Reviews on front loading washing machine?

Our washing machine recently went out and we're looking at getting one of the front loading ones. We have been out to look at them and have read online reviews, but they are mixed. It seems there are almost an equal number of people that rave about them versus people who hate them and this is for all 3 major brands. I would love to know if any of you have purchased a front loading washer, what brand, what you like, and any problems you may have had. Thanks so much!

Hello! I have a Maytage Neptune front loader and I absolutely LOVE it. My clothes last longer since I switched from an agitator machine. The features on it and my dryer are great as well. I have had mine since about 2003 and only had one problem with it which was my fault...I had some particularly yucky laundry for a while and for bad jobs I like to use pine sol...when I had the top loader machine I would pour a splash in there for these types of loads and I did the same for this machine MANY times...the rubber lip thing around the door got a big hole in it. Didn't flood or mess up the machine though and Maytag came and fixed it for $40 the next day after I called. That was three years ago.

What I like:
1. It's an HE machine so it uses just enough water.
2. It has the second rinse feature, love this. Will also presoak, etc.
3. The dryer has the wrinkle release where you can "iron" your clothes real quick if needed.
4. The dryer has the wrinkle preventer where it will toss your clothes around for 90 mins after it shuts off.
5. The dryer has sensor in it so it will turn off when the clothes are dry.

What I don't like:
1. You have to use HE detergents which sud less or the clothes won't rinse. Think Dreft...when I had my baby and used this soap I couldn't get it to rinse, even when I used just a litle bit of it.
2. You have to bend over to get the clothes out unless you have the riser thingy's which cost more.

I must say, the ones that are out now are bigger and do a lot more, if my washer killed itself tomorrow I would go out and buy another one of the new and improved front loaders out there without blinking an eye. I am very happy with my machine!

I've had my Maytag Neptune set since 2003 and I still love them.

I've never had any issues with either. As for the HE detergent, I buy ALL and it is frequently on sale for $3.99 a bottle. When I see it on sale, I stock up. I think I have a back up of 10 bottles right now....LOL...that is just me and how I work as far as stocking up.

The ONLY drawback I have had is...........IF you happen to forget a piece of clothing that you wanted in that particular wash, you cannot open the door and throw it in, it has to go on the next round.

I do suggest getting the storage drawers for the set to sit on. More storage and you are not bending over so much.

ONE IMPORTANT MESSAGE..........Maytag has changed. I will not purchase another Maytag product. I had a top of the line dishwasher and fridge. Both failed within 3 yrs. nad we have replaced them with Kitchen Aid.

Good luck

I love my front loader! I wouldn't have anything but now. Mine is a Frigidaire. No problems or issues. The only thing I have learned is to keep the door open on the washer after washing a load for a while so that the inside "drys out" otherwise it can get mildew. Best of luck.

Ours just recently went out too and I had the same problems with all the reviews. They were mixed for the front load vs. top load and mixed on all the different brands. After much research I finally settled on the Samsung model at Lowes and while I've only had it for a couple of months I do really like it. I settled on the Samsung because it was one of the few with a feature called VRT (vibration reduction technology). Lowes in McKinney has one that they have on demo. It is unbelievably quiet and does not bounce around like my top load used to do and I was also able to get a 4.0 cubic foot which was more space than some of the other models in the same price range offered. I had a GE top load before and within the last year had to buy a new dishwasher (Frigidaire) and have not been happy with either, so figured that if the Japanese can make cars that drive forever, and top notch electronics they might know more about washers too than their American counterparts :). As some of the others have said I do wipe out the inside of the door and leave it open to dry after a cycle just so that I don't ever have the bad smell.

We bought a GE front Loader, it's awesome! I think it gets our clothes cleaner and we don't have to set the water level, it automatically can tell. It doesn't use as much water and the washer and dryer are much quieter. We love ours!

Our washer went out and we first bought a Maytag Bravo, it is a top loader with a glass lid and all electronic. It lasted less than a month and three pumps went out. We took it back and bought a LG front loader and I love it. It too is electronic and tells the wash load, it has sanitary settings for extreme hot water cycle and it frankly gets the clothes cleaner than I have ever seen any washer do. I am OCD about washing and this washer can stand up to roughly 22 loads a week.

Good luck,
Rhonda

We have a LG front loader washer & dryer that I really like. It's easy to use and I feel like we are using a lot less water too. Good luck.

We have an LG and I like it a lot...it doesn't actually DO MY LAUNDRY, but if anyone knows of that one, I'm in!!

Bought LG after Christmas last year at Fry's. Did my homework on ConsumerReports.com. I'm very careful about using only the right kind and a small amount of detergent. Try to remember to run 1 Sanitary load with just bleach, no clothes once a week, but it's more like once a month. No problems. I love it, and I don't spend my life doing laundry any longer with the big family. I don't let the kids run the washing machine, only the dryer.

Hi Meg:
I bought the Samsung HE washer and dryer in May. We are pleased overall, but I have had to experiment a bit to get the best performance out of the washer. I also have to agree about being sure to have everything in the washer before closing that door. There is no way you can fling in the last stray sock once it starts! I have been using Tide HE (my husband is allergic to anything else!) and it does NOT get out noticeable stains without pre-treating. My old Tide powder was harsher and zapped every tiny grease stain or ketchup spill out of the clothes. This new HE stuff is so gentle that I don't find it nearly as effective...I often use the double wash setting for dirtier clothes. The regular cycle is not long enough. This double wash works well, along with a good pre-treatment of Bounce - but the washer seems to take forever to finish. On the plus side, it is a LOT quieter than a top loader and the HE models do save money, even though they take longer...Be sure to pick a pretty color if you do decide to get one! We picked the deep red cranberry and it sure looks schnazzy!
Take care - Carol

I purchased the Whirlpool Duet Steam Set in May of this year from Lowe's and got a great deal. I have some pros and cons. I love that when you use the steam/deep clean cycle your clothes are very clean it removes even the stinky smells from my sons clothes. The con on the washer is that it does not spin clothes dry like I think it should. I have to set it on an additional spin/drain cycle when doing large loads. I love the dryer and it's steam and refresh cycle, put in a wrinkled piece and out come a great no-iron ready to wear piece. The color and the pedestals are awesome. Good luck.

We bought the Kenmore Elite front loading washer and dryer back in 2003 and they're still going strong. I honestly don't have any complaints. With our models you can still add any forgotten items during the initial cycle. Ours has a pause bottom to do this. If you're worried about the HE detergents not being as strong you can always use regular detergent and just cut the amount you put in by half or even 2/3. It actually makes your detergent last a lot longer. I used to do it all the time in the beginning because it was harder to find the HE detergents in the store.

Four years ago, we bought a Kenmore front loading washer & dryer set that are EnergyStar rated. I love them! We had one extremely unusual, rare problem with the washer, but I would still buy them all over again. I've owned other models -- Whirlpool -- but they're a higher priced version of Kenmore. We bought direct from Sears and got a great deal. Front loaders are easier on clothes and more efficient. The set (4 years ago) was less than $1,000.

We bought ours about 5 years ago and my MIL bought hers over 9 years ago and neither of us have had a problem. The clothes get cleaner, we use less water, and it is easier on our clothes...much less hand washing. We both LOVE ours. My only complaint is those stubborn stains that require soaking we can't use the Washing Machine for...have to soak in the sink, but there are very few clothes that we have to soak because the washing machine does such a good job. Amway sells HE detergent that lasts for over 3-4 months doing 15+ loads a week. We can also add to our machine by using the pause button. Again...I love it and will not purchase a top loader again. Good luck in your decision.

I have a Frigidaire Gallery I bought in 1997. At that time, that was the only brand of front loader you could buy in this country and I knew I wanted a front loader.

It is still going strong and I will definitely buy another one when it goes out.

It gets my clothes incredibly clean and I think it is gentler on the clothes too. It uses about 1/3 of the water of a top loader. As to the detergent, I buy the Tide HE detergent and then use approximately half of the amount recommended on the bottle. The washer has a glass front door so I can see the suds level.

You will be making a wise choice with a front loader.

I have a Kenmore which I love. It is the smaller one, but handles pretty large loads. We had four adults living here and a baby, and it was fine. Because the spin cycle is so good, it doesn't take long to dry. I rarely use the faster speed in the spin cycle though. I usually use the shortest time and it gets everything clean. I just make sure that I leave the door open a little after use, so I won't have any problems with mold. I have had mine for five years. I wouldn't get any other machine. Kenmore is the best. Whirlpool makes it, I believe.

I purchased a Kenmore Front Loading Washer. And although I am not a fan of Sears - I love this washer. I've had it at least 5 yrs. NO problems. It is quieter than an agitator. I wouldn't go back. I've also heard that sears is going to put their front loading washer on sale and have the set for really inexpensive for the day after Thanksgiving.

I have a Fridgidaire. I like the front loading since they use much less detergent and they are much quieter than a top load. However, my older model collects water in the front bottom of the seal so leaving the door open is not enough. Mold would constantly grow down in the grooves of the seal if I wasn't wiping it out and using a disinfectant. I'm not sure if newer models have implemented any drain holes to rectify this. Very frustrating!

I currently have the Kenmore Elite 5T W&D and love them. I've had this set for almost 2 years and have had no problems. This is actually the 2nd set I've owned. I had the 3T set when I lived in California, I had that set for 3 years. I ended up selling the set with our house because my husband didn't want to pay to move our big appliances.

When I was researching the machines, I read that a lot of people had problems with the 4T version, apparently they made some changes, but it created a lot of repair problems. The 5T's were fixed that problem.

Here's why I love these machines:
* The "T" stands for thermal, meaning the machine heats up the water as opposed to using hot water from your water heater. It means you can have a hot shower while your machine is going and never worry about losing the hot water.

  • It also has a sanitary cycle for sheets and towels. It heats the water so high it will kill off any dust mites or bacteria. Great for my family - DH has dust mite allergies.

  • The super capacity means I can do much larger loads at a single wash, as opposed to much smaller loads with an agitator machine.

  • It spins the clothes to nearly dry on "high" setting, so clothes dry faster.

  • With no agitator, it dosen't damage clothes. You can even wash very delicate clothes on the handwash cycle with no worries that they'll get stretched out or ruined.

  • They're very quiet compared to a top loading machine. I never have to close my laundry room door to muffle the sound.

  • I use way less detergent. When these first came out, the detergent used to be more expensive by up to a dollar. Now it's the same price. A large bottle/box of detergent from Costco lasts me months.

  • Sorry had to add after reading some posts, the 5T version has both a stain treat cycle & a soak cycle. These combined with Zout stain remover, I get about 99.5% of stains out of everything. So far in 5 years, I've only had 3 (kid) garments I couldn't get stains out of.

  • I've never had a mold problem with either set of Kenmore Elites.

  • I bought mine from the Sears outlet, there are 2 in DFW, one at Grapevine Mills (cheaper tax rate 7.75%) & Addison. I've bought both sets of machines at the outlet. You can purchase the warranty if you wish, if for some reason they have to come & repair the machines 3 times, they'll reimburse you for the full retail price (even if it's higher than the price paid) so you can purchase another machine - any brand.

  • I've never had a repair issue.

I hope this helps!

Kathe
SAHM of 3 ages 7, 5 & 3