Top Load or Front Load....?

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I'm a Top Loader!

Front load machines (especially these dreadful new "energy savers" that take eons to complete a cycle) are awful. A folded handerchief remains folded after an entire cycle. How clean is that? Top loaders take less time and actually clean the clothes. And besides, front loaders are not that exciting to watch...give me a Penta-Swirl, Roto-Swirl, Pulsator, Burp-a-Lator, Activator, Surgilator any time!
 
Its interesting to hear how much people like there front loaders, I personally cant stand them. I don't feel like the cloths get rinsed well enough,a front loader takes way longer than it needs to to complete a cycle and could someone explain why moving surfactant through cloths requires an $800 computer? Instead of throwing money at gadgets and gizmos that will eventually be the downfall of a machines longevity, personally speaking I find a wringer washer with a double washtub and laundry spinner to be a much more dependable and sound way to put $800 towards laundry equipment. In 1hr and 1/2 you can get everything washed and thoroughly rinsed in a wringer that an he machine would take 8 hrs to do. Just my personal thoughts but as they say "to each their own".
 
The way I figure it, if I can wait 45-60 minutes for my Kitchenaid or Maytag dishwashers to do a load then why can't I wait for the washer to do a load..The Asko takes 45 minutes for a normal load and the Miele 59 minutes at 120F and 66 minutes for 140F both with extra rinses.  I'm just used to it after all these years.  Try getting embedded paraffin wax out of cotton in a toploader.  Both my Euro FL machines with powerful heaters can/have. 

 

A folded handerchief remains folded after an entire cycle. How clean is that?

True...but you don't throw socks wadded up in a little ball into the washer do you?  I unfold my handkerchiefs when I stick them into the whites basket...but to each his own.  I'm just being snarky...it's all in good fun!
 
How to get paraffin was out of cotton in a top loader - you first use a hot iron and kitchen paper to get the excess wax off, then you spray laundry stain remover on the remaining oily stain and wash it on hot.
 
I vote for front loaders. Use way less water and energy (and detergent)---water will always be a perennial issue here in California, in spite of this winter's record snowfall.

My current (Electrolux 60) and last FL (Frig 2140---given to my neighbor, works perfectly at 11 years of age) get clothes cleaner than any TL I previously owned. Yes, the cycles are longer, but the result is cleaner clothes. I use the delay wash option to my benefit, setting up a load to run overnight or while I'm at work, which obviates the longer cycle time. The older 2140 had only one option, an 8 hour delay, but the 60 has delay from 30 mins to 24 hrs.

Additionally, fast final spin speeds shorten drying time.
 
Hands down on the front loaders. They do more per sq.ft.,they use less water,less bleach,less detergen,less fabric softener,less electricity and do a more thorough job getting clothes clean using a less vigorous method. They also spin much more water out to save time,energy and are more gentle on fabrics. No sharp agitator blades like the "cruel action" agitator post types.
 
I vote traditional top loader hands down. Never had a problem and as I've stated before in other threads, my clothes are no less clean or in worse condition than the clothes of people who launder theirs in (expensive, top of the range) front loaders. In fact, I will put money on my clothes being better rinsed and containing less detergent residue, because my machine is a traditional, no-frills, no eco nonsense machine, that uses plenty of water for rinsing. Clothes clean up well in either type of washer, but effective rinsing is an issue with many high efficiency machines. Here in Australia consumer review organizations rate rinse performance as important as wash performance and top loaders generally perform better at rinsing according to their assessments.

Either types of washers have their advantages and drawbacks, but whatever the differences are, a well-designed, good quality washer will get the job done well enough. It's up to the individual consumer to decide for themselves what they are looking for in the products they choose.

In most cases the differences aren't that significant to get passionate over. The best performing products are usually the ones where the focus of design remains on the primary function. Many manufacturers are promising consumers all kinds of additional features and benefits to meet perceived consumer demands, but rarely do they deliver all that is promised.[this post was last edited: 4/1/2017-21:09]
 
To be totally honest, IF there were still an abundance of replacement parts for ALL old machines I would have probably a couple of top load sets. A Kelvinator and possibly a Norge, Frigidaire or even a Speed Queen, all solid tub machines. They all washed, rinsed and spun clothes out quite well and I liked using any of them. However, that is not the case. A vintage machine always has the possibility of breaking down and there are just no parts around for them anymore. It is regrettable, but true. If Frigidaire had not sold out and still made a washer that agitated up and down, that would be the set I would have. But there are no such machines anymore. I don't even look at laundry in the same way as I used to these days. It is now just another necessity that I have to deal with and after using every kind of washer and dryer around in my existence, I have reached the conclusion that a front load washer does an excellent job of washing, rinsing and spinning my clothes out with no linting or wear to them. That is just not something that even the best top load washers I have used could do with the same degree of excellence. This machine does it's job with a minimum of water too. I have used the front load washers from the past too. The westinghouse machines were adequate, but that's about it. Even they did a good job giving lint free loads, but were only fair at washability and at extracting water from the clothes. They also only rotated in one direction which caused balling up of items like sheets. The new front load machines are just far superior to ANY HE top loader. I will admit that the Speed Queen top loader is as close to a traditional washing machine as you can get now. But why have something new that uses vast amounts of water to do the same thing a front load machine will do at far less? Not only that, but the Speed Queen limits you to ONE rinse and that ONE rinse requires you to do a deep fill rinse. The front loaders will do up to 3 extra rinses and STILL use far less water than the Speed Queen uses with just ONE deep rinse. It only makes common sense to go with a front load machine and I look for Speed Queen to quit making their top loader before much longer anyway due to goverment interference.
 
Hey Johnny...
I've recently bought a top loader as I do a shed load of laundry because of some air b and b places I have. I also run a front loader alongside it, so a few months in, I have a better understanding of them both!

I'd say I much prefer the top loader for washing towels, sheets and other "robust" items of clothing. The top loader washes these really well, and even when I use the 6 minute "light" programme the results are great! However, I would say it is let down my its poor spinning performance, so I do run them through the front loader before drying.

The front loader is 100% better for washing more delicate items of clothing, or dark clothes that would need rinsed very well - despite the huge amount of water the machine uses, it doesn't rinse as well as a front loader - end of! I've used the hand wash programme in the top loader too and it is useless - again, the front loader does this programme much better.

Here are some pictures now of my set up - I have all three machines on the go at the moment!

chrisbsuk++4-2-2017-07-30-20.jpg
 
this cycle is due to take nearly 4 hrs! I have put three extra rinses on though, but even so, the top loader would have done about 8 loads in this time!

chrisbsuk++4-2-2017-07-33-49.jpg
 
Front Loaders - but with a tilted drum!

Front loaders, for the sheer practicality of siting the machine below counter tops.

Though I have to confess that the new machines with looooong cycle times are doing my head in!

If the load is out of balance, inter-rinse spinning is skipped, so rinsing is poor.

Autocare sensor programme: quite speedy - but defaults to two rinses. Extra rinse not allowed, but machine "might" add one depending on sensor feedback (I'm presuming if a sudslock is detected...?). Spin maximum is locked at 1400rpm.

Rinses, by default on speedier programmes, are only two. An extra rinse can be activated - on some programmes.

Skin care programme has 3 rinses, and an option to add a fourth - but the final spin maximum speed is locked at 1200rpm. Arrrgh!!!

Final spin predicted to take about 10 minutes - ends up taking half a bloody hour!

I have actually had more success with front loaders with a tilted drum. When they distribute the load, the laundry tends to fall towards the back wall of the drum. Spinning has been far better than a purely horizontal drum.
 
Chris,

Your top loader doesn't have good spin efficiency and difficulty cleaning delicate clothes. In Australia most top loaders spin at 800 rpm and higher and there is no issue with decent water extraction. My SQ washer spins at 700 rpm, but I've got the matching dryer which will dry a full load of regular clothes in a little under an hour. There is absolutely no problem with getting hand washables clean on the delicate cycle.
 
I would take a front loader

IF IT WERE A BENDIX OR WESTINGHOUSE that actually washed your clothes, the modern ones are just about like beating your clothes on a rock, and they don't rinse worth a darn, and a front loader should turn continuously in one direction, when the new ones stop to reverse they are NOT washing!!!LOL...But you all know I hate anything new and most especially anything digital!
 
Thank you Norgeway! I totally agree and think these newfangled front-loading "energy savers" do nothing but. How could a 2-3 hour cycle be efficient? And as I pointed out earlier, folded handkerchiefs thrown into the front-loader are still folded after the entire cycle. Nice for some who don't like to fold, but is that really clean? Top loaders are the best in cleaning! Just call me Norma Desmond, loving to live in the efficient past..!
 
Again

Only reason modern domestic H-Axis washing machines take hours to do wash is due to government/energy mandates.

Commercial/industrial machines complete an entire "Normal/Cottons/Linens" cycle in < 45 minutes. Those machines however use more water and aren't bothered by having "profile" washes and or time for various stain treatments and or enzymes to work. Though the programmable units can be made to do so I suppose.

Same with automatic dishwashers. Forced by government interference to use less water it now takes two, three or more hours to wash a load of dishes.
 
Funny thing about rinsing . . .

When I first got my front loader, Sears Kenmore in 2005. I noticed it almost oversuds in every load when I 1st got it. I was using HE detergent and the correct amount so I didn't know what the problem was. Later, after everything had gone through 1 wash in the front loaded the oversudsing thing stopped. So I came to the conclusion that my old top loader was leaving a lot of detergent residue in my clothes in the rinse cycle. Conclusion: Front Loaders do a much better job of rinsing that the Top Loader. If they're better at rinsing it stands to reason they're better at washing.

These days the rinsing is up to me as I only use my Maytag wringer washer.
 
Top load or front load

Chrisbsuk.

Hey man, I love your laundry set up. What make is your Top loader?

Johnny.
 
Rinsing: Top Loading vs. Side

Sadly when the switch was made from semi-automatic top loaders (wringers, twin tubs, etc...) washing machines to fully the ability to rinse often as required went as well. Some top loaders late as the 1970's or so did offer two rinses, but one assumes much of that went by the boards in way of energy/water savings. This is sad because often it takes more than one or even two rinses to get all detergent/soil residue out of textiles.

Thus it comes as no surprise that those who switched from top loading to H-Axis washers found there often was enough "soap" left in their clothing for one or more loads. *LOL*
 
Just one more reason I am happy with having my front loader. I can automatically rinse 3 additional times and still not use as much water as a traditional top loader that rinses once. The only reason I can see for having an SQ top loader would be to get a lot of laundry done quickly. I have no such need and do not mind it taking longer. I have also gotten used to my dishwasher taking a long long time too. No need to be in a hurry. Haste makes waste
 
I bet that none of the front loader demagogues could ever bring themselves to concede that top loaders are superior to front loaders in their own way. They are too invested in their own delusions of superiority. So they preach to and berate everyone, using manipulative militant environmentalist populism, propaganda, exaggerations and falsehoods, to justify their demagoguery; and in spite of established facts.

Down with front loader oppression, fanaticism and firebranding![this post was last edited: 4/3/2017-20:29]
 
What?! Just one up-tick? Can't believe it. Bloody useless lot you are. Us top loader aficionados must stick together. The front loader brigade has its sights set on world domination and we must stop them. Maybe we can get Trump to abolish efficiency regulations on appliances. Front loaders, like efficiency standards, are un-American and they don't wash and rinse our knickers the way we like it.

Europeans only shower once or twice a week. They've got something against using water. Does it then come as a surprise that they also don't like getting their clothes wet when doing laundry? Do we really want to emulate this kind or behaviour? If we do we might as well not change our undies more than once a week and lets forget about using deodorant altogether, yes?
 
Olav:

I don't know how efficiency standards are implemented in Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand etc.

I know how they are here.

And I can tell you they've been lying to you and themselves. The efficiency standards for household appliances here, including Energy Star, are all *voluntary*.

The hard standards have to do with the installations: if you use a certain socket/plug, you only have 120V/15A, another one (easy to find/buy in stores, but much more rare to see installed in homes) and you get 120V/20A, you can move another notch to 240V/15A, then 240V/20A, then 240V/30A ("dryer plug"), I believe, but not sure if they got rid of the 240V/40A plugs and then 240V/50A ("free-standing range plug"). Past there, I think the plugs become locking plugs (you need to rotate it to plug/unplug).

The proof is that SpeedQueen has been making their toploader mostly unchanged, and there are still frontloaders that use a lot of energy/water.

The "thing" that "makes" manufacturers offer Energy Star equipment is the *huge* tax discount and rebates the government offers. Also, customers that are upset about the price of utilities, buy the newer more efficient machines.

Don't confuse places like some parts of California, that prohibit electric dryer outlets in new home construction, for example (you can only provide hookups for gas dryers), with the entire nation has a program *forcing* manufacturers to toe the line.

Conservative talk shows and manufacturers like to spread those "government forcing us" rumors because they want all the advantages (tax, rebates etc) without having to deal with the people who hate high efficiency machines.

In fact, *manufacturers* in US are the ones that get together, *write* the laws exactly the way they want them, *lobby* for the laws to pass and then pay the talk show hosts to spread misinformation. If one is to believe the rumor mill, sometimes the hosts are paid in "favors" (alcohol, sex, drugs) so as not to appear in their tax forms.

So, if you wanna bitch, by all means proceed, complain about new products, complain about high energy efficiency etc.

But stop complaining about the "government" "forcing" the "poor" manufacturers to "comply" to an Energy Star standard -- they do that out of their own free will for appliances.

Cheers,
   -- Paulo.

http://https//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regulatory_capture
 

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