Washing Machine

[Dovek916]

Hey All-

So my loved washing machine of 14 1/2 years has finally kicked the bucket. I was wondering if anyone has purchased a washing machine recently, sans dryer. I am leaning towards front loading for its water saving, although it does cost more. Do you guys have any recent experiences and/or advice on what I should get? Any preferred brands and stores to buy at?

Regards

-Drew

[turtle]

I recently bought my wife a set from Samsung and I will tell you a front loader is the way to go. Well worth it from an energy saving stand point as well as water usage. My clothes don't get ripped and abused at all now as opposed to the old machine. Well worth it to buy a good set. I happened to spring for the top of the line from Samsung and don't regret it a bit, nor does my wife. :)

[Maciej]

This is completely subjective, but I've always felt like front loaders did a better job getting the clothes clean. Help of gravity n all - imho, ymmv, etc.

[spotcatbug]

I recently (well, like 6 months ago) purchased a new washer. I ended up with the old-style top-loader for two reasons:

1. (The main reason) Cost. I found a really good top-loader on super-special. It was almost too good to pass up.

2. Search on Google for this. From what I read in reviews, front loaders seemed to have this issue with the rubber gasket thing at the bottom part of the inside of the door. It gets and remains damp and ends up smelling swampy. You have to keep it really clean. I guess I didn't like the idea of having to clean the inside of a washing machine all the time. Now, this is only what I read (albeit everywhere I read any review of a front-loader, it seemed). I have no first-hand experience with this. But, coupled with number 1 above, it made my choice easier.

[dmegatool]

2. Search on Google for this. From what I read in reviews, front loaders seemed to have this issue with the rubber gasket thing at the bottom part of the inside of the door. It gets and remains damp and ends up smelling swampy. You have to keep it really clean. I guess I didn't like the idea of having to clean the inside of a washing machine all the time.
My mom always told me to not close the washer door after use to let it dry... even on a top loaded. I guess that would solve that problem.

[Banana]

I have a front-loading washer/dryer by Whirlpool I bought a year ago. I may have got lucky because I've yet to experience the swampy smell with the washer.

I bought the pair via a scratch-and-dent reseller - they had very good deals and technically the pair doesn't match but at least they look similar and they were only cosmetically defective (had a dent somewhere but I've long ago forgotten where it was). I wouldn't have bought it if it didn't come with the standard manufacturer warranty as well as the reseller's warranty.

Kind like buying refurbished Apple products. :) So, if there's a scratch-and-dent reseller in your area, have a look. Of course, take care as I somehow doubt it has the same quality re-checking as the Apple products goes through in the refurbishing process.

HTH.

[Dorian Gray]

Miele are so far ahead in washing machines that they have no competition. Read this (http://www.washerhelp.co.uk/reviews/miele-overview.html) for some insight from someone who knows what he's talking about.

[Batman]

Miele are so far ahead in washing machines that they have no competition. Read this (http://www.washerhelp.co.uk/reviews/miele-overview.html) for some insight from someone who knows what he's talking about.

If I'm not mistaken, and I have no idea why I know this, but doesn't Steve-o himself have a Miele?

Edit: Ah yes, here it is.
Design is not limited to fancy new gadgets. Our family just bought a new washing machine and dryer. We didn't have a very good one so we spent a little time looking at them. It turns out that the Americans make washers and dryers all wrong. The Europeans make them much better - but they take twice as long to do clothes! It turns out that they wash them with about a quarter as much water and your clothes end up with a lot less detergent on them. Most important, they don't trash your clothes. They use a lot less soap, a lot less water, but they come out much cleaner, much softer, and they last a lot longer.

We spent some time in our family talking about what's the trade-off we want to make. We ended up talking a lot about design, but also about the values of our family. Did we care most about getting our wash done in an hour versus an hour and a half? Or did we care most about our clothes feeling really soft and lasting longer? Did we care about using a quarter of the water? We spent about two weeks talking about this every night at the dinner table. We'd get around to that old washer-dryer discussion. And the talk was about design.

We ended up opting for these Miele appliances, made in Germany. They're too expensive, but that's just because nobody buys them in this country. They are really wonderfully made and one of the few products we've bought over the last few years that we're all really happy about. These guys really thought the process through. They did such a great job designing these washers and dryers. I got more thrill out of them than I have out of any piece of high tech in years.

Linky (http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/4.02/jobs_pr.html)

[Dorian Gray]

You can't really get a better recommendation than Steve's. :D

[ShadowOfGed]

I recently bought the matched pair of Samsung **410** series. (Essentially, a front-loading washer paired with a steam dryer.) I've been very happy with it so far, though I've only had them for… three weeks now. Here are the exact models:

Washer: Samsung WF410ANW/XAA (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung+-+4.3+Cu.+Ft.+12-Cycle+Ultra+Capacity+High-Efficiency+Washer+-+White/9737827.p?id=1218164033683&skuId=9737827).
Dryer: Samsung DV410AEW/XAA (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung+-+7.4+Cu.+Ft.+11-Cycle+Electric+Dryer+-+White/9737754.p?id=1218164033340&skuId=9737754).

I obviously can't say how they compare to others mentioned here. The top-of-the line Samsungs are the 419 series, I think, which includes both a steam washer and dryer. I was told to skip the steam washer simply because I probably wouldn't use it.

One recommendation while shopping for these kinds of appliances: make sure you don't over-buy. That is, even if a feature sounds neat, don't buy it unless you really think you'll use it.

[adamb]

Zanussi are also among the top brands apparently and tend to cost a bit less than Mieles. I bought a Hoover (strange I know) which fell apart after about 3 years and was replaced by a Zanussi. The thing is built like a tank, and funnily enough the Hoover was a replacement for a Zanussi which gave up after 14-15 years heavy use.

[Boomerangmacuser]

I owned a front loader for 8 years until I sold my townhouse. I thinkk the difference in price is worth it. Most of the rest of the world all use front loaders. The swamp issue is solved by leaving the door open. I never had a problem.

It used less water, less soap, and made less noise. I could run the washer upstairs while the kids slept. The biggest advantage was that we bought a gas dryer with it. With 2 young kids, having your washer and dryer finish with 5 minutes of each other was a godsend. You can crank out loads of laundry in no time.

My mom is the only person I've ever heard complain about a front loader. Her only beef is that it drips of you open the door to add something while it's filling. :rolleyes:

Now I live in a house and inherited the ancient top loader that came with it. It makes a huge racket, consumes a ton of water, takes forever to fill, and jumps around if the load is even a little out of balance. The clothes come out wetter so they take longer to dry. I'd replace the pair if I hadn't just done a kitchen reno.

Get the front loader!

[Maciej]

This thread seems to be pretty well wrapped up. But I'll just throw in my question, because I don't want to start a new thread.

Can anyone give me a personal rundown of the advantages and disadvantages of an electric dryer versus gas dryer?

Thanks for the opinions.

[Banana]

While I understand that gas dryer could be cheaper to run than a electric dryer, I immediately ruled it out simply because it's one of few appliances that I can take with me (it's also more likely that a given house does not have a washer/dryer installed but may have hookups.) should I move out. It's far easier to find a socket than it is to find a gas outlet. Heck, the new house may not even have gas at all!

I don't mind the idea of say, gas stoves, gas furnace or maybe even gas refrigerator but a dryer? Eh, pass.

Of course, this is all moot if you've made up your mind that you will not take the washer/dryer with you when you move even if the move is a block across.