Maytag MVW8230HC Top-Load Washer Review

The way you grow up doing laundry can often affect the decisions you make when it comes time for you to buy your own washer and dryer. For many of us, that upbringing involved a top-loader with a pole agitator. Many consumers swear by this type of washer, since they believe that the combination of an agitator and a tub filled with water yields cleaner clothes—even though this is not necessarily the case. Typically, pole agitators let these top-loaders thoroughly scrub your laundry, (though your clothes often get beat up in the process). The tub filling up with water can be helpful if you have a lot of extremely soiled laundry (we’re talking caked with mud, here).

If this process is what you’re comfortable with and gets your clothes clean, you can choose from plenty of decent top-loading agitators—the Maytag MVW8230HC just isn’t one of them.

Despite some great attention to its design and aesthetics, the MVW8230HC lacks the core competency you’d expect from a premium washer. In our testing, we found the MVW8230HC didn’t clean as well as the average washer, which is unexpected considering its price tag. If you fell in love with this model the instant you saw it, you may overlook its high purchase price, which seems to go toward its features and overall look. If you want more in a top-loader than just looks for your money, then we recommend doing your research before committing to this one.

About the Maytag MVW8230HC top-load washing machine

Dimensions: 42.88" x 27.25” x 27.88” (H x W x D) Capacity: 5.2 cu. ft. Finish: Metallic Slate Cycles: Heavy Duty, Colors, Bulky Items, Sanitize with Oxi, Normal/Regular, Wrinkle Control, Delicates, Quick Wash, Towels, Whites Cycle options: Deep Fill (adds more water to the washer), Delay Start, Extra Rinse Other features: Optional smart features via app, built-in faucet Matching dryer: Maytag MED8230HC Maytag MVW8230HC Top-Load Washer manual

What we like

The built-in faucet allows you to pre-treat stains right over the tub

If you find yourself with lots of heavily-stained laundry, this simple feature might be a game-changer. The built-in faucet lets you rinse off loose soils, while simultaneously filling up the tub to allow your clothes to soak for a bit before the wash cycle begins. This is a feature we’ve seen on a few other washers, and it’s one we love. While not everyone is going to consistently have laundry that needs to soak before cleaning, if you’ve ever worked at a job that has you coming home filthy, you know how helpful and time-saving a feature like this can be. Whether you're working a dirty job, parenting a newborn, or simply looking for a solution to life’s many messy emergencies, a built-in faucet is a feature you’ll be glad to have when you really need it.

Most cycles are surprisingly gentle

There are several reasons why some people prefer a washer with a pole agitator—gentleness typically isn’t one of them. Generally speaking, washers with pole agitators are much more rough on your clothes than those without, as the pole agitator can twist clothes up and create a lot of mechanical stress on fibers. However, the Maytag MVW8230HC bucks this trend, creating less wear and tear than the average washer.

The MVW8230HC's Normal cycle was about as gentle as the average washer’s Delicates cycle—about 33% more gentle than other normal cycles we’ve tested. Interestingly though, the Delicates cycle is more or less average compared to other washers and only very slightly more gentle than the Normal cycle in terms of wear and tear. Expect your clothes to live a long, full life with the Maytag MVW8230HC.

What we don’t like

Below average cleaning

Most of the cycles we tested were somewhat below the cleaning power of the average washer, but not by a huge margin. The normal cycle had the largest performance gulf, producing laundry that was about 8% less clean than other washers. Other cycles also produced laundry that was a few percentage points below average. The only exception was the Heavy Duty cycle, which gave an average clean.

To help put these numbers in context, it’s important to keep a few points in mind. For starters, the Maytag MVW8230HC is, overall, only slightly behind the average washing machine in terms of cleaning performance. It’s unlikely to even be a noticeable difference, unless you’re doing your own testing with stain strips. That being said, the Maytag MVW8230HC isn’t priced like an average washing machine—it’s actually quite a bit more expensive. As such, while these performance numbers aren’t beyond the pale, we’d still expect to see better cleaning from such an expensive washer.

What owners are saying

There are very few reviews available from owners on any of the major retailers’ pages. While somewhat unusual, this can sometimes happen with appliances above a certain price point. The few that are posted are mostly positive, with users praising its aesthetics, quiet operation, and the presence of an agitator. We found the praise for “quiet operation” interesting, because we thought it ran fairly loudly compared to other modern washers.

Again, we’re talking about roughly 10 reviews in total here, so it’s not a substantial sample size. We’ll check back in a few months to see if any more information is available.

Warranty

The Maytag MVW8230HC comes with a one-year warranty on the unit, with the motor and tub covered for an additional 10 years. This is a great warranty that goes well above and beyond the baseline of a single year of coverage. If you buy a Maytag, you can feel secure that you’re making an investment.

Should you buy the Maytag MVW8230HC?

Probably not. There aren’t a ton of options available for premium top-loaders with pole agitators, so that factor alone makes the MVW8230HC at least worth some consideration, but we just aren’t sold. If the washer had average or above-average cleaning, we could see how it might make a good pick for someone in love with the overall aesthetics or who really wanted gentle cycles and deep fill options. As is, the MVW8230HC just doesn’t have the core functionality we’d expect from a higher-end washer. You’d be much better off with the Maytag MVWB865GC, our highest rated top-loader with an agitator.