I think most people who say they want a top-loading washer aren't really after that feature, what they really want is a drum that spins on a horizontal axis (rather than the tub of a top loader). They aren't excited about stooping down to load clothes through the front door, or having to buy a pedestal. There is one machine sold in the US that allows loading comfortably through the top, but operates with a drum that spins on a horizontal axis (like a top loader). And has no door gasket to leak. The amazing Staber (which gets a lot of press here, mostly from me!). Not cheap, not glitzy, not for everyone, but built like a tank, gets cloths clean whie being gentle on them (like a front loader), low water use, easy to repair when the time comes.
Front Load Washing Machines
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I think most people who say they want a top-loading washer aren't really after that feature, what they really want is a drum that spins on a horizontal axis (rather than the tub of a top loader). They aren't excited about stooping down to load clothes through the front door, or having to buy a pedestal. There is one machine sold in the US that allows loading comfortably through the top, but operates with a drum that spins on a horizontal axis (like a top loader). And has no door gasket to leak. The amazing Staber (which gets a lot of press here, mostly from me!). Not cheap, not glitzy, not for everyone, but built like a tank, gets cloths clean whie being gentle on them (like a front loader), low water use, easy to repair when the time comes.
W2R
Moderator Emeritus
When I moved into my new-to-me dream home in 2015, I needed to buy a new washer and dryer set. After reading a billion internet threads about bad smells from frontloader washers, I chose a model of LG high capacity top-loader He washer that was highly rated by Consumer Reports.
It has been great and my clothes have never been cleaner. I really don't care about the low water usage, since I just pay the minimum amount for water ($2.xx/month). There is plenty of water in south Louisiana for the population living here. But, like front loader He washers, it doesn't use much water at all.
Also - - and this may not be important to anybody but me - - both the washer and dryer play soft, pretty little tunes when they are done, instead of the deafeningly loud, horrible BLATTT!!! by the buzzer that my previous (cheap, GE) dryer made. It could seriously be heard half a block away even though the dryer was inside, the volume was not adjustable, and it would nearly knock me off my chair. To me the pretty tunes are very important.
A day or two ago I thought it was broken, because the place where you put the liquid detergent was filling up with water that wouldn't drain. I went on YouTube and found a one minute video by LG that showed how to remove that part, wash it, and put it back, to fix the problem. Apparently I was supposed to do that once a month and for 35 months had not been doing it.
When in doubt, read the freakin' manual.
My LG washer is pretty deep, but I am tall and can reach the bottom easily right now. As I age, I will probably choose to use my reacher/grabber to get that last sock out, just as I do with my matching high capacity LG dryer at present. I think it would be nifty to have a front loader at the same height as my wonderful laundry cart, but right now for me it is not worth risking the mold and smell issues that some front loaders apparently have (or had?).
It has been great and my clothes have never been cleaner. I really don't care about the low water usage, since I just pay the minimum amount for water ($2.xx/month). There is plenty of water in south Louisiana for the population living here. But, like front loader He washers, it doesn't use much water at all.
Also - - and this may not be important to anybody but me - - both the washer and dryer play soft, pretty little tunes when they are done, instead of the deafeningly loud, horrible BLATTT!!! by the buzzer that my previous (cheap, GE) dryer made. It could seriously be heard half a block away even though the dryer was inside, the volume was not adjustable, and it would nearly knock me off my chair. To me the pretty tunes are very important.
A day or two ago I thought it was broken, because the place where you put the liquid detergent was filling up with water that wouldn't drain. I went on YouTube and found a one minute video by LG that showed how to remove that part, wash it, and put it back, to fix the problem. Apparently I was supposed to do that once a month and for 35 months had not been doing it.
When in doubt, read the freakin' manual.My LG washer is pretty deep, but I am tall and can reach the bottom easily right now. As I age, I will probably choose to use my reacher/grabber to get that last sock out, just as I do with my matching high capacity LG dryer at present. I think it would be nifty to have a front loader at the same height as my wonderful laundry cart, but right now for me it is not worth risking the mold and smell issues that some front loaders apparently have (or had?).
W2R
Moderator Emeritus
Oh how cool! I'm not the only one, then.
I thought I probably was the only one who cared a lot about the songs.We purchased a stackable LG when we remodeled recently. The washer leaked intermittently from day one. LG was out 4 times (at an extra $100 per because it took 2 people to take down the dryer) and the washer, of course, did not leak when they ran their test. LG refused to honor the warranty because the washer worked perfectly. Ready to toss both the washer and dryer and replace with stackable Speed Queens, however, Pacific Sales replaced the washer on their dime and this one worked perfectly.
I will never buy an LG product again because they will not honor their warranty. I mean really, leaking from day one. I can see if I was trying to get them to replace after the warranty ran out, but what benefit am I getting by wanting a working washer
other than no water on the floor. We even sent them videos.
I will never buy an LG product again because they will not honor their warranty. I mean really, leaking from day one. I can see if I was trying to get them to replace after the warranty ran out, but what benefit am I getting by wanting a working washer
other than no water on the floor. We even sent them videos.Bought the largest (and most expensive) LG FL and electric dryer in 2011. Never had an issue yet with either. Skipro's comment has me worried however, hopefully that design issue was resolved by the time my washer was manufactured.
My suggestions:
1 - With any FL, keep the door open all the time the washer isn't in use.
2 - I use dry powder detergent and don't use the liquid fabric softener in the washer. Just the standard (cheapest Costco branded) stuff has always worked fine.
3 - If your washing causes buildup of any thing like lint on the big front gasket, remove that stuff when you're pulling the clothes out of the wash. I need to do this as I have two big dogs.
By doing 1, 2, and 3, I have never had a mold issue. I've never needed to replace the gasket, nor buy the special chemicals used to fight the mold issue.
4 - If you need to move the washer from one home to another or similar, re-install all of the moving bolts that originally came with the washer. They hold the drum in place while the washer is getting jostled around, which is necessary for whatever reason.
5 - washer water hoses with 90 degree fittings on the end usually allow for getting the washer pushed up against the wall. Obviously be careful with any inlet/outlet hoses not to kink them.
I prefer front loaders as they don't beat up clothing as much. Mine also has a water heater inside, so if I want to get my whites their whitest, I use bleach and that setting.
My suggestions:
1 - With any FL, keep the door open all the time the washer isn't in use.
2 - I use dry powder detergent and don't use the liquid fabric softener in the washer. Just the standard (cheapest Costco branded) stuff has always worked fine.
3 - If your washing causes buildup of any thing like lint on the big front gasket, remove that stuff when you're pulling the clothes out of the wash. I need to do this as I have two big dogs.
By doing 1, 2, and 3, I have never had a mold issue. I've never needed to replace the gasket, nor buy the special chemicals used to fight the mold issue.
4 - If you need to move the washer from one home to another or similar, re-install all of the moving bolts that originally came with the washer. They hold the drum in place while the washer is getting jostled around, which is necessary for whatever reason.
5 - washer water hoses with 90 degree fittings on the end usually allow for getting the washer pushed up against the wall. Obviously be careful with any inlet/outlet hoses not to kink them.
I prefer front loaders as they don't beat up clothing as much. Mine also has a water heater inside, so if I want to get my whites their whitest, I use bleach and that setting.
We have Kenmore and have had no problems at all in the 1.5 yrs since we bought it. Our Neighbor has samsung and loved it until it needed to be serviced for something which took months before they could get the part to fix it. According to the repair guy they are known for poor reliability and and even worse customer service. Just too many "cool features" that are easily broken and hard to fix I guess.
Midpack
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Our 26 year old Whirlpool clothes washer is still running like a top and cleaning clothes well. The service guys tell me it could run another 26 years if I take care of it, it’s DIY repairable (I’ve done two repairs at $9 and $21), and they say you can’t buy any washer built as well at any price nowadays. I’m sure it uses a lot of water, but I hope it never breaks...
Happy wife happy life. I'm still second-guessing our decision to replace our old washer-dryers with new ones. The old ones were working just fine, but DW thought we should upgrade. My quarterly water bill is about $100. How much of that was for our washer? It has to be a small amount. So, with our new washer and its water-efficiency I estimate it will pay for itself in about 57 years, give or take.
Oh, we bought LG Top loader; I didn't want the continual bending down needed for front loaders, and I've read too many stories about how front loaders smell.
Oh, we bought LG Top loader; I didn't want the continual bending down needed for front loaders, and I've read too many stories about how front loaders smell.
OP
OP
Katsmeow
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Great minds and such. This is what we ended up buying only in the black stainless.
We ended up rejecting the Kenmore Elites as they averaged 3.5 rating on Sears own site versus 4.5 to 5 for LG and Samsung. I also read other review sites and they didn't seem to be too enthused about recent Kenmores.
The Samsungs looked interesting. But all of the ones we liked were too deep (33"+). We have just enough room for standard size (about 30") deep or we would have to move the door to the garage or change the door swing or something. We don't really need one of the behemoths since there are just two of us so we simply rejected the Samsung washers although they received a lot of good ratings.
I looked carefully at the LGs and the above model seemed to have the features that I wanted but wasn't too large.
We had a front loading washer for 12 years and had no problems with it. No hint of mold or mildew during all the time we used it. We did leave the door open a crack in between use so maybe it was because of that.
Advantages of the front loader: More energy efficient, less use of water, gentler on the clothes. Easier to get into than a top loader. One advantage of front loader is you can stack them (which we did for awhile in a prior house). In this house we won't stack them but we will put a folding counter over them.
We elected not to get pedestals since we do plan to put a counter over them. The washer can use a Twin Wash pedestal where the pedestal isn't for storage. It is an entirely separate washing compartment. If we still had kids at home we would have gotten that. But with just two of us we don't really need it.
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MooreBonds
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Better ratchet down that SWR to just 2.5% to ensure you have enough to make it to payoff!
ncbill
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A day or two ago I thought it was broken, because the place where you put the liquid detergent was filling up with water that wouldn't drain. I went on YouTube and found a one minute video by LG that showed how to remove that part, wash it, and put it back, to fix the problem. Apparently I was supposed to do that once a month and for 35 months had not been doing it.
My LG washer is pretty deep, but I am tall and can reach the bottom easily right now. As I age, I will probably choose to use my reacher/grabber to get that last sock out, just as I do with my matching high capacity LG dryer at present. I think it would be nifty to have a front loader at the same height as my wonderful laundry cart, but right now for me it is not worth risking the mold and smell issues that some front loaders apparently have (or had?).
Hmmm...please PM that youtube link...
And DW is ~5' so we just leave a plastic step-stool in front of our LG top-loader.
I still have memories of the front load washing machine we had for a while when I was growing up. It leaked a lot but intermittently so Dad was never able to figure out where the leak was. Calling a repairman was not an option, we didn't have money for that and we either fixed things ourselves or lived with it.
Dad was also an electrician at the power company and did side jobs on weekends, so he had a 1/2 inch drill with a one-inch auger bit with a 3 foot extension for drilling holes in floor joists to run cable through. It looked pretty menacing, think "horror at the dentist's office". Also, the washing machine was located over the crawl space of the house since it had only a one-half basement. (All this does have a point to it. Bear with me.)
Dad, also being a transplanted Pennsylvania redneck, was known to have a beer or three every now and then, and had consumed a few when the washing machine began leaking again. Sitting at the table looking at it, the cheap and effective solution to this recurrent but so far unsolvable problem came to mind. He went downstairs, retrieved the large drill, and drilled a one-inch diameter hole in the floor where the water was leaking out from the washing machine so the water would drain into the crawl space. Problem solved!
We lost a lot of marbles to that hole, along with pencils, and any other evidence of misdeeds that we wanted to get rid of if the offense called for that, if it could possible fit. The crawl space in our house was known throughout the neighborhood for not only being filled with spiders as big as one's hand, but venomous snakes and monsters, as well as more likely than not as being haunted so no one ever went in there.
Getting back on topic, it is apparent to me that in 50+ years no manufacturer has yet been able to solve the leaking problem consistently. This is why I will never own a front loading washing machine. In fact, just last week we bought a new Whirlpool top loading model WTW4816FW2 which so far works just fine.
Dad was also an electrician at the power company and did side jobs on weekends, so he had a 1/2 inch drill with a one-inch auger bit with a 3 foot extension for drilling holes in floor joists to run cable through. It looked pretty menacing, think "horror at the dentist's office". Also, the washing machine was located over the crawl space of the house since it had only a one-half basement. (All this does have a point to it. Bear with me.)
Dad, also being a transplanted Pennsylvania redneck, was known to have a beer or three every now and then, and had consumed a few when the washing machine began leaking again. Sitting at the table looking at it, the cheap and effective solution to this recurrent but so far unsolvable problem came to mind. He went downstairs, retrieved the large drill, and drilled a one-inch diameter hole in the floor where the water was leaking out from the washing machine so the water would drain into the crawl space. Problem solved!
We lost a lot of marbles to that hole, along with pencils, and any other evidence of misdeeds that we wanted to get rid of if the offense called for that, if it could possible fit. The crawl space in our house was known throughout the neighborhood for not only being filled with spiders as big as one's hand, but venomous snakes and monsters, as well as more likely than not as being haunted so no one ever went in there.
Getting back on topic, it is apparent to me that in 50+ years no manufacturer has yet been able to solve the leaking problem consistently. This is why I will never own a front loading washing machine. In fact, just last week we bought a new Whirlpool top loading model WTW4816FW2 which so far works just fine.
Last year I bought new LG machines (home depot) and stacked them (new digs, less space). They are vented outside but we had to order a converter to do a side vent configuration (you can convert LGs to vent through the floor, to the rear or from the side of the machine). All good. We got the sale model, in white. They are stacked on the floor - I get a little exercise bending over to empty the washer. Models were WM3180CW and DLE3180W. They were on sale @499 each. Delivered. They do a good job and have been hassle free. Not very exciting, but that's a good thing.
HI Bill
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I had a pair of LGs that worked flawlessly for eight years, before I sold the condo and them with it. The quality and reliability of LG and Samsung, along with most other manufacturers has gone down hill. Right now, Electrolux has at least one top-rated model. Front-loaders use less water than even the best top-loaders, and they have steam functions, cause less wrinkles in clothes, and dry them more efficiently, and also damage clothes less. I wanted to go back to a top-loader, but NONE of the reviews I could find, showed that a top-loader could match the performance of a top-rated front loader. I've washed field clothes laden with iron-rich soil, heavy duty stuff, delicates, and fine dress shirts. I'd never go back to a top loader. Just my 2 cents...but in all fairness, I haven't had a change to try the new models that use less water. Check out the CNET reviews of washing machines! https://www.cnet.com/topics/washing-machines/products/
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Winemaker
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We have a brand new GE washer/dryer (at the time) set left behind in DMIL's house when she rented it out and moved in with us. Tenants defaulted due to lack of rent payments and then parole violation, went to jail. Tenants were DMIL's neighbor's son and wife. We brought them home and installed here as they were less than 6 months old and abandoned.
DW hates them and can't wait til they break and we can go back to regular washer and dryer.
DW hates them and can't wait til they break and we can go back to regular washer and dryer.
jazz4cash
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
+100
We bought top a top load LG washer and matching dryer about 8 yrs ago. No issues but they don't clean as well as the old school machines with agitator. I think it uses a bit more water than a front load but still pretty efficient. We really like them.
38Chevy454
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Just a comment, Kenmore is just badge engineering; a rebranded model from one of the appliance mfrs. Look at the Kenmore and then look at others, you will quickly see who makes the Kenmore. My only concern with LG or Samsung is availability of parts, I prefer US mfrs.
We recently bought new FL washer, went with Whirlpool as we set up the whole new house appliances and combined all the products for bigger rebate. BTW, Black Friday is when appliance deals are the best for the year. Of course Black Friday is now several weeks long, but just watch the ads for Black Friday and it will have the best appliance prices.
We recently bought new FL washer, went with Whirlpool as we set up the whole new house appliances and combined all the products for bigger rebate. BTW, Black Friday is when appliance deals are the best for the year. Of course Black Friday is now several weeks long, but just watch the ads for Black Friday and it will have the best appliance prices.
Bamaman
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Front loaders are expensive and they don't wash better than an old, top loader.
My wife's life is all about washing clothes, towels and linens. She was talking today how much she loves her Speed Queen washer/dryer.
And that comes from someone that washes all day, every day.
We had a Maytag Neptune front loader, and it was a piece of junk.
My wife's life is all about washing clothes, towels and linens. She was talking today how much she loves her Speed Queen washer/dryer.
And that comes from someone that washes all day, every day.
We had a Maytag Neptune front loader, and it was a piece of junk.
Telly
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Since I do all the installation and repair work on everything, I'll never own a front loader. To me, they are a mechanically-flawed design. Too much mechanical moment on that drum support and bearing.
And I don't think much of the marketing concept... selling a machine that is too low, and then charging the customer big bucks for a matching "pedestal". It's like selling a 6 foot stepladder, minus the bottom 3 feet, which can be purchased separately...
Personally, I would never buy an LG-anything. And probably not a Samsung appliance.
And both LG and Samsung top-loaders have been prone to "explode". One of our kids bought a Kenmore (that was made by LG). Was OK for a few years, then one day started to make terrible sounds on spin. DIL just stepped out of the laundry room when it blew. It banged violently around between the dryer, the back wall and the side wall. The top came off. The washer's outside cabinet was pushed out all over. It smashed in the side of the dryer next to it far enough to pin the dryer's drum (took apart dryer cabinet to push dent out far enough to salvage dryer). Dented the rear wall's drywall and smashed the side wall.
The problem was the cheesey outer tub support. Four rods run from outer tub up to gussets that are diagonally across the 4 corners of the top of the cabinet. LG uses plastic gussets, Samsung uses thin metal. Both fatigue and break, and they let go during the spin cycle, their highest-stress time. When they break, the inner spinning drum and the outer tub connect, and all the energy is dissipated by the whole tub/drum assembly whacking around something terrible. The outer cabinet gets smashed into a circular-like shape from the original square shape, and it bashes around the room. In this case, the top did not fly off and hit anyone, as they sometimes do. There have been injuries, and one lady was knocked out when hit on the head by a flying washer top panel. Many youtubes on it, have seen it on TV locally too.
The replacement washer that was selected is another Kenmore, this time made by Whirlpool. It is supported by four rods with integral shock absorbers, and the top mounts are steel rails that run across the cabinet top.
My trusty 30 year old Kenmore (by Whirlpool) has the old support idea, with the big undercarriage and the 3 springs going up the side. The tub is supported from the bottom, not hung from cabinet corners. The old ones like mine are like tanks!
And I don't think much of the marketing concept... selling a machine that is too low, and then charging the customer big bucks for a matching "pedestal". It's like selling a 6 foot stepladder, minus the bottom 3 feet, which can be purchased separately...
Personally, I would never buy an LG-anything. And probably not a Samsung appliance.
And both LG and Samsung top-loaders have been prone to "explode". One of our kids bought a Kenmore (that was made by LG). Was OK for a few years, then one day started to make terrible sounds on spin. DIL just stepped out of the laundry room when it blew. It banged violently around between the dryer, the back wall and the side wall. The top came off. The washer's outside cabinet was pushed out all over. It smashed in the side of the dryer next to it far enough to pin the dryer's drum (took apart dryer cabinet to push dent out far enough to salvage dryer). Dented the rear wall's drywall and smashed the side wall.
The problem was the cheesey outer tub support. Four rods run from outer tub up to gussets that are diagonally across the 4 corners of the top of the cabinet. LG uses plastic gussets, Samsung uses thin metal. Both fatigue and break, and they let go during the spin cycle, their highest-stress time. When they break, the inner spinning drum and the outer tub connect, and all the energy is dissipated by the whole tub/drum assembly whacking around something terrible. The outer cabinet gets smashed into a circular-like shape from the original square shape, and it bashes around the room. In this case, the top did not fly off and hit anyone, as they sometimes do. There have been injuries, and one lady was knocked out when hit on the head by a flying washer top panel. Many youtubes on it, have seen it on TV locally too.
The replacement washer that was selected is another Kenmore, this time made by Whirlpool. It is supported by four rods with integral shock absorbers, and the top mounts are steel rails that run across the cabinet top.
My trusty 30 year old Kenmore (by Whirlpool) has the old support idea, with the big undercarriage and the 3 springs going up the side. The tub is supported from the bottom, not hung from cabinet corners. The old ones like mine are like tanks!
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Helena
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Last year my Kenmore washer died via a lightening strike [but the much older dryer beside it still lives.]
I didn't like that most of the new washers are the low water types and I had heard horror stories about front loading washers either smelling or leaking. So, I bought a top loading Maytag that had both low-water and high-water options. So far, so good.
Last year my Kenmore washer died via a lightening strike [but the much older dryer beside it still lives.]
I didn't like that most of the new washers are the low water types and I had heard horror stories about front loading washers either smelling or leaking. So, I bought a top loading Maytag that had both low-water and high-water options. So far, so good.
Midpack
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Again, she might want to take good care of her Speed Queen, the new model has been thoroughly panned in reviews http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/front-load-washing-machines-92530.html#post2067538.
Rumor has it Speed Queen is planning to exit the consumer residential washer/dryermarket and sell commercial only, they’re working off excess parts inventory now. Most consumers weren’t willing to pay the Speed Queen premium despite the premium performance of their pre 2018 washers.
I was planning to buy a Speed Queen if/when our current washer died, not any more.
CNET said:
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ncbill
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I think you're referring to the old-style top-loaders with a central agitator, not HE top-loaders like mine (just a big stainless steel tub, no agitator)
HE top-loaders do use slightly more water and can't spin as fast, but there are no worries about mildew on the rubber seal, or rear main bearing failure (surprisingly common on the first generation of HE front-loaders sold in the U.S.)
For those who bemoan the recent Speed Queen design changes, IIRC Maytag still sells a old-school commercial washer with central agitator.
We recently purchased a paired set of LG front loader and dryer. Here was our reasoning:
1. No matter what brand, and I mean each and every brand, and no matter what style (front loader, top loader, HE, agitator, no agitator...etc etc) somewhere between 10% and 15% of the reviewers absolutely HATED their machines, and were totally pissed that they ever bought them., So we figured that since there was no sure thing out there, we'd get what we wanted, pay the big bucks, buy the longest extended warranty available, and if we got screwed, chalk it up to the cost of living in the new millennium.
2. Whirlpool and Maytag are the same machine, and I would have considered them, but for some reason they have decided to hide the drain plug filter INSIDE the damn machine, so to do this very simple bit of maintenance you now have to practically disassemble the machine to get access. So, I scratched them off the list.
3. Samsung evidently makes decent machine, but the most common source of dissatisfaction was their unwillingness or inability to make replacement parts easily accessible. Horror stories abound about folks waiting weeks and weeks or months, for parts to get the machine fixed.
4. LG has some similar issues, but from what I can glean, not quite as bad as LG..
So, we went with LG. We wanted a front loader because we live by a lake, and our septic "system" consists of a holding tanks where all of our blackwater, and graywater collects, and it costs us $ to pump out, so we felt the water savings was an issue.
It is way too early in the game to know if we will be among the lucky, or unlucky. It burns my bacon considerably to be put in the position of having to buy something this expensive, and being unable to find a company that can make a product that doesn't alienate 10-15% of their customers, but that's the way it is.
I'd happily sacrifice "features" (like steam, or "smartphone diagnostics"), for "quality" (like, ability to perform primary function i.e. clean and dry my clothing).
Good luck!
1. No matter what brand, and I mean each and every brand, and no matter what style (front loader, top loader, HE, agitator, no agitator...etc etc) somewhere between 10% and 15% of the reviewers absolutely HATED their machines, and were totally pissed that they ever bought them., So we figured that since there was no sure thing out there, we'd get what we wanted, pay the big bucks, buy the longest extended warranty available, and if we got screwed, chalk it up to the cost of living in the new millennium.
2. Whirlpool and Maytag are the same machine, and I would have considered them, but for some reason they have decided to hide the drain plug filter INSIDE the damn machine, so to do this very simple bit of maintenance you now have to practically disassemble the machine to get access. So, I scratched them off the list.
3. Samsung evidently makes decent machine, but the most common source of dissatisfaction was their unwillingness or inability to make replacement parts easily accessible. Horror stories abound about folks waiting weeks and weeks or months, for parts to get the machine fixed.
4. LG has some similar issues, but from what I can glean, not quite as bad as LG..
So, we went with LG. We wanted a front loader because we live by a lake, and our septic "system" consists of a holding tanks where all of our blackwater, and graywater collects, and it costs us $ to pump out, so we felt the water savings was an issue.
It is way too early in the game to know if we will be among the lucky, or unlucky. It burns my bacon considerably to be put in the position of having to buy something this expensive, and being unable to find a company that can make a product that doesn't alienate 10-15% of their customers, but that's the way it is.
I'd happily sacrifice "features" (like steam, or "smartphone diagnostics"), for "quality" (like, ability to perform primary function i.e. clean and dry my clothing).
Good luck!
REWahoo
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^ What he said.
My decision process was much the same. We're on an aerobic septic system where excessive water degrades effectiveness and increases how often we have to have it pumped, so a front loader offered the best option. We replaced a Whirlpool HE (turns out it wasn't all that effeicient) top loader that DW did not like - didn't clean all that well and rough on clothes to boot.
After five months, nothing but good things to say about the LG. Maybe we got lucky and won't be in that 15%...
My decision process was much the same. We're on an aerobic septic system where excessive water degrades effectiveness and increases how often we have to have it pumped, so a front loader offered the best option. We replaced a Whirlpool HE (turns out it wasn't all that effeicient) top loader that DW did not like - didn't clean all that well and rough on clothes to boot.
After five months, nothing but good things to say about the LG. Maybe we got lucky and won't be in that 15%...
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