Washers and Dryers

[PsiStar]

I bought Samsung HE front loaders /w bottom drawers 3 years ago from Sears. They are great. Sears included pick up of the old units. I studied Consumer Reports & spent a week looking at Lowes, HD, Best Buy, a local only distributor, and Sears. Sears is competitive and the display area let you see how the different brands are actually quite similar front & back.

I had read (maybe in CR) that certain models are constructed in Mexico and had reliability issues. I am pretty sure that those models were available from Best Buy. Others had a silly lengthy delivery schedule.

The manual with the washer says to leave the door open for a few hours after use so the unit can dry out to avoid mildew. The water usage is way down; I was expecting get well cards from the water company.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I can definitely recommend buying used not, from Craigslist or eBay but, from a local used appliance store. They will save you a ton of money, have better repair service and, way better customer service than any of the commercial retailers. They actually show up for delivery and service when they say they will and don't say things like 'Monday between 9 and 12.'

 

[Hugo Drax]

I think it is more attributable to people not being used to leaving the washer open when transitioning from a top-load to a front-load washer. In a top-load washer, no gasket to seal the door up is necessary, so even if the cover is closed, the thing will dry just fine. With a front-load, that isn't possible. People just don't think about it/aren't used to it, and so they don't do it.

Terrible design if that is the case. They should have engineered some system that allows it to dry somehow.

Anyhow toploaders are the best and most reliable.

 

[Mixolydian]

I've had good experience with Maytag washers/dryers.

 

[destrekor]

Terrible design if that is the case. They should have engineered some system that allows it to dry somehow.

Anyhow toploaders are the best and most reliable.

Honestly I don't even understand the appeal of front-load washers.

 

[KidNiki1]

front load washers only smell if you leave wet laundry in it for an extended period of time and/or you don't leave the door open between use. it says all over the paperwork i got for my machine to leave the door open. how can people have one and not know this? i'm baffled. my washer also has a self clean cycle that i run once a month with about a half cup of baking soda in it. i have never had a smell problem.

another thing to make sure you are aware of is if you get a HE washer, use ONLY HE detergent. Using regular detergent in an HE frontloader can also contribute to smells from what I have read.

Honestly I don't even understand the appeal of front-load washers.

front loaders use much less water.

 

[destrekor]

front load washers only smell if you leave wet laundry in it for an extended period of time and/or you don't leave the door open between use. it says all over the paperwork i got for my machine to leave the door open. how can people have one and not know this? i'm baffled. my washer also has a self clean cycle that i run once a month with about a half cup of baking soda in it. i have never had a smell problem.

another thing to make sure you are aware of is if you get a HE washer, use ONLY HE detergent. Using regular detergent in an HE frontloader can also contribute to smells from what I have read.




front loaders use much less water.

There are HE top-loading washers.

HE, in both front and top load designs, come with their own issues though. They both seem like they have far more parts that can fail, and I have seen countless complaints of clothes that are still dirty.
I haven't bought my own yet (not in the market for laundry machines yet), so I haven't done a ton of research into them all. I am not looking forward to it, knowing that I won't get the same use out of them as my parents have out of their machines from the 80s.

 

[KidNiki1]

There are HE top-loading washers.

yeah there are HE versions of both. I was speaking more to the smell factor. I read a lot of info that said that using non-HE detergent in a HE front loading washer can contribute to the smell problems some people seem to have.

as for getting stuff clean, i have two young kids and a dog and other than things that are hard to get out anyway (like paint or marker on a white shirt) i don't have problems with clothes not getting clean. i like my front loader washer just fine.

 

[MarkXIX]

Have had LG front loaders since 2008 and never had a smell problem. I suspect most people simply do not read the instructions and manage them properly. Leaving the door open, draining it once in a while, and using the right kind of detergent (HE) are all listed in the instruction manual, but stupid ass owners just want to be lazy and bitch, not take care of their investment.

 

[grohl]

Have the same W/D from 2000 when we got married. Kenmore (GE) prob $700 for the pair, standard top loaders. Several kids later, and in 12 years I have replaced the clutch on the washing machine ($4) and fuse for heater element. We do about 10-14 loads of laundry EACH WEEK. I was out of town when fuse blew - repairmen said "no way in hell" should I upgrade and get any of the modern front end loader bullshit.

 

[thedarkwolf]

What is the appeal of a front loader anyway? If they wanted to change things up I'd rather have a top loading dryer lol.

 

[phillyman36]

Thanks for the replies. One question is how long does it usually take for your clothes to wash? My old washer would complete its cycle in about 20 minute to 1/2 hour dependent upon what i set it to. I read somewhere that it can take an hour?

 

[rcpratt]

Terrible design if that is the case. They should have engineered some system that allows it to dry somehow.

Anyhow toploaders are the best and most reliable.

The newer designs have decently strong magnets on the doors, at least. It can still be closed, but it'll bounce and sit open a half inch if you just swing it.

 

[eits]

i can't stand high efficiency washing machines...

 

[PsiStar]

Summing up, front loaders have been around since the '30s so are not exactly new fangled thingys. Front loaders use less water hot or cold, therefore less energy. Front loaders spin faster removing more water from the clothes before being shifted to the dryer and therefore less drying time AND less energy.

A "repairman" as a source of reliability? What brands is he most familiar with? If it is your own, then good luck. Of course he wants you to keep what you have, duh? According to Consumer Reports LG & Samsung are the most reliable brands top or front loaders ... it is about who makes it & not the style.

Wash times? Front loaders usually take more time. Less water means more swishing ... in so many words. But because there is less water from the spin, there is less time in the dryer (1st para. above).

Guys that have top loaders in the house are more emotional about them than the guys with front loaders. Next in line are the ones that do not have high efficiency washers. What the heck?!?!

I personally find shifting wet clothes from front loader washer to front loader dryer easier than diving down into a top loader washer.

I used to have a top loader washer that smelled from time to time. Leaving that lid open also helped that as well as a bleach wash on min on rare occasion ... oh! wait! that is what is also recommended for front loaders!! OMG!

 

[Red Squirrel]

Plan old Analog top loading. It has physical buttons that you push, possibly relays, and overall parts that can easily be fixed. It's one of the few appliances these days that can still be bought in a non overcomplicated fashion. Savour the moment and go with that.

Electronics can be great for certain things, but I find these days too many appliances overuse them for nothing. They just add something else that can break and makes it harder to fix... which sadly is probably the whole idea since they want you to buy a new one.

 

[CA19100]

Honestly I don't even understand the appeal of front-load washers.

As others have said, they use way less water and energy. I can do a huge pile of towels with 13 gallons of nice hot water instead of the 40-50 gallons a top-loader uses. Then they get spun so fast that most of the water is out of them, and they dry in ~20 minutes (more money savings). They're also much gentler on your clothes, so they'll last longer, saving more money. You'll find far less dryer lint coming from a load that was washed in a front loader, because the clothes didn't get beaten up as badly.

As for the smell, I've never had it. I leave the door ajar between cycles as instructed, and it works just fine. (On many models, leaving the detergent dispenser out will also let it dry.)

 

[Red Squirrel]

The nice thing with front as well is you can stack them and they generally have more room for the big stuff like bed comforters given there is no agitator. But considering all the problems they come with I'll always go with top. Another issue that is common too is mold growth as a bit of water sits in there. This is probably what causes the smells too. I'm sure over time they'll refine the tech better with different drum designs that fully drain, or something.

 

[LegendKiller]

The nice thing with front as well is you can stack them and they generally have more room for the big stuff like bed comforters given there is no agitator. But considering all the problems they come with I'll always go with top. Another issue that is common too is mold growth as a bit of water sits in there. This is probably what causes the smells too. I'm sure over time they'll refine the tech better with different drum designs that fully drain, or something.

Most HE toploaders don't have an agitator and use far less water than non-HE toploaders. I believe there are also stacked HE top loaders.

There just seems to be no real reason to go with FLs.

 

[cardiac]

We had a set of Speed Queen commercial units we bought in 1987 when we bought our 1st house. The washer crapped out in November, and the dryer was about ready. A good 25 year run. Couldn't find any Speed Queen's locally any more, so went with the LG's, which were rated very high at Consumer Reports. Got this washer: http://www.homedepot.com/Appliances...Id=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051#.UOiDaaw5tnQ
and the matching gas dryer. We have been very pleased with them. 2 teenage boys assure that they get used a lot... Home Depot offers free delivery, installation, and hauling off your old ones.
http://www.homedepot.com/Appliances...Id=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051#.UOiDaaw5tnQ

 

[Red Squirrel]

Haha when I bought my house it came with a speed queen dryer. It was VERY old and used. Drum all rusted and everything. Looked like it was at least 30 years old. Possibly even original to the house. It was hard wired to the electrical panel. There was a big toggle switch to toggle between the dryer and a heater that was under the garage. Odd setup. No 240v outlet or anything. It actually still worked but ended up scrapping it. Now that I think of it I should have at least salvaged the motor, was probably a really nice one. They don't make stuff like they used to.

 

[kt]

Terrible design if that is the case. They should have engineered some system that allows it to dry somehow.

Anyhow toploaders are the best and most reliable.

They do. We have a brand new LG washer and the door system has a little magnetic thing that allows you to leave the door slightly open to allow it to dry. But again, people for whatever reason close the door all the way. If they just follow the instructions, there wouldn't be any odor issues.

 

[db]

Front-loaders clean via the clothes falling from the top of the drum to the bottom, vs the jerking back and forth of a top-loader, so front-loaders are gentler on what you are washing while stilling doing a good job of cleaning. Need proof? Get two identical pillows and wash one in a top-loader and one in a front-loader. The one in the top-loader will get torn up. You don't wash pillows? How about that nice quilted bedspread or comforter? Top-loaders are easier on what's being washed while still doing a good job of cleaning.
The fact that they use less water is a bonus.

 

[thedarkwolf]

I wash pillows in my regular old top loader without any problems. Just washed my comforter yesterday actually.