Whirlpool Electric Dryer

While visiting our daughter for almost two weeks, I was able to give her appliances a good testing, enough that I feel comfortable reviewing them.  This review is on her Whirlpool WED5300S Electric Dryer.

Product Description

This electric dryer looks like a standard size, but is actually a "super capacity" model.  It has a large, wide front door that swings from left to right, the lint screen is on the top of the machine, toward the back on the right edge. 

The rotary controls are on the left, and the power button is on the right, which consists of a soft rubberized, gray colored button that is easy to push in. 

Whirlpool makes this model with an "automatic dry control", although I am not certain what that means, since it supposedly does not have an electronic drying sensor.  There are five cycles, 3 temperature settings with timer, and a fluff air cycle.

The drum is made of steel, with a white powder finish.  This dryer comes with a one year manufacturer warranty.

Specifications

43" high, 29" wide, almost 28" deep, it weighs 170 pounds, and has a 6.5 cubic foot capacity.  It has 1/3 horsepower.

Performance

This is a basic, no frills electric dryer.  It's great for a single or young family just starting out, or for anyone who has a limited budget.  We washed and dried several loads of clothes during our visit, and although this is a less expensive model, it worked fine each and every time we used it.

The wide door is great, as this dryer will hold a lot of clothing.  I didn't wash any blankets or bedspreads, but I have no doubt they would fit into this model.

A visit to an online appliance store told me a bit more about this model, and since I don't have the manual in front of me, I need to rely on this information to give a thorough review.  This site says that the Whirlpool WED5300S has no: wrinkle guard cycle, delicate cycle, dry racks, damp cycle, electronic sensor drying, energy saver, extended tumbling cycle, extra dry cycle, permanent press cycle, and no interior light.

It does have a low heat/fluff cycle, and the high heat cycles can be automatic dry or timed dry.  Contrary to what I found online, this model (and I verified the model number) does have a cool down cycle.

I washed and dried two sets of towels and bed sheets in this dryer, and they fit easily with room to spare.  I also dried a majority of our clothing that we took on vacation so I didn't have to do it when we got home.  Among those items were cotton, nylon, polyester, and a silk blend shirt. 

All of our clothes came out wrinkle free, and I used the low heat feature to dry the silk blend shirt.  I was a little worried about this, because the fabric care label on the shirt said dry clean only.  It was only 45% silk, and the rest was cotton and polyester, so I figured I was safe, and I was correct.  It came out of the dryer in perfect condition.

One feature that I have never liked about some dryers is the top mount placement of the lint screen on the top of the dryer.  As you pull this out, it leaves lint all over the top of the machine, which then needs to be cleaned off before I can use the top of the dryer for folding clothes.  This is a very popular style in dryers, but I prefer the lint screen on my model which you get to by opening the door.

Noise wise, this isn't really a quiet or overly loud model, but the buzzer is loud enough that I heard it from the other room when it went off.  While many dryers have numerous dials and controls, this one only has two.  The cycle selection on the left and the on/off button on the right.  Even though they make digital push button machines these days, I still prefer the knob controls as I feel they are more reliable and less expensive to fix if something goes wrong.

If you are looking for a basic electric dryer that will dry your clothes quickly, and one that gives you the ability to dry large loads at once, this might be the model for you.  It is definitely value priced, our daughter paid around $700 for the washer and dryer as a unit.  This seems like a very good basic dryer.