Hey All,
Front load or top load?
Pro’s and con’s.
Our top load is 15 years old and a part we need is no longer serviced.
Thank you,
Russell
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Replies
Front load is supposed to be the most earth friendly but a Whirlpool top loader will last forever with a minimum of maintenance.
I recycle the water so I am not even sure how earth friendly it would be for me.
35-year-old Maytag top loader. But unfortunately they don't make those anymore.
Front loaders are greener and are said to do a much better job getting your clothes clean, just be aware of this:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33997384/ns/business-consumer_news/
PaulB
http://www.finecontracting.com
Front loaders far surpass top loaders in the essential cleaning function but they will get stinky almost guaranteed.
Simple solution is to run Oxyclean through periodically on a hot wash. It shifted the stink that no amount of bleach would touch.
s.
Simple remedy for stinky...Keep an old wash cloth handy, After the last wash load of the day, wipe off the glass inside the door, and the rubber gasket, and (critical bit here) inside the fold in the gasket, at the bottom, where the water would accumulate if you weren't wiping it off.
Leave the door open, or at least not latched shut.
I've had 3 of these over the years, & have never had them smell bad.
Also, use much less detergent that the bottle advises - about a tablespoon of concentrated All is plenty. You don't want to see lots of suds!
What part is it you need?
No such thing as not available, you're not looking in the right place.
Or listening to the wrong guy.
Front loaders are a POS.
Joe H
We need a circuit board. We have contacted 6 places with no results.
Any suggestions?"Front loaders are a POS."Wanna expand on this statement? ThanksRussell
<<"Front loaders are a POS.">>Front loaders save so many ways ---- Uses less water to clean
-- Reduces sewage expenses also
-- Reduces energy needed to wash clothes
-- Reduces amount of energy to heat water to wash clothes
-- Reduces amount of needed detergent
-- Reduces amount of heat needed to dry clothes
-- Reduces damage to clothesExcept for the few ingenious top loaders on the market, front loaders are here to stay. New government regulations will make sure of that.Thanks for the tip about Oxyclean.
We need a circuit board
Throw the circuit board away and install a simple timer, unless you can repair the board.
Still use a 40 YO Kenmore, did throw away the original timer whenit broke and installed one from the '50s when they still made them here.
Observation: I'll stop and throw ANY old washer I see n the curb into the back of the truck (usually there is $5-$10 in change in the bottom and some good parts) and the rest goes onto the scrpa iron pile for whenever I make a side trip to the yard)
That said, EVERY front loader I've picked up is less that 5 years old, usually with a burnt out circuit board, most always a IR2110 Fet driver or similar and the FET most often used for the switch reluctance motorused on most front loaders ($4 worth of parts but you need to be a motor drive circuit designer to fix one??<G>).
Most the top loaders are 25 years old or so - is there a reliability lesson there????
Agree with Joe H, front loaders are 'green' hype and POS. Also agree with whoever commented on the 'green' part being irrelavent if your top loader is a 'suds saver' type.
Whirlpool still makes mechanical timer washing machines and that is the only kind I would buy. I am still looking for a mechanical control wall oven. Nobody seems to make them. At this point I would just buy one with the touch pad that I can swap out with the mechanical controller/timer I have.
Bosch makes wall ovens (electric for me, however) that have dial controls. I also would not buy circuit board control appliances. One thing about Bosch is that the vent air blows right into your face. If you consider Bosch, make sure you try display model or they have improved on this problem.
toughtpads dont mix with water but many dishwashers and washers have them
I don't know about green or POS as some others have stated since we have had it less that a year. I just know that my wife loves the front loader. We did get the drawer/platform so you don't have to bend over as much. Also it is much quieter than our old top load. Time will tell.
Front loader is quieter, uses less water, holds more clothes and the drier stacks on top so less room required. Newer technology means more features for less money than a 15 year old machine. Leave the door ajar between loads and it dries out so no smell.
Don't know how durable they are though.
Front loaders use much less soap and hot water, but have a higher front end cost. They'll typically wash larger loads and get the clothes cleaner with less wear and tear on them.
My 1st frontloader lasted 6 years. Actually, I just didn't want to pay $300 for a new circuit board. I chose to spend $600 on a new machine and gave the old one to some one who is still using it - a stay at home mom who can manually flip it from wash to rinse.
copper p0rn
The front loaders cost more, but they do a better job, with less soap and less water.
Bending over might be an issue with the front loaders, but you can buy the platforms to raise them up. Or, you could build a base-platform for them to sit on rather than pay the (rather high) price for their platforms.
I built my own base (four years ago?) with drawers and pull-out 'shelves' to put a laundry basket on while loading or unloading. DW loves it.
I won't be laughing at the lies when I'm gone,
And I can't question how or when or why when I'm gone;
I can't live proud enough to die when I'm gone,
So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here. (Phil Ochs)
I have a plain old GE top loader that has been going for 16 years. First trouble the other day, it started leaking in spin cycle with a large load. Found a hole in the outer tub. A little epoxy fixed that in hurry but not much life left in the outer tub due to other rust spots.
I am thinking about the Electrolux front loader. Heck of a price to pay for one but I think it is very well made from reports of other users. Main feature I like, and will use to my advantage, is the doors can be reversed. It is the only washer that I know of that has that feature. I am thinking also, I will use a heavy duty surge protector to help protect the electronics. I think that appliance manufactures are not protecting the electronics as well as they should because of competitive pricing.
Virginbuild
BTW ... when you toss that old top-loader, you can get some more use out of the drum. Just add a trash-can lid, and you have a superb basket for burning leaves, etc.
For those with old, glass-door washers or dryers, the case can readily made into a pretty decent sandblasting cabinet.
Thanks,
A good green idea if not to many leaves or other material to burn. When I was young I use to pull the motors to run all kinds of contraptions.
Virginbuild
There is a web site that tells you all about how to reuse old appliance motors.
Yeah, but how many boat anchors does a guy need?
A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful, and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand to others. It's a weak nation, like a weak person, that must behave with bluster and boasting and rashness and other signs of insecurity. --Jimmy Carter
Take a look at the Fisher & Paykel top loader. Clutchless direct-drive like the old Maytag workhorses. Does an incredible job of spin-drying so you don't have to run the dryer as long. Pretty energy-efficient. Decent reliability.
Thanks to all for the replies.I think wife is leaning toward a front loader.RussellSorry I meant to post to "All"
Edited 11/20/2009 7:30 pm ET by Huntdoctor
There is another option that you may want to consider - a Staber washing machine - it's a top loader with the benefits of a front loader - you'll have to go to their web site to see what I mean, but it looks like a good design - and it's made in USA! I'm planning on buying one whenever my top loader Maytag quits. It's 12 years old without a problem, so it may be any time now!
Our Maytag is almost 33 years old.
A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful, and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand to others. It's a weak nation, like a weak person, that must behave with bluster and boasting and rashness and other signs of insecurity. --Jimmy Carter
"Our Maytag is almost 33 years old."That must have been made when the Maytag repairman still didn't have anything to do. I can't say our dryer has been completely trouble free, but I've been able to repair it each time. Still a better made machine that the junk the GE is putting out - my sister's dryer quit working and I went over to fix it - never mind why it quit working - it was falling apart as I took it apart to fix it - the bearings were plastic and the drum wore right through it - the parts were more expensive than it was worth to fix just that...I here that the gov'ment is going to be coming out with a cash for clunkers for appliances next year - and you don't have to destroy the old machine from what I'm reading - they give me money for the machine, I sell mine on craigslist, and I get a new more efficient machine...
Yeah, I've replaced the heating element in our dryer once, have replaced the backflow valve in the washer twice, installed new snubber pads, installed a new water level sensor, and cleared a clogged pump (sock in it). I'm guessing that was a total of maybe $200 worth of parts in 33 years.That's one of the reasons that Maytag got into money trouble -- they were their own worst competition. Sears/Kenmore, OTOH, is designed to fail after 5-10 years so that you'll buy a new one.
A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful, and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand to others. It's a weak nation, like a weak person, that must behave with bluster and boasting and rashness and other signs of insecurity. --Jimmy Carter
Sears/Kenmore, OTOH, is designed to fail after 5-10 years
Used to not be so. Mom and Pop bought us the Kenmore washer we are still using when we moved in 1974 or so. 35+ years?
Replaced the timer with an older one, and the belt once, otherwise zero maintenance. Do have a separate upstream filter on the water inlets.
My parents had Kenmores too, and they held up pretty well (though not 30 years). But I can remember how rusty they'd get after about 10 years. Our Maytag units have hardly a spec of rust.
A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful, and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand to others. It's a weak nation, like a weak person, that must behave with bluster and boasting and rashness and other signs of insecurity. --Jimmy Carter
When new we thought the FL was the cats. Now that the warranty has run out...we're thinking other wise.DAGS for "Whirlpool F20" and you'll find a load of owners, us included, that have this error with their machine. Not sure what to do next, but we have get this thing working and it looks like Whirlpool isn't giving much support. The stink is easily handled and after we had one round of smell, we've not had a repeat.What ever brand/model you plan on buying, google it for error codes/maintenance issues first, and maybe you'll get a heads up.
Have not bought yet.We are still shopping.Now leaning towards upper end top loaders due to size and servicability once warranty is up.Thanks for all the replies.Russell
I would be interested in hearing others' impressions on serviceability, since our 33-yea-old units are no doubt going to the great appliance graveyard fairly soon, and our laundry area is quite cramped, with barely enough room to move the units in and out, given the furnace on the opposite wall.Thankfully the Maytag units we have now can be serviced almost entirely from the front, unlike the Kenmore units I remember from my yout where you had to pull them out and go in from the back. Anyone have info on other brands in this regard?
A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful, and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand to others. It's a weak nation, like a weak person, that must behave with bluster and boasting and rashness and other signs of insecurity. --Jimmy Carter
The Staber washer can be serviced from the front.http://www.staber.comI'll get one when my washer dies - whenever that may be...
Staber video here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fnxs601NyIwIt's actually kind of an interesting design, and looks like it would work well, although they are quite expensive.And on another note: I've found that you can get decent machines on Craigslist, at least here in the Seattle area, for free pretty regularly. Kind of crazy, but true. I got a lower-end washer and dryer for free a couple years ago to tide me over while our washer was waiting for the repairman. Kept them in storage until our contract was up, and then when the washer died, put the free one into service. Still going strong. Probably not the most efficient unit out there but it's gonna take a while to make up for the "free" part.
Edited 11/22/2009 4:35 am ET by geoffhazel
Interesting. The hatch seems kind of small, and I'd have a little concern about it coming open during operation, but otherwise it looks like a pretty smart design.However, I do see a lot of quality complaints online.
A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful, and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand to others. It's a weak nation, like a weak person, that must behave with bluster and boasting and rashness and other signs of insecurity. --Jimmy Carter
for free pretty regularly
Have 2 of the best 'free finds' standby washers in sheds just in case.
You can do the same thing with cars too - <G>
We bought the least exspensive front loader we could find and it has worked fine.
We bought the pair and stacked them. I leave the door open on the washer between loads.
No stink.
"There are three kinds of men: The one that learns by reading, the few who learn by observation and the rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves."
Will Rogers
Edited 11/21/2009 11:59 pm by popawheelie
I've had my Maytag Neptune Super Stack for about 9 years now.
No electronic controls. Don't know if that model is still available- it was over $2k when I bought it.
Didn't know about leaving the door open on the washer, but I eventually figured it out.
Works great, and it reduced my monthly water bill by $10- before the rates went up a couple of years ago. Just me doing laundry for me- savings will be higher with a family.
Clothes last longer and they come out cleaner.
A small number of manufacturers are making all of the appliances on the market under lots of nameplates.
The newer models sure seem to be chintzy in comparison to my US made Maytag... but there isn't much choice there anymore.
I would suggest getting the extended warranty- especially with the electronic controls.
my .02:
Had an old Maytag top loader that ran like a top for the 15 years I had it (bought it used - it was 10 years old at the time). Moved cross country and couldn't bring it along.
Bought another Maytag top loader - new this time. This unit was so noisy and vibrated so badly that I could never calm it down, and Maytag basically told me they were making them lighter (and cheaper) to be competitive. They also told me (politely) to pound sand.
After four years, my wife said enough, and bought a LG top loader. This unit is so quiet and vibration free, that my wife is happy once again. And yes, the unit is very nice. It takes a bit longer per cycle, but who cares?
In addition, my water usage per load went from about 45 gallons to about 3 gallons. Very important if you are on a septic system, as my house is.
Art
Front...
Our Kenmore frontloader came with the house .... made by Whirlpool I believe. 4 years old ........ no issues yet (knocking on wood). No stink if you leave the door open. There are some tablets (Affresh) you can run through the washer that will get rid of the smell. Uses less water, less soap, easier on the clothes, and they come out drier (spin cycle is 1000 rpm iirc) so they they dry faster on the line or in the drier. Longevity ........... I seriously doubt they'll last as long as the 3+ decade old Maytags at the old house. Friend of ours has been a Maytag dealer for 30 years and that none of the new ones are made as well as the ones we had and I believe it after hanging around his shop.
"There can be no doubt that Socialism is inseparably interwoven with totalitarianism and the abject worship of the state…Socialism is in its essence an attack not only on British enterprise, but upon the right of ordinary men and women to breathe freely without having a harsh, clammy, clumsy tyrannical hand clasped across their mouth and nostrils" -Winston Churchill
Wife bought a GE model whre5550k2ww top loader today.Front loader is to large for the area it is in. Leaving door open even takes more room.After doing research I think the is the best deal anyway.Thanks for all the replies. They did help us make a choice.Russell
The dryers are getting bigger, too.
Front load or tip load no difference to me but just don't get a Maytag. I have two customers who have already junked their $900 machines, too much trouble, always broken down. Ever since they went to Mehico to make them, maytag has lost its mojo.
The GE we just got is made in NC, USA.Hope that means something.Russell