betthequilter

Just don't get a washing machine without an agitator. I had one and left it with the house I sold last year. I hated it. It would spin the clothes so much I couldn't get the wrinkles out.

cashs_mom

I have a Kenmore Elite HE washer and I'm pretty happy with it. I did have to get used to using a lot less detergent and I'm not a fan of how long the cycles take to finish, but it does get my clothes clean. With mine, the secret is to load it as it tells you to in the manual. If I do that everything is fine.

I'm old enough to remember the last time they pushed front loaders and how unhappy a lot of women were with them. There was a reason that not many of them were sold for many years.

Maggie_Sue

I just recently got a Maytag Washer and Dryer. The only machine in this town that had a button to choose the water level. That was most important to me. Washed a queen size comforter without a problem.

mkc

I see a number of recommendations for Speed Queen. Be aware that SQ's washers for 2018 are completely different than previous models and are NOT receiving anywhere near the same high marks as previous models. There are actually threads on Houzz's Laundry forum where folks are desperately seeking the 2017 models or are reporting finding them for others who are searching.

maryb119

I have a Speed Queen top loading washer. It is not a machine with a computer. I have been doing laundry for 50 years without a computer, I don't need the added expense of having one in the washer.

cathyvv

I like top loaders. It is possible that putting less in each load will solve the problem of not getting farmers clothes clean.

By the way, I haven't shopped for a washing machine in years. Is top loader without agitator a new thing?

Jannie

Many top loaders do not have an agitator but there are some out there. I hate my new energy efficient washer. You can't adjust the water level. The machine knows how much water to put in--I don't. I do not have an agitator and the clothes get very twisted. I talked with a young salesman recently and he said the less water the better cleaning because the clothes rub up against each other. I wanted to tell him he had been brainwashed by the company. (Sorry for the sarcasm.) I would love to have my 1990 washer back. It lasted over 25 years. I was told the new one won't last over 10 years. Hopefully by then there will be some better choices.

DACO48

My daughter has been looking for a new machine. You can still get them with an agitator but they are few and far between. I would not have one without an agitator. My husband was an electrician at a cement plant and the non-agitator ones would have never got his clothes clean. I have used them in laundromats and they do not get your clothes clean or rinse the soap out of them. Just my 2 cents worth.

Battle Axe

I own a small laundromat in an Amish town. The salesman sold me a set of Wascomats, front loader. I have no top loaders left, only the Maytag at home. These are commercial grade coin operated. There is no water level setting that the customer can access, just water temp. They seem to do a good job, but there is starting some mold staining on the gasket on the front door. They are 4 years old now and several of them have had to be repaired. The original cost for 8 Wascomat front loaders and two larger 45 pounders was $34,000.00. No wonder I'm the only laundromat in town. But if you access the number of washes these guys have done, it's close to 1100.

The only thing I can fix on them is the coin operated part. Canadian quarters, worn quarters, bent quarters. If there is really something wrong with the machine, I have to have a trained person.

illinois

Can I recommend detergent? The house where we previously lived was 1/2 block from the main sewer line and the drop between the house and that line was not very steep. After several times of having to clean the line and finding it was caked detergent, I started using Arm and Hammer's powder (not the liquid). No more clogged sewer! It is a low-sudser and does a wonderful job of keeping clothes white. I've used this detergent for LOTS of years and still happy with it.