Staber System 2000 Washer

We unpacked the washer, and actually read the directions. The directions were well and clearly written. Basically, to set up the washer we:

• Make sure that all the packing material was removed from the washer.
• Level the washer (requires a small level and a wrench).
• Connecting the hot water, cold water, and discharge hoses.
• Connecting the power.

The whole process of setting up the machine took less than half an hour.

Time for the first load

The Staber washer is a top load washer. When you open the top of the washer you see a stainless steel drum with two spring loaded doors which you open to load the laundry--a unique design. We put in a very heavy load of laundry and following directions just put in one ounce of detergent--it is truly amazing how little detergent the machine uses. The control panel was well thought out and organized so after a few seconds fiddling with knobs I switched the machine on. After about 45 minutes of agitating, rinsing, and a very fast spin cycle the washer quietly stopped.

So how did it do? Wow! It is amazing with the small amount of detergent and water how clean the clothes were and how soft the clothes felt. We had put in a number of articles of clothing that had been washed in another washer to see how the Staber washer would work. The clothes came out significantly cleaner. An additional benefit is that the fast spin cycle had dried the clothes and they took about half the time to dry.

Staber Washer Features

Staber estimates that its washer can save up to 11,000 gallons of water, 800 kwH of electricity and 10 gallons of detergent a year compared to the average agitator washer. This is particularly important to us in Austin, Texas since we are constantly short of water and electricity. The low use of resources should make the Staber washer ideal for the solar market. The company is catering to this market by warranteeing washers used with solar power. On its web site (www.staber.com), Staber provides payback period charts to let you evaluate the amount of time it will take to payback the additional cost of the washer.

Since the company does not have a large dealer network yet, it relies on repair and maintenance from the factory. To make this easy the company has eliminated the transmission by replacing it with a variable speed reversible motor. The transmission is one of the most vulnerable parts and also one of the most difficult to repair. Repairing most of the components seems to be easy since they are very accesible by removing the front panel of the washer. Look for more information on the repair frequency and ease in our long term product test results. Other features that we believe should lead to a longer life are a stainless steel tub supported on two bearings, a heavy duty suspension system ,and a high quality German motor.

Staber's Patented Tub

One of the most unique features of the washer is the patented tub. The the Staber washer uses a patented eight-sided outer tub with a six-sided inner tub that tumbles the laundry down repeatedly into a bottom pool of water. The company claims that this design increases the amount of turbulence in the tub and results in much cleaner clothes.

Recommendation

In our initial review the Staber washer the system seems to do what the company claims. We would recommend that you consider the Staber washer strongly if you live in an area with high energy or water costs and are comfortable performing basic maintenance on the washer by yourself. The Staber washer is one of the few choices that you have if you are planning on using solar energy in powering your home.

For more information contact Staber industries at: