Big capacity and quiet operation can't save a washer that dies young. The WA50 handles heavy loads well and runs whisper-quiet when it works, but control boards fail within three years with alarming regularity: the machine clicks but won't power on, sometimes for hours, sometimes permanently, and door locks quit without warning or error codes. Appliance techs call the internal parts flimsy, and a $400 main board replacement is a real risk on a machine that should last a decade. If you need 5+ cubic feet, spend the same money on an LG or basic Speed Queen that'll outlast this by years.
Whirlpool built its reputation on Duet washers that quietly ran for a decade, but that goodwill doesn't transfer to current models sharing this platform. The WFW6605 sits in the same parts ecosystem where 2023+ machines are failing identically: control boards die within 2-4 years, leaving drain pumps running nonstop even when the unit is off, and replacement boards sometimes arrive defective from the factory. That's not scattered misfortune, it's a documented pattern across multiple independent owners. If you need a front-loader now, the LG WM4000 or Speed Queen FF7 cost similar money without gambling on a $300 mid-warranty repair.