What is best front loading washer?
Anne from Towanda
I love my Maytag Neptune. We have had ours for almost 10 years with zero problems. My husband wears overalls for his work, so I do a lot of very soiled heavy loads without any cleaning issues whatsoever. I agree with the above poster about the savings of water and detergent--very important to me since we are on a septic system. (03/07/2007)
By Carol
I purchased a Maytag Neptune about 5 months ago and honestly I couldn't be more pleased with it. It washes great, has many features such as extra rinse which is great for people with sensitive skin or babies. I use by far less water and detergent and it takes less time to dry clothes especially jeans and towels.
It was worth the bit of extra money we spent on it. (03/07/2007)
By Lisa
Yikes!
I had new Frigidaire front loader delivered and it didn't work properly. They delivered another one, that one didn't work. I am now waiting for one direct from factory; three strikes and they are gone! Hope this isn't a sign of the way it's going to be! Love the style-but? (03/13/2007)
By Jean
We bought the cheapest Kenmore front loader (still pretty expensive) five years ago and over the last few months have had terrible problems with leaks, just like the problems described by someone else above. It is frustrating when you spend the extra money for the better product and then it breaks relatively quickly.
By Sabrina
I bought a Bosch Nexxt 300 front loader, with mixed results. The thing weighs twice as much as a normal washer, I had a heck of a time getting it up the stairs. I strongly suggest paying the $65 delivery fee, and letting somebody else have the fun.
The thing uses an incredibly low amount of water. It is like throwing the clothes around in a swamp, instead of a swimming pool. I measured the electric usage with a special meter, and it cost just 5 cents worth of electricity to wash an entire load (at 15 cents/kilowatt hour). The clothes spin faster too, so a full load of blue jeans is dry in half an hour.
Now for the bad news. The clothes take a whole lot longer to wash, especially if you use normal detergent. My first load took 2 1/2 hours, so my wife was ready to take the machine back. I'm still doing experiments trying to get the cycle time down, since the whole thing runs off a microcontroller, and can sense the load balance and suds level.
One thing for sure, our old clothes, washed for years in an old top loader, had lots of dried soap film on them. It took me 3 cycles without soap to fully rinse out the old soap. (You can see the soap bubbles on the washer's window when it is spinning.) My wife "hates" not using fabric softener, because the clothes don't feel as good. I however am going to insist on throwing away the fabric softener, because it takes more time to wash the clothes, costs more, and I think it is giving my son some allergy problems when he wakes up in the morning.
One thing for sure, the more special cycles you add, the longer it takes to wash clothes. 2 1/2 hours is normal, if you push all the special cycle buttons.
The clothes do come out very clean, I can't complain about that. I don't know if the extra wash time and extra spin time is a problem, because the clothes do dry faster, and I would rather be waiting on the washer than the dryer, because I can fold clothes while the washer is sill running.
The spin cycle is very fast, and it really makes the machine shake sometimes, even though I was very careful to level the whole machine after installation. Sometimes there is a slight load imbalance, although if the load is too unbalanced the machine can sense it, and tries to distribute the load better by slowing it down to a crawl, then spinning back up. There is a lot of intelligence in these new machines.
The problem I am fighting now is detergent related. If you put too much in it, the suds sensor will make it run twice as long to get all the suds out. We have a water softener and very soft water, so now I am experimenting with 1/3 of a cup of the special HE detergent. It costs more, but you use a whole lot less, so in the end you actually save money. Plus, it is concentrated, so you need less space to store it.
I like the idea of saving soap, electricity, water, and gas to heat the water. It's good for the environment, but I don't think I am saving any money because these machines cost so much. I paid $800 for my machine, which was $100 off the normal price because it was a floor model. I suspect somebody else returned it because it takes too long to wash the clothes.
It's not a top loader, so you can't just leave the lid up overnight to let it dry out. You have to leave the door open, and that looks unsightly, in my opinion. (04/19/2007)
By John
I have had a Samsung FL washer/dryer for 4 years. It was purchased to fit a small space and for frequent small loads (runs every day). It has numerous operators and uses hard water with regular cheap detergent. I searched the products out and this one looked well made compared to what else was available. It replaced a 10 year old Inglis over/under that had seen the same service. I bought a 4yr extended warranty for $200 (Good thing!).
The utilities have been reduced, but I can't say exactly how much. The dryer lint screen has been broken twice. The washer door latch has been replaced three times. The washer door gasket has been cut twice. The ground strap on the rear of the dryer was replaced once. The detergent drawer cover has been broken for 2 years, but doesn't affect operation. With the hard water you must keep the "window" of the washer clean of scale (using CLR once a month) or you will get leaking about the door. We expect 2 calls a year from the serviceman. Part availability has been good. This has been a good test and probably equivalent to 16 years of "normal" service.
I am considering our options when the warranty runs out. It will be another small front loader with local service and extended warranty, but the make? (05/24/2007)
By Jim
After trying my daughter's front loader, I was sold on the fact that it removed pet hair. I have 6 cats and my clothes always came out of my old washer and dryer looking like mohair. Now, there is not a strand of hair on my black slacks or tops at all! It's truly amazing.
My only gripe is that the stores add on $5.00 more to the price of the H.E. detergents that you have to use. (11/02/2007)
By Peg
I posted on here back in March. We ended up buying an LG frontloader, with the steam feature. It's great! It's much more expensive, but in the 6 months we've had it, I can't complain at all. The buttons intimidated me at first, but the instruction manual is so easy to follow. I wash more than 10 loads a week. We don't have the pedestal, but I would like one in the future as I get older. The place we bought it from sells many brands, and for what we needed, this seemed to be our best choice.
If you are worried about future costs of repair, get a warranty. We didn't, for my husband doesn't go for that, but for a few hundred dollars, we could have had a great 5 year warranty, covering just about everything.
Have you gone to the library to look at Consumer Reports? They have an index in the back of each issue where you can find the latest updates on the item.
Good luck with your choice! And remember, not everyone is going to love every item. Reviews are great, but as long as the washer has what you are looking for, you can make it work for you. (hopefully!)
(11/25/2007)
By Kim
I am on my 2nd Whirlpool Duet washer in under a year. I returned the first one because of oil spots all over my clothes. I'd had Whirlpool out twice and they could never seem to correct the problem so I went back to Costco and replaced it. We're having the identical problem with our new one. The clothes look worse coming out than they did going in. My sister returned hers for the same reason and got the Kenmore HE5. She loves it. Her clothes are immaculate! I'm going to get one myself. (12/02/2007)
By Robin
I am a huge fan of front-loaders, ever since I lived in England for 3 years and was amazed at the efficiency, quiet, and incredible high spin speeds, resulting in much less drying time and zero shrinkage. To the septic system owner, yes, the FL machine will make a big difference. I would not use anything else with a septic system. All that water you save in your septic budget can be spent on long baths. =o)
In Britain, we had a pretty basic model, AEG I believe (not sold here) and it worked perfectly the whole time. Meanwhile, back in the states, we bought a condo a year ago that came with a 5-yr-old front-loader Kenmore 474.41142000. It worked great all year, until last week. We got the airport runway spin cycle and a Google search revealed entire bulletin boards full of unhappy Kenmore FL owners with the same problem: the bearings go out, and then the whole tub must be replaced, at a cost of $200 (+ labor). My husband is handy, but frankly it's not worth it.
Much research later: GE FL owners are complaining of similar problems, and terrible customer support. I'm considering Amana, since they made the only dryer that never shrank cottons. However, hands down, the best consistent reviews (in the moderate price range) seem to belong to LG. I do believe that Euro companies make far better FLs. They've been standard technology there a long time. Kenmore et. al are in a similar place as GM and Ford a few years ago when they tried to compete with Toyota's small efficient cars, i.e., they're just not there yet.
Miele is not available in my area, or I'd consider them, but I think we'll end up going LG. Home Depot says they contract out to local companies for repairs, so no need for an LG tech to work on it. However, they did acknowledge parts can take a bit longer to get, but then again, I'm on an island in Alaska. (12/02/2007)
By Alaska girl
I bought an LG front loader washer and dryer a year ago. Within the year the dryer has been serviced twice, once because the clothes weren't getting all dry and again because it was making a lot of noise. It had something to do with the drum being a thin metal and probably was made a little defectively. The washer has been serviced twice and even replaced with a new one. Unfortunately the new one is doing the same thing as the old one and that is leaving detergent spots all over my clothes {I can't get the spots out}, even after rewashing! I have tried everything that LG has suggested and nada, still spots. It's upsetting to think of the amount of money spent on appliances only for it not to work. If I would have known this I would have stuck with the old fashion washer and dryer at least I would have clean clothes. (01/12/2008)
By Crystal
Well, I was happy with my Whirlpool Duets, until they both stopped a mere two years after I purchased them. I have both front loading washer and dryers. I'm not that picky, but I liked that it had a large capacity, sanitize, and some custom cycles. After 2 years, first the dryer went out. Evidently, when the light bulb burned out, it shorted out the door latch sensor. The repairman bypassed it as a temporary fix. Now the dryer will work, but doesn't stop when the door opens. Now, 1 week later, the washer's door started leaking. 2 problems, making them unusable in almost exactly 2 years. Wish I had a Miele. (01/20/2008)
By Whirlpool - Don't Buy It!!!!
Check out "moldy smell in front loading washing machines". I would not buy a front loader again if I had to do it over. The smell is horrible and very difficult to get rid of. I don't think they drain as well as a top loader. After much research, I think this is common with all front loaders although I have the Whirlpool Duet! (02/25/2008)
I have LG front loading washer/dryer pair. Purchased 1 year ago. I love them and haven't had any problems. A large standard load takes 57 minutes to wash, 41 minutes to dry. The dryer may not dry all items equally, if combined heavy/light load.
Not overly noisy at all, only with slight unbalance (mixed load again). Cleans totally awesomely, gentle on clothes, rarely have to use the delicate cycle, so I don't usually have to separate those items. Clothes are quite dry when they come out of the washer.
LG has very effective, yet gentle rollers and small ridges inside to agitate clothes, so is gentle on the clothes. (02/26/2008)
By Darlene, Canada
Don't buy the Whirlpool Duets. They are terrible! My husband and I have had ours for 3 years and for 2 years they worked well, but the washer now all of the sudden has F11, F14 and door locking errors. It takes me all day to do one load of wash because I have to keep pushing cancel and then start about 6 times before it starts up again and finishes. A lot of times I just start a new wash. What a royal pain! I've read many reviews on these Whirlpool Duets that say the same thing. Maybe the new ones are better, but just use caution when buying. (02/29/2008)
By Me
We bought a Maytag Neptune washer and dryer in 2001 and just love it. We had 4 children at home and a $100.00 a month water bill. After using this machine my water bill went to "zero"! It is much easier on clothes than an agitator machine. My towels last years longer and clothes look new longer too. It has paid for itself several times. You won't regret this purchase. At least for me I am delighted with mine. Happy shopping! (03/03/2008)
By Misty
I bought a Frigidaire a little over a year ago so my warranty has expired. It will not spin any more and before that was really loud. I had two top load machines, each lasted over 15 years without a problem and were half the price. I paid $850 and am sick about it. Something needs to be done about these washing machines. (03/15/2008)
By Jo
We bought a Kenmore 44042 mid-range ($625) model 4 years ago. It was fine for three years, then a $200 computer board died. Recently we got the gray stain on clothes problem and figured out that it is the common bearing blow out (started with the jet engine takeoff during spins). We're looking for something else now, never a Kenmore or Frigidaire again. (04/22/2008)
By Paul
I have a GE front loader, overall I am pretty happy. It is almost 5 years old. The only problems have been one, the moldy smell which I found out can be alleviated by keeping the door open all the time when not in use. That is no problem for us, but for others depending on space, I can see where that could be a hassle.
Secondly, the last 7 or 8 months the spin is getting increasingly louder. I called repair (who had happily sent out a repair person for the moldy smell) tell me that nothing is wrong even though that is a new sound. Now I hear it may be the bearings and I wonder how long it will be until they are completely shot. (05/31/2008)
By Rose
I absolutely hate my front loading GE washer. It does not clean my clothes no matter what type of detergent I use, or how much or how little, or what type, or how long I wash the clothes. Most of the time I have to wash them on the longest cycle twice. I have had it a little over 5 months and cannot wait until it breaks, blows up, or I get a windfall to buy a top loading machine. I will never ever buy another front loader.
(07/24/2008)
By Sue
We have had our Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer for about 2 years now. We have had the washer repaired twice, and yesterday the dryer stopped working. The lightbulb blew and now the power goes on, but won't start. We paid a fortune for this washer and dryer. I am regretting this decision. (07/28/2008)
By Jen
I had my first FL washer (the least expensive Frigidaire at the time; it cost me about $500) 8-9 years until a month ago, when it began acting erratically. After two service calls that couldn't fix it and no real promise it could be fixed, I decided to buy a new one. I'm disappointed I only got 8-9 years out of it, considering the top loader it replaced went down after at least 15 years.
I'm not disappointed with how it did the clothes (very well) and how it ran (very smoothly until the end). They use less water, electricity and soap. Engineers who know of such things tell me they're easier on your clothes. I never had an odor issue, but always made sure to leave the door open until it dried after a wash.
I'm back in the market, but it seems that quality on low-end FL is very spotty. Still not sure what I'll buy, but I wanted to let anybody who was debating the pros and cons of FL vs. TL that, overall, FL is the way to go. (08/17/2008)
By John
Hello! We bought a Frigidaire 1 year and 4 months ago and have had 2 service calls on it. One was for a hair pin getting stuck in the place where the water drains into the drain pipe. The repairman told me that if it happened again, Frigidaire would not cover it.
The next thing was the door panel just shorted out. Frigidaire did cover it, but I'm just so afraid that since our warranty is out that they won't cover anything else that goes out. The repairman said that he works on Frigidaires and GEs all day long.
Two of my biggest complaints with the front loaders is: 1.) When I wash a shirt that is new, it will wash 3 times before leaving millions of tiny fuzz balls and looking faded and 2.) It majorly wrinkles the clothes. I have 7 children and passed their clothes on for many years until we got these front loaders. Now, they wear out before my 5 month old baby can grow out of them. Anyone who has a baby knows how quickly that is. My husband called Frigidaire and they said that have heard of people complaining about the fuzz balls, but don't know what is causing it or what to do about it. It has ruined so many clothes.
We are going to sell the set as soon as possible and get out before we lose big. I'm so disappointed as I had always wanted, hoped and dreamed about one day owning a set. Finally, I get it and hate it. Lesson learned: stick with top loaders. They are cheaper in the long run.
(08/27/2008)
By Dee
I thought I would love the machine, it takes almost twice as long to wash clothes, it moves around my laundry room like I have never seen. (That could be from the sliders my mom placed so we could move every once in a while to clean behind.) Also, the dryer doesn't dry all the way. LG customer service stated "it is only to damp dry". Totally unacceptable. I will not purchase another pair. (12/15/2008)
By Christie
Most of the posters here are complaining that their washers (with "one" year warranty) are breaking down after "five" years, comparing that to momma's 15 year old washers. Guess what, things were made to last a couple decades ago. Everything is disposable these days. Why do you think the warranty is so short? They're designed to fail so you buy a new one. Enjoy your capitalism. (01/10/2009)
By Sensible Sam
We love our Miele. It's 11 years old, has paid for itself twice with operating costs, and our clothes last for years. They don't look like they have been beaten on a rock. It was expensive ($2,300), but in the end has had far greater economy than our old top load Kenmore it replaced.
Now the bad news; it needs one (or possibly two) circuit boards. $1,200! Are they nuts? It cost a lot to buy, the repairs are simple, but the parts are expensive. Still that washer is just wonderful. I may just go ahead and repair it. It should be good for another 20+ years, but $1,200 for parts? Oh come on! (02/27/2009)
By Rick B
I have owned the LG TROMM front load washer and dryer for almost 2 years and have been very happy with them. I did lots of internet research and narrowed it down to this LG Brand. The only issue I had was with the mold smell which appeared in the washer after about 8 months. I have since eliminated it and have learned how to prevent it. It does run quietly compared to other brands, (so I've been told) and there is minimal vibrations in the spin cycle.
Our clothes are never badly soiled so 90% of the time I use the "quick cycle" which does great at getting the clothes clean. No need to use the long cycle if I don't have to. My clothes and linens are always clean and fresh after the wash and dry at a reasonable amount of time. What more could I ask for?
So would I buy a pair of LG washer and dryer again? Yes. (03/08/2009)
By Jan
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