Time to replace the old Kenmore’s. Dryers are no big deal so I am basing my decision off the washer.
We’ve had a front load for several years. It was our first one. My wife and I are wondering if going back to topload is a better idea? At least it would eliminate door seal issues and the terrible vibration. Initially the water savings was a big deal.
I’m hoping someone has recent experience going between the two and can help me decide?
We have had the side loader or 5-6 years now. The vibration is a serious issue. That darn thing is always walking across the floor. Finally had to strap it to wall anchors to keep it in place. I’d go back to top loading no question. Also, never thought that washer did a very good job cleaning clothes anyway.
-J.
Really? We have an LG front load. Maybe I am lucky, but door seals and vibrations have not been a problem for us.
Agree with Jon.
Top loaded again once ours goes. The front loaded is a lot more maintenance with bleaching once a month and always leaving the tray and door open.
Is space an issue? We went with stackable LG front loaders (to conserve space in a small laundry room…) and are very happy. No vibration issue at all with ours…RR
The front loaded is a lot more maintenance with bleaching once a month and always leaving the tray and door open.
Am I missing something here? All you do with ours is put some bleach in the drawer and run a cleaning cycle. And leaving the door open might be a little inconvenient, but it doesn’t really involve anything extra on your part.
I don’t recall our brand, but we have had front loaders now for 3+ years. I was skeptical at first on the washer as I thought it needed more water in the cycle. Clothes are clean, no seal problems, no stink problems and no vibration issues. We do leave the door cracked and soap tray open when idle. I did build stands for them that are about 18” tall so I’m not stooping over when moving loads.
I’d buy front loaders again.
Front load technology has now been put into top load washers. We have a new top load that does everything that a front load does but without the maintenance. The digital controls of the units now are a far cry from the old pull and twist a knob of our youth.
Interesting thread… I am lucky, and still using the top load units we got a whopping 27 years ago. Used a front load washer yesterday at my folks… it was pretty cool. Fast, very little water, super quiet, and did a great job.
Our washer will need to be replaced soon, so the comments are great feedback.
X2 to SuperDaves point.
When we got a washer and dryer last year we, shied away from the front loader, because our friends had one and they had the leaks and other issues. What the heck is the bleaching for?
Anyway, I was amazed how far top loaders have come along. Ours has no agitator. It has a ton of different programs and combinations. It also is able to sense water levels and balance the load automatically. It really just become a load it, set it and forget it scenario.
Bought a Samsung WA48H7400AP top load last month. Chose that unit because wife wanted to stay with top load because of friends and relatives not likeing front load. The model above was listed as the best HE top loader less than $1000. in Consumer report. It has a lot of features and has large capacity. Got it on sale at Lowes paid $608.88 after sale, plus 5% useing their card and IA tax. They set in place and took old washer. Working good and happy so far.
X2 to SuperDaves point.
When we got a washer and dryer last year we, shied away from the front loader, because our friends had one and they had the leaks and other issues. What the heck is the bleaching for?
Anyway, I was amazed how far top loaders have come along. Ours has no agitator. It has a ton of different programs and combinations. It also is able to sense water levels and balance the load automatically. It really just become a load it, set it and forget it scenario.
Found this out as well when we got a new washer 2 years ago. I ended up with the previous version to this model on closeout and am happy with it, would for sure buy a similar style top load again if I had too. Good luck with what you decide.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tucrs wrote:</div>
The front loaded is a lot more maintenance with bleaching once a month and always leaving the tray and door open.Am I missing something here? All you do with ours is put some bleach in the drawer and run a cleaning cycle. And leaving the door open might be a little inconvenient, but it doesn’t really involve anything extra on your part.
At least with our there is build up of soap always in the rubber seal. It sort of leaks around it if we you don’t clean it. Just more troubles then our old top loaded. It seems like a love hate relationship.
Per SuperDave’s post, there are now machines that take advantage of front loader technology but in a top load machine.
There isn’t any doubt that there’s more to go wrong with a front loader. I have a relative that owns a big appliance repair company and he says that across the board, it’s no contest. The VAST majority of their washer calls are front loaders. Anytime you’ve got water that you’re trying use a seal to hold back, you’ve got issues. No seal is perfect or lasts forever.
So if your laundry room or closet allows top load, that’s where I’d be looking. If you can get a low-water consumption machine and eliminate all the seal problems, what’s the down side?
Living in Woodbury, you are probably aware that your water costs are relatively high and going to go up. IMO, it would be worth your while to consider the water consumption when buying this time around.
I scored an incredible deal on the last generation of Maytag Neptune machines. These are “hybrid” machines, they are technically front loaders but the basket sits at an angle so that water does not rest against the door seal. The door seal is a “splash seal”. I believe this machine uses about 33% of the water that our old top load Maytag uses. Both our water consumption and gas bill and our gas bill went down by over 10% in the months after we got this machine.
Grouse
Really? We have an LG front load. Maybe I am lucky, but door seals and vibrations have not been a problem for us.
LG front load here as well, not one issue so far after 5 years. No bleaching or anything special, quiet, doesn’t shake, less water, but I think it takes a little longer to wash, much faster at drying than the old machine.
Our Bosch front loaders left a lot to be desired. This time around we went with a Speed queen top loader without any regrets 15 months in. Much better value money wise.
FDR
Speed Queen top loader here. Made right here in WI. They are very reliable. They are one of the few I think that still have the agitator in them.
Go with Speed Queen. I wouldn’t consider anything else. Salesmen at Warner Stellion told me before I bought mine that 1 out of every 3 of all the other brands on his sales floor will have a major malfunction within the first three years of ownership, no matter the cost or how high end they were. I appreciated his honesty and so far going on three years, no problems. Many good reviews on them and Made in USA is worth it to me.
Of all things I never expected to spend SOOO Dang much time researching W&D’s. I spent a couple weeks + trying to make the decision you are currently attempting to make.
Walking washers, mold in a gasket, leaking, clothes not clean, special recipe detergent….blah blah blah blah blah.
The minute I heard “Software Update” For a WASHING Machine I realized that a washing machine is no place for high tech. Seriously, a software update for a wash machine. NO WAY>
I need another software repair in my life like I need hole in my head.
SPEED QUEEN. End of story. We bought this brand and they have been great, clean clothes, minimal bells and whistles (but who cares). The machine is like my couch, it just sits there. I don’t need to worry about it running away, blowing apart and demolishing my wash room.
Seriously what is this world coming too? touch screen, LCD screens, SOFTWARE.
Time for a revolt, I draw the line on software updates with my Humminbirds and And Terrova and Link…..
We happened to buy a 3-4 yr. old w/d set from an elderly couple and have owned them for 2 yrs. now. They are fridgidaire affinitys front loaders and we couldn’t be happier with them. No walking, very low water usage, quiet, seals well and does a much better job of cleaning with less soap than our old maytag top loader. I was very skepticle when we purchased them but bought both w/d for 250 bucks. 
Our next set would be front loaders no doubt. And I expect I’ll be forking out alot more cash than I did this time. If I ever did go back to top loaders they would be speed queens, but I don’t for see that happening.
Checked some out tonigt. Right now Speed Queen is at the top of the list. I like the simplicity and quality.
We went with top load with and agitator. It is low water one as well. One drawback is it takes about an hour for a load.
One drawback is it takes about an hour for a load.
My HE front-load takes almost an hour for a normal cycle, too, but it makes up for it with much shorter drying times.
We have had front load washer and dryer for 4 years now and not one single problem. I don’t know what people are talking about walking across the floor, maybe its because I have ours stacked, but they don’t move an inch.
My wife can do far more laundry than we ever could with our top loads that were replaced and in less time.
Believe me, if there was something going to leak or stink it would be ours because my wife tends to leave wet clothes in the washer for days and will run the dryer on multiple “refresh” cycles just to warm them up because the clothes sat in there for several more days and doesn’t clean the lint trap.
We have never fun bleach through them, had door seals leaking, etc.
They just plain work.
They are Fridgidaire Affinity with Steam in both units. The steam is super nice because the clothes come out wrinkle free and much cleaner.
We went with top load with and agitator. It is low water one as well. One drawback is it takes about an hour for a load.
I think that in general the lower-water-use machines have to cycle longer to get the clothes clean. I notice our Maytag Neptune front loader takes longer as well, but compared to our old top load center agitator Maytag, it has a larger capacity and uses WAY less water.
For anyone on city water, IMO it’s really worth thinking about water consumption when you’re buying a washer. This is the highest water consuming appliance in your house and second only to the toilet and shower/bath in overall in-house consumption. The reality is that city water prices are only going to up and the more water-starved communities are going to continue to implement “water pig” pricing that jacks rates WAY up after you exceed a certain use level. Worth thinking about as long as you’re buying.
Grouse
I think that in general the lower-water-use machines have to cycle longer to get the clothes clean. I notice our Maytag Neptune front loader takes longer as well, but compared to our old top load center agitator Maytag, it has a larger capacity and uses WAY less water.
For anyone on city water, IMO it’s really worth thinking about water consumption when you’re buying a washer. This is the highest water consuming appliance in your house and second only to the toilet and shower/bath in overall in-house consumption. The reality is that city water prices are only going to up and the more water-starved communities are going to continue to implement “water pig” pricing that jacks rates WAY up after you exceed a certain use level. Worth thinking about as long as you’re buying.
Grouse
By my count that makes the washer the 4th highest water consuming appliance. That is like saying my weed whip is the second highest gas consuming motor in my house next to my Truck and Boat.
I don’t think there is any doubt the HE use less water and soap. I do believe the top load agitator can make up for that in the energy savings considering a wash cycle takes less than half the time of an HE. If I am not mistaken the long load time in an HE is often attributable to the machine making adjustments in load balance…..a measure to keep the machine from walking and imploding.
Also if you want to see what an out of balance waking HE wash machine can do youtube is your friend. videos and images of Top load HE machines in pieces due to imbalance.
No doubt HE front or top load machines have their benefits, I personally am just not interested in the widely reported issues including a life span of 5-7 years max. This is an appliance, for me, that can stay old school and basic.
This is the highest water consuming appliance in your house and second only to the toilet and shower/bath in overall in-house consumption.
By my count that makes the washer the 4th highest water consuming appliance. That is like saying my weed whip is the second highest gas consuming motor in my house next to my Truck and Boat.
Only if you consider the pooper and shower an appliance 
Took me a second to figure that one out.
The point is that while it’s easy to thread on a water saving shower head or put in a kit to lower the water consumption of a toilet, you can’t modify the water consumption of your washing machine. It is what it is.
You only buy a new one every so often and for most of us that’s fairly infrequently, so I think it’s worth considering. Water rates are only headed in one direction in metro areas at least.
Grouse
Very good info by all. I have a lot to consider. Thank you.
The point is that while it’s easy to thread on a water saving shower head or put in a kit to lower the water consumption of a toilet, you can’t modify the water consumption of your washing machine. It is what it is.
You only buy a new one every so often and for most of us that’s fairly infrequently, so I think it’s worth considering. Water rates are only headed in one direction in metro areas at least.
Grouse
Just giving you some “Dump” since you are Famous and all…… I get it. but in case it was not clear, I am against software becoming a problem for my wash machine….:) it just does not make any sense to me. And since I make part of my living off of selling software I know what a racket it is!
Only bugs I want in my wash machine will come out of my upland pants.
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