Fisher & Paykel WL-58G1
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With a heavy heart, I passed on my still working ASKO front loader and dryer combo because I found it more and more difficult to bend down to a front loader with my sore back and being in my 80s. I realized that it might be impossible to find a top loader that would give me the same pristine, quiet and wrinkle free washing this Asko has delivered… Read more
for the past 15 years. So, I spent much time researching for a replacement. I chose the F&K because the overall consensus was still fair and service people considered it a reliable brand. The biggest plus was that the controls were simple and at the back and easy to read. It would probably see me out and since I was only washing for 2 elderly people who did not have really dirty clothes it seemed a more economic solution. The Good Guys had a good offer and the installation was excellent and very helpful young men. The 9Kg model looks nice and does not take up much space. It has been 4 weeks and during this time I have tested the various options to see what this machine was capable of. I quickly learned that the Automatic option does not provide good results unless you change the water level, temperature and spin speed that are set with that option. As several people have pointed out, the Automatic option sets the water level for each part of the cycle. i.e. for Washing it barely covers the clothes but for Rinsing it is higher to almost 1/4 of the drum. Unfortunately, this has the effect of leaving soap scum on top of the clothes as the water drains down. Rinsing does not remove it. Also, the water temperature at the Warm setting is far too high at nearly 55 Deg. To sum up, whatever option you use, it seems to work better if you set your own water levels and temperature as well as spin speeds. So far, with a modest load at Easy Care setting, I am getting better results when I select these settings. Warm/Cold, Medium water levels and low spin speed. I also use the Rinse+ function to get an extra rinse. Mind you, clothes are still wrinkled so don't leave anything sitting in it for too long if it is drip dry It will never replace my Asko (or a Miele) but it is easy on my back and will do an 'adequate' job once I have tamed it.
just over a year old and now sounds like a bucket of nuts and bolts. Bought a Fisher and Paykel as I believed they were a quality brand. Built to last the 12 month warranty apparantly @ 3 loads a week that works out at $4 a load. about the same as a trip to the lauderette! Show details
Have had fisher and Paykel washing machines for decades without issue. Series 5 won’t power on after 3 loads. Very disappointing Show details
This is the worst washing machine we have ever owned, having owned 5 over 55 years. It does notw ash properly. Itw as a warranty replacement for a 8.5kg Model wA8560 machine with an agitator which failed within teh waranty period. The replacemnet machine was supposed to be equivalent but was smaller as the equivalent size is no longer availanle… Read more
and it did not ahve an agitaor. Clothes are tanggled and have lint and dirt caught in the fabric. The automatic settings while may help teh star rating does not supply adequate water to wash cloths properly.
The response from Fisher & Paykel was under whelming and did not address our view of the poor performace. This view was forwarded to Fisher & Paykel which sent servcie,em who verified the poor performace but advised there was no solution.
In summary we cannot recommend this machine.
Terrible machine. On auto water-level it fills up about 10cms of water and scrapes your clothes over the barrel-bottom, scraping whole prints off the front of t-shirts. The wash twists everything together so you have to fight to free one item at a time. The spin is so slow you have to respin them at least twice so they're not dripping wet. An… Read more
'eco-friendly' spin speed obviously but causing a lot more work. There is no dial pre-set for a simple cold, high or medium water-level, 'fast' spin wash. The water-level button must be pressed repeatedly 7 or 8 times for high water then another button 7 or 8 times again for the temperature. Then a few more times for the allegedly 'fast' spin. Then reset again on 'spin' and buttons for another 'fast' spin. The lid is a very heavy glass which makes it quieter but more difficult to open. Another thing is the smell. Nothing comes out smelling clean or like your washing powder, it all just smells vaguely of a metalshop/ironworks, and thats after 7 mths. I really wish I hadn't let them take my old machine when they delivered it.
I was always satisfied with F & P products but this is the worst I have ever owned. Everything comes out so twisted and wrinkled, even sheets have to be ironed! Also the scum is so bad sometimes I have to rinse by hand and then drip dry. The cycles are too long and there is no cycle for Towels. Worst ever washing machine. Show details
I bought this machine after my Kleenmaid of 32 years died. I thought the 8kg model would be big enough because it doesn't have an agitator. It is barely big enough to do a load of Queen flannelette sheets. The wash cycles are all unnecessarily long and the automatic water level is too low and cannot possible move the washing easily and… Read more
efficiently. I have had to always use the High water level, and sometimes a particular cycle will not let me do that. The locking lid is not necessary and is inconvenient. I am sorry that I didn't get another Kleenmaid with simpler operation and shorter wash cycles. I cannot recommend this type of machine. I would like to see manufacturers bring back simpler washing machines without the many unnecessary wash cycles.
After being a big F&P fan for decades I'm stunned at how poor this machine is. Takes ages, doesn't spin water out anywhere near as well as my little old F&P, and worst; items left with scum on them. Only visible on the dark things, but it's surely there on all items, and it doesn't matter what washing liquid/sheets/powder/pods I use. Deeply disappointed. Might as well not wash.
Bought this machine about 12 months ago as I have never had any problems with F&P before BUT.... this machine leaves scum on dark clothes, owing to the pillow agitator all clothes are very wrinkled and it doesn't allow you to vary the settings once the machine has started. The cycle times are very long even with a small load. Will not be buying this machine again. See the other reviews before purchasing. Show details
After doing about 6 loads with this machine I feel it is decent, but perhaps not great or amazing. I'm not sure if I would recommend it per se, but it's not bad either. It gets the job done, but not particularly well, or badly either. The machine is not really designed by Fisher & Paykel I don't think. I think it's a Haier rebadged by Fisher &… Read more
Paykel. I have looked at both machines and the internals appear visually identical. I guess this is not really a problem as long as the machine is of good quality and lasts a minimum of 10 years. But it's somehow disappointing to know you have a cloned product. I don't feel like I have anything of superior quality, but time will tell. Maybe F&P did some extra localisation mods or ticked some more boxes in the feature set, like the UV sanitise option which isn't present on the equivalent Haier. The self leveling rear feet may be another F&P-specific addition, not sure.
The design philosophy of everything nowdays is to give you the worst quality possible in order to save the planet. It's no longer a game of who's got the best performance, it's more like a game of who can use the least water and electricity to get those ESG scores up or however it works these days. Obviously less water and less electricity is inversely proportional to wash quality, and that's where the problem is. To get around this reversed logic, forget about the factory defaults, forget about the Auto water level setting, forget about the Eco setting. Treat Medium water level as the new Low, Medium-High as the new Medium, and High as High. Anything below Medium should be considered "Extra Low" and only for doing up to maybe 3 items of clothing like 3 t-shirts, but nothing thick and dense like a fleece jacket. [edit: update 11/9/25, it may be prudent to always use the High water level setting as all water levels may be getting scaled by weight. I am still trying to figure this out as I just now started a load of socks and undies at Medium-High, and the water coverage was a bit insufficient. However upon restarting the cycle on High, the water level is now a tad excessive. Still preferable to Medium-High though (better to have too much than not enough water) so I may just default to High always from now on. The only explanation I can think of is that maybe there is some mathematical rounding going on with the weight sensor and I happened to be slightly under the threshold needed to push it up to the next water level]
The Delicate cycle should be avoided imo as it seems the agitator doesn't seem to do anything in this cycle. I paused during the wash cycle, opened the lid, took a photo, let it agitate a dozen times more, took another photo. The single garment - a fleece jacket - had not moved, with the exact same large areas of the garment floating above the water.
But what about the standard "Mixed" cycle? It seems okay, but doesn't rinse enough - it only has one rinse by default, so you have to add "rinse+" in the wash options to add that much needed second rinse which older machines do by default. I'm also adding "wash+" which extends the wash component of the cycle a bit more, plus the "UV sanitise" option to try and make sure I'm not going to end up with smelly clothes in the long run. Thankfully there is an option to save new default settings, otherwise I'd have to go through the rigmarole of setting all these options at every wash. The result of my optimised settings seems ok in terms of cleaning performance. I'm using "Earthwise Orange & Eucalyptus" liquid for mixed colours, and "Lovables Care & Renew" liquid for darks.
Lint is a bit of a problem with this machine. The 2 lint filters collect a decent amount of lint after each wash, but at the same time a fair amount is left on the clothes too. The manual says using fabric softener can prevent lint from sticking to clothes, but then it also says this will increase scrud buildup and you need to do more periodical drum clean cycles. Plus the fact that it costs extra per wash, I don't really want to start using fabric softener to try and reduce lint. So unless the clothes are going through the tumble dryer afterwards (which removes lint) I need to use a lint brush to get lint buildup out of creases in clothing, mostly noticeable on the insides of dark clothing. My previous 20 year old top loader kind of had a similar problem as well, but perhaps less severe.
The machine likes to keep randomly adding small amounts of water at inexplicable times. I don't know why it keeps doing this, maybe it's trying to get the temperature perfect (I wash in warm water only). Every time it adds a little bit of water this makes my pipes crash, so I had to get these Hydroseal Anti-Hammer valves for the laundry taps. Thankfully this has done the job and no more crashing. But gosh was it an ordeal getting those old taps off - I punched myself in the lip with the spanner twice.
At the end of the wash there is quite a bit of splashed water on the inside of the lid and around the walls surrounding the drum. I'm not sure if this could be a mould issue in future but I leave the lid up when not in use to let it dry out. But then the machine looks kind of ugly with the lid up. It looks pretty decent with the lid down imo.
At the end of the wash, the spray nozzle that lets water into the drum seems to have some stored up pressure inside it, as one time when not in use it just let out a long dribble of water into the empty drum, around 100ml of water. I will have to keep an eye on that if it happens again and put a little tub in there to catch it. To see what I mean, get a little hand mirror to see the nozzle and run your fingers over the nozzle tips, which on mine triggers it to dribble. I guess there is water tension or something holding the water in the nozzle. I turn my mains taps off at the end of the cycle to extend the life of the hoses - maybe that's what's causing it? Maybe it needs the mains pressure to stop the internals from depressurising?
So are any of these issues a deal-breaker for me? Not really. At the end of the day I have a machine that does the job. But at the same time I wish I had got something different like maybe the LG. Especially with a clear lid so I can see whether it's washing properly. This machine doesn't want you to see what's going on during the wash, it locks you out and "trust me bro, I'm washing your clothes". And you can't leave the lid open for more than 3 minutes otherwise it starts draining the tub for safety reasons. The notification beeps at the end of the cycle are so quiet, like the alarm on a Casio wristwatch. There is an option to add more beeps, but I don't want MORE, I want LOUDER so it is audible. A minor quibble though.
Can I say anything positive about this machine? It looks good (with the lid down). It doesn't make too much noise. It doesn't go out of balance (edit: see partial retraction below). It gets the job done.
I guess I'm not too bothered cause I got a decent price on it - $770. If I had paid full RRP $1200 I might not be so forgiving. Three stars from me.
6 month update (2/2/26)
Just had my first out of balance failure during the spin cycle. I was washing 2 cotton sheets and 1 thin cotton blanket on the sheets cycle with water level high and spin speed set to fast. The issue occured when it was spinning slowly during the initial spin phase (right at the end of the drain, it kind of drains and spins slowly, so not full RPM spinning yet). I heard it from the other room, sounded like a cacophany of smashing metal, like someone was trying to break into my garden shed. The machine had walked its way diagonally across the floor and automatically stopped spinning, but no error codes on the screen. According to the manual it tries x amount of times to rebalance itself (x is configurable, I think the default is 1 or 2). I pressed pause, repositioned the sheets (which were definitely NOT distributed unevely, so I'm not sure why it's having this balance issue...maybe the weight of one of the cotton sheets is heavier than the other two?). Then I tipped the machine forward to unclick and reset the rear self levelling feet (the manual says to do this during installation) then started again and supervised it. After a couple of minutes it started going out of balance again, so I held it down with my arms and it recovered. I then supervised it for the remaining 20 minutes and it got through to the end. Not sure what to make of this. Kind of concerned as I'll need to supervise it from now on.
Update 1/3/26 - reducing score from 3 stars to 2
It appears this machine is not capable of doing heavy items such as sheets/blankets, for instance the Ikea INDIRA cotton blankets. I have tried doing these sheets individually or as a group, and it makes no difference, the machine goes violently out of balance at the end of each rinse cycle when it is spinning the drum slowly while pumping water out. It's something about this slow RPM spin which happens during rinse that must be creating some kind of beat frequency. If I could slightly raise or lower the RPM during this part of the rinse cycle I reckon that would probably get it out of that beat frequency and solve the issue. Again: the full RPM during the spin cycle is completely fine, so it's not a speed issue, it's a beat frequency issue.
The machine is definitely level as I've used a bubble meter to confirm this and have reset the rear feet multiple times by tipping the machine forwards until hearing the click, then setting it back down.
The drum appears visually centered inside the machine, although there is some discrepancy of around 5mm depending on which side I release the drum from.
I've not had this issue occur when washing clothing items, it's only an issue with heavier sheets/blankets. Although I did a load of towels once and the machine kicked a little bit during that same part of the rinse cycle, so maybe towels are right on the threshold of what this machine can do?
In any case I could not recommend this machine if it can't do sheets, so I'm reducing it from 3 to 2 stars.
Extremely disappointed with the service experience. The technician sent to inspect my appliance did not even turn the machine on, yet concluded the issue was not manufacturing-related — despite the product still being under warranty. Even more concerning, the technician casually remarked that “Haier appliances are known to break down,” which… Read more
raises serious concerns about the quality of the product and the integrity of the service process.
I requested a proper inspection, but instead received a repair quote based on an untested diagnosis. This is unacceptable and reflects poorly on both the service provider and the brand. I’ve escalated the issue, but so far the response has been slow and unsatisfactory.
Customers deserve better — proper diagnostics, respectful service, and accountability under warranty.
Bought an 8kg about 5 months ago and still amaze to how it really easy to manage using this kind unlike to my old one. Its less noise too.
My previous F&P top loader finally died after giving me 25 years. I purchased another F&P. Be aware that you need to run the Quick cycle AND the Hygiene cycle before you can wash any clothes in the machine. I get grey lint marks on my clothes, I've tried reducing the amount of detergent, which is for top and front loaders and washing with warm… Read more
water. I've noticed the 'Auto water level' doesn't cover the clothes and have now started selecting the water level, which has helped with the lint marks. Certainly not as good as my previous F&P but it is quieter and it's good to know how much time you've got left on a load, and there's no agitator. Be ware that although it says 8kg, different wash cycles take considerably less eg. the Delicate cycle only takes 3kg. I'm sure I won't be getting 25 years from this one!
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WORST MACHINE EVER....It has a glass lid but you cannot see through it. The auto water level function never adds enough water, doesn’t go anywhere near to covering clothes, so that function is useless and you have to select manually every time Does not revert to most used functions, therefore, you have to go through pushing all the buttons every… Read more
time before you wash Default is warm water, again more pushing of buttons to get cold You cannot adjust water levels on pause, you literally have to turn the machine off and start again The soak function does not soak but continues washing (for 2 hours) and because of the drain function you can never soak in this machine The machine will randomly drain after about 2-3 minutes of being left unattended and in pause F&P will never respond to any correspondence attempting to address your concerns. Star rating should be in the minus
Despite trying various top tier detergents (liquid and powder across multiple brands) with differing quantities, and cycle settings, my dark-colored clothes are consistently coming out with white streaks and stains, as shown in the attached photos. Black and navy clothing emerge dirtier than when they went in. Clothing is left feeling rough,… Read more
stiff, and stretched to the point of almost tearing.
Fabric on clothes is ripping. Even high-quality socks that previously lasted over a year have been ruined in just three weeks by this machine.
Furthermore, I am now seeing clothes visibly tearing after wash cycles. I have always used the standard mixed cycle and avoided items that might damage clothing, and these garments previously never required laundry bags. Other washer brands I used never had these issues.
This consistent pattern of damage, combined with the poor wash quality, is unacceptable.
Leaves clothes/sheets with scum in creases, doesn't spin much moisture out. Usually requires 2 or even 3 cycles to get items clean. Show details
Regret buying this machine – While this machine washes light coloured clothes ok, it cannot wash dark loads. It leaves white marks all over anything dark. I've tried all the recommendations from Fisher & Paykel about only using a small amount of detergent, small loads, extra rinse, etc, but it makes no difference. Never had this issue with any other washing machine. Show details
Top Loader Washing Machine, 9kg, UV Sanitise – We are very happy with this washing machine. For our family of four, we use it almost every day and it has been very convenient and reliable. The capacity is good and it handles large loads easily. Previously we had an LG washing machine and we were not satisfied with it, but this one has been much easier and better for our needs. So far it has been a great choice for our household. Show details
Essential (apparently secret ) facts for happy use of F&P washer – Fisher & Paykel is a New Zealand appliance manufacturing company owned by Haier – a Chinese whitegoods manufacturer - purchased by Haier in 2012. First off I reckon now I should have bought the LG recommended by Choice – But I would wait to see the complaints – especially about the LG getting out of balance – And LOTS of others on "Product… Read more
Review"The installers just put the F&P on the floor connected power and water left thair mobile number switched it onto wash and left – No setting it up for balance and the machine has never got out of balance even after about 10 really large loads (As it took 10 weeks to get one and the old F&P was broken down) -But if you ,like me , bought the F&P read on
Haier must have saved all of 10 cents putting all machines in the one instruction book – It is, in itself, a confusing booklet
BUT worst of all it leaves out vital information such as :-
Do not put washing pods in the detergent tray – put them in the bottom of the machine at back
The lint retainers are reportedly self cleaning
MOST frustrating is the omission of the instruction that the centre of the bottom agitator must be visible before washing is started – I dump all our washing in & then scruffle through the centre of the pile pushing clothes to the side until just the centre of the agitator is visible – It's easy
Believe me if you don”t you will get a hell of a tangled load (read all the complaints) – If you do it is great no tangles at all
For people who want a “Nil complications” life (I don't that's how I found all this in the internet – It ain't easy to find) Just set the left hand round dial to the description of the wash you want and press start – The lights on the right change to reflect what will happen if you just press start now – Alternatively they give you the option of changing one or more of the actions
If you want to put more in press the “pause” button – lift lid and put extra in and then press start
I had the old F&P – It worked no problems for over 11 years – Is the new F&P better? - YES miles better- But I reckon if I had my time over I would buy the choice recommended LG
While I have a Sydney Uni law degree and had lectured re consumer law for many years – I still opted for the extra 3 years warranty – My experience with Appliances On Line (where I buy nearly all my appliances because they deliver free and take away the old appliance ) is that claiming under the exrtra warranty results in almost next day repair – No hassle no wait – At age 84 it's worth it to me
However If you are between 25 and 35 I recommend claiming in the small claims court at least once to be aware of your rights
Great machine, couldn’t be happier so far – After 17 years of great service our F&P washing machine finally surrendered to the ravages of time. Ok, what to buy, top loader, front loader hmmm. Previous model was a top loader with agitator, F&P like many others have done away with the agitator, problem, well I was about to find out. So I called around Perth and checked pricing and… Read more
availability. Harvey normal had stock and were prepared to price match, all good. Ordered Monday, delivered next day. Build quality is impressive, even though they’re built in China now, not NZ. They were acquired by Haier about a decade ago. Immediately did a wash and was really impressed how easy it was to get the right wash cycle. Very quiet and virtually no vibration when spinning. Fast RPM is only 750 not 1100 as the older model, some people may not like this, it doesn’t bother me. In summary, 17 years has seen a huge leap in technology and this machine is proof of that. It also uses UV to sanitise your clothes, not really sure how effective this is, but hey, why not. Only time will tell how well this machine is actually built, fingers crossed.
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Further to my original criticism it has not improved with having to wash two towels at a time to… Read more