceptions.
I would call it a price fixing scheme.
So i called the competition bureau of Canada to inform them about this practice. After they requested too much info from me I just said forget it. Didn't want to be involved in the court battle with the big German firm.
Conclusion, Staber is a good washer, my daughter loves it. my entire family loves the way it washes clothes, no smell of detergent residue on my clothes and no detergent allergy reactions. As we all know all things break down ad that's part of the industrial design build in obsolescents. We are to blame for it as well.
Lets be fair to Staber.
i wish there were more companies like them designing products in a common and simple way so those can be inexpensive and easy to repair. buying inexpensive universal and readily available components.
Sorry if I have upset the person who is complaining here in the first place.
Sounded like you worked for this company and it did't work out for you?
Sorry if i'm wrong.
Sincerely,
happy Canadian Staber supporter and customer
shf...@gmail.com
catalpa
<shf...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:7702eefd-f9e1-4970...@googlegroups.com...
The Staber washing machine killed the OP shortly after that post.
ItsJoan NotJoann
>
> <shf...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:7702eefd-f9e1-4970...@googlegroups.com...
>
> On Monday, July 8, 2002 at 8:49:55 PM UTC-4, PT wrote:
>
> > We have had our Staber washing machine for the last two years and have
> > had horrible results, especially for the premium price ($1300).
> >
>
> The Staber washing machine killed the OP shortly after that post.
>
gerry....@gmail.com
When a unit such as the circuit board, pump, drive motor dies a new unit costs as much as a brand new ordinary top loader washer.
They are never found in coin laundries. Reason: anything that is dropped between the basket (rotating part) an the drum is a mess to get out. If it will float you fill the drum up with a hose to float the object to where it can be reached. If the thing won't float you have to turn the machine over far enough to cause the object to fall to where you can reach it with a mechanic's long reach grabber or magnet (if the object is iron or steel).
DO NOT buy a Staber. We scrapped the one that was newest for a defective circuit board - close to $300 for a replacement.
If you have one, be very careful not to drop anything between the basket and drum! If you leave the top up to keep the machine from stinking, always leave the basket doors open to keep anything from falling into the gap.
gerry....@gmail.com
gerry....@gmail.com
gerry....@gmail.com
The Staber's controls are crude like something from the 1950s.
gerry....@gmail.com
Suds don't wash clothes. They are a holdover from the days of actual soap like Ivory Snow® which sudsed unavoidably.
People think that suds are necessary. A sudsing agent is added to synthetic detergents for marketing purposes.
gerry....@gmail.com
gerry....@gmail.com
daffid...@gmail.com
tiu...@gmail.com
> We have had our Staber washing machine for the last two years and have
sa88...@gmail.com
docn...@gmail.com
L.P.
quake...@gmail.com
FLORENCE OGSBURY
Solartony Tony
service says no parts, no schematics, no service manual, doesn't 'remember' where parts came from,
doesn't remember who manufactured components ...
absurd crap .... paid $1,600 wasted ... a piece of crap ...
has anyone had any luck finding repair parts & replacement components ?
G Taute
In all this time we have never had a problem with over-sudsing. I don't even know what that would look like. Their soap product is truly wonderful. We no longer order their soap, but continue to use a mere 1/4C of a "green" liquid detergent for a full load.
Yes, our washer does vibrate some...much like my sister's name brand machines have always done. Yes, you can pull the operating knobs off. That helps to provide access to the panel behind them. Then you push them back on.
The truly distressing problem you speak of with regard to your new Amish quilt bothers all of the women in my family. The problems you had with the cleaning really is operator problem. The colors ran because it was a brand new quilt (not sure why a brand new quilt would need to be washed) and you did not use "color catchers" in the wash with it. Those are amazing little sheets (similar to dryer sheets) that keep brand new fabrics from bleeding all over the other new fabrics.
You might want to consider listing your machine on Craigslist or something like that. That's how we found our second machine that we've had for about 13 years. Granted you won't get your full payment reimbursed that way, but with any luck, you might feel a bit better about having gotten rid of something that doesn't seem to work with you at all.
M B
My husband and I purchased a Staber washer, model no. HXW2304, series no. W03, serial number B07010907, in February of 2007. We put much time into researching what washer to purchase for our family of 8. We also liked that it could be serviced more easily by the user, uses less soap, that it was top loading, large capacity and USA made.
After using if for a few months, there were some drawbacks in how it would get out of balance easily with bedding and less typical loads. It also couldn't seem to spin just a few things. We still made the best of it, but then encountered problems, which we contacted the company about in October of 2009. We noticed that the problem usually occurred during the first rinse cycle or late in the last wash cycle. Here is one typical example of what would happen: The drum would start to spin at a high rate causing the water to splash out of the washer. The drum then stopped and spun in the opposite direction causing the belt to squeal loudly while the drum caught up with the motor. We shut the washer off. When restarted, the washers breaker tripped. Unplugged washer and reset to beginning of rinse cycle 1. Washer proceeded to operate normally for a short time, then problem re-occurred. When we unplugged the washer for at least a minute, we were able to get the washer to finish the load. This problem repeated itself a few times and then the machine would no longer turn the motor.
We sent our control board in and received the repaired board on October 26th. It began the same pattern only 3 days later on October 29th and then again on the 31st and again on Nov. 4. I had called on Nov. 2 and we were told we would be sent a new board and that this problem can occur when people are off the power grid and get surges. That does not apply to us and we have never noticed any power issues before. We installed the new circuit board on November 7, 2009. We also made all necessary checks in regard to the machine and made sure it was properly balanced. The machine worked normally for many months. But then in early 2011, we began to see the pattern described above, but we wanted to avoid having to be without the machine again, so we kept hoping that the machine would keep going. However, in November 2011, the motor would no longer spin. We couldn't be certain that the motor wasn't also a problem so this time, we sent both the motor and the control board in, but at this point are quite weary of the whole ordeal.
Something just isn't right with this machine and yet Staber handled this like we could be having power surges, instead of considering the possibility that something is wrong with this machine and that this isn't acceptable. That isn't the attitude we received. Since we spent $1200 on this machine, it would be a huge loss to give up at this point, so we were stuck between a rock and a hard place. Now the cost is adding up with shipping costs and the laundromat, not to mention the huge inconvenience. We had only one thought left to try to cover our end regarding this reoccurring problem. My husband had some of the parts to set up a UPS device to protect our machine from possible surges. He spent money on that as well and needed to build a shelf up on the wall above our machine. Again, more money and time just to make this machine work.
So we sent the motor and control board on November 16, 2011. On Dec. 2, we were called and told that there was a burnt resistor but the motor was fine. We went over other matters with Sylvia to make sure all was well with the pump hose and hanger, and nothing was wrong there. We received a repaired control board and our motor back on December 7, 2011. It still didn't spin, but there was a broken wire. Fixed that on the 8th and the machine appeared to work. The UPS device was installed before we began using the machine again. All seemed fine, but then on December 27th, the washer stopped working during its use. The UPS switch had been tripped. We turned it back on and then the machine worked after that. This happened again on February 22, 2012. Same process. We thought that perhaps this meant we had been getting surges and that the UPS device was protecting the machine. However, on February 24th, we had no squealing or none of the usual pattern, but the control board has died again. The motor won't spin just as in the other times. Unacceptable. Unacceptable. Unacceptable.
Let me recap this pattern: Purchased in February 2007; Original control board went bad in October 2009. We sent in our board to be repaired; Repaired board went bad 30 days later. New control board was sent in November of 2009; Control board went bad in November of 2011. We sent in our motor and control board to be repaired. Control board was repaired. Motor fine; Repaired board went bad February 24, 2012, just 2 ½ months later.
I see an interesting pattern here, in that a new board lasted us no longer than 2 ½ years and the repaired boards lasted 30 days to 2 ½ months. Unacceptable. Since this last occurrence happened late on a Friday and they have no evening or weekend hours, we were faced with what? Going through this again? More Laundromat, more expense and then what will we get? No one has offered something that works. We finally had to go out and purchase another washing machine after 5 years of trouble from a $1200 machine.
Another important detail is that the last new control board we were able to receive was in November of 2009. Once we started having problems with that control board, we learned that Staber no longer was making new control boards for this model since they had a newer model. So already we were reduced to having only repaired boards after having the machine for only 2 years, and then look at the outcome of these repaired boards 30 days and 2 ½ months! No solutions. No working machine.
Due to our continuous problems and needing to take the front of the machine off (we found that when the machine went into its screeching spin, splashing water everywhere, that having the front off helped it to dry out faster so that it could work again sooner), we left it off for a 9-month period when the last control board began acting up. This presents many dangers, especially to young children, which we do have. This is unacceptable that we should have to leave it this way to make our machine dry out when it is malfunctioning.
Also, we found the limited hours for Staber a problem, which left us hanging often on the weekends, besides late afternoon and evenings. Also, the hours kept changing from what they were in the manual and we wrote down the new hours in the manual. The next time we had troubles, we called and we found out we were after hours even though we were calling within the time frame that we wrote down. Then the next time we called, and I was put on hold, the recording gave hours that were different than what we were just told. So, first the hours are quite limited, but then we can’t nail them down.
So the long and short of it is that Staber got our money, the postal service got our money, the laundromat got our money, and even Radio Shack got some of our money (the UPS device), and that machine took much of our time, but we have nothing to show for it but this metal box sitting in our garage that can't do what it was designed to do no matter how hard we have tried to make it work. We sent the above correspondence to Staber, hoping they would take responsibility, but here is what happened:
I called Staber March 16th, 2012 since I hadn't heard from them after sending two emails and waiting two weeks for a response. Rachel connected me with Brad **, the director for Staber. He said he hadn't received the emails and gave me an email to send them directly to him. He gave me a cell phone number and told me to call him directly by the end of the day if he hadn't contacted me. He didn't call, so I did and had to leave a message. He never called back. He emailed on Monday, the 19th, and said he was out of town but would try to talk to me Tuesday. That never happened. I tried to call again, but no messages could be left. I emailed the same day asking when a good time to talk would be. He never replied. Within a few days, I called again and left a message. No reply.
On March 28th, I sent an email indicating I felt stuck since he wasn't responding. I asked for a reply that day or the following day. One week of silence. I called Staber on April 4th and talked to Rachel. I asked to talk to Mr. **. After some time on hold, I was told she was still searching for him. Then some man named John gets on the phone to tell me that Brad was on the phone and that he would call me back. That never happened. I called on April 5th and told Rachel I needed to talk to Brad to resolve this. She got back to me and said that Brad sent me an email. He essentially is saying that we have a power problem and they can't do anything.
Staber has no way to prove that we have power issues and we have relayed to them our history of a lack of power issues and that we built the UPS device to protect the washer. It didn't matter to them. We have been in this house for 14 years and have never had problems with appliances, computers, etc. shutting down or being damaged. We never had any problems with our old washers, nor had a problem with our electronic dryer, which we bought the same time as the Staber washer, but it is not a Staber dryer. Also, since the Staber washer died this last time on February 24, 2012, my husband put the UPS device to better use and has been using it to protect all of his computers in his office. He works out of our home and has several computers running all day long. Since he has been using it, there has not been one incident of the UPS device shutting down, even though it shut down twice during the short time we had it set up to protect the washer.
Also, our new washer, which is an LG, has had no problems working properly on the same circuit. Claiming that we have an odd energy delivery problem is a scapegoat, and Staber needs to face up to what the real problem is with their machine and take responsibility for it.
We gave Staber every opportunity to resolve our continuous washer problems, but now this is their bottom line. We have filed a complaint with the Ohio Attorney General. This has been many years ago, but we see many others with similar troubles especially with customer support. People should be aware.
Solartony Tony
should a complaint be filed in other states ?
issues here, light use once a month or less, half the time/several yrs in a row (at least 3) not using it:
no service manual (not owners the manual,) ie board schematics, wiring, tech specs, what not
board is no longer available, mfg says they 'forgot' who made it ... ahah
no board schematics
water inlet solenoid nylon threads very very easy to shred/strip, MUST apply teflon tape
difficult to repair access parts for a diy
air shocks don't last, german company (suspa), originals cannot be refurbished,
there are no other OEM shocks tmk, looked everywhere
motor & tank pulleys do not align from new/factory, at least 1/4" wobble, belt skips 2 ribs
motor brushes not available from manufacturer
dc motor manufacturer not available
soap dispenser was the first to break, within the 1st yr, replacements no longer available
belt is non-standard (bando), can't find OEM nor original stock
spin often goes out of balance, clothes in the drum have to be re-balanced after stopping machine
machine out of balance pulls & breaks motor & sensor wires
technical support is a joke, rude, abusive, condescending
anyone needing no.'s for these parts let me know,
maybe we can find oem replacements somewhere