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In the near future, I’m going to be in the market to purchase a new washer and dryer. The set I currently use is now over 30 years old and is still working, but I know eventually that I will have to replace them.
They have these new washers out there that do not have an agitator and are front loads. I’ve heard mixed reviews on them–some people love them and others hate them and want a washer with an agitator. I’m open both ways–so I’m trying to decide which one to get when the time comes. I currently have a Kenmore–so I’m not quite sure which model I would get right now.
I’m turning to my forum family to help me out. I’m just looking for feedback on both so if you could relate your experience on the type of washer you currently have and if you like it or not and why would help.
Thank you in advance for your responses.
UPDATE AS OF 11/2014
I finally replaced my washer/dryer–my old set was 30+ years old. My new set is an LG and the model I got was the 3750 with matching dryer. It is a front loading and I got the pedestals. I was looking at the 8000 model but it is 30 inches wide and my door to my utility room is 31 inches so it would be a tight squeeze. If I had my set in the garage, it would have worked. I’m glad I got this set because it does overwhelm my utility room and the 8000 would have been much too big for that space. I’ve had it for a week–had some trouble because the dryer wasn’t heating–they replaced it and the replacement didn’t heat. So I called an electrician and found that I had a bad breaker that had burned. When the electrician replaced the breaker, the dryer heated like it should. Shucks–I think that’s why my old dryer didn’t come on–could have lasted a little longer. The washer was still working when I replaced it. I wonder how long this new set will last me.I’ve had the new set for about a week and so far so good. I’m not sure about the pedestals–they do raise the set up so you’re not bending over and I was hoping to store my wash soap and softener in the drawers. But you can’t put anything in there that is over 10 inches high or it won’t shut. And I used the top of my old set to fold clothes and can’t do this with the new set because it stands as high as me. That’s the only thing that I didn’t like but I’ll keep the pedestals–if I had to get another set in the future I probably won’t do the pedestals.
It is a new way of washing for me and I had to get used to some of the features. I find it interesting that the washer measures your load to determine how much water to use. It does spin fast and it does make some noise but once it is at full spin, I don’t hear it. It doesn’t dance out and vibrate the floor real bad–the company has worked on the vibration. All-in-all, I do like it. I can put clothes in there and not worry about it–my old set I had to remember to put in the fabric softener when the rinse cycle came on–this one, you put everything in that compartment and it automatically disperses it at the proper time. I also should get $200 rebate from my utility company because I purchased a model that is energy efficient.
For anyone who will be put in the position to replace their washer/dryer–I hope this helps. Thanks to everyone for their feedback–it did help me decide when the time came. Also, when my dryer wasn’t heating–I called LG and they were most helpful and walked me through the process of getting the dryer to produce an error code so they could pinpoint the problem. The code told them that either the dryer wasn’t wired properly or I have a faulty outlet. They recommended that I should call the store and have their installation people check to make sure the dryer was installed properly before I called an electrician. I got this from Best Buy and they were very helpful. The installation people did come out and see that it didn’t heat and said the dryer was defective. The salesman at Best Buy called customer service and set up for a replacement. When the replacement had the same problem I knew the problem could be at my end. It took about a week, but I didn’t feel I was being put on the back burner.
I may update this as time goes on to let you all know how this set is still working.
Front loading, all the way! I find the agitator tends to damage clothes, and it takes up room. You can fit more stuff in the front loading washer. You do have to fill it to wash, though, as some washers get unbalanced if there aren’t enough clothes in them. I had (and will get) a 7 cu. ft. front loading washer, heavy duty, and man, could I get stuff in there! My mom would bring over her winter blankets for me to wash, as they didn’t fit in her ‘lil European front loading washer. I had a Whirlpool.
Honestly, when time comes to get another one, the brand won’t matter to me; I’ll go for the size and the heavy duty.
Another minus on the top loaders for me is that I’m short – I’ve had to get a stool to get to the bottom of the washer, or hang on my stomach with my feet dangling (that and the darn freezer!) 🙂
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http://www.sarahjestin.com/feedbacklists.htmI have an LG high efficiency front load washer and love it. Saves both water and electricity. I also have the matching dryer.
No complaints in either case.
The only thing to watch out for with the washer is that it can develop a slightly sour smell if you don’t dry it after your last wash load. Easily solvable. I leave the door open until its dry inside, too.Life is beautiful.
I replaced my old Whirlpool agitators with a front loading set of LG. I LOVE THEM!
I do A LOT of laundry (three boys from 14 to 6 and myself and my husband plus we have dogs). I can load 2x more stuff, and it washes at least 50% faster. I have not had a problem with things getting cleaned and they use way less water. Plus my loads don’t go off center and I don’t have to constantly move clothes around when washing towels and jeans.
I will say you can’t let laundry sit. If you do, it sours really fast. I have an appointed laundry day so nothing ever really “sits” but if you forget something overnight, you’ll have to wash it again.
Also, you have to leave the washer door open or the washer itself will sour. Since I have a laundry room, this is fine – I’m the only one who goes in the room and I know the door will be open so I don’t run into it, but if you had your laundry in a bathroom or something, it could be a pain.
So, to my mind:
Pros of front loader:
– Easier to load/unload (no lifting heavy heaps of wet laundry)
– Faster
– More energy and water efficient
– Holds more stuffCons:
– Can’t let laundry sit
– Has to have washer door left open
– Have to load from a kneeling positionfront loader! front loader! front loader!
You do need to get laundry soap that is made for the high efficiency washers (less sudsy or something) but it costs about the same and since the high efficiency ones use less soap it equals less money in the long run. Same thing for energy and water bills!
They have larger capacity, I can get my queen sized duvet in mine, no more trips to the laundromat to use the big washers to wash my quilts and stuff! They are MUCH gentler on clothing, I throw a lot of things marked delicate and hand wash only in on the delicate cycle and they’re fine. Also no more stockings and underthings wrapped in a stranglehold around the agitator! Plus they spin faster and I find that some of my clothes are barely damp when they come out so they dry faster!
They can sour, but if you leave the door open after a load it should be fine. I also run an empty cycle with just some bleach once every few weeks and it seems to help as well. And they are now making a ‘wash’ that is supposed to keep them from getting sour
I think they are definitely worth the extra price!
Personally I don’t love front load machines, I have worked in hotels and laundry mats and know the havoc they can cause if some tiny thing gets shut in the door. But I do love the no agitator, if I was to go look for new machines I would get a top load no agitator HE washer, best of both worlds and no door to have to make sure locks.
Glad to read this thread. Our washer and drier are very old, too (maybe 20-25 years?)– once I can afford it, I’d love to get something a little more ecologically sound.
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My art: featherdust.comPersonally I don’t love front load machines, I have worked in hotels and laundry mats and know the havoc they can cause if some tiny thing gets shut in the door. But I do love the no agitator, if I was to go look for new machines I would get a top load no agitator HE washer, best of both worlds and no door to have to make sure locks.
I wonder if model has anything to do with it? Mine won’t even start if ANYTHING is caught in the door/door seal. It just sits and yells at me “BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!!!!”
Don’t know, just don’t love them. I hate that they lock, I find a random sock or shirt I want to be able to throw it in.
Do any washing machines still offer the “water saver” option that lets you reuse wash water from the previous load?
My only experience using a front-load washer has been the one where I work, doing dog laundry. I don’t know what brand it is but I’m not a fan of it. I find top loaders easier to load and unload (I’m not tall either, I’m exactly 5 ft) and doing laundry in there just on a normal setting also takes longer than what I’m used to. (At home the washing is quicker than the drying. The one at work takes something like an hour just to wash whereas mine at home is slightly more than half that.)
It also fits a little less in there than what I’m used to but since some of this is the opposite of what others above have said, some of these factors probably do depend on the brand and model. I’d try to do some research about these little details when you start looking at specific models. I mean finding specs about how large the inside is/how much it’ll hold, how long the wash cycles take etc. if that matters to you.
I’ve tried using less soap in there than I use at home since I’ve heard about front-loaders needing less soap, but then stuff seems to come out of there smelling less than fresh (we don’t need the “clean” blankets smelling like dog pee!).
It’s also an annoyingly hi-tech washer, with all kinds of unnecessary knobs and options. Some people like that stuff but I guess I’m old fashioned (at only 27 years old!)! You only need a few basic settings to do laundry properly. The one at work has “errors” sometimes and the screen also tries to tell you how long it has left, but it seems to say how long is left in the current cycle not in total wash time, so that’s not particularly helpful to glance at.
Basically I just find it annoying. No *real* problems with it although the ‘souring’ effect I’m reading from other people puts me off from it even more (at work we switch the laundry out almost constantly so it never sits in there. But the washer also doesn’t have much chance to get dry- maybe I should sniff it and see if it smells in there? Lol).I’ve just always had a top-loading, agitator washer that served me well, before and after moving out from my parents’. I’m sure they make annoying, high-tech versions of those now too. If I was going for a new one, I’d want as simple of one as I could find (easier to use and less to go wrong!), heavy duty like someone else mentioned, and a top loader with an agitator. I’m not sure if washers without agitators get the clothes done as well- with the agitator even if you pour all the detergent in on the very top, you know the clothes get moved around so much by the agitator it doesn’t matter. I’ve watched it work with the lid open and it’s pretty cool, lol. I’m not sure how the clothes (& soap) are guaranteed to get swished around as well without the agitator but I’m sure there’s some way that it’s supposed to work. I have heard from someone about powder detergent sometimes not getting dissolved in her machine (that doesn’t have an agitator) and that adds to my iffy-ness about that aspect.
Oh and another nice thing about top-loaders is you can also let it start filling with water while it’s still open and you’re adding stuff- you can also open it again after starting it to add something you dropped! I’d hate to not be able to do that anymore, lol.
Whoa I typed a lot, how did that happen? Sorry… maybe I’ll come back to the post later and cut it down to size. :~
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It’s so funny how different the experience can be from person to person with washers/driers. I think brand must be a huge factor!
My front-loader takes so much less time than my old top loader did it’s not even funny. Laundry day is Sunday and I generally have about the same amount to wash (7-9 loads). With my top loader, washing and drying everything if I started around 11 am would take me until 11:30 – 12 that night.
With my front loader, I’m usually done (with everything washed, dried, folded, and put away) by 7:30 pm.
I use the little detergent packets (gel things) with no scent and no dye as my youngest is allergic to EVERYTHING. I haven’t had any problems with smelly laundry as long as I don’t let it sit. And this is three boys, a husband and dogs. 🙂
No idea how powdered detergent would work though. I haven’t used powdered in a long time.
I CAN buy normal liquid for mine – I don’t have to use the special stuff for HE machines. You just add a little bit more.
Ya my top load washer is 34 minutes at its longest as well, the front loaders all depended on setting, 30 min was about the shortest on ours, but that was a very quick wash and rinse, up to 1.5 hours on the whites setting.
^ Yep the front loader at my work takes an hour to wash on the normal/cotton cycle, and my top loader at home takes barely over 30 for the same cycle.
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