Princess5 Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 We need a new electric set of washer and dryer. We have decided on top loaders to cut down on mold and stink issued we read s lot about. But the top loaders are classified into agitator and impeller. I have seen videos on how they run and have doubts about the impeller. I do not like the regulations to use less water, as I think the clothes may not be getting cleaned well. Some models have an agitator, but several reviewers say the motion is like an impeller. It's all so confusing. The speed Queens got a bad name after the 2018 model fiasco... I have no idea what to buy. I just want a simple, reliable, good washer. Any suggestions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 I went with a highly rated impeller model so that I could wash bulky items and I regret it. I have had clothes come out of the wash that didn't even get wet much less clean. I now use extra water for most loads and an extra rinse and I sometimes still have to wash twice. Given the option to do it all over again I would have went with an agitator model with as little energy compliance as possible. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 I am really glad I got one of the 2017 SQs before they were gone. Having said that, although the new ones are not the power houses that the old ones were, they are still the only brand I would buy right now. I figure that with their vast experience making washers for coin laundries SQ knows how to make reliable machines, and no one else seems to anymore. I had a Maytag with an impeller and it didn’t even always get the whole load wet. It didn’t get everything clean. And it ripped things. It was just so so so bad. So, at our cabin I fortunately have a 2017 SQ, and at home I still have my workhorse old Kenmore from when they were good, over 20 years old, AND a back up one that I got for $50 from a neighborhood elist sale that we are told works fine, they just wanted a new one, to swap in if we finally get to the point where we can’t repair ours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 My one and only experience was with a whirlpool impeller model and it stunk (literally and figuratively) clothes came out smelling stinky andstill dirty. Completely dry in spots. It was ridiculous. My dh ended up repairing my old whirlpool water hog with agitator from when we first got married and we returned the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 Is this your first foray into high efficiency? If so, prepare for frustration, disappointment, dirty clothes, and hair everywhere. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 If I were you I would try to find a non HE washing machine. I despise my HE. I have to wash loads twice and three times so many times there is no way I am using less water...just more time. I did finally learn a little trick with sheets...I put the sheets in first and then two towels spaced around on top. That seems to make it so the sheets at least get wet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 Have you checked your manual for the deepest water cycles? We pretty much wash everything on deep water wash, sheets/bulky items, or hand wash. Those are our cycles that actually fill up the tub. None flush the hair and debris out of the water, though. It all just sits on top of the clothes. I wish I would have hooked up our old non-HE washer downstairs instead of paying Lowe's to take it away. It was really have issues, though. Kids pajamas are the absolute worst. Since HE moves the water through the clothes instead of the clothes through the water, hair weaves itself through the clothing fibers. Luckily, DD has all but grown out of kids pjs. I literally was pulling a handful of hair out of each garment. It's a long, tedious progress to de-hair them each time. Lint rollers don't work. 17 minutes ago, Scarlett said: If I were you I would try to find a non HE washing machine. I despise my HE. I have to wash loads twice and three times so many times there is no way I am using less water...just more time. I did finally learn a little trick with sheets...I put the sheets in first and then two towels spaced around on top. That seems to make it so the sheets at least get wet. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 Huh, I have a HE washer and haven't noticed any of what you all are saying. The only time it doesn't get things smelling good or clean is when one of my teens overloads it. I mean, it is supposed to take extra large loads, but they have been known to carry that a bit too far. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 Oh, another HE tip. Make sure you keep your dryer smack-dab up against your washer. The dryer "pushes" on the washer during spin cycles and helps keep the washer balanced. Otherwise, the washer can rinse/spin all day in an attempt to balance itself. Very frustrating. And yes, our washer has been leveled. And no, we didn't buy a cheap set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 31 minutes ago, pitterpatter said: Have you checked your manual for the deepest water cycles? We pretty much wash everything on deep water wash, sheets/bulky items, or hand wash. Those are our cycles that actually fill up the tub. None flush the hair and debris out of the water, though. It all just sits on top of the clothes. I wish I would have hooked up our old non-HE washer downstairs instead of paying Lowe's to take it away. It was really have issues, though. Kids pajamas are the absolute worst. Since HE moves the water through the clothes instead of the clothes through the water, hair weaves itself through the clothing fibers. Luckily, DD has all but grown out of kids pjs. I literally was pulling a handful of hair out of each garment. It's a long, tedious progress to de-hair them each time. Lint rollers don't work. Derp water does not fill my tub. With sheets it makes no difference. Only the added towels work 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjzimmer1 Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 @pitterpatter You've definitely had some unique experiences with your washing machine that don't match anything I've experienced. Hair was never an issue (And we've got 4 people with waist length hair so long hair strands run amuck on our floor but never our washing machine). I will also say I've never had my front loader unbalance. Now I did buy one that has some technology to help with vibrations since mine is on a second floor wood floor but I would go out of my way to make sure my machines were NOT touching because the washing machine would vibrate the dryer and just make way too much noise. The dryer is so light in comparison to the washing machine, I'm not sure how it would hold the washing machine in the first place. Or do you have a top loader? Yes I've had that unbalanced from time to time but typically only when I'm trying to wash pillows. OP my only recommendation is to make sure the lining of the dryer is stainless steel. I've had 2 that were just painted and both would get stained blue over time from denim. The stainless steel drum never did that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 43 minutes ago, Scarlett said: Derp water does not fill my tub. With sheets it makes no difference. Only the added towels work My piece of junk Maytag (best use: an anchor) did not have a deep water setting. Added towels helped, but I had to put them into the machine dripping wet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 We have a Maytag Bravos top loader washer without agitator. We avoided a front loader since my mom had already had one of those and the smell was horrendous. My mom's HE top loader does the same thing in terms of not washing well. When she washes one of the cat's beds that has been puked on, it comes out the exact same way as it went in...puke and all. I guess that leads me to HE tip #3. Buy a washer with a window so you can see when things are floating. You can open the lid and push them down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 3 minutes ago, pitterpatter said: We have a Maytag Bravos top loader washer without agitator. We avoided a front loader since my mom had already had one of those and the smell was horrendous. My mom's HE top loader does the same thing in terms of not washing well. When she washes one of the cat's beds that has been puked on, it comes out the exact same way as it went in...puke and all. I guess that leads me to HE tip #3. Buy a washer with a window so you can see when things are floating. You can open the lid and push them down. Mine locks!!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 I have a GE washer with agitator and manual dials. Love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 I've never had a washing machine that didn't wash excellently. Some were more long lasting than others, but all washed fine. That said, after our last front loader developed mold issues almost overnight (despite doing everything right in terms of cleaning cycles, leaving the door ajar, etc.) I decided to go with a top loader. We bought a Maytag HE with an agitator and manual controls almost a year ago, and I like it very much. It's a little noisier than the front loaders were, but it works well. There is a "fill tub" option but I've only used it once to see how it works. The sensor works fine, so I just let it do its thing. I looked at SQs before purchasing but I was majorly underwhelmed, especially considering the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 We bought this washer maybe 6 months ago?? It's been wonderful. It replaced a 17 year old front loader. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Maytag-5-3-cu-ft-High-Efficiency-White-Top-Load-Washing-Machine-with-Deep-Clean-Option-ENERGY-STAR-MVWB835DW/205875252?cm_mmc=Shopping|G|Base|D29A|Multi|Multi|LIA|Major-Appliances|Special-Buys|71700000032418576|58700003842368110|92700030730077921&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjMfoBRDDARIsAMUjNZpwg54DzDJ4aX6pO8Ncr1_sS0gsQOVXNyQnRIfZJbCoqXE3pqx4no8aAmsLEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds It was on sale for some holiday or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 5 hours ago, pitterpatter said: Have you checked your manual for the deepest water cycles? We pretty much wash everything on deep water wash, sheets/bulky items, or hand wash. Those are our cycles that actually fill up the tub. None flush the hair and debris out of the water, though. It all just sits on top of the clothes. I wish I would have hooked up our old non-HE washer downstairs instead of paying Lowe's to take it away. It was really have issues, though. Kids pajamas are the absolute worst. Since HE moves the water through the clothes instead of the clothes through the water, hair weaves itself through the clothing fibers. Luckily, DD has all but grown out of kids pjs. I literally was pulling a handful of hair out of each garment. It's a long, tedious progress to de-hair them each time. Lint rollers don't work. I am having the same problems with hair. I have one comforter that I have washed and dried several times that is still covered in dog hair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 7 minutes ago, KidsHappen said: I am having the same problems with hair. I have one comforter that I have washed and dried several times that is still covered in dog hair. I've never had (or used at any of the rescues I've volunteered with) a washing machine that removes much pet hair. It's the dryer that does 90+ percent of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 1 minute ago, Pawz4me said: I've never had (or used at any of the rescues I've volunteered with) a washing machine that removes much pet hair. It's the dryer that does 90+ percent of that. Yeah, but it seems that the washing machine jams the hairs into the fabric so they don't come out in the dryer. I have even tried running it in the dryer when it was already dry in hopes of getting the hair out and even that doesn't remove much. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen A Posted June 25, 2019 Share Posted June 25, 2019 I've had this whirlpool washer for a year, and I dislike it immensely. I did several hours of research--Consumer Reports, Best Buy reviews, etc. Just yesterday I washed placemats with a medium-full load. I took out placemats that must have gone in with a few grains of dried rice, and I had to scrape off rice mush, and re-wash them. In the winter my darks load always has considerable white "dust" lines on some of the leggings, which I'm presuming is from the dry skin on the inside of them, that get washed out, but not washed away. I don't call that washing... I've washed items which, when I've taken them out, still have dry spots. I replaced a 30 year old washer that could not be repaired. It washed a load in 20 minutes. This one often takes 1:30 if I have to run the extra rinse, and deep water, and pre-soak, which is obviously not particularly water saving, and makes laundry take the whole darn day. Actually, now that I'm writing this out, I'm going to call Costco service since I have the extended warranty, because everyone else gave this washer 4.5 stars... Maybe I'll get lucky and find some part is defective... https://www.whirlpool.com/laundry/washers/top-load/p.4.8-cu.ft-he-top-load-washer-with-built-in-water-faucet,-intuitive-touch-controls.wtw7500gw.html 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaVT Posted June 26, 2019 Share Posted June 26, 2019 I'm almost afraid to post here because I've had my LG for 13 years and it's never had a problem. Similar to this one but we have the 2006 version. No smelly issues, no hair issues, just happy clean clothes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess5 Posted June 26, 2019 Author Share Posted June 26, 2019 Ok after reading you replies, I looked around and found speed queen bring back the older model TC5. Maybe that's what I will get, though it looks plain and I don't like the design...I am tempted to get a different dryer than speed queen as my husband's likes steam feature on the dryer.. Will a mismatch set of washer and dryer matter? Specially when we want to sell the house later on? Not sure when... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMJ Posted June 26, 2019 Share Posted June 26, 2019 Agitators will clean the fastest and most effectively, but can tear up baffles in comforters and sleeping bags and are rougher on delicates. An impeller allows bigger things to be washed in the drum and is gentler on delicates, but takes almost as long as a front-loader to run and I have found it twists my laundry a lot more than my old front loader or the agitator washers I used years ago. I wanted the capacity to wash a king comforter and the gentleness to wash the quilt my aunt made us for a wedding present. For years I had a Neptune front-loader and I really miss it. It worked beautifully and had an ergonomic opening (which current front-loaders lack), and we could switch the side the door was on to match the hookups in our house. Current front loaders require too much stooping for my knees (our laundry closet won't accommodate pedestals) and only open on one side (which doesn't work with our hookups). When our Neptune died I bought an impeller top loader to fit our hookup configuration. (HINT: measure your space AND the outsides of any candidate machines AND the clearances they will require before buying. Our new machines nearly didn't fit in our laundry closet at all -- they looked smaller in the store.) If you have friends with different types of machines perhaps ask if you can wash a load to try theirs out. I would have appreciated a chance to try machines before I bought.ALSO NOTE: consider NOT having matching machines. I have found I am decidedly less pleased with my new dryer that matches the washer. I wish we would have kept my old dryer as it worked so much better. And our new machines are made by the same company as our old ones. If the only gotcha to getting a good dryer is mismatched machines I'd rather have mismatched good machines than pretty mediocrities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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