Personally I don't like GE anything anymore (though once a fan of their products).

They just seem so cheaply made.

I don't know why CR rates them so highly.
I bought a GE electric range because it was highly rated from CR...never again.

I've seen the washers in person and comparing them side by side with other makes...they just lack substance to me.

Keep doing your homework and best of luck to whatever you decide to purchase.

To group all the GE's together is a pretty poor way to evaluate considering not everything is made by the same company, unless you think the Frigidaires (who make the FriGEmores) and LGs (who make the Harmonys) are also bad. And there may be more models outsourced.

Now for me, Consumer Reports is the bigger suspect. To me their greatest credibility is to absorb droppings in a birdcage, and that's about it.

Trying to compare the machines of 30 years ago with today's machines isn't easy either. But the WCVH6800J IIRC is the unit made in China and has had some mixed reviews, although so have most other machines. I'm not sure what they have for a true repair record on these machines. They've changed a lot of models since they first came out a few years ago. I will say my local appliance dealer recommended the GE over the Frigidaire Affinity, which I found surprising.

Is there a particular attraction to this model? There might be alternatives to suggest or this may be the machine for you, but not knowing budget, features, load size and some other basic info makes it difficult to say much more that could be of help.

Hi cynic
There is absolutely no particular attraction to this brand or model. I have had the Maytag Neptune for the past 8 years and it is on its last leg and am told by my repair man, can not be fixed. I asked the repairman for his opinion on a good machine, and he said F & P top loader. He believes that there are no good front loaders on the market. I was going to just go by his recommendation, and then looked up CR to see their opinion. They believe FL's wash better than TL even though FL can have the whole musty odor issues. The GE was recommended only second to the Samsung. CR's also felt that they did not have enough service history on Samsung.
I am looking for a machine that washes clothes well, is quiet, and reliable. My current machine size is approx 3.4 cu and I need something larger. i am tired of taking comforters to the laundromat.
Any advice would be appreciated.

SpeedQueen TL, but may be hard to find.

I just went from a Maytag Neptune FL to a Samsung FL. I'm happy with my purchase. It's easy to operate and does what it's suppose to do. The clothes come out clean.

I have a GE Profile cooktop. It's been in for a couple years and I've had no problems. My Mom has an inexpensive GE top loader. She also has a GE fridge, range, and dishwasher. She seems to be happy, and has had no problems in the last two years. However, she did have an issue with a coat she couldn't get clean. I brought it home, treated, and threw in my old FL and it came out looking new. So, I'm not too sure how well her washing machine actually cleans.

The only thing I can see with the GE is it rotates the tub with belts. My old Maytag got to the point the belt would squeak, so one of my reasons for purchasing the Samsung was the direct drive. Hopefully, less parts to wear out.

I did wash a king comforter in the Samsung. This comforter wouldn't fit in my old Neptune. So when you go shopping, take what you want to wash with you. See if it will fit into what you are contemplating buying.

Also, I've never had the smelly front loader issue.

I've got it, and I love it. Had it about two months. I didn't set out to get this particular model; I wanted to get a FL and had been looking at an LG. But I got this one, with the pedestal, only a couple of months old, off of Craigslist for a great price.

I'm honestly not sure why the WCVH6800J isn't more popular, aside from the uncatchy name. I've had no problems with smells, mold, etc. It's got a huge capacity. Stuff is cleaner than it ever was in my old TL. My biggest complaint is that there's no dispenser for powdered oxyclean type bleach, but I don't believe any of the other comparable models do, either. I've had no problems with rocking, noise, etc. It's super quiet. But I've also got it on a ground floor concrete slab, so I'm sure that helps.

I'd recommend it based on my experience so far.

Housefairy you said one of the reasons you purchased the Samsung was for the direct drive, less parts to wear out. So as I have no knowledge on what to look for in a good washer, and going by CR's which rated the Samsung 448 the best and the GE6800 next best, what am I suppose to look for?

Renno, as to the ones I looked at, only the LG and Samsung were direct drive. I didn't look at the Miele, Asko, and FL Speed Queen. So there are probably other models.

I think the stores should display the units without their metal covering. Let people see actually what size pump, motors, fittings, etc. they're putting in their machines.

Most models all work with the belt/pulley system. In the case of all, the control board is probably always going to be the big expense for repairs. The control board seems to be just reconfigured with more wash options within the various brand names. Seems like everything is chipped, so probably having a whole house surge suppressor installed is a good idea.

The problem with CR is their repair ratings are based off their customers. So if their customer base tends to buy a certain line, or from a certain manufacturer, then their numbers have a tendency to not reflect correctly. So I don't know if Samsungs aren't being purchased, or it's just their customer base possibly only buying Whirlpool.

I actually purchased the Samsung 218. This is without steam and silvercare. It looks like they are discontinuing the model. Too bad, a good unit without a lot of bells and whistles. Unless you are wanting steam, I would look at the 328. The tub on the 448 is even larger, plus it has steam. But you'll also pay for all those extra options.

In answer to your question, I would make a list of what you actually want out of a machine. Listed items could be noise, size, price, or even to possibly wash a large comforter. Wherever you purchase the unit I would ask who services the unit. Also find out where the service tech is located. You don't want one who is traveling from far away. If you do have issues after the warranty, the travel charges could really add up. Unless the unit is at the very bottom of CR's repair list, I wouldn't let that be my determining factor.

Renclothes seems to like her GE. I guess what we are all looking for is value for our money, plus something that works. Sometimes it seems easier to stick with the old because the new can sometimes be such a pain. Good luck with your search.

I think he gave a good suggestion on the F&P but then to say that there are no good front loaders on the market, well, the guy just lost all credibility in my book! I just don't understand why people make stupid blanket statements like that. It's certainly not helpful to someone who looks for their advice.

That GE does have a good capacity, decent number of cycles and I really haven't heard a lot about them lately, but I think the other brands get pushed pretty hard. Another option for a larger capacity is the Cabrio/Oasis/Bravos series and the GE Harmony (which is made by LG).

Housefairy's suggestion to make a list of wants is a good suggestion. Obviously budget is probably the most important consideration. Many stores will let you bring in a load and see if it'll fit in there. There's debate on what constitutes a full load though. Many FL users say if you can get your fist in the top, that's fine. Others say it's overloaded. So there you go.

I personally like the Harmony, F&P, Speed Queen and Whirlpool top loaders. The GE is on my list of considerations but I don't really need the capacity so I'm also watching the 3.5 cf Amana, Frididaire Affinity and FriGEmore units.

One caution, if you're not already aware. I was at a store last week and a small Frigidaire caught my eye. It was on a pedestal and then on a little platform. I opened it and looked in it. BOY, did it look TINY! But, I had to remind myself that there's no agitator in there, plus on a top loader, the water, therefore the load, doesn't come all the way to the top so if you stuff a toploader full, you're overfilling it. It was a 3.2 cf capacity so probably comparable to many toploaders. Just the illusion of being so small. But it did convince me that I don't think I can go with a front loader without building a special platform to raise it up. It was on a short pedestal plus the platform and I still would be bending or sitting down to access it. For me, that wouldn't work. So I think a toploader is going to have to be in my future, most likely.

Look around. There's a lot of models with different features. See what you like, ask questions and happy hunting!