Product review (3 stars): While not ideal, works reasonalbly well.
I regularly use regular detergent in my Centennial Top Loader Washer, no problem.  The totally automatic nature of the machine goes against my hands-on nature, but I can live with that (especially since it uses less water).  I find the absence of an agitator a big plus for washing comforters in particular.  I do doubt that it can clean clothes when it is overloaded the way my kids sometimes stuff it.

I see there are many who complain about sopping wet clothes, and I find this is usually the result of washing items that have very different water retention properties together (e.g. sheets with towels).  When this happens, I find that re-arranging the items so that the weight is evenly distributed and using the drain and spin option will finish wringing out the water.  I listen after re-starting to judge if it is still not balanced enough.  If I hear that the drum is still wobbling too much (hitting the side), I stop and re-arrange again before the machine has committed to a low speed spin.

The biggest problem I have is what happens when there is an interruption in power.  The machine stops and will not restart with pushing the start button.  If the button is held in to clear the cycle, it clears.  The lid however remains locked.  In the past I have unplugged the machine for some days, and it clears the lid lock.  With the last brief black-out, I have unplugged it for 2 days, and it is still locked.  I finally found the obscure manual reference on restarting with rinse and spin after an interruption in power - too late.

I do not know if that will work, but I do know that canceling the cycle after a power interruption seemingly sends the programming into a dead-end loop with the lid locked.  I have searched the web and can not find a way to reset it.  I tried Maytag; customer service is useless.

UPDATE: I managed to get it out of lid locked and will share what I did.  First let me explain that I haven't had the opportunity to see if this will work repeatedly, or if it could easily damage the machine - just what worked for me.  I unplug the power and removed the top portion containing the controls (only a putty knife is needed at the corners to depress the clips - check elsewhere for video etc).  With the front of the control panel resting on top of the machine, I removed the 4 wire plug which is in the right corner nearest the front of the machine (to the lid lock module).  Next I plugged the power back in and returned the 4 wire plug but in such a way that the right-side contacts join first before the left-most contacts met.  The red light flashed once as the plug was fully inserted and the solenoid clicked.  Everything was back to normal.

Regarding comments about washing cycles taking a really long time and possibly the inability to clean well:  I found when either the hot or cold supply is off or down to a very low flow that the machine will take forever as it tries to adjust the temperature of the wash water.  Another user-friendly feature that makes things very un-friendly to people like myself.