datmama4 Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 (edited) Our clothes washer appears to be at its decision-making point of whether it wants to live or die. We've repaired what was broken, but after starting it back up and trying to run a load of clothes, it's starting to make some...unwasher-like...noises. Also starting to smoke a wee bit and smell bad. I would appreciate any suggestions while trying to decide what type of washing machine to purchase next. We'd always assumed we'd make the move to a front-loader, since they are known to use less water and less detergent. However, I've also heard they have twice as many machine parts as top-loaders and a larger frequency of repairs. I thought I'd read something on this board awhile back regarding washers but didn't find it easily. This will be our first washing machine purchase in almost 20 years, so I have NO clue as to what new-fangled ideas are out there. Lynda Edited February 1, 2009 by datmama4 typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 I have a front loader--not the big ol' ginormous ones, but a Fridgidare set that was Consumer's Union's best buy. I haven't had it long--under 4 years--but so far, so good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datmama4 Posted February 1, 2009 Author Share Posted February 1, 2009 I just wanted to comment about the money this is saving us monthly. We use less detergent, can wash more clothes at one time, it uses less water - our water bill dropped almost in half, and our electric bill went down significantly - the clothes take less time to dry. Ours is a non stackable LG. I never thought about clothing taking less time to dry! What a bonus. While it would be nice to have a stackable one (just to save space), our dryer is working just fine (although older) so we wouldn't have anything to stack it upon...yet. I have heard about low water usage top loaders somewhere, but can't remember where. I don't know of anyone who has one, so I have no information. I've also heard it's getting increasingly difficult to find top loaders because of the push to use less water and resources. I have no basis for the fact of this, since I have not shopped for any large appliance in at least 11 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankie Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 I feel your pain. My 20-year-old washer just bit the dust. I took a week to research. I thought we'd make the switch to a front loader, but we didn't. Many people experience mold around the gasket on the door and smelly laundry. Since we live in a high-humidity area, I chose against that fast. Secondly, I looked at the no-agitator top loaders. Wow, lots of problems with them. What I really didn't like about them was the water drains down rather than spinning out, so any dirt in the water is re-deposited in the clothing. I decided to go back to a top loader. Top loaders use less water than they used to, so while they're not as water efficient as front loaders, they're still better than our 20-year-old machines. I looked and looked, and everywhere I turned Speed Queens got top ratings. That's what I got, a plain and simple Speed Queen. I've had mine a week and I am in love with it. My clothes come out clean, which is what I wanted. The spin cycle is really good and I've gone from a 50- to 60-minute dry cycle to 40-45. Check out the Laundry Room Forum at That Home Site. http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/laundry/ I think I read a comment there that I agree with: Buying a washer today is more difficult than buying a car. It was a nightmare of a week for me, trying to find what would be best for our family. Good luck! Our clothes washer appears to be at its decision-making point of whether it wants to live or die. We've repaired what was broken, but after starting it back up and trying to run a load of clothes, it's starting to make some...unwasher-like...noises. Also starting to smoke a wee bit and smell bad. I would appreciate any suggestions while trying to decide what type of washing machine to purchase next. We'd always assumed we'd make the move to a front-loader, since they are known to use less water and less detergent. However, I've also heard they have twice as many machine parts as top-loaders and a larger frequency of repairs. I thought I'd read something on this board awhile back regarding washers but didn't find it easily. This will be our first washing machine purchase in almost 20 years, so I have NO clue as to what new-fangled ideas are out there. Lynda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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