Front loaders or HE top loaders - Which would you choose?

[aquacycle]

Hi all,

I’m currently on holiday in Mauritius visiting my partners family. I’ve noticed during my time here that the market is a pretty even split between front load and HE top load machines. This got me thinking about why people would choose one or the other. In the U.K, we have no choice. But to those in other parts of the world, if you were to choose between a front load machine or HE top load machine, which would it be and why?

(Awaiting a barrage of comments saying “neither, I’d choose a traditional toploader” )

 

[askolover]

Front loader, hands down.  I can fill it full and everything comes out clean.  Less wear and tear on my clothes (still using the same bath towels for 15 years) even with chlorine bleach.  Excellent rinsing (my Asko rinses 4 times, Miele rinses 3).  Spin is so much faster...clothes dry quicker.  Less water usage.  And these two machines heat their own water beyond what other brands could (of available models in the US anyway at their time). 

 

[appnut]

Front loader for all the same reasons Greg just cit4ed above.

 

[norgeway]

Well

I WOULD chose a frontloader,,,,BUT I want one that works, BENDIX or WESTINGHOUSE!!

 

[pierreandreply4]

if i had to chose

if I had to chose today I would go with a classic topload washer like this one Inglis royal100 with matching side door dryer

 

[aquacycle]

I would go with a classic topload

I knew someone was going to say that but it wasn’t my question and doesn’t answer the point.

You can’t get traditional agitator toploaders here and from what I’ve seen, there is an even split between FL and HE TL washers. I was wondering what people who have the option of both would choose and why.

 

[Marky_Mark]

Are the pulsator-style top loaders in Mauritius designed to work the way that pulsator top loaders have always worked, i.e. fill with enough water to cover the load completely, just as with traditional agitator top load washers? Or are they the type that are now sold in the US and Canada that have had an HE makeover and use far less water on the normal cycle?

I was wondering if the HE versions of pulsator machines were only sold in the USA and Canada as I've never seen them in other countries that use pulsator machines. Although they look identical. [this post was last edited: 12/3/2018-15:25]

 

[whitetub]

Front-load washer only. Because I know every piece of clothing will get the same wash action, every time the the drum goes around, back and forth. They use just the right amount of water.

With the HE top loading washers that I have seen, the clothes on top just sit there, while the clothes at the bottom get roughed up by the washing plate. I would never buy an HE front load machine.

 

[iowabear]

Like the others I would choose a front load.

 

However there are members here who have HE top loads and get good results.  The key is being knowledgeable about how to load them and what cycles to use.

 

Not everyone can be bothered and a lot of people (or their household members) are going to just pack in an oversized unsorted load and press start.

 

Front loaders are going to be more forgiving in those cases.

 

[lakewebsterkid]

Front load

We have had a great deal of success with our Whirlpool Duet over the years. I do, however, miss a deep fill to wash delicates. Though, the cleaning is much better in the front load. Again, the reasons why I would buy another one are posted above.

 

[thomasortega]

Definitely front loaders.

Impeller type HE top load washers are OK if you know how to sort and load it properly, but front loaders or horizontal axis top loaders are far superior.

 

[aquacycle]

Mark, definitely a combination of both styles of pulsator TL. Some seem more deep filling than others, with some sensing and saturating the load whilst others tend to fill at the bottom and be “dry” on top, though I have only seen 3 in action in my time here so I don’t take that as overly reliable.

My MIL has a nice LG front loader which is the same as what we get in the U.K. Other brands available in both FL and TL are Sharp, Midea, Ocean, Samsung, Pacific, Hitachi, Ariston and Westpoint. Bosch and Miele are both available but very expensive.

 

[thor]

Could you ask if people in Mauritius wash their clothes in cold water only? Maybe that's the reason HE TLs are popular. HE TLs wash way better in cold water only than any FL does or is able to do.

 

[tomdawg]

Ive Used Both

I personally love the ease of top loaders.
of course my favorite by far in the top load market is fisher paykel- you have at the combination of traditional deep fill with an option of spray rinses to make it "HE" not sure if its available in the UK

I did have a whirlpool cabrio someone junked ( there was nothing wrong with it)
I personally hated it, as some people have said, the top layer doesn't get all clean. I'll watch the 15min wash cycle and nothing usually turns over. you have to have the right amount of clothes and cycles for it to work properly.

Front loaders are better in my opinion, especially with a big load. it can effectively clean it no problem and like others have said, much more forgiving at user error.

My sister recently switch from top load HE to Front load HE and she can already tell the difference!

 

[Marky_Mark]

Ah ok that's interesting. Thanks for letting me know.

In answer to your original question: if I had to choose between a FL and a HE impeller TL, I would go for the FL. However that's only based on what I've read as I only have experience of using FLs and traditional agitator TLs. I have looked at many HE impeller machines in the US and Canada but only in stores, I've never had the opportunity to use one. I'd like to try them. The biggest ones certainly are massive inside. CR finds in their particular tests that HE TLs are typically rougher on clothes and don't clean as well as FLs.

Here in Spain, I have seen used TL impeller machines for sale (they appear to be non-HE). The writing on them is in Spanish, so I suspect they have probably come over from Hispanic America. I would like to try one. I suspect they would work very well and would be much gentler on clothes compared to the modern HE versions sold in the US and Canada. But that's just a guess.

 

[mralex]

I just moved to a flat with a "washer/dryer" I still have my LG Aussie HE top loader and I miss having in connected... My washer/dryer takes like 3h to finish a load of laundry (that's just washing, not drying)

 

[mrsalvo]

If I had to buy a new washer, I would be willing to try a new HE front loader with a heater for sanitizing laundry. The advances in medical treatments for cancers and other diseases is now utilizing live Polio / Tuberculosis microbes, so if anyone in your family would need treatment having a washer to take care of infected clothing would be paramount. I would dread the long cycle time however.

Barry

 

[kate1]

I have personally only owned conventional top loaders but I did live in a rental unit for about a year with an HE top loader and the majority of my friends own one. Personally, I think they’re garbage. They just don’t clean properly, even after I scoured the internet and the owners manual for how to use the machine properly, things didn’t come clean for me. I love conventional, especially a little older, top loaders and I will probably always own one (I will definitely always own one with children living under my roof) but I also really like front loaders. Someday I plan to own a Miele stacked set in addition to my old Whirlpool TL. If I only had the option of an HE machine, a European front loader would be it. My second choice after that (in the dystopia where only HE top loaders can be bought lol) would be to use a wringer washer, which I incidentally have coming to me when my grandparents pass away and I happen to love using as well. I think those are sort of HE since you use the same water for all of your laundry. I also own a glass washboard and a big double wash basin so if nothing else, there’s that too. I won’t use another HE top loader as long as I live.

 

[cfz2882]

VMW cabrio can wash good!

I have a 2010 VMW Cabrio and must say it is a washing SOB if you get the load size just so...I do hate when it gets stuck on a rebalance routine-constantly draining and refilling as it tries to balance a load.