Front Loading Washing Machine Advice

[punkin]

Well my machine died yesterday. It was a Maytag Neptune front loader and I had to have the motherboeard replaced already. I am not going to fix it again. However, I realy liked the way it washed clothes (it was just unreliable). So now I'm looking for a replacement. I looked at consumer reports, but am now looking for peoples' own experience (CR recomended the Neptune at the time I bought it )

So
1) Does anyone own a REASONABLY PRICED front loading washer with which they are very pleased?
2) Where is the best (read cheapest) place to buy one?

 

[serenitynow]

I have a Whirlpool DUET front load and I LOVE it! Had it for almost 2 years now with no problems (knock on wood

We wash our carpeted car floor mats, down comforters and many formerly "dry clean" items in it. It only uses 1/3 as much water and detergent as our old traditional model and I think it gets the clothes much cleaner!

As for price, we price shopped hard and bought ours from Best Buy.

Good luck!

 

[poober25]

Don't buy an ASKO. I wanted one for years and finally talked my husband into buying one! After a little yes than a yr. the motor went out, it was still under warranty then, but it took over a month to get a repair person and then another month for the part!! I love the way it washes my clothes, and hte amount of water it saves, but now, it is messed up again. This is after 4 yrs., so not under warranty now, and can't get it fixed for less than the cost of buying a new American model.

So, I guess I'm looking for suggestions, too.

 

[Disneynutbsv]

we have the kenmore elite, we've had it for about 2 years, I love it!

 

[goodcook5]

will wash something like 25 towels. I researched it heavily with consumer reports. It heats the water for a sanitary cycle. Dryer dries in the same time as a wash load since the washer spins them to just barely damp. Look on ebay for sears regional outlets for up to half off. Mine had a minor scratch on the side and of course when in the laundry room no one can see it next to the dryer. It is reliable and has changed my weekends from laundry make up to let's go out and do something. good luck

 

[lsayd]

Another vote for whirlpool duet. I've had mine 2 or 3 years - do tons of laundry, including blankets, rugs, etc. in it and have had no trouble.

 

[maggiew]

We have a whirlpool duet too. With 6 people in the house (1 teenage girl and one preteen girl ) we have A LOT of laundry. We throw in huge loads of towels or jeans and it washes great! We do one or two loads per day.

I like the fact that it uses so much less water.

We have had it for 2 years and it has worked well so far for us.

Maggie

 

[punkin]

Thanks so much. I will look into the duet and kenmore. I like the idea of the sears outlet, but my search on ebay did not come up with anything.

CR recomends LG, which I never heard of. My DH says they make cellular phones. They have a fairly inexpensive model at Home Depot (app. $700) but I don't want to get stuck with a lemon again.

Does it make much of a difference which model number you get or is the manufacturer more important?

I don't do huge loads generally, but need and very good gentle cycle, if that makes a difference.

 

[SueM in MN]

CR recomends LG, which I never heard of. My DH says they make cellular phones. They have a fairly inexpensive model at Home Depot (app. $700) but I don't want to get stuck with a lemon again.

Does it make much of a difference which model number you get or is the manufacturer more important?

I don't do huge loads generally, but need and very good gentle cycle, if that makes a difference.

I just wanted to say that LG makes almost anything electronic. I think we only had the phones in the US until recently.
We have an LG microwave/fan/light combination. We have had it for a year and it's fine. One thing we liked about the LG products is that they seem to be well designed and energy efficient.

I don't know much about washers and dryers (we may be looking soon), but I do know from looking at things in the past that the model number is sometimes quite important - sometimes CR will have a particular model by a manufacturer as a Best Buy and another one as a lemon.
So, the manufacturer and the model are both important.

 

[mdbehr]

I just got the LG washer and dryer last week and so far I LOVE it!! I did a lot of reasearch before buying and from what I read LG has been selling in Europe for years and make very reliable products.

 

[cajunmommy]

Make & model no. are also important when trying to compare privately labelled brands.

For instance, they'll all carry Whirpools (or a Whirpool that's branded as Kenmore), but the model made for Home Depot may be slightly different than the model made for Lowe's. That just makes comparing apples to apples a little bit tougher on your part.

 

[VWLMember]

We have had the Kenmore/Sears version of the Whirpool Duet washer and drier for about a year and a half. they work excellent and use far less water which is a good thing if you have a septic system like we do.

 

[DJT]

We bought a new LG front load washer and dryer this summer. We really like them. Drying time is cut way back from what I was used to with my old Maytag set. Bought ours from H.H. Gregg. I also did a lot of research before we bought the LG and decided LG was best for us.

 

[MELISAZACK]

I have the H4 models too - LOVE them - they are sooo quite. and Yes if you can find a sears scratch and dent you will get them for less than 1/2 the orignal cost at sears...Mine are scratched but not badly and who cares they are in the laundry room not for show...They wash great! I love the sanitary wash and kids wash...and Yes they hold a ton -cut my laundry time in 1/2.

 

[OhMari]

Well my machine died yesterday. It was a Maytag Neptune front loader and I had to have the motherboeard replaced already. I am not going to fix it again. However, I realy liked the way it washed clothes (it was just unreliable). So now I'm looking for a replacement. I looked at consumer reports, but am now looking for peoples' own experience (CR recomended the Neptune at the time I bought it )

So
1) Does anyone own a REASONABLY PRICED front loading washer with which they are very pleased?
2) Where is the best (read cheapest) place to buy one?

How long did you have your Neptune front loader. Did you get that letter outlining how much money you could get back. The longer you owned your machine, the less money you would receive for a new machine. Mine was a 1998, I had to have saved my receipt if I fixed anything with my machine. But I would have only received $100.00. My water pump went out, but luckily it was under 2 years old so I got reimbursed from Maytag for the new pump. They would have paid me up to $100 if I saved all my receipts from the bleach I needed to scrub out the mold that formed on the sealer. What a joke.

I think I am going with the new front end loader Kenmore. At least you can get service from Sears.

 

[LIFERBABE]

WOW!! This is right on time!

I also have a Maytag Neptune Front Loader that is currently on a load to load basis. It was a great washer, but it only lasted 8 years! It is making this awful sound during the spin cycle like a jet engine about to take off. I just hope it doesnt take off with my clothes in it!! LOL! It's in the garage, so the sound doesnt bother us too much, but it can't be much longer now.

The repairman said it is cheaper to get another one than fix it, so I too am in the market. I was considering another Neptune but Im a little gunshy now, (I think a Washer should last at least 12 years, especially one that costs over $1000).

I definitely want another front loader, as that thing is AWESOME!!
We do have a Sears Outlet in Grapevine Mills, so check your Mills mall. I am going to check ours out this weekend. I will look for the H4.

 

[punkin]

How long did you have your Neptune front loader. Did you get that letter outlining how much money you could get back. The longer you owned your machine, the less money you would receive for a new machine. Mine was a 1998, I had to have saved my receipt if I fixed anything with my machine. But I would have only received $100.00. My water pump went out, but luckily it was under 2 years old so I got reimbursed from Maytag for the new pump. They would have paid me up to $100 if I saved all my receipts from the bleach I needed to scrub out the mold that formed on the sealer. What a joke.

I think I am going with the new front end loader Kenmore. At least you can get service from Sears.

Don't even get me started. I got nothing from them even though I had to swap out the mother board ($500-I should have gotten a new machine then). They said that was not one of the repairs they covered. If my machine had gotten moldy, I could have gotten (I think) $75.

 

[dvcgirl]

Well my machine died yesterday. It was a Maytag Neptune front loader and I had to have the motherboeard replaced already. I am not going to fix it again. However, I realy liked the way it washed clothes (it was just unreliable). So now I'm looking for a replacement. I looked at consumer reports, but am now looking for peoples' own experience (CR recomended the Neptune at the time I bought it )

So
1) Does anyone own a REASONABLY PRICED front loading washer with which they are very pleased?
2) Where is the best (read cheapest) place to buy one?

I have no ideas for another front loader, but I also had the Maytage Neptune, and we had the motherboard replaced once, and then it died. That overpriced piece of junk lasted only 2 years. And the only reason I spent so much on a washer was because CR raved about how well it washed clothes. I now have a middle of the line Whirlpool Gold that washes clothes just as well and is ten times more reliable.

 

[punkin]

And the only reason I spent so much on a washer was because CR raved about how well it washed clothes.

Yes. This was exactly why I bought mine, so I now take the CR recommendations with a very large grain of salt.

 

[ohiominnie]

We have had the Kenmore H3t (I believe, without running down to check) for about two years. LOVE them!! We also have a septic system and, for energy reasons that are confusing and not worth going into here, I can ONLY do laundry on the weekends....so it is nice that it uses far less water and I don't have to dump so much water into the septic tank in that weekend timeframe.

They have been going strong since we got them. They clean just as well if not better than our old "regular" set.