My washing machine hardly cleans our clothes at all. It doesn’t agitate the spit-up off of the shoulders of my shirts and I’m currently using a five gallon bucket and a plunger to wash our cloth diapers because my machine is that bad!
We hope to save up enough for a new machine sometime in the future. I’d love a front-loading machine but I wonder if they are worth the $800+ price tag. Do they really work 8 times better than the top loader I could buy for $100 on Craigslist? -Niki
I’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this. We’ll be needing to replace our very used washing machine at some point in the not-too-distant future and I’d love to get input on whether front-loading washers are really worth the extra expense or not.
I have the Maytag Epic front loader and dryer and love them. We’ve been using them for 2 1/2 years now and definitely see water and energy savings. For those having problems, there are several factors–most people use WAY too much detergent. Using too much detergent can cause your close to smell or to stain or to not feel “fluffy” as one person described. So get the HE detergent and really back off on how much you’re using. It will help with smelly clothes and with smelly washers. Mine never smelled at all and I usually kept the door closed. Now we live in a house/city with yucky water, so I do keep my door open between loads to make sure things don’t get smelly in there and I have to take out my soap dispenser and wash it from time to time, but that isn’t the washer–it’s the water coming into it. My toilets are stained and smelly too. Yuck! Also, for the vibrating or noisiness, your washer isn’t properly leveled. Get your manual out and level your machine. Once you do, you won’t believe how wonderful it is. It’s so much quieter to run than my top loader was. The spin cycle is the only part we really hear. My loads usually take about 40-50 minutes to run, but they dry in half an hour (which is where a lot of energy savings comes into play). If I go with whitest whites or sanitary, the time increases. And I don’t find bending down to get the clothes out any more unpleasant than practically having to climb down into my top loader to get everything out. So that hasn’t been a factor for me.
Not all front loaders are created equal! Read your Consumer Reports before buying and get a good machine. Our Epic was in the top 2 or 3 when we bought it.
Oh yeah! I forgot about the fact that the clothes take so much less time to dry now, too. When I put them out on the line they dry in a flash, and when I put them in the dryer they take less than 1/2 hour and I don’t have to do an extra spin cycle like I used to with the top loader.
I love my front loader. I definitely didn’t pay $800 for it, though.
I stalked the clearance appliances at Lowe’s until I saw a front loader at a great price. I told them I’d really appreciate it if they’d hold it for an hour and went home to read reviews.
Then I went to the ATM, took out the $399 plus tax I needed, and bought the machine. We don’t have a big car, so we rented the Lowe’s truck for $20.
I used a 10% off coupon that you can get by asking for the paper version of the Change of Address form at the post office. I never go to Lowe’s without one!
Then, we filled out the Energy Star rebate deal for the State of Maine ($50).
After the rebate came in we paid approximately $348 total for our front loader, and WE LOVE IT! Huge savings on our water bill.
Cheers,
Kate
leeksandbounds.wordpress.com
We have a Cabrio set and totally love it. It gives you the same benefits as a front-loader (huge tub with no middle piece), but because it loads from the top, you can open it up mid cycle to thrown in something you found after you started the washer. We’ve had no problems with it and would recommend it highly. By the way, we bought the washer and dryer from someone selling them on Craigslist…under a year old and with all the warranties for $1000. Good luck!
My tip: check out Consumer Reports. The one-month fee is $5, I think, or was a year ago when we used it to buy our washer & dryer. You can then compare the features that are most important for you, and the $5 for the reviews are well worth it in my opinion when you’re making such a large purchase.
For the record, we went with a front-load LG, and LOVE it. Home Depot has free delivery & also has great sales – just be a little patient & do your research.
I do laundry for six people. We carry MRSA (staph) in our home, so we cannot reuse bath towels. Six people, no reused towels – that should give you a clue about how much laundry I do a day. I have had a Kenmore HE3 for over six years (the one that washes 16 pairs of jeans). I wouldn’t go back to a top loader if you paid me to do it. As for those who complain about bending over to deal with the front loader — buy the drawer base (or get the retailer to throw it in)…or build a one! No more bending than is required to get to the bottom of a top loader – plus added storage. And, I have four young children. Pretreating stains, they come out fine in my front loader. Lack of an agitator allows clothes to remain nicer looking longer (important since my three girls are 7, 6 and 4…we hand down ALL our clothes). Clothes are drier coming out of the wash so they don’t take as long in the dryer or on the line. Absolutely wouldn’t go back to a top loader. Ever! And we got ours from Sears Scratch and Dent Room (thanks to a Sears repairman’s recommendation). I got a $1200.00 washer for less than $500 because of a SINGLE SCRATCH on the left side of the washer…which is the side next to the wall in my laundry room! 🙂
Yes, they are … for my family. Our water bill went down at least $ 30 a month and they don’t use as much soap either. I buy a large jug of the high efficiancy soap about every other month and I love it. A little secret to share with everyone who reads this… after you are done washing a load or your laundry for the day you need to dry off your seal at the door and leave it open to air dry or you will have a problem with the seals rotting and a smell of mold. I have had my set over a year now and have not had this problem but heard from others I know that don’t dry it and leave it open that they have this problem. It’s a simlpe fix for an explensive repair if you take the time to care for it right. Good luck
We can put a robot on mars, but we cant build a washer as good as our mothers’ were……..Sorry, that was off topic, but, I owned a Neptune and was very happy to leave it when we sold the house. Now I have a new Maytag top loader. The thing that bothers me, why do I have to call repairmen for brand new machines, when my mother never once did in all my years growing up with 7 people in the house? Products seem built to break down instead of built to last. If you have a very old machine, do everything you can to keep it!
We just bought the #2 rated by Consumer Reports and LG with the number 2050 in it. It was on sale at Home Depot and Best Buy for $530 (down from $700). I already love it, and it sings a beautiful song when it finishes.
We have a set of Whirlpool Duet front loading machines and we LOVE them! They run quietly, work excellently, and look great. I’ve learned, in order to avoid the smell, I run a dry cloth through the gasket in the front after each wash. That has really seemed to help. I also run it through the clean cycle with bleach once per month. All in all, definitely worth the money.
Eight years ago purchased the best Sears front loaders. Fail. Mildew and leaking issues. Four years ago bought the Whirlpool Duets “top of the line”. For years our clothes came out smelly mold/mildew…ran the bleach balls, tried everything under the sun, multiple warranty visits (bought the Lowes 5 year extended). Net, just sold them on CL for $1000 (paid $3300 new w/pedestals) and used the cash to buy a good old fashioned top loader washer/drier for $200. Guess what? The clothes come out CLEAN, SMELLING FRESH, SOFT AS BUNNIES, and no hint of mold/mildew or ruined clothes from the “mysterious gray stains” that ruined $$$$ of white clothes and towels. I may consider a front loader years down the road when they finally perfect them. For now, I’m back to thrilled with the old school washer/dryers.
We just bought the Whirlpool Duette set, washer and dryer, and have a significant $ savings on our utilities, but not only that, our clothes are coming out absolutely beautiful! My old washer never washed clothes like this before!! Our dryer runs for 20 mins and our load is dry (run two loads at once, too!) So worth it!!
I adore my front load set. I have had them a little over a year and have yet to have a problem. If you use the front loader cleaning tablets that you can buy at any appliance store/section you will not run across the mildew smell, or you can use bleach. On the upside not only does your water and electric bill drop, your clothes seem to get cleaner and last longer because of no agitating. Also, if you live near an HH Gregg, Home Depot or Lowes, they all price match and I know that HH Gregg allows you to “Haggle” price, so keep your eyes open for sales.
For what it is worth, we have a Samsung HE – VRT (it has been a couple of years, I think now it would be the VRT Steam) and we love it! We use little detergent, we can put a lot of clothes in and they come out clean. To avoid the smell issue, we simply lay a small wash cloth over the bottom of the opening, so the door does not quite shut all the way. The ability to stack the dryer over the washer enabled us to remodel our laundry and gain a lot of storage and functionality. We paid cash for the washer, then saved up until our dryer died, when we then paid cash for the dryer. Once we had them both, we started the laundry room remodel (also with cash).
We’ve had a Frigidaire Gallery Series for a year and a half, and I can’t imagine going back to a top loader. It gets our clothes cleaner and drier with less water and detergent, and it’s much gentler on them. I thought it was wonderful, but I was fully convinced the first time I missed a dirty tissue left in one of my son’s pockets, and it came out of the wash clean and intact! We did a lot of research on Consumer Reports and other websites to pick what seemed the best for the money when we bought it. The quality on front loaders seems to vary a lot, so do your research thoroughly, and get one that has been positively reviewed by real users. And follow the manufacturer’s instructions for letting it air out and periodically cleaning it!
I have an LG front loader and love it. They use much less water (1/3 of the top loader). LG, Samsung, and Kenmore tend to be the top performers when it comes to front loading washers. I have never had a problem with the smell that others are describing because I leave mine open to dry. Some of the older front loaders had issues with the seal that was near the front door. The water would collect in the bottom of the seal and had no place to drain. Now most of them have three holes at the base of the seal that allow the excess water to drain.
Also the front loaders spinout more water from your clothes than a top loader. This allows for a shorter drying time and less electrycity/gas.
One downfall- front loaders are deeper and may not fit in a laundry “closet”. They are better suited to a laundry room.
It is worth it, if for nothing else, because you can washing things like car seat covers, sleeping bags and large comforters without destroying them or having to take them to the laundry mat.
I have not used a front-loader except at my parents’ house. It works just fine (Maytag). Our washer just went out and we got a new Maytag top loader. So far so good. I don’t see how front loaders are any better as far as the money. Both of them seem to clean the clothes just fine. We did get some advice against getting a top loader, HE, with no agitator. The salesman explained that all they do is kind of swish the clothes around, not cleaning them as well as a top loader with an agitator. The ones we were looking at were exactly the same price, so it wasn’t like he was trying to get us to buy a higher priced model. I am always against the “newest thing”….I try to go with the middle of the line, good washer that will last a long time. Remember new technology means something that hasn’t been around for a while and can possibly break easily as there hasn’t been a lot of “testing” on the product. Stick with living simply.
the smelly washer with a front loader is a problem until……..I started using Tides washing machine cleaner! It works great..no more smells! I use it once a month for maintenance, you run a empty machine with the powder on a hot water cycle. It has a nice fresh smell. You can find it on the shelf right above the Tide liquid detergent at Target
I have a GE front loader and I LOVE it!! Not necc that it’s a GE but the front loader style is wonderful. I use less water, never have stains, and it’s amazing how much water comes out of the clothes. It really reduces your drying time as well.
We bought a middle-priced front loader washer and dryer over a year ago. It uses alot less water than the other kind and we can stack them so takes up less space. I wasn’t aware of the mildew problem with front loaders until it happened to me with some towels, yuck!, so we just make sure to leave the door open and I started adding vinegar to my loads to help alleviate this problem like the person above and I also hear that this helps colors to not bleed also. I am happy with the front loader!
Recently purchased a stackable front loader and dryer, and they are phenomenal! The washer gets our clothes cleaner, uses less soap, spins them much better—which means less drying time. The dryer is WAY more efficient than our ancient one, drying our laundry in far less time than before. I wouldn’t be surprised if they have paid for themselves already (had them about 8 months) in saved electricity!
As a wedding gift from my in-laws we got a matching Maytag Neptune set. I came from a house with a top load and the difference is amazing. Spending the money upfront for the washer is expensive compared to the top load, but well worth the money. There is hardly any water in the clothes after the spin cycle and it uses very little water and soap. I usually use half the amount of soap required (even with the cheapest soaps) and I have good clean clothes.
For everyone having trouble with the mildew smell in their washer, you can add a 1/2 cup to a cup of white vinegar to your wash load and it will keep the smell away. It’s cheap and also helps get all of the detergent out of the clothes. I’ve been doing it for a number of years since my husband has a mild allergy to detergent and love it! It will also get the mildew smell out of towels (=
I researched front loader vs top loader when we purchased a new machine 2 years ago quite heavily. The truth is, the government is mandating, or going to be, that all washers are energy star compliant. If they were not doing this, a new or well-maintained top loader actually gets clothes cleaner than a front loader. However, after the energy star mandate, its supposed to be a wash (no pun intended). They both do an equal job of cleaning. So if one saves more water than the other, not to mention detergent, then why not? That is what my research showed.
My experience has been with the front loader (I previously owned a top loader) I never have poop stains, spit up stains, or leftover spit up left on clothing like I did with the top loader. I personally don’t see where it is saving me on the water bill, but the purchase of my front loader coincided with the birth of my twins. That being said, I cram my washer full of clothes and they all come out clean.
I do recommend enlisting the help of consumer reports mag or consumer reports.com. Both of those sites have excellent advice on selecting a new washer/dryer. Its not just someone’s opinion either, it is tested and proven. There are front loaders out there performing sub par. I would do my research and opt for one that is above average at least.
IF you have well water you may want to consider the old-type top loader. The hard water is not very kind to the new-fangled front-loaders. I don’t know anyone with a really dirty outside job who has one though, so I don’t know about how well they clean–just about the problem with hard water. If you live in the city the savings on the water bill may be enough. You could just try using the smallest water setting on a top-loader and the amount of detergent recommended to for the front loader and see if it’s clean enough! Or, be bold! Ask a friend if you can do a load and see how well it works! Make her dinner as a barter!
Everyone that I know who has a front loader dislikes it.
I have a Frigidiare Heavy Duty HE front load set that I’ve had for three years, and I absolutely love it. I can pack that puppy FULL and everything still comes out clean. I have no issues with smell of any kind. As far as the “expense” of HE detergent – give me a break. I use All, and I haven’t paid for that stuff in a year. There’s always a coupon for it, and retailers put it on sale all the time. A 32 load bottle will last my family of four, including a teenage son who plays roller hockey in the summer (can you say smell?), a month.
The reason my husband purchased that set was he works at Lowe’s, and he was talking to the manufacturer’s rep about the different machines they carry. My husband asked the rep which machine would he put into an apartment complex’s laundry room, and the rep said he’d sell the one I have with the (optional) coin slot on it. Hubby figured that if it could take that abuse, it could handle our family. And he was right!
In short, I say yes, buy one. BUT, do the research and find a good model, because not all of them are.
Oh, and it was only around $800 or so for the pair, so not very expensive at all, really.
Wow! I have always wanted a front loader because they look cool. Thank goodness I read these posts. When I need a new washing machine I will go with a energy efficient top loader! This was a great topic!
We have a Maytag HE front loading washer, and we leave it open after we are done doing laundry so have no problem with smell or mold. We love it! I read the above comment that it does not work for cloth diapers and have not found that to be true at all. I use the sanitize option, since you are not supposed to use bleach on the type of cloth diapers I use. I also use the sanitize option on our whites because I do not use bleach in general for health/environmental reasons. For this alone I think it is worth it – with the sanitize option it gets the smell out of wet towels also. I use HE laundry detergent, but soon will be trying Eco-friendly detergent that I saw at Sam’s Club and says it can be used for HE washers.
Question for you front loaders out there…can you add an “extra pair of socks” mid-cycle? I like that flexibility to add more stuff in after I begin the load and wonder how that would work with a front loader.
@LG,
You can pause it add an extra pair of socks, but only up to a point when it is fully into the wash cycle (and the socks probably wouldn’t be as clean if you added them at that point anyway). -at least with our Maytag.
yes! It is very much worth it! I save a lot of money on the water bill and energy bill. It is highly recommended that you use the HE-specific laundry soaps to prevent damage to your machine, but you don’t have to buy expensive brands. Lots of stores make their own brand of HE laundry soap, and always use less than the recommended amount. Also, we didn’t pay full-price for our washer (or any other appliance in our house). We didn’t want to buy a used one because I wanted a warranty on it, so we waited until the local Lowe’s had a floor sample for sale and bought it for only $550.
Front loading washers are totally worth the money (and remember, the more expensive ones are more expensive simply because they have features you may not necessarily need.) I have a cheapie Frigidare front loader & matching dryer. They work great. IMO one of the biggest pros to a front loader is that they are much much gentler to clothes, so clothes last longer. If you’re looking at one of newer designs of top loaders – they also get your clothes cleaner. When it comes to detergent you also used a lot less on each load since you need about half of what you’d use on a top loader (while still being frugal about detergent.) The water savings is also pretty big as well.
I ran into this sorta conundrum about a year ago, moved to a new apt where I could have a washer and dryer again. Your average front loager was just a wee bit too bit for the laundry closet and the door wouldn’t have closed. It killed me to have to look at top loaders because of the differences in cleaning and wear and tear on items and I eventually just looked and looked until I could find one that would fit – and be economical in price (without a ton of silly features I’d never use.)
I <3 my Whirlpool Duets. I got them on craigslist for about 700. I think it is one of the best investments I have ever made! I use powder homemade detergent most of the time. Only takes one Tbs. When I get detergent free/cheap with coupons, I use that. Just use it in small amounts or you will get a suds error. Like some others said, if water gets left in there, it will stink…I have made it habit to check the seal for loose little girl socks.
Here's a price comparison for ya on electirc use =) we got our front loaders the same month as we got our hot tub. Our bill did not change. Hot tubs SUCK energy big time but the front loaders compensated for the hot tubs extra energy use.
I too was very skeptical on spending the extra money for a front-load washer, but my husband (who is very scientifically minded) explained why he thought we should get one. Being quiet, and not yet completely convinced, I agreed and we bought our first front loader.
The very first load of laundry I did was a load of colors. In that load I included our youngest daughter’s (then 18 months, now 9) pink slippers. She wore her slippers all. the. time. We had just moved into a [new-to-us] old house that still had century-old carpet. Her slippers were black on the tops. I’d washed them a dozen times, to no avail.
Upon the completion of the first load, I took the slippers out of the machine and they were once again PINK. I was amazed. It made a believer out of me — and confirmed what my husband said AND what Consumer Reports had said. Our machine was rated top and it performed just. that. way. Not only do they work incredibly, but they also cost SO much less to operate. For a family of four — I only use one, 300 ounce bottle of detergent per year (1/4 cap per load), our water bill is neglegible, and it spins them SO dry it takes no time in the dryer (however, it takes very little time on the line – in my case)
There are many front-load machines that just don’t work well. I don’t know what the difference is, but they just don’t perform.
Many don’t like to consult Consumer Reports — but that magazine has NEVER steered us wrong on anything. It’s worth checking into.
Anyhow, that’s my pocket change on the subject.
My daughter and son in law have a front loading washer that I would always ask to use whenever I needed a comforter or a sleeping bag washed. I had a top loader washer and dryer set that was just 4 years old so I could not justify replacing it, but I have to say, I loved theirs. My son in law works at Lowe’s and one day a Lowe’s truck pulled up and he surprised me with a new Whirlpool front loading washer and dryer. I love it!!!! It uses so much less water, shoes come out white, you can wash your big, bulky bedding and pillows and they keep their shape. I say, go for the front loader!!!!
We bought a Fisher Paykel topload HE. We love it! It was cheaper than a front loader. We bought the set, but the we hardly have to dry our clothes. They spin out so well!
I have been using our frontloaders about a year and a half. I have 3 small children and love that I do laundry once a week and only 3-4 loads. The washer does take much longer so if you like to do small loads in hurry it is not the machine for you. I also think it does not get the stains out as well, probably because it doesn’t soak the clothing and doing laundry only once a week means they sit in the clothing longer. My solution is to have a bucket in my bathroom with some water mixed with oxiclean powder that I throw all my really stained clothing in (esp spit-up and poop stained baby clothes) and let it soak in that until my next laundry day. I then dump the whole bucket into my washer, fill it with the rest and run a cycle. I haven’t had a stain yet that didn’t come out that way. They dryer, well, it’s amazing–huge load of towels or jeans takes 20 minutes to dry! I also hang dry a lot of stuff next to my dryer to extend the life of clothing and even inside on dry racks things dry in less than a day. Huge savings on utilities, so no I wouldn’t go back by choice and with the amazing sales these days there really is very little price difference.
I have a front loading LG. I got it for about $500. It is great. It uses so little detergent it is hard to believe. Also my water bill went down. I say go for it – Front loaders all the way!!!
I’ve had a front loader from when they first came out and I love it! Not only can I use less detergent, but it uses less water. It also has a “handwash” cycle which saves lots of time. Sometimes, I even put ‘dry clean only’ clothes in without a problem – that saves tons of money.
Another thing is, you can use the top as a shelf. Only bad thing is that you can’t open it up to add a forgotten item. A small problem compared to the benefits.
I haven’t read any other responses. I suspect you will get a lot of answers. We purchased the whirlpool Cabrio WITH an agitator. We live in a farm and my husband and kids can create some very dirty clothes. I have been buying from a salesguy at Lowe’s for many years and I love him because he is so honest. The set he sold me was not the most expensive, but he said if I bought the front load, I would not be happy because without the agitator, our clothes would never get clean. He also said that for quality, Whirlpool is the best.
I have a Kenmore HE that is only 5 1/2 years old. Whatever you do, DO NOT BUY AT SEARS!!!!! What a nightmare. I thought the front gasket had gone after finding pieces in my clothes. The Sears “diagnostician” came, opened the door and said, Oh, this will be a major repair. It is going to cost $1,300, way more than the original cost of the washer. The parts are still covered under warranty, but we are on the hook for labor. I asked why they just didn’t give me a new washer, and he said Sears doesn’t do that.
Three weeks and 2 cancelled appointments later, my parts are still on the back porch and I am with out a washer. The cost of going to the laundromat is horrible, & Sears has refused to reimburse me for those costs, too, even tho they are the ones who cancelled the appointments. It is going to take 2 men 3 hours to do this job, and although they make the appointment, on the day the repairmen are to come, they haven’t been able to get 2 scheduled at the same time. And of course, the “service center” is in India. You call and no one there can tell you anything. I was on hold for 40 minutes one day.
But, all that aside, I loved my HE frontloader when it worked. It is way easier on my back, I never had trouble with odors, and the clothes were so dry when they came out, dryer time was way down (although I hang my clothes outside in the summer.) It did a wonderful job cleaning the clothes, & the laundromat washers are leaving in stains I never had to worry about with the frontloader. The other big consideration for us was that we live in the country with a well, and the decreased water usage for the washer allowed us to do other water-related jobs without a worry. And the frontloader was so quiet, that although it was in the front hall, just off the living room, you couldn’t hear it run. I would buy another one in a heartbeat, but not from Sears.
Just keep in mind that everything breaks, and ask the store where you make the purchase who they use for repairs.
we purchased a Maytag stackable. Within one month, we received a class action suit notification. The washer was wonderful (only 1 month old), so I did nothing with the class action suit.
About 1 year, the washer was smelling musty/moldy. So i called Maytag, who said we cannot discuss this with you, per the class action suit.
Customer service finally recommended running the washer with bleach, when the smell comes back. This is usually every 3 months.
Make sure you check the rating of the front loader you are purchasing (consumer report etc)…
Got a whirlpool Cabrio top load washer about a year ago. It does a great job and I have been very pleased. The reason I stayed away from the front load was because I would have had to purchase a pedestal or have a bad back. I had also read alot of reviews about the vibration of the front load. I would definitely purchase a top load again.
I know you already have lots of responses, but I wanted to give you mine. I LOVE my front loader. I did not buy the top of the line machine. We bought a Frigidaire Gallery? That’s what it says on the front of the machine. It has all the dials and despensers on the front of the machine. I don’t need to use the HE detergent, which is more expensive. I just use 1/2 the amount of detergent like I always do. We also bought the dryer so they can be stackable. It works great, but didn’t cost as much as the top of the line models. And because the dials are on the front my 4 year old can do laundry. Plus I don’t have to worry about a computer going bad on the machine, it’s just like the old top loaders. Hope that helps!
Yes, Yes and Yes!
I went from using 50+ gallons of water to 17 gallons.
I actually checked our water meter 🙂
My mother-in-law bought a matching set of the front loading washer and dryer. She has said if she had to do it again, she would definitely go with the top loader. She doesn’t like how water always runs onto the floor when she needs to open the door.
We, however, have an old top loader and love it!! I’m not sure I could ever be convinced to buy a front loader. I think an energy efficient top loader is the way to go!
We have the HE Kenmore washer/ dryer set & pedistals ( no more bending than usual). I love them, I buy detergent/ softner about every month & a half. As for the oder I haven’t noticed. But then I keep my door dry/& clean and ck under the rubber seal to keep goo cleaned out there as well/ use less detergent prevents this also. I consider it part of the manitance to keep it clean. Who wants to use a dirty machine. I agree with some of the others on the spin cycle. Wow less dry time. My water bill was cheaper until in our area they raised the rates =(. now its the same as before. The washer/dryer weights the laundry & washes/drys accordingly so it uses less time.
We’ve had our LG Steamwasher (and dryer) for over 3 years now. I haven’t had ONE problem with our LG – I LOVE it! There’s a speedwash function if you’d like the load washed in 30 minutes. If you use the right settings, for a heavily soiled load (kids clothes) there is GREAT stain removal! I love the energy savings, water savings and less wear-and-tear on clothing! I have always kept the door open to prevent any smell but haven’t ever had a smell, as the sales person told me, there shouldn’t usually be a problem if a “bleach-load” is run at least once a month and the door is left open. I also got the pedestals because I wanted to avoid hunching over to switch loads : ) Plus, they add some good storage space!
I think the main thing to keep in mind is that there are SO MANY different types of front-loaders out there. They differ in quality, size of drum, price, etc. If someone buys a small front-loader or the cheapest one out there that isn’t made of quality components (steel drive, etc) OF COURSE they’re going to hate their front loader and base their judgement of ALL front loaders on that! I really think it’s worth reducing energy use, water use and detergent use for you to consider a front-load machine – and, keep in mind that the dryers are also more energy efficient with features that sense how damp the clothes are to keep the temperature at maximum effectiveness and stop when it senses the clothes are dry – well worth getting the “matching” dryer! Keep an open mind and research QUALITY brands with good customer reviews – I researched for 6 weeks before deciding on the LG Steamwasher/dryer!
We got a deal on Frigidaire front loaders that we couldn’t refuse recently when our washer went out. They offered tons of rebates, too, which made it even better. And, gasp, our local store was MUCH cheaper than Lowe’s or Home Depot so we were very happy to give our business to the local “little man”. My favorite is that they have an “energy saver” cycle which I always use. The clothes come out of the washer only feeling damp….compared to dripping with water from my old washer. I can fit tons in them…the salesman let me know that as long as you can close the door, you haven’t overloaded them…they actually work better with bigger loads. I won’t go back to a regular washer and dryer. (Also, we get our money back in energy savings within 5 years…that’s awesome!) Consumer Reports is a great resource to get info on the best deals.
I absolutely hate mine! I bought a Whirlpool Duet, with pedestals, 3 years ago and I do not recommend them. Both my husband and son work in the garage throughout the week and I cannot get their clothes clean. Also they shake the house way to much. I have had service out to the house several times and there is “nothing wrong” with the machines. I swear one day the house will fall down around the washer running.
My best friend gave her 1 year old set away, she did not like hers either (a different brand). They had a major problem with mildew.
We’ve got front-loaders and love them. I will say that your local Habitat Restore is a tremendous resource for large, working appliances at extremely reasonable prices. That’s where we got our current front-loading washer and dryer set, as well as the toploading set before that about 12 years ago. We’ve also gotten a fridge, mini fridge, dishwasher and new oven from the one closest to us. Lowes and Home Depot (among others) often donate new, excess inventory of good brands to Habitat. And plenty of people donate very nice ones when they’re remodeling a kitchen or laundry room, etc. Habitat volunteers test all appliances before they go out to the floor also. Hope that helps 🙂
I have a Maytag front loader and would never buy one again. I don’t think it cleans as well and the mold and mildew is definitely a huge issue.
My husband bought me a front loader for our 20th anniversary–that was several years ago and I love it as much as the day I got it! Saves on energy costs and the amount of detergent you have to use, not to mention it is much easier to load/unload.
Honey save your money I purchased the front loader from Sears, I still have the washer, it stinks, has a nasty odor. The dryer, lasted 2 years the electrical system burnt . Paid 2000.00 what a waste. Went and bought a used dryer for 150.00 working great.
I have a front loader and I do not like it. The clothes never seem to come out fresh, which frustrates me. I have begun running a load with nothing in it, but at what point does it become less cost effective.
Be careful not to go too cheap. We bought a cheaper end model and it occasionally leaks water out the front. Also, if you forgot something and want to add it later like in a top loader, you can’t, or water will spill all over the floor. I personally think front loaders are overrated.
Also, Kenmore Front Loaders and Dryers prior to 2008 time frame were made by Whirlpool. LG took that business over in 2008. Interestingly enough, LG stripped a Whirlpool design down and reverse engineered it as I understand it but because they are outside the US, patent laws are not enforceable.
I have the Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer that I got a little over 3 years ago. I love them. However if you do get them, I would highly reccomend getting the extended warrenty, just because these are so expensive. We have had to use geek sqad twice already and there was parts repaird on the washer both times. one time was due to moving and being stuck in storage for a few weeks in the cold temperatures of NY it broke a plastic piece, but it was covered. We choose to do the Best buy option where you can do intrest free for 18 months, so it worked out nice for us like paying cash. Also we found out that we were using too much detergent. If you go by the amount the detergent bottles tell you, that is too much, We now have a medicine cup that we put two tbs of detergent in. It gets our clothes clean. I have been able to get all stains out, along with spray and wash and I have a 16 month old (so you know how the stains are from babies) Good luck to you on your decision. Also I am sure you know that if you dont get the fancy colors it is cheaper. I was stubborn and wanted green so I paid! I hear about it all the time from the hubby…. =)
We bought our Kenmore front loading washer and dryer at a Sears Outlet store in 2001. I will never go back to a regular washer! It is awesome. I have 4 kids and I can do huge loads. Now we live in a house with a pool and I can do huge loads of towels. It gets my whites super clean on the “whitest whites” cycle and there is also a “sanitary” cycle which is great for accidents and such. We researched and researched and couldn’t afford brand new. We got the set and 2 pedestals for around $1300, if we had gone to Sears it would have been around $2200. It was the best purchase ever. I would see if you have an outlet store in your area and check the prices there.
We bought our HE front loader dryer from a friend and I love it! We also got the matching washer from a discount place. They had discontinued them so this store had bought the excess. After submitting for energy rebates with our electrical company and water company they both came out very inexpensive. The dry time is cut in about 1/2 and the wash time is long, but the clothes come out dryer to begin with. You can’t open the washer up to throw something in part way through the cycle but I haven’t found this a problem. I just leave the door and dispenser open a bit after running a load and have not had a problem with smell/mildew. Less soap also and my clothes are cleaner. I love them!!
Glad to see this discussion my 25 yr old top loader is on its last legs and dh refuses to fix it again. I used my mil’s front loader and was not impressed at all, I can get just as many clothes in mine and get them just as clean if not cleaner in the one I have right now. I think we will just go with a HE top loader for us esp since I only need to replace the washer (my dryer is only 7 yrs old and I hang laundry outside all summer anyway) Thank you all for helping me make my decision, I “think” we will go with the Whirlpool HE top loader (dh will like that it is an American and Union company)
Oh….look for a scratch & dent sale at your local appliance store!!!
I bought a Whirlpool Duet HE front loader 8 years ago and love, love, love it!!!
Only thing different I would do is buy the pedestal so I’m not killing my back stooping over. Clothes are cleaner, I use less detergent, and the clothes come out drier. Also, with the hand wash function, I never have to hand wash the old fashioned way again!!!
These are getting old enough that they might start showing up on Craigslist soon!!!!
I have an LG that we bought at Home Depo. It was around $600.00, I love it. My water bill is $61.00 a quarter which is very reasonable. It was much higher before we bought the front loader. One thing to make sure of before you purchase, is the latch on the front door, a friend had a front loader and the latch kept breaking and the machine won’t work without that latched.
As someone who works for a company that sells raw materials to the US laundry manufacturers, I say no, it is not worth it. Go with the most efficient top loader and you will be happy with the savings and the performance and it will cost less.
Just please, when considering a new appliance, please try to buy one made in the USA to support US manufacturing companies. Whirlpool, who owns the brands Maytag, Kitchen Aid, Roper, and some Kenmore (though not the Kenmore front loaders) are made in the USA. Bosch also has manufacturing plants in the US. I know their dryers are made in NC. GE is completely outside the US as is Frigidaire and LG.
@Suzanne, Thank you for the info. helps us with our decision since we prefer to buy American made products!
@Mary in Ohio,
Mary, The Whirlpool Plants are in Ohio! So if you buy a Whirlpool brand, you are even helping your home state!
I don’t have a front loader, but a recent Lowe’s commercial put it into perspective for me. The salesman tells the couple that the front loader will save about $500 in energy over the life of the machine! Only $500!! That is about the difference between a nice top loader and a decent front loader. I would definetely buy 7 of the $100 machines and then you will likely be set for life! My top loader gets my clothes cleaned very well.
@Abbygail, also forgot to mention the extra cost of the detergent!
@Abbygail, Saw that same commercial and thought the same thing! Looks like we will be looking for a new top loader
I had a front loader (Maytag) and it only lasted 5 years and it did not clean clothes as well as my top loader. Went back to the largest capacity, high efficency toploader and love it. So happy…the clothes are completely clean once again. It saves water just like the front loader because it automatically determines the load size and I can also override the functions if I want to to change load size, water temp, extra spin, whatever. Got a great deal by watching sales too!!!
I’ve had a front-loader for almost a dozen years … Frigidaire Gallery. No mildew smell issue (that appears to be an issue with some newer front-loaders, not sure why). I can always get Purex HE detergent for about $2.50 a bottle and I use half the recommended amount anyhow. Clothes come out great and I love the fact that a load never gets unbalanced–that used to happen to my old top-loader all the time (lots of jeans and towels when you have boys!), the buzzer would sound, and I’d have to run and redistribute the load.
We just bought a set of HE front-loading machines and I’m very happy with some aspects and not so happy about others. We splurged and bought the pedestals and I love that I don’t have to bend over to do laundry. With small kids I do enough laundry for a small country so it has been more than worth the money. I also love all of the settings available on the new models.
What I do NOT like about the washing machine is that it always smells a little like mildew. That smell doesn’t affect the clothes or anything but it’s just kind of gross.
We have had our for about 4 years and I love it we have a family of 6 and you can definatly pack it full and everything does come out clean, I have not had the odor problem that some of the others have had but I always leave my door open when not in use and I use the clean washer only cycle ever once in a while (it works just like when washing clothes but you only put bleach in it and let it run) it uses much less water and the only thing is when it’s done washing jeans they have spun so much that they are all tangled together, they are pretty dry already but just twisted together which can be a pain. I don’t really see much of a difference with the dryer though it does have a wrinkle free option which means when it’s done drying it will pause for a couple minutes then start up again until you get the clothes out, which means less ironing. Mine are Kenmore brand.
i have the same choice to make soon and i after reading all your comments will be staying with top loader…why would i want to deal with special detergent, smells and longer cycles plus spend more money one the unit…no way
i was happy for the past 15 years with a top loader so i am sticking with it ..just happy don’t have to go back to a washboard like grandma sitting by the river every week…
For what my opinion is worth, with so many here – I’m not thrilled with my HE Epic Matag front loading washer & dryer that we purchased a year ago. We were supposed to get a great deal with a rebate, but 2 different rebate companies bankrupted, and ultimately we didn’t get the savings as planned.
There has been the musty odor since we purchased the set in the washer, especially if the door gets shut (which it does all the time because it’s in our entryway.) I don’t think it is bigger than my super size top loading in anyway, and in fact have found that if I over-stuff the machines, things don’t get washed/dried completely. I do use homemade laundry detergent in it, along with vinegar for softener and found those to be less cruddy in the machine. The washer is very loud and bounces all over, which seems to be common among others I know that have them. Also, I hate squatting down to do all my laundry and don’t have the room to put the pedistal under it to raise it up (which I hate the thought of paying an extra $200 each for and the dispensor would be too high for me to reach.)
Are my clothes cleaner? I don’t think so, I spend many more hours trying to get stains out than I did with more water use in my old washer.
Also, the dryer lint collector has to be cleaned out everytime, or the dryer doesn’t work at all.
The one thing that the set does do better – is save money. We have seen our electric bill cut by $50 a month since gettting the set. If my calculations are correct it should more than pay for itself in less than 2 years at that savings. We do about 12 -15 loads a week for that savings. I am truly torn about the savings being worth the trouble, but being the cheapskate that I am have money savings overcoming the inconvenience of the whole thing.
Front loaders are the way to go! Run don’t walk to your nearest dealer! I would not ever purchase anything but one. As others have stated….it uses less water, less detergent, and if you have a fast final spin option clothes will come out practically dry. Sometimes, I have to double check if I really washed the clothes because they are so dry. The clothes do not get beat up by hitting against that agitator in the middle. I even wash my dry clean only clothes and dedicates are never a problem. So you will save money also on dry cleaning and the money used to dry your clothes since they come out so dry after washing. I purchased my from Sears (Kenmore). I believe it was $649.00 about 5 years ago. I don’t have a huge family so I did not need a large machine. It is still able to tackle a large comforter though. Go for it, I don’t think you will think twice after your purchase.
Oh my goodness! YES IT’S WORTH THE COST!! They use a lot less water. I have an LG front loader and it gets the grass stains out of clothes without me even having to treat the stains. With four kids, it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to our laundry. I LOVE my LG! The one drawback is that it usually takes an hour to run a load.
@Jennifer K, I purchased an LG front loader almost 3 months ago and we will be returning it within the next week. It is not getting our clothes clean, especially the little kids – even after pre-treating and using Clorox 2. Some of our clothes have even come out with stains that were not there before putting them in the washer! Had LG repair guy out, everything checked out “normal” but computer board & water valves were replaced for good measure. So my question for you is, how do you get stains out? Is your machine a steamer (mine is not)? If it is, are your clothes shrinking? I also never wash in hot unless its bedding. I don’t know what to even replace our LG with, I just miss my old top-loading Kenmore! Any washing/stain removing tips are appreciated because I really want the features of a front-loader.
We bought a front loader and dryer for $900 total including delivery and installation. I really like it, but I think there are some drawbacks. One, my back hurts from stooping over. We did not get the pedestals. Two, the seal in front gets dirty and gunk stuck in it and must be cleaned regularly (including poop from babies diapers- ewww). Three, the top of the seal collects water and you must leave the door open to fully dry for hours after each load or mold will grow and stain the rubber.
With that said I believe some of the more expensive models do not have the same seal issue as I have, but we really couldn’t afford it. I love that things get cleaner, the machine is quieter, things take less time to dry and the water bill is a lot less. I would consider buying a more expensive one if I could afford it next time.
My good friend is a appliance repair guy and he said to avoid the front loaders. He said they are much more prone to breaking then the top loaders and when they do break they are much more expensive to fix (the fix price is going to be close to the price of a lower end top loader). He also said lots of people have mold/mildew issues with the seals and interior. I was looking at fridges the other day and noticed the prices have come down a little on the front load style but they are still substantially more expensive then the “old style” machines which still work great.
If you are looking for a good deal on new appliances check and see if your area has a bents and dents outlet. I got our fridge and dryer from a Sear’s bents and dents outlet store. Both had a big surface scratch so they couldn’t be sold new. So I got them almost 1/2 price along with the new warrenty. A $2 can of appliance paint later and you couldn’t tell the difference. Generally they are near larger cities.
I purchased my HE top loader Whirlpool Cabrio about 4 years ago. While I paid a pretty penny for it (it was unplanned and couldn’t catch a great price and just could not deal with the laundromat) BUT from the first wash I was thrilled. When the 1st one was done, I found myself wondering just how “un”clean were the previous machines’ loads. The delay cycle is the best. I set and in the morning, put in the dryer because the wash is done. The minimal water usage makes me feel so green! Yes, HE detergent/softner costs more, but realistically, I dont’ follow the guidelines and tend to use less as it. I do leave the top open when done because that just makes sense to let it dry out. Yes, a regular wash can take longer but I’ve got plenty to do during anyway. As far as smell, I can say there have been some moments where I think an order hasnt’ come out but since I started adding 2 scoops of baking soda per wash in for the last 3 years, no worries! Sorry so long. Lastly, because we knew the old machine was on the way out, we were already researching them using our gold standard, consumer reports
@Mommymel, Thank you this is the one dh and I have been looking at but we knew no one that had one.
@Mary in Ohio, The Whirlpool Cabrio is the biggest piece of cr@p on the market. Just bought a new Top Loader and gave Home Depot a “working” Cabrio washer. Do your research and read the 1000’s of bad reviews out there for this model!
@Chris, we have one and even though it leaks if you fill it too full we LOVE IT get it at lows and go with a warenty
I love my top loader; it does a great job cleaning even my husband’s super dirty work clothes. It’s one of the kind that spin the clothes really dry. I don’t know about you but I LIKE the idea of an agitator in there working our clothes with the soap and water to get them clean. No front loader for me!
I agree w/several of the comments I’ve read about my front loader. In the beginning I felt like my clothes were not getting as clean. However, I started adding just a little of the regular detergent mixed in w/the H.E. detergent. That has completely solved the problem. I don’t use all regular b/c it is too sudsy for that type of machine.
My clothes definitely are less wet coming out of the machine and take much less time to dry.
I love my LG front load. It is almost 4 years old and we have had no issues. It doesn’t have the odor that many have mentioned. We use barely any detergent and our clothes still come out cleaner than the top loaders. Ours has a stain cycle. I put all my 17mo daughters clothes in the washer without any pretreating with a 1/4 of oxi clean baby on the stain cycle and all the stains come out.
We got the front load when we moved into our new house. We got energy effiient appliances and our electic bill for our 4 bedroom home is less than the bill for our 2 bedroom townhouse. Our water bill is about $20 per month less. Definately recommend the front load.
we just got one through an amazing deal. there were rebates through our state government for an he washer, sale and rebates through the store – so we didn’t pay the giant price tag. while it’s still new, i love it. it does require being wiped out to prevent mildewing after a day of laundry, it gets the clothes as clean if not cleaner and much drier – requiring much less time in the dryer. i have a friend who uses cloth diapers and she got the same bosch as we did. she said she has to do three cycles for the diapers rather than two because there’s no agitator, but it still saves money because there’s so much less water used per cycle and they come out so much drier.
We have had the Maytag Epic for around a year and a half now and I love them! I’ve had no problems with mildew and the clothes are much cleaner now. I love how quickly it washes and dries the clothes and I have had no problem with mildew. Plus, the doors are right at my 3 year old’s level, so he can help load and unload!
DO NOT DO IT. Front loaders are notorious for stinking to high heaven. They are more expensive to repair and are more prone to breaking down. Yes they do save on water, and they clean well. But it is not worth the hassel.
I have to say I love my HE Front Load Washer. The problem with the smelly towels/ mold issue is because of the the way the machine is made. Mold and mildew grow between the drums. I have recently checked into this product. I review for Momma Buzz and missed getting in on the review but here is the website~http://www.smellywasher.com/ I just ordered some. It is great place to visit and learn about the front load washer. I think this will correct the problem!
However~I do keep the door open. Mine is not bad but I don’t want a problem at all! It does seem to be only a problem with towels.
My clothes are so very clean and I love the way I can get any stain out of our clothes. I also use my own homemade laundry soap ~http://farmingonfaith.blogspot.com/2010/04/farming-on-faith-new-and-improved.html and fabric softener. I say yes it absolutely cleans much better. I have given up the dry cleaners totally with all the fancy features. I love mine!
I have Maytag front-loaders. I would say, yes, definitely. You can fit so much more in them. And I’ve had mine for at least seven years I think.
We have had our Samsung front loading washer and dryer for only about 3 weeks. I’m not sure what the energy savings will be. However, the washing machine spins really well so that when I get the clothes out they are barely damp and don’t need near as much time in the dryer. It works great on cloth diapers too. They are cleaner than they have ever been! We use bum genus detergent and it helps a lot with the smell. It costs $12 a box but lasts about 6 – 7 months.
Although I love my front loader and the way it cleans my clothes, I dislike the fact that my towels are not as soft and plush as they were with a conventional washer.
I liked the way it cleaned the clothed diapers (got out any stains very well) but I don’t think it took away the entire smell (but that could have also just been the detergent I had to use).
I dislike the fact that I need to leave the door open on the washer to prevent a mildew smell from forming. You are recommended to wipe down the rubber ring each time you use it especially if you have hard water.
Although my front loader takes a bit longer to wash my clothes than my previous washer, the dryer uses half the time to dry the clothes.
As far as the cost of water, the savings using the front loader has been wonderful.
By going to the scratch and dent shop, and then taking advantage of a rebate out water company offered on certain models of front loaders, I paid just over $250 for our front loader. I love it!
love mine. i can get any stain out with that thing! just remember that there is a difference between high efficiency and high capacity. ours is he, but has a normal capacity.
I love our front loader washer! It doesn’t beat up my clothes as bad as a top loader because there’s no agitator so my clothes stay looking newer and nice longer 🙂 a front loader also uses less soap and will only add enough water for the amount of clothes being washed, so no wasting water! It spends the clothes faster (you’ll think the washer is going to blast off like a spaceship sometimes) so drying time is far less. Some stores are even offering the cash for clunkers deal so you can trade in your clunker washer and get a discount on the new energy saver washer.
I have had a GE front loader for almost 9 years now and I love it. I do leave the door open slightly because of the moldy smell and it is fine. I have never had it break down. It is a super workhorse. And it was the cheapest front loader that existed at the time. I have never used HE detergent. I just use about half as much of the regular detergent.
I absolutely hate my new low-water washing machine. I’m considering just taking the loss ($700+) and going and buying a conventional top loading, regular water-consumption washing machine. My new machine leaves soap on clothes, doesn’t get stains out, and it doesn’t use enough water to take the smell out of clothes–particularly towels. It does spin clothes well, but that’s a problem because it wrinkles them horribly. I sometimes just take clothes to my neighbors to wash; just trying to get them clean. I have talked to numerous people who have similar problems with these “new” washers. My recommendation? Don’t buy front load, low-water machines.
I agree. I bought a Frigidaire front-loading washer, and after it broke down 3 times in 5 years, I gave up and replaced it with an old-fashioned Sears Kenmore washer. This one works much better!
This question staggered me as, here in the UK, I’m not sure you can even buy top-laoding washing machines. I’ve certainly never seen one. I obviously can’t compare the two, but I’ve never had any problems with our front loading machine and, with three children, it takes quite a hammering! It is important to research brands though, as I know some makes are more reliable than others. Here in the UK, Miele and Bosch are the most reliable makes, but Miele are phenomenally expensive. Pretty much anything German-made is going to be good. I’m sure you have far more choices available to you across The Pond.
@Paula, Paula, the front loading machines in Europe are WAY better in my humble opinion. I lived in France / Belgium for 4 years and always found the machines there to wash my clothes better than the machines do here. It took longer for a load, but always came out so clean. I don’t think our front loaders on this side of the pond compare to yours! All the more pity!
I am the mother of 5 and do a lot of laundry. I would absolutely not spend the money again. My set is a whirlpool so it’s a reputable brand. My set does not wash as well, get stains out etc and it spins the laundry so dry that it wrinkles the clothes and is very difficult to get them out. I have two laundry rooms and usually end up bringing the majority of my laundry downstairs to do in my top loading old set. The only benefit I can see is that they do hold bigger loads but they take longer so I can do almost two sets in my old set in the same amount of time as my top loader. Also I have as many complaints about the dryer I prefer my older version. Good luck shopping.
I have mixed feelings about our front load (HE). Ours has a sanitize cycle that I love. I also love that my little ones can help put clothes in and take them out. Most importantly, I feel my front load does a better job of washing than the top load we use when visiting family. Stains come out better and the clothes are not beat up. As for the downsides: I did try out cloth diapering, which I learned the hard way is NOT HE friendly. I am also not a fan of the length of time that it takes for the wash cycles to run. It can take an hour and a half for one load to be washed – normal stuff. Front load washing machines cannot be used when dying things, and I often turn to dyes when trying to re-purpose or lengthen the life of some things around our house. (There are other methods, but the washing machine is the easiest) Also, while I love that the kids can help with the loading, my back does not love the bending over part of the front load washer. We did not opt for the stands that you sit them on and thought we could make our own cheaply, but 4 years later, have not gotten to that little project. While the market has improved on this one, I also did not like that the HE detergents were more expensive. I have tried the make your own laundry detergent, which did work okay, but I still prefer the detergents.
@Jessica,
Are you still having issues finding he detergents? If you don’t mind me asking – what brand did you used to buy before you bought your own? All of the big mainstream brands in the recent years have made all of their normal detergents he. I don’t know about all of the detergents since I focus mainly on what I can purchase for very little with coupons but I’ve never had issues finding super cheap detergent these days because they’re all he.
@Jessica, I cloth diaper with Bum Genius pocket Diapers, and I find that our Maytag front loader is wonderful – especially since you are not supposed to use bleach on these cloth diapers, so I can use the sanitize option. Just wanted other readers to know that it is possible. 🙂
We have had our LG front loaders for six years! Very happy with them and love the delay settings. Our clothes dry really fast!
I too had a front loading washer, a GE. I really did not like it. I had the mildew problem, and, in order to get my clothes clean, I had to run it through a really long cycle and two rinse cycles, which made the savings go down the drain as far as less water/energy usage. Plus, I thought it was terribly hard on my clothes (probably from the extra cycles). I had a lot more pilling. I sold it and got an energy-efficient top loader, also GE, and I love it. You can let it decide how much water to use, but you can also override it and determine the water level yourself. My clothes are cleaner, it takes much less time to do laundry, and there is far less wear and tear. Bottom line, I wouldn’t recommend a front loader, but I would recommend the energy-efficient top loader.
I just got a new LG front loader. Absolutely love it! I use regular soap only very little. It was only about 100 more than a standard one if you watch the sale prices. You can do huge loads of laundry and spin them pretty dry so less dryer time . Just saw in a Consumer Reports newsletter that the model I have was rated #1 With sale price it was less than $600
@Julie Akers, if you don’t mind me asking what washer did you purchase and where did you purchase it? From a large chain or local joint?
@Monica,
LG Model- WM2050C
We bought it at Home Depot.
when the transmission on our top loader kicked the bucket (my husband had to jump-start the spin cycle by hand at the end!), we bought our front loader at lowes. it had been returned and repaired and was half price. i am happy, but it doesn’t get stains out as well i believe.
I just got a new front loading washer about three weeks ago. I love it, not only does it use less water and detergent, the clothes come out cleaner, and after the final spin the clothes aren’t as wet as they were in my old top loader washer, this help cut the dryer time in half.
We went with a high efficiency top loader. It has the energy and water efficiency of a front loader, with a much lower price tag. Plus, we don’t have to remember to leave it open to avoid the mildew that can causer odors in a front loader at times.
@Motherhood Moment, My experience with a top loading HE washer is completely different from your experience. Following the manufacturer’s directions for putting the detergent in first resulted in dirt and lint coming out in the lint catch of our dryer. I switched to putting the detergent in last and that helped some. However, our washer gets really smelly and passes the smell on to the clothes. A nasty build-up forms in the fabric softener dispenser and all the little nooks are difficult to get clean. I also run a bleach load through from time to time, but it doesn’t completely get rid of the smell. We got our machine last Fall so, I haven’t tried using my homemade detergent in it. I don’t want to void the warranty. Lately, I have found that some of the “clean” clothes have a nasty “sweat” smell. I really don’t think the top load washer is getting our clothes all the way clean.
@Brandi,
We don’t have a front load or top load HE washer, though we have ended up with that mildew smell from a forgotten batch of towels. A repair man we had over (for another issue) told me that the only way to get rid of that smell is to run a large/super batch of hot water with a full container of TANG (the 20 oz size). Good luck, I hope it works for you as well.
I’ve heard the same thing about the Tang–definitely worth a shot!
@Brandi,
I had a similar problem with homemade laundry detergent- it was leaving the clothes a bit “waxy” with buildup. Try a couple of soap free, hot washes to get the smell out. I switched to a cheaper soap, Charlie’s to get a clean rinse.
We have a Bosch that we love. Our water bill went from $60 one month to $15 the next. I make my own detergent and it works just fine for us. The only downfall is that if a small amount of water is in the washer it can cause a strong odor. We use some bleach and run an empty “load.” That helps for a little bit. I didn’t read any of the other posts, so I apologize if I am repeating myself, but it’s good to remember no matter what the sales person tries to tell you – a dryer is a dryer. The only reason you would pay more for a dryer is for some kind of a function others don’t have. There are more energy efficient dryers, however it isn’t going to change the electricity bill too much. The real difference is that the clothes coming out of the washer are much drier to begin with. Happy shopping!
I just got the same washer and love it! I had a Neptune previously (piece of junk) and had the problem w/the odor as you describe (I make my own soap too). To avoid it w/my new washer, I wipe the inside window and the bottom of the rubber gasket w/a small rag and then hang the rag on the top of the door and push it almost completely shut. It leaves just enough room for the air to circulate and I have had no odor or mildew trouble. This works great on the Bosch because there is no light inside to stay on if it is open just a crack. Good luck!
Bethany,
I had to have a service repairman to my house to check out my front load washer. He was kind enough to explain the cause of the odor coming from front loaders. If you take the bottom front panel off there is a tube shaped piece that collects lots of goodies. (Place a towel under this part before removing, because water will come out and the towel makes for easier clean up.) When he removed ours I was shocked at the coins, ink pen, childs sock, etc.. There was also an amount of gray matter that smelled really bad (and I hadn’t called him for a smell YET). He explained to me that I should clean out that part once every 3 – 6 months as needed. Supposedly this is a build up of soap and the manufacturers do no do a good job explaining this to consumers. He said he goes on this call quite often and unfortunately has to charge for his time. I am sure this nice man saved me some money in my future. I hope this helps!
Eve
@Bethany, Hi. We just had our fairly new front-loader break, sadly. It would have cost more to repair it than to buy new, so we bought again. I really don’t ever want to go back to a front-loader. We bought an energy-star toploader and it is huge with now post in the middle of it. I can just thrown things in and not worry about bending over and stuffing the front-loader. The FL had to have the door open all the time to avoid mildew and mold as well, plus my normal-sized laundry basket wouldn’t fit under the door so I had to pull the basket back toward me and close the door before pushing it over to our dryer. The biggest thing that shocked us, however, is the fact that one of the electrical panels is located UNDERNEATH the front-loader barrell of water. Go figure that one out. It makes no sense whatever. I am veryyyy happy with the new toploader and glad it still is an energy-star machine.
@Susan, sorry about the typos, I’m tired. I meant “no post” in the middle of the barrel, and “throw” things right in without worrying about the agitator.
Last year, I purchased a top-loader from a reconditioned appliance store. My washer was what appeared to be a 20+ year old clunker from Sears and my dryer was a fairly decent Whirlpool. The entire set was $300 and it’s the best washer I’ve ever used in my life. While I’d LOVE a brand-new set (and am saving for one!), I plan on running my reconditioned appliances till they die. I was very fortunate to find a diamond in the rough with my washer!
If you are willing to buy a used top-loader, then why not buy a used front-loader? You can often find appliances that are only a few years old on Craigslist.
Another option is to see if your local store has a scratch-n-dent room. Those items are usually marked down quite a bit, and the flaw is usually something cosmetic.
I have an LG Front Loader and it’s ok. I would definitely purchase a top loader next time with a see through lid. We’ve had problems with it sucking things into the pump (change and such) and we’ve had trouble with the lock. The pump is really delicate and once somethings in it, it just shuts down. That’s what the repairman said. And the lock on the door is extremely sensitive. If it doesn’t sense that it locks, then it won’t spin the clothes. Our lock broke and kept our clothes hostage until the repairman got here. Not a huge fan of Front loaders.
Nicole
We splurged when we moved into our new house a couple of months ago and bought the Electrolux front loaders. I LOVE them! They use less energy and water! And, I feel like our clothes are much cleaner and less beaten up (our old washer tended to eat our clothes). As many others have mentioned, you do have to leave the door open to dry out so the rubber seal doesn’t mildew. We’ve found that simply leaving it cracked and sticking the bottle of laundry detergent in front of the door keeps it cracked enough to air out and closed enough that we don’t run into it.
Love our LG front loading machine. We saved money when we bought our front loader by using the 10% off coupon from the post office moving packet. Then we saved even more money buy getting a used, non-matching dryer for $85 from Craiglist. Though the dryer capacity is smaller, during the 53 minutes it takes to wash a regular load, I can split the damp clothes into two piles and dry each of them before the next load needs drying. And in the warmer months, line drying is a great, frugal option.
I have a Maytag Epic Z set. It is mid-range Front loader and I really do love it. I got it on sale with a discount, plus rebates from local unitlites about 3 years ago. The board did go out, but it was under warranty. The repaid guys said that it was a good set that he rarely has to repair, but from what I saw above the board thing sounds relativly common.
I am short and I like being able to get things in and out without standing on my head! It hardly use any detergent. I use half the recommended amount and our cloths get clean. Simply stains do come out in the wash, some nastier ones (grape jelly) I have soaked beforehand in the sink and then it came out in the was. The standard wash time is about 40 min. There are several other options (sanitize, quick wash, hand wash, spin only, rinse only) which come in handy.
I have had no problem with mold and I have never washed the machine, though it does have a special cycle for it. I just leave the door open and it is fine. I could see this being problem if it were in a main area of the house though. The lock on the door is loud (sounds like the clang of a jail cell!) and when the spin cycle is on high it REALLY moves. Mine are on very solid homemade pedestals which are on a concrete floor and are balanced so it isn’t a problem at all. I can’t hear it upstairs, but if I am down stairs then I can.
The clothes do get tangled up and that makes getting things like pants a pain to get out at times….but as I mentioned I am short so they are too long ; ) I do notice that the towels and rags had a musty smell, but I add a little baking soda to the detergent and add vinegar to the rinse (through the fabric softener dispenser) and there is no more smell to them anymore…even the really smelly dishrags don’t smell.
FWIW I think a HE top loader with no agitator would be good too. I think you could do cloth diapers in a FL, run them through rinse cycle and then a full wash (mine has a super wash cycle which would probably work well) and then you could probably run them through a spin only to really get the water out if you wanted to, but I think ultimately a HE top loader with no agitator would probably easier when it comes to them.
I got a new FL w/d a couple of years ago. I don’t think that they clean any better, but they do clean more at one time. We are on a well, so I did not notice any change in the amount of water used, but our electric bill did decrease the first month and it was in March, so there wouldn’t have been other factors as our furnace is propane. We live in SW Missouri, so mildew, mold, all that stuff is an issue as the humidity is so great. I have to leave the door open after every load and I had to soak a washcloth in bleach and let it set on the rubber seal for a few hours to get off all the mold that had accumulated before I realized that the door just has to be open. That is a pain as then that door can block the door to the garage and the laundry room really is not that big and these are big machines. I did not get the pedestals and I got the Bosch as they were the cheapest of the front loading. We have had used off and on for years and I am thankful for new machines that wash well and dry in only one cycle. We have hard water, but we have a water softener, so it is not a problem. I would probably buy them again just because of the capacity. If you live somewhere with less humidity, the mold might be less of an issue and if you had a bigger more out of the way laundry room the door would not be a problem, so it just depends on your needs. If you soak a lot of stuff, they are not the greatest either. You can open them once a load has started (as least on mine), you just hit pause and then wait for it to unlock and then restart it and it relocks. One other nice thing is that you can put junk (laundry baskets or soap) on top of the washer for whatever that’s worth.
I will say that one of my friends was at Lowe’s recently and she talked them down off the marked already discounted price on a dryer, so feel free to bargain even at the big stores and it was not a scratch and dent or anything.
It is like anything, we all have our preferences and our needs are different. There is a lot of information online and prices vary greatly, so it pays to do the homework. We got ours at Lowe’s on sale with free delivery and taking away of the old, I am glad that they were delivering it as it was a pain to get in. =)
Wow! A lot of strong opinions here!
I would get the opinion of a repairman! We have a front loader and had to have an electrical board replaced within 3 years at the cost of $300!!! Fine out what brand and model a repairman suggests you buy (or which to avoid)! We have had no trouble with the cleaning of clothes; I mainly wanted a machine that could do larger loads since we have 6 kids. We didn’t really track the savings on water or electricity.
We did not buy the matching “fancy” dryer; we bought a large capacity cheaper dryer. The dryer is always done first, so I agree that the FL spins out better than a top loader.
And I wish I’d gotten the pedestal, at least for the washer, as I’m pregnant again, and you do have to really bend and reach to get all the wet clothes out 😉 Also, you can’t do small loads in a front loader because it won’t spin out correctly, if at all.
My only concern with buying used is that if it dies in a few months you are in a bit of an emergency state to get something else. Our old washing machine still worked, and we gave it to a friend when hers died, and it only lasted a few months for her.
I don’t have a front-loading washer, but my sister-in-law just got a pretty nice one, and she said that it doesn’t clean any better than her 10 year old top-loader.
we went to sears and found the clearance area…then we found the display front loader for about $300…definitely worth it! especially with cloth diapers! i have cloth diapers and my water cost hasn’t gone up at all with my front loader!
I have had both (in fact, in my last house, I had 2 different laundry rooms, one with a top loading traditional washer and regular dryer, and the other with my 4 year old LG front loaders (top of the line….steam, pre-soak, sanitizing, etc).
No contest…….Front Loader wins, hands down!!
Worth every penny we paid for them.
Why?
For us, (besides much cleaner clothes, being able to do all of my family’s laundry in only 5 huge loads a week, significant electric savings, better for the environment, etc.) the major deciding factor was:
Having a well and an aging septic system.
Anything that significantly reduces water consumption or output is a HUGE money-saver in the long run!!
If you’re not living in an area that has public water or sewers; watching the water consumption, and not being really hard on your septic system, are major factors in frugality 🙂
I like my front load washer and if you buy a dryer at the same time as your washer – consider getting the largest capacity dryer you can. My washer/dryer set isn’t a set but the dryer keeps up with the washer which saves a lot of time.
I know this really has nothing much to do with saving money but my top loading washer is the only style I’ll ever use…reason is I inevitably find a stray sock or last minute shirt I forgot about so I can easily add them to the wash after it has started…an impossible task with a front loader due to the fact that all the water would pour out if I tried this…so i guess in a way I am saving time and money b/c i don’t have to wait and start a new load for those few items I may have missed…
I have a set of Fischer & Paykel top loaders. I have been happy with their performance, but disappointed in the amount of maintenance that they have required. Since I have four very active children and a husband who collectively produce a lot of laundry, down time for maintenance was unmanageable. Last year, we purchased a set of Whirlpool Duet front loaders and are running both sets – my dream come true!
I am very happy with the capacity and performance of the Duets. The “whitest whites” cycle combined with the oxiclean setting does a great job even on white baseball pants. I use the steam setting on the dryer to avoid ironing some clothes.
Bases are very expensive. We had a base built for less than the cost of the bases that matched the set, and we feel that it is much sturdier and more attractive.
We purchased the Whirlpool set on closeout at a local retailer, along with an extended warranty. After years of experience with appliances, we feel that local service is far superior to that offered by national retailers.
Good luck!
I’ve had my GE Duet W/D for 7 years and have had no problems. Couldn’t pay me to go back to a front loader. Not only are the clothes cleaner, they don’t show the wear and tear from an agitator. I do fewer loads and can wash large items that I would normally have to take to the cleaners or laundromat. I NEVER had a problem with mildew smell. I started to wonder why I never had a mildew smell and after researching it online realize that I do a load with bleach (kitchen towels) and a load with white vinegar every week and this is what has more than likely kept my machine from getting the smell. I use very little soap and my clothes come out sparkling. Mine has a soak cycle – possibly this isn’t in the newer models…but, I would never soak something like dirty diapers in my washing machine. Utility sink for that. BTW – white vinegar would work well in a top loader too – it cuts and removes any soap build up that you may have.
All of that ranting and I forgot to tell you about how the machine actually works, lol!
I absolutely love how clean my clothes are with the frontloader when it is actually working 🙂
I have a fisher and paykel top loader without the agitator. All the good points of a front loader, non of the bad, and I paid $330 for it!
Well I do like my Front Loader, but it is a lot harder to wash my cloth diapers, but possible. We have a local store that every 5 months or so, they run a deal to buy the front loader washer and dryer for $800.00 total. I would watch out for specials like that!
I have a Fridgedair front loader. I don’t have it on a pedestal, so it took some getting used to squatting down to load it. I always have left the door shut between loads as I have littles, but have NOT had a mildew problem. That’s actually why I got rid of my old top loader – because of mildew. I’ve had it about 2 years. I will now leave it open as recommended, because I don’t want to go there again.
I don’t know if its just true of my brand of FL, but I CAN stop it mid-load to add something, check on something, etc. I just push in the knob that I pulled out to start it & wait for the little click indicating that the door is now unlocked.
If you want a new FL, you won’t likely beat the price you’ll find on one Black Friday.
I would highly recommend getting an extended warranty with a front load washer/dryer. We purchased LG front loaders abour 2 years ago and have had the same ongoing issue for the past year and a half. There seems to be a malfunction in the computer of the washer as all of the lights will repeatedly blink over and over again. This happens randomly. Sometimes it happens when trying to turn it on and then the washer will not start. It happens in the middle of a cycle and the washer stops working, etc. By the time the Sears repairman finally comes to our house to service the machine it appears to be functioning normally. They have been to our house approx 4-5 times since we purchased them 2 years ago. The last repairman that came to the house said to make sure we keep renewing the warranty because these machines have nothing but issues.
As for the musty smell, I don’t have this issue as I do leave the door open so moisture doesn’t get trapped inside.
Another thing to take into consideration is the location in which you are putting the machines. For me, they are still in our basement 🙁 Our basement has a bit of moisture and I wonder if this is the issue with the washing machine’s computer. It can not be good to have a computer where there is moisture, right?
All in all, I wish that I had gone with a regular washer without a computer. Newer technology is not always better in my opinion. I had reservations about this when buying the machines and should have listened to my gut instinct.
I haven’t spent time reviewing all posts so what i’ll be sharing may have already been said.
I like our front loaders, we have both washer and dry and have had them for 12 years. in the past 2-3 years, pieces have had to be replaced, of which my husband did it himself, saving lots of money.
for the most part, i love our machine, for a while we had the dryer on top of the washer and then decided to bring the dryer down to the same level.
1. My big pet peave is that when pulling the clothes out of the washer, if i don’t have a basket underneath, i take a chance of some clean clothes falling on the ground, argggg.
2. and the only other thing i can think of is that its important to leave the door open so the inside can dry a bit, so as not to have mildew smell.
Looks like you’re going to be able to make an educated decision with all of these reviews, what a blessing.
I love my front loading washer. It’s quiet and does a great job on clothes. I got a model with a sanitize setting and that’s fantastic. I have a couple of dogs so when I wash their blankets and when I use the sanitize setting they always come out clean and fresh smelling. I didn’t bother buying a matching dryer and still use my old one (when I use one at all). I also really like the quick wash setting for when I need to get something washed quickly, like when my husband gets called into work at the last minute and I need to get his shirt washed and dried in under an hour. I’ve noticed that because of the tumbling action it seems to be much gentler on the clothes than an agitator.
We splurged on the LG front loading washer a year ago and it was definitely worth it! I’ve been so happy with how clean the clothes are when they come out of the washer and feel that it removes stains better. The clothes are also drier than they were with the standard washer because the spin cycle is so much stronger. The washer uses considerably less water than the top loader which is good for us because we have a well. Mildew is a bit of a problem, although I have found that it’s easy to control. I take a towel (a dirty one that I’m getting ready to wash anyway) and wipe out the inside of the washer, especially the rubber seal in the front. I do this once a week or so. It helps remove the gunk that builds up there. There’s also a little hose under the machine that my husband opens every couple of weeks to drain. This drains out the water that collects in the washer and mildews. Those two very simple things have taken care of the problem. I have to say that my friends with other brands of front loaders complain about the mildew a lot more than I do. I have no idea, but I wonder if the LG is better with that issue.
Thank you so much for this post but even more to everyone who commented. I have been enviously eyeballing the front loaders my friends have been purchasing lately but now realize that I have too much to do in a day than to babysit a front loading machine. All the extra cleaning to avoid mildew, continuous repairs, special detergent and the idea of leaving it open which to me would be a HUGE child safety hazard… UGH! No thank you, Mr. FL Washer.
Won’t my friends be so jealous when five years from now my top loader is a dream while their front loaders have been a pain?!?! LOL
Not really. Your load size is limited so you use less water, but they take longer to wash and, depending on the brand of front loader you purchase it could use twice the electricity.
Also, we were able to get a great deal on our washer and dryer by buying for a local company. $400 for our top loading washer and $300 for the dryer. They both work wonderfully.
We have been told that it is not a matter of “if” a front loading washer will leak, but “when”- this decided my choice. We got top of the line top loaders, tried and true.
Don’t forget that if you have a kroger nearby…you can buy home depot (or lowes) gift cards for 10 percent off when they have that promotion. Then, take your gift cards to buy one on clearance!!
I noticed a reduction in our dryer usage time (we have propane) and our bill has reduced tremendously.
Yes, front loaders are worth it. We have bought an LG set on a black Friday sale last year. We were able to score both the washer and dryer for around $850. We did a ton of research on all the brands, and for the features we wanted. LG had the best overall reviews, price, and feature combination for us. I have also found out that Sears has dropped Maytag as their maker for their Kenmore brand…..LG is now making them.
I have a Kenmore front loader washer and dryer that are able to stack on each other. I got a super capacity washer/dryer that fits into a small place made for a tiny stackable. No flashy electronics, just the twist knobs and pull the knob out to make it start. I have had it for 4 1/2 years and I love it. It saves so much space, water and detergent. I use about 2 tablespoons of liquid Tide HE per load. Our clothes are also almost dry when I pull them out, so that cuts down on drying time.
I had to have the bearings replaced three months ago. Sears service came out and for a flat rate of $325 they did the repair and replaced the drum. The steel drum has a lifetime warranty. Also, the time to do a load of clothes is around 45 min. That is longer than the top loader I did have. The only other negative I can think of is sometimes there is a spoiled odor inside the tub if I have not done any laundry for three or four days. I just keep the door ajar and that solved the problem.
Now, would I buy this again? You bet’ca!
Absolutely no – do not buy a front loading wash machine. I just purchased a new washer, mine was over 23 years old and I took advantage of a $75 state rebate program. I purchased a Energy Star rated Maytag and love it. I purposely avoided the fancy electronics due to the cost of repairs. I don’t want to deal with the mildew problems. My Maytag was about $325 after the rebate… You and I both know that that extra $500 is hard to justify. My clothes are cleaner and they are spun so dry I only need to hang many of the items to air dry. I did not replace my dryer – dryers are not more energy efficient than they were 10+ years ago so mine will only be replaced when it dies. Check out available rebates with your utility company and at this site http://www.energysavers.gov/financial/70020.html
No, absolutely not. In the 4 years I’ve had my washer/dryer duet, I’ve spent ovr $250 in repairs and that does not include the repair that occurred while under warranty which would have been $500. I have the GE Adora. It does not clean as well as the old GE toploader and does not handle small loads. The spin cycle is loud. Cycles are long. Mine is located in a place where I cannot leave the door open. It stinks inside. Getting service through GE has been a nightmare. I finally just asked a local repair man to work on it even though he is not a “certified” repair person. I regret buying this washer/dryer. Not worth the money.
You will love your front loader if you decide to go that way but I ave a few suggestions. Don’t skimp on the riser for it. I did and I regret it. Second if you are thinking about getting the matching dryer “don’t” you will spend a lot of money for no reason because all dryers have the same basic function and you will get the same results with a standard dryer. Unless of course you are like my girlfriend who has to have everything match..lol.. Best of luck to you on your new washing machine. 🙂
Oh and the Maytag Centennial is an Energy Star Washer.
When we were looking into purchasing a washer and dryer, because of the negative front loader reviews, we purchased the Maytag Centennial top loader and it cleans my clothes better than any washing machine we have ever used. Also uses much less soap and has a sensor in it which determines how much water to use per load size. I also use just a little bit of detergent instead of a full cup to wash full loads. They do recommend a HE detergent but I have not felt that I need that to wash the clothes efficiently. I would recommend getting the 4.0 cubic feet washer because that will allow you to do comforters and pillows etc. From what I understand, Home Depot has a huge appliance sale on Black Friday each year and last year people got the Maytag Centennial pair for a steal.
We purchased ours 4 yrs ago and I love them. I can fit a king size comforter with no problems and I have tried 16 pairs of jeans too. Uses way less water and is very quiet too. My only complain is that the spin cycle is too long…but by the time it gets to the dryer they take less time drying. Love them!!(we have the kenmore elite, quietpak2, HE4 and HE3.
I would LOVE to have a front loader. With me having back problems it is always such a pain to have to bend over to get everything out. Especially with 3 kids, there are always little toys, polly pocket clothes, money and anything else in the bottom. It is so hard to get out. When mine goes up, I’m really trying to talk my husband into getting me one.
First, you can get them for less. But it’s hard to say whether it beats a CL set b/c if you don’t have the money & you need a washer now then, look at CL.
However, if you have the money and time to shop for sales, yes it’s worth the investment. You are saving water & energy for years to come. Mine clean well. Plus for me, since I use
cloth diapers I needed to have a pre-wash cycle. The price difference for a top loading washer w/
a pre-wash cycle & my front loader was not very much.
We have had ours for 10 months and had no problems. We leave the door open when it’s empty to prevent mildew or odors.
Wow! That’s a lot of feed back!
I had a front loader for 7 years, and it worked great (purchased used for around $250 for the set) My washer was dying because of washing large bedding so much (potty training here) so we had to replace it. I spent a good month watching Craigslist and found a used set for $250!
I use half homemade soap and half Tide (regular not HE) and only use 2 T. Haven’t had any problems.
I always crack the door so it can dry out in between loads.
Clothes have been very clean. I hardly ever use bleach anymore on our whites.
The dryness of the clothes after washing is awesome. I’m sure we save $$$ on this feature alone.
Works great for cloth diapers – we do not have one that weighs the clothes. It has preset amounts of water for large/medium/small loads.
Love my GE front loader!!!
YES!! I bought a front load set the first of the year and I love it. In my opinion it gets my clothes 10 times cleaner!
i love my front loaders. my husband got mine at sears at the black friday sale. the Kenmore Elite set was around 1100 for both washer and dryer. i wash clothes less times a week. my delicates that i hang to dry are softer after drying and take less time to dry. i use he detergent also that is bought on sale and with coupons. and on my 2yr old daughters really stained loads of clothing i always spray before washing and add tide stain release to those loads, and have very very few items i have to wash again. as for cost saving i really have not tracked that to see, but compaired to drying time i know i am saving because all my clothing dries in 1/2 the time.
ME TOO!!! I got the same deal!!! saved about $1500 with out black friday sale. Keep door open to washer to air out, use HE detergent goes farther, and I also use the cleaner tabs about once every 2 months or so.
Would never go back to top loaders. Good luck!!!!
sorry I meant with the BLACK FRIDAY deal not with out!! Should proof read before I sent!!!
We have the LG steamtromm’s and I LOVE them.. way better than any other laundry machines I’ve ever used. My honey got these before I met him, and it was just himself he was supporting, so he paid $4000 for them – while they aren’t worth that much, I’m sure they have gone down in price tremendously since then.
In my opinion they are worth EVERY penny! We bought ours last year when our new house was complete so I can’t really compare water bills but I know that my water bill for 4 is cheaper than my mom’s for 2 in the the same town. We have the Whirlpool Duet with pedastals b/c I could get a huge discount thanks to a corp. agreement with my husbands work and they were running a special (so make sure you check w/ family an friends about this possibility). We saved $1500 as compared to Lowe’s!
However, one of he highest reviewed sets is an Ammna one from Home Depot and it is really affordable (like around $550) for the washer.
The pros are cleaner clothes, less water use and the high rate of spin means less time drying. We also have a sanitize feature on ours which I LOVE when we have a sick kid, when our daughter had swine flu we washed everything in this cycle and no one else got it. HE Tide and such is much more avaliable now and can often be found with coupons, I use only half of what they recommend.
If you are trying to save funds I’d go with a regular (maybe even used) dryer. The washer gets your clothes almost dry anyway!
I got a Whirlpool Duet FL 7 years ago when all 5 kids were still at home. LOVE IT! for all the same reasons above…
Capacity – we really did get 15 pairs of jeans in it
Water/electricity/detergent savings
Spins clothes almost dry, so saves on drying time on the line or in the dryer
I’ve never needed a repair.
The only thing I don’t like is the mildew thing with the door. You have to clean it and keep the door open.
We didn’t bother with a matching dryer. We got an Energy Star traditional dryer. I couldn’t see spending the extra on the dryer since it wouldn’t save me extra time or money.
I own Bosch Axxis, a small FL used mostly in apartments. Our TL died when my DD was only 6 months old. Didn’t have much time to research but knew that I wanted a FL for energy and water savings. We were lucky to find our washer and dryer on clearance at a high end appliance shop! The final cost was comparable to high end TL. (Always check our your high end appliance stores as they tend to get newer models often and will discount floor models). We also do cloth diapers and for us, our diapers came out much cleaner, even removing some of our older stains. I use a cold water soak cycle followed by power temp boost, my hottest water setting. Our diapers have less wear and comes out really clean. I also use Charlie’s Soap cost $10 at Whole Foods for 80 loads and 1/4 cup of vinegar. We do a wash most nights and have not noticed any higher electricity cost and our water bill has gone down. I don’t do anything to our washer, just leave the door open.
I have been debating myself about purchasing a front load washer and dryer, my old top loader is harsh on my clothes and the dyer really fades our clothes. I went to Sears to look at them and compare. I really lucked up and found Samsung closeout models. They don’t match exactly but are very similar. The dryer was originally over $1000 and I got it for $308. The washer was originally $900 and I got it for $510. There was also a $100 rebate from the state for purchasing an energy star appliance. And if you use your Sears card you get another 5% off and free delivery. I am very pleased with the deal I got and so far I am super happy with them. They are so quiet (we live on the 2nd floor) and I love the delay start feature as well as the sanitize option.
Forgot to mention. If you go with a front loader get a BIG BIG opening. When you’re looking at machines, just think about pulling out wet towels, wet blankets etc out of the hole.
To avoid the musty smell, mildew etc. do not shut the door all the way when it is empty.
I just got a top load HE washer a few months ago. I love it and I think it’s the perfect compromise. I get the water and energy savings and the washer was only $400 instead of $800 and up. As for the soap, you can find great deals on HE detergent, I have easily. Also you can use regular detergent, just cut it back at least half and you’ll be fine. Oh top loaders don’t smell or have mold issues like the front loaders do. At least mine doesn’t.
I have the GE Profile… LOVE it!!! DEF worth the money… I was a skeptic… but just the savings in water alone has been great… I have 6 young children and this set does a wonderful job of getting things clean!!! I highly recommend the investment!
We bought ours from a ding-and-dent store. We bought a Whirlpool Duet and a large capacity Whirlpool dryer (not a Duet). We weren’t really needing to replace the dryer just yet, but it was a smart move to accommodate the larger loads. LOVE our front loaders. We noticed a HUGE difference in the softness and brightness in our towels in just one wash. Could be our other washer wasn’t doing a very good job at all.
For cloth diapers, I think I might prefer a top loader though. I think one has less issues with cloth diapers when it comes to top loaders….but other than that front loaders are the way to go for us.
Our washer died the very night we moved into our first house. We went to the clearance section at Home Depot. They had the floor models on clearance (The do this once every couple of months of so) and then there was a little tag on one of the appliances that said take an additional 25% off all clearance appliances. So we ended up getting a washer that retailed for about $1200 for $517 including the extra 4 year warranty.
The front loaders are absolutely worth it. We love ours. Wait for the sales and usually Home Depot will mail out 10% off coupons which are good on ANY purchase!
I got a front loader when we bought our house 2.5 years ago and I hate it.
Cons:
Smells musty and it growing mold that I can’t manage to fully get rid of.
The clothes end up in a tangled mass that falls out all over the dirty garage floor.
It spins so hard that it sets in wrinkles that are sometimes impossible to fully iron out.
Can’t soak diapers or stained clothes.
It’s uncomfortable to lean over to get the clothes in and out (especially when I’m pregnant!).
Pros:
It’s really quiet.
It fits pretty big loads so I don’t have to wash quite as often.
If I were able to do it again I would get a high capacity top loader.
Very interesting reading indeed! Our super-capacity top-loading washer is 15 years old and working fine but I’m trying to keep up with the latest info since we’ll likely need a new one before too long. Doesn’t anyone else have kids who get mega mud stains on their pants? I love being able to open the top mid-wash, apply more stain remover and scrub with a brush. Saves having to wash multiple times! Also I’ve read that the front loader cycles tend to be 60-75 minutes compared to my 35 minute top loader cycle. On my big laundry day when I wash a white load, a dark load, and all the family sheets and mattress pads (we have dust mite allergies) I’d still be doing laundry at dinnertime. Finally, pay attention to people who claim you recoup the savings in your water bill in a year. Over time you will save (unless it dies in 3 years, as some comments have said), but our ENTIRE water + sewer bill for last year was $750, so you certainly won’t make up that $700 purchase difference the first year. (Yes, I agree you save on detergent and dryer heat too; I’m just saying use your brain before you believe a claim. That goes for CFL claims too, which generally assume you’re using a bulb for much longer per day that you typically do anywhere except in a family room area.)
We have a low-end LG front-loader, and we’re pretty happy with it. 4 years, and the only issue we’ve had is the mold/smell issue (I now wipe down the gasket and always leave the door open when not in use). No repair issues – even when our basement flooded with 3 feet of water, we just let it dry out again and it worked fine (both the washer & dryer).
Especially with the cloth diapers, I miss being able to do a proper soak. The best solution I’ve come up with is to do a short cycle with “no spin” and then leave it for a few hours. Not a true soak, but it helps to get the ammonia smell out of our diapers. Also, I find that I have to do several extra rinses to get all the soap completely out. I doubt this would be a problem if we had a top-loader or a machine that used more water.
Everything else washes up fine and easily. Since you have cloth diapers, though, I would recommend getting a higher-end front loader OR a HE top loader (if you decide to buy new).
We got a front load washer and dryer (Kenmore) for $600 on Black Friday last year and got up at 5am!! I love love love them. I wouldn’t pay a couple thousand though.
I bought a Samsung FL almost two years ago. Sears, for the past two years, runs a Black Friday special. The washer/dryer pair were $800 or $900 total. I stacked mine, so I love the room it saves me. I do feel that it doesn’t clean as well as my old TL. My whites are not very white any more, no matter if I use bleach or what. I can’t figure that out. And stains require a couple of washings usually. BUT it does hold a lot more clothes, so that is so nice. And I have no mold or mildew problems, and I don’t leave my door open. Maybe I use it too often, or maybe it’s because I use vinegar in my fabric dispenser for some loads, especially towels.
I think I would lean towards a higher-end FL, maybe they wash better? Or a HE top loader. It seems like maybe the more water they have to swish around in, the cleaner they get? This is a frustration to me, but we can’t afford to get a new pair. If I get real fed up, maybe I’ll trade someone on Craig’s list for their top loading pair!!
YES! YES! YES!
Your clothes will be significantly cleaner, uses less soap, spins more water out for shorter drying time, and uses 1/3 the water of a top loader. Watch for a sale and you can get a great deal. My parents paid $400 for a washer & a dryer.
You probably have enough input, but I’ll add mine anyway. 🙂
Our high-end Fischer Paykel top-loading non-agitating washer broke beyond reasonable repair last fall. We loved it, but were very disappointed it didn’t last longer (we had it for 7 1/2 years) considering we paid a nice sum for it. So we were debating the exact question on this post: Do we just buy a used washer from Craigs List or go ahead and buy a front loader new? We decided to go with the new front loader (Kenmore), and I LOVE it.
I wasn’t sure I’d like the extra time it took to wash and wasn’t sure it would really clean any better than our old one, but I find it does a fabulous job, is easy on our clothes, uses very little detergent, and is very cost effective. The yellow Energy Star tag said it costs about $11 per year to operate (I think that’s just electrical, not water), and I do believe our electric bill has dropped a bit.
We have had no mildew problem at all because I leave the door open until it’s dry inside, and I don’t do any special maintenance on it. I do run some vinegar through a Tub Clean cycle every couple of months, but that’s it.
There were several rebates and/or tax credits going on when we bought ours and we ended up getting it for about $450 after rebates/credits, so I am very satisfied with our purchase.
My sister has had Maytag front loader for at least 5 years. She loved it at first and I asked her about her machine recently and now she hates it. For whatever reason her machine tangles all laundry into a gigantic knot. Does not matter if there are two articles of laundry or 200 everything ends up knotted. She has asked a repairman about the problem and he has no idea nor does Maytag on how to fix it.
I do suggest you purchase an extended warranty if you buy a washer that goes beyond your basic. We bought a top-loader 4 years ago from Lowe’s and about a year ago the transmission broke and would have cost us $500 to repair it, but luckily we had the extended warranty.
We paid about $2,500 for our 2008 Whirlpool Steam, H5 front load W&D and have never regretted the purchase. We opted for the steam system because we have a puppy & a child and I have to say that was also the best choice. The kid can get ketchup, tomato sauce, chocolate, blood, marker, crayon & greas on his clothes and it all comes out without having to double wash it. My in-laws have even sent clothing to our home in hope of getting old stains out and guess what!!! They have come out every time!
We always renew our warranties (we find we use them each year) so the minor maintenance issue (internal wires which couldn’t be fixed by us) was completely covered @ $250/yr.
Our W&D are located on the second floor of our home so they shake things a bit, but nothing too crazy. You can expect this and apparently it’s normal if not a bit annoying.
Overall I had to say these steam W&D was one of the best purchases we have made and I would do it all over again in a heart beat!
We bought an energy-efficient top loader and have been very happy (Fisher Paykel). I like that I can open the lid after the wash has started to throw in a stray sock. I’ve heard you can’t do that with a front loader.
I have the Kenmore Elite He3t. I love everything about mine and would buy them again. You CAN soak in it. In fact, with the soak option, I rarely have to pre-treat anything or wash on anything but tap cold. I did diapers in it for a few years. Again, I didn’t need to wash on hot, I used the soak cycle, and since I used AIO’s, the washer was more efficient on getting excess moisture out of the diapers. Rarely did I have a stain. Does anyone really still use diaper pails anymore???? I would do my one load of laundry each morning and then toss the diapers in the washer as I changed the baby. I would then run the load of diapers when I put the baby to bed. Much more efficient than doing the diaper pail thing! My husband is a building contractor and it works well on his clothes. I can wash the kids sneakers and get them quite clean. I can also dye fabric in it. I have never had to clean it, but I just always leave the door ajar. It also cuts down a lot on the length of time the dryer runs, which is a huge savings. I actually use a clothesline most of the time, but not everyone does. You use less detergent and I have never found it necessary to buy the special detergent. I have never had any service issues in the 8 years I have had it. My mother-in-law and grandmother have the exact same set and they have had similar experiences.
We purchased the Whirlpool Duet washer & dryer both with pedastals about a year ago & absolutely love them. We have 4 very active kids & all of the numerous stains they obtain on there clothes come out just fine. I wasn’t looking for the front loaders when we went to purchase them but the set was in the stores scratch & dent room with a few minor scratches on the sides. (which you can’t even see since they are side by side next to the wall) We got them for a steal & have yet to have any problems with them.
I prefer the top loader – after years of being a laundromat customer and using both. I finally got a top loader for home. You can fit more in the front loader, but imo that is not worth the price increase. Also, consider the location of your washer. Will it be safe or convenient to leave the door ajar when not in use, to avoid mold issues? You wouldn’t want a pet or child to be able to climb into it. I put in all of the days clothing into the machine, choose an appropriate water setting (often I only fill it to “small” or “medium”) and let it run. Then I hang those few items out first thing in the morning. After 14 years of marriage this is finally the way I have avoided the dreaded Mount Laundry. Good luck with whatever you decide! 🙂
Lots of good comments on here, but I would just say that a front-loading washer isn’t necessarily more expensive than a top-loading one. There are lots of benefits to a new washer vs. an old one though including using less detergent, lower energy cost, quieter, and improved cleaning. I just had to buy a new washer when my old one broke and the repair cost was almost $500. I got a new one for $1 more than the cost to repair the old one and I love it. I comparison shopped and went to a place that price matches + 10% of the difference, free delivery after rebate and some other promos.
My husband bought me a Whirlpool Duet combo for Christmas a few years ago. I LOVE it! At the time he was working for a foundry and would come home greasy and smelly. I’ve found that I can wash almost twice as many clothes with the Duet as I could in my old top loading machine and they come out clean and smelling nicely. He’s changed jobs since then and we’ve gone from grease to mud, and the machine still does a great job. I love the heavy duty and sanitze cycles. It also has individual soak, rinse, and spin cycles which come in handy on occasion. I’ve not had any problem with mold or mildew.
I did tons of research 6 months ago on washing machines because ours died after 10 years of loyal service (it was a Kenmore top-loading).
I went to 6 big box stores and then our 2 local appliance stores and decided to purchase from the local one because of their knowledge of the products and their service warranty. Don’t you hate when you ask questions about products in the large stores and they can’t answer them for you because the salesperson’s knowledge isn’t just about washing machines? We are blessed to have a trustworthy local store that really knows their stuff.
I learned so much about the maintenance about front loaders and their eco-friendly features. I was dead-set on buying one – not the top of the line, but close enough. Then I spoke in length to a gentleman who has worked in appliances all of his life. He owns a local appliance store in CT and has had many washers in his life. He recommended, for our budget (I didn’t want to spend more than $600), a brand called Fisher & Paykel top loader. It is AWESOME. I have never had such clean clothes nor have I had anything run so efficiently. It washes quickly, with 1/4 of the detergent, has automatic sensors for water levels and is fantastic.
The local store told us about the Energy Star rebate information for CT, a rebate from Fisher & Paykel themselves AND they have a 2 year service warranty. They will fix the machine if anything happens to it for free and within 48 hours. No big box store came close to this deal on a front loader or top loader. The owner himself owns this machine which is found most commonly in hospitals. It is a great machine and we ended up spending less than $450 after rebates.
I say whatever you chose – shop your local appliance store. They need the business and your support helps families in your area keep their jobs regardless of which kind you purchase. I highly recommend my top loader 🙂 but those front loaders really were my first choice. I just didn’t want to worry about the mildew (you have to leave the drawer open to keep the air circulating after each use) or the maintenance down the road.
I HATE HATE HATE my front loader! It has constant error codes and socks (abig adult socks) are always getting sucked down the drain. You can’t leave clothes to soak in it overnight like I used to do with the top loader – which works so well with work clothes. If you do cloth diapers I have no idea how you’re going to dump your diaper pail into it without it spilling all over. Our next washing machine will be an old-fashioned top loader!
I’ve had both, a top loader and a front loader, and both were Maytag. I honestly can say that I haven’t noticed much of a difference in the cleanliness of the clothes but the front loader does use less water. Was it worth the money for the front loader? I’d have to say no. Our front loading set was a gift from my father in law, but I wouldn’t pay the extra!
DEFINITELY YES! Clothes get cleaner with less water and less detergent. We have noticed significant changes in our electric and water usages.
No, no, no. I’ve been extremely disappointed in both my Kenmore front loading washers and the dryer. Yes, the tub got off balance on the first washer after only 1 year. The cost to repair was more than the $1200 to replace it! I replaced it since it matched the dryer and I had pedestals. There’s only 2 people in my home. It’s not like I abused it! The set was $2500+ with taxes and pedestals. The dryer door broke within the first year too. The washer molds inside, you can’t get the mold off the rubber inside the door. It smells. We leave the door open to dry it out after loads. I’d NEVER buy one again. They were popular in the 50s, and have come back. I assure you they will run their course and we’ll have top loading machines in the future. The ONLY plus is they use less water if that’s important to you. I positively, absolutely HATE my set. I’d give anything to have an effecient top loader.
When my husband and I bought our home last fall, it came with a top-loader washer by Fisher and Paykel. The washer (and dryer) are energy efficient, and wash our clothes wonderfully. We priced front loaders, and I, myself personally, cannot seem to justify spending $1000+ on a washer with different cycles, water temps (one washer we looked at had 5 different settings.) Nice and simple is what we like. 🙂
This is a great question, I like seeing all the responses!
I LOVE MY FRONT LOAD WASHER ! I will never go back to a top loader! I have never had a problem with mold or smell in the washer. I have a towel that I hang over the door – folded lengthwise a few times – so that the door does not close completely – it will hold the door open about 1 inch – that way air can circulate – therefore no mold or smells. Someone earlier said their front loader shakes so bad that things in the house fall – they need to balance the machine. The small legs on the bottom screw in and out making it easy to balance (the delivery guys should have done this for the previous poster). There is a real savings in laundry soap and in the amount of water usage. I do not use HE detergent even tho it is “recommended” – I use All clean and clear – it works VERY WELL and I use 1/2 the amount top loaders call for. I have had 2 top loaders in the past 16 years. Clothes come out cleaner – they also last longer because they are treated more gently!
We’ve had ours for 10 years, and LOVE it! I love doing laundry! They come with so many great options for cleaning your clothes, and I love the “quick” cycle on ours-saves water and money! Also, the extra rinse function is great sometimes when I feel I need to really make sure all the detergent and softener are rinsed out.
YES. I got my first front loader a few months ago, and I am never looking back. It has been worth EVERY SINGLE PENNY that I spent. We have an LG and love it!
I loooooooooove having a front loader! My clothes get way more clean, contrary to popular belief with front loaders. I also have cloth diapered all four of my girls, and I’ve never had any stink issues or anything using a front loader. I love that it uses less water and my clothes are basically damp before they go in the dryer due to such an awesome spin cycle on front loaders. So, that means, less time in the dryer. I will never by a top loader again!!!!!!
Cons:
(1) you can’t add stuff to your load once your start the cycle. i’m always finding stuff to add to the washing machine after i’ve already put a load in
(2) they have mold problems and need to be aired out constantly with the door open
I don’t see the point, go with a top loader
I just bought a new washer. We chose a top loader with no agitator (Cabrio) and I love it! Our water bill has gone down about $30 a month b/c our old washer was so bad… and I do well over a dozen loads a week. Now I do half of that b/c the capacity is so much greater in this new washer. It saves me time and money. To me, it’s well worth the few hundred extra over a new model with an agitator. Plus, I got Lowe’s to price match a Sears sale and saved money on the warranty that way too.
I have had a LG set for 3-4 years and I wish I had bought top loaders. I experience the same issues with smells / mold (though mine is in the basement and I leave the washer door open when not in use); I REALLY miss the ability to soak (the heavy duty cycle still doesn’t clean as well as soaking and I have to transport soaked clothes from upstairs to downstairs); I can barely do half a load or my clothes come out extremely wrinkled. I don’t think the cost savings are there when you equal everything out…
Interesting reading. I have been leaving my door open on my FL because of the mildew. We have the GE FL washer and dryer. The washing machine was tearing our clothes up at first, I have learned to wash smaller loads and many things on delicate. We did have to have the rubber gasket replaced and the have redesigned it so finding fewer holes in tshirts now, but still have to be careful. In 4 years the washer has been fixed three times and the dryer once. Next time going back to the top load.
When my husband & I were married, we received a set of lovely towels as a gift. My mother-in-law purchased a set of towels – same brand & style – at the same time. She washed hers in a front-loading machine, and I washed mine in a top-loader. After the same amount of use, our towels frayed badly within 4 years – she still has her towels 15 years later! I was sold – we have now owned a front-loader (Maytag) for 7 years and LOVE IT! Our clothes last longer, stay cleaner, and dry faster since they aren’t as bunched up as they used to be from the top-loader.
@Tracy, Thanks for sharing… that is interesting!
I got the Maytag Epic Z front loader washer and dryer last year when we mover into our new home and I love it for many reasons.
– Water usage – it uses much less water per load than a top loader. Also it detects how full the load is and will fill it with adequate water, so I don’t feel bad making a few extra loads per week if I want to wash things right away.
– Detergent, HE detergent is a must for most if not all front loaders and you use about 1/4 the amount than the TL machine. My Cosco size laundry detergent has lasted me about 6 mos (5 in the family)!
– I very rarely have a problem with stains although I do add Tide total clean or oxi clean to some loads, especially whites.
– I always leave the door open when done so it can dry completely. For safety reasons I just close the laundry room door, I can see a clear safety hazard for those machines located in open areas.
– I hear that clothes last longer because there is no agitater, I cannot comment yet on that since its only been a year.
FYI: The price was not that much more than a TL. We had manu. rebates on both of mine totaling $275 and we got them on sale.
We bought the Maytag Neptune 8 years ago for $1000, and last week I had to stand by and watch as it was tossed on the trash heap at a salvage yard. They even paid me a whopping ten bucks for it.
That said, I would consider another front load, just never Maytag. Anyone in the appliance stores can tell you horror stories from Maytag Neptunes.
I replaced it with a top load that has no agitator because it was easier to access and has all the technology of the front loaders. And I paid a sweet $400 after the federal rebate.
Two tips I learned from my parents who bought front-loading blue Kenmore set:
* Don’t buy an unusual color (you’ll never be able to match it if you have to replace one unit and not both) – buy white!
* Plan on leaving the door to the washing machine open most of the time – that’s the only way it can air out!
So I’ll never buy one because my washer/dryer are in hallway from kitchen to garage.
We bought a new Kenmore Elite 3 years ago. I love it!!! I use “he” detergent (bought on special – with coupons whenever possible : ) ) I always use about 1/2 the recommended amount (because of too much sudsing – even though it’s for front loaders) Yes I would buy it again!
Be sure to keep the door open between uses – to prevent molding. Also, follow manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning with bleach every few months.
I love my front loader. Lot less water and soap and very clean clothes. You can soak items by just pausing the machine and letting it set. Watch for one with a big discount. Stores sell items that were ordered but are slightly damaged, that’s how I got mine for $200. Don’t use more than 1 T of soap, that’s all that’s needed of the HE soap so a jug lasts a long time. I got a years worth on sale all at once since it uses so little.
Niki, if I were you I would buy the $100 craigslist washer NOW and stop having to wash all those cloth diapers by hand! Ick! Then, start saving for a front loader. We love ours. We use a rinse/spin only cycle to start with for our cloth diapers so they are already wet when the “real” cleaning cycle starts with detergent. We use the heavy duty setting that includes an extra rinse at the end to get the diapers really cleaned off. Country Save is our detergent of choice and we love how it cleans everything.
@Melissa, oh yes, and we do also leave the washer door open for a few hours after each cycle (or until we remember to shut it). We’ve never had a mildew problem. But one word of caution: one time the spin cycle stopped working. When we opened up the machine we found two of my reusable cotton nursing pads inside the motor! You may want to put small things like baby socks into a little mesh zipper bag.
You should do some research with Consumer Reports and other online sites before choosing. We’ve had our Frigidaire front loading washer for 11 years and have never needed to repair it. We do about 12 – 15 loads of laundry per week for our family of 5. After using it for a month, I swore I’d never go back to a top-loader again. However, I’ve heard that later model Frigidaire front-loaders are not as reliable.
As for the mold problems, I’ve not had any issues with that either. Some tips for keeping the mold a bay: use a small amount of non-sudsing detergent (you need much less than you think) and powdered leaves less residue than liquid; use white vinegar instead of fabric softener (again, less residue for mold to feed on); and leave the door open for a while after washing to let the tub air out.
My family and I were just having this discussion recently…. In 1999, my husband and I bought a brand new bottom of the line Roper, by Whirlpool Washer and Dryer set. $550 for both. It was a steal and I was thrilled to have a brand new washer and dryer…. Never once have I had to replace ANYTHING on my washer and dryer (not a belt, an element or anything!!)… even now, 11 years later. On the other hand my in-laws recently (within 2 years) purchased a very nice front loading set. The have already had to have them apart twice and recently had to pay $300 for a new part for it. The salesman that they spoke to when purchasing the part said that it will continue because with front loading sets that spin faster, etc, there is simply more to go wrong.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the new washers and dryers out there… but if the time comes for me to buy a new set, I think I will stick with least amount of bells and whistles, so that I will be able to save $$ for another 11 years.
I wish you luck with your decision!!!
I have a few friends with front loaders and they aren’t impressed at all. From what I’ve seen the friends that love theirs bought the more expensive front loaders…1500+ for each piece. The ones that aren’t pleased spent less than a thousand for each piece. If you’re on a budget, I’d probably feel safer going with a higher end top loader than a lower end front loader.
If you decide on a front-loader, I would recommend getting an extended warranty – At the 2-yr anniversary of mine, it stopped spinning dry… Every shop recommended getting a new one because it would cost about as much to repair! I also hated not being able to let things soak, and soaking in a bucket made a mess when I tried to transfer to the washer. Very expensive mistake….
they are great. We got the top of the line samsung ones with the silver care…they work awesome. The only thing I don’t like and that is missing is a soaking option. My mom’s old front loaders actually had a pre soak option. I would look for ones with that feature…:)
We bought the Sears Kenmore HE3t pair with pedestals six years ago along with the five year extended warranty. Thank GOD for the extended warranty! I had nothing but trouble and mildrewy stink from the fl washer. They finally replaced it with another one after 5 years! It was here one week. I switched to the top loader and LOVE it. I will never own another fl washer again!
I love our front loaders! They clean a whole lot of clothes per load. The only problem I’ve found is that the sheets really get twisted.
We love our 5-year-old front-loader, and it worked great for our daughter’s cloth diapers. You don’t necessarily have to spend $800. Bottom-of-the-line front-loaders, which are still much more efficient than top-loaders, are available for a lot less than that. You can further decrease the price by paying cash, buying a floor sample, and/or buying a scratch-and-dent model. Whatever kind of washer you buy, I would recommend buying the matching dryer if you can–it makes a big difference in efficiency.
One possible con: a front-loader does need a very stable floor, preferably tile or concrete. If that’s not available, you can help eliminate shaking by leveling the machine very precisely and putting it on top of a thick sheet of plywood.
I don’t think so. The people I know who have front loaders (my parents, my sister, and a friend) all have the same issues. Their towels smell gross and are obviously not getting clean. I love my top loader, it does the job very well!
when i was deciding what brand of front loader to get I used consumer reports and saw the LG brand had some problems with repair so I called local repairmen who said they fixed that brand and they said don’t buy LG because they were a new company that grew very fast and they can’t keep up with the growth and if you need parts it can be a nightmare waiting months for parts. Can you imagine? I took their advice, because they had nothing to win by helping with with their advice and more than one guy told me that – check into that and consumer report. I got a front loader and am happy – it is loud though. The spinning is loud.
Yes!!!!! We went from washing 25 loads per week to 8-10 loads per week. You don’t realize how much room the agitator can take up. We have had one for 8 years now and we use less water and power and of course laundry detergent. Do buy HE detergent. It will make sure that your clothes get cleaner.
I have had a front loading washing machine for about 4 years, and they definitely have a learning curve on care and maintenance themselves. For instance, I learned that you have to leave the door open when not in use to allow the water to evaporate and prevent a foul smell from developing. You also need to regularly check the drain filter for any clogging items (I found 2 baby washclothes and a nursing pad one time).
My purpose for getting the front loader was to eliminate the damage an agitator causes to clothes and increase load capacity. My personal opinion would be to get an agitator-free top loading washing machine if you are in the market for a new machine. The costs are comparable, and the learning curve much lower.
I do not know what I would do without my Kenmore front loading washing machine and dryer. The washer holds so many, many clothes but yet they come out so fresh and clean. The washer uses so much less water than a top loader that it is unbelieveable. Because these washers spin at such a high rate; saves so much time and money on your drying time also. Hope this helps you out with your decision – I could not go back to a regular washer and dryer again – they will make you spoiled. 🙂
my dad is a savvy craigslist shopper and found $100 washing machines for me and my sister there. my sister works with horses and comes home caked in mud half the time and her $100 craigslist machine is working great for that. you may need a different washing machine than you currently have, but i don’t think you need a brand new $800 front loader.
Soooooooooooooo worth it. We got the basic Samsung front loaders, and the pair (washer and dryer) was only $1100-1200, so they don’t have to break the bank too badly.
***That should say torque on the spin cycle of the washer****
I’ve had my FL’s for about 4 years and love them. However I did have to have a repair guy come out and replace a board on my washer within the 1st year…I had the warranty. I have had no mildew or mold problem with my washer — I leave the door open between washes and run a sanitize cycle every two weeks . I use 1/4 – 1/3 of the regular detergent I normally use depending on load size. Now this all being said, I don’t know what your house will be like but I live in a manufactured home and found out that the front loaders aren’t really designed to be used in these types of homes. The floor is thin — the torque on the dryer would cause the whole house to shake if I had it on high so I always have to make sure the spin cycle is on low. But my clothes are very clean and not overly wet considering I’m using a low spin cycle.
My front loaders were free so I am thankful for them. I would probably think twice about buying them when I have to get new ones. But not because I detest them, just because I am not convinced (even after having them for 8 years) that I really can’t live without them!
The pros of a FL for me are…
– my prego belly is not a hindrance to doing laundry
– being fairly short i am not on tip-toe to grab the sock stuck in the bottom of the washer
– there is storage space on top of the machines
– my clothes get very clean (and the very messy clothes of my three baby girlies and hardworking hubby, too)
The cons of a FL for me are…
– mildew/mold does grow on the inside of the door in the washer
– definitely have to not put too much detergent in or you have to re-wash
– clothes come out VERY tangled – I don’t iron if at all possible so this is a bit of an issue for me
I am thankful for my washer and dryer. I probably will do more research when it is time to buy a new set. I am not “in love” with the front loading machine. Maybe it has something to do with the never ending laundry pile…admittedly not the washer and dryer’s fault!
I have a front loader and if I had to do it over again, I would go with a higher quality top loader.
We got sucked in by rebates that were offered by the water company and while it does an ok job cleaning the regular clothes, all of our water and energy savings are null due to the multiple rinse cycles needed to get the diapers clean.
Totally worth it!!!!!!!!! Do your research on which model is best but you will not regret it. My cost for detergent, softner and stain remover has been cut by more than half!!!!!! Enjoy!!
I LOVE my giant whirlpool duet FL W&D. I can’t imagine going back. Had it over 5 years so far, and never any problem at all. (Including mildew–and we live in a place where we battle mildew with everything else in the house .)
You can wash a TON of stuff. Things dry VERY quickly. I think things get cleaner and last longer. I also wash shoes all the time. (The average TL machine may wash for 15-20 minutes. My shortest cycle is 35min. The longer exposure to the soap cleans better even with less water.) What used to take me all weekend to wash and dry now takes less than 3 hours. Large quilts, big loads of towels (especially big beach towels) or cool weather clothes are a snap. When we would get home from a trip and have a couple suitcases of stuff to wash it used to take forever to get done because loads would back up in the dryer. Now they don’t. We just got back from spending time at my mom’s house and she has the biggest capacity TL machines but I felt like I was back in the stone age. You can fill up the washer but then it never dries. UGH! I’d give up almost any other appliance before I gave up my Duets!
It has it pros and cons as you can see. But I REALLY miss being able to soak stained clothes before washing.
We had the whirlpool duet. Had to have it replaced twice (while under warranty,thankfully) Was, at times down for 5 wks while warranty/repair people argued. 3rd time that it was unrepairable, we got an LG. we have had it since feb & it is currently broken. No LG authorized repair centers in our are, so again we wait.
They have all 4 had a musty odor within a few weeks of use.
If you buy one – BUY the extended warranty! They are not. very durable Not sure if the washer is worth the $ but I thank God for the extended warranty.
On the plus side – we are on a well & these washers use much less water.
We have a FL and I love it. We found it on clearance for the same price as the lowest end TL. The drawer/pedestal was damaged so they significantly marked down the price. It isn’t the prettiest washer with the missing bottom, but it hasn’t affected how well it works. Check clearance or ask for a discount if the model is cosmetically damaged.
I was able to buy a front loader as our first washing machine. Up to that point, I had only used my mom’s top loader and the laundry mat machines. I noticed an immediate effect in my clothing feeling better. I have sensitive skin and the soap that builds up on my clothes makes me break out. Since I got the machine, that problem has dramatically decreased. I’m doing so much better. I think it’s because of the way the soap is used in the wash (mixed with the water) that it washes out so much better. For that problem alone, it was entirely worth the extra price tag for me.
I have several friends with front loaders and because of their experiences, I will stick with a top loader. Repairs out the ear, musty smells and mold, and a shorter predicted life span all are problems I don’t care to deal with. The wonderful thing is, each of us gets to pick the appliance that we feel will work best for US!!!!
I love my front loader. I have heard mildrew/mold is a problem in some, but I use vinegar as my fabric softener, and that keeps that problem at bay. I actually don’t have a dryer at all, but I would never have spent $800 on one. We got ours just last year at a labor day sale and got a great deal. My washer is in my kitchen and my kitchen is really small, so the top of my washer acts as an extension of my counter.
Someone may have already said this, but ask your repairman which brands are best. Also, I was told that the large capacity dryers are the same as the front loading dryers. So if you don’t mind them NOT matching, you can save yourself lots of money by not buying a matching front loading set…so buy the front load washer and a lg. capacity dryer. You want to make sure it’s large because the front load washers handle larger amounts of clothes. If you try to dry those lg amts. in a smaller dryer, you’ll wear it out faster…and it won’t save you money in dry time.
I like my front loaders. The water usage went down when we got them. Also I found out per my appliance repair husband that one to two tablespoons of HE detergent is all that is needed to clean the clothes. Savings on detergent! I can clean and dry more loads of clothes in the same amount of time as my old ones,also. There is one con though, mildew can be a problem, your must clean the washer as directed. If at all possible keep the door of the washer open when not in use.
I have Whirlpool front loaders and even though they use less water and detergent, and the washer spins a lot of the water out of the clothes so it takes the dryer less time to dry them… I honestly don’t think they clean as well. I never had to pre-treat simple stains with my top loaders and they would come out no problem, but I always have to remember to pre-treat stains now.
I LOVE my front loader and didn’t pay 800 for it. Mine was in the clearance for 450 and it spins your clothes out so you hardly have to use your dryer and they are more energy efficient! My only regret was not getting one sooner.
I have the LG HE front loading washer and dryer with steam, remote laundry monitor and the pedestals.
Pros:
Saves energy and water (I did notice a decrease in both of these bills)
You can wash HUGE loads of laundry
Has all the functions of steam so you don’t have to use a dry cleaner or iron.
Uses HE detergent (very very little detergent required)
Spins the clothes out much better (takes only about 45 minutes to dry a HUGE load)
Has a timer so you can put a load in before work and set it to be just finishing when you get home
Tons of storage space in the pedestals
Drying rack comes with the dryer so you can dry sweaters without having them stretch out. Also great for drying shoes on!
Cons:
Cost about $3,000 for the set and the pedestals and remote laundry monitor.
Our apartment has a front-loader. I think it’s a lower-end model. We also use cloth diapers, and I have to sometimes do extra rinses, because front-loaders use less water.
I barely need any detergent with all loads. The cost savings there is pretty good!
Overall, I like it but I think you will need to prepare for extra rinses, and definitely watch your detergent so you don’t get diaper build-up!
I hate our front load washer, especially for diapers. It’s very hard to soak the diapers or dump them in. Mold grows on the seal if you don’t leave the door open, but leaving the door open is a hazard, both for me tripping or the kids climbing in. I’d look for a top load, efficient washer that had a minimum of bells and whistles.
I heard a consumer report broadcast that said that washers last about 3 years and the more electronics, the less they last and the more likely any break would cost more to repair than replace. Their advice, buy just the basic, mam. I’d like to think that an energy star machine or a low water usage machine would coincide with this, but I just don’t know. We almost bought a new washer/dryer the other day (changing rentals, new one only had hookups, but that changed as well) and I went to craigslist for a bottom of the line model after reading consumer report reliability page.
And I have to say, if a “environmentally friendly” machine breaks after 3 years and has to be junked, verses a higher energy use/higher water use model that lasts 10, I think the “environmentally friendly” machine is the one not in the landfill.
I didn’t read through all the previous comments so I’m not sure if this has already been said but I would suggest looking on craigslist for a front loader! That’s where we got our set! It was only a few years old and was $500 for the whole set! I wash cloth diapers on an almost daily basis and it is DEFINITELY worth it! 🙂
We purchased front loaders from HH Gregg during their “Day After Thanksgiving” sale. They were half the price. Sears also ran half price sales day after Thanksgiving. If you can wait that long, it was well worth the savings. And we do love our front loaders
We just bought new top loading GE Profiles. Big capacity, washes the clothes great, no huge agitator in the middle of the drum, uses little water, and has an extended spin cycle so dry time is pretty minimal. There are different models, so get the ones that do what you want to be able to do. The biggest selling point for us is that those front loaders with all of the million electronics on them have such low life expectancies and high repair rates. My husband says these will be much, much easier and cheaper to fix, the parts are way more accessible to him making it feasible that he will even be able to replace a belt or what have you. Only down side has been that if you really overstuff the washer, it gets off balance on the spin cycle and takes a walk!
I got a front loader in February and I love it!!! My old washer and dryer finally kicked the bucket. I will say two things though:
1) Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on keeping your machine clan. I use my clean cycle once a month. After doing all my laundry, I also leave my door open until the inside is dry. That prevents and mildew from building up.
2) We went to SEVERAL places with cash and negotiated a price. We got our for $1400 with tax and everything.
Just my thoughts!
I plan to avoid front loaders for now. I have both baby clothes AND a husband who works in construction. That means the clothes I regularly wash require a “stronger” wash cycle (more water).
Same thing goes for low-flo toilets. It’s okay in my bathroom to save the money on water and etc, but hubby requires more water for his and a stronger flush….even at the “expense” of the environment……
The front loaders have an extra water option and you can pick the heavy stain cycle which washed for 1.5 hours!
@k and b’s mom,
K&B’s Mom: that is def a great option. But if at least 2/3 of my loads of clothes would require the extra water and such, why pay more for an “efficient” model? In theory, I could try to hang dry half my clothes on som elines I strung up in the laundry room, and reduce my carbon footprint that way (and save $$ and the life of the clothing, etc)?
IDK–I guess I am just not sold on the implied value of a front loader just yet….
@Penny,
Also; to get dryer clothes out of the washer, heavier fabrics like towels and jeans and sweatshirts and blankets (which may have been unbalanced during the final spin cycle), I will simply put the washer on “spin” for just a short-few minutes more….
This seems to reduce the amount of time it takes to fully dry the clean clothing
Front load! I grew up top load, DH front load. Never bothered until we got married 10 years ago. DH swears no other machine than front load. And for the first time I actually knew how clean my clothes were! And just looking at the amount of water used each time (from the little window), I knew it was way less than the front loaders my mum had. Plus using gravity to slam the clothes down vertically makes more sense than spining sideways. I’m not too sure if you can calculate cleaness into value, but it’d be worth paying 8x more. Then again, it really depends on how you define clean-ness comfort level. If I’m going to be doing any laundry, then I’d want it super clean. 🙂
I am lucky, my expensive front loader washer stopped with an error code on the first load (with my clothes trapped inside). The tall Texan dream of a repairman while fixing it told me all the other problems with the front loader machines that I should know to avoid with a list of rules about leaving the door open, wiping down the seal every time, not using the right or too much detergent on and on. So I promptly returned it – getting a much cheaper space age looking Whirlpool top loader with a nifty see-thru lid knowing that 20 years of laundry has taught me it should be easy, I should be able to throw in a shirt once it started and never should I worry about hideous mildew smells (and pay a PREMIUM for it)
I owned a Maytag Neptune front loader for years, but it did have mold in the seal. We wore it out. We replaced it with the Maytag Bravos. It is a top loader HE. I REALLY like it, much better than the front loader. I haven’t noticed any decrease in water prices, our water here is very cheap. I noticed that our clothes have been cleaner with the HE machines than with the typical front loader. I also don’t have as many loads to do, the washer tub is HUGE. They also dry faster. We bought ours when the GOVT had the rebate, we got back $200+10% from Maytag.
We have a top loader Whirpool that was made some time in the early 90s. We bought it used for $75. We have had it now for about 3 years and we love it. It cleans everything, even the diapers, super well. I’ve never had an HE machine so I don’t know what the difference on the water bill would be, but I’m perfectly happy with it. I also use less detergent than what is normally called for and even though it’s not an HE, it still gets the clothes clean and I save money by not using as much detergent. I’m planning on this thing lasting another 5 years, at least.
I have the Maytag Neptune and will not buy another. My clothes are clean but the black mold that grows on the rubber gasket and the awlful smell when the machine is idle for longer that 24 hours is not worth it. In the beginning I noticed small film on whites and very light colored clothing and would end up rewashing them. I have found using a peroxide detergent additive helps some with the smell and mold growth but does not eliminate it- it has cured the film on whites and lights.
Please do a search on the machine you intend to buy and see what others are saying about the set prior to buying it. Had I done this I would not have bought my set…black mold was common problem for my set and surprise surprise Maytag does not know anything about this black mold (or, so they say).
@Mary, I too had a Maytag Neptune, I had to have the electronic control panel replaced 8 times in one year. This made my machine a ‘lemon’ and Maytag picked up the machine and gave me a full refund. I will never again have a front loader. Ask any repairman and they will tell you that front loaders are not reliable. When I washed our clothes the first time in our replacement regular old top loader the water was coal black because our clothes were so dirty from not being cleaned well in the Neptune. Top loading Whirlpool washers are considered the most reliable by repairmen.
@Lana,
Unfortunately, our brand new top loading Whirlpool quit spinning properly after only 4 years. I fought with it for a few months, then finally called a repairman. He said it would cost about $350 to fix. So we replaced it with a Maytag Bravos top loading HE machine, and I LOVE it!!
I will never own another Whirlpool washing machine again.
@Mary, I don’t know how old yours is but being that they haven’t made the neptunes in 3-4 years I suggest you contact the company again because there was a recall for this problem and they offered a pretty decent sum of money for new ones. Again though that was 3-4 years ago. Best of Luck
We actually have the front loaders in the picture. Honestly my family is looking again for a top loader. Because of how hard the machines shake we cannot operate them at full-capacity, so they have ended up costing us much more since we must run extra loads. They do get stains and such out, but you end up spending more time on doing laundry than expected. We also had to remove all pictures from the walls surrounding our laundry room, and have had to re-stabilize our toilet that is on the opposite wall because water was being sloshed out of it. Even upstairs I have had to re-organize everything so that things will not break. At times it will shake our entire home, especially when washing jeans. I do not think they are worth it, and will not buy another front loader until I can be shown prior to the purchase that there have been improvements made.
@Julia Stewart, Ditto. I have a two-year-old Bosch, which is supposed to be very good, but I find that it randomly chooses not to spin a load if it is too full/heavy or too light or maybe just because it doesn’t feel like it. And there’s no spin-only cycle on mine, so you’re either stuck running another (usually 50+ minute cycle) or sticking sopping, dripping clothes in the dryer. Plus, I spend more time doing laundry because I have to do many much smaller loads. The water savings are great, but look into capacity. Mine *seems* huge, but when you’re supposed to fill it only half full, you end up doing many small loads of laundry. If I had to do it again, I’d only buy a super high capacity (for my family of three), make sure it has a spin-only cycle, and buy pedestals.
@Erin, I have a 2 y.o. Bosch and mine does the exact same thing, but mine does have a spin in the delicate section, so I use that.
@Deb, Have you figured out what causes it not to spin? The serviceman said heavy loads, but I then noticed some lighter loads weren’t spinning either. He also mentioned using too much detergent would confuse the sensors, but I use just a dribble, so I can’t imagine that’s the problem. If there’s a sweet spot in regard to load size, I have not found it! I don’t think I’ve ever used the delicate/silk cycle, so maybe I’ll try that next time it chooses not to spin.
@Julia Stewart, Have you checked the balance on your machine? If it shakes that much, the feet on the bottom could be off-balance and needing adjusting. It might feel steady when it’s not in use, but if it’s not level (one side higher than the other), the spinning could definitely make it shake.
I love mine. We got a pretty basic one for $599 (4.0 size). We save $10-15 per month on our water bill. I haven’ t figure out the electric savings yet, but pretty sure it is there. The detergent savings is the best! And since I make my own, it stretches my dollars further. I think it cleans clothes much better too. Stains I used to stress over getting out just come out with NO extra treatment. LOVE THAT! The Con’s: I have to take 2-3 extra second to dry the inside of the door & gasket area well, and leave the door open all the time to decrease the chances of smells, I can see where it would occur if I did not… all things considered I am not going back to the money wasting top loaders!
I have heard only bad things about using the front loaders for cloth diapers because they just don’t use enough water to get them clean. So that is definitely something to consider
I have one and love it:) It washes really good, save energy and use less water to wash quickly:) One con is pretty high maintenance that I have to clean my washer once every two months in order to keep clean and smell like mildew.
I have owned a Whirpool Duet Sport (FL) for about 4 years. I love it. I asked a repairman for a recommendation when my 4 yr old Amana top loader fell completely apart. The Whirpool uses minimal soap, less water, and always does the job. Watch for a deal – it is totally worth it.
Have had my LG front loader w/ sani & steam cycles for about 2 yrs. now. I really miss my top loader. Yes, it does clean the clothes fairly well and spins them drier than the top loader. However, there is no soak cycle to soak stained clothes w/biz for example, which I need to do often because of my work. Also, you cannot wash sneakers which I would gather up from the family every once in a while and throw them all in. Now I have to go to the laundromat and pay to do that and after paying $1200 for a washer no less. I find that the detergent is harder to find and more expensive. I’ve considered using other detergent as in other posts, but with all the warnings from the manufacturer about not doing so and possibly breaking the machine, I didn’t want to try. There are also more cleaning chores (who needs more?) because of the large folded-over door gasket that will mold if not cleaned and dried regularly. Oh, and there is also a cleaning kit for this for about $8.00, so it can get expensive. If you are considering buying one, you may want to consider the above very carefully.
I totally agree with this post! The only thing I would have to add is that we have to wash less amount of clothes in it than we did with the top loader. The mildew in the door is a pain to deal with….I LOVE the styles of the front loaders, but not so sure its worth the price tag. Just my opinion!
@Ann, I have the LG front loader set with steam also. I do not do any extra cleaning of it. If you simply leave the door to the washer open when you are not using it so that it can dry out properly you don’t have to worry about mold. By leaving the door open you also eliminate the need for the $8.00 washing machine cleaner. I do wash shoes in the washer and haven’t had any problems. I dry them in the dryer too. I put them on the drying rack that came with the dryer. Just thought these tips might help you Ann 🙂
I have an LG front loader with steam and it is worth every penny. After each cycle you wipe it down with a hand towel and leave the door open to dry – it takes literally 10 seconds. You may want to call them about the soaking issue – couldn’t you select more water and then just pause it after it starts? Do you have the allergine cycle? Wouldn’t that work? As for the detergent it’s the same price as the regular bottle and you can use way less. I found that Tide HE works wonders – but you can find Purex HE on sale for 1.99! And the machine holds a really really large load!
I agree about the soaking part. My front loader was handed down from my brother so it’s about 10 or 11 years old. It cleans well and definitely spins drier but I really do miss the ability to soak. My soaking theses days is a big bucket. I’m not sure if I would choose a front loader again if I had to replace mine.
My brother and his wife, who have five children and a menagerie of pets have HE machines, and my brother believes that he recovered the cost difference between the cheap machine and the regular machine in the first year, and will end up saving a tremendous amount of money with the machines from the water savings alone.
I want one very badly, but our washer and dryer are fine and it is so wasteful to replace something perfectly useful.
I’ve never tried a front loader, but I do know that having an extra spin cycle on our washer has made our dryer much more effective. It’s also easier for me to hang the clothes out on the line because they’re so much lighter and easier to carry without the excess water.
I have a top loader Matag, several years old. It is the kind w/0 an agitator and is HE. I do not use HE detergent, I make my own detergent with Borax, Arm and Hammer Washing Soda, and grated Zote bar soap. It is super cheap, easy to make, and low sudsing. The washer cleans really well. Much better than my old top loader did. It has a really large capacity too.
Problems: Sometimes the clothes get tangled up. It is hard on underwire bras unless you wash them in a lingerie bag. The spin cycle is really loud!! Sounds like an airplane taking off.
Other than that, I love it! I would buy another HE top loader w/o an agitator.
@Rhonda,
Yes, I have to agree………they will destroy your bras and eventually the elastic in your underwear. We sold ours after one year and went back to the top loaders.
We use cloth diapers and I personally HATED my FL. We bought it, used it for a week and took it back to the store and thank goodness we hadn’t sold our old ones yet. In ten years when my good ol’ faithfuls die we’ll re-evaluate!
We just went from a front load to a top load. The top load was given to us, but it was only a couple of years old. It is a Whirlpool Cabrio. It is energy efficient and I don’t notice it using any more water. It has lots of options so I can customize each load. I’d recommend it. I think there are some great top loaders out there and I don’t think I’ll go back to a front load because of the mildew problem.
Just to chime in…we went the other route – a gently-used top-loading set on craigslist – and have been thrilled with the purchase. The seller had just upgraded to a front-loading washer and matching dryer, so her old set was still under warranty.
I am also looking for a deal for a washer/dryer, and found this Haier brand washer/dryer combo for $697.
Also there is a deal for LG combo for ~$1300 (after a coupon and rebate).
Does any one have experience with Haier brand?
Yes, we had a refrigerator that was that brand name. It’s not worth it-junk, as they say. You’re better off just to buy used.
I’ve owned the Kenmore Elite front loading machine for about 5 to 6 years. I’d buy the same machine again for the reasons listed by others. The specialized He detergent was not available in my area when I first got the machine. I started using regular detergent and have continued to do so. I use much less detergent (about 1/2) than it calls for (and yes my clothes still get clean) I found this out by trial and error. If you use to much detergent the cycle takes longer as you have more suds than the machine can handle. I also use vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser. I think this helps clean any residue from the regular detergent. I haven’t had any repair bills. Good luck with your decision. I hope you are pleased with whatever machine you end up getting.
replaced our 4 yrs ago and have found…
pros
-less water. meaning i don’t feel bad about just washing a few emergency items, meaning less set-in stains.
– fits a LOT of stuff in there. we have the whirlpool cabrio. i think i can get a comforter and a couple of pillows in there. it’s ridiculously great.
cons
-more susceptible to repair. the repair guy (broke while still under warranty, thankfully) said these new machines have a lot more failures b/c now you have electrical system onboard. ours had a recalled electrical board, which took them 1 yr to confirm, then a hinge broke, too. but still usable.
– doesn’t wash cloth diapers as well. i wish i could fill it up fall the way for the diaper loads, but no, it’s being all eco-friendly and conserving water based on the load-size 😛 means i have to sun out dipes more.
for us, i think it’s a wash. (haha) might still go back to the old school ones if this one breaks in the near future, but if it lasts the rest of the 11 years that i’d expect, then i might get it again, esp if i can get the stacking kind this time. and i agree with the poster above about a non-matching dryer. dryers are still the same, so not sure it’s worth paying the extra $$ just to match.
@sharon,
oh! 2 more things..
cons
– clothes are definitely not as clean. (this goes w/ the diapers note)
but
pros
– clothes definitely last longer. i see less wear and tear on them.
so those kind of make sense together 😀
@sharon,
lol yes they last longer if you don’t mind wearing stained clothes for forever ……lolololol…….justttttttttttttt kidding!
NO, NO, NO!!!!!!!!!!! Buy an old one. Ours is a piece of junk. The clothes constantly smell like mildew, they’re never clean, and I ‘ve not seen a reduction in my water bills. Buy something used (preferably old, they work better). I wish we’d never bought it. I can’t even use the high speed spin cycle because it doesn’t work. We had that “fixed” less than a year after we bought it but still have LOTS of problems with it. SAVE YOUR MONEY!
@sharon, Thanks for the comment on the repair. I had a washer salesman tell me that front-loaders were nothing but trouble and that if I DID buy one to get the extended warranty. I trusted him since he is a salesman on commission and those washers cost more which would make him more money but was still wondering.
Yes! I love our front loader. It has a function basically does all dry cleaning as well. It also has a steam/sanitize function which is GREAT for the clothe diapers and keeps my clothes so much whiter. Our whites were not so white…. after a couple washing with our washer they are super white now. My washer and dryer are my favorite possessions…. my husband’s too. We are both sensitive to bleach and can’t use it because it irritates our skin. With this washer we don’t need it. Also every month we save money because it’s more energy efficient. We were lucky, ours were a wedding gift from my in-laws… but if we were to do it again I’d save a little longer and go for the front loader.
We have a top load that we bought new when we got married. It does a great job, even getting my 13 month old daughter’s clothes and bibs clean without pretreating. (I use Tide Stain Release on some of her loads). I’ve heard that front load machines can have a problem with mildew. No personal experience with a front load, but I like my top load just fine. We’ve had no trouble out of it, and I hope to have it for many, many years.
@Monica, the mildew is from water moldering in the rubber seal around the door. Either dry the seal after a load or leave the door open. Whether this is a child hazard depends on whether your child has unsupervised access to the machine.
I have a front-loader and am very happy I got it. It is definitely cheaper to operate than a top loader: uses less water, needs less detergent (although HE detergent tends to be more expensive) (but you can still make your own, I hear), uses less energy. Most significantly, it spins your clothes drier so you use far, far less energy in the dryer – the most significant cost savings.
I suspect the answer to the question “is it 8 times better” depends primarily on how long the used toploader will last, compared to a new frontloader.
We have the Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer with pedastals. I can’t necessarily tell our utility bills have dropped but I do love the fact that I do laundry less often since it holds huge amounts of clothes. I LOVE the pedastals. Washer and dryer are higher (no bending over) and pedastals provide tons of storage space. I would suggest ALWAYS keeping the washer door open when not in use and make sure to use minimal amount of detergent. I also use oxyclean every few loads because I read is good for the washer (helps keep it clean).
@Christy Jackson,
I would have to agree with Christy Jackson. Keep the door open! I have a front loader and love 99% of it. I was not aware of the mildew problem until I had a mildew problem. So how I keep my door open. Still trying to get the mildew out but its way better than it was before.
Saves you $ on energy cost, saves you water, and I make my own soap which saves me a ton of money too. I do not have the matching dryer, still waiting for my old one to die. But my dryer rarely is used. I hang all our clothing out on the line anytime the sun is out.
@Christy Jackson, Just curious since I have been hoping for my washer to die so I could get a front-loading machine… wouldn’t leaving the door open be a safety hazard for children?
YES!! Worth EVERY SINGLE Penny!!! Of course you may not need one with all the bells and whistles BUT I love mine. I had no idea how “NOT CLEAN” my cloths were before but they are VERY clean now. It’s amazing how well it works and if you pay city water (we don’t we have a well) you’ll see a savings over time because it’s amazing how much less water it uses. And if you have a well that’s not very deep, you won’t have to worry about using to much water either.
BUT yes, I feel it’s worth every single penny. We didn’t, however get a front loading dryer, I didn’t see the need to spend the extra $200 on that, but we did make sure the one we got was equal to the capacity of the washer.
I say GO FOR IT!! You won’t regret it.
OH and mine has a sanitize setting, which I use for when I’m washing the sheets, especially when the girls have been sick. It’s optional and while it’s not really needed (since you can adjust the water temp), it might me something to consider since you use the cloth diapers.
Can’t wait to hear what you decide to do.
I have a Samsung front load W&D set and I love them! We bought the set new on Thanksgiving sales in 2008. I replaced a 1970’s vintage top-load set. Here’s why I’d purchase them again 1)sanitize cycle – I was/am washing cloth diapers & I don’t think they get the stains out as well, BUT I now only have to wash them once on the sanitize cycle (was doing 2 washes w/old machine!) and I feel they are clean & safe for my little one. I do not have a problem w/ odor in my machine, but I think that is due to the fact I use the sanitize cycle on a regular basis. I also love to wash my kitchen & bath towels on the sani cycle about once a month to keep them from smelling. 2) I LOVE that I can stack them and save the space for other things (like shelving for pantry space!). 3)As mentioned by many they are very water & energy efficient & very quiet!
I’ve had a front loading Whirlpool Duet for 2 years, and am not impressed. Yes, it uses less water, is more gentle on our clothes, and I can wash larger loads. BUT, I’m not convinced that my clothes are any cleaner, and I find myself using more Shout or other stain remover. Since the point of a washer is to clean clothes, this is the most important issue to me. Also, I’ve never had the odor issue so many others have talked about, but I have found mold behind the detergent/bleach/softener drawer in the top (I do run the “clean washer” cycle once a month with bleach). Until I found this and cleaned it out, I was finding alot of mold on my towels, napkins, and undergarments, and was having to soak them in bleach. So now, in addition to leaving the door open between washings, I also remove the drawer to let it dry completely as well. Hopefully technology will come a long way by the time I have to replace ours!
I have had a Kenmore HE4t washer and dryer for 6 years now. I LOVE THEM! They are programmable (I can put in a load before bed and tell it to start at a certain time in the morning, so when I wake up, I can throw it in the dryer and have a head start!) and have many settings such as for kids clothes (because they are usually more stained up), hand wash, bulky items such as blankets (this is the biggest plus…we also own a commercial laundromat and front loaders are the only way to go for washing blankets and pillows), and a sanitary wash that superheats the water to 160 degrees and washes on a long cycle. You can change the water temps and spin speeds at the push of a button. The dryer is also great with multiple settings! It is definitely a big investment, but pays off in the long run because they last much longer than a top load machine. I would also suggest buying an extended warranty because sometimes there are faulty motherboards, pumps, etc. The extended warranty has saved us many times! It costs less for detergent because it lasts longer because front loaders use less water, which means less soap usage. I would rate my machines a 10+.
Also . . . we did the MATH! My husband is a math guru and figured out how many watts the washer and dryer used for both types of machines, multiplied it by the cost of each watt, compared those in addition to comparing the prices of the new washers . . . you get the picture. If you are going to buy a new washer and dryer and plan to keep them for 15 years it is CHEAPER in the long run to buy a front loading machine!
One more thing that I’ve seen other people mention – I can add things to the washer no problem once I start mine. My start button also pauses the machine for me to add.
And I love the silver care and sanitary cycles on the Samsung- especially with cloth diapers and having a baby!
We have the Samsung FL washer and dryer (using for almost 2 years) and I love them. They have definitely been worth the money. They do seem to clean better as well as be gentler on clothes. We have never had funky smell issues because we always leave the door to the washer and the detergent drawer open after finished with the washer so they air out on their own. This isn’t a big deal to me because our laundry room isn’t in a high traffic area. And we didn’t buy stands, I guess we are all short in my family so it doesn’t bother us to load or unload.
The one caveat I would say is regarding cloth diapers. I’ve had a difficult time getting all the detergent out and have had some ammonia smell issues in the diapers as a result. I’m still working on tweaking my routine and type of detergent. I feel like all my energy savings go out the window when I wash my diapers as I usually do at least 2 extra hot wash/rinse cycles with no detergent after I do one with detergent. Some front loaders you can adjust the water amount, but I really can’t on mine.
Hope that helps!
I LOVE MY front-loader!!! Our dryer died 3-4 weeks before Black Friday and our washer wasn’t the best. So we went to Sears 1:00AM on Black Friday and got a front load and dryer for $579 for the combo!!! My clothes are so much cleaner!!! Lots more cycles to choose from!
I would check consumer reports on a washer and dryer purchase! We ended up buying FRONT LOADERS and it has been extremely helpful living in a small apartment because they can STACK! We have so much EXTRA STORAGE in our laundry room now — which is very helpful in extremely small student housing apartments with kids. We also waited until we found a screaming deal – awesome sale, coupled with a “friends and family event”, coupled with a store and city rebate. Worth the wait and definitely worth the money . . . granted we used coin op for many, many years . . . so I think we would have loved just about anything!
I’m still using my 18 year old washer and dryer, so I’ve often wondered the opinions of those who have bought the front loaders. My neighbor loves hers except she comes to my house to wash her whites. She says it doesn’t clean as well as her old washer.
I have had mine for years and love it! When I first got them it took stains out that the old machines couldn’t. Not sure if it was just because they were old or the new ones worked that much better. But our clothes look great and come out clean.
we have the whirlpool duet and I love ours even though there are a few drawbacks.
pros
-huge loads. in a family of 9 this is important
-sanitary cycle. I don’t need this all the time, but I love it when there is illness running around.
-cleans our clothes well
cons
-they sit lower, and we did not want to buy the things that are available to purchase for them to rest on, so my hubbie built a shelf for them to set them on. but we have a good sized laundry room.
-there is no small load setting, there is a delicate cycle I sometimes use instead
having said that, I will say that I do not use the special detergent – I just use less soap. We have never had any problems with the washer or dryer (we have only had them about 3 years though)
I would not hesitate to get a scratch and dent model or a floor model in order to get a set of these!
Oh no. I’m more confused than ever. We have 12 year-old top loader and a 30plus year-old avacado green Kenmore dryer that we LOVE. We keep thinking we’ll switch over as we have 5 kids now, but after reading comments I’m still just as confused. People either seem to love or hate the front loaders.
One thing to keep in mind: I personally think the front loader is worth it, but you might get a better deal on a non-matching dryer. The dryers that come with the front-loaders aren’t anything special, and you might get a much better deal on a different one.
I don’t use special detergent; just small amounts of normal or I make my own.
I have to agree with those that DO NOT like the front loaders. We first bought one when we moved into our new house because we have very low well water. It does save on water – but I think that is actually one of the problems. I was washing cloth diapers – and eventually washing for 4, then 5 dirty boys (we’re out in the country and they get really dirty working on cars and playing in the dirt) I don’t believe that the clothes got clean. When I think of putting dirty duds in just enough water to get them wet, then wash with just enough soap to *not* make bubbles – then rinse a couple of times in just enough water to get them re-wet… doesn’t make sense to me. A note about sanitizing – most machines really don’t allow the water to get hot enough to sanitize diapers (even if there is a sanitation setting, it needs to be checked). Many who wash cloth diapers will end up adding a pot of boiling water to the tub (which is virtually impossible w/a FL machine) when they need to do extra sanitizing.
Then – there are serious problems with keeping the machine from stinking. Our clothes began to have a “wang”. The diapers were disgusting when they would get wet. I tried all sorts of different ways of washing – researched diaper sites all over the web. Used different detergents. It was the machine. The seals and the double drum hold the soap scum – and the stink. So, each time a load is washed, it’s running thru that old scum each time. Newer machines are supposed to be better – BUT! If you decide to get a FL washer (and even a TL washer) they are now suggesting that you clean out the washer periodically. They even sell tablets now to do this (you can just run a load with vinegar and baking soda to cut the scum) The rubber seals must be wiped out, too.
When we took out the FL washer and set it outside to take to the dump, w/in a couple days that “wang” we smelled in small doses in our clothes was huge! It was definitely the washer and not our water.
My research landed me on a new TL washer that has the conservation abilities, but I can override and fill the tub, too. I definitely wanted an agitator, too. I miss the gentleness for some of my quilts and other items, but the agitator for most of my wash is more important to me.
Hope you find what works best for you! It’s a tough call when it involves spending on something that should last a while.
My experience with front loaders was at our last apartment complex’s laundry room. I don’t know if they cleaned the clothes better or not, but here’s why I hated them:
1. When trying to put in enough laundry for a full load, half of it spills out on the floor while you’re trying to fill it to the top.
2. Once you shut the door and start the machine, you cannot reopen it to pop in that pesky wash rag you keep forgetting to collect on laundry day.
3. You cannot open the lid to stop laundry mid-cycle so that it can soak.
4. It breaks your back to bend over to fill the machine, especially if you’re tall like I am. Bending over for the dryer is pain enough!
I personally hated them, and I was so glad when our new place came with a top loader (even though it was 31 years old). When we replace our machines – it won’t be long now – I plan to get a top loader. You’d have to save a TON of water and electricity to even begin to convince me they’re worth the extra cost and frustration.
We purchased a set of Kenmore front load washer and matching dryer about 1 1/2 years ago. LOVE THEM!!!! Got them on sale and financed them at Sears. I would have to agree with what has been said so far…they save on water, energy and supplies. my laundry has really dropped off because our family size has decreased from 4 down to 2…daughter got married, son is away playing minor league baseball.
I do see our clothes lasting longer, with no agitator to wear them out. They are really clean, even on the speed wash cycle.
I have a top loader without an agitator, love it. Our laundry room wouldn’t fit the front loader.
Our 25 year old washer and dryer needed to be replaced. I researched on epinions.com. We purchased the front-loaders in white from Sears. We had an interest-free year. They honestly work so much better than our old machines; and you can fit a ton in them, as well as, huge sleeping bags etc…
We purchased our front loader Electrolux a few weeks ago after our washer completely died. It seemed initially like a splurge, but after all the sales and rebates we paid very little for it. We bought it from Lowe’s on sale, but got 10% more off by price matching a deal that Home Depot had on 10% off all energy star appliances, we also got an additional 10% with a coupon that is in the Post Office Change of Address forms when you move. Electrolux was offering a 10% rebate card for this product, DTE Energy and Michcon each offered a $25 rebate, and the State offered a $100 rebate for this energy star product.
Good luck!
Most of what I’m saying can be seen in other comments, but we bought our front-loading Maytags because we were moving, and moving the old top-loaders didn’t make as much sense as buying a new set after our arrival when we took advantage of our state’s rebates and the water savings.
I cloth diaper, and I think that our diapers get much cleaner in the front-loaders. I never would have known unless we had switched.
I do love my front-loaders, but do be careful as it’s easy to develop a musty smell in the washer if you don’t let it dry out between washes. I have read that different brands have varying problems with that issue.
I have had my front load washer/dryer for 5-6 years now. I still love them and recommend them to anyone!
I DON’T buy the HE detergent and I’ve never had a problem. I use Arm & Hammer, ALL, freebie samples. No issue.
I’ve never had a maintenance problem.
My machine does not smell, despite my husband closing the door all the time.
My clothes are clean.
I love that I can turn the end of cycle signal off so it doesn’t disturb us during the early morning (I set the delay on the wash so it does the washing before I get up so I can just throw it in the dryer).
The only thing I don’t like is that I can’t seem to get the detergent cup all that clean.
We got our whirlpool duet this past spring at a warehouse sale. After rebates our machine cost $375. It has a sanitary cycle which heats water internally to a higher temp than the water heater which is great for cloth diapers. It also has a spot for powder detergent so we use country save and we get approx. 250 loads per box ($12 a box). Since it spins most of the water out they line dry so much quicker too! Love it!!!
I didn’t get to read through all the comments, so I may be repeating, but I wouldn’t buy another front loader. I don’t hate mine, but I don’t love it either. I have had trouble with clothes smelling. I now add baking soda to each wash. I don’t think my clothes are any cleaner than they were with my ancient top loader, though I do like being able to do larger loads. The cycle is longer than it was with my top loader, so I’m not sure how much time I’m really saving. The thing I hate most about them though is the dryer. It spins so fast, that at least once a month I’ve had it ruin a piece of clothing. Often it is overalls even though I now make sure all straps are fastened before they go in the dryer. What happens is a strap will get caught in something else and the dryer spins so fast that the strap is twisted beyond its stretching ability and snaps. I’ve also had odd holes appear in some of my clothing since I’ve had them. Having top loaders has certainly added to my mending pile… when I can even repair the item of clothing.
Mine are only 4 years old, so it will be awhile before I can replace them.
I have Kenmore Elite and I love them. Just check the sales and rebates and they are well worth the money.
I love our front load washer. It easily does twice as many clothes per load as our old top loader. That’s a definite benefit when you have a large family of nine, soon to be ten, like ours. Plus, it cleans much better, uses much less detergent, and leaves the clothes much less wet at the end of cycle. That means shorter drying times as well. We got our Whirlpool set on sale at Lowe’s when we moved four years ago. It’s been worth the price difference.
Sears appliance outlets have great deals on HE front loaders – and they are very quiet, efficient, and a lot better for the environment. The cost of running one is a lot less than a top loader – but obviously the pay off will only come after a 5+ years of owning it.
A lot of cities/counties will offer rebates for buying energy efficient.
I like All HE detergent too – cheaper than tide when you wait for a deal and use a coupon.
We bought our front load Whirlpool Duet pair five years ago. I was not a bargain hunter at that time (still working) so we paid asking price less $50 for a small dent in the dryer. With the exception of a 2-year hiatus while we lived in our RV during a move from IN to NC, there was and is not a day that I do not actually look forward to doing laundry. I use the “Soak” setting and leave it overnight to get out those bodily fluids stains with Biz or similar. Drastic drop in water useage (unfortunately more than compensated for in this drought-prone must-water-the-landscaping-investment area). Only caution is that if you wash 20 pair of jeans then try to dry that many, they will dry but be horribly wrinkled. An extra added bonus is that children are mesmerized by the tumbling swishing motion of the washer.
I think they are worth it. We’ve had ours for about 3 years and we’ve been very happy with it. I line-dry bath and kitchen towels and jeans in our basement and they are usually dry within 24 hours. I also like that a little bottle of HE detergent lasts forever and there are always good sales for All. My clothes get clean on the cold cycle which saves on heating the water and we also do less loads because you can fit quite a bit in them. I no longer use softener which also adds to the savings. These are just a few things that come to mind.
My husband and I have been married for 12 years and have used the same 1970’s era Maytag washing machine and dryer that entire time. Twice we’ve had to replace the $30 belt, but my husband is able to do that (with a little help from me) in less than an hour. I will never buy a front load washing machine because I like to knit with wool and felt – something you can’t do with the front load.
My in-laws purchased a new front loader a year ago and don’t like it. If you use too much detergent, a film can cover the inside of the tub. Also, if you don’t immediately take the wet laundry out of the washing machine, it starts to smell moldy and needs to be rewashed. They had an issue with their washing machine and were told that the service call was $80 just to come out and diagnose the problem and if they tried to fix it themselves they’d void the warranty.
Also, the older machines have all metal parts (little to no plastic) and no computer parts, so less can go wrong!
So many good replies, but wanted to throw in my two cents since we use cloth diapers. We bought a Kenmore frontloader 4+ years ago when we married, and have had no regrets. For washing diapers, I do one “heavy duty” cycle and then a “normal” cycle on cold with an extra rinse. That, along with a squirt of Dawn dish soap and the occasional white vinegar or bleach, does the trick for us with the dipes! We have no way to soak in our machine, but that really hasn’t been a big deal. Hope that helps!
We just bought a brand new washer/dryer set after Thanksgiving. We were moving to the country (ie: lots of dirt) and with 5 kids, we were highly encouraged to buy a top loader w/ an agitator. It is an energy star and we paid less than $600 for the set with a sale. We’ve been happy with ours and haven’t had any problems with stains and we use regular detergent.
Some of the other downfalls of a front-loader besides type of detergent and price, would be that you have to have one with vibration control to put it anywhere other than a basement or concrete slab. Otherwise, you’ll damage your floor joists in the long run. Since our laundry room is a second-floor laundry, we were also advised against front-loaders for that reason.
Happy shopping!
I’ll add that my parents and my brother both have the fancy LG steam front loaders and dryers. I’ll pass. I’ve used them and I don’t see any difference–especially not considering the price difference!
YES! They hold larger loads, save on water and detergent, I can even wash my King size comforters in mine (which saves me from taking them to a laundromat saving me both time and money). Tip: Buy the pedestals that they sit on so you save your back and have extra storage!
I LOVE my front loader and will never be going back! I did get SUPER lucky when a friends good neighbor decided they were moving back to England they sold me their 2 year old front load washer and dryer for $200..:-) as for the smell of airing out I just uses bleach in in every now and then and have NEVER had a problem!
I have had mine for 5 years and LOVE them! I have the Kenmore HE4t.
Some things I love:
-I only use 1/2 – 1/4 of the soap I used to use
– Less drying time
– Love the various cycle options. I use the Sanitary Cycle when our family has the stomach bug and I use the Kids Wear cycle for extra dirty clothes.
– I can fit twice the amount of clothes in it.
I have six children so we do tons of laundry and I’m sure having these have helped tremendously!
YES!! I’ve wanted one for over ten years after visiting my MIL in England–it is the only type of washer they have there. They use a LOT less energy and water. So when our older one died, we hunted for over a month to find the right one in our price range. It is a simple Kenmore, not one of the fancy schmancy color-matching kind. I use less energy, a heck of a lot less water and definitely less detergent! The wash runs faster, it has a timer (so I can fill it before bed and have it run right before we get up–no mildew) and it has extra spin cycles so the clothes come out almost dry! We combined a bank account bonus from Chase with a sale and a friends and family 10% off coupon to get it for less than $250 out of pocket! It is quieter too. We have no issues with stains, or with soaking since it has a soak cycle. Not to mention it’s cleaning action is gentler on my clothes so they last longer!
Front-loaders are a lot of hype that the manufacturers use to get you to spend more money because they look so modern and flashy and they come in colors and oooh don’t you want one? It’s like buying a new car LOL! Get a top-loading HE washer. We have an older Maytag and it is very dependable.
For years I have dealt with hand-me down (top-loader) washer & old dryers. When we moved last September, I splurged on a brand new washer & dryer. After much research and comparison shopping, I purchased SAMSUNG FRONT LOADERS and am so HAPPY. It did take a little getting used to…no last minute additions, cycles are a little longer and they are so quiet I was checking in regularly to see if they were still on but it does a FANTASTIC job. Expensive, Yes. Worth it…for this family of 5 (kids – 9, 6, 2)– Absolutely! I wish I hadn’t waited.
Well, our washing machine was free on craigslist, so even with the extra energy and water, it’s still cheaper for a LONG time to use it rather than a front loader, especially as it cleans just fine. I’ve used both a front and top loading washer, and here’s my take:
Front loaders are quieter, but they take WAY longer to do a cycle. To do my daughter’s diapers, it took almost 3 hours, as opposed to an hour in our regular washer. Regular loads take over an hour also (vs. about 30 mins in our regular one).
Front loaders clean just fine. We used one for 6 months and I didn’t have any problems with it, but I didn’t notice that it cleaned better than our top loader either.
Really, that’s about it. For us, it just came down to a cost analysis. If you think you can get back the money using a front loader and therefore less energy and water, that’s what I’d do. Otherwise, stick with the top loader. They work great too.
I HATED mine-our laundry room is located in the hallway and we had to leave the door shut to the washer all the time and the inside would start to stink-then we’d have to get the HE cleaner tabs and run them through to clear the smell for a little while. It was a whirlpool and broke down once during its warranty period and then we fixed it twice on our own (bad plastic shocks), the last time it stopped spinning we gave up and took it out. Our plan was to give it to someone who needed one and could fix it but when we got it outside the side ruptured and a funky, slimy mold poured out. We only had this one for 3 years and paid close to $1000 for it!!! We have since bought an HE top loader and have had no problems.
I dream of my old Maytag top loading washer and companion dryer back!!!!!! I have had my whirlpool duet for over 5 years now and HATE them! (My sister has a GE and dislikes it as badly as I do). Yes, I’m sure they are saving water and $$ for elec., but who cares, if you don’t get clean clothes from them. All my husband’s white tshirts, etc are now a ‘lovely’ permanent shade of off white. I even replace them now before they really need to be because I can’t stand the look of them. I think the biggest reason for this is that in my old top loader, I could REALLY soak them if they ever got that way or other things because of spills, etc needed to soak. Now this pathetic soak cycle is merely getting them wet and letting them set for a while. They are not immersed in water.
My second gripe is smell. Yes, at least mine, I have read online are known to smell in the washing machine, thereby, needing to ‘air’ out the washer after every cycle or else spending more money to buy a strong machine wash from Tide to make them smelling good again and not musty.
I hope everyday that mine will die so I can feel okay about buying new ones….ones that are top loading!!!
Sorry, but I have never been so disappointed in an appliance in my life!
Hope you have a better outcome in your decision than me!
I just bought a Samsung front loader 3 weeks ago. I love it!! It was only $500 after tax @ Lowes. I researched all the stores to find the best deal. I am disappointed about one thing is I was told it would take a King size comforter and it will not. It will just spin and spin and keep adding time to try and spin out all the water and it just can’t hit the speed it needs too. king size blankets it does just fine.
Stay away from GE as they have gotten really crappy. They used to be the top of the line 20+ yrs ago and now they are not. They supposively need the most repairs. The HE detergent price isnt any different at my stores then the regular detergent and I use Tide.
It also plays a little tune when it is done which is pretty cool too. I keep thinking my cell is ringing. lol
We will be getting the matching dryer in a few months when we have some extra money.
The LG set is awesome! Lots of friends have other brands and the rubber seal on them is disgusting and stinks! Never had this problem at all with the LG and it cleans clothes SO good…even horrible blueberry stains on baby clothes!
Oh and I wanna add that my husband is a veterinarian and goes out on the dairy farms, his clothes & coveralls come home with “ick” on them. We find that Tide works best to get the stains out but still do have a few stains that fade with repeated washings. I no longer have a newborn baby but the first one we had with our newborn son was great and our clothes did last longer in CA as opposed to here (and I think that may be the soft water’s doing)
Would we get another one? Sure. Are there problems? sure, but they’ve been minimal for us (busted bearings on the first one causing grease to get into the wash basket, but then I have a shirt I still have that still has some marks from my roommate’s top loader so it’s the machine not the style. None so far from my current front loader.)
My sis has a top load high efficiency washing machine with only a stump for an agitator, she likes it. I think that would be a good “compromise” but I do like the front loading aspect of it, it’s much easier to get to clothes and transfer to the dryer (just make sure there’s no “ick” on the floor in case things drop! 😉 Especially if it’s on a platform that’s high enough you dont have to bend, and can keep baskets & soaps underneath. (Need to get hubby to build me another one for this house!)
I have a front loader we got about 3 years ago. It does a wonderful job of washing the clothes. Is it more efficient? I’m not really sure. Small loads seem to take longer than the would have in a top loader. For large loads it is definitely better. In winter when the laundry is 2x my summer laundry, I definitely like the front loader better. I would suggest doing a lot of online research, consult Consumer Reports at the least.
Whatever you do, DO NOT buy a top loading high efficiency machine. They are horrible. The least little bit of extra soap and the machines stop dead and requires a maintenance call with a new pump to fix it. This happened several times, before the lemon clause in our purchase finally kicked in. When we were able to get a new (free) replacement washer, I bought a front loader instead!
We have had our Samsung frontloader for almost exactly a year and both my husband and I love it. He did a lot of research before we bought it and the only other one that he wanted that was better was much more. I like it because it has a delay start button and also a sanitize cycle which I use for things like clothes with vomit or poop. It also has a child safety button so I don’t have to worry about my three year old starting the washer full of xyz that would ruin it.
If you are going to buy a used washer on craigslist, then why not look for a used frontloader? At least once every six weeks I see people selling used ones because they are moving or something.
Hated my front loader. We bought a Neptune from a scratch/dent place. It worked well for a while but was thrilled when it died. We cloth diaper and I was having so many stink issues we went with a GE top loader and LOVE it! Its an energy efficient machine as well and I will never go back!!
Also, consider cleaning your current washing machine with white distilled vinegar. It will remove soap and hard water residue and will possibly help performance. You can also purchased washing machine cleaning agents for less than $5.
I say NO, I have one and I wish I didn’t. If you don’t leave it open to “air” out the rubber seal starts to mold, the detergent tray molds. You can get the same energy & water savings from a top load now a days, plus you can soak things in a top load, but not a front load. Almost everyone I know that has a front load wishes they had a top load.
We have the Bosch set, and we LOVE IT. . Totally worth the money. We bought a floor model (still came with warranty) so we got significant savings. Also we got a rebate from the electric company which reduced the cost a little.
I have had both the washer and dryer for about 4 years and would NEVER go back to my old ways!! I find that my clothes are cleaner and last longer since there is no aggitater in the middle to get caught on. I had ruined so many bras and undies by them getting caught on the aggitater.
It uses less water, less energy and because it holds much more, I do fewer loads each week, which is what I love the most.
Now if I could just find a machine to fold all the clothes and put them away…
I have the front-loading Electrolux washer/dryer, and have had them for about 18 months. Overall, I am very happy with them, but there are a few things to consider (which have probably been mentioned in previous comments – sorry!).
First, the things I like:
1. Extra large capacity in both washer and dryer
2. They seem to get my clothes really clean (I have a 3yo and a 1yo, and we use cloth napkins and cloth diapers) unless I really overpack the washer.
3. I can use a lot less soap than I used to. (I use 1/4 the recommended amount most of the time!)
4. The Electrolux has 18 minute wash/dry cycles, in case you do a lot of smaller/quick loads. (These 18 minute cycles don’t work on a full load.)
5. Mine has an eco-friendly option. Don’t remember all the details but I know it uses a lower temperature of “hot”.
6. Also has a sanitize option, where it super-heats the water high enough to kill bacteria. I use this occasionally when I have stinky bath towels, sour-smelling dish towels/rags, and sometimes with my cloth diapers. They always come out smelling great again.
7. Of course, they use a lot less water, which is important to me.
8. They really spin out the water really well.
9. Mine are SUPER silent! So quiet, in fact, that I forget about moving the laundry to the dryer because I can’t hear the washer when it’s running. There’s no banging and clanging when the washer is spinning, and the only sound from the dryer is the gas firing (and buttons banging around inside, of course).
10. My dryer has two types of settings: sensor-dry and time-dry. I’ll admit some issues with the sensor settings but I can always fall back on the time dry if it’s a load I know won’t get dry with the sensor.
11. My kids love to help me move the clothes from washer -> dryer and from dryer -> basket.
12. The washer has a self-cleaning cycle, and after it is run any funky smells are gone.
And the things I’m not crazy about:
1. Awkward in a small laundry room. (We tend to bump the washer/dryer doors when we’re walking through the laundry room to go into the garage, and then they come open.)
2. My kids can open the doors and climb inside.
3. There is a child lock for the controls, but you can’t turn it on while the washer/dryer are running, so my daughter can stop/restart the machines while I’m not looking.
4. As I mentioned above, the sensor cycles on the dryer don’t always work that well.
5. The rubber boot (seal) on the washer does mildew if you don’t leave the door open to let it dry out completely (which is hard with a small walk-through laundry room and two small children running around). The washer will also smell funny if you don’t let it dry out.
Overall, I would highly recommend a front-loader. I’m not sure I would recommend paying the extra for the Electrolux, though, because I don’t know that it’s any better than the other brands. There are things you have to deal with, but if you think about it, there are things you have to deal with with all types of washers/dryers. So to be fair, you have to ask yourself if this is really a deal-breaker or just a new way of thinking.
Oh, and my cloth diapers come out perfectly clean every time, even without adding wet towels to the washer (as some people recommend to make the washer think it has a larger load and needs more water).
Hope this helps. Good luck!
I bought a Whirlpool front loader 2 years ago when it was on sale at Best Buy, plus I had an additional coupon that they mailed me when I moved. It ended up being ~$550, which wasn’t that much more than some of the top loaders, so I was satisfied that I was able to get one without paying an arm and a leg. I also saved money by not buying its matching dryer (because really, aren’t all dryers front loading?) and instead buying a less expensive model.
As for functionality, mines works well and I have yet to have any issues. My clothes get clean, they seem to get less wear/tear and they’re pretty dry from all that spinning. I like that I can wash really, really big loads with it. I always leave the door open after I’m done and I’ve yet to have a mildew/odor problem. I even continued to use my non-HE detergent with my front loading washer after I bought it because I didn’t want it to go to waste, and my clothes were fine and the machine didn’t stink. I finally ran out of my regular detergent and use HE detergent now and I don’t think that my clothes are noticeably more clean now. And I don’t think that HE detergent is hard to find or more expensive. Just about every brand seems to make a version of it for the same price.
I didn’t shell out the $200 for the pedestal though because it seemed like a rip off.
We were looking to replace our Kenmore & whirlpool models around Christmas and I had already made up my mind that I wanted a front loader. I polled my friends (as you are) and it seemed that most that recommended front loaders had only had them for a short time. I also heard from a few friends with front loaders that said they would go back to a top loader. So our solution was to find an energy efficient top loader. We stuck with Kenmore/whirlpool.
We have had a Kenmore Elite basic front-load model for 4-5 years now and have had no problems. I like the timer feature so I can put a load in at night and hang it out first thing in the morning–getting more laundry done. The capacity is huge–I can wash our California King comforter in it. Also, I like the handwash capability as this has enabled me to have no dry cleaning needs for my wool/cashmere sweaters (which I get second hand, so being ruined is no big deal but this has not happened yet).
YES!!! Just make sure you hit a sale sale. We got ours on a black Friday online only from best buy. PERFECT!
we bought a front loader about 1 1/2 yr ago. There are pros and cons.
PROS
– can choose how long I want the wash to take (I use quick wash at about 26min)
– uses ALOT less water
– spins the clothes and lessens dry time
– I noticed if you forget the wet clothes for a few hours, it doesnt get stinky as fast like a top loader!!
– looks cool (lol)
CONS
– hard to add more clothes after it has been turned on
– some front loaders require HE detergent only, mine doesnt I just use 1/4 – 1/2 the regular amount of soap (that a pro for my specific front loader)
– it doesnt clean really dirty stained items too well, I have to pre treat and hand clean certain bad stains, luckily for us it isnt too often, even with a 4 and 5 yr old.. but we will have a new baby soon, I wonder how it will hold up
– I have to always leave the door propped open a bit so it can dry out
– it stinks sometimes to have to bend, but Im bending to the dryer anyway, so instead of up down, I just go down, and then side to side..
I would have loved to get a matching set, one that stacked, or make pedistools for them to stand on.
.
and my fav type of dryer is a GAS dryer!!!
I have a front loader washer and dryer I LOVE them! Only problem is it only takes he soap, I’ve tried using regular soap justa little but, but it throws a sensor and won’t run at all. No great deals on laundry soap ! 🙂
I originally wanted a front-loader (because I like the look of them), when we had to replace our broken washing machine a few weeks ago. However, my parents had just purchased front-loaders and were not pleased with them. The guy installing their new set told them he does a lot more service work on front-loaders than top loaders.
After my parents told me about the maintenance they require (like drain the water, let it air-dry, watch for water getting trapped around the door – which can mildew), I knew I wanted to go with a top loader (as a mom of three young kids, I’m a big fan of not adding more work to my plate). (Plus, I tend to start a load when I go to bed.) We went with a high efficiency top loader that is agitator-less (it holds a lot more clothes than our old washer did). I don’t have any complaints on only having to use HE detergent, as we use soap nuts.
We bought a Maytag front loader years ago and after a few years, put it to the front of our house for trash pickup. We paid over $1000. There were many Maytags that were recalled because of the mold accumulation around the front rubber circular area… we constantly had to bleach this area and husband changed the electronics twice on the computer board as something went bad. So, I do not recommend the Maytag. We have the Fisher and Paykal washer, dryer and the two drawer dishwasher and have been very pleased. Good luck to you 🙂
I didn’t read all of the replies, so this may have already been suggested. You may just want to get a used one on Craigslist. There are so many people who have to move and need to get rid of their old machines.
When we got my front load washer it was a surprise. We were at Lowes, and there was a box, in the clearance section, marked $299, so I ask the sales clerk what was wrong, he said nothing, they had finished inventory and it wasn’t included in the count. Manager said get it out. Yes, it came home with me. I LOVE IT. I still need to find a replacement dryer, but for right now I will keep what I have. It took me a while to learn that it has to be a FULL load before they spin dry. But hey, with king size beds, big towels, and lots of jeans its easy to fill. Mine will hold 24 pairs of jeans. Drying time is about half of what it use to be with the top loader, and our water bill droped about $5 a month. Did I mention I LOVE MY WASHER. What use to take all day to wash now is two loads. It great. Oh, and remember when you are not using it, either keep the door ajar, or use viniger in the rinse. I live where there is a lot of humidity, and it smells musty if not used every day. So I just keep the door open, its in the wash room, and we don’t have kids. Even with that I still LOVE IT.
The one BIG negative I have about a front load washer is the mildew factor. It was tough to keep the inside dry, and free of mildew.
Other than that, it’s great for all the same reasons listed above, but mildew is a big deal!!
I also use cloth and it is sick how they don’t come clean. I want to get rid of these things and get a top loader so bad… then I can actually soak my cloth diapers. 🙁
I LOVE our front loader washing machine! We are on our second set. I actually loved our first ones better than the new ones we got which has all the bells and whistles (but then, it may be due to the fact that we got the new ones here in AZ with no cold water to speak of in the summertime and no soft water, while our first set was where we had a soft water system and actual cold water.)
Funny smell & mold – I just leave the door open after washing until it’s dry (overnight, or a day) and I’ve never had a problem, never. (except the one time I totally forgot I had clothes in there and left it for a day & half, yikes!! a 2nd wash cycle took care of that.) Clothes dont come out as wet, so letting the washer dry out a bit before closing its door seems more than a fair deal for quick drying clothes.
My washer has a 6 min “grace period” where I can add clothes after it starts (still best to make sure you have everything in there before you start it though, but I can run and get that dish cloth, or grab stuff left in the bathroom, dropped on the stairs, etc), I just hit pause, wait for the door lock to unengage then throw it in, and start it again.
I do like the soak cycle, when I have had something that really needed soaking, I do the soak cycle then it’s over, set the timed wash to start towards early morning (dunno if other people can do that but we’re deaf and dont mind the washer going at 4am!) then I get up and throw the clothes in the dryer before the daytime peak energy period starts.
I absolutely love the delay start feature on our washer and would never want to do without one again.
A funny thing that I miss from my first front load — the clear window on the front! I really love watching my “soaps” ha. The new one has the dark (non)window on the front, boo. We’ve had our “new” one for oh 5 years now? and the old one for 5-6 years previously. What wore out was the ball bearing and we were given a voucher towards the purchase price of this “new” one and since we were a week or two away from moving, we waited till we got here to buy this one.
I am a strong advocate for front-load washing machines. It is tough to convince people to spend the extra bucks on one even after I tell them that it only cost me less than $500 (I just waited and watched for the model I wanted to go on sale). I love my machine.
The dryer has little work to do after the clothes come out of the HE washer because they are spun so fast, so I do not need to compare energy bills to tell whether or not I am saving money. My dryer now runs for half the time it used to. Another note: it is easier to get the clothes out of the washer. They are never wrapped around an agitator, and my husband’s jeans are not nearly as heavy as they once were. My clothes appear to be lasting longer also.
I too found that HE detergents were tough to find when I bought my machine 1 1/2 years ago (especially hard to find a sale on them), but that’s changing now. All brands have discovered that they need to move with the times. Plus, you use less detergent. I cannot understand why more people do not purchase high-efficiency washers.
We have the 2007 LG Trom and love them.
A. My two year old daughter has been helping me load and unload the w/d since she was 12 months old.
B. It’s hard for me to reach the bottom of some top loaders.
C. They are better on water.
D. They are generally more energy efficient, so my answer is, yes!
We bought the maytag neptune 10 years ago and were assured it would last 30 plus years. It lasted 8. The computer part to replace was 300 plus dollars and then I thought “what else will break?” We spent 300 dollars on a pair of regular washer and dryer from a used place and I am completely happy. I never noticed much savings on water and the rim was always moldy looking (there is always water left in them, maybe not visisble but you hear it if you spin the drum manually). I do not recommend them especially if you are struggling financially.
I’ve had a set of Kenmore front loaders for about 3 years and the difference from our old (15+) top loader was immediately noticeable. Now, was that because it was old vs new? Or top vs front? Don’t know. BUT like other posters said, you can put much larger loads in with very little detergent. I bought my at Sears during one of their ‘friends & family’ deals plus I went through EBATES. I’ve ordered all my appliances through Ebates since I know what I want by researching at the store site & consumer reports website. No regrets!!
We were lucky to buy a spec home that had the Whirlpool Duet front load washer & dryer in it. I was so happy because I knew that we would not have been able to buy them on our own at that time. We have had ours since 3/2007 and I love them. I do mind leaving the washer open to air out and to do the clean cycle-when ever I remember.
Now 2 of my neighbors were lucky to buy their front loader sets from 2 other familes in our subdivision($500 for the pair), that were moving out because of foreclosures. My neighbors love theirs 2nd hand sets also.
We went through this process two years ago and I will say that two babies and one toddler later…our clothes, burp rags, and blankets are stain free and very clean. I think the combination of the front-loader and the Tide Stain out are the keys. The newborn, breastfed “poop” stains come out with this combo–even if it has accidentally been dried in a friend’s dryer. My husband followed the Dave Ramsey approach of talking to store managers, using the phrase “that’s not good enough” and paying cash. This process landed us a brand new, top of the line washer and dryer for $1200. He went in in search of the bottom of the line and this was the list price for that set, but the store was out. They gave us a $2400 set for this price, so I would HIGHLY recommend following Dave’s approach and saving until you can pay with cash.
I will state that the one drawback to these is that you HAVE to leave the washer door OPEN to let it dry out–or they will mildew.
When we were moving into a rental house without a washer and dryer we figured if we had to buy a set, we were going to get what we REALLY wanted since it would move with us in a year once we found a house to buy. No way did we want to just get something cheap when we wanted it to last us YEARS! Well… 2 years later (1 year in the rental house and 1 in our own home) we couldnt be happier with our choice of getting the front loading ones! Zero problems ever!! My husband (is weird) will sit and watch the washer as it washes! Everything comes out clean, it uses only the water needed and adjusts the time to how dirty/clean the clothes are as the cycle goes! The dryer also adjusts time as the clothes dry!
We got ours at Sears. They were on sale plus we were able to get some other discounts for some specials… Do not be afraid to try to negotiate. My Hubby just kept talking the talk and got the price dropped! (He did the same thing at Lowes when we needed to buy a fridge after Home Depot messed up with the one we tried to get from them!) To top it off we needed them to hold them for a few days until we could get access into the house to put them in… When my Hubby went to pick them up at the time we said we would be there, they were missing! Not sure how they lose a washer and dryer, they arent tiny items! It took them about 30 minutes to locate them so they gave a giftcard to us as compensation for the problems!
Ours are Kenmore HE2 When we got them they were “last years models” which is how we were able to work a better deal. Also if you choose one that they no longer carry but do have the floor model, you can get a better deal on that too!!
NO! My whirlpool duets are terrible. I HATE them. They don’t even get breastmilk off my shirts. Clean underwear? What’s that? Plus, the mold smell is terrible. I miss my $200 top loaders that I got on sale. Save your money!
I bought a Maytag front loader and matching dryer two years ago and love them! They have cut my laundry time dramatically – my old dryer seemed to run forever! The washer get much more of the water out than my old agitator washer and it’s much gentler on my clothes. I will never go back to top loaders – my back is much happier (no more fishing around in the bottom of the washer or dryer), and my number of loads has gone from 6+ to 3 per week.
My husband and I bought a Bosch front loading washer and dryer almost two years ago. We bought them at a kitchen/bathroom place that deals mostly with countertops, sinks, and cabinetry. The perk of purchasing there rather than Sears, Home Depot, etc was that we were able to get a huge discount for new machines that had been either floor models (never used), out of box returns, or ones with cosmetic blemishes (small scratches or dings). I know that we paid less than $1000 for both but can’t remember without digging in the files how much exactly for each.
I love these front loaders so much! The Bosch machines are built like tanks and have stood up to everything I put in them (comforters, cloth diapers, muddy hunting clothes, even my work items labeled “dry clean only”). I have not had any problem with gunk growing in the seal of the washer but I do laundry multiple times a week and generally leave the door open (that’s just laziness though). The washer uses less water and has the energy star rating and you don’t always have to use HE detergent. I’ve used the regular stuff – just cut back on the amount used – and its worked just fine. My machines run very quietly too – quieter than my old top loader. Good luck!
I despise my front loader. I have so many tiny holes on our clothes. And I mean on everyone’s — from mine to my boys to my girls. I use hot water and various soaps and I cannot say that my clothes get any cleaner than with a top loader. I want to be able to soak the clothes but can’t really do that with a front loader. The smell can get bad, though it hasn’t been too bad for us because we do so much laundry (we have 6 kids). I have cleaned and done various things and we get stains from bacteria buildup on our clothes. It is really nasty. I just ordered NuFresh and am hopeful that with their “shock” treatment and with the NuFresh I will be able to keep it clean and then my clothes will not get stained. Also, I find that if I use a liquid detergent, I can get stains like grease stains for some reason. I will never buy a front loader again. Here is the funny thing: we lived in the Middle East for 5 years and used a front loader and I never had the bacteria build up. Perhaps because it is more arid, but I leave ours open all the time it isn’t in use. I don’t know about saving money. Maybe it does, but when my clothes get stained and nasty, what’s the point? Then I just have to buy more clothes. I just think it takes more effort to use the frontloader and be more on top of things. I have a Sears model.
I’ve had my front loader 4+ years and it is one of the best appliance decisions we’ve made! With 2 teenage sons and a husband all taller than 6 foot, I need a machine that can handle large loads! A front loading washer also spins out significantly more water so the dryer takes half the time to dry the clothes. I probably wash 5-6 fewer loads each week than I would with my old top loader. As for HE detergent, I buy it on sale with coupons – usually $2 or less for 32 loads. Also, if you use regular detergent, just use a couple tablespoons and the load will some out clean. As for smell, mine is in the basement and foul odor has never been as issue. Our one repair was just this month – a loose wire on the motor – $85 repair/service call. Overall, it has been worth the $600 we paid for it.
Everyone on here seems to love their front loader, but I hate mine. We’ve had it almost two years now, and we are ready to get rid of it and buy another top loader. My clothes never used to smell, and now the towels do, if I don’t “sanitize” them. Yes, I leave the door open all the time to air out. Yes, I “basketclean” it once a month with bleach. I even wipe the water out when I’m done with it. The washer doesn’t smell, but my towels do. Things like spit up now stain my shirts, and they didn’t with my old washer.
I might be able to fit more clothes in the washer, but I don’t think they’re getting as clean.
As to the expensive detergent, you can get Target and Walmart brands that are HE compatible.
I bought the number one rated front loader washer consumer reports recommended. I think it is well worth researching the product before you buy it. We opted for the front loader because they believe it cleans the clothes better. We also wanted to do it to save on water. We bought it when the cash for clunker appliance program came out here in California. My $800 washer was on sale at Sears for $600 and after the state rebate, local city rebate, and Utilities rebate our final cost was $375. An awesome deal we think. After using it a few times even my husband noticed the clothes were cleaner. Now instead of washing everything in cold water I actually wash things like you are supposed to and it hasn’t changed our utility bill at all. We are very satisfied.
I was given a Kenmore Elite top-loading HE washer. It’s nice because it uses less water and less detergent. It also spins very fast making the clothes mostly dry already. It was a total blessing because my old one broke just before we moved. That being said, I wouldn’t recommend it mostly because I feel like the clothes aren’t getting as clean. Most of our clothes aren’t too dirty to begin with, but the baby poo and spit-up stuff and my cloth diapers don’t seem as clean as they used to. It was free and I needed it, but if you’re going to buy one yourself, don’t get the Kenmore Elite!
Thanks everyone for your tips, one day i’ll be buying my own washer and I will take your advice! Please mention brand names and models if you’re happy with yours… that will really help!
We have had two different front loading machines over the past 15 years. The first was a Maytag “stackable”. It was really a one piece, kind of like an apartment washer and dryer. It was installed in a hallway closet. When it died, we had moved into a home with a laundry room. We purchased regular sized LG’s. We are a family of six, two adults and four children. So, I do a lot of laundry. I have been very happy with these machines. I think what really sticks out for me, besides the water usage and drying time, is how gentle they are on the
clothes. A friend brought me some clothes her son had outgrown for my boys. Several of the shirts were exactly the same as some of mine, the only difference was their shirts were very faded (think how black fades after so many washings).
I’m going to give you my honest opinion: Front loaders look great, and ours cleans really well. But our top loader cleaned really well also.
Here are a few things to consider:
1. You MUST use HE detergent (harder to find and more $$) or you risk ruining your machine
2. Maintenance is huge!!! They spin out of alignment worse than any other machines, the front gaskets rip from zippers, buttons, snaps, coins – anything! And they cost hundreds to replace, even if you do the work yourself.
3. It’s more annoying than you think to load wet clothes from the washer to the dryer. Things always fall on the floor.
4. You need to make sure you have enough room in your laundry area to fully open the door and bend over to pick up laundry and put it in the machine. If your rear will bump the wall, reconsider.
5. You must keep the washer door open at all times (when it’s not in use) or the washer will get moldy and smell.
Those are from my personal experience with a front loader. I have a very high end model and we’ve had all sorts of interesting issues. We’ve replaced the gasket 3 times. Needless to say, we thought it was worth it to buy the $400 extended warranty! Whoa!
We purchased our LG front loaders a few years ago when prices were still high. I love ours and have not once had a problem with them – even after moving 3 times! I wouldn’t bother getting one with a steam cycle feature, though. We’ve only used ours a few times and still have to iron our clothes after.
We have an energy star GE top loader and love it. There are enough options to get everything clean even my toddler’s messiest diapers. As a word of caution, I’ve heard lots of complaints about FL and cloth diapers, not enough water I think.
One more thing. If you can, do yourself a favor and buy the extended warranty. I never do that EXCEPT with my washer and dryer. After doing the research, I found that if something does go bad that it can cost big $$$$$ to get it taken care of (lots more electronics in today’s machines than in the old ones that were built like a tank).
I have a front loader and like it for typical laundry. I would NOT recommend it if you cloth diaper. I used cloth diapers for about a year and found that there was not enough water to get the diapers clean enough. We have a Kenmore.
I have an ancient top loader that I am pleased with. The spin cycle works well, so the our dryer (much newer) dries very quickly.
My mother-in-law (now deceased) got a top loader, and did not like it. She said that it did not get the clothes clean very clean. She would run some loads through twice. And she had lost her sense of smell, so it wasn’t that they didn’t smell clean – she could SEE that they weren’t. However, she was very particular about things being clean. Don’t know what brand she had.
One of my best friends had to purchase a new washer and dryer last year (I think they were hit by lightening). She planned to buy front loaders but did a bunch of research (on dial up nonetheless so she was committed!) and visited several stores.
She ended up buying a set that was top loading but had the same energy efficiency ratings as front loaders and used less water! She loves them and they are super capacity, just like many of the front loaders. She was worried, like me, that the front seals would fail and she wouldn’t get the longevity she wanted for the cost. I’ve used them several times and love them too. We’ll be buying in a few years ourselves so I’m watching reviews. Her dryer even steam dries!
Another friend we visited 2 wks ago…they had a front load washer and an older dryer. I laughingly questioned her and she said that they’d had a repairman out for the dryer and she mentioned replacing it. He installed a $60 part and told her to keep the older dryer as long as possible because the “new fangled ones” don’t dry as well and don’t last as long. The motors aren’t a well built; he was doing a lot of repairs on them.
I don’t own a front loader, and my machine is probably 5-6 years old (it cams with the house we purchased just last year). It works just fine and I have no complaints. I don’t have a comment, but rather a question. I see that some of you have referenced that your new machines wash in about 45 – 60 minutes. This is shocking to me because my maching washes in about 20 minutes and gets to clothes super clean (my husband’s stinky work clothes and my 4-year-old son’s clothes too)! Why the long wash cylces with these new machines?
@Jennifer M., I was wondering the same thing, also! My very old top loader (came with the house and it looked old then 6 years ago) does the job in about 20 minutes.
I love my front loading washer (Whirlpool Duet). We fit more clothes in it, and at night I simply have the kids take their dirty clothes and put them in the washer themselves so all I have to do in the morning is add detergent and start the cycle. Even if I start the washer and find something else in the next 5-10 minutes I can pause the cycle and unlock it to add the new item. I would highly recommend purchasing a three year extended warranty on a front loading washer (not as necessary for the dryer). We have had to use it to make stupid service calls such as — a washcloth getting stuck between the drum and the washer so it would spin, the washer eating a sock. Each time the service man would come, my husband would watch and ask him to explain how he was repairing it, so the next time that error code came up he was able to fix it himself. While the extra warranty cost us $150 more than the washer, it has saved us plenty in ridiculous service calls that we can now fix ourselves.
I’ll probably be in the minority, but my experience with my front-loaders has been abysmal. Our first was a Maytag. We had trouble with mildew, and then the panel (electronic?) blew in storms twice. It was under warranty, and we sold the repaired one. We decided on a GE. Horrible, horrible decision. It has torn clothes: dresses, washcloths, towels, underwear, sheets, you name it. I washed a brand new dress I’d just made, and it looked like it had been in a cat fight. We called for service and seemed to be an isolated case, but I googled it, and there are many, many instances of it happening, so I know I’m not crazy. 😀 There has to be a design flaw in this model.
We bought the extended warranty, which saved us so much money. They have replaced so many parts on it already, that basically all that is original is the shell. I hate the musty smell, and I dislike leaving a door hanging open to prevent it. When this thing finally dies, I’m not sure with what we’ll replace it. I hope to learn more from the other replies. My experience has left me cynical, although I’ve heard many good things about Sears’ front-loaders.
We also have an HE top loading washer – it’s pretty much the same as a front loader because it has no agitator and it’s great. I love the fact that I don’t have to air out the machine like some people do or bend down to take the clothes out. And it is so much nicer than the older style washers. I think it is definitely worth it, they have come down a lot in price recently.
We really enjoy our new front loading LG washing machine. We kept our old dryer. My husband thought it silly to buy a new dryer just so our appliances matched. Therefore, we didn’t have to buy the drawer, either.
I recommend looking through Consumer Reports and shopping around. We found a variety of prices for the same model number and eventually got one at a reduced price just for asking. I never knew that the price could be altered like that a large electronics/ department store!
I have a kenmore Elite front Loader paid $250 after rebates and rewards at SEARS was $1199 so I got a great deal there, Also got the matching Dryer for $225 only got a $200 rebate on that one, it has saved me a ton on detergent and water plus drying time is cut in half and it spins then out really fast so the result is they dry faster… I also have an LG front loader I was happy with that one but My spare top loader died which I washed my hubbys work clothes and now that I used that one for his work clothes they have been coming out so much more cleaner even without using stainfighters so overall they are worth the money and even better if you get one with a great deal!
We have a front loader it’s 2 years old and it’s already broken twice. It’s under warrenty by Sears but they take forever to get out here. Last time we had to install the pump ourselves becuase it would be another 2 weeks for the repair man to get out here. Everyone I have talked to say the same thing they do not last as long. Ask a repair man, they are always working on them.
Yes, you have to buy the expensive detergent, also they do mold VERY quickly. They also smell if you don’t run the bleach through it every few weeks. Also you cannot leave the door closed because it really smells. Also you cannot just fill it up and soak something.
Other than that I have no problem with the clothes being clean, they dry quickly. I have a family of 9 so it might be we just use it too much!
I would say that there are both pros and cons to my front loaders:
-I love how fast the washer spins. The clothes are barely damp when I take them out to put them in the dryer.
-I hate how loud the washer is when it goes through the last spin cylce.
-I feel like my clothes DO get cleaner.
-I hate having to leave the door open for a few hours after washing to prevent mold.
-My King size comforter does NOT fit in the washer. I have to wash it at the laundry mat.
-You have to buy HE detergent for the washer. This causes me to miss out on some really good detergent sales.
If I had it to do over, I wouldn’t buy them again.
My mother in law has had her top load washer for about 20 years or so and she called someone out to fix something that was wrong with it. It was the same tech that helped install the washer when they originally got it. He told her that people have no idea the value of keeping a top load washer over the front load washer. He stated that they look beautiful but over time you will need to replace them. He stated that maintaining to keep the water in the unit with a front load takes more work then containing it in a top load washer. It keeps him busy replacing the front load but he would not recommend them. When she told me that it dashed my dreams of having a beautiful front load.
I think I have combatted the odor problem with the front loaders….use white cheap vinegar in the rinse water. It softens the clothes and keeps the smell away. I do like my front loader but….my kids are older and it will be to big for just two people. Mine runs best when it is full (bosch). I do like how it spins lots of water out making drying time shorter. I wish I had this washer when my kids were young.
We have a Samsung . I love it you do need to air it out. I just leave the door open after use. My parents have a Bosch and they cant find parts it has only lasted 2 year. It started to go down hill 2 weeks after warranty went out.
We bought our front loading washer & dryer about 10 months ago, to replace our 10+ year-old standard washer & dryer. I didn’t really buy the water/power savings OR the “it gets your clothes SO clean, and is SO much less wear on your clothes” claims that I had heard from so many people. But, I have to say, the claims are true! I have actually noticed our clothes wearing better, with fewer stains, even with the addition of a new baby. That said, I still don’t think I’d spend $800. We got our set for around $600 at Sears on sale, price matched, with an additional 10% off by shopping during a special promotion. One final bit of advice: You don’t need 40 different wash cycles. A handful is probably more than you would ever use. Good luck!
They are most definitely worth the $!! You’ll save on water, detergent, and your clothes will take less time to dry because they’ll spin out better. I have one, and would never go back to top loading. And I’ve had it 3 years with no problems whatsoever. And no smell and no mold either (reading some of the other comments).
My hubs and I just bought front loader washer and dryer from Lowes! We signed up online with them and got a 10% of purchase coupon, plus the ones we got were part of our towns energy efficient models so we just mail in the reciept and got $150 back on them, sold our old ones for $150….Plus we got them on sale and only paid $7o0 total for both of them!! We pretty much have them paid for already! I love them. They are SO quiet, and the dryer will adjust itself to the time needed to dry (So it may not take the intire time it will adjust down and then stop when they are dry!). Oh and I agree on the less water, and to me my clothes always smell so clean (which could be just becaue my old ones didn’t work so well—tehehehe!!! ) I love them!! Ours are Samsung ones! 😉
I just got a LG front loader 2 months ago. I bought the one with a sanitary cycle so I could “hopefully” keep the nasty smells at bay when washing cloth diapers and towels. Well, I think I can safely say this was a great choice!! I have 7 very small children and 3 are in cloth diapers. The diapers always smelled NASTY no matter how I washed them or what detergent I used. Now the diapers always smell, well, like nothing but clean cotton and the towels no longer smell like a wet dog. I do not use bleach anymore, except to run a TUB CLEAN cycle once a month. The only thing I don’t like about front loaders is it is really hard to get stains out. I have found that if you get the stain wet in cold water then rub FELS NAPTHA on the stain it will usually get it out in one if not two tries. I got a 5 yr warranty on my washer, so hopefully we are covered!!
i rarely post on these type of questionnaires… BUT, yes the front loaders are worth it. we just replaced our 10 year old front loader that worked well… it was one of the first ones and did not need the HD laundry soap. We have a new Samsung (with steam and what not). we are a family of 4… mom, dad, 8 year old and 6 year old boys… we can do a weeks worth of clothes in 2 loads… sheets (queen, twin and king sheets) in one load… about 20-27 towels (not that we ever have that many)… it can do down vests, jackets and comforters, it has steam that can help reduce wrinkles, it can steam clean and wash wool AND make dinner (just kidding). it can tell how much water to use biased on weight of the load, spins the clothes almost dry (also has double rinse and sanitize features for the really yuckie stuff… big help during cold and flu season). the dryer monitors when the clothes are dry and turns off… saves water and energy and time…
We love our front loader! It gets more done each wash, uses less water & less detergent. I am a mom of 9 kids, so I do LOTS of laundry;) We got our washer/dryer at an appliance outlet so they didn’t break the bank either.
We bought our Kenmore washer and dryer on Memorial day weekend and go them both for 800+. I love them.
I am in the midst of my “major laundry day”, and I was just thinking about how much I love love love my front load washer and dryer (Kenmore Elite). Yes, it gets clothes cleaner. If I were doing diapers I wouldn’t consider anything else.
Let me warn you against the top load high efficiency sets. I owned one for about nine months (again Kenmore Elite), and yes, it got the clothes clean, but they came out in a tangled up MESS. They spin at such a high speed (like the front loaders), but the laws of physic work against the top loaders. Thankfully, Sears did the right thing (after quite a HUGE ordeal) and replaced the top loaders with my current front load set.
Last Black Friday, Sears had the same set that I had on sale for over 60% off. If you can wait for a killer deal like that, I certainly would.
There are a lot of sales! Wait for one of those, and an energy efficient front loader won’t be THAT expensive.
We have had Maytag Neptunes (Front-loading washer and dryer), and I was surprised to read all of the wonderful reviews. I will absolutely not buy anymore front-loading washers or dryers because ours have broken so many times. We have had ours for about 5 years, and have to call a repair man out at least 2xs/year. We’ve used many different services/men, and they all say the same- they get most of their work from front-loaders. We would have been better off spending less than $1800 on something more reliable. Good luck to you.
@Jennifer, Our first FL was a Maytag Neptune. Nothing but trouble from the word go. My matching dryer is still going strong after 11 years; however, we have jumped from the frying pan into the fire with a GE FL. Awful machine, so many repairs and torn clothes. I’m ready to go back to a top-load when this thing dies.
We bought a new washer and dryer about 6 months ago. I did tons of research on front-loaders vs top-loaders. None of the research made the savings of a front-loader worth the initial cost. Also none of the sales personnel that we talked to at the many stores where we shopped for these appliances recommended front-loaders (and you would think they would steer you to the more expensive item to make their commission better!). We ended up with a top-load Whirlpool, not top of the line but not the cheap one either. I wash my hubby’s oily greasy work clothes in it and it gets them clean every time.
I absolutely LOVE my front loader washer and dryer. I will never buy the other type of washer or dryer ever again. Hunt around for a great sale, pair it with a promo coupon if you can and enjoy your new purchase. I bought a LG pair last year for ~$1700 – you can get some cheaper, but these had some bells and whistles that I really wanted – load sensing (cuts down on water use and dry time), customized programmable cycles, childproof locks and a sanitary, antibacterial cycle for puke/poop/cloth diapers (I have a 2 year old). We saved our pennies, put it on our Sears card to get a better promotional rate on top of the sale they were having, earned points on our purchase which we redeemed for a Sears gift card (which got us a free oil change!) and paid it off before the interest free promo was over so we didn’t accrue interest.
I don’t regret any bit of it and I’d do it again in a heartbeat! These machines are AMAZING!
The $1700 included delivery and setup fee and tax – I think the actual price of the washer/dryer combo was about $750 ea. My hubby was deployed so I had them deliver it and set it up, otherwise he’d have done it himself and saved even more.
I have had a Whirlpool Duet for two years and LOVE it! It cleans so much better and since it spins so well the clothes take less time to dry. Definitely shop around for the best deal.
I’ve had a front loading (agitator-less) washing machine & dryer for about 5 years now. Here’s what I like about mine:
(1)No agitator means you can wash larger loads (saves time, water, etc).
(2)No agitator means I can wash things that I might not otherwise be able to (like my HUGE king size comforters).
(3)Mine has a variety of adjustable settings, including short cycles, long cycles, predetermined settings for things like: delicates, certain types of stains (this affects water temperature, agitation style, etc).
(4)My washer and dryer are in sync, so when I remove clothes from the washer, it tells my dryer how long to dry them (based on weight, type of cycle you selected) and my dryer has a variety of additional features too.
(5) Built in dispenser – no more forgetting to add fabric softener, etc
My BIGGEST complaint is these machines are considered HE(High Efficiency) and you need to use HE detergents in order to avoid overflow and prolong the life of the machine. When I first got my set, it was EXTREMELY hard to find detergents (the machines were just starting to get popular). Now there are more varieties, but you may find it harder to get good deals on detergent, alot of times clearanced deteregents aren’t the HE ones, and it’s harder to find HE ones in drug store sales.
Also, you do need to use a washing machine cleaner about once a month and depending on the model, you need to keep the lid to the washer open in order to avoid odor build up – which might not be practical with children in the home.
But I really like mine.
We just bought our house in November and I was really looking into a top loader vs a front loader. I ended up buying the front loader, I waited for a sale shopped around every site that sold them, and then I also was able to get a rebate from my water company so I got it for the same price as it would have been for me to buy a new top loader. It works awesome! It gets our clothes clean, it used less laundry soap. I only have a washing machine and line dry the clothes and with it spinning them fast they dry faster outside now too. It uses so much less water, and less electricity so it is cheaper all around. I hope to get the front loading dryer in the next couple years too. I just love the washing machine though.
NO, to me they are not. I just bought a new Whirpool washer and dryer, both top loading, and got them both for around $900. They were brand new. Mine are both energy savers. They don’t have all the bells and whistles that the front loaders do, but I really like them. Also, I have heard about the front loading washing machines getting a funny smell inside them and also having mold problems. I prefer what I have, but that is just my opinion. Good luck in whatever you choose!
Patti S.
We’ve had our GE front loader for about a year and a half and really like it. I’m not sure if it washes the clothes better than a top loader, but it does a good job. It also saves A TON for your water bill. Water where we live costs about three times more than the rest of the country, so it was worth it for us. As others have said, it also makes the drying go much quicker. You do have to wipe out the door gasket and leave it open, but it hasn’t been a problem for us. We just use a dishrag or sock that is about to go in the dryer.
My parents have also had a high efficiency top loader for about three years and are pleased with it.
The best thing I can say about the front-loader is how much easier it is on the clothes themselves. Less wear and tear, so they last longer!
That with the energy efficiency, and I’d say we’re happy with our front-loader. 🙂
Also, I agree that you don’t have to pay $800. Sears has a clearance section, which is where we got ours, and even though it was a return, it had the same warranty as a brand-new washer!
@Audrey,
We got ours at Lowe’s on New Years’ Eve. We paid less that $500 for it because they had to repair the lights. It was still brand new! I love it. We also just got a freezer there on clearance also.
I guess I am in the minority.. I HATE HATE HATE MY FRONT LOADERS….
I got a maytag washer and dryer from a friend who was moving and did not want to take them with her…and the new house owners did not want them.. So the best thing for me was the price.
-I don’t feel they get the clothes clean.. I have had more trouble with stains in my childrens shirts..
-Forget it when you fill the washer and then go back upstairs and find something you want to add to the machine.. the door locks and you cannot get it open.
– I really do not like the fact that I have to buy special soap.. that is a zillion times more expensvie than all the others on the market.
-yes the dryer and washer are bigger than my old set so I can fit my king stuff in there. So there is a plus.
-The dryer is a pain cause it has a sensor that tells the dryer when the load is “dry” even if you set it for a “timed ” amont. The dryer will stop even though the clothes are not dry.
-If you are doing a load of whites and put the bleach in the dispenser.. you better not add anything to the load.. cause that bleach goes right thru even before you start the machine.. and will drip all down on your floor if you open the door.
– and yes you must keep that washer door open when not in use.. or you will get the mildew on the door and inside.
Oh and if you have a small laundry area.. make sure you measure.. BIG TIP! cause they are alot bigger than normal washers.
Okay.. off my soap box.. I would not buy these again.. top loader anyday !
Good luck with your shopping.
Sue in NJ
I wanted a front loading washer, but after researching the details I discovered most front loading washers are not recommended for 2nd floors. My floors tend to have more movement than most, so I settled for the high tech top loader. I love the fact that there is no agitator pole, my clothes are cleaner and need much less time in the dryer because the high speed spin cycle leaves get out a lot more moisture. On the down side, it puts much more wear on my bras and I have to sew on buttons more than I ever did with my old sytle washer. But even though I have to hand wash bras, and sew on more buttons, I still like the results I get from the high speed no agitator model.
@Susie Eckert, I use a zippered lingerie bag for my bras with my HE washer, but I do air dry them. I have no troubles as long as I use the bag.
I didn’t read all the posts, so this may be a repeat. I would AVOID a front loader. You can get the exact technology from a top loader. I sold our front loader and bought a Kenmore Elite Oasis top loading.
Before buying a front loader I implore a person to read the problems with them. They mildew terribly. The are designed to be airtight and the boot around the door mildews. I live in the desert, I do laundry only twice a week and we still had the problem. The manufacturers now sell a product to be run throught the machine monthly to kill the mildew. I had to wipe down the boot with clorox wipes everytime I was done doing laundry for the week.
I had to leave the dispenser tray open and the door ajar for 24 hours to make sure it was totally dry before closing the airtight door.
The service men (twice we called someone) said front loaders are the most fixed of all the washing machines. They are twice the cost to purchase originally and offer no “specialized” technology any longer, since the same energy saving features are now available in top loaders. I have the same feataures in my Kenmore Elite Oasis, with no hassle.
Search out front loader reveiws or “smelly front loader washer” to see all the problems. And keep in mind they take up quite a bit of room so you will need an extra large laundry room.
MY TAKE~~~~~~AVOID THEM!!!
@jen, We have a Kenmore Oasis and I don’t feel that it gets our clothes clean.
We LOVE our Duet Whirlpoot front load washer. The laundry is done in half the time because the loads are larger, it takes less time for the laundry to dry even when hang drying (we only dry undergarments, socks, and towels in the dryer), its gentler on the clothes becuase of the tumbling action, and I no longer need to go to the laundramat for large bulky items (that in itself is a great saving). With the whirlpool it has a feature you can continue to add garments even after the wash cycle has started
I have had my LG front loader for over 3 years now and I can’t wait for it to die. I will never buy a front loader again. Before this one, we had a Kenmore and the electric panel went out after a week. So they came and replaced it with another Kenmore. Same thing happened again. That is why we settled on the LG. Keep in mind I have 4 kids and I have stains on my clothes from spit up to food to grass stains. Here are some things I do not like about it:
1. My clothes have a smell to them. I have to use double the laundry fabric softener to get them to smell right.
2. It doesn’t get the stains out as well because it does not have an agitator.
3. The only detergent that I can use is Tide to remove the stains and the odor. Yes, I have tried them all.
4. I have not noticed a decrease in my bill but we have also had 2 kids since buying them.
5. My towels take forever to dry.
6. You have to drain the water from the washer every two weeks. Plus, do a clean washer tub cycle every month to sanitize it. This is supposed to keep the odor out but it does not.
7. You have to leave the washer door open after washings to let the moist air out.
The only thing I can think of that I do like about it is you can wash a lot of clothes at one time. But again, you don’t want to overload it because then you deal with the first two issues.
I don’t like being so negative but I wish I had known all of these things before I had bought them. Yes, they don’t make things like they used to and to me the front loader is just not worth it. I do have friends who love their front loaders but they have a different brand. Definitely do your research and go from there.
We bought a gently used set about 6 months ago. I love them! We have the drawers underneath which means less bending and it is so much easier to get the clothes out. We keep very tight tabs on our utilities and I know that it started saving us around $12 a month on our water bill. I use less soap and the clothes seem to get very clean. The washer spins them out and sometimes they feel hardly wet at all. I am so glad my husband talked me into needing them! We really did need to replace our other old, mismatched set as we were having to take them apart and repair them every other month!
I have a friend that has had HUGE issues with her new HE washer not cleaning their cloth diapers – not enough agitation I guess…just something to consider if you cloth diaper!
Just a thought, I wanted to go with a front loader but our washer and dryer are in a little area tucked behind bi-fold doors. The front loaders are wider and would not fit in that space. So, we purchased a Fisher & Paykel top loading machine (from Best Buy) which really cleans our clothes well and gets out all the soap too. It uses less laundry soap and is pretty quiet. It has been a good option for us. Best wishes!
I like mine — not love. Get a good brand – I think my problem is a cheaper brand. After every wash I have to wipe the water out of the rubber opening and keep the door open to dry bc the water stays trapped and doesn’t drain ~ it smells like there could be mold. This is a very common issue with front loaders.
I do like that I can wash my comforter in it.
Best gift my hubby ever bought me….
I have the LG and chose to stack them to save space in my laundry room so I could put a small freezer in. Love Love Love my washer/dryer. Doing laundry is a snap with these babies.
I recently bought Bosch front load washer and dryer. I needed new machines, and I, like you, wasn’t sure if it was worth the price tag. I love the idea of using minimal water, so I first bought a top-loading water saver. It was horrible and some of the clothes didn’t even get wet the whole cycle! Do not buy one of those! It went back to the store and I got the Bosch machines. I chose the Bosch over LG or Samsung because they had the better warranty, and Bosch, a German co. has been around a long time. We’ve had them about 8 months now and no problems at all. They get the clothes very clean and will lengthen the wash cycle if it senses a lot of dirt. The dryer shuts off when it senses the clothes are dry. I was worried about the odor that people often write about online with the front loaders, but so far, I don’t smell anything. The drawbacks to front loaders are: 1) When you go to transfer clothes from washer to dryer, they always come out in a clump and fall on the floor. My solution: put a basket there. 2.) I can’t wash just one item, like one fuzzy sweater, because it won’t spin all the water out. My solution: Save up 2-3 like items and do them together. 3.) I can’t stop mid wash cycle to soak heavily soiled items. My solution: I have a bucket in the utility sink nearby. None of those drawbacks are deal breakers to me, it just took some getting used to. Overall, I love my machines. I can do a lot more laundry per load which means I can just do a few loads a week and I’m done. Hope this helps!
LOVE LOVE LOVE our front loader washer and our dryer. We have a Samsung . We purchased ours when they were having an extra 20% off sale (Lowe’s) back in the fall and got a great deal! We also love the sanatize wash when the kiddos are sick.
The only negative is the washer locks ( for obvious reasons) after a few seconds and you can not open it to add that one sock that is now laying in the middle of the floor. =)
We purchased our front loaders on the After-Thanksgiving sale 2 years ago. When they die, I will go back to the top-loader machine. My husband’s job is outside (we own a landscaping & lawn company), so he sweats alot during the summer. The front loader does not agitate the clothes hard enough to really get the sweat out. I purchase Febreze Laundry Odor Eliminator at $9 a bottle to add to his clothes. Also, it takes about an 1 hr & 20 mins to wash his load since I have to do a pre-wash. However, drying time is alot less, around 30 minutes. I just am not happy with the wash time but I really feel that this is just a personal issue. Some of you may not care about this, but I do all of my laundry 1 day a week so that makes for a long laundry day. Hope this helps some…….
@Michelle,
I’ve used gain and tide on work clothes and someone suggested I try arm and hammer with oxy, it’s amazing how it takes odors out of clothes. I also will not buy another front loader, my infants clothes do not come out clean, I often have to wash them twice
I love, love my front loader.
Definately better!!! My old top loader died right before we moved cross country, so I waited to buy a new set after the move. The difference is unbelieveable! Our clothes (2 adults, 2 little kids) are cleaner and wash more quickly than I ever thought possible. I hardly pre-treat any stains anymore – even Kool-Aid comes out the first time. I must mention though…I splurged and bought the steam washer (Samsung) that was on clearance for about $800. I don’t always use the steam cycle because the machine washes for almost 1 hour, so I save it for my husbands yucky work-out clothes, bedding, towels, and other really dirty items. The regular wash cycle runs for approximately 25 to 30 minutes (and still washes great).
As someone else mentioned, the washer spins at approximately 1300 rpms which leaves the clothes almost dry. To dry a full-load of clothes (and I mean FULL) takes less than one-half hour. (I say FULL because front loaders can handle larger loads than top loaders, thus saving even more energy, water, detergent, time, etc).
I’ve had my set for almost one month and am still thrilled with it!
I’d say that a new front loader will clean your clothes quite a bit better than an older model top loader but maybe not $700 worth more (I’d go $3-400 more though) than a newer top loader model. It sounds like your current one has gotten pretty bad if you’re washing by hand. We bought an LG front loader washing machine & matching dryer & are quite happy with them. They’re saving us on water (uses very few gallons) & electricity when drying & even washing. The washing machine does take about 1 hour for a regular load but dries in 1/2 the time of a regular drying cycle because of the previously mentioned super spinning capability. It all comes out in the wash. Ha!
Thats funny! I just did a post on this one myself!
http://mylitterofsix.blogspot.com/2010/06/old-style-or-new-style.html
I talked about the problems that we have had and what we ended doing with ours and the new one that I got.
Tiffany
The savings in detergent alone was worth the cost. I just wish I had found your site first. We ended up buying both the washer and dryer and spent 1700 ouch.
I have a Maytag frontload washer and would NEVER buy anything else than that. It does use less energy and water and the clothes are cleaner and stay nice alot longer. Yes they are expensive, but in the long run they will save you money. For me Maytag is the only way to go- but I once worked at a place that sold that brand and I wouldn’t buy anything else.
@Nancy, I have heard from reputable sources (repairmen, etc.) that they don’t make Maytags like they used to. They’re just as poorly made as the rest of the brands, so no point paying more.
@Heather, I’ve heard the same thing. Maytag has been bought by Whirlpool (I think) and since then they are not as high a quality as they used to be. A repairman told my parents this too.
@Heather, Yes I have heard that too (that they are not made like they used too be) and yes Maytag was bought out by another company. The life of a maytag used to be 30 yrs but not anymore :o( I still love the Maytag brand though.
We purchased a LG front loading washer and dryer a few years ago. I love them. The front loading washers don’t use as much water and the drying time is shorter too so they save water and energy. We have noticed that our LG washer and dryer are gentler on our clothes too. I think this is because there isn’t an agitator and because of the shorter drying time. The washer can also handle bulk items like comforters that I used to have to take to the cleaners.
@Jody M, We also have a front-loading LG washer and dryer. We bought them 3 years ago and have never had a problem. The LG models had the best reviews when we were in the market. I would recommend LG to anyone!
@Jody M, We have had our LG front loader for 5 years. I love it because it is huge! (plus all the other good stuff everyone has said) I do leave the door open occasionally to let the inside get extra dry and avoid the musty smell. It’s great on diapers and uses very little detergent. Example–a 10 lb box of Country Save ($15) lasts me 9 months–that’s two adults, two kids, and three loads of diapers per week.
I have had our front loaders for about 2 yrs. We have the Samsung’s. We saved a little by buying the floor models. I do like them. You can do MUCH bigger loads. They do spin faster so we got the vibration reduction technology, which does work. The only thing I would warn about is, you CANNOT leave clothes in the washer overnight, they will smell in the morning. I don’t know if this is because they are so airtight or what, but it keeps you from procrastinating! Also, one other thing we did to save $ was to stack them, so we didn’t have to buy the stands for them.
Hope this helps!
We have an high efficiency top loading washer. It’s the same thing as the front loading washer your talking about except it opens on top 🙂 the one setback is that the HE detergent isn’t always on sale and you HAVE to use HE detergent due to the reduced amount of water. Also, it is more expensive to repair. Someone had a penny in their pocket during a wash and the penny got stuck somewhere inside the washer..it cost $100 to get it out! Another time, the underwire in a bra fell out and got stuck, costing another hundred dollars (atleast!) But the wash times are much quicker and when paired with the dryer, a load of clothes is done in a little over 45 min!
@Vicki, I’ve had a Fisher Paykel top loader since 2006…..and I only get the HE detergent when its on sale otherwise I use the regular and I never notice a difference…..I LOVE my top loading washer, I despise bending over to get clothes out of a front loader. I love that I can do a very small load and it uses very little water (we are on a private water utility we call A*** Gold) I am happy that I don’t have that mildew smell that my friend with the LG front loader deals with. Overall satisfaction with my FP washer 100%
BTW: The salesman told me: use 1/2 the dertegent you think you need, then put half cap softener in the softener tub and fill the remaining with water.
@Carol, I don’t always (well practically never) use HE detergent. I use Arm & Hammer and it works just fine in my front loader!
@Vicki,
I also have the same kind. I love mine! We did alot of searching and decided on a Maytag. Ours is larger than all of the front loaders we could find in our stores. I also like the delayed start feature. I can get everything ready and set it and my clothes are clean when I’m ready like first thing in the morning or about the time I get home from work. Ours is also much quieter than our old washer.
@Susan Forthman,
We have HE top loading Maytag machines too. I think they are the best. All of the benefits of front loaders (no agitator, less water consumption, large capacity) but they cost less and take up less space. We couldn’t really consider front loaders because our laundry room didn’t have space for the washer door to swing open. We were so excited to find this set. The biggest plus was that the set cost only $1200 delivered and we got 2 years of free Tide! We would have spent that on just the washer of some of the front loading sets. I would suggest anyone on a budget should consider the newer top loaders.
@Vicki, We do not use the He detergent in ours. we just use less soap 🙂
@Nancy, Same here. I probably use 1-2 Tablespoons for a huge load of clothes, including stinky running clothes ;-D. It takes forever to use a bottle of detergent, even with 8-10 loads/week!
I’ve had a front-loading washer & dryer (Samsung brand) for just over 18 months now, and I personally feel they are 100% worth the money. Some of the things I love:
– they use less water (I haven’t track the utility bills as my husband does that, but you can just look at it and see that it does)
– you can use less detergent in them
– they are gentler on your clothes as there is no “agitator” in the center so your clothes should last longer
– you can fit more clothes in them, meaning less loads
– I get laundry done at least twice as fast, if not three times as fast (this is mostly due to the dryer, as the washer – since it uses less water, it spins out much more of the water, so the clothes go in to the dryer less wet, and therefore takes half the time to dry)
For reference, we are a family of 4 (dad, mom, 4 year-old daughter, 3 year-old son) – so we don’t have quite the clothes that some families do, but as our kids grow, and if we add more to our family, I know that it will be great to have these as laundry is only going to get worse! 🙂
Hope that helps some of you – I highly recommend them.
I agree, I LOVE the front loader. I have 3 very active boys and do laundry a lot less because I can do more loads at once. They do use less detergent which saves you money in the long run as well. I have the sanitizing feature on mine as well which is great for middle of the night accidents or for when one of my kids get sick.
@Julie Gillen,
I totally agree with all of your reasons!
We purchased our front loading washer and dryer this spring, and I was delighted with the ease of use and how it is truly leaps and bounds better than our ancient top loader! We only have two young kids too (2 and 1) but we bought this set with the next 10+ years in mind, knowing our family would continue to grow and have much more laundry to do. I could not imagine going back to a top loader,to be honest! Oh, and ours is an LG. We chose that brand based on the sales they were having at the time, and it has been great.
My mom and dad have one, and every so often I make the trek out there to wash our huge king comforter. So great to not have to go to the laundromat! They do get the clothes much dryer, and she can get about double the clothes in there. That alone saves a bunch! They got their’s at sams, and it was much cheaper. We have also seen special order colors at lowes and home depot for cheap.
We bought a front loader two and a half years ago. Our main reason for buying one at the time was water conservation. With a shallow well and a family of ten it is crucial. Our old washer used about sixty gallons of water per load and the new one uses about 15 gallons! No more laundromat! I realize not everybody would have water concerns, but for us the new washer paid for itself in about two months.
I have found our clothes get cleaner and they are also not as wet when they come out of the washer so they don’t take as long to dry, saving more on electricity.
The last two said it very well. We have had our front loader for about two years now and I love it. I haven’t calculated the savings specifically, but I know when we do the analyzers with our utility company, they calculate that our washing machine is saving us a good amt overall. And also like the previous commenter said, find a good deal, which I have read that July is a good month for buying washing machines because of the sales, so you shouldn’t have to pay much more than what you might pay for a top-loader. Plus we have no longer had to worry about clothes getting eaten up by the agitators.
We just went through the process of buying a new washer after our 13+ year old one died. I was unimpressed with the reviews I read for almost ALL washers, front and top loading. It seems manufacturers don’t build things to last like they used to. With that said, after looking at reviews on several store sites, using Consumer Reports online, and talking to a lot of our friends, we went with a top load. Most of our friends with a front load said it cleaned well but they didn’t like having to let it “air out” after each wash to avoid the smell. Almost all said they would go with a top load if they had it to do over. I know it’s really too soon to tell, but we like our washer after four months.
Tara, I know what your friends are talking about when they say “air out”. My parents have owned two sets of top of the line front loaders and the washer begins to smell funky, kinda like mildew, from it not getting aired out. Another thing I don’t like about the front loaders (not sure if they are all like this), is that once you start the cycle and the door locks, there is no going to throw that one garment in that you forgot!
@Randi,
Mine has a pause button that you can push and the load stops so you can add in more if necessary. I’m really happy with our front loader and I think it cleans super well.
@Randi, Yes, there is a feature for “add a garment” on mine, too. You just have to wait a few seconds for it to stop spinning and unlock. I love my front loader, which I have had for four years. I leave my door ajar, and do not have any problems with odor, but I do a bleach load once/week, too.
@Randi, We have had our front loader for 4 years now and we have it in a closet so airing it out is not that great. We can not open the door all the way, so there is always mold that ends up on the rubber seal. And it does not wash off with bleach either. I have to continuosly renew our warrenty so they can come out to replace the rubber seal, if I didn’t do that I would be paying them about 250-300 every six months to come and change it out. If I could go back I would have bought a top load. Mine is a Kenmore. Maybe they have improved things since we bought ours but because we have a closet we can’t open the door all the way to air out. Also whenever I do a hot wash the clothes come out smelling like burnt rubber.
I bought the Whirlpool Duet front loading washer in December. I definitely think it is worth the price. It uses much less water and I can tell that my clothes are cleaner (for example, my black tshirt looks blacker than it used to).
I love mine. I have had it for about 6 years and it cleans everything and I love the sanitary cycle for when we have had stomach bug going around. It has held up really well and I can wash a load in 45 mins and the dryer will dry in about 45 mins so I am not waiting to turn over loads. Hard for me to tell if better they all wash cloths but I am very happy with it
I’m interested in the replies too! We have a machine that was given to us second hand about 7 years ago.. and had been used for many,many years by the previous owner! It’s working fine still now, but I know one of these days its probably going to need to be replaced!
I would say it is, simply because it uses less energy and less water. It spins the clothes MUCH faster (therefore cutting down on drying time), so the vibrations will take a bit of time to get used to. When we first got ours, it sounded like our house was getting ready to take off! If you have to replace only one, though, I would definitely replace the washer as it will save you more money long-term by using less water and spinning faster. Plus, they’re not THAT MUCH more than top-loaders anymore!
DH and I just replaced our (dead) top loader with a Samsung front loader. We were lucky enough to hit the Fourth of July sales, so after rebates from our state and our electric company, we got it for $330. It would have been even less than that if we were on the city’s sewer, because they offered a rebate, too, so a front loader shouldn’t necessarily cost $800+. We’ve only had ours for about a week, but so far I’m very happy with it. Our laundry isn’t that dirty to begin with, but I have found it spins out much more water than the top loader, so things don’t need nearly as long to dry.
How did you find out about your States rebates? I don’t even know if they have those where we live! 🙁
Find appliance rebates by state here: http://www.energysavers.gov/financial/70022.html
These are monies doled out by the DOE for state dispersal, so of course it’s not “free money”. We’re all taxed to pay for rebates for a few. I guess the rebates go quick, too. Oklahoma’s program started May 8 and was exhausted by May 26.
@Ang, Check the website for your electricity company. Ours is always up to date with information on rebates you may qualify for when you make purchases like this.
@Ang,
You might also check http://www.appliancerebate.com. The sales clerk at Best Buy also told us which rebates we were eligible for, so you might try calling your local stores.
I can’t wait to read the replies! Our machine is older than I am and needs to go because it is ruining our clothes. I have been reading and reading and reading about the various machines and it is so hard to tell what is worth the money and what isn’t. Thanks so much for posting questions like this!