Vibration isn’t limited to Whirlpool washers, or those sold at Home Depot. In our ongoing tests of washing machines, several manufacturers have at least one model that scored fair or worse in our vibration test. The shaking is caused by the superfast rotation that’s part of a front-loader’s design.
So are anti-vibration pads a solution? To find out, we recently tested seven pads, including the Vibe Away and the SteadyWash (pictured). Unfortunately, the pads or feet didn't cut vibration noticeably. The Steadywash sent less vibration to the floor, but the washer wiggled a bit on the upper plate, so it couldn't abut walls or a dryer. That’s bad news if you own a shaky front-loader. (Moving the machine from a wood-suspended second floor to a concrete-floored basement will help, if that’s an option.)
But if you’re in the market for a front-loader, several newer models scored very good for vibration in our tests. The Samsung WF520AB[P], part of the manufacturer’s 2010 product line, even earned a rare excellent for the category (by comparison, only one top loader performed poorly in the tests). The stillness of the WF520AB[P] is probably due to its “VRT-plus”, an enhanced version of the vibration-reducing technology that Samsung says is standard on all of its front-loaders.—Daniel DiClerico
We have the 2010 Samsung Washer and Dryer - Both are exceptionally good products. We have NO vibrations issues.
I already sent in my comments to CR on this one - I bought the KE shake-a-way pads a few years ago, and for me, the difference was dramatic. My Frigidaire Gallery front-load washer is installed in my 2nd story condo - the shaking was pretty noticeable at times before I installed the shake-a-way pads. After installing the pads, the difference was huge. These pads do have to be installed the right way - one side goes up - and I suspect my washer being on the 2nd story might make a difference.
For me, a great solution, at a great price.
After purchasing a new front loading washer and dryer I was looking for a product that would eliminate or reduce the vibrations and noise. I found Vibeaway through an internet search engine and contacted the company. They were more than accommodating and the product works great. Not only helping to eliminate the shaking, but also greatly reduces the noise made by these powerful machines.
have a front loader washer that shakes half the house during the spin cycle. I knew there would be a vibration issue during the Spin Cycle but did not expect to feel it. Before the anti-vibration pads, I was really concerned that the floor would shake apart. I was amazed by the substantial decrease in vibrations when I installed the VibeAway pads. I can't feel any floor vibrations from the machine.
Seems the LG TrueBalance and Samsung VRT systems are both fairly good. The comments in the article above about VRT Plus being an "enhanced" version of VRT doesn't ring true as I asked Samsung what the difference between VRT and VRT Plus was, and was told they simply changed VRT to VRT Plus last year. It's not enhanced, it's the same thing!
The main difference between VRT and TrueBalance is that VRT has oil filled rings filled with ball bearings in the front AND rear of the drum while TrueBalance has this ring in the front only. Both have the standard dampeners to my knowledge.
That said, LG offers Spin Sense option that detects vibration and attempts to control it by redistributing the load in the drum.
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