omg who is next!!!

[toploader1984]

i just read on another thread that frigidaire quit making top loaders, i am so mad!!!! i hope speed queen does not stop making them!!! i plan on buying one in the next year. i do NOT like front loaders, or anything HE for that matter!!! and i WILL NOT be caught dead with a shredmore!!! i HATE the us government!! all this to save a few gallons of water!??? we r being forced to buy plastic JUNK!!! front loaders that cost a fortune and ONLY last 5 years!!!!! what is this world coming to!????

 

[qsd-dan]

My advice is to find and use a vintage top loader. Unfortunately, I see top loaders quickly disappearing out of existence in the VERY near future due to strict government regulations. This is the reason why I have 6 vintage Maytags in my living room, one on the side yard, and one in the laundry room as a daily driver coupled with 5 bins of parts that I have buying and hoarding for the past 3 years. Lots of machines/parts to swap around when parts become NLA.

 

[launderess]

There is a reason top loading washing machines with central beaters are so rare in Europe, with energy and water costs it just isn't possible to have such a thing that would do the job properly.

Without ample water, top loading washers with central beaters are doing just that to laundry, beating it to death. With USA federal and in some cases local energy and water restrictions forcing less and less water use for washing machines, there really isn't anyway to left to go.

L.

 

[toploader1984]

my point is... the average person cant afford to pay 900 dollars or MORE JUST for a washer and another 800 for a dryer EVERY 5 YEARS!! LG GE frigidaire and whirlpool front loaders all last 5 years or less on average.

 

[toploader1984]

the fact is, I AM THE ONE THAT PAYS MY UTILITY BILL, therfore I should be the one to worry about how much and if i want to save water and energy or not, plus, by the time u add up the savings you end up paying MORE with a front loader b cuz they r soo expensive and there average life span is ONLY 5 years. they do NOT use less energy to run, the only savings is in hot water, they base the energy usage by usage of hot water, NOT how much power it takes to turn the drum and or agitator. i bought a brand new LG front load washer and dryer, 2 years later it is sitting in my basement unhooked, i couldnt stand waiting 2 hours for a load to get done, and every time i went down there it wa in the middle of the floor, not to mention half the time AFTER IT RAN FOR 2 HOURS i would find the load still soaking wet b cuz the balance sensor malfunctioned b cuz i put a sweatshirt in with jeans. so i bought a 1980s GE filter flo, which i absolutely ADORE!!!! i love that machine, best machine ever made!!!! compared to 90 percent of front loaders today that are made over seas, (ha) like we dont have enough jobs in here in the united states!!!

 

[qsd-dan]

"my point is... the average person cant afford to pay 900 dollars or MORE JUST for a washer and another 800 for a dryer EVERY 5 YEARS!! LG GE frigidaire and whirlpool front loaders all last 5 years or less on average."

Hell, even most top loaders aren't getting 5 years without a major repair or replacement. Here's a response from a Maytag video on youtube:

"Our 9 month old high-dollar Maytag washer (Whirltag) started leaking all over! Even into the electronics!! Very dangerous!!!! We called them E-mailed them and they honestly could have cared less!!!! No kidding!!! Even said,,, WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR SERVICE CALL!! DO NOT BUY ANY MAYTAG OR WHIRLPOOL products They have gone way down hill since 2006!!!! We sold a new $700 washer at our yard sale as-is for $25!!! That sucked!!!!!!!!"

 

[toploader1984]

speed queen is the ONLY company that is all about customer satisfaction and putting out a quality product, 3 year parts AND labor warranty, and one of the only company still making a top loader, which i am getting within the next year.

 

[mark_wpduet]

Yeah. Too bad SQ doesn't make other appliances

 

[mayguy]

Will be hard to say who's next.

I have the GE front loader, and that was only $400, and it paid for itself already.

In a year, we've save 12,000 gallons of water, $30 a month on gas, and $15 in electric.

True, nothing is built like they used to be, but what can we do? People want's "cheap"!

 

[arrrooohhh]

Fridigaire top loaders, from what I understand, are not quality long lasting appliances either.

I just wish more people would understand about how important water conservation is. If you lived in Australia where now we face almost permanent water restrictions, you would not be complaining. I would rather have a minute more in the shower than run a top load washing machine everyday just for the fun of watching it slosh around.

At least in the states, the manufacturers have gone to some effort to make the front loader machines to US tastes. In Australia we are buying machines that are made and programmed for the European market and consumers have to change their washing habits to suit.

For what it is worth, the Electrolux group have High Efficiency top loaders for the Australian market, though from what I hear about their performance, one is better with a front loader anyway.

 

[toploader1984]

maybe in other countries water is restricted but c mon folks, our planet is made up of 95 percent water?? i think, we should NOT be worried about it, why dont we just clean our clothes with air??? there is alwas dry clean, pumping them full of chemichles.

 

[vintagesearch]

well in that case we kinda win think about it....most if us HATE the modern crap we hold onto our more vintage older wise washers and such and can still fix them for relatively cheap prices as well so now we have and excuse to go on craigslist or 2nd hand appliance stores and get vintage machines!!! recently we glanced at a more "budget" friendly frontloader at sears while stove shopping and at 449.99 and 3.1cu ft not that bad, a fair option as oppose to the 1200.00 or so for a sexy washer and 1 or more hours to wash!!! we will spend 1200 on another tv not a washer! and since lately frigidaire from what i gather now make mediocre half fill toploaders anyways so yea Bye bye.....maybe the fisher and paykell styled toploaders will come into affect HE toploaders with agitators!!! woo hoo? or woo nooooooo!!!????

 

[redcarpetdrew]

The handwriting's on the wall...

Whirlpool's soaking a lot of money into perfecting the Cabrio ( AKA the Maytag Bravos) as the current info says 2012 is the year the standard direct drive, water using top loader spins into the sunset. After that, The Cabrio will BE Whirlpools' only 'top load' washer.

RCD

 

[mark_wpduet]

Yes, the public wants "cheap", but those who want to pay the extra money for high end appliances and longevity and not getting longevity! Even the most expensive appliances don't seem to last. I can understand something low end or cheaper not lasting as long, but the high end appliances have JUST as many problems as the low end. My 1200 dollar Duet has a lot of plastic in it, like the detergent dispenser is all plastic. I'm sure if it were dropped it would be ruined.

 

[laundromat]

5 years????

I had my LG combination 24 inch unit for 7 years before I sold it to my neighbor friend who is still using it.My LG set was 2 years old when I got it at a flea market and was sold to a church lady I know who still loves it and has had no issues.I had my Frigidaires for 6 years and the GE's, made by FRIGIDAIRE,for 3 before selling/trading up to a K'aid f/l set.The k'aids are still being used by another neighbor who gave me $1499 for the set.She has 6 children and uses them daily. So,where does this 5 year life span originate????

 

[laundromat]

If you go to Sears,Lowes,Home Depot,Best Buy or any local dealers and stay back watching the salespeople and customers who are in the market for a new washer,the sales people are actualy promoting the front loading units 10 to 1 over all top loaders including the GE Harmonies and Whirlpool's Cabrio. i am surprised to see that LG hasn't introduced their top loaders here.

 

[toggleswitch2]

Once the novelty wears off (in this country) and EVERYONE has changed over to front-loaders, the prices will fall-- as they do for all products that have peaked and reached their maturity.

 

[mielabor]

Netherlands...

We never had automatic top loaders with agitator here. Water usage had nothing to do with this. We always had plenty of water, so much in fact that we have to pump it to the sea as not to drown Until a few years ago domestic water consumption was unmetered in Amsterdam. We are now in a conversion process and within a couple more years all homes have water meters. I have a water meter now (my mother still hasn't one) and have to pay about 50 euro per year.

My guess is that automatic front loaders were much cheaper to construct. It always strikes me how complicated the mechanics of HA top loaders are. My mothers first automatic washer was a very simple affair, it didn't even have a detergent dispenser. Automatic VA top loaders were way too expensive to be a commercial success.

Built quality has nothing to do with the machine type, top loader or front loader. People are just not willing to spend a lot of money on a durable machine and the manufacturers respond to this. All those vintage machines were very expensive when new compared to current standards.

 

[ryanm]

According to some recent statistics I read, American households still buy 75% top loaders. While demand is there, i don't think any American company will stop making them in my opinion. Americans always like 'choice', and don't take kindly to any company who does not offer a choice. I have 2 friends who either own or work in appliance sales in my area, and both say top loaders still outsell fron loaders by a large margin in my area. Almost every appliance store here privately owned also have Speed Queen top load washers on the display floor, along with the many made by Whirlpool corporation.