Washing Machine - Front or Top Loader- Which One Is More Cost Effective/ Pros and Cons

• 

  kcyw on 17/04/2011 - 10:31

  Front loaders are more gentle on your clothes, top loaders tend to stretch them more when spinning.

  http://www.appliancesonline.com.au/front-load-washing-machin…
  Here are some prices to bargain with.

• 

  ohsnap on 17/04/2011 - 12:05

  My front loader definitely has a cold wash function. I think most do?

• 

  Jabba the Hutt on 17/04/2011 - 14:05

  +3

  If you've always had top loaders, the biggest shock is going to be the length of the wash cycle. The standard for a front loader is 75 minutes to 2+ hours. They have quicker 30-60 minute cycles, but that's not what their performance is rated on. So if you go from a top loader, can't hack the longer cycles and resort to using the short ones, you sacrifice wash/rinse performance. The quick wash can satisfy the psychological requirement though - kinda like the way some people "wash" their hands by rinsing them under the tap for 3 seconds after using the toilet - who can tell the difference?

  This is a good overview of the pros/cons:

  http://www.choice.com.au/reviews-and-tests/household/laundry…

  • 

    Tal_Shiar on 17/04/2011 - 14:59

    +1

    My front loader is like a ps3… It only does everything!

• 

  manja on 17/04/2011 - 15:34

  +1

  Hi mick123, we recently bought LG WD13020D(front load) and very happy with it.

  http://www.productreview.com.au/showitem.php?item_id=70431

• 

  sparkles on 17/04/2011 - 22:47

  The regular cotton cycles seem to take an absolute eternity so I wash 95% of our loads on the Quick 30 cycle and everything seems to come out clean. I think. I hope.

  The main advantage is that is uses a fraction of the water and also less detergent. My main gripe with our machine is that it doesn't have a "spin" only cycle (handy for handwashing), only a "rinse and spin". Ours definitely has a cool water option, or goes right up to 90 degrees which basically cooks your clothes. Front loaders aren't great for big items. I used to be able to wash a doona in the top loader quite well, but the front loader doesn't cope quite as well with that, it tends to be just one big ball going around, as opposed to swishing about in a top loader.

• 

  scotty on 17/04/2011 - 22:57

  We have been using a front-loader (Electrolux Eco Valve 7L) for the last 2-3 years, and prior to that always been a top loader. Long washing time is okay. Our regular cycle is only around 70 minutes, with water saving mode 84 minutes. But then I usually preset it at night, so the cloths are ready to hang when I got up in the morning.

  Cold wash is certainly possible.

  I guess the "little annoyance" is that I now just can't open the lid in the middle of wash, and add a handkerchief in there, like how I sometimes did with a top loader :P

  • 

    Tal_Shiar on 18/04/2011 - 00:12

    You still use hankies Scotty?

    • 

      StewBalls on 18/04/2011 - 05:50

      Dunno about Scotty, but I sure do! I try to use tissues whenever I can; but I always carry a hankie in cold/flu/hayfever seasons as backup! ;)

  • 

    scotty on 18/04/2011 - 20:25

    When you have two kids who are sick with running nose…

• 

  Jabba the Hutt on 18/04/2011 - 00:56

  +1

  Here's a tip you might not find in the manual BTW: if you pretty much only do cold washes, make sure you put the machine through a hot cycle every now and then. Otherwise mildew can appear on the door seal - I didn't know about this issue until recently so it happened with both my Samsungs.

  http://www.washerhelp.co.uk/usage_2.html#cl_q1

• 

  StewBalls on 18/04/2011 - 05:59

  Most of the front-loaders I've had experience with have been noisy, slow, shaky & present way too much of an attraction to small kids; those controls have pretty lights displays, music & beeps and are just the right height that little fingers love to press!

  Those suckers moved around too…like a scene from 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice'! Nah, I'm a top-loader man myself, no bending down to load/unload either! :)

• 

  AntMan76 on 18/04/2011 - 11:13

  A mate used to work for a European whitegoods retailer and he would swear by the cleaning capability of a front loader. My understanding is that the water and detergent filters through your clothes instead of simply being submerged in it.

  Either way, the quality of the clean is meant to be better in a front loader.

• 

  slowmo on 18/04/2011 - 12:53

  did some research before.. here's what i found.

  top loaders
  - washes are cleaner
  - soak option is better - clothes are fully submerged
  - higher capacity
  - uses a lot more energy + water
  - you can prewash (ie soak) and then dump them into the machine for rest of the cycles (rinse/spin)
  - you can wash soft toys better on a top loader.

  front loaders
  - uses less water (most FLs are available for $150 water rebate if you are in sydney)
  - drier spin cycle
  - you can get one with a combo ie. washer + dryer
  - limited capacity

• 

  slowmo on 18/04/2011 - 12:56

  double post

• 

  SteveM on 18/04/2011 - 13:13

  +2

  As a repairer of washers, here's a few things to keep in mind

  Front loaders:
  Longer wash cycle - average 90-120 minutes for standard cottons wash.
  Better result.
  Less water and power use.
  Requires solid floor - generally will vibrate on a timber floor
  Don't always use cold and /or quick. This will severely reduce the life of the machine and the quality of the wash (inner parts will corrode and bowl may break free)

  Top load:
  Newer top loaders take longer than the older ones - average wash time 60 minutes.
  Better on weak floors.

  Recommend the following brands based in order of quality (all are good value)
  Miele (expect 15+ years use)
  Bosch (expect 10-15 years use)
  LG (expect 6-10 years use)
  note: LG is no better than others in it's price range for quality but are much better to repair as parts are generally much cheaper.

  Make sure there is someone local that can repair it. Some brands can be very hard to find a qualified repairer.

• 

  mick123 on 18/04/2011 - 16:10

  hey all thanks a lot for all your opinions and info. Front loaders do look okay from what you have all said.
  Looking at the Choice reviews (thanks Jabba the Hutt), I was surprised it said that "Most (front loaders) use less energy when washing in warm to hot water".
  So if I look for a front load washer with cold water capability, I should be in for a winner.

  PS: re cold water on a front loader.
  From what the retailers have told me, not all front loaders have a "cold wash" facility. If you look at the enery rating stickers on the front loaders, some have a kwh rating for hot water only, some have kwh ratings for both hot and cold.
  Also, apparently, even in cold washes for front loader, the machine does warm the water up somewhat so its not a true cold wash, but still better than a warm/hot wash. This is the words from the salesperson (he described it better than I just did).