Samsung Top-Load Washer / Dryer Review – WA40J300AW

Dirty laundry is one of the unavoidable facts of modern life. Most American households average between 8 and 10 loads of laundry each week, making many households invest in a washer and dryer.

In response to this demand, many manufacturers of electronics offer a wide range of brands and designs. Sometimes it can be difficult to define the advantages and disadvantages associated with terms like high loading, preloading, high efficiency, and newly developed smart features.

Choosing to buy both a washer and dryer at the same time is often convenient for delivery and installation. Of course, carrying this significant initial investment often encourages other families to look for soft pricing and sales promotions.
Samsung offers a wide variety of washer and dryer combinations.

Many have attractive prices while also matching the need for high capacity and high efficiency.

High Performance and High Capacity Help Cope with Large Loads

The Samsung WA40J300AW top-loading washing machine pairs a few keys with its large 4.0 cubic foot features. At first glance it would be a good choice for a family with many children or a college kid who has a habit of showing up to family events with an empty stomach and loads of dirty clothes.

Samsung comes with 8 different wash cycles

The high efficiency unit comes with 8 different wash cycles to deal with different conditions and types of fabric. It includes four load capacity settings from the smallest to the largest, allowing you to choose the right amount of water.

The lid has a soft close feature and locks securely before engaging the round.

A Stainless Steel Drum Offers Many Benefits

The WA40 drum has several features worth comparing. It is made of stainless steel and does not have the old agitator in the middle. Instead, the drum wall uses a crosshatch diamond pattern designed to reduce physical stress on clothes and help prevent damage to sensitive fabrics.

Washing machines with heavy metal tubs that are glazed with clay are often prone to chipping, which creates rust spots inside the drum over time. This can lead to damaged fabrics, and slight discoloration. Washing machines with a plastic drum may be more vulnerable to abrasion caused by repeated contact with buttons, zippers, and fasteners. Over time the rough surface of the plastic drum can cause excessive wear to the fabrics.

Our Drum After a year of using it

The Samsung WA40 stainless steel drum not only reduces physical stress on the garment, it is also capable of a high speed spin cycle.

This helps to effectively remove excess water from the clothes making it easier to dry, which can be especially useful if you are distracted by other tasks while doing laundry.

The WA40 also includes a self-cleaning feature to remove trace bacteria and other substances before odors start to appear in the drum. The feature relies on a combination of immersion, and a burst of rotation to loosen any stray matter before the high-speed cycle removes it.

It means you can prevent and clean unwanted odors from the drum without using harsh chemicals.

How Does the Price Compare?

Appliance manufacturers and retailers often offer retail and promotional prices, which often include similar units. Therefore, it is always a good idea to shop around and watch for special event prices.

As a standalone the Samsung WA40 can be found for around $565. This is slightly higher than comparable models offered by Kenmore $530, and GE $540.

Is It Available In The Real World?

In my personal experience this washing machine does an excellent job of running its preset cycle. It can gently clean delicate garments and other special care fabrics including items such as lightweight nylon sleeping bags. At the same time a heavy wash cycle is really able to handle important dirt and trapped debris.

One persistent problem we encountered: Unbalanced load safety feature.

The capacity of the 4.0 cubic meter food drum may tempt you to overload it.

In my experience, very large loads and small, highly absorbent ones like microfiber blankets can sometimes become so saturated with water weight that the bulk causes an uneven load feel. If this happens the machine stops automatically in the middle of the spin cycle and gives off an alarm.

At that point you will need to take out some of the soaking wet clothes or remove the heavy clothes by hand before restarting the machine and setting up a new spin cycle.

If you sometimes forget a thing or two at the last second, the door lock feature can be a nuisance. However, it is a safety feature that can be especially important if you have small children at home.

RESULTS

• Large capacity
• Stainless steel drum to reduce wear of clothes
• Self cleaning system

CONS

• Heavy loads can trip the unbalanced load sensor

Samsung Electric Dryer DV40J3000EW

Matching Laundry Room Dryer

The Samsung DV3000 tumble dryer is a perfect match for the WA40 washing machine and was designed to have a similar look. The 7.2 cubic foot capacity allows you to dry large loads of clothes and can hold anything the WA40 can’t handle.

The dryer is also designed with an easily reversible door that allows you to position it according to the characteristics of your laundry room. The lint filter light also helps remind you to clean the trap after the dryer is loaded.

The DV3000 includes four different heat settings to deal with special fabrics that may need to be dried at low or very low heat. Depending on your preference you can choose to use the integrated dry humidity sensor, or you can choose to use the timer and adjustable temperature features.

The Internal Drum of Our Samsung Test Unit

Wrinkle Removal Lives Up To Its Name

The anti-wrinkle feature is designed to dry clothes without heat to help soften the fabric for easy folding. It can be especially useful if you need to get a wrinkle out of a garment, or a fitted sheet that has become wrinkled and wrinkled.

Large Loads May Confuse the Moisture Sensor

In my personal experience this dryer has very few drawbacks. However, if you are drying very large loads or wet blankets the humidity sensor sometimes ends the cycle before everything is 100% dry.

DV40J3000 control panel

An easy way to deal with this is to change the timer settings to alternate 20 minute bursts of medium or high heat. When I try to look at the glass as a whole piece, this little foible gives me the opportunity to add a new dryer sheet to the smelly laundry.

How Does the Price Compare?

Sold alone the DV3000 can be had for around $600. This is higher than the comparable Kenmore model at $476, yet significantly less than the GE version that sells for $699.

RESULTS

• Large capacity
• Quick Drying
• Effective Wrinkle Removal

CONS

• The humidity sensor is not always accurate

Another small thing to note about both the WA40 washing machine and the DV3000 dryer is the programmed music section. After completing the cycle both will play a very long song. Although not technically challenging, it seems odd that my electronics would celebrate a triumphant victory over the evils of dirty laundry with such fervor!

Internal Capacity is Great, but Unit Can Throw Errors When Charging

In conclusion

Samsung has tried to offer the best of both worlds with these machines: extra large capacity and multiple cycles and loading options. We found that the units delivered everything they promised. Yes, the tub is big – but if you really fill it up you might find yourself fishing for a wet comforter due to an unbalanced load sensor.

It’s not a good time.

This unit, as a pair, will run around $1,200. At that price point, we’d like to see the tub be able to handle a load size that matches the larger drum size. The warranty on Samsung units is open to 2 years, but we know from experience that service can be spotty.

Our Decision: PASS

September 10, 2018Eric Beuning