Clothers Washer - Opinions Wanted

[Sweety_tweety]

I think I am going to have to buy a new clothes washer. The reviews on Best Buy, Amazon, etc. are very conflicting on washers. I know everyone will have their own opinion. I just hate to spend a chunk of change and not be happy with the washer. I only want to spend $500 – 700.

I am leaning toward a top load washer—mainly because there seems to be common complaint that the front load machine tend to smell like mildew after a while even if they follow directions. I am usually the first person to smell mildew. Do the top load High Efficiency machines tend to smell of mildew or just the front load machines?

Agitator or No Agitator? Some people feel the washers without an agitator do not clean as well with one. I have also heard agitator is hard on clothes.

High Efficiency? I am all about being green, but I understand some machines can limit the amount of water you can use and there is no override—this would be a problem. I have a King Size comforter that the water must fill the tub to capacity. Anyone here wash a King Size comforter in a washer that does not fill to capacity?

Any advice and opinions are appreciated.

NEW QUESTIONS: OK--after a little more research--I am leaning toward a no agitator machine. I understand the washer weighs the clothes to determine the water level. I have a King size comforter which is light and fluffy. If the machine fills according to weight, how does it know to fill it to enough to cover something light and fluffy??? I asked both salesmen and they did not have an answer. They just recommended a 4.7 tub as opposed to a 3.6 tub. Sounds good, but it still does not mean it will cover my King size comforter.

 

[kellia]

I have a Fridgidaire front loader that is about 8 years old. Never had any problems with it and I put our King size comforter in it and big down comforters, too. I also cloth diapered twins for a couple years using it! It was a lot cheaper than the other front loaders at the time. My only complaint is that the knobs aren't on the front so we could put a counter top on it.

I've never noticed mildew and my nose is overly sensitive. Front loaders are great because they don't eat socks!!

My Fridgidaire dryer, however, has had to be fixed a couple times already. Luckily my dh can fix everything or it would have been replaced!

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

I would steer clear of the front loaders! Everyone I know that has one has complained about the smell and mildew problem--no matter what brand they get. We have had our top loader for like 8 years and I love it--have never had a problem with it. It's a Kenmore and it has the agitator. The only thing about the agitator that annoys me is that it is rough on the straps of my bras and camisoles, so I now put those in a special bag when I wash them.

 

[ceecee]

I have an LG front loader and love how it performs. HOWEVER, it does smell and I have to leave the door open all of the time. If your washer is in an area where that doesn't matter it should be okay, otherwise I would get a top loader. I did like the fact that I could soak things in my old top loader by stopping a cycle and adding bleach, this one I can't do that with.

 

[bpesch]

I have a Whirlpool HE washer and hate it. It's less than 2 years old and has had all kinds of problems. The issue with the water level is one for me also. I wish I had realized it before I bought a HE washer. When this one dies, which I expect will happen sooner rather than later, I'm going back to the old fashioned type of washer where I can control the water level myself.

 

[debrapagliasotti]

We have a front load washing machine that I have never had any issues of mold with. I follow the very specific maintenance directions that came with the washing machine and follow them to a "T".

Even though our machine is low water usage, it still does a great job washing clothes, towels, comforters.

 

[KelleyGirl]

I had an LG front loader and hated it. Yes, it always smelled. We used the HE detergent, the right amount, and cleaned the machine once a month with HE front loader cleanser (basically, bleach). The washer finally died and I was overjoyed to buy a new one.

Went with a Kenmore top loader, HE, no agitator. It does have varying water options, and I do find I mark the load "heavy" to get extra water if I want a better clean. I also find that some dirt does not come out if the clothing is positioned oddly in the drum, say with an inside out pant leg and pants in the middle of the drum. Overall cleaning is fine, but if I have a stain I know about, I try to put that item on the outside of the drum, stain facing the wall.

Generally, I'm very pleased with this model. Clothes are clean and it doesn't smell! Its also faster than the LG model I had and was much less expensive!

 

[Jeninindy]

We have a samsung front loader that we got before thanksgiving. Washes clothes great, washes my king size comforter wonderfully. We follow the instructions on making sure it's dry and haven't had any problems with odors.

Got the washer/dryer set for $899 total during the black friday sales. Prices are higher now, but haven't looked to see if anyone else has them cheaper. http://www.lowes.com/pd_348157-149-WF350ANP_4294857975_4294937087_?productId=3439312&Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_Front%2BLoad%2BWashers_4294857975_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=

 

[3boymthr]

I think it really just depends upon the machine and not TL versus FL. Look at the brands. That's what I did when I was looking. GE in particular got really bad reviews. And as is typical of all technology progress has been made; the FL of today are much better than the FL of before.

I bought a Samsung FL only a few weeks but so far I love it. I can definitely see where there could be issues with FL not cleaning well enough because of not enough water however; mine has settings that I specify the type of fabric, whether it's bedding or not (it washes the clothes for twice as long and steams them also). It also has Vibration reduction and when it's running I can hardly hear it. I can definitely see it getting the smell problem, as mine smelled when I got it, though I just ran bleach thru mine and cleaned out the filters and it eliminated the odor. I can get a ton of clothes in there - including my King size quilt and have room to spare. I do buy the HE detergent and pretreat my clothes but I pretreated anyway before the HE machine so that's no big deal for me.

My mother has one of the HE Top Load Machines - a whirlpool or a Maytag, I can't remember which. She HATES it. It vibrates like crazy and makes all kinds of noise, you can hear it all the way across the house. She had to put it in a tray and block it in as much as she could so would move across the floor less that it did. It has reached the extent of the hoses it moves so much - She moves it back in place an average of a foot after each use. It also doesn't clean the clothes as well as my machine. She also has to put smaller loads in it than the old style of washer with the same size drum - there is a mark halfway up the drum which is the maximum fill level for clothes - so she has to do more wash loads. Luckily for her it's just her and my dad so she doesn't have that much wash anyway.

For the PP looking to go back to the old fashioned kind of machine, I found when I was shopping that 90% of the new machines are HE and in another couple of years, because of new Federal Regulations there won't be any of old fashioned style of TL available. Those that were available when I went looking had very very few load options and had very small capacity compared to the FL machines or new HE TL machines.

 

[noahdove]

I don't have one, but, where I do Hospice volunteer work, they do and all I can say, is, I would never buy one..they are way tooooooooo noisy and yes, they do smell if the load is on the heavy side. We don't need any smell in the laundry we use and sometimes it takes way longer than the time we set the washer and dryer too. We must leave the door open on both so that mold doesn't grow on the rubber of the machines. After those experiences, I will never buy a front load, just my 2 cents..

 

[Sweety_tweety]

Thanks to everyone for their input. If nothing else, Front Loader is definitely out for me now. Enough people posted leaving the door open--my washer and dryer are off the kitchen in a small laundry room off the garage. It would drive me nuts to constantly bump into the open washer door. Thanks for all the info!

 

[Eeyore98]

I have a GE top load, with an agitator, and it gives you a choice between automatic water levels or setting the water level yourself. I've only had it about 9 months so far but it does a good job.

When we were shopping for it last summer, I was determined to stay away from front-loaders after all the stories I've heard from friends and relatives. And especially after the salesman's response to that was, "Well, many of the newer ones have fans in the back of them now that run while the machine is empty, to prevent mildew." Umm...okay... but how energy-efficient is that? You save water and then turn around and use more electricity? No, thanks.

 

[MeggerasMa]

I bought an LG top load HE washer about 1 1/2 months ago and love, love, love it! IMO if you read the book and follow the manual on how to use the new HE machines, they can perform very well. My clothes have never been cleaner and less wrinkled than with this new machine. You do load the washer a different way and it is important to run it through it's self cleaning cycle monthly the way the manufacturer explains. My momma taught me to always leave the washer top open when it wasn't being used, so that is nothing different for me. I've had 4 washers in my adult life (yeah, I had a family that makes lots of wash) - SpeedQueen (loved), GE, Maytag (which I hated and gave away) and now my favorite - this LG. I also love watching how it works. DH makes fun of my fascination with a machine.

 

[North of Mouse]

I have had a FL for almost 12 years - on second one now - it's a Samsung VRT FL and we love it. It takes less water than TL and spins so dry, takes less drying time. It tumbles, so your wash gets very clean and is easier on clothes. Have had no smells of mildew or anything. I always leave my door ajar to let it dry out, so maybe that is why people have odor problems. I wouldn't want mine to stay wet inside anyway. We did lots of research, asked questions from all appliance departments and without fail, they all recommended Samsung FL and we are very happy with our choice - takes huge loads and is super quiet. The secret is to make sure it's level - our delivery people from Lowes made sure it was very level before they left. Good luck I have never had to run any kind of cleaner through it - it actually even smells good inside it!

 

[dyna]

DO NOT I repeat DO NOT buy a maytag top loader. Bought mine last August within the 1st month the start botton had fell thru the top panel. Called to have it repaired. Month later same thing had repair man out again. So far that has been repaired monthly.

Feb 2nd washer started making a noise that sounded like a jackhammer an DH was smelling smoke. Shut the washer off unplugged it called to get a repair man out again. Burned up motor repairman said an ordered a new motor but it was on back order 2week wait, also ordered a new back panel as Maytag had redesigned the push botton. New motor did not fix my washer lady repair person this time she ordered another new motor an a control board. Spent 3 hours working on my washer an it still did nothing. Had to wait another 10 days to get washer fixed 3rd repair man visit in less than a month. 3rd motor did not work but the control panel did.

To date Maytag has spent almost 900.00 repairing a machine that I paid 500.00 for.

Yes I know Maytag is now made by Whirlpool which is a whole other nightmare.

 

[Eeyore98]

DO NOT I repeat DO NOT buy a maytag top loader. Bought mine last August within the 1st month the start botton had fell thru the top panel.

I can second this! We actually bought a Maytag top loader last summer before ending up with our GE - from the very start, some loads would randomly not spin out, or not rinse, leaving the clothes covered in soap....this despite following the user manual to a T. Rather than try to get a *brand new* washer repaired, we returned it to Best Buy before our 30-day return window was up, and got the GE instead.

 

[travisx4]

We bought a Maytag front loader over 5 years ago and love it. We have not had one problem and there is no mold smell and we have not maintained it at all. We do use the HE detergent. I love how little water it uses and that the clothes are almost dry when they come out of the washer, this saves a lot on dryer costs also.

 

[summermac]

I've had my Kenmore top loader since 2001 and not a single problem with it. Since that time I've replaced a Fridgaire refrigerator, a Frigidaire dishwasher AND a heating element on a Frigidaire oven. So yeah....I vote Kenmore.

 

[mommyrosa2]

I bought an LG top load HE washer about 1 1/2 months ago and love, love, love it! IMO if you read the book and follow the manual on how to use the new HE machines, they can perform very well. My clothes have never been cleaner and less wrinkled than with this new machine. You do load the washer a different way and it is important to run it through it's self cleaning cycle monthly the way the manufacturer explains. My momma taught me to always leave the washer top open when it wasn't being used, so that is nothing different for me. I've had 4 washers in my adult life (yeah, I had a family that makes lots of wash) - SpeedQueen (loved), GE, Maytag (which I hated and gave away) and now my favorite - this LG. I also love watching how it works. DH makes fun of my fascination with a machine.

We too purchased an LG top load HE washer and matching dryer back in the Fall and I absolutely LOVE these machines. My washer holds so much more clothes than my old machine ever did (29 towels in one load and that includes beach towels) and the clothes come out completely clean...my laundry time has literally been cut in half because I don't have to do as many loads. I also have to agree that I'm still fascinated on how this machine works! We purchased ours at Best Buy and chose these machines after reading so many consumer reviews. Many of my family members and friends have front loaders and not one has anything nice to say about them (the smell is the largest complaint amongst them all) so I knew I definitely did not want a front loader.

 

[Sweety_tweety]

NEW QUESTIONS: OK--after a little more research--I am leaning toward a no agitator machine. I understand the washer weighs the clothes to determine the water level. I have a King size comforter which is light and fluffy. If the machine fills according to weight, how does it know to fill it to enough to cover something light and fluffy??? I asked both salesmen and they did not have an answer. They just recommended a 4.7 tub as opposed to a 3.6 tub. Sounds good, but it still does not mean it will cover my King size comforter.

I added the above to my initial post. I assume it uses an average weight, but certainly a load of jeans will weigh more than a King size comforter. Maybe I am missing something.