Which washer should I get?

[2 in August]

Help me think this though smart and wise mommas.

My washer is dying. We've tried all the easy fixes and now the next step is a part that costs more than we can get a new washer for (dh gets a discount through work).

So I have a choice between the top of the line top loader.

Or we can get the base model front loader (which is the newer version of the one we have).

The front loader is energy star rated, the top loader isn't. But the top loader energy guide says that it uses 409 kw/year and should cost $21-$35 a year to run it avg 8 loads a week. I only do about 4 loads a week. The front loader says it uses 247 kw/year so it looks like it would save about half that. It's starting to look like it isn't worth it to get the front loader. I can't find stats for how much water the top loader uses. We have well water and don't live in a drought area, but I still don't want to be wasting water just because it's available.

I just don't know what to do. Dh thinks we should go for the cheapest one and I'm frugal to the core and we live on a very tight budget, so I'm leaning that way too. But I know that the front loaders are supposed to be so much better, so I don't want to disregard it because it's just a little more expensive to begin with.

Help! lol WWYD? Thanks!

[Katheda]

front loaders don't clean as well, in my opinion, than top loaders and they take far too long. I say this as a person with a front loader and 2 puking kids who can't keep up with the laundry even though the washer has ben going non-stop the past 3 days.

[kewb]

I just replaced my top loader with a Whirlpool top loader. As much as I loved the idea of a front loader there were a ouple of cons to me.

1. You can't open the foor mid-cycle and throw in that towel/shirt/sock that you missed. Water all over the floor would not be pretty.
2. We did not have a solid base for the washer to go on. The section of floor where my washer and dryer stand is a raised wood platform and those washers like to dance due to their very strong spin cycle.

Good luck with your decision.

[Katheda]

actually, you can add clothes after the cycle starts and mine don't bounce nearly as much as my top loader did because they don't get off balance. There are a lot of reasons to not get a front loader but those aren't applicable.

[annethcz]

Originally Posted by gool0005

actually, you can add clothes after the cycle starts and mine don't bounce nearly as much as my top loader did because they don't get off balance. There are a lot of reasons to not get a front loader but those aren't applicable.

I've found the same to be true with my front-loader.

I really like my front loader, and it is more frugal in the long run to buy the more energy and resource efficient machine. Also, part of the savings in buying a front -load washer has to do with decreased drying time. A front-load washer extracts MUCH more water than a conventional top-load washer. Since there is no such thing as an energy-star dryer, decreased drying time can save a lot of energy (and money) on drying (assuming you don't line dry all of your laundry).

Another idea for you would be to check the clearance section at appliance and home stores. We got our Bosch front-load washer and dryer for a very good price on clearance at Lowes. There was nothing wrong with them, they were a special order that someone decided they didn't want. If you're not sure if there's a clearance section, ASK. We got a FANTASTIC deal on our set, and I'm really happy with the washer. You may also have an appliance outlet near you, like ApplianceSmart. Buying a machine on clearance or from an outlet might be cheaper than buying full-price retail with an employee discount.

[Katheda]

I actually didn't see any difference in drying times when we switched but I did notice a tremendous difference in wash cycle times (like double to triple the time). That might be because in order to get my clothes actually clean, I have to run a soak cycle for each and every load to get them properly wet before washing and then I have to do an extra rinse cycle to get the HE detergent out. I also has to switch to washing everything in hot water to get clean. I have hard water and I think that has a lot to do with my wash issues.

[cristeen]

We have hard water also, and I haven't had any problem with clothes coming clean. The only time I have trouble with the soap not rinsing out is if I overloaded the washer, and I wash almost everything on cold. A full wash cycle with an extra long spin takes my machine about 65 minutes. Without the extra spin, it's about 50 minutes. But the extra spin takes about 20 minutes off the dry time, so a load is dry in about 30 minutes.

Another thing to consider though is that top loaders with a center post are harder on your clothes than a top loader without or a front loader.

[Katheda]

Originally Posted by cristeen

A full wash cycle with an extra long spin takes my machine about 65 minutes. Without the extra spin, it's about 50 minutes. But the extra spin takes about 20 minutes off the dry time, so a load is dry in about 30 minutes.

mine take either 1 hour 20 minutes for a regular load or over 2 hours for diapers. 40 minute dry time, same as with old machines (wash time on old machine was 45 minutes).

[crunchy_mama]

I have a Maytag Bravas. It is a top loader without the big agitator though. It also holds 4.5 cu ft which is the biggest that they sell around here, easily beating the front loaders as well. The wash times can vary widely on my machine depending on what I pick it can be as much as 99 min with -pre soak to 40 min. A normal cycle with an extra spin is 62. There is an optional extra spin, handwash cycle, time delay and etc. My dryer is the Bravas as well, it's normal dry time is 40 min, which takes care of most everything except the diapers. I have noticed as well that my clothes are considerably less wet than my old washer coming out as the spin cycle is much better. A big reason we went with the top loading was (1) it had a higher capacity and (2) it is hard to find a front loader that will let you do a soak.

[mommaof3boz]

Remember with the longer wash times you can put in WAY more clothes in the HE washers. I'd recommend a Kenmore Oasis. Minimal water use, low electric use, super spun out at the end and they hold 23 bath towels. Largest on the market. And they don't have a center agitator so you can do king comforters.

[Dmitrizmom]

I have a front loading Duet. It replaced a "good" top loader. My top loader NEVER got the diapers clean... the front loader does/did. Yes the wash times are slightly higher, but my clothes came out way cleaner with less detergent and lower drying times.

[GoddessKristie]

We just got a new set in September when we moved into our new home. We didn't have a set before so we used the apartment coin laundry. We planned on buying the front loader you linked to, but when we went into Best Buy to purchase it the Affinity line was on floor-model clearance for $5 cheaper! So, we ended up with it and I LOVE them! I always felt that the coin laundry did a really good job on our clothes, but when we switched to the front loader you could *feel* that the clothes were much cleaner. We are very very happy with our set, I HIGHLY recomend Frigidair, especially the affinity line.

[Glover_Girls]

IMO, the only choice to consider is the Energy Star model. The base models are not much more expensive than non-Energy Star (unless you're buying a real cheap washer). Keep in mind non-ES washers use a TON of water. Energy Star washers can save up to 4,000 gals/year. If you pay for water, this is a huge savings. If you don't, it's still a good choice for the environment and saves hot water. ES models come in both front and top load.

It is worth any extra cost if you are frugal. Often people are put off by the higher up front cost of efficient products, but over the life of the washer, you will save money. Check with your local electric utility to see if they offer a rebate on ES washers. Many states do through energy efficiency programs. Check out www.energystar.gov for qualifying models. Then you can check out Sears or Lowes or Home Depot and price shop.

I have a strong opinion because my job is running energy efficiency programs for my local electric and gas utility.

[jasonswife06]

I have that exact same front loader. I LOVE it. My dh was amazed that the clothes come out barely wet! It was even in storage for 6 months and works just like it did the day we got it

[lightheart]

we have a washer at home (about a 10yr old cheapest of the cheap top loading, really good working, good cleaning, held together with duct tape) in winter I go to the laundrymat because the water ususally freezes to the shed where the washer is at....

so limited experience with the front loaders and they are commercial ones in a different setting... but my biggest gripe about them is once you start the cycle you can't open the lid, turn off the washer completely and let things just soak for the afternoon or add things that you might have forgotten.

[crunchy_mama]

Originally Posted by mommaof3boz

Remember with the longer wash times you can put in WAY more clothes in the HE washers. I'd recommend a Kenmore Oasis. Minimal water use, low electric use, super spun out at the end and they hold 23 bath towels. Largest on the market. And they don't have a center agitator so you can do king comforters.

It is the same as the Maytag Bravas and also Kenmore has a set with the same capacity as well.

[GoddessKristie]

Originally Posted by lightheart

but my biggest gripe about them is once you start the cycle you can't open the lid, turn off the washer completely and let things just soak for the afternoon or add things that you might have forgotten.

We can pause our washer at any time or even cancel the wash and let it sit for days if we wanted to. If there is water in it the door will stay locked and you can not open it until you've done a spin cycle, but there is an option for spin only, so you never have to complete the cycle to get your clothes out. In the begining where it's just getting the clothes wet and moving slowly you can pause it as many times as you like and add more clothes. I've done this many times with ours. I can't attest to the ability to do this on the cheaper model, but our affinity does this and it's very easy.

Something else to consider is the cycles you will use. I wish we had the option of doing a single rinse with no wash, but we have other options that I know were not on the model you're considering (the one we were going to get). Overall I'm glad we upgraded and after seeing the Affinity set I think we would have wanted to upgrade even if it weren't on sale.