After 15 years it’s about time to pull the plug and bury our washer and dryer. So instead of just running off to Sears this weekend and buying the ones that look the nicest I’d like to learn how to do this intelligently.
Any suggestions on what to buy, where to buy, how to buy, etc. would be greatly appreciated. Along with any information about how your recent purchases in this area have held out.
No comment on dryers, but absolutely look into front loading washers. More money upfront, but they wash clothes better with less water and the spin cycle removes more water which cuts down on drying time.
There’s probably another advantage for people in small flats or the like as things can be stacked on top.
You’ll get good reviews on the front loaders from people with new ones. They clean very well, use little water, and are quiet. My last washer was a kenmore front loader, and cost >$600. It leaked from day 1 and lasted 3 years, before requireing a new control board that cost >$600. That’s about the average life for the 5 or 6 people I know who have tried them (all of whom now have top loaders).
I’ve owned 2 top loaders before that, both of which were >10 years old when I got them. My current washer is a reconditioned top-loader that cost me $250. Somewhat loud and does not spin dry as fast, so drying clothes will take longer. No electronics to fail and cheap to replace.
Well, I’ve owned my Whirlpool Duet front loader washer for 6 years now, and have never had a bit of trouble with it. YMMV, I guess.
We have a Kenmore front loader, which we love. One note: with front loaders, you have GOT to make sure it’s balanced properly, especially if you have a second floor laundry room. If those things get out of balance, it will feel like the house is about to come down around you.
I’ve had fancy-schmancy computer screen equipped - networked washer and dryer set, and I’ve had scratch and dent sears bottom of the line.
I prefer the bottom of the line. Simple…rarely need repair…when they do need repair it is easy and inexpensive, if you are handy you might be able to do it yourself. They are so inexpensive that if the repair is big you just go get another one.
The fancy ones didn’t clean the clothes any better, and the electronics actually slowed down my washing and drying experiences.
I’ve used front loaders and don’t see the appeal.
Good luck.
Not sure if capacity is a feature you’re looking for or not but I love my Whirlpool Cabrio washer. It’s top loading but is still a HE(high efficiency) model like the front loaders. It’s positively huge. Not even a problem for a king size comforter.
I also believe Consumer Reports rates it as #1 for top loaders.
We had a Kenmore front-load washer, (Made by Frigidaire) and we lucked into one of the good ones. IIRC, there’s been a rash of failures in the bearing that supports the rear end of the tub that wasn’t specific to any one specific model. The dryer, however… We gave up after having Sears bring out three replacements. Dryer #4 was at least workable, but noisy. Our washer was starting to show problems after two years.
We replaced them with a pair of LG Tromm machines and couldn’t be happier. We’ve had them for close to three years now.
We’re about to replace ours and we’re going with Fisher & Paykel. High-efficiency, Energy Star rated top-loading washer and top-loading dryer as well. Much easier on my bad knees and hips. The washer has no agitator so like a front-loader it uses less water than a traditional top-loader and the dryer is really techno forward.
And the nice thing is that the machines are about half the price of front-loaders that use no less energy or water per load. We’ll be paying little over $700 for the pair as opposed to $700 for each piece plus another $150 for each pedestal to make each machine a decent height.
We bought a pair of LG Tromm front load washer and dryer. I just love them. Huge capacity - can do in one load what our old top loader took 3 to do. Granted we got the larger capacity Tromm and had a tiny top loader - but it has cut wash time down significantly.
And, my clothes just feel and smell cleaner. We haven’t had a bit of trouble with them in the 1.5yrs we’ve had them.
So far so good with our front-loading washer and dryer (Whirlpool Duet Sport). They use very little detergent, wash very large loads, and seem to be very easy on the clothes.
As mentioned above, the washer spins really really fast, and if it’s not properly leveled, it can be loud. For that matter, if it’s on the second story, it may be loud even if it is level. One solution that works well is a “stall mat”, which is a big heavy-duty rubber mat used in horse stalls to provide a more comfortable surface to stand on. They’re made to endure horses standing on 'em all day, so a washer is nothing compared to that. Buy one (you can probably find 'em on sale for under $40, perhaps as low as $20), cut a piece to fit under the washer, and set it on the mat. Vibration noise should virtually disappear.
I saw “My House Is Worth What?” where these guys had a huge bathroom with an island in the middle made up of a front-loading washer and dryer with countertop on top so you can pull clothes out onto the countertop, fold them and turn around and put them in the dressing area right behind it.
It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.
So, get that. 
Yep… our not-quite 6 years old Kenmore Elite HE3 (same as a Whirlpool Duet) washer has that bearing problem and the repair cost is nearly the amount a new one would cost. The matching dryer is fine, however, so we’ll be shopping for a new washer only. Our laundry room is in the basement so I don’t care if they don’t match. The front loaders just don’t seem to have the life span of the older top loaders but tend to cost more. $1000+ appliances should last longer than 6 years, IMHO.
My HE3 always had that awful mold problem, too, despite leaving the door open and using bleach. We had to use special washer-cleaning stuff to get rid of it.
I’m leaning towards either a Samsung or LG. Sears is having a sale ending today so I might bite the bullet and buy one this afternoon.
If you don’t mind me asking, how much for each piece (especially the washer)? That seems really cheap. Maybe I’ll check into this brand, too.
We have these.
I loveloveLOVE them. Our water bill dropped dramatically after we got them, they use so little water, and the steam setting cleans amazingly well. We’ve also had them for 3 years now, nary a problem.
Lucretia, do you use the steam setting instead of doing a regular water wash? I haven’t considered the steam washers because I really don’t know when/why I’d use that setting.
I’m pretty sure the steam setting involves some water, too. I use it on things that I’d normally wash hot, sheets, underwear, towels, whites, etc. It gets things really clean.
I have the frigidaire affinity w/d. I love them! They are also about half the price of some other front loaders. Mine doesn’t have steam, but it has a sanitizing wash that boosts the heat and lasts about 2 hrs. I use that to wash scrubs. I would recommend that you get the pedestals, so you don’t have to bend over so far. They’re also handy for storing detergent and fabric softener.
We have a front-load washer and dryer.[ul][]Top-loading is difficult for shorter people, and front-loading requires stooping for tall people.[]We like having counter space for folding clothes.[]I was able to reverse the dryer door, but not the washer’s. Since the connections required the dryer on the left and washer on the right, the washer’s door interferes when transfering laundry.[]The washer, with its spritz-n-spin-n-repeat cycling takes longer than a top-loader to run.[]The washer takes very little soap. Use too much and it’s very foamy/sudsy. Too little and clothes don’t get clean.[]We’ve had mildew grow at the base of the rubber gasket on the washer door. Water collects there even with its drain holes. We’ve taken to placing a towel or a shirt there to soak up the excess water and prevent mildew.[/ul]
We have front loading washer and dryer. I look in Consumer reports and then buy one of the recommendations. I look at repair history, and features I want. I love my front loaders, and with the platforms that raises it up taxes and everything each were about $900. Do look at cycle times. Another somewhat more expensive washer had twice the cycle length; I would not want to wait that long for clean clothing. I don’t mention the exact brand because I don’t recall. Also do be aware that front loader washers need to have their door open most of the time they are not in use in order to avoid mildew.
Do not get matching washer and dryer unless they really both rank well.
I get my major appliances from Abt, with the exception of my stove which was from appliance store in New Jersey which did a masterful job getting it to Chicago land.