Whirlpool Super Capacity Plus Top Loading Washing Machine Review

Does your hamper seem to refill itself the instant you empty it? Does that seemingly self-regenerating pile of clothes contain bulky uniforms and heavily soiled garments as well as hand-wash only items? The Whirlpool Ultimate Care II Super Capacity Plus might be the washer for you.

Through untold loads of greasy polyester uniforms, delicates, extra heavy jeans and other "normal" clothes, my Whirlpool took 8 years of thrice-weekly beatings before having its first problem. True to its "Super Capacity Plus" name, it would hold nearly a full week's worth of XL shirts and 36-36 pants without protest.

As heavy-duty as it is, though, this top-loading machine is relatively quiet. It's possible to hold a phone conversation in the same (small) room as the unit - and that means a pretty low volume washer cycle.

There is a "hand wash only" cycle (of which garments I have many) and the intermittent, gentle agitation works almost as delicately as my own hands would. There is a separate cycle for regular delicates, also with low agitation. The washer has a special dispenser cup for bleach and another in the agitator for fabric softener - no having to pour the former directly on your clothes or forgetting to add the latter to the rinse cycle.

The Whirlpool Super Capacity Plus (with or without Ultimate Care II in the title) is approximately a 3' cube, available in white only, costing from $450 - 700 retail. It has multiple temperature settings, as well as water levels, in addition to the wash cycles. Warranties are available anywhere from 1 year to lifetime.

There are a couple of drawbacks. While it is possible to repair some of the mechanical problems yourself, it is an involved process to disassemble to washer, particularly the agitator portion. Getting it back together is fairly easy, except for the metal shell - which is even trickier than disassembly. Also, if the fabric softener reservoir ever clogs it makes a great mess and you'll end up rewashing the clothes if you don't take the agitator apart and clean it out. I recommend pouring hot water inside and rinsing it once every couple of months to prevent clogging.

Overall Rating: 4/5