Is front load washing machine better?

[Decaf]

Hi Scers, I need your help...

I will be needing a new washer very soon, it's leaking water now. I have never own a front load washer before but have heard it's better than top loader. Is it really worth all the extra money to get a front load washer? Can it really clean your clothes using less water and detergent? Is it noisier? more maintenace? reliable? easy to use?

[sarah_cio]

We have had issues with our Bosch one that is only 3.5 years old. Has been leaking for several months. People don't like to fix them. Also, front loaders vibrate a lot. Finally, they stink. You need to leave the doors open to air them out or they get mildew.

They do save money on energy but I believe that you can get high efficency top loaders now.

[Zonny]

They do use less water, but I think that's a much bigger deal if you rely on a well for your water. I had a coworker who had one and loved it, because she could not previously run her dishwasher and her washing machine at the same time.

I've never had one, so don't have personal experience. They're also supposed to be easier on your clothes because they don't have an agitator, and they come out drier after the spin so you don't use as much energy to dry them. But I believe you can get top loaders that don't have an agitator now too. As previously mentioned, they can get smelly too.

We bought a new washer and dryer a few years ago; maybe the front load machines have come down in price since then , but at that time it wasn't worth the extra dollars to me to have a front load. My top loader does a fine job.

Have you looked into getting your current washer repaired?

[i_forget]

I have a front loader, and I LOVE it.

I use a LOT less water (I went from 20 cubic meters a month to 10), less soap and my clothes come out a lot cleaner than they did with my top loader.

It has vibration reduction, so it never moves (my basement floor is cement and uneven and it stays level and quiet) and it has the direct drive motor, which is better IMO because it replaces the need for the belts which are more likely to need repair.

I can do up to 20 loads of laundry a week, and this machine has been going strong for over 3 years with no problems.
I never keep my door open to air it out, I just use a washing machine cleaner every couple of months.

[bargain_hunter_lola]

I have a front loader, and I LOVE it.

I use a LOT less water (I went from 20 cubic meters a month to 10), less soap and my clothes come out a lot cleaner than they did with my top loader.

It has vibration reduction, so it never moves (my basement floor is cement and uneven and it stays level and quiet) and it has the direct drive motor, which is better IMO because it replaces the need for the belts which are more likely to need repair.

I can do up to 20 loads of laundry a week, and this machine has been going strong for over 3 years with no problems.
I never keep my door open to air it out, I just use a washing machine cleaner every couple of months.

That's pretty much my experience also.

We got our front loader about 9 months ago and I love it! Super handy because I'm short. lol.

Uses less water and less soap and the clothes are always super clean and almost dry. It does take longer to wash than my old top loading machine but the dryer time is much shorter so it works out.

I dont leave my doors open either, I just use a cleaner (I've used Affresh since it came with 2 of them but I hear Tide cleaner is good).

Ours is pretty quiet, it's right under DS's bedroom and he sleeps through it.

I would go for an extended warranty though just in case you get a dud or have problems. I have heard they are expensive to fix.

My only pet peeve with my front loader is that baby socks often get stuck in the very front (like in the door area) and end up being soaking wet when everything else is pretty much dry. I just make sure to put the socks near the back so they dont get stuck in the door ledge area. Not much of an issue, just a little annoyance.

[ColleenMGorecki]

l have a front load washer also and love it but my daughter just bought a top load that is similar to a front load washer but she can control the water lever which is important when baby clothes don't weight much. She is very happy with her's also.

[anisa]

i have a samsung front loader and LOVE it.

i like the tumbling action of the front loader, as opposed to the back and forth, tie-your-clothes-in-knots action of top loaders


that said i have read many horrible reviews of some makes of front loaders, and that is why i chose samsung. my set is one year old and going strong!

i also only use cold water (no hot water connection yet where we have made a second laundry area for our home) i am still totally satisfied with the cleanliness of the clothes.

it can definitly be a more expensive option, but hubby wasn't opposed to this expense, so i figured what the heck

[Darth Penguin]

I had front loaders when I lived in the UK and loved them. Then I bought one in Canada and while it was better than the top loaders in the apts, it wasn't as good as those I was used to.

When mine died, I bought a top loader as a replacement and while it does a reasonable job, I don't like it as much. I'll be saving my pennies to get a HE front loader next time round, unless the technology has changed.

[SassyAshley]

We have a front load washer and love it. I have not noticed it is any loader than previous machines and at times I do put it on high spin (when I was our bedding). I find the clothes come out cleaner, in our old top load even with washing our towels would develop a smell even after washing, in over 2 years we have not had an issue yet. I am using way way less soap and fabric softener. Yes it does take longer to wash but the clothes come out with almost no water in them so drying is so much quicker and easier (bonus since it costs more to run the dryer than the washer).

The only downside is yes we do leave the door open and did have a smell develop once (in over over 2 years) but a wash cycle with 1/2 cup of vinegar cleared that right up.

I do not think I would ever go back to a top load, our clothes are much cleaner and I am saving on water, soap and softener. Oh and I can fit so much more in my front load, I can combine loads and everything still comes out clean.

[i_forget]

I will also second the extended warranty.

I have never had an issue with my washer (I call it my brick sh!t house ), but I have a couple times with my dryer, and the added peace of mind makes it worth it to me.

[marstec]

I replaced a KitchenAid top loader with a Samsung front loader last year. The top loader has a shorter wash cycle, the front loader seems to spit out a bit of water, the drum rolls around and then more water gets spit out, repeat. It takes an hour to do a load of wash and the old one took 20 minutes. The Samsung sings a tune when the cycle is finished, a bit disconcerting at first, but I'm used to it now...can't be bothered to read the manual to shut off that function. Trust a brand from Asia to have something so quirky.

I always leave the door open because I've heard about the smell that can develop due to trapped moisture.

Maybe the technology has changed for top loaders, but ours would beat the crap out of the clothes. The front loader has been more gentle, that's for sure. Make sure you only use high efficiency detergent with the new washers; I have a small stockpile of old stuff that is useless.

[Carlotta]

I have to agree! Love my front loader. Ours is quiet too. Our laundry room is in part of our walk-in closet, and I throw loads in when I'm getting ready for bed and the noise never bothers us. I also don't have problems with odor, but I think if you leave the door closed on ANY washing machine all the time, you will have some odor problems. We also use way less water, soap and the drying time is virtually cut in half.

By the way, as a side note to anyone building a house..... Put your washer and dryer in an area off your bedroom, or at least in close proximity. I can never figure out why people brag about a "main floor laundry room". 95% of all the items you launder come from the bedroom; clothes, bedding etc., and towels from the bathroom. I wash shirts, throw them in the dryer, take them out, hang them up. I don't have to lug baskets downstairs and then lug them all back upstairs to put them away. I take them out of the dryer and walk 2 feet and stick them in the drawer! SO much better

[blueeyetea]

I'd find out how long the cycles run before buying a front loader. One of my friends has a front loader and it takes two hours for her machine to run the cycle that sanitizes bedsheets. My top loader's hot wash is 35 minutes. The savings in water are probably off-set by the extra electricity.

[nothingfancy]

When we bought our FE Whirlpool 5 years ago, I thought it was great. Over the last year, I've been noticing it's not cleaning our clothes as well. You know that new jean smell? Well it took a good 15-20 washes for the smell to come out of my jeans. Honestly. We still use the same cold water HE detergent we did when we bought the thing. As for stains, we use a pretreater and we still need to wash 3 or 4 times (no dryer in between to set the stains) with pretreater each time to get stains out. DH says it's because I wash in cold water...I'm not so sure - isn't that the purpose of having "cold water" detergent?

Our wash cycle for cold setting extra spin is 55 minutes. I think that's a bit on the long side, but it's energy star rated.

To get rid of the musty smell, you can use vinegar or bleach. It happens to us often enough when the kids are playing around with the washer and dryer pressing buttons and closing the door. We are on a well though, so having chlorinated water might make a difference.

When this washer kicks the bucket, I am going to be looking for something else.

[screamy]

In theory, I'd love to have one - but everyone I know who does, hates theirs. Most of them complain about the smell - and my sister has tried absolutely everything under the sun with hers, and it still stinks, apparently (she'd leave it open, but my furbaby-niece would get in it and sleep there).

The only times I've used them, I disliked the locking feature on it - you can't chuck in the extra pair of socks you find, etc., after it starts.