Front loader or top loader machines?

[Alan]

I have only used top loading machines, but the front loaders seem to be becoming more popular.

I like top loaders since I can open the lid and throw in the forgotten sock once the wash has started filling. And if there is a known possible water shortage, I could fill it, and save some water there. Suitable for flushing manually, or something like.

Why do you prefer top loading or front loading machines?

 

[phillymatt53]

I have only used top loading machines, but the front loaders seem to be becoming more popular.

I like top loaders since I can open the lid and throw in the forgotten sock once the wash has started filling. And if there is a known possible water shortage, I could fill it, and save some water there. Suitable for flushing manually, or something like.

Why do you prefer top loading or front loading machines?

Same here Alan.
My family and I have always used TL machines.
Mom had an Easy Spin-dryer when I was young, then an early GE FilterFlo.
Something about the robust agitiation of the clothes makes me think it's doing a good job flexing and massaging the garments - better than the less aggressive tumbling action of a FL drum.
And if something gets wrapped in another article in a FL, it's not going to get much agitation to beat the dirt out of it.
And besides, Marketing, advertizing the FL machines is just a way to push people into buying them. - Marketing hype.

Just my opinions of course.

 

[qsd-dan]

Aaaaaaand WW3 has just officially begun.

 

[phillymatt53]

Aaaaaaand WW3 has just officially begun.

??

 

[DADoES]

I have only used top loading machines, but the front loaders seem to be becoming more popular.

I like top loaders since I can open the lid and throw in the forgotten sock once the wash has started filling. And if there is a known possible water shortage, I could fill it, and save some water there. Suitable for flushing manually, or something like.

Why do you prefer top loading or front loading machines?

I enjoy collecting toploaders for the varying and unique mechanicals. I would absolutely choose a frontloader if I needed to buy a new washer from the marketing offerings nowadays.

 

[qsd-dan]

??

You'll see...

 

[me]

All the scientifically conducted test results I've heard of find horizontal axis machines wash better and are less damaging to clothing than a top loader with an agitator.

Being a brit, I've only ever had front loading washing machines and I wouldn't even consider buying a us style top loader, even if the shops sold them here. My parents got their first machine, a front loader, in the mid 70s, when top loading machines were going out of fashion partly because they used more hot water. Twin tubs retained limited popularity in the UK throughout the 80s, because you could take out the clothing and re-use the hot water and detergent for multiple loads.

If you buy a front loader, you really do need to leave the door at least slightly open and the draw ajar when not in use, or the humidity inside will cause black mould. And regular hot maintenance cycles (unless you regularly use a powder detergent containing oxygen bleach on a hot wash). I can pause the machine and add items I missed to the wash providing the water level hasn't already risen up to door level, and in some cycles it doesn't throughout the wash, however this is much, much more convenient if the machine has an instantaneous door lock, rather than a thermal one. My current machine has a thermal door lock (they're cheaper), so I have to pause it and wait for the bimetal strip in the lock to cool down, which takes at least 2 minutes for it to unlock (same at the end of the wash)!

 

[henene4]

I think there's a big gap between what makes sense for day to day use nowadays and what's more valuable in a collectors mind.


If you just want something to throw clothes in, get them out an hour later as clean as needed and you don't have any particular context (nothing like 20 shedding animals to take care of, or somebody getting covered in mud as a profession every day), most anything on the market could do the job at least mediocrely.

If you are not bound to bargain basement prices, a simple FL with heater would be the go to.
Even the smallest ones have ample capacity, operate efficiently and relatively quickly yet can "nuke" any load that needs it through extra high temps and extra rinses.
If you have some budget, getting something with recirculation and some comfort features might be on the cards.


If you actually do want an TL, it's basically down to get something that lets you work around the limitations.
Something that can offer cycles that do use ample water, hot at that, and don't constrict rinsing choices.
Thats - surprisingly - more common in lower end machines.
Simply because you don't want something that thinks it knows water levels better than you and that once you spend 800$ on a washer, you might as well get the FL.

 

[DiamondTiara]

Top loaders, because you don't have to worry about mold growths in the door seal. You still have to clean them, but its not as much of a hassle as front laoders.

 

[foraloysius]

We had this discussion many times. And never the twain shall meet.

 

[ea56]

I used to prefer Front loaders until about 10 years ago when the new FL’s started being manufactured with electronic control boards using algorithms to control the spin cycle.

I had two of these machines, a Frigidaire that refused to spin heavy items like throw rugs and heavy bath towels. It went right back to Lowes after 3 weeks of frustration. Then I got an LG FL that I kept for about 8 mo. before getting rid of it too for the same reason.

I have no use for a machine that will endlessly attempt to find the “sweet spot” to kick into a high speed spin. WHY can’t they use the tried and true old way of gradually ramping up the spin speed until the load has naturally balanced itself and then kick into the final high speed spin? Because of this I will not be buying another FL, which really disappoints me.

That being said my current washer is almost 6 years old, a BOL Roper RTW4516FW2 TL that has been completely trouble free, never fails to balance and go into a high speed spin. If this can be archived in a BOL TL why the hell can’t the more expensive FL’s be programmed to do so too?

Eddie

 

[vacerator]

Double edged sword. Pick your poison. Huge top loader some can't reach the bottom.

 

[maytag85]

I used to prefer Front loaders until about 10 years ago when the new FL’s started being manufactured with electronic control boards using algorithms to control the spin cycle.

I had two of these machines, a Frigidaire that refused to spin heavy items like throw rugs and heavy bath towels. It went right back to Lowes after 3 weeks of frustration. Then I got an LG FL that I kept for about 8 mo. before getting rid of it too for the same reason.

I have no use for a machine that will endlessly attempt to find the “sweet spot” to kick into a high speed spin. WHY can’t they use the tried and true old way of gradually ramping up the spin speed until the load has naturally balanced itself and then kick into the final high speed spin? Because of this I will not be buying another FL, which really disappoints me.

That being said my current washer is almost 6 years old, a BOL Roper RTW4516FW2 TL that has been completely trouble free, never fails to balance and go into a high speed spin. If this can be archived in a BOL TL why the hell can’t the more expensive FL’s be programmed to do so too?

Eddie

That’s the biggest gripe I have about front loading machines, they literally take forever to balance and takes awhile to find a ‘sweet spot’.

Top loading machines can go off balance for sure, but deliberately have to put heavy and light items together for that to happen. As long as you wash items with like items, shouldn’t be a problem.

 

[maytag85]

This debate has been going on for awhile, but for me I prefer top loading machines (preferably older models) with a lint filter.

Here’s a video qsd-dan made of the effectiveness on a Maytag A806 filtering out lint from two dog beds awhile back.

 

[ea56]

“That’s the biggest gripe I have about front loading machines, they literally take forever to balance and takes awhile to find a ‘sweet spot”

Both the Frigidaire and LG FL’s that I had with the newer electronic control boards REFUSED to find a “sweet spot” on certain loads with heavy items and it’s not because I don’t know how to load a freaking washing machine.

These machines simply WOULD NOT spin these loads! A complete waste of time and money. With the Frigidaire I had to take a load that it refused to spin to the GD laundromat to finish spinning that load. That was the last straw with that machine. It went right back to Lowes the next day!

Eddie

 

[appnut]

Once I got a front loader with an onboard heater there was no going back to an antique top loader far superior results dealing with various stains and sanitation without lifting a finger just throw everything in and select the cycle proper and get on with life

 

[statomatic]

Top loader & horizontal axis of course !

 

[cfz2882]

super cool French machine-and in shaded coppertone!
Right now have 2 front load and 2 top load on daily driver row: '01 He3 KM,'12 GE 24",'08 Hydrowave GE, and '82 SQ.
No spin nonsense with a 3-belt westy: just bang! and drain hose jumps in the pipe from sudden pump engagement.

 

[statomatic]

super cool French machine-and in shaded coppertone!
Right now have 2 front load and 2 top load on daily driver row: '01 He3 KM,'12 GE 24",'08 Hydrowave GE, and '82 SQ.
No spin nonsense with a 3-belt westy: just bang! and drain hose jumps in the pipe from sudden pump engagement.

Thanks, they call it "flammed coffee" http://machinealavervintage.e-monsite.com/blog/brandt-pour-ne-pas-se-tromper-partie-7.html

 

[johnb300m]

Thanks, they call it "flammed coffee"

LOL, that’s so French.

 

[panasonicvac]

Love both, I dream of living in a house with both of them just like what we had up at our last cabin. But if I had to choose between the two, definitely front loaders.

 

[niclonnic]

This debate again?

Personally, I will take a front-loader any day of the week. Their tumbling wash action is significantly more thorough compared to the agitator in a top-loader, not to mention much more gentle on fabrics. Although it may seem logical that more water gets clothes cleaner, the low water level in a FL concentrates the detergent better, which in turn leads to better stain removal. Also, because of the lack of an agitator, FLs can wash big, bulky items, such as comforters, with ease. This saves us a trip to the laundromat.

I've only had two FL washers: an LG which was left at my old house when we sold it a few years ago, and a GE UltraFresh at my current place. My GE features a venting system which dries out the interior of the drum at the end of laundry day. This prevents the common issue of mold and mildew from occurring, which in turn lets us keep the door closed when not in use. Plus, it prevents small pets from climbing inside the washer.

Before the GE, we had a BOL Frigidaire TL which came with the house. That Frigidaire was not the best; its agitator vigorously pulled clothes back and forth with no turnover whatsoever. Laundry was just floating around most of the time. This resulted in loose, flyaway strings and, worst of all, white, linty residue left on clean clothes after a cycle. Oh, and the agitator would "eat" thin articles of clothing, resulting in us having to forcefully yank them out of there after washing was complete. Finally, this washer had mechanical issues, namely with the drain pump. Somehow, its short hose had become kinked, resulted in water not draining adequately. This meant that the washer would often have its off-balance warning go off. My dad managed to fix it, and additionally buy a new drain hose. After this washer worked trouble-free for four years, the drain pump's plastic bracket broke, resulting in leakage onto the floor during operation. Replacing the pump would have cost over $200, hence why we bought the GE FL.

So yeah, after the whole ordeal with the Frigidaire TL, my faith in FL washers has been restored.

 

[gansky1]

Both. LG washtower and a trad-topload next to it if that's all there's room for. GE or WP/KM topload.

 

[phillymatt53]

This debate has been going on for awhile, but for me I prefer top loading machines (preferably older models) with a lint filter.

Here’s a video qsd-dan made of the effectiveness on a Maytag A806 filtering out lint from two dog beds awhile back.

That machine operates exactly like my A842, nice and quiet.