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It looks like it's time to get a new washing machine. Are the front load washers really worth the extra money?

They're in style now but for me a front loader reminds me of being broke and dragging a pile of clothes to the laundromat. However, if they really clean that much better or have a lower cost of ownership in the long run, I'll get over it.

Thanks!

My Whirlpool is almost 2 years old and hasn't given me one minute of trouble. You do have to remember to leave the door open so it can dry out and you do have to run a cleaning tablet through it once a month, but so far I'm happy with it.

To be honest though, if someone still made a purely mechanical washer with no electronics, that's what I would've gone with. Sadly, no one makes a washer or dryer you can actually work on any more.

Until you get used to how the new front loaders work, you will find yourself wondering why it does the stuff it does. Once you get used to it, you just hit the start button and then ignore it.

We've had ours for almost 5 years (Kenmore Elite brand) and love them. They use quite a bit less water and seem to be gentler on clothes.

Pawpaw, you can still work on the washers and dryers. But in a lot of cases, the issue is "replace the circuit board". ;)

Pawpaw wrote:.. You do have to remember to leave the door open so it can dry out and you do have to run a cleaning tablet through it once a month, but so far I'm happy with it.

A big +1 on make certain you leave the door open. This style will start to smell musty/moldy if you do not let them dry out.

We never bother with the cleaning tablet. No problems in the last 4 years.

The ultra-high speed spin cycle really makes a difference in how dry they come out, which means the drier does not work as hard and dry cycle times or shorter.

My wife is quite pleased and would not want to go back to the old upright style. As for me, if my wife is happy, then I am happy.

What's this "cleaning tablet" y'all are talking about?

We got a FL a couple years ago after our TL broke down, and wanted (and NEEDED) to do that because we are 100% dependent on stored rainwater here. The front loader's been great, and we do leave the door open to dry, but the gasket looks pretty awful anyway (and despite running only rainwater through it!).

TomsTXCHL wrote:What's this "cleaning tablet" y'all are talking about?

We got a FL a couple years ago after our TL broke down, and wanted (and NEEDED) to do that because we are 100% dependent on stored rainwater here. The front loader's been great, and we do leave the door open to dry, but the gasket looks pretty awful anyway (and despite running only rainwater through it!).

affresh® Washer cleaner

My washer even has a setting marked, "CLEAN WASHER with affresh".

We are on our second set. 15 years using the front loaders. I designed the plumbing/elect/vent to stack them when I built the house. Takes up less space. Uses less water. We're happy with them.

Here is the best explanation I have heard. Look at a top load like a blender, how well does the top get mixed with the bottom? Same thing in a top load, how well does the clothes on top get mixed and cleaned with stuff on bottom? A front loader on the other hand, everything gets mixed and cleaned evenly. Whether or not it's true, it sounded legit to me, lol.

We are looking this weekend ourselves, currently looking at an LG or Samsung front loader with steam at lowes. They have an extra 10% off on the sales prices and these are in the $6-650 range.

Pawpaw wrote:To be honest though, if someone still made a purely mechanical washer with no electronics, that's what I would've gone with. Sadly, no one makes a washer or dryer you can actually work on any more.

https://www.lehmans.com/p-2398-lehmans- ... x?show=all" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for this information. I honestly had no idea!

gringo pistolero wrote:

Pawpaw wrote:To be honest though, if someone still made a purely mechanical washer with no electronics, that's what I would've gone with. Sadly, no one makes a washer or dryer you can actually work on any more.

https://www.lehmans.com/p-2398-lehmans- ... x?show=all" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That's a little too basic, even for me.

Grannie had one like this:
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=N-sCRAmAwOc[/youtube]

None of these new fangled things are quite as good.

Pawpaw wrote:

TomsTXCHL wrote:What's this "cleaning tablet" y'all are talking about?

We got a FL a couple years ago after our TL broke down, and wanted (and NEEDED) to do that because we are 100% dependent on stored rainwater here. The front loader's been great, and we do leave the door open to dry, but the gasket looks pretty awful anyway (and despite running only rainwater through it!).

affresh® Washer cleaner

My washer even has a setting marked, "CLEAN WASHER with affresh".

Wow we've had a FL for several years and I had no idea these things existed. Thanks for the tip!!

I have the Kenmore Elite series washer/dryer as well, and I do not regret it - great products.

After eight trouble free years, last March my washer started throwing an error code during the spin cycle. I did some online research and found that people were saying the relays would crack the solder joints on the CPU board and cause problems. I opened up my washer, pulled the CPU module, took it to work where I have all the equipment to do board work and under a microscope I found cracks in the solder joints on the through hole relays. I removed the old solder from all the relays and re-soldered them in, put the module back in the washer and haven't had any problems since. A new CPU module is about $400, so if it didn't work I would still have only replaced the module.

I'd buy again - one hiccup in eight years seems like a good track record to me.