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12-04-2007, 11:30 AM
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#1
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 607
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Front loading washer
Our top-loading washer has been leaving clothes still wet after the wash cycle. It's a 8 year old bottom-of-the-line Maytag. Since we recently had a baby, the amount of laundry we need to do has gone up astronomically. So, instead of fixing the washer (or just dealing with), I'm thinking we should upgrade to a front-loader for all of its benefits. Our dryer is working fine and we have no great desire to make sure they match.
Now, there seem to be bunch of very expensive $1000+ front loaders. There's a Kenmore for about $600 that looks like a good value.
Any recommendations for cheaper front loaders?
Thanks.
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12-04-2007, 11:33 AM
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#2
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: minnesota
Posts: 13,228
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We have an LG and I love it.
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No more lawyer stuff, no more political stuff, so no more CYA
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12-04-2007, 11:43 AM
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#3
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Independence
Posts: 7,298
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WanderALot
Our top-loading washer has been leaving clothes still wet after the wash cycle. It's a 8 year old bottom-of-the-line Maytag. Since we recently had a baby, the amount of laundry we need to do has gone up astronomically. So, instead of fixing the washer (or just dealing with), I'm thinking we should upgrade to a front-loader for all of its benefits. Our dryer is working fine and we have no great desire to make sure they match.
Now, there seem to be bunch of very expensive $1000+ front loaders. There's a Kenmore for about $600 that looks like a good value.
Any recommendations for cheaper front loaders?
Thanks.
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we had a great Asko and have an ok cheapy Danby. Works fine for the 2 of us, but if you're doing mega loads you are liable to be washing 'round the clock. Check cycle times vs. your topload, which will hold a much larger load.
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12-04-2007, 12:25 PM
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#4
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Dryer sheet aficionado
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 36
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I just bought a new LG front loading washer and dryer and love them both. I've used a top loading washer in the past. I don't really see much of difference in performance, except the front loading is easier to unload and load.
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12-04-2007, 12:35 PM
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#5
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 582
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We bought a Kenmore front loader about 6 years ago, and I absolutely loved it. Compared to my parents' old top-loader it's much easier on your clothes. We did have to replace a part on it a couple of years ago, but otherwise it's been fine.
We left the dryer with our house when we moved, but only because our new place has only electric hookups and this one was gas. I would definitely buy another one. And I have to say, prior to buying that one I wouldn't have guessed I would care very much one way or the other.
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12-04-2007, 12:39 PM
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#6
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Oahu
Posts: 26,860
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WanderALot
There's a Kenmore for about $600 that looks like a good value.
Any recommendations for cheaper front loaders?
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We have a Kenmore Energy-Star 417.43042300 front-loader (no idea where they get those descriptive model names). We bought it used (Craigslist) for $300 so it's probably 3-4 years old.
It's been a real trouper, and the spin cycle practically dries the clothes on its own. We don't run the dryer for more than 30 minutes a load, even a full load of towels. It's cut out a big chunk of our monthly energy use.
Craigslist sellers tend to get rid of their appliances for the most trivial upgrades-- new kitchen/garage décor or the latest technology/styles. Prices are 50 cents on the dollar, although we once scored a $50 dishwasher.
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Co-author (with my daughter) of “Raising Your Money-Savvy Family For Next Generation Financial Independence.”
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12-04-2007, 12:54 PM
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#7
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: minnesota
Posts: 13,228
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nords
It's been a real trouper, and the spin cycle practically dries the clothes on its own. We don't run the dryer for more than 30 minutes a load, even a full load of towels. It's cut out a big chunk of our monthly energy use.
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Our LG is amazing in how much water it can spin out. It has three spin speeds. It also is a large capacity machine. I wanted something big enough to wash blankets. I washed a big old sleeping bag in it and it didn't blink.
Where is SamClem to sell up his Staber?
Wash machine wars!
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No more lawyer stuff, no more political stuff, so no more CYA
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12-04-2007, 12:57 PM
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#8
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 1,543
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Those of you that have front loaders...did you get the pedestals that allow less bending over when loading/unloading? Do they help?
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12-04-2007, 01:02 PM
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#9
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,021
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How do the super-spin front loaders do when it comes to wrinkling your clothes? Our top loader spins so hard that it puts serious wrinkles in things like jeans. Even after going through the dryer they are still severely creased...in the wrong places.
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Numbers is hard
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12-04-2007, 01:09 PM
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#10
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Central, Ohio, USA
Posts: 2,635
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Our top loader, Energy Star, super washer not only spins the clothes dry it irons them and put stuff on hangers
GE Energy Star don't know what they cost as the builder "gave" it to us but it does a very good job.
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Vietnam Veteran, CW4 USA, Retired 1979
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12-04-2007, 01:12 PM
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#11
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: minnesota
Posts: 13,228
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Quote:
Originally Posted by REWahoo
How do the super-spin front loaders do when it comes to wrinkling your clothes? Our top loader spins so hard that it puts serious wrinkles in things like jeans. Even after going through the dryer they are still severely creased...in the wrong places.
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You can set the spin speed on ours. But I generally use the fastest speed and have not had a problem with wrinkles. I have avoided the fastest spin speed for light clothes because I worry that they will come out too dry and thus wrinkly. The clothes don't tend to twist or wad up as much as they do in a top loader, which helps.
__________________
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No more lawyer stuff, no more political stuff, so no more CYA
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12-04-2007, 01:33 PM
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#12
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,719
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Remember one thing about front loaders -- you can't add more/remove clothes once you close the door and turn on the washer.
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He had one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it . . . It faced, or seemed to face, the whole external world for an instant and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. -- The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
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12-04-2007, 01:36 PM
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#13
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Gone but not forgotten
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 6,924
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay_Gatsby
Remember one thing about front loaders -- you can't add more/remove clothes once you close the door and turn on the washer.
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You can with some models.
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"Knowin' no one nowhere's gonna miss us when we're gone..."
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12-04-2007, 01:43 PM
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#14
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: minnesota
Posts: 13,228
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Yes, our LG has a "pause" function, which lets you put stuff in or take stuff out.
__________________
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No more lawyer stuff, no more political stuff, so no more CYA
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12-04-2007, 01:51 PM
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#15
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,021
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Martha
The clothes don't tend to twist or wad up as much as they do in a top loader, which helps.
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That may be the main factor in the wrinkle wars. And you thought it was age...
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Numbers is hard
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12-04-2007, 03:06 PM
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#16
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Losing my whump
Posts: 22,708
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Make sure to check all the potential rebates before you buy. Some water companies and utilities offer tiered rebates depending on the efficiency of the model.
The $1100 Bosch unit we bought, after manufacturer rebates, Lowes rebates, money back from the electric company and the water company...cost $450 delivered.
Some of those cheaper kenmore models have pretty small payloads, and a variety of them had a bearing problem that allows water intrusion and failure at about 7 years of regular use. Many of the Samsung models were built by Maytag before Whirlpool "fixed" the Maytag line, some of those were just recalled for catching fire. Some of the newer maytags are whirlpool models rebadged, so check that out...the whirlpools are pretty dang good. Costco and Sams Club frequently have good prices on the front loaders, but you might also frequent the back of Home Depot and Lowes to see what display models, returns or other stuff are hanging around, or the Sears Clearance Center if you have one near you.
Check the extended warranties on the different models too. Some of them are cheaper than others. At the time I bought, most of the warranties on the front loaders were too expensive to consider. I bought a 5 year warranty from Lowes on the Bosch washer and dryer, and a samsung refrigerator for under $300 for the three of them...ten years on the fridge compressor. Salesman I was talking to who seemed to have a pretty good clue about his business said the repairs on these units are almost non-existent, hence the decent price.
The spin is hard, but without an agitator your clothes should last a lot longer and there shouldnt be any more wrinkling problems than you'd get with a top loader.
Cycle times ARE a bit longer on the wash, but shorter on the dry. If you do a lot of laundry buy a bigger unit. A 3.5-3.8 unit will wash an awful lot more than a 2.8.
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Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful. Just another form of "buy low, sell high" for those who have trouble with things. This rule is not universal. Do not buy a 1973 Pinto because everyone else is afraid of it.
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12-04-2007, 03:37 PM
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#17
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 169
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Our maytag washer quit about 4 months ago, ( Only about 5 years old, and both the motor and pump went out. Not worth fixing, so we looked into a new washer. I checked out the 2007 models at Consumer Reports, and, in a nutshell, they said DON'T buy a 2007 model top loader, because the new federal energy and efficency standards that went into effect Jan. 1, 2007 have crippled the washing ability of the top loaders. The new standards don't allow them to use enough water to get the load completely clean. The reccommendation was to fix what you have and wait until the manufacturers get the bugs worked out, or buy a front loader. My son in law works for an appliance dealer, and he confirmed that they can't keep up with the complaints from people with new toploaders who complain that the new machine "won't fill up" and "doesn't wash well". He recommended an LG front loader, and we couldn't be happier. (Other than paying for it...) Huge capacity of 4.0 cubic feet, doesn't use much water or detergent, and gets our clothes noticably cleaner than the toploader......
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12-04-2007, 03:47 PM
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#18
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 14,328
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Bought a front loading Kenmore H2 about 2 years ago and love it. Really spins clothes almost dry, takes large loads, versatile modes. Made by Whirlpool.
We leave the door open so it doesn't develop odor from small amounts of retained water.
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12-04-2007, 04:12 PM
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#19
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,015
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We have one of the original Maytag Neptune washers (and matching dryer), purchased about 10 years ago. We bought it because it was highly touted as using less water and detergent and for its much quieter operation. Ha! I have memorized the phone number of the local appliance repair place because of this piece of junk. No wonder Maytag went bust.
Unfortunately this particular model has had dozens of problems, including being recalled..and I'm just waiting for it to finally die so I can buy something else. It's had a new motherboard, pump, 2 or 3 door seals, door lock, drum, motor...and on and on.
The door lock had to be replaced when the door would not unlock after the cycle ran. For two days my clothes were held captive in the locked machine. Aughhhhh!
The last problem was that the drum wouldn't spin out the rinse water, so I had a sodden mess of heavy wet clothes. The last repair replaced the motor...so now the drum spins like a jet engine on a heavy 747...and the machine sounds like it's about to take off (Seriously. You cannot stand to be in the laundry room when its running.) When its in the final spin cycle, anything left on top of the washer falls off from the vibration -- but the clothes do come out really clean and almost dry, after you peel them off the walls of the drum.
Oh yeah, you do have to leave the door open when it's not in use or the next load smells like mold as about a gallon or so of water is left in the bottom of the outside drum.
I guess this is what I get for being an early adopter. Hopefully the newer front loaders are more reliable and better designed.
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12-04-2007, 04:17 PM
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#20
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 63
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My 13 year old Matag started leaving grease on clothes so I got a LG at Home Depot for about $500 after all of the tax rebates, etc. So far I love it, less detergent, less water, less dryer time, large capacity and a great 'hand wash' cycle.
Perhaps the only negative is the bending down and sticking my head in to make sure I haven't missed any small pieces of clothing sticking to the top.
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