Kenmore 44092 Front Load Washer

We (or rather, my wife's parents) bought a Kenmore 44092 Front Load washer when we moved into our house three years ago. It's a High-Efficiency machine with enough cycle options to keep us happy.

Noise is generally low, except for the beginning of the cycle where the water is gushing in, and at the end of the cycle, when the spin gets really fast. With heavy items, the spin can sound pretty rough.

The main problem we've had is one that's apparently common to front-loading washers, which is a build up salt and gunk, especially on the rubber sealing ring inside the door. We first realized there was a problem when rust-like stains started to appear on light clothing items. During a regular service, the Sears repair man told me what the problem was and gave us a cleaning solution which appears to have helped. We now use Oxyclean with every load and will use the cleaning solution regularly to keep the build up at bay.

One other minor quirk is that all of the washing powder in the draw doesn't always get flushed into the machine. This is particularly a problem with the cold water cycles. The cold water cycles still do a good job of cleaning, but about half the time, I have to fish a solid clump of powder out of the drawer afterwards.