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  • Introduction

  • Front

  • Controls

  • Drawer

  • Interior

  • Sides

  • Back

  • Electricity Use

  • Water Use

  • Cost Per Wash

  • Yearly Running Cost

  • Washing Speed

  • Washing Performance

  • Normal/Permanent Press Cycle

  • Cotton/Whites Cycles

  • Delicates Cycles

  • Heavy Duty Cycle

  • Quick Wash Cycle

  • Dirt Removal

  • Clothes Wear

  • Water Retention

  • Washing Cycles

  • Customization

  • Additional Wash Options

  • Washing Options

  • Detergent Dispenser

  • Washer Door

  • Ease of Use

  • Controls

  • Efficiency

  • Performance

  • Features

  • Introduction
  • Front
  • Controls
  • Drawer
  • Interior
  • Sides
  • Back
  • Electricity Use
  • Water Use
  • Cost Per Wash
  • Yearly Running Cost
  • Washing Speed
  • Washing Performance
  • Normal/Permanent Press Cycle
  • Cotton/Whites Cycles
  • Delicates Cycles
  • Heavy Duty Cycle
  • Quick Wash Cycle
  • Dirt Removal
  • Clothes Wear
  • Water Retention
  • Washing Cycles
  • Customization
  • Additional Wash Options
  • Washing Options
  • Detergent Dispenser
  • Washer Door
  • Ease of Use
  • Controls
  • Efficiency
  • Performance
  • Features

Introduction

Front

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Controls

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Drawer

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Interior

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The interior of the CDWT980VSS.

Sides

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Olympus SZ-31MR iHS side views

Back

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Electricity Use

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Despite an on-board heating element, the {{product.model}}'s electricity costs are relatively low — only a few dollars a year in most markets.

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Water Use

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Here's where things get dicey. Run a normal wash cycle and it'll use about 26 gallons of water. That definitely won't get any awards from Greenpeace, but it's still nothing compared to some of the {{product.model}}'s specialty cycles that can use a whopping 81 gallons of water to get clothes clean.

Cost Per Wash

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With that kind of water use, you can expect each cycle to cost between a quarter and fifty cents. That's cheaper than the laundromat, but more than most other washers we've tested.

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Yearly Running Cost

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When all is totaled up, owning the {{product.model}} will cost you about $90 a year. By comparison, some washers we've tested only cost about $30 a year. If you hold on to this Samsung for five years, that's a difference of $300!

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Washing Speed

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Washing Performance

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Normal/Permanent Press Cycle

The WA5471ABP’s normal cycle was relatively weak, and specifically struggled to remove oil-based stains. Debris removal was good for a top loader, though, and the cycle took under an hour.

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Cotton/Whites Cycles

This was the WA5471ABP’s most impressive cycle, which did almost as well removing oil-based stains as it did getting out blood, wine and cocoa. The laundry emerging from the cotton test cycles did remain pretty water logged, so it might take a bit longer to dry.

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Delicates Cycles

Our test load got fairly clean on the WA5471ABP’s Delicates cycle. Though other washers have done this cycle better, the Samsung still impressed with good stain removal and light clothes wear. Our only gripe was that clothes retained more than their own weight in excess water, which could lead to damage during a long dry cycle.

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Heavy Duty Cycle

The WA5471ABP’s Heavy Duty cycle worked about as well as Whitest Whites, getting out stains and removing a fair bit of debris

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Quick Wash Cycle

We had the most trouble with unbalanced loads on the Quick cycle testing. When we finally got test loads to complete without interruption, we found items subjected to the 34 minute cycle remained pretty soiled and full of the debris we’d added. Even though it’s quick, we’d skip this cycle unless a few already clean items just needed to be lightly refreshed.

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Dirt Removal

While it utterly failed to get debris out on the quick or normal cycles, the WA5471ABP did pretty well in our debris tests when we set the dial to Heavy Duty. In fact, it outperformed most top loaders we’ve tested so far in that regard.

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Clothes Wear

Again, there’s some uneven performance here. On most cycles, the WA5471ABP gave clothes a fairly rough ride, but on the Delicates cycle it excelled, leaving our fragile fabric test strips nearly intact.

Water Retention

When clothes come out of the dryer still wet, there’s a greater chance they’ll end up smelling musty. Wet clothes also make a dryer work harder, which wastes time and energy. The WA5471ABP did a good job getting water out on most cycles, but — as expected for a gentle cycle — had some trouble with delicates.

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Washing Cycles

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Customization

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All the {{product.name}}'s twelve cycles are customizable by temperature, spin speed and wash level. You can even pre set a custom cycle using the My Cycle button.

Additional Wash Options

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Depending on the cycle you choose, you can add several wash options for a custom clean.

Washing Options

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Detergent Dispenser

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A detergent dispenser slides out from inside the washer, underneath the door's hinges. There's also a dispenser for fabric softener.

Washer Door

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The large glass door has a stainless handle and is cushioned so that it doesn't slam shut.

The interior of the CDWT980VSS.

Ease of Use

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Due to its big door and large drum, the {{product.name}} is extremely easy to load. As its a top loader, folks who have shoulder problems or who are lacking in height may find it hard to reach in and pull out heavy, wet clothes after a cycle is complete.

Controls

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The {{product.name}} features a user-friendly control panel. It's dominated by a large cycle selector knob, and each wash option has its own button. Since the panel is so large, it's not cluttered and text is large and easy to read.

Efficiency

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Even if you buy this Samsung on sale for $950, it'll still cost you. Cycles vary widely in how much they cost to run, but there's one constant here: They're all very expensive. The total cost of operating the {{product.name}} for a year is near $90, which is more than three times what the most energy efficient washers we've tested cost.

Performance

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If the {{product.name}} were the best washer we'd ever tested, we'd say it was worth the money. But it's middling on nearly all accounts. A few standout cycles don't make up for a nearly $300 price difference between the Samsung and its mid-range competitors.

Features

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Despite its drawbacks, the Samsung's features are still pretty impressive. There are twelve preset cycles plus a number of custom wash options for the most finicky washing fanatics. If money is no object and you take delight in reading the labels on all of your clothes so you can follow wash instructions exactly, we've found the machine for you.

Meet the tester

Keith Barry

Keith Barry

Former Editor in Chief, Reviewed Home

@itskeithbarry

Keith was the Editor in Chief of Reviewed's appliance and automotive sites. His work has appeared in publications such as Wired, Car & Driver, and CityLab.

See all of Keith Barry's reviews

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