Top loader is simply not an option for me because the space I have available requires the washer and dryer be stacked.
So what do they substitute the agitator with?
An infinite loop of Fran Drescher laughing?
So what do they substitute the agitator with?
An infinite loop of Fran Drescher laughing?
We have an excellent Samsung Front Load Steam washer which we are very happy with. As far as stink goes, we leave the door open after a wash to let it air out properly and every few months we run a cleaning cycle. So far no stink from the washer, and the clothes come out cleaner.
I've had a Kenmore front loader for 7-8 years now, and have this smell issue from time to time. If you close the door when it's still wet inside, it will stink of sulfur after a few days. At that point, we do the clean cycle with bleach and it goes away. But in general we try to leave the door open to let it air out, and we don't have too many issues. Every now and then you do need to wipe out the inner rubber lip of the washer to clean out the gunk there.Got a Kenmore front load. We've had it for a couple of years now with no issues so far, knock on wood. Never really encountered the stinking issue. Though you do have to run the cleaning cycle every so often with a bit of bleach.
I cannot believe this topic has 4+ pages.
I have a front load Whirlpool Duet washer. It works fine. Mold hell though until I figured out that Tide HE detergent is the nastiest stuff on this planet. All my mold and smell issues came from that stuff. Switched to some other "all natural" HE detergent from some company my mom buys cleaning stuff from and I haven't had any foul odors from the washer (or clothes) since. Yes, I leave the door open, all that did with the Tide HE was let the mold stink fill the room.
The only real thing I don't care for on this front loader is it almost always wraps my clothes in tangled knots. A little annoying to be unloading the washer, grab a shirt, and half of everything else comes out tied around it :|
i believe the more water the better the washing
I've got a MASSIVE top loader and I love it. I swear this thing is a triple (Maytag). It can do my comforter and my sheets at once. So whatever savings front loaders may offer in water, this thing saves in time. I do 3 loads every 3 weeks and it is all my laundry. Lights, darks, colors, done.
Blame NYC, LA and other densely populated areas for realizing that high efficiency water appliances can save millions of gallons a year. This is just as bad as the Seinfeld episode with low-flow shower heads. "Low Flow? I don't like the sound of that." --said at least 3 times in that episode...
The front loaders have a few major design problems.
1. The doors seal. You don't get this with top loaders because the lid doesn't have to be water tight. This allows the tub to air dry after use and helps reduce mold/mildew buildup. Front loaders need to be left with the door slightly open when not in use.
2. The tubs do not drain efficiently. In the past 2 years, some companies have started tiliting the washing tub in front loaders at 5-10 degrees to promote drainage to the back of the tub. This is great, but could pose some balance issues if the tub spins too fast.
3. The door seal could always leak.... Rubber gaskets wear out....and often don't seal properly for whatever reason. I don't know how often this is an issue, but there's always potential for water leaks out the front of those machines.
Last July, our washing machine started leaking from the main seal in the tub. It was a $17 fix, but the machine was over a decade old and I had already fixed a few parts on it. The wife wanted something new, so I ordered a SpeedQueen AWN542. SpeedQueen makes commercial washers/dryers. I paid more for this thing, but the stainless tub and smooth/quiet operation makes it worth it. I don't particularly like the main companies that are offered at typical appliance stores. They come out with way too many models/designs that don't offer any new innovation...they just fail repeatedly at working out problems.
http://www.us-appliance.com/awn542....4_a_7cawn542&gclid=CN_6lvHMnrwCFVFk7AodEi8AIA
You can believe what you'd like, but you are incorrect in that belief. It's not like the front loaders are some new fangled technology that just appeared on the market.....front loaders have been used in Europe for decades and is a quite proven technology.
If your Duet set is like ours, a Whirlpool Duet with Steam set, turn down the spin speed. Doing that solved the knotted up clothing issue for the most part, at least on the normal cycle. Also reduced the wrinkling in the clothes completely. Damned fine machines. Much better than the Frigidare ones we had before.
We bought a new old fashioned top loader with agitator a few months back. - Mainly on cost as it was far cheaper than any of the HE washers. That said, the new old style top loads with agitator are also borderline HE. They do use less water than they used to as well... So there's that.
After reading all the reviews of various top load and front load HE washers, we decided to go old school one more time and figured in another ten years they'll have the HE washers performing even better and at a better value.
At the end of the day though, I just need something that gets clothes clean...I don't need LCD screens, or a million push buttons for cycles I'm never going to use and at least this one is far easier for me to fix myself.
And you made the right decision.
Every person here that's happy with their "front loader" will have an opposite opinion as soon as one breaks.
Good luck troubleshooting those....
I will stick to the old technology not just for another 10 years.....more like 20-30 years.
Outside of companies pushing more worthless crap to get you to "upgrade" I really don't see much improvement in this department in the coming future.
BUT one of the biggest reason for my opinion is the fact that I troubleshoot and fix my appliances.
Good luck stacking a top loader and dryer in your master bedroom closet while using less water, less electricity and have cleaner clothes.
Good luck servicing the bottom unit (when time comes)...time to take down the top unit first.......get it out of the way.....before you even start looking at the bottom unit.
I do NOT want no freakin appliances in my bedroom and I laid off HGTV many moons ago so no, I don't care for "master suite" either.
I have no problem going to the basement to do clothes once a week. And if the shit starts leaking all over the place, no problem...there is nothing to damage in that area. And I won't have to people just to move things before they even start troubleshooting.
Heck I can do all the troubleshooting myself.
Good luck to you, it's just a matter of time....
And the VRT is the nuts. If the machine ever gets off balance, you hear it stop itself, shift the load around, and then pick up speed again. Works great!