Washing Machine Recommendations Needed!

I have front loaders and have mixed feelings about them. They clean GREAT, use less water and much less detergent. However, I don't like having to leave the machine open to dry out so it doesn't get musty. It takes a long time for the machine to dry out and my washer and dryer are in the mudroom/entrance from the garage. The space gets a little tight when the machine door and soap dispenser door are open.

Pros and cons to everything, I suppose. If you do get the front loaders, I would definitely recommend getting the stands that they sit on. Extra money, but it helps them sit up higher which is easier for loading/unloading. I'm not even 5 feet tall and found the stands necessary.

Good luck!

I have a Kenmore HE top loader and LOVE it! It gets the job done and I feel like I'm always doing laundry! It saved us some money with the water bill and you just used a very small amount of soap also. Cuts down on the dyer time as well because the clothes come out almost dry with the spin.
I haven't had it but for a few months but honest between that and my Dyson vacuum my life is so much easier.
C.

My suggestion would be to stay away from the front loaders. I bought a Frigidaire Affinity (set) 3 years ago and both the dryer and washer have been nothing but trouble. The washer takes almost an hour to wash one load (except for perm press)and the seal around the door is extremely difficult to get the mold off that develops. The dryer takes 50 minutes to dry and I usually have to run it for two cycles. Sometimes it overheats and just stops running until it cools down and then we start it all over. We've tried having the vent cleaned, blower replaced, etc...and it has not helped.
I can't wait till I get the use out of these so I can return to the top loading washer/dryers. I will never buy a front loader again!

I have a front loader (LG TROMM) so I may not be much help other than I would recommend you check out the Sears Outlet in Grapevine. Our washer pooped out on us when we weren't planning or even expecting it. Our washer is "scratch and dent" but we got an amazing deal and five years later it is still running strong:)
Oh, and I really like the LG, but I know that isn't what you are looking for.

I also preferred top loader (read too many unfavorable reviews about front loaders) and after doing a bunch of research (Consumer Reports, etc.) we recently purchased the Maytag Bravos which is HE and top loader and I really love it! Never thought I'd hear myself say something like that about an appliance . . . LOL!

I love my Whirlpool. It's a mid-grade top load one, but I'm not sure the exact model. The water starts in it as soon as I start it, even with the lid up, so I can allow my detergent to mix up before I add my clothes. I have 5 different load sizes, several different wash settings including handwash, extra rinse, etc. My sister just purchased a Maytag and it doesn't seem to clean all that great with heavier loads. Also, her water will not start until several seconds after her lid is down.Yes, it looks nice and fancy with the glass top, but I'm not impressed with it. GL

I have a maytag commercial grade top loader that doesn't have any fancy bells or whistles, but runs like a champ and can handle everything I cram in there. I got it at the Maytag Clearance Center in Dallas located at 11237 N. Stemmons. Phone is ###-###-####. It's a clearance center because the pieces have a few bumps or scrapes on them and they can't go to a showroom floor, but there's NOTHING wrong with their functionality! Seriously, we bought a new washer, new dryer, and new large side-by-side fridge for less than what a slightly fancier fridge would have cost us retail. And the kicker? You can't even see the dings on them because the few dents aren't even on the front of the appliances --- no one has any clue they didn't come straight from Sears.

We just got the HE Frigidaire front loader 6 months ago... I loved the way they "looked" but washer machine already broke once on us (something with a computer chip in it)... Took almost 3 weeks for the part to come in... The repair man said these front loaders are hit or miss.. He said they do have a lot of issues, great!! If you do decide to go with a front loader be sure to leave the door and dishtray open on the washer machine.. Prevents mildew and yucky smells..
Good luck!

I have a big family as well (total of 7) and I would not recommend a front loader as your only washer. We got a top of the line Kenmore a few years back and it only lasted 3 1/2 years. The repair man told me that even though they were supposed to be "heavy duty" and accept "supersized loads," that the front loaders just can't handle the weight of large loads of towels and jeans. The seals and stabilizers wear out really fast when spinning that kind of weight and then can't be fixed. I do like that they use less water, but I also didn't like not being able to pre-soak loads in the machine. I replaced it with a top loader and and am much happier. Don't know what your laundry room capacity is like, but we just moved into a new house and we had it plumbed for two washers. I am going to add a front loader as a 2nd machine (full-size that can stack the dryer on top) that can do the lighter loads. I usually hang dry about half our clothes so I can do 2 loads in the time of 1 and get finished much faster. I got the idea from a friend who inherited her mother's washer so she had extra plumbing done for a reasonable cost and added it to her laundry room; she only had two boys but with both of them in sports, she loved the convenience and time savings.

I have a Kenmore Elite HE and love it. Great capacity, super job cleaning, uses very little water, and is gentle on your clothes. I dry the seal and door with a towel after my last load, and leave the door open until the dryer is done. This keeps the washer fresh, and mine dries within 15-25 minutes, so no problem. This is my 2nd front loader. I had an LG, but it only last 6 years, and it was going to be very expensive to repair, so I went back to Kenmore, which I've now had 2 years. I'm very happy with the front loader and wouldn't go back to a machine with an agitator. If you do consider a front loader, I recommend getting the pedestal. I didn't get them with my LG, but decided to go ahead with the Kenmore, and I love having the higher access. No stooping over! Plus, the storage drawers are great. Good luck!

A Sears repair man told me that if the computer chip goes out on a front loader that the door can seal with the water and your clothes in it. They take it to a warehouse to sit for 90 days until the computer chip allows the door to unseal and then send you your gross clothes back. Yuck!

do NOT buy an LG!!! We have had ours for several years and it's been nothing but problems. and there are not many repair people "qualified" to work on it AND the parts and labor when you do find someone are ridiculous!!! AND if the parts are not available to the ONLY U.S. location in CA, they have to be sent from NORTH KOREA!!! So not cool. Just my opinion but we hate it and will never buy an LG again (and did I mention it was expensive to begin with??). Good luck!!!

We cloth diaper, too, and our LG HE front loader has made me crazy!! I would probably steer away from a front loader if I were you. While the fact that the washer uses less water is great, it's NOT great when you are washing CD's. Luckily, I have a "water plus" option that I can use, but that kind of defeats the purpose of having a HE washer. If I could do it over again, I would get a top loader just to save me the headaches!

Mixed responses may not be helpful, but I will NEVER buy another front loader. It gets clothes very clean, with minimal water usage, BUT ... With large loads, it is impossible to keep it balanced. The thing bangs all over the laundry room. If the seal in front gets cracked, or if a zipper or something gets caught in it, it will tear apart very easily. New seal: $200!! Front loaders also tend to get a horrible musty smell, even if clothes are never left in there to 'rot'. We ahve to use a washing machine cleaner at least every 3 months. Next time Ill buy an HE top load.

Call a few appliance repair company's that repair more than one brand of machinge and ask them which ones are low maintenance, you can ask the sales rep for the company name or call the Brand you are considering for the authorized repair comapny name & phone. Also check Consumer Reports, your local public library may have free access to past issues online.

I agree with Meredith S. We have a 14 year-old Maytag top-loader that we just had to make this same decision about. We decided to keep the machine. This was our first repair on it! I'm so glad that I read the reviews here about the front-loaders, too. My husband and I wondered about our investment in the old machine being what was best and I am convinced we did the right thing. Best wishes:)

We stuck with a top loader and love our Maytag Centennial. It had excellent reviews and we haven't been disappointed. It's Energy Star with energy efficient features, but you don't have to buy special HE detergent. The Centennial models are also mid-range priced, around $500. If you can afford more, the Maytag Bravos also had excellent reviews.

go with the HE-you won't believe the savings-water and detergent-and the capacity.

Hi,

We just bought a new washer and dryer. I insisted on getting a top loader, but actually ended up with a Maytag 4000 Series front loader. We bought it at Home Depot. We received an excellent deal because we bought it off the floor. It still had all the warranties (10 year on the drum and belts!). I actually really love it. I can wash a queen size comforter and it comes out clean. It also uses less water, which is a plus! It is an HE model, but just about all detergents now are safe for HE models.

Hope this helps!

I have LOVED our front-loading LG models we purchased in January of 2010. They hold SO much and do a great job. We've found them to be very efficient -both washing and drying. I love the fact that I can put our queen-sized comforters in there, quilts, blankets, etc. instead of hauling them to the dry cleaners or a laundry mat. I would definitely suggest them for a large family because of the large capacity. I also love the stain cycle and tub rinse/cleanse options on the washer.

Before giving up on Old Faithful, consider calling an appliance repair company. We absolutely adore Day and Night Appliance Service
###-###-####. They've kept our 20 year old dryer drying and our 15 year old washer washing at top speed.

Because you are cloth diapering, I would go with an agitator free top loader if you truly need a new one. More efficient but still enough water involved to get the CD's clean.

I have had an LG HE machine for about 3 months now and so far, so good. I had always had a top loader and was very skeptical about going with a front loader, but I felt strongly about using a more environmentally friendly machine and the HE top loaders I found were mega-expensive. The LG I have has some sort of stability control technology and I haven't had any problems whatsoever with loads being unbalanced. The clothes come out very clean, and we haven't had problems with musty smells b/c we follow the salesman's instructions of using a dry rag to quickly dry off the inside of the seal after each load, and we also leave the door open so that it can dry out between loads. The only complaint I have is actually about the dryer...we have found that even though it is a 7.4 cu ft capacity, if we put the entire wash load into the dryer things tend to get twisted and wrinkly and still wet in spots. So, if I wash my daughter's comforter along with her sheets, I have to dry the comforter separately or everything doesn't dry properly. But, it isn't that big a deal and it is a dryer problem not a washer problem. The washer has been great. Hope this helps!