Front Loading Washer and Dryer Recommendations?

Comments (scroll down to add your own):

1. We got a front-loading washer/dryer set four years ago and love ‘em. I can’t imagine ever going back to top loading. One suggestion, either purchase or build a base to raise them up a foot or two of the floor so the doors are at elbow level. This will save your back.

   Comment by Dylan — Sep 7th 2007 @ 9:47 am

2. My boyfriend has a a lot of trouble with his Maytags. First the dryer, then the washer. The dryer was worth repairing but the washer would have been more expensive to fix than it was worth even though it was less than 5 years old.

   Comment by Penny — Sep 7th 2007 @ 10:12 am

3. We purchased a set of Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer and have been very impressed. The washer itself will handle at least a full laundry basket full, if not more. We were able to fit 3 full “loads” (what our previous top load took) in. Regarding Dylan’s comment about the risers, we debated whether to get those when we purchased our units (it would have included storage space), but opted not to. Most stores will have both setups so you can see which works best for you.

   Comment by chris — Sep 7th 2007 @ 10:49 am

4. After just recently moving and deciding to upgrade to HE washers, we bought the Kenmore elite. But we went with a top loading HE washer (White Kenmore Elite Oasis™ 4.5 cu. ft. Canyon Capacity™ Washer , link)
   after a lot of research the problem with the front loaders seems to be the seals on the doors, and I didnt want to have to leave the door open on the washing machine all the time. Plus I have always trusted Kenmore, and have had great experiences with them

   Comment by Rob — Sep 7th 2007 @ 11:20 am

5. We bought GE Adora (washer and dryer) in Nov of 2006. For both of them we paid around $1860. It was one of the very few frontloaders rated safe to go on a second floor.

   I really enjoy using my Adora. It is quiet, gentle, and very efficient. It uses so little water that I sometimes wonder how in the world it can get things clean. It also supposedly uses less electricity. I never had any problem with it.

   I solved the washer’s vibration problem by putting them both on a thick utility rug. It absorbes the vibration and prevents the washer from “walking”. It has different spin speeds that you can choose from, and even on the highest spin speed I don’t have a problem with the vibration.

   However, hauling them on the second floor was a problem for the delivery guys. They told me that the front-loaders weight about 4 times more than top-loaders.

   It is very spacious, and I can do in 1 load what used to take 2. I wash pillows and comfortors for myself and my friends/exteded family, it is much cheaper than taking them to a dry cleaners. Now I always have freshly cleaned comforters which it nice, because before they went years between washing. Supposedly, I can also safely wash and dry running shoes in it, but I never tried.

   The dryer has some detector in it that allows it to know when the clothes are sufficiently dry, and it will stop authomatically even if it was programmed to dry longer, so you won’t over-dry the clothes and it helps to save on electricity. Also the dryer is very powerful, and on the highest setting it can shrink clothes, so I use the Medium setting and I am happy with the results. Only one time I had a problem: the dryer wount’ dry because one wet comforter was too heavy for it. Once it dried out a bit on its own, the dryer was able to fihish drying it. That was the only problem I ever had with them.

   So, I will definately recommend GE Adora.

   By the way, watch out for Maytag - the reviews on their products are almost depressing. They had several class action lawsuits pending against them a few years back, I am not sure how that got resolved.

   I did quite a bit of research before I bough mine, and I found out that half of all the brands are owned by the same company. Like Wirlpool and a couple of others were owned by the same company, and their reviews were very mixed.

   Try Epinion.com for reviews on different brands and models.

   Comment by Elena — Sep 7th 2007 @ 11:54 am

6. You might want to talk with some repair persons first. A rather high percentage of front loaders develop odor problems that remain intractable even after repairs.

   Comment by Grace — Sep 7th 2007 @ 11:54 am

7. We purchased a Maytag Neptune washer and dryer several years ago and we love them. They weren’t cheap but turned out to be well worth the cost for their savings on our utility bills and for convenience. Take a look at the second paragraph of my post Save Money By Replacing Your Old Appliances for a few ore details.

   Comment by Midg — Sep 7th 2007 @ 12:01 pm

8. So are you looking for a front-loader, or do you want high-efficeincy? if it is the latter, then there are top loading high efficency washers available…

   We had to buy a new washer and dryer last December. We had the Sears tech out (as part of a yearly plan we had), and I asked him his thoughts, since he worked on them.

   Now, our laundry room is on the second floor of our townhouse, and he recommended not getting the front loader because they have twice the RPM of the drums as a normal washer. And because that rotation is oriented vertically, it can jump around a bit on a joisted floor like you would see in a second floor laundry.

   He recommended we check our the “Oasis” line from Kenmore Elite. They are still high efficiency, and the same high-speed RPM as the front loaders, but the washer is top loading. The difference from other top loaders is that while normal top loaders work to move the clothes through the water, the high efficiency onces work by workign the water through the clothes. Much better for the clothes.

   Additionally there is no “agitator”, the tower in the middle of the traditional top-load washer, making the capicity tremendously higher than traditional top-loaders.

   The service plan had a provision for credits off a new washer if the repair exceeded a certain dollar amount, so I went for the Oasis washer and dryer set.

   Needless to say they have been working overtime and we couldn’t be happier. We have a 10-month old who get here a month before the machines did (convenient time for a washer to break).

   My only gripe is that as prevalent as high-efficency washers are these days, the stores still haven’t grasped that they require detergent formulated specially for high-efficency (less suds capability with equal or better cleaning capability).

   So you need to decide if it really is a front-loader you want (more trendy, we’ll say), or is it actually high-efficiency. If it is the latter there are sever options.

   (I could go into much more detail because I did a ton of reasearch aver the space of a few days. but I will say I gave the Oasis recommendation to my neighbors, and they love them as well)

   Comment by Randy — Sep 7th 2007 @ 2:22 pm

9. I see comment number 4 already recommends the Oasis line. Seriously. They are fantastic. I uses so little water (it actually has a fill cycle that can detect how much water is needed based on the load).

   Comment by Randy — Sep 7th 2007 @ 2:25 pm

10. We bought the LG WM0642 front loading washer a couple months ago as a replacement for a top-loading piece of junk and it works great. The complimentary dryer is supposed to be just as good but we didn’t get it… yet.

    Consumer reports had the washer highly rated and the price was right. Luckily, Home Depot carried it and the no interest/free ship deal put it in our basement.

    Comment by wormfood — Sep 7th 2007 @ 2:33 pm

11. DON’T BUY A SAMSUNG OR YOU WILL SING A SAD-SUNG!!!

    Comment by ray — Sep 7th 2007 @ 4:11 pm

12. We got the Kenmore HE ones from Sears about 4 years ago and love them! We do have the bases and I’m glad I don’t have to bend over so far.

    My mom has a front loader too and suggested always keeping it open when not in use. I’ve done that and have not had an odor problem. Mine are in the basement, so it’s easy to do. I’d think if you were putting them in a closet or some such thing, it’d be difficult to leave the door open all the time.

    Comment by Karen — Sep 7th 2007 @ 9:01 pm

13. I can heartily second the Whirlpool Duet. My wife and I debated between that and the Duet Sport, but decided that the extra capacity was worth it. We close the door to the laundry room and forget that they’re even going.

    Comment by Jon — Sep 7th 2007 @ 10:21 pm

14. Here’s a third for Whirlpool Duet. We have had them about a year and have been very impressed thus far. Plus you have the entertainment value of watching the clothes go round and round!

    Comment by tll — Sep 10th 2007 @ 5:49 am

15. We bought an LG set recently. They were expensive (bought them on sale during tax-free weekend here), but worth it.

    I tend to forget when I started laundry and when I need to go back to the basement to deal with it; both the washer and the dryer show the estimated time remaining as soon as they start, which is great. The dryer also has a setting for “wrinkle reduction” which will keep running in short bursts up to 3 hours after the cycle is done, if I forget to come get it right away. It has an “ultra-low heat” setting, too, which allows me to quickly dry delicate items that I wouldn’t have trusted to my old dryer.

    It took a little time to install them, because they were much bigger than our old set, and the washer had to be adjusted to sit perfectly level. But it’s been worth it, at least so far.

    Comment by Anitra — Sep 10th 2007 @ 12:17 pm

16. For mother’s day this year, my siblings and I bought Mom a Kenmore Oasis mentioned previuosly. (I know, we suck as gift-givers in terms of ’sweet’, but we’ve always given very nice presents before and she really needed a new washer and couldn’t really afford anything nice.) She *loves* it. She’s forgiven us for the boring present.

    The salesman did warn us that it needed to be on a concrete floor; ours was bought “used” because the lady that bought it originally had to bring it back–her floor wasn’t stable enough for it. (We got a nice price on a washer that had been used once.)

    Comment by JustBeth — Sep 10th 2007 @ 1:41 pm

17. Here’s another vote for the Whirlpool Duet. We have a 5 year old set and have never had any problems with them. The dryer can actually dry most loads faster than the washer can do the next load. Also, these appliances “walk” a whole lot less than any top loader I’ve ever seen.

    As far as the odor problem, you need to keep the washer door slightly open when not in use. For some reason not all of the water empties from it.

    Comment by MITBeta — Sep 11th 2007 @ 9:04 am

18. I bought a LG front loading washer, and the best rated dryer that wasn’t a front loader. I think it was a whirlpool. The savings were substantial and it seems to work fine. Also my dryer is electric and it seems to not use as much electric as you would think. Nor does my washer.

    And both my units are on the second floor my 3 story townhouse. The vibrations are not that bad from the front loading washer.

    I also leave my washer door open to dry and there isn’t an odor. I purchased my washer/dryer in 8.05.

    Comment by Livingalmostlarge — Sep 12th 2007 @ 9:26 am

19. Hey Nickel, just came across an article in Kiplingers about energy saving appliances, and they recommended the Kenmore HE5t ($1300) and the Bosch Nexxt 500 Series ($1099). They are both supposedly high-efficiency front loaders. Anyway, thought you might want to check them out.

    Comment by David — Sep 14th 2007 @ 12:52 am

20. I researched with Consumer Reports before buying our HE front-loader. Consumers reports recommends NOT buying ANY of the HE top-loaders (like the Kenmore Elite Oasis) because of the repair track record.

    We bought the Kenmore HE3t for about $800 installed and delivered and love it. It works perfectly with our homemade detergent. It does spin A LOT, which is fine for us because it is in the basement.

    We also kept our old dryer (after putting a new $30 heating element in) because dryers haven’t changed much in the last couple decades. No point in spending money on something that isn’t any more efficient.

    Comment by savvy — Sep 16th 2007 @ 10:26 am

21. Please just send me updates to this thread.
    Thank you!

    Comment by Robin — Oct 14th 2007 @ 12:35 am

22. I bought the Frigidaire Affinity just a few months ago. The load capacity is astounding. There are 5 members in my family, teenager to young boys, and I am able to do an entire week of laundry in record time. They hold a lot of clothes and get them cleaner than conventional washers and dryers. I also purshased the storage drawers they sit on….don’t worry they are worth their weight in gold!!!

    Comment by theresa — Nov 4th 2007 @ 9:14 pm

23. We bought a Frigidaire front loading set about a year ago. We have no complaints about how it works. Compared to a standard washer, they do larger loads, use much less detergent and water, and still get just as clean. The washer spins them so fast that the dryer is done in less than 30 min.

    HOWEVER, on the 3rd time using the dryer, as my husband went in to grab the clothes out, he noticed the light bulb hanging down and as he got closer, it exploded right near his face. He was not hurt at all, but this was severe enough that it could have had much more serious results. Considering the seriousness of this event, I was expecting at the very least, a new dryer from the company, but that was not the case. They did repair it for free and we have had no problems since. However, I don’t know that I would buy from Frigidaire again, and I would recommend that everyone check that the light bulb is attached firmly before use.

    My parents bought a Whirlpool washer and it broke after about a year and the repairs would be more expensive than a new washer, so I would make sure to research whatever brand you buy.

    A few things I found in my research were that the high spin speeds cause the washer to “walk” across the room, and that the increased weight of these units has been known to cause problems if it is not in the basement. What we did to address this was to buy a “horse mat” sold at farming supply stores, which helps spread out the load and keep them in place. It has worked very well for us, just cut it to size and lay it down before they are delivered.

    Comment by LC — Nov 30th 2007 @ 12:16 pm

24. Bought an LG washer and dryer 4 years ago. Top of the line at the time. Both worked flawlessly for about a year. Both are problem children since. The washer has had most of its innards replaced and the dryer has a cracked drum. There are only 3 of us so it does not get excessive usage. LG has been less than helpful. No one wants to work on these things and parts take forever to arrive. Don’t buy LG.

    Comment by Gary Huff — Dec 23rd 2007 @ 7:01 pm

25. HI all,
    I see that there are comments about the odor on the front loader washers. My spouse bought me the LG Tromm Steam Washer for Christmas. I works like a dream. On further research about the odor issues, here are the recommendations that I have found work for us. There is a rubber seal in the front of the LG. The manufactuer recommends after each load or after completing the laundry for the day to wipe the interior door down to dry and then to take clean cloth and wipe the interior seal down making sure to clean out the interior portion of the seal. the seal has a split feature with small holes that can trap lint, hair. It is also reccommended that you clean the filter for the washer out once a month because it can collect hair, lint and strings from your laundry that can cause odors to be trapped in your washer. This is realatively easy to do on the LG d/t the small door on the front of the unit allows easy access to clean out this filter. Running the washer through a rinse cycle with a 1/2 cup of vinegar also will keep any odor at bay, but I have not had to do this with mine as of yet.
    The LG has spinsensense to use to reduce the vibration on wood floors.
    I also have read the best material to use to stabilizer a front loader is a stall mat (found in horse feed stores) that can be trimmed to fit and holds > 500lbs and usually are a common gray color.
    I also have a friend who owns the duet and she denies a vibration problem with hers, but it is installed on a concrete surface. The stall mat is highly recommended for front loaders on a second story intallation.
    JUst my 2 cents. :):):)

    Comment by Deb — Jan 27th 2008 @ 12:38 pm

26. I am looking for any information on newer front loading washers and dryers. I am considering the LG’s. I will be getting my taxes soon and hope to purchase a new pair. Any information both good and bad for any brand would be appreciated. Please send directly to me at Slater14586@yahoo.com.

    Thanks,

    Teresa

    Comment by Teresa — Feb 1st 2008 @ 11:18 am

27. I am currently researching articles because I need a new washing machine. I had a front loader…a very expensive one, which didn’t last very long (5 years). In addition, it smells and has grown moldy inside. It has been repaired once (an expensive control pad),but this was covered under warranty. Now, it will cost $800 to repair. I would rather buy a new one—a top loader, which I know won’t smell or develop so many problems. More importantly, I know I can count on it. Clearly, the techonolgy of the front loaders is not adequately developed. OR, maybe the companies spent so much money in development, that even after they knew the problems, they hyped and sold them anyway. SO, consumers BEWARE of any front loader!

    Comment by Anne Marie — Feb 12th 2008 @ 10:39 pm

28. I have a Kenmore front loader..bought in 2001 for $649. It has had 3 major repairs (total $815). It is due for anothe major repair of about $500. I am so disappointed with Sears customer service on the phone. I will not be buying another Kenmore, but love the frontloading low water usage and energy efficiency. The reduced drying time and energy is a big plus. I am now researching for a new maching (probably LG or Frigidaire) Heard to many bad things about maytags.

    Comment by joyce — Feb 25th 2008 @ 10:50 am

29. I feel sorry for the people who just bought the LG front loader washing machines. We bought the LG TROMM. There has been a god awful smell coming from it. We keep emptying the drainage compartment at the bottom and cleaning the seal around the door ( which is really gross). I started looking online today for consumer complaints. If you go to http://www.lgelectronicsconsumercomplaints.com, you will find several people have the same complaint as I have. Another good one is http://www.chimicles.com/lgwashing. If anyone does know of a lawsuit please let me know. Thanks

    Comment by Sue — Mar 5th 2008 @ 1:45 pm

30. My wife and I bought an LG TROMM front load washer and dryer to replace an old maytag set.
    Right off the bat the washer would randomly leak. Not all the time and from nowhere in particular. I searched all over but could not find the source. No service person could either. It seems to have stopped.??? The worst problem was the roten egg stink. This had never happened with our other washer. We leave the door open and wipe the seal but every now and then it smeels like a cesspool when drailing. I tried everything. Finally I put bleech in it, rain it on rinse and when it was draining shut it off. This allowed the bleech to have contact time in the pump and hoses. This worked. Doing this once every month has kept the smell away. For the price of this machine this should not be the case. LG sucks!

    Comment by Mike — Mar 12th 2008 @ 1:11 am

31. I bought a Frigidaire Affinity front loading washer a little over a year ago. I’m on my second one. The first one leaked and would not spin a balanced load. My second one doesn’t leak but it still will not spin a balanced load unless there’s little or nothing in it. If I put anything heavy in the machine like towels, sweaters, jeans, even a whole set of queen size sheets, it will not spin balanced. I have to keep pausing, re-arranging, removing, restarting. I have a repair person coming out to try to fix this problem. I am most unhappy with this front loader and will never have another one as long as I live.

    Comment by Audrey — Apr 22nd 2008 @ 2:21 pm

32. Concerning the ’smell’ issues you are having with your LG washers. Most likely it is because you are using a liquid fabric softner. The only way to stop the smell is to give up the liquid and switch to sheets. Try running your machine with detergent mixed with borax. Then run a cycle with vinegar. If that doesn’t work, wash a few loads of whites with clorox. As long as you stop the liquid fabric softner and run several of the suggested cleaning cycles, the odor will dissipate and not return. Also, leave your washer door open to dry out after you are done using it for a while. Front loaders are designed to be air tight so the water doesn’t leak out, of course you are going to have mold growth issues!
    As for a law suit, good luck! Stinky front loaders is an old issue and it is NOT limited to LG.

    Comment by Mer — Aug 8th 2008 @ 7:47 pm

33. I bought the He3t’s for my wife 2002. We have family of 5 and use it most everyday 2 to 4 loads. They have been very reliable. I just had our first problem with it and it cost 300.00 by sears to replace the pump in 20 minutes. I wish I was a little more handy, I thought it was A little high, but it works as good as new. It is sensitive to too much soap and a message called SUD will appear if you put too much soap in. I am going to sell the units for less than 50 percent and buy the same unit with Steam in the upcoming months. over all, it is great and A big thumbs up to the Front Loaders. We could live with out them!

    Comment by GARY KALOGEROS — Aug 9th 2008 @ 10:28 pm

34. I bought a used house that came with Kenmore Elite HE washer and dryer. I have usedd the units for almost 4 years and hate them both!!!! The washer’s shortest cycle is 35 minutes plus another 15 mins. for the spin cycle that stays on 1 min during the 15 minute cycle. If it is full to capacity everything comes out twisted and knotted. The worst is the dryer.Sheets can take up to 3 hours to completely dry. That is taking them out every 30 mins to unball and untwist. I have not idea where the cost savings is when this is what you have to deal with. I don’t pay for water since I am on well but I pay probably double for all of the electricity I use to operate both machines.
    If you have any of the same experiences please let me know. Thanks.

    Comment by susan — Sep 7th 2008 @ 3:21 pm

35. I purchased LG Tromm front loaders over a year ago. I have not had any issues with them except for a leak down the front of the washer once. Service came out and pointed out some hair caught in the seal, and no leak since. I have NEVER had an issue with odor, and I am extremely sensitive to unpleasant smells. This may be because I usually leave the washer door open for a few hours after finishing my last load for the day.

    Many people use WAY too much detergent in these washers (and others don’t bother to use the HE formulation!) A tablespoon is about the most you would need for a standard load of clothes. Only heavily soiled clothes should use slightly more. I do at least 10 loads a week, and would have to do 20 in a regular washer. I use liquid fabric softener in every load, so I don’t think that’s an issue (unless you are using a sub-standard product).

    I’d absolutely recommend the LG Tromm series. Purchase from a reputable retailer with a service department that actually services the equipment they sell. (And go for the pedestals! They are definite back-savers.)

    Comment by Working Mom — Sep 18th 2008 @ 12:22 pm

36. Does anyone have a problem with pipes shaking after you turn your washer on? Ours has been been making the noise ever since we installed it. We have drained the water from all the pipes in the house and it still makes the noise. The plumber and the LG have been very unhelpful. The sugggested pressure for the front loader is the same as we have in our pipes.

    Comment by Irina Gonchar — Feb 23rd 2009 @ 9:47 am

37. Always leave the door open on a front loader when it is not in use. A great product for cleaning the washer is Glisten. It’s citric acid, meant for use in dishwashers. Run it through a hot water cycle in your front loading washing machine when needed. Great!

    Comment by GG — Mar 20th 2009 @ 4:07 pm

38. Don’t waste your money on front loaders, I have the Kenmore Elite, the water in the washer smells, always keep the door open when not in use, the dryer takes hours to dry and they never smell fresh anymore even with fabric softner in it and the only cylce that dries my clothes is the jean cycle. I stopped using liguid fabric softener because my husband cleaned the washer and all of this black goop was in my machine-disgusting, I would go back to the top loaders anyday! Also the washer leaves spots on clothes!!! HIGH MAINTENANCE MACHINES!!!

    Comment by Patti — Jun 30th 2009 @ 9:53 pm

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