Product review (1 stars): Why do they even call it a washer?
I initially left a comment on the review of this product entitled "Bloodlust 101" because I did not think I could sum up my negative feelings about this machine any better than that reviewer managed to do, albeit in one of the funniest reviews I've ever come across on this site. A thorough read of that review is EXACTLY what it is like to own this machine. I do, however, have a few notes of my own to add:

1) I called Whirlpool's customer service to inquire why I was finding numerous dry spots in every Normal load after the spin cycle. (Naturally, this phenomenon began happening just after the warranty expired.) At first, I was told that the spin cycle was so efficient that items may actually appear to be dry. But, if that were the case, why would there be big areas that were completely dry while the rest was still quite damp? Plus, the loads did not smell clean. Upon pressing the issue further, I was told that the only solution was to wash every load on the Bulky cycle. The Bulky cycle apparently fools the machine into thinking that a lightweight, but voluminous blanket might be in there and so more water is pumped in to achieve a higher water level, presumably ensuring that the whole thing gets washed. The Bulky cycle works most of the time, but also blows the high efficiency claim to shreds.

If feebly washing clothes wasn't enough, there's number two to contend with:

2) The instructions say that the recommended way to add fabric softener is by using a Downy ball and turning the Fabric Softener knob to "Yes." However, doing those things does not work. Repeat - following the instructions in the manual does not work. If you use the ball, it will worm its way into some pant leg or sleeve where it will get trapped and have no choice but to release its contents in that immediate area. If you are lucky, half of the softener will still be in the ball. But no matter how gingerly you try to extract the ball from the item in which it is wound up, you will not be able to get it out without spilling even more. Not that it matters - the whole load will have to go through an additional Rinse and Spin cycle just to get the fabric softener out. No marks for high efficiency here either.

My old washer - a regular old, non-high efficiency one - used less water and cleaned clothes better in far less time than this washer could ever hope to. I miss that old thing.