My washer of 10 years just died. Front Load HE Washer Owners Please tell me....

[3boymthr]

the good the bad and the ugly. And what do I need to do to make the most of one?

I loved my old machine. DH did a couple of minor repairs based on the FAQ and the next step was going to cost $200+ (with DH doing the work and no guarantees it would solve the problem). I just couldn't see sinking that much money into a machine that old, especially when I went online to Lowe's they had a machine for as little as $299 (not on sale). I looked at Craigslist and all machines available were at least $300 (and there were only 3). So we went washer shopping today - figuring they'd have some good buys with it being the holiday weekend. At Best Buy they had a Samsung VRT on clearance for $425 (marked down from $1189). I'm not wild about the idea of front load washer's but at that price - it seemed like a better buy than all the top loaders I saw today. It was the last one so I bought it. Soooo...back to my original question...

 

[North of Mouse]

I have the FL Samsung (after much research) and love, love it! Bought it at Lowes during BF week. Was way marked down, has steam wash (?) and a night wash/dry cycle that may come in handy, but really love the huge capacity that can take comforters and such very easily. Had a Kenmore FL before this one and loved it too, was just smaller and older technology. Good luck on your search (Have a Samsung refrigerator - bought earlier from Lowes and love it too). The main reason I like the FL, it uses way less water, easier on clothes, less detergent, quieter, and spins so dry it takes less energy/time to dry my clothes.

 

[Sadie22]

Be sure to read the owner's manual and follow instructions. Make sure the washer is level. Use the HE detergent in the recommended amount which will be much less than you expect. Wipe the door seal after use. Leave the door open after use so the drum can dry. Those who use too much detergent and don't let the drum dry tend to have odor and buildup problems. We have a Kenmore. About once a week my husband opens a little panel on the front of the machine and drains a little hose into a container. We love our machine.

 

[5stljayhawks]

Got a maytag neptune - 2003 - works well, very happy . no issues, except for slight mildew issue on door seal, which is a common problem I have heard.

recommnend. If you can get one of the raised platform, that may be nice, Extra space for underneath.

 

[North of Mouse]

Never have had a mildew or odor problem, but do always crack the door to let it dry out - leave it that way all the time I'm not using it. The delivery guys leveled ours just perfect and it hardly vibrates at all.

 

[kermit116]

I have the Samsung VRT front load washer & dryer and love both of them. We had a Whirlpool front load in our previous house and had a lot of trouble with them betting moldy, but I haven't had the same trouble with the Samsung.

Front load washer do require more care, but they save a lot of water, which can save you money on your water bill (or, if you have a well, can save you from using up so much well water).

I leave the washer door open when not using it and take out the soap holder to let it dry when I'm not using it. Haven't had any mold problems. I also clean it by either doing a wash just with the oxyclean in the basin, or using Tide HE washer cleaner about once a month.

When we had the Whirlpool front load I swore I'd never have another one because it kept breaking down. It also stunk up our clothes from mold inside the basin that I could just never seem to get rid of.

Now that we have the Samsung front load, it's a totally different experience. I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a front load washer. We got ours on sale, too, and I feel it was a great deal.

 

[mom2val]

.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

We have the Samsung VRT-got it a few years ago at the Sears Outlet and I love love love it.
It does not vibrate, it cut my water bill in half. Clothes spin so dry that my dryer time has been reduced. I now can dry clothes in 25 -30 minutes. And that includes jeans! And I am still using my old dryer. Since my dryer time has been reduced, the amount of gas the dryer uses has been reduced as well.

I lift the rubber seal very gently and wipe the underside of the rubber seal every now and then it with a clorox wipe making sure to wipe all around the rubber seal. About 3 - 4 times a year I use the Tide HE washer cleaner in my machine.

the good the bad and the ugly. And what do I need to do to make the most of one?

I loved my old machine. DH did a couple of minor repairs based on the FAQ and the next step was going to cost $200+ (with DH doing the work and no guarantees it would solve the problem). I just couldn't see sinking that much money into a machine that old, especially when I went online to Lowe's they had a machine for as little as $299 (not on sale). I looked at Craigslist and all machines available were at least $300 (and there were only 3). So we went washer shopping today - figuring they'd have some good buys with it being the holiday weekend. At Best Buy they had a Samsung VRT on clearance for $425 (marked down from $1189). I'm not wild about the idea of front load washer's but at that price - it seemed like a better buy than all the top loaders I saw today. It was the last one so I bought it. Soooo...back to my original question...

 

[ceecee]

I have the LG front loader and it performs well and I love it. I hate the smell however, I wipe it dry and leave the door open always and it still smells. I used the Tide thing and it was an over-powering smell so I've never used it again. Honestly, I would not buy another front loader. My laundry room is on the way out to our garage and I hate having to leave the washer door open.

 

[TallyTutter]

Friends of ours have a Maytag front loader, either their house is haunted or the machine is possessed.

In the past month, the washer has turned itself on & flooded the house TWICE. They leave the door open to prevent molding and their DD has come home to water pouring out of the machine. It was not a busted hose!

The advice they were given was to make sure you unplug it. Sure enough, the one time they don't, it over flowed again, this time so bad it was pouring out the back door!! Shouldn't there be a safety of some sort that doesn't allow water to enter the drum with the door open on a front loader?

The crazy thing is, they are thinking about buying another front loader!!!

 

[mjkacmom]

The good - I've had my front loader for 7 years, and LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I can get 3 loads into 1. The bad - if you don't have the matching front loader dryer, you can't dry it at once.

 

[pooh4evr]

We recently replaced a whirpool front loader with a kenmore top loader HE and I LOVE it!! It is much quieter than the front loader, doesnt shake the house!, no mold or mildew smells (5 months) and has great capacity I like it alot more than the front loader...

 

[nichanda]

I have a GE front load, and love it. No problems at all.

 

[sam_gordon]

Friends of ours have a Maytag front loader, either their house is haunted or the machine is possessed.

In the past month, the washer has turned itself on & flooded the house TWICE. They leave the door open to prevent molding and their DD has come home to water pouring out of the machine. It was not a busted hose!

The advice they were given was to make sure you unplug it. Sure enough, the one time they don't, it over flowed again, this time so bad it was pouring out the back door!! Shouldn't there be a safety of some sort that doesn't allow water to enter the drum with the door open on a front loader?

The crazy thing is, they are thinking about buying another front loader!!!

I don't think the fact they got a FL has anything to do with the flooding problem. That's sort of like saying you're not going to buy another 4 door car because the brakes failed on another one.

We have a Maytag FL W/D we got a couple years ago. Here are my thoughts...

Pro
Larger tub size, what used to take us 7-10 loads of laundry we get done in about 4-5
Uses less water
50 minute wash/50 minute (or better) dry. Old dryer used to take 90 minutes+

Con
Our clothes get wrapped up in each other in the washer so invariably something falls to the floor (or into a basket) when transferring clothes

Other
We haven't had a problem with smells/mold but we leave the washer door cracked open when not in use. We also use Afresh tablets (1x month)

 

[Anne34]

I have the LG front loader and it performs well and I love it. I hate the smell however, I wipe it dry and leave the door open always and it still smells. I used the Tide thing and it was an over-powering smell so I've never used it again. Honestly, I would not buy another front loader. My laundry room is on the way out to our garage and I hate having to leave the washer door open.

We had a LG front loader with the same problems. Always left the door open & cleaned it often. Still smelled. The tide washer stuff works for a while, but does stink!! My laundry was in the basement so I didn't go down there that day.

When we moved I got the Maytag HE top loaders. Like the performance, but it does tangle the clothes a bit more with no agitator. I like not having the mildew though!

 

[Goofycampers]

I have a kenmore front loader and performance wise I really like it. It is so quiet I will check to make sure it is actually working! I especially like having the extra spin which is amazingly effective. I can dry the clothes much faster because so much of the water is spun out. However as some others have mentioned we have had that smell from time to time. I will run a quick cycle with bleach and that seems to take care of it.

 

[North of Mouse]

kermit116, what is all the extra care that you have to give your FL. We have the Samsung VRT with night wash/dry feature and love it. NO care at all. It's my second FL and have never had odors, mildew, vibration (those that have it must not have it leveled correctly) it's super quiet , has never twisted clothes, spins them so dry, dryer time has been cut drastically. Love, love it, no cons about it whatsoever. The only thing I do (and have always done even with the top loader I had years ago) is prop the door open a crack with a folded washcloth so it can dry out between washes. Have NEVER used a cleaner or wiped it out. My friend got an LG and said she has odor problems because for some reason water stands in certain areas that she can't get to - service was no help for her. I did lots of research and asked lots of questions from different stores and sales people before buying. All of them gave the same advice, no matter what they sold - Samsung

 

[fairestoneofall]

mine is an older model and i hate it. i would love to sell it and get a top-loader. and i have no plans to buy a front-loader again. ever.

i have to leave the door open if i'm not using it. if i fill it anywhere near the capacity it's supposed to have, things do not get clean. i also miss being able to add extra water and soak.

 

[moonpie85]

We have an LG Front Load set. It looks cool and sounds cool and makes laundry more fun but honestly it was a waste of money. It works no better than the old school style (in fact sometimes I wonder if it cleans good enough.) The biggest problem we have had is the smell. Water gets trapped in the seal of the washer (common front load complaint) and it's been a constant nasty battle since day one. I have to wipe down the unit after every load, use a special cleaner, and keep the door open to the unit which isn't safe with a toddler. Yes, you have to use special detergent but I have found you use so little of it that it probably evens out price wise if not better. Five years ago it was tough to find at some stores but now it's everywhere.

Our next unit will be old school top load and a thousand bucks cheaper.

EDIT: I read everybody's posts after I posted this and noticed everyone with LG has the smell problem. So avoid LG!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

We bought a new whirlpool duet front loader from Lowes 2 months ago to replace an older model one we had.

2 months later and the rubber ring has slightly torn. We are having the repair guy come on thurs. since it is still under warranty.

I am still on the fence about this washer. It does have a much large tub capacity than the older model one we had. That one bit the dust when some socks got jammed deep inside the ring too. Tore the whole drum up. My dh called whirpool about it and they said it was not worth fixing etc.

We shall see about this one. Interesting as the part box they shipped us says sears.