Washers

My washer died and so I am hunting for a new one on Friday.

What's the benefits of a front load vs top load? I had been looking at a front load but a friend said the best kind to get is a top load without an agitator? All I know is I do NOT want an agitator as my last one had one and it would randomly eat clothes.

Suggestions? I'm not looking for super fancy.

Front loaders use less water; the top loader has to basically fill the drum up with water to cover all the clothes. The front loader, because it spins horizontally, only fills up like 1/3rd of the way. Also the front loader doesn't need an agitator, gravity just dumps the clothes down into the water as it spins. They also spin WAY faster which gets rid of excess water better, which means they dry faster (less time in the dryer.) My parents have a front loader and my dad has just recently started to do laundry in it, and he keeps marveling over how clothes are almost dry when you pull them out. Overall they are just super duper way more energy efficient.

Downside, they are more expensive off the bat, and also, this one is a bit of a PITA for me... if I go "oh shoot, I forgot to get my clothes from my gym bag" and want to add it after I've started the cycle, TOO BAD. The door locks pretty quickly after you start washing (because it's full of water!!!) so you can't open the door and add anything. Top loaders you could always just lift the lid and drop stuff in.

All that said, I sold the old machines that came with my house and bought used front loading machines off craigslist. They are stackable which is important because my house is pretty small. So I'm excited about it. I don't think I'd ever buy a new top loader personally.

I like the front loaders because they can save space. You can stack a dryer on top, or use them as an extra shelf.

But yeah, the front loaders do lock pretty quickly.

I went through this debate a couple years ago when I decided my (13 year old) set was finally tired out and I'd better get new ones before something bad happened and I had to do without for a time!

There were a couple cons of the front loads that wouldn't work for me. One (as mentioned) can't add forgotten items.....which I am TERRIBLE about!

Two, I was told from several sources (including mother in law) that you need to leave washer door open often to air out or it gets that musty/mildewy smell. (My laundry room is a walk thru to the back door, so the washer door open would be an issue.)

And the last thing that tipped it for me.....a friend of mine who has owned both (currently has front loaders) said the old fashioned top loaders cleaned their clothes better and she wished she had hers back. Her opinion of course, not necessarily a hard truth but it was enough to make go with a top load washer and matching dryer.

Between us though, I still look wistfully at the front loaders when we pass them..........they are so PRETTY and so many colors to choose! LOL Maybe the next new set, all the kids should be grown/gone by then!

I had a top loader without an agitator, and aside from it dying after 5 years it was a nightmare. It held mildew, it didn't get clothes clean, the clothes would get caught in between the two large flat "agitators" and get ripped. I hated that washer so much that I refused to use it.

We now have a set of Samsung steams and I LOVE them! I even convinced Jules to get a set and she loves them too! They are pricey, but worth every penny IMO! I will also add that ACooper mentioned the mildew/moldy smell with the front loaders if you don't leave the door open -- we leave ours closed and it's never been an issue in the 5 years we've owned them.

We have the mildewy smell in the front loader. We run a sanitize cycle once a week, we leave the door open, or at least slightly open with a cloth. It doesn't leave the smell on the clothes though.

YES! YES! YES!

I can't say enough good things about the Samsung steam machine! It's just magical. I leave the door open after washing most of the time, sometimes it's forget... Either way, no smell.

They are pricey, but here's what we did: we waited until sears had them on sale for 30% off, then went to Lowes. Lowes will match a (local) competitor's price and take 10% off on top off that.

I've heard about half and half pro vs anti front loading washers.

I'm going after work to go look at lowes and see what they have. I can't really afford too expensive since i'm in the process of house buying. But I don't want anything super cheap either.

We bought a cheap Whirlpool and it's been working just fine. It seems most of the most expensive ones had more options really, and I don't need them, so didn't feel like spending more for them.

I would say try Craigslist... seriously. You won't get a warranty so maybe that's not what you want, but I paid less than half what I would have paid new for my washer/dryer set and nothing was wrong with it, the wife just decided she wanted new ones.

If I were to go buy new ones, I would get a top loader I just don't like fishing my laundry out of the front loaders, I have one now, only because it came with the house, and I preferred the old one. I did get the pedestals so maybe they will help once I get them mounted.

As I'm only 5 ft. tall, I love love love my front loads! I do have them on pedestals since I got the pedestals on sale for $99 each (the larger ones, too). I bought all my stuff from Home Depot where the washer and dryer were on sale and then they price-matched Lowe's sale on the pedastals. We got an amazing deal! And no more literally falling in head-first trying to retrieve items from the bottom of the washer!

ETA: We had issues with mildew smell, and it transferring to our clothes (eww...yuck!) from our top load, but I've had the GE front-load for more than 3 years with zero smell issues. And I also find that our clothes come out much cleaner. I love that it has a speed wash for lightly soiled clothes, and I super love the antibacterial wash that get junk H-O-T and washes long since my boys like to vomit in beds and on towels. Ours also has an Eco-wash, which uses less water, but I've never used it.

If you do get a top load make sure it has one of those tall agitators (like the ones at the laundromats) don't get the ones without an agitator, the clothes end up in a giant knot.

If you can't find a top load with an agitator, than I would get a front load.

I found a set for $20! Used but who cares the people cleaned them lol.

Oh yeah...and the top loaders, when the lid falls down and hits you. Owch.

I love the quick wash feature. I'll admit I mostly use quick wash to wash my everyday clothes. Bedding or really soiled clothes I use the full wash.

I'm one of those people who find that the front loader doesn't clean all that well using the regular cycle. I use the Heavy Soil cycle and still have to pre-treat EVERYTHING.

Still wouldn't go back to top load. Front load is much more gentler on clothes, your clothes are being washed by "squishing" (yeah, I'm the Queen of Technical Terms) rather than by being pulled to the bottom of the drum by the agitator blades/other clothes. Uses less water and less soap.

We use old blankets and comforters for the dogs, bonus is that we can wash a queen sized down duvet.

Yeah, they can develop a bit of an odour, especially if you have dogs. We have to clean the door seal after every use and the drain filters quite frequently.

My dream washer (and if anybody tells my husband I dream about washers, I'll deny it) is one of the ones that has a tank for the detergent and fabric softener. You just select your cycle and away you go. Unless the tank's empty, then that might be a pita.

I have the opposite problem, I am almost 5 ft 10 and I find it a lot easier to get stuff in and out of a top load on pedestals than a front load.

Well I got a front load. I found a good deal on one that had a ding on the top. I did check craigslist and couldn't find anything that wasn't an agitator or that wasn't a set (I like my dryer). No agitator again. I had so many issues with that thing.

It seems very half and half on whether people prefer the top loads vs the front load. I heard about equal. And price was about the same too on them.

I am doing the first load now. I probably shouldn't be excited but I am. Haha