Product review (5 stars): Front loader pumps!!!
Ok, I've got a kenmore elite front loading washer.  I bought it at Sears which I'll never do again.  Overall, I love the washer.  However, when I first bought it I was a bachelor.  I had no idea what "HE detergent" was and I used regular washing detergent and within a couple years I fried my first pump.  Sears told me that even though I had bought a service contract they would not honor it because I had used non HE detergent even though no where in the instructions did it say that I had to.  They were going to charge me $300 to replace the pump.  I bought my first replacement (for $40ish with postage) and put it in myself in about 20 minutes.  From that day on I used nothing but HE detergent and a few years later the pump went again.  When I went to buy a new pump I was told that they had a replacement pump.  Considering that i had fried two I thought that made sense.  The new model had a different plug and I cut off the old one and wired on the new one according to instructions provided.  This is very important because when I went to install this pump it had the old plug and I couldn't install it.  Why the 5 stars?  I don't think my issues were the fault of the pumps.  My review is mainly just a warning, make sure of all the electronics and fittings before you purchase or hire a plumber.  I hope if you buy it that it works out for you and thanks for taking the time to read my review.