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  • Related content

  • Design and Features

  • Performance

  • Warranty

  • What user reviews say

  • The Bottom Line

  • Related content
  • Design and Features
  • Performance
  • Warranty
  • What user reviews say
  • The Bottom Line

Pros

  • Straightforward design

  • Made in America

Cons

  • Tough on laundry

  • Below average stain removal

That said, washers can be expensive, so you might be tempted to purchase the cheapest one you can find. But buying the Roper RTW4516FW (available at Lowe's) top-loading washer (sold only at Lowe’s) is possibly not the best idea. You should wait until you can spend more on a better washing machine.

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Of the washers we’ve tested in our laundry labs over the years, the Roper (made by Whirlpool Corporation) is one of the lowest scoring. We find that it's expensive to run, takes a long time to complete a cycle, gulps water, and leaves clothes soaking wet, meaning your dryer has to pick up the slack.

The pole agitator moves the laundry around
Credit: Reviewed / Jonathan Chan

When you look inside this model, you'll see a pole agitator and a porcelain drum. The design is old-fashioned, but it might be reassuringly familiar to people who learned how to do laundry by watching their parents or grandparents.

Design and Features

The controls on this white American-made washer couldn’t be easier to use. There are only three knobs: Water level, temperature, and cycle selection. If you believe clothes need more water to get clean, you can select the Deep Water Wash option, though our tests indicate that adding more water usually results in dirtier clothes. Best to stick with Auto Sense and let the washer determine how much water is needed. Adding extra water dilutes the detergent.

The Roper RTW4516FW washer has only a few adjustments, which makes it easy to use
Credit: Reviewed / Jonathan Chan

You can set the temperature on the Roper washer with one dial and with the other, choose the water level. For the most part, it's best to rely on the auto-sensing feature for water level. Deep water dilutes the detergent.

When you raise the washer’s lid, you see a pole agitator (that tall corkscrew in the middle) and a porcelain tub. Your parents and grandparents probably had a similar view in their old washing machines. Those washers could run with the lid open. Sorry, this one can't, but it provides a late lid lock feature to allow you to toss in that last pair of socks before the spin starts.

Although it's inexpensive to purchase, this washer will make you pay in other ways.

Performance

The Roper's Heavy cycle did the best with cleaning overall, though it lasted 90 minutes. It also retained 75% of the water in the clothes. The Delicates cycle, which uses a slower spin, left behind 97.5% of the water, and worse, the Casual cycle left 101% of the rinse water in the laundry. Anything you wash in those cycles is going to come out wringing wet. Whether you hang them up or toss them in the dryer, those clothes are going to take a very long time to dry.

With only five cycles, the Roper makes it straightforward to choose the one you need for any load.
Credit: Reviewed / Jonathan Chan

There are only five cleaning cycles: Bulky Items & Sheets, Heavy (the best at cleaning), Regular, Casual, and Delicate. Since this washer leaves a great deal of water in the clothes, you might find Drain & Spin useful.

You only use the Normal cycle? It didn't clean as well as Heavy cycle in our tests. And consider—with Deep Water Wash selected, the Normal cycle used 35 gallons! Even the 19 gallons it used with Auto-Sense isn't exactly paltry. We estimate that this washer will cost about $89 a year to run. Over time, that will add up.

Warranty

The Roper washer comes with a one-year warranty.

The Roper RTW4516 is made in America by the Whirlpool Corporation. It has a one year warranty.
Credit: Reviewed / Jonathan Chan

The Roper RTW4516 is made in America by the Whirlpool Corporation.

What user reviews say

Reviewers who own this washer are polarized in their opinions. A few owners are satisfied that it gets their laundry clean. Many complain that it develops serious problems within a year. Only 67% of owners say that they would recommend this washer. It received an average of 3.5 stars over a few sites.

The Bottom Line

Roper's pole agitator top-loader has simple dial controls and limited features, meaning you don’t have to be a laundry expert to use it. That's one of this machine's advantages. One of the big issues around the Roper is that it consumes a great deal of water, leaving a startling amount in the clothes. It is not energy efficient, so although it is inexpensive to purchase, you’ll end up paying in other ways. If you purchase the companion dryer, the Roper RED4516FW, it will need to tumble for a long time to get the laundry dry.

Meet the testers

Cindy Bailen

Cindy Bailen

Editor

@orangesandlemon

Cindy Bailen loves writing about major appliances and home design and has spent over 15 years immersed in that. In her spare time, Cindy hosts pledge programs for WGBH-TV in Boston and other public television stations.

See all of Cindy Bailen's reviews
Kyle Hamilton

Kyle Hamilton

Product Tester

Kyle Hamilton is a product tester at Reviewed, specializing in home appliances and technology.

See all of Kyle Hamilton'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.

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