LG Washer WT1501CW Top Load Washer Review

I recently had the LG WT1501CW  in my home for about 90 days.  My first impression on this machine was “what a turd”.  As with all HE top load washers, the LG struggles to remove lint, or even clean for that matter.  Sure, it has a huge basket -4.5 cubic feet, but whats the point if it can’t clean anything?  Another small issue, my wife is 5, 7″, and she stuggled to reach the bottom of the wash basket.  I really liked the up front controls, but found it to be not super user friendly.

How I test them:

I physically buy these machines, take them home, and use them for at least 60 days, all the way up to 6+ months.  I have children, and they get EVERYTHING dirty. Needless to say I have a never ending supply of dirty laundry.

The grading scale

My grading scale is 1-100, based on the following factors:
 
1. performance (20pts)
2. cost    (20pts)
3. build quality (repair-ability) (20pts)
4. how long I think it will last. (20pts)
5. My general feelings towards the machine (20pts)
 
Just for the record, I don’t believe any washer will ever, ever get a score of 100.  I don’t even think there will be any in the 90’s, but I guess we’ll see. 

The review:

Despite my initial misgivings about this machine, I ended up kind of liking it.  I certainly was not sad to see it go, but the WT1501CW ended up really impressing me.  Once I found the correct cycles, the washer actually performed quite well despite it being a “cheaper” washer.

Performance:

Im just going to spill the beans:  The LG pretty much sucks in every way until you press the WATER PLUS button.  Then it becomes, well, kind of great!  Pre WP (water plus) discovery, I would have given this washer the lowest possible score.  After WP, it actually washes pretty well.   I still noticed some lint not being removed, but somewhat tolerable.  Spin speed is super fast, your clothes are practically dry when finished. The LG is also pretty quiet while running.

Cost

The price of this machine varies wildly depending on if it is on sale or not.  You can expect to find it for around $599 or so.  This makes it one of the cheapest I have reviewed so far.

Build quality

The LG feels solidly built, the lid has some weight to it (in a good way).  Mechanically, it uses the mostly reliable system they use on their front loaders. I have heard several instances where the main spin bearing went bad, effectively making the machine garbage.  The problem with this machine, and all sub$750 machines is that the first break down will typically cost 1/3rd or more of the value of the machine.  This washer should really never be fixed, unless you plaan on fixing it yourself.  Just throw it away when it breaks.

Longevity

Its going to go one of two ways:  either you got a bad one and it will be junk in less than 2 years, or if you got a good one it should give you about 5 ish years of trouble free service.  A really well taken care of unit could possibly go as long as 8-10 years.

Personal opinion:

LG is my second favorite company right next to Speed Queen.  They really produce a decent product that performs.  LG customer service is friendly, and hold times are basically non existent.  They offer quite a bit of machine relative to the price of the unit.

CATEGORYSCORE
Performance12
Cost10
Build Quality12
Longevity10
Personal15
Total Score59

3 comments on “LG Washer WT1501CW Top Load Washer Review

  1. How do you correct lint all over clothing after washing I’m disappointed with my Lg washer and I haven’t found a solution to remedy this issue.

    • Water plus helps, but lint removal is the job of the dryer these days. The only way to remove lint is with lots of water

  2. We have had a TR7 for about a year now. I had watched this video, but was assured by my local dealer that it had an update and worked well. IT DOES NOT WASH CLOTHES THAT ARE DIRTY! Very disappointed with this $1100 machine. Response from company and my local dealer is nothing. Between my son and parents we have 4speed queen sets. The others are 6 to 3 years old. They work great but this TR7 is junk! I’ll never buy speed queen again.