I have spent the last period of time looking through all the pages of washer complaints and was wondering:
Since my gal wants a front loader, do any of the experts have a recommendation for the MOST reliable Brand/Model of the new machines coming out now? Looking through the loonngg list, it seems like all have their quirks but there must be at least ONE that does a good job at longevity (?) Or at least, a minimum. We tend to keep our appliances until they rust out (I do a fair job at repair) but still don’t want to open that cabinet up every other day.
What say you, experts? (When I was with IBM, we said an ‘expert’ was the combination of ‘ex-hasbeen & (s)pert-a drip under pressure’.)
I love this site and applaud all the help the guys offer to those of us trying to DIY; some for the buck and some for the challenge/satisfaction.
my suggestion is to stick with a top loader instead of going with a front loader because almost every front loader will need a rear bearing replacement within 5 years but also in my opinion the top loaders do a better job at cleaning because the front loaders really more or less just let the clothes do their own thing but in a top loader the agitator actually grabs the clothes and moves them up and down in the washer to help clean.. if you have to go with a front loader pick one with the least touch pads or pc boards because electrical compononts like those hate heat and moisture and thats exactly what a washer puts out
If you want a front loader, I would buy a Frigidaire with simple mechanical timer, rather reliable, but you must use the special HE detergent to save the bearings.
In the area of energy use, if you do a lot of washing, the front loader uses about two amps, 220 watts and the top loader uses 8 amps or about 860 Watts, a big energy saver.