Product review (4 stars): High-end large-capacity front-loading washer
This is Samsung's new line of high-end front-loading laundry machine. Other than the new&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Electrolux-EWFLS70JIW-27-5-1-cu-Ft-Front-Load-Washer-Island-White/dp/B003T4HMWS/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Electrolux EWFLS70JIW 27 5.1 cu. Ft. Front-Load Washer - Island White</a>, it has the largest capacity among consumer-oriented washers. Yet, its external dimension is similar to other front-loaders, thus fitting easily into standard laundry room space.

I bought this model to replace a 7-year-old&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Whirlpool-WFW9400SZ-27-Front-Load-Washer-with-4-0-cu-ft-Capacity-White-Sapphire-Blue/dp/B00132MLCO/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Whirlpool : WFW9400SZ 27 Front Load Washer with 4.0 cu. ft. Capacity White/Sapphire Blue</a>, which went kaput when the plastic ring holding the front side of the steel drum in place decayed away under normal usage. Understandably, I chose not to go with Whirlpool again, since many of the Duet's plastic parts have not lasted the 10-15 years I expected from a major appliance. I am not sure how well this Samsung will compare, but I feel it is worth a try even at a relatively high price because Consumer Reports likes this model.

Functionally, it is almost identical to the Duet. The major exceptions are:
1. A substantially larger capacity;
2. The ability to sense the load and adjust water usage automatically;
3. The availability of steam wash.
The first two features are very nice. The last one is questionable, as I consider high temperature a killer to most fabric, but steam seems the new trend in washers.

I bought it from BestBuy. The installers rushed through the job and failed to apply Teflon tape when connecting the hose, leading to a leak that ruined the wall, the hard-wood floor and the basement ceiling tiles. I should have supervised the installation personally. Nowadays, it is unwise to assume professionalism in people one does not know well.

The follow-up with BestBuy's customer service has been hellish. The corporate consumer relation people are nice and polite, but every time they try to hand me off to the local installation department I get a total disconnect, literally, as in being hanged up on. So, after more than a dozen phone calls and several hours on the phone, resolution is still in the air.