I never had a problem with my agitator washer for the 33 years that I had it. Then I got a front loader. What a twisted mess. I found that if I just throw the item in, it gets twisted up. If I hold out one hand and lower the item into that hand, it will land sort of accordion pleated. Put the item carefully into the machine and things don't twist up nearly as badly. In the winter, all the long underwear and long sleeved turtle-neck T shirts used to be a mess. Now it is not so bad. I try to toss things into the machine in a "ball". With a few yards of fabric, I'm sure even that won't work. It needs to be pinned together or put into something.