Washing machines

[Queen of Poop]

I've often wondered about the front loades; now I know. More often than not I forget something and run downstairs to toss into the washer something that I had missed in the hamper. Can't do that w/a front loader, right?

My front loader door locks, so when you find that one sock you dropped on the way to the washer, you're out of luck, that door won't open until the wash cycle is done!

[smokey the elder]

I bought an LG front loader a couple years ago. Advantages: less wear and tear on clothes; uses HE so less volume detergent; uses less water; spins the clothes drier.

BIG disadvantage: 200-250% longer wash time than the top loader.

[Asiel]

My front loader door locks, so when you find that one sock you dropped on the way to the washer, you're out of luck, that door won't open until the wash cycle is done!

My front loader locks also but all I have to do is press the on/off button to stop it and the door will open so I can toss in anything that I've forgotten.

I find I'm using at least half less soap than I did with the top loader too, Washing time depends on what cycle I put it on, for heavily soiled it goes on the longest. I don't even use that cycle for the dog laundry as I throw everything in mostly to refresh the beds after a week of use. The clothes does come out much drier so it cuts the cost on the dryer also.

I think when it comes to washer ans dryers everyone has their own preference but I never thought of looking at the Consumer's Report on line, thanks for the idea.

[krazyaboutkatz]

In my condo complex we have laundry rooms so I don't own a washer or dryer. We have the Maytag commercial grade and 4 of them are the front loader washing machines and 2 are the top loader washing machines. I prefer that front loaders because it takes forever for the top loaders to fill up with water and they also seem to take longer to wash.

The front loaders do lock so if I forget to put in something, I have to wait until the next laundry day. They get a lot of use and yes they have broken before because I've had to call the company that we're leasing them from. They do send some one out asap so they're fixed quickly. I love the dryers and they dry my clothes very well.

[Pembroke_Corgi]

Since I know nothing about the relative merits of different kinds of washers, I thought I'd offer a different perspective- saving money! Have you considered buying used?

Sometimes you can find used appliance stores that sell quality items for less, with warranties. We bought our washer from such a place (the store has sadly since closed) for $100, plus a year's parts and labor. Or, you can go to places like goodwill and look. I found our dryer from a goodwill-like place (a local nonprofit thrift chain) for $35, and it works really well.

If you are trying to be "green" buying used is nearly almost always better for the environment (it is recycling, after all) because the creation and destruction of goods is the most polluting part of the process- even cars, that burn gasoline! If you are trying to save energy costs, even if you don't have a new washer you can use cold water settings and change the wash size.

If you want to buy new and don't want to spend a ton (I have no idea why washer and dryers are so expensive!) I would recommend a Sears Outlet if you have one nearby. When we bought our house we had to buy a new fridge and stove. We bought a new energy star fridge and ceramic flat-top stove (with 5 burners- one is a warmer) in the colors we needed for $900 for both with tax. The fridge has a tiny scratch on one side (it's next to a wall so you can't even see it) and the stove supposedly has a scratch (I never saw it, and you can't see the sides anyway so it doesn't matter) so we saved hundreds of dollars. Plus, since they were new they came with all the warranties, etc. I'd highly recommend visiting one if you have a store nearby!