anewday Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 My washing machine is almost kaput. We're planning to purchase a washer and dryer as soon as it won't work anymore...lol... We want the front loading washer. I know older models have had problems with mold. I do laundry 4 to 5 days of the week - usually 2 to 3 loads each time. We have 5 people in our family. I want to invest in a good one but we can't get top of the line... Suggestions? Can you tell me about yours? TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Dont do Kenmore, ours quit after two mos. the dryer was leaking water. We have a Whirlpool and its been heaven sent so far. Its been a yr. Piece of advice, make sure you get the pedestals, otherwise you will have back problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broccoli Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Make sure to only get one that heats the water internally ! If you get one without the long cycles will lead to your laundry not getting properly cleaned because the water cools down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialmama Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 (edited) We bought a top of the line front loader washer about 3 years ago and after 8 or 9 months I decided I HATED it. We moved and when it was time to buy a washer, I refused to get a front loader. The whole idea that it is water efficient is great, but I found ALL my clothes were getting way too worn! The friction and abuse the clothing went through from being smashed against each other without the extra water to cushion it, well, let's just say that our clothes didn't last 1/4 the usual length of time. The colours faded (especially darks), the fabric thinned, and I found the elasticity was affected in almost every article. They "say" that a top loader is bad because the agitator agitates the clothing. pooh! The name of the agitator is all people are judging it by. Really. I'd rather have my clothes moved by an agitator with ample water to cushion, than for them to slam repeatedly against each other and a dry barrel and have to replace everything. Sorry. I'm still bitter. :tongue_smilie: To all those that love the latest and greatest, kudos to you and I'm happy for you, but I'll never buy another front loader again! :001_smile: Edited April 8, 2009 by specialmama to change my typo: effected to affected... arg I hate typos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjzimmer1 Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 I have Samsung's and have had them almost a year (sorry I don't know the model but it was the lowest priced version they made). I have been very happy with them. They sit in our bathroom (on a wood floor) right near all of our bedrooms. They have a Vibration Reduction Technology which really does keep the noise and vibrations down (huge issue on wood floors), they have never moved off the spot they were installed in, nor has anything ever vibrated off the top. I actually find the water sloshing around to be louder than the spinning sounds. You will do fewer load with a front loader than a top loader. I used to do laundry everyday, now I do it about every other day. I just leave the door open overnight on the days I have done laundry and it dries out fine. While I would have liked pedistals, they wouldn't fit without moving the cupboards that were already installed and pedestals are really pricey for what you get in my opinion. ALso pediestals, are more likely to make a machine walk. I just have my kids switch the laundry so I don't have to bend over as much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katemary63 Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 I love the front loaders. However, I do agree that it is difficult to bend and get the clothes out of the washer if you have a bad back. Mine are stacked, I love them this way, but I don't think you can stack the dryer if you have the pedastal. Not sure? If I had more space, I would have them unstacked and get the pedastals. ( But I do love them stacked.) I did have trouble with the door on mine - it didn't close right and eventually locked on me altogether. I had it fixed, but not till after the warantee was out. Mine are Kenmore. If I were to replace them, I would definately get front loaders again, but maybe not the Kenmore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anewday Posted April 8, 2009 Author Share Posted April 8, 2009 We bought a top of the line front loader washer about 3 years ago and after 8 or 9 months I decided I HATED it. We moved and when it was time to buy a washer, I refused to get a front loader. The whole idea that it is water efficient is great, but I found ALL my clothes were getting way too worn! The friction and abuse the clothing went through from being smashed against each other without the extra water to cushion it, well, let's just say that our clothes didn't last 1/4 the usual length of time. The colours faded (especially darks), the fabric thinned, and I found the elasticity was effected in almost every article. They "say" that a top loader is bad because the agitator agitates the clothing. pooh! The name of the agitator is all people are judging it by. Really. I'd rather have my clothes moved by an agitator with ample water to cushion, than for them to slam repeatedly against each other and a dry barrel and have to replace everything. Sorry. I'm still bitter. :tongue_smilie: To all those that love the latest and greatest, kudos to you and I'm happy for you, but I'll never buy another front loader again! :001_smile: Very good to know - I hadn't heard how hard it can be on clothing! Thanks so much for the input on that...definately worth consideration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highereducation Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 We have 5 in our family and purchased LG front loader washer/dryers in early September. Here's what we have from Home Depot. LG Electronics 4.0 Cu. Ft. Extra Large Capacity Front Load Washer Model WM0642HW Clothes are definitely cleaner. I bought a big box of Tide HE powder and still have some left. The dryer I have to set on max dry to get the clothes dry enough for my tastes. The washer is in a tray, but still "walks" ~ 10", for that reason, I can't image having the stackables. My only concern is with the speed of extracting the water, what does this do to your house and flooring in the long run? We can feel the vibrations up stairs and we've had supports fall from the basement ceiling from the vibration. We are also now hearing a strange noise from our heating system which is attached just below the laundry room. Our house is less than two years old. . . I think we have the same model as you do, or a very similar one. We bought our LG washer four months ago from Home Depot. We haven't gotten the matching dryer yet - our old washing machine just gave up and we were in a pinch! I guess I do about 3 or 4 loads of laundry per day (for a family of 3, we go through a lot of clothes in a week!). Anyway, I have been pretty happy with the washer. Mine doesn't walk or vibrate very much (then again, our house is 105 years old and it's all the way in the basement. Maybe I just don't hear it, lol!) One thing that has bothered me a little bit - up until a week or so ago, one or two of the light-colored clothes would come out of the wash with scuff marks (for lack of a better way to describe it.) At first I thought it was me, but after asking around, a few other people said the same thing happened with their front loading machines. The explanation we got was something about metal residue from the inside of the machine? I don't know if that's correct, but at any rate, it's not happening anymore. (Now watch - I'll go downstairs to collect my most recent batch and it will have scuff marks all over it - yikes!). Overall, I am happy with the machine and I've noticed that (aside from the scuff marks) it gets the clothes much cleaner than my old Maytag did. HTH! Kris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeathenMom Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 i LOVE my Whirpool Duet Sport. it's lower on the price scale, but i couldn't be happier with it. i wash for 5 and it holds almost twice as much as my old washer. two tips: i leave my door open between loads and have none of the moldy smell that i've heard about. also, i've heard the high spin setting is so powerful it can damage your clothes. i always set mine to medium spin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosy Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 We bought the Amana set from Home Depot--they were a good price and the highest rated on Consumer Reports. I have no complaints and my kids still enjoy watching them! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Love my front loader. It's a Frigidaire--not the higest, top-of-the-line model, but it still does a good job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 I have a whirlpool duet set for about 5 years and love it. I find my clothes lasting longer actually. However I wash most of the clothing on a delicate cycle at a medium spin and for a shorter time. We've never had to have them serviced. I'm 5'4" and find it's not too much to bend over to remove clothes, but if I were any taller I would invest in the stands or drawers. I can fit a king sized comforter in the washer and that is awesome to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela in GA Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 I have this washer. I have the matching dryer too. Not top of the line, but certainly affordable. I saw them on sale at HHGregg a few weeks ago for either $699 or $799 a piece. Of course, this was after I had bought mine. :p I don't have pedestals, but they don't seem to move much on my wooden floor. I'm super pleased with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 My washing machine is almost kaput. We're planning to purchase a washer and dryer as soon as it won't work anymore...lol... We want the front loading washer. I know older models have had problems with mold. I do laundry 4 to 5 days of the week - usually 2 to 3 loads each time. We have 5 people in our family. I want to invest in a good one but we can't get top of the line... Suggestions? Can you tell me about yours? TIA! My sister has the Kenmore washer and dryer and I absolutely love using them! She recently had twin girls and when I go over there to help her I do the laundry. The appliances are so easy to use and I love the way the clothes come out of the washer, they are almost dry. I am secretly plotting the demise of my own washer and dryer so that I can get the front loaders.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon in SC Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 My washing machine is almost kaput. We're planning to purchase a washer and dryer as soon as it won't work anymore...lol... We want the front loading washer. I know older models have had problems with mold. I do laundry 4 to 5 days of the week - usually 2 to 3 loads each time. We have 5 people in our family. I want to invest in a good one but we can't get top of the line... Suggestions? Can you tell me about yours? TIA! Love my LG Tromm (not steamer). Dh built a long pedastal for them to sit up, side by side so reaching in is not an issue. I've had mine in use for two years now and have never had trouble with mold. I do leave my washer door open after I'm finished for the day to allow the gasket to dry out before closing the door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3lilreds in NC Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 I have this washer. I have the matching dryer too. Not top of the line, but certainly affordable. I saw them on sale at HHGregg a few weeks ago for either $699 or $799 a piece. Of course, this was after I had bought mine. :p I don't have pedestals, but they don't seem to move much on my wooden floor. I'm super pleased with them. I have a GE frontloader too. I got it last summer to replace my stupid Kenmore front loader. Actually, it was not the washer's fault; it was a combination of a less than helpful repair man and a serious need to do laundry before going on vacation. However, it was only 5 years old, so experiencing failure did not make me happy. Before that, I loved it, except for the stinky part, which was dealt with regularly with bleachy loads. My GE doesn't seem to have the stinky problem. I like it very much - especially because it works! :lol: I would like to say that my sister has the fancy-schmancy LG front loader, and she liked it - until she went to Florida and stayed in her dh's grandmother's house. There, she used a top loader with agitator. She said stains that had been in their clothes for a long time came out there - she was convinced it was the washer, but my mom pointed out it could have been differences in the water, too. Just thought I'd throw that out there and see if anyone else has had the same experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 I like my front loading washer, but I must say I would like it more if I had gotten the stand. Bending down is hard on the back lol. Do make sure the handle is sturdy, because my whirlpool has a cheap handle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 I don't want to sway you away from a FL if that's what you really want but the mold issue isn't just in the door seal which is why you're supposed to leave it open. I had an LG that recently died, it was only a bit under 5 years old. I had a terrible time with my dd and her sensative skin issues with detergent and found out it was actually a mold issue. When they took the old washer out we took it apart and there was some pretty nasty stuff inside between the drums. I have since gotten a fisher paykel ecosmart top loader and it is so much better than the FL. I can fit just as much in it and it spins the clothes just a well. I've also noticed that my dd isn't having any more issues. Another thing I like about the one I bought is that it's direct drive so there are a lot less parts in it, thus not as much that could break like in the old FL. I also had a horrible time trying to find someone in my area that could actually fix an LG. I am saving my pennies so that I can buy the matching top loading dryer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 I hated my front loader! It was one of those Maytag Neptune lemons. When it finally completely died, we bought an inexpensive top loader and it is much better. I love being able to add things a couple of minutes later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 I love mine. It is an HE and my dh (engineer that he is) built a stand for both of them so I didn't have to lean over to get the clothes in and out. If they weren't up high, I think I would abhor doing laundry ever more than I do already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 If I had my choice, we wouldn't have a front-loader. I miss my top-loader! We have the GE duet front-loader. It is on a stand, and it tends to walk across the floor every month or two. Our laundry room floor is sloped to the drain, so maybe that's why. I can't move it back, though, so when it happens I have to turn it off mid-cycle and let it sit all day until dh can do it. With the stand, the place to put the soap is about my eye level, so I have to stand on tip toes to see into it. I'm 5'4". As far as washing is concerned, I don't like how long the cycles take. Dh wants me to use the quick wash cycle to save time, but I think the shirts still smell that way. Everything else seems okay, just the shirts. Otherwise, things seem to get clean, but I find I have to do more pre-rinsing of mud and other heavily staining things than I had to do with a top-loader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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