Skip to main content
  • Introduction

  • Front

  • Controls

  • Interior

  • Sides

  • Back

  • Speed & Performance Overview

  • Normal Cycle Performance

  • Delicates Cycle Performance

  • Bulky Cycle Performance

  • Quick Dry Cycle Performance

  • Dry Cycles

  • Customization

  • Additional Drying Options

  • Controls

  • Door

  • Lint Trap

  • Conclusion

  • Introduction
  • Front
  • Controls
  • Interior
  • Sides
  • Back
  • Speed & Performance Overview
  • Normal Cycle Performance
  • Delicates Cycle Performance
  • Bulky Cycle Performance
  • Quick Dry Cycle Performance
  • Dry Cycles
  • Customization
  • Additional Drying Options
  • Controls
  • Door
  • Lint Trap
  • Conclusion

Introduction

On a genuinely positive note, this dryer is a budget-conscious consumer's dream, with an MSRP of $479. With online sale prices as low as $360, that makes it one of—if not the —cheapest models we've tested that actually gets your clothes completely dry more often than not. True, temperatures peaked a bit higher than we usually like to see, but if you don't typically clean expensive clothes or delicate fabrics at home, this machine is actually a really good buy. Even though it may look like a bit of underwhelming throwback to an earlier era, you'll want to consider this one if general performance and price tags are two of your top concerns.

Front

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

The {{product.name}} is more or less the antithesis of cutting edge. The white enamel finish gives it a clean look, but this non-stacking dryer takes most of its cues from the dryers we found in the homes of our parents, or even grandparents. With a crank timer control, white enamel interior, and flimsy lint trap, this machine feels both dated and rather cheap.

Controls

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

Interior

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

The interior of the CDWT980VSS.

Like many other design elements encountered in this {{product.brand.name}}, the lint trap is quite small and feels very flimsy. It's easy enough to clean, though, and its small size will ensure that you clean it often: it fills up with lint very quickly.

Sides

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

Olympus SZ-31MR iHS side views

Back

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

Speed & Performance Overview

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

On the whole, the {{product.brand.name}} got the job done. Cycles took an average length of time, averaging about an hour for the standard Normal load. Clothes also got completely dry on half of the cycles tested, with the Quick Dry test coming very close to achieving that goal. Temperatures were what you'd expect to see from a basic, low-end dryer like this: a bit warmer than average across the board, good enough for sturdy and durable fabrics but with the risk of causing extra damage to lighter materials over time.

Normal Cycle Performance

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

The {{product.brand.name}}'s older design and lack of extra features makes it an ideal work-horse dryer: a machine built to tackle standard loads with solid results. The Normal cycle test certainly didn't fail to deliver; we used the Cottons More Dry automatic setting with regular heat, and clothes got completely dry in about an hour. Temperatures were a bit high, peaking at 151 degrees Fahrenheit. This should be fine for materials that are tough and built to last, but softer fabrics or clothing with bright colors may start to wear and fade faster than in a gentler appliance.

Delicates Cycle Performance

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

To perform our Delicate test, we selected the same cycle settings that we used for the Normal test but using low (or Delicate) heat. In just under a full hour, and with temperatures comparable to what we found in our Quick Dry test, the {{product.brand.name}} managed to get our materials completely dry. While this was an undoubtedly gentler cycle than what we used for our Normal test, it was still warmer than the average Delicate settings on other, more advanced machines. It does a good job for a budget appliance, but it may result in increased wear and fading on more fragile materials.

Bulky Cycle Performance

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

The Bulky test is usually the bane of every dryer that we bring in to our lab. Like many other machines available today, the {{product.brand.name}} was unable to deliver desirable results. There is no official Bulky cycle, so we used the Cottons cycle again, this time selecting the More Dry setting as opposed to the Optimum or Less Dry options. After about three quarters of an hour, our comforter came out just 60 percent of the way to bone dry. This isn't ideal, and is indicative of the machine's inability to generate enough heat that it will penetrate into the center of our bulky item for complete drying. In order to get the job done, we would have had to go in and move our comforter around so that the damp areas were more exposed. Truly adept dryers would not need that sort of hands-on approach.

Quick Dry Cycle Performance

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

There's no actual equivalent to a Quick Dry on the {{product.brand.name}}, so we ran a Timed Dry cycle for 30 minutes on regular heat. The results were very pleasing: clothes got 91 percent of the way down to their original bone dry weight, and the temperatures peaked at just 133 degrees. With this cycle getting clothes nearly as dry in half the time and at temperatures that were almost 20 degrees cooler than that of the Cottons cycle used for our Normal test, a quick Timed Dry load turns out to be proportionally more effective.

Dry Cycles

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

There are really only three different cycle options present on the {{product.brand.name}}. You can choose from Cottons, Wrinkle Free, or Timed Dry. In order to accommodate different fabric types, you have to adjust the temperature (for instance, low heats are labeled Delicate) or move the timer so as to lengthen or shorten the specific cycle.

{{ attachments(51154411a9e1d69cc8000674)

Customization

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

As mentioned above, the three basic cycles have markings that allow you to select More Dry or Less Dry (and, in the case of Cottons cycle, Optimum Dry). You also have four temperatures to choose from—high, medium, low, and a "no heat" fluff option. The timer can make the dryer run for up to 80 minutes, though the crank control means the actual duration may be a few minutes in either direction.

Additional Drying Options

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

This dinosaur doesn't even have a basic wrinkle prevention feature.

Controls

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

The controls are fairly simple, if somewhat vague. The specificity of modern layouts allows you to time your manual cycles down to the minute, and the automated cycles have buttons that select a definite and predetermined dryness level or temperature setting. The {{product.brand.name}}, on the other hand, offers no cycle duration estimate, only vague levels of dryness, and a crank timer that can only offer a ballpark figure for the manually timed options. Cold comfort, at least, that the knobs themselves are relatively durable and don't run the risk of popping off in your hand, and the labels are large enough to read with ease.

Door

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

The door is sturdy enough: a solid piece of metal that's reversible, doesn't require too much force to open, and doesn't need to be slammed shut. It feels a little flimsy, but not to the point of being detrimental.

The interior of the CDWT980VSS.

Lint Trap

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

Like many other design elements encountered in this {{product.brand.name}}, the lint trap is quite small and feels very flimsy. It's easy enough to clean, though, and its small size will ensure that you clean it often: it fills up with lint very quickly.

Conclusion

{{section_header}}{{section.name}}{{/section_header}}

The {{product.name}} is about as low as you can get in terms of budget and visual flair for a dryer that still manages to do what it's supposed to. The crank timer, lack of extra features, and almost painfully bland design can easily put you in mind of the early seventies. Despite its simplicity and somewhat archaic layout, though, it's actually a pretty good dryer. Cycles ran for an average amount of time, temperatures got a bit hotter than we like to see—though not as hot as on some other models—but nevertheless, clothes came out completely dry for almost every test conducted. There aren't any specialty cycles available, and not a single extra feature to its name, but you're nevertheless getting more than you pay for. The $479 MSRP makes this machine one of the cheapest dryers we've tested, if not the cheapest, and with sale prices online as low as $360, the fact that it does so well at drying clothes makes it a truly excellent bargain.

Meet the tester

Matthew Zahnzinger

Matthew Zahnzinger

Logistics Manager & Staff Writer

@ReviewedHome

Matthew is a native of Brockton, MA and a graduate of Northeastern, where he earned a degree in English and Theatre. He has also studied at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin and spends most of his free time pursuing a performance career in the greater Boston area.

See all of Matthew Zahnzinger's reviews

Checking our work.

Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.

Shoot us an email

Up next