Has anyone purchased a washer/dryer set recently?
 

I need to buy a new washer asap as mine died yesterday. I will probably get a washer/dryer set. I don't know whether to get a front loading set or a top loading set. There are just two of us--kids are gone. So, I'm looking for opinions on brand and model plus your thoughts on front loading versus top loading, pros and cons. Any help much appreciated :).

I have a new whirlpool front loading washer. I love it. It uses a lot less water. I have the new dryer also, it has a steam cycle( dryer is hooked to water line) gets out all those stubborn wrinkles from my fabrics and clothes.

We moved and add to buy all new appliances. We did lots of research for quality and price. We purchased a Samsung washer dryer set at Home Depot. During our research, we found that the warranty and reviews were much better than the Whirlpool set we were considering. It's is a top loading washer and is high efficiency. We have been very pleased with it. I had to call Samsung customer service a couple of times because of operator error and you can't beat their customer service! It took me a bit to get accustomed to the smaller water usage and be sure you use HE laundry detergent. I used regular detergent for the first month and just decreased the amount I used but it was obvious that I was still using too much. My set takes longer to run through a cycle, I think it is 48 minutes to do a regular wash load and 46 minutes to dry. Somehow that equates to energy efficiency but I can't wrap my brain about that one. I can't tell you if it uses more or less electricity or propane because they were never installed in our previous home. At Home Depot, there is usually a discount if you spend over a certain amount when purchasing appliances. Also, if you finance it thru their credit card, there are even more incentives. We wound up buying the washer, dryer, refrigerator, stove and dishwasher the same day. We paid cash and couldn't get any extra discounts. -Nobody wants to reward customers who use cash anymore!!!

I will be doing this too , there is a very long thread about this on the Board.

I am a Speed Queen girl myself. Top loader . Went to look at them last week, in fact. You will find them at independent retailers.
sandy

I do have a front loading washer and love it. However, if you want to "soak" anything, a top loader is the ticket. We almost considered purchasing an inexpensive top loader just for that particular feature.

I have a front loading Samsung washer and dryer that I am very pleased with. I'm not the type of girl that gets excited over appliances so a certain brand doesn't mean anything to me. I just buy what "fits the bill". I do like the fact that front loaders saves on water and you will buy less detergent and fabric softener. The only thing I don't like is that you can't soak anything.

When we moved to the new house, she left her W&D. Washer was a front loader. I used it for the first few loads. It did use a lot less water but what I don't like is the clothes just flop around-there is no agitating. I would rather my clothing last a year or less from agitating then them lasting a couple years and wonder if they are really getting clean. Only top loader for me. I'll sell the front loader in the garage sale for $50.

I've had two front loaders--first one broke and couldn't be fixed(they said it had been "overloaded") Second one always left my clothes greyish and I missed the "CLEAN smell. Went and bought a top loading Roper (very inexpensive) and ILOVE it. Clothes and linens Look and Smell clean. I think it's great to save water but not if you give up feeling Clean.

I have whirlpool front loaders. Have had them for approximately 8 years now. Not a bit of trouble, clothes come out clean and fresh smelling. I use hydrogen peroxide instead of Clorox 2 and white vinegar instead of fabric softener. Also, you have to leave the door open so that it can dry out. Leaving it closed can cause the washer and your clothes smell less than fresh.

FYI, my front loader is more labor intensive. It needs to be drained weekly, the opening needs to be cleaned and the door for the detergent and the washer door both need to be left open whenever not in use. It also takes longer to wash clothes. Those are the down sides.

I'm not in the market for one at the moment (from my lips to God's ears, please) but I'd vote for a top loading machine. I agree with hopetoquilt...everything I've heard thus far implies that the front loaders are much more labor intensive. And if less water in my clothes washer is anything like what we've endured with our (relatively - @ 5yr) dishwasher, please save me! It's bad enough that the detergents have been changed so that they don't work as well anymore, but add to that less water; longer run times (can someone please explain how a longer run cycle uses LESS water?); etc., I'll go with the old standby...top load. With as many cycles/water heat combos as I can get.

My Samsung washer is a high efficiency model that is a top loader with no agitator. Once I figured out the laundry soap thing, I am pretty happy with it.

We just purchased a new Whirlpool top loader last month. I like the fact it has 2 rinses. I use the All laundry liquid detergent. No perfumes. I don't use the liquid fabric softener. I use dryer sheets. I get the Seventh Generation dye and perfume free. I've found I only have to use 1/4 of a sheet. I have also noticed with the second rinse I don't really even have to use a dryer sheet. I usually just use the 2 rinses on bath towels and whites. Took me a while to get used to it but so far so good.

Nearly every brand has the locking lid so you may want to make sure you have your cycles set the way you want.

Our Maytag Neptune W/D stacker just broke after 20+ years of use with only 1 service call. We thought it wasn't worth putting $500 into the repair of a 20yr old unit not knowing what the real problem was. After looking at lots of reviews and comparisons we bought an LG model 4070 W/D that can be stacked or separated. It was just delivered yesterday and so far I have washed only 10 loads of clothes, but it is working great. Very happy with the purchase. I prefer a front loader so that they can be stacked and I wash a lot of king sized quits which are very heavy so a big unit was important. They recommend you wipe down the door and rubber seal and leave the door open when finished with washer to prevent mold on the seal. We purchased at Home Depot due to the sale they had when we purchased. Have fun shopping, It's a major purchase, but actually fun to do laundry (at least until the newness wears off).

I have a front load whirlpool and dryer. It has a soak setting that works great. There are only 2 of us. Love front loads for saving water and for washing large items, ie, quilts.

I don't know how dirty your wash is but if you live on a farm or have extra dirty clothes from work you will NOT be happy with the new "energy efficient" washers that use less water. They do a lousy job. I refused to buy one when mine bit the dust and they finally sold me a "cheap" one that was not marked as being energy efficient and it works fine, but the saleslady told me in confidence that she bought one of the energy efficient ones and she has to wash her husbands work clothing twice to get them clean and pretreat spots to get them out even then.

I have the top loader and my mil has the front loader. She will need the bases for the front loader washer and dryer now that she has a house.
I would suggest that if you get a front loader you get the bases also it just raises it to the height needed for laundry as my mil found out (she didn't want to spend the $$ for each).

I have the Bravos series by Maytag (very energy efficient as well) and am very very happy with it (both Washer and dryer) it just depends on what you want and like. I bought mine for longevity and an glad I did !

my Samsung top loader has a locking lid but it also has a pause button so if you forgot to throw something in you can pause it and the lid will unlock and you can throw it in. I can also change the cycle too by pausing it.

I haven't bought a dryer lately but I have bought a washer. I bought a Samsung washer. It is a top loader and has no spindle in the middle. I didn't even know that Samsung made washers. I have had it for about 6 months and I love it. Bought it at Home Depot

I don't need either at the moment...hopefully.....but when I do need to replace. Definitely will be a top loader again, all this extra stuff with front loaders does not appeal to me.......I wish the dryer was a top loader....bending and checking for that last thing in it some days can be trying......jmho

We have a Samsung set. Top loading HE washer. Use Ecos liquid detergent from Costco, and white vinegar for natural fabric softener. When clothes are extra dirty, I use liquid Spic n Span in the little bleach compartment. Works great!

I like top load washers, I like to be able to open it, if I want to add something extra. I don't care for HE types, can't wash large item easly.

Good to know abut the front loader, we could NOT leave door open as we go throught small laundry to back door. We have Maytags and they are great.

I have the Kenmore top loader energy efficient washer and I love it. Have had it for 5 years now. One sensor did go out, which was not a great thing but was covered. I wanted the larger washer because I want to wash sheets and blankets at home. (Hate using the a laundromat.)

I've had a front loader and didn't know about the wiping out under the gaskets and running a tablet thru once a month or so to keep it fresh. My clothes stunk. Wouldn't get another. Also agree you can't soak anything In them.

I have Maytag front loaders. Love them! I use less detergent, less water, and less fabric softner. I have never been one to soak things, so I do not miss that feature. I use spot remover on my huband's things that need it. I always make sure to leave the washer door open so that I do not get the smell. I have had mine 2 years, but had Frigidaire front loaders at my previous house. They were 7 years old and never had a problem with them.

I recently purchased a new washer/dryer - front loading by Amana. I love the fact that the washer only uses 9 gallons of water as opposed to the old top loader's 50 gallons per wash. Clothes come out clean and well-rinsed; they are set upon storage drawers to match. I was lucky to find the whole thing in the 'scratch and dent' room at my local P.C. Richards appliance store and paid under $1,000 for everything. I can't find a single scratch or dent! SCORE!!

I don't have advice about brands, but I do know tht top loaders are far more versatile. If you forget something, you can always open a top loader and throw it in, but that's out with a front loader. Good luck in your search and research and try to find something that won't require a second mortgage to get the money to buy them. froggyintexas

When we sold our home, we left the front loader washer there. It was not my cup of tea. One reason was adding the forgotten item or two to the wash meant the soapy water dripped on the floor when I opened the door. So this time we bought top loader set.

I have a fairly new set by Whirlpool. Top loader with agitator and real rinse cycle - I would not consider HE at all. Have heard too many negatives with them. I use homemade laundry soap...no suds at all, but gets my clothes clean and much cheaper than detergents.

I also do not like the front loaders only the top load for this gal also. My 2 neighbors have front load and they smell, it gets mildew around the gasket of the door. That is one bad smell

I bought a top loader so I could soak clothes, be aware that some brands automatically drain after 30 minutes -- a safety feature. I bought an LG top load that was a mess, I fought with LG for six months to repair/replace it. They finally allowed me to return it to Best Buy. They have NO contact in the United States, I had to deal with a web site and constantly got different answers and the run-around. I emailed and wrote several letters to every contact I could find, including the overseas head of the appliance department! The washer never did wash a load of clothes correctly and it would take hours trying to balance itself to finish a load. I thought it was just a fluke but read other reviews at Best Buy with others stating the same thing! I also wrote a review, but found later when I went to read it that all the reviews below 4 were removed from the site!

I bought a Samsung WA 50F9A8SP/A2 to replace it and it does actually get the clothes clean. I especially like that I can HEAR the water swishing around during the rinse. In other words, it does use enough water to actually penetrate the clothes and get them clean and rinsed!

What I do not like about the design on the new top load washers is that they take a long time to do clothes.

The basket is too deep -- I'm 5'6" and can barely reach the bottom, and this one was 4" higher than the LG.

Some of them only let you soak clothes for a set amount of time (of course front-load washers do not allow you to soak the clothes at all as they never really fully immerse them, I had a front load washer for years and my clothes all need to come out of the closet and get washed because it never truly rinsed the clothes. I can smell the old fabric softener I used to use).

It also seems that the clothes really pill up and get worn fast from rubbing against each other, much worse than the old agitator models.

They have huge baskets but cannot actually handle big loads, the items get twisted around each other and it gets an unbalanced error code. I can only wash clothes that amount to about half the basket (dry, 1/4th wet) which is painful since I have to struggle to fetch them from the bottom of the basket when they are done (I have neck and back issues, if you do too I suggest a front load washer). The clothes have to be "like" items, if you try and mix towels with sheets for example -- you get a twisted, unbalanced load, if it does manage to run you may find items in the middle that didn't even get wet! With just two of us in the house this amounts to doing many extra loads and taking many more hours to do laundry! I find I even have to separate the pillowcases from the sheets to get a balanced, clean load.

It is almost impossible to get a good old agitator model but most major stores still carry a few.

I bought a Maytag Bravos which is a top loader with no agitator. It is HE. I HATE it. It does get clothes clean but it twists everything up and I have incredible amounts of lint. I have to stop my dryer to clean the filter. I am not talking about new towels or clothing. I really miss my front loader, clothes were clean but not beat up. I go to the laundromat with my quilts. Just my experience.

I started reading this thread the first day it came out. I was just interested in what people had to say. Our wash machine celebrated it's 18th birthday and silly me thought it had a couple more years of life in it. That very night my daughter came in to tell me "She thinks she broke the washer?" Yes, indeed she did. I went back and reread all the comments again before we added to the store. Thank you all for the great and honest input. Made picking a new washer just a little easier for me. ---- I just couldn't get the dryer to match the washer. Our dryer is only 10 years old.

I have a Whirlpool stacked set: washer and dryer, and LOVE them.
Yes you can soak in them. It has a soak cycle.
It's so easy to see into the dryer when it is stacked above the washer. Takes less room, too.
Yes you can add clothes you have forgotten. The little green light stays on for a few minutes. After that is off, you can't add anymore, but you can for a while.
I can do a very large load. The directions say you can add as much as you like as long as you can get the door shut!
I use Melaleuca detergent. Very concentrated, so you use only one half ounce. Works very well.
Melaleuca also has a gentle bleach which works wonders. I put my whites on "Whitest Whites" and can't believe how white they get.
I never close the door completely when not in use. It doesn't have to be wide open, but just don't let it latch. I've had this machine for more than 3 years and never put any Afresh in it as called for and never had any mold or mildew.
I do the same with the dryer door. It shouldn't be latched. Just leave it almost closed, and it stays smelling fresh.
I use no dryer sheets. If there is a little static electricity, it will dissipate in a little while.
I hope this is a thumbs up for front loaders. Three of my daughters have them and love them. The other daughter has a top loader with no agitator, and hates it. She says her clothes do not get clean.
Hope you enjoy your new washer, whatever kind you get.

Thank you for all of your comments and help. I ended up buying a washer/dryer set 3 days ago, and they were out to install lit the next day. I ended up purchasing a Maytag Maxima front loading washer and dryer. I also got the matching pedestals, but ended up not being able to use them yet until I raise the cabinets above about an inch. I've only used the machines a couple times so it's too early to tell, but I do think they are much quieter than my old Kitchen Aid set. The sales person said that they solved the problem of mildew on these machines by adding drain holes around the door seal and installing a vent fan in the back of the machine. I think I'll leave the door open anyway. This set does not have a soak feature I don't think. It has a steam feature in the dryer you can use if you forget and leave clothes in the dryer. It heats water in the machine to a very hot setting if you choose that. There are other features available that I haven't learned yet. I hope I made the right choice--they don't come cheaply.....