A higher dryer: Frigidaire front load dryer
Written: Dec 20 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Dry clothes, moisture sensor, energy efficient
Cons: none
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| pageclot's Full Review: Frigidaire FSE748GF Dryer |
Summary: A fine electric front loading dryer that can sit on top of the companion front load washer, with moisture sensor and several different cycles.
And you bought this product because....
We bought this product because our old washer broke, and the old dryer took forever to dry anything, because it was using 120V electricity. It was also a low capacity dryer, (to go with the low capacity washer we were replacing), so it couldn't take the loads that we were going to be cramming into it.
Any specific reason you bought this model?
We considered other models from Miele and the Maytag Neptune. Both models were more expensive than the Frigidaire; the Miele was approximately twice the cost of the Frigidaire. We don't have natural gas where we live, so we were restricted to the electric model dryers. The Miele was more efficient (something to do with having a DC motor, instead of an AC motor) and had moisture sensors throughout the drum. The Maytag was, to my eye, indistinguishable from the Frigidaire. The Frigidaire has a moisture sensor, but only one.
The deciding factor was price. The Frigidaire was the cheapest of the three.
Describe your relationship with the dryer. Are you close?
We're close. The dryer requires a 220V circuit, which we had to have installed. Most modern houses have a 220V circuit in the laundry room already. The dryer heats up quickly, dries the clothes quickly, and then buzzes (or not, depending on whether you've turned the audible signal on) when it's done.
What I like about the dryer is that it's quick to dry clothes. By the time I'm finished another wash load, the previous wash load is usually dry. The drum in the dryer is huge, swallowing everything we can cram into it.
Another thing I like about the dryer is the moisture sensor. Instead of having to guess at how long it will take for the clothes to be clean, I can just set the level of dryness I desire. The dryer takes over. There is a timed setting and a gentle setting for other fabrics, but 99% of our drying is through using the moisture sensor.
One downside to the moisture sensor is that it can be fooled by large laundry items, such as duvets or duvet covers. These can wrap damp clothes inside them, get dry on the outside, and fool the sensor into thinking that everything is dry. For these items, you may have to open the dryer and retumble everything by hand until it's all loose again.
What's it like to use the dryer?
The dryer is very simple to use. You put your wet clothes in, select the level of dryness, use a dryer sheet, close the door and turn the knob to start. The lint screen is very effective at removing lint, and should be cleaned after every load to improve the efficiency of the dryer's airflow.
Specific features
Our dryer is equipped so that it can sit on top of the Frigidaire Front load washer. This is the way we have set it up. The controls of the dryer are at the front, for easy access whether you have it atop the washer or not. The ductwork of the dryer is pre-routed towards the back of the machine, but punchouts are accessible if you need to route the exhaust air to either side of the machine.
The dryer is equipped with a "press saver" feature for delicates or permanent press. This feature attempts to keep the clothes from wrinkling by jostling them every once in a while back and forth after the dryer has stopped. Although I think this is a nice feature, I've never used it.
The pre-set dryness level has many levels, from bone dry to damp. The damp setting would be used if you want to get most of the moisture out of a shirt or a tablecloth, and then iron it slightly damp, so you get a crisper shirt or tablecloth.
The dryer comes with a rack for delicate items or shoes. I have used this rack many times (once I figured out how to put it in; you have to remove the lint trap and lever it in there)
Pros
1) By drying clothes only until they're dry, you save electricity, because you're not overdrying clothes.
2) The large drum means that clothes have plenty of room to tumble, speeding the drying time.
3) The press saver is a good feature for people who dry a lot of delicate items.
Cons
1) Our dryer has caught snaps from baby outfits twice in the inside seam between two metal parts. The baby outfit gets twisted around and around by the tumbling action of the dryer until it looks like a wrung out mini-towel.
2) One of the screws holding the lint trap plastic has come loose once, and required re-screwing. Thankfully, this happened between loads, so I didn't end up with a loose lint screen and a missing screw.
Performance over time
With the exception of the above two problems (both of which haven't recurred) we've had great success with the Frigidaire dryer. We have not made a service call for this dryer yet, after almost 2 years of 2 loads daily.
Rating
I am rating this dryer five stars. It's energy efficient, durable, and boringly does its job, day after day.
Who should buy this dryer?
This dryer is a natural purchase for those buying the Frigidaire front loading washer, but it's also a good standalone dryer, for replacing an existing dryer.
Who should not buy this dryer?
I can't think of any reason not to buy this dryer.
p
Recommended:
Yes
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