Product review (5 stars): LG WT1201CW top-load-washer: very happy with it
I read alot of reviews (on Amazon and elsewhere) on many makes and models, which led me to buying this washer (LG WT1201CW). In reviews I read people's most frequent complaint about High Efficiency (HE) washers seems to be they don't add enough water to cover the clothes. I found this to be true, seeing about 1/4 to 1/5 the height of the clothes being left exposed when beginning the wash cycle in a 'normal' mode. It seems strange especially when coming from a traditional non-HE washer (my old one broke down) that fills the tub enough to leave the clothes swimming in it. So for this new HE washer, what could I do to get more water in the wash cycle if I wanted it? I learned of a few tricks from others and from reading the manual/guides:

1. The quick reference guide that comes with the washer says to hold the Extra Rinse button for 3 seconds and it will add more water. I'm not sure if this added more water up front (seemed like it didn't) in the wash cycle, but tapping the Extra Rinse button once or twice did add noticeably ore water in the Rinse cycle (it allows up to 2 increases).

2. Start the machine, let it fill with water in the wash cycle. Shut it off. Start it again and it is tricked into thinking there is a heavier load (the weight sensor is what gages how much water the machine adds).

3. Start the washer in 'bulk' mode, which is used for bulky stuff like blankets and pillows. In this mode a lot of water is added, like is done with a traditional (non-HE) washer. I did this with my usual clothes load and it was like I had my old washer back. This feature alone would make all those complaints about lack of water go away.

4. Get a bucket of water and add it in with your clothes before hitting the Start button. This is easy if you have a wash sink nearby or another tap. You can add just enough water to top the clothes but even this extra amount will still result in using much less water than what you'd have by running in 'bulk' mode. You'd be semi-HE I guess.

If you find the machine's standard water-fill adequate, then by all means leave it alone because that is where you get your savings. Maybe having more water is only a placebo for those transitioning from the old traditional water-generous units. Then again it might not be.

As far as operation goes, I really like how quiet it runs, and it runs smooth with very little vibration. When vibrating it feels damped, and this is probably due to the excellent suspension system this machine seems to have. When installing the machine it's best to make sure it is as level as possible. You can use the legs to adjust each corner. The basket should look centered. I used a level to check it and the bubbles were centered even with the basket visually slightly off center. So its good to eyeball the basket too and try to perfect the level. I found it worth the extra effort.

Another tip I was told is that in HE machines you use very little soap and fabric softener, like 1/3 of what is used for a load in traditional washers. I reduced my usage this way and the clothes came out clean and fresh.

Finally, it is very worthwhile to read the manual even though the machine can be used intuitively. The manual tells you how to optimize its performance for the various types of fabrics out there. Or, you can keep it simple and run it like your old washer by using 'bulk' mode for everything.

I gave this LG washer 5-stars because it works great and it shouldn't be penalized for annoying 'water efficiency' that is mandated by the US Government.