Review: Frigidaire Heavy Duty Dryer (FDE546RET1)

A couple years ago, my wife and I purchased a washer and dryer set for our new home. While I've gone on record saying how much I loved our Frigidaire washing machine, I can't say the same about the Frigidaire Heavy Duty Dryer (Model FDE546RET1).

The best way to start out describing my feelings for the Frigidaire dryer is this. Prior to buying it, we spend $50 on a used dryer that had only one setting and looked like it would fall apart any second. I actually miss that dryer some days.

The Frigidaire dryer wasn't overly expensive and is well built; two things it has going for it. And, you have enough room inside to fit a lot of clothes or maybe a bed comforter; something I will say our other dryer didn't allow us to do. You also have the option to dry your clothes under a couple different temperatures and settings.

When running, the dryer is actually quiet; at least quiet compared to the washing machine. We've had it running before and completely forgot it was going until the buzzer sounded (half scaring us in the process). This is actually something we like about the dryer considering we don't have a basement and our laundry room isn't too far from the kitchen and living room.

I also can't complain much about the durability. We've had the dryer two years now and have had no major mechanical issues with it; something I'm happy about because the warranty has run out on it and I really can't afford a new one right now.

So, you're probably reading this and wondering "if it runs quietly and he's getting his money's worth out of it, why doesn't he like the Frigidaire dryer?" That's actually an easy answer. It doesn't do what it's supposed to do, dry clothes.

I will start out by saying I tend to avoid doing laundry until I don't have any clean clothes to wear. And, I don't separate my clothes and tend to wash large loads. But, I've found that, even if I try to dry a medium sized load or even a load that is more than a couple clothing items, the dryer just doesn't get them dry. I usually will have them in for about 70 minutes and then will have to put them in for another 20-30 minutes to get them completely dry.