<p>Our 11 year old top load Maytag Atlantis has been FINE- very reliable, excellent at cleaning. But the transmission needs to be replaced- very expensive, so it is time for a new machine. </p>
<p>I hear and read horror stories about all the new-fangled washers out there now: front-loaders with moldy smells and very frequent and expensive repairs, impellers (instead of agitators in top-loaders) and HE detergents and steamers not cleaning clothes well…
My repairman is recommending we just buy a really simple old-style model top-loader since these new washing machines do not last very long anyway… Cannot really find one. He says Whirlpool is best from his perspective. His favorite brand of front-loaders is Bosch.</p>
<p>I will be following this thread with interest, because H has agreed to let me replace my relatively new front load Bosch, which I detest!!! First of all, the clothes may not necessarily come out clean…major flaw here. Biggest fault: in the spin cycle, it sounds like NASA is ready for lift off. Soooo noisy. And a repair bill for a sock stuck where it should not be. The repairman showed H how to retrieve future socks. I am sorry, but this is in my opinion an engineering flaw. And yes, if you close the door when not using it, you will have mold. Suggest everyone avoid the Bosch!!!</p>
<p>Do not even consider getting a Fisher Paykel (made in New Zealand, I believe). </p>
<p>Uses less water, less detergent, less energy, but it is a pain! If we have a thunder storm, it gets very “confused” and refuses to work, lights beeps etc. My H takes the electronic top off & fiddles with it, then puts it back together. It probably takes him 15 minutes to do this. In the winter it is not a problem as no thunder storms! </p>
<p>It is even plugged into an appliance surge protector, but that does not help.
I certainly will not get another Fisher Paykel after this one dies.</p>
<p>My 3 year old GE front loader does not always spin. Also, for the last year , I can not use fabric softener as it sits in the dispenser. H has cleaned it out and we have had a repair guy out to look at it for both and supposedly “nothing’s wrong”.</p>
<p>The only caveat I have is check to make sure that you have the option for rinse in warm water. Yes, cold water rinse mostly works, but every now and then you want warm.</p>
<p>Our first front-load machine had some problems and, after three service calls in as many months, they replaced it with a new machine. That was about three years ago, I think, and no problems with this one at all. I have an LG WM2233H. It has a sanitary cycle which I do occasionally use and like. I did notice a musty smell with the first machine but had read somewhere that if you leave the door open between cycles, that won’t happen. I have left the door open on this machine since we got it (except during use, of course) and no musty smell at all. Fortunately, my laundry room is a decent enough size that I can do that … if your machine is in a laundry closet, that wouldn’t be possible.</p>
<p>I bought a Samsung washer and dryer about a year ago and have had no problems whatsoever. I didn’t get the top of the line that supposedly sanitizes your clothes (I don’t get all that dirty!) but the next one down. I chose Samsung because it is my first front loading washer and because it sits on a very uneven old concrete floor in the basement, I was worried about vibration and it possibly moving around. The salesman told me Samsung had the best anti-vibration technology. It hasn’t moved at all. It is quiet - so much so that it bothers me that I can’t listen at the basement door to tell if the load is done. My sister has an LG set that she likes very much but I had noticed that the rubber gaskets around her washer door are moldy, so I’ve left my washer open all the time and there is no mold or moldy smell at all. The front loader does take considerably longer than the old top loading machine but that’s pretty much my only complaint. Incidentally, my set would stack if I want but I chose to buy the base units with drawers to make the whole thing higher so I don’t have to lean over as much.</p>
<p>Nothing good to report here–just some complaints. I have an older, front loader, Whirlpool duet. While it does clean clothes well, we do need to leave the door open when not in use to prevent the musty smell. I’ve decided I just don’t like front loaders–when you are removing the wet clothes, it seems way too easy to drop the clean clothes on the floor!</p>
<p>My parents needed to replace their washer last year. They wanted something simple–controls that didn’t require a degree in computer science to figure out. That seemed to mean a low-end, basic model. They got one from Whirlpool–and it has been nothing but trouble. (They had the same experience with a low-end Whirlpool dishwasher.) Why can’t appliance makers design appliances that do the job they are intended to do and make them user-friendly for the 80+ crowd? That goes for cell phones, too. Rant over.</p>
<p>HELP!
Maybe it would pay to replace the transmission on our old machine. I just worry that many other parts are wearing out as it is 11 years old and at the end of its life, nothing ever broken till now… Still, a total overhaul if the parts are even available might produce a better machine than these new ones.
Amazing.
What is the purported life of all these new washers??</p>
<p>performersmom, I feel your pain. I also delayed getting a new washer because I couldn’t find one that had perfect reviews and I worried a lot about the issues that seem to come with front loaders. In the end, I decided to buy the extended warranty - something I never buy because they are usually a ripoff. I figured that in the worst case, I’d be completely covered if things went wrong. Fingers crossed and knock on wood, I haven’t had a single problem.</p>
<p>I wonder what Consumer’s Reports says. I have 17 year old KitchenAid washer/dryer bought for quiet operation in a second floor laundry room that have been trouble free. I think I read years ago that the average W/D life span is more like 10-11 years. I would love to save water and electricity, and DH wants to steam his clothes to reduce wrinkles (may be wishful thinking), but now I am discouraged by all these issues. I’ll keep reading and maybe the extended service contracts would make sense as well. There is something about having these appliances on the 2nd floor that makes you extra concerned about reliability. That said, I love the convenience.</p>
<p>We had to replace our 25 year old (yes!) Whirlpool washer about 5 years ago. We ended up choosing the Whirlpool Sport Duet pair because:
We needed something for a 2nd floor laundry area and this set was rated highly in terms of low vibration.
We wanted a set that wasn’t so HUGE. We are now empty nesters. This set can be set up in our next down-sized home and can be stacked, one on top of the other. A great space saver. For now, we use them side-by-side. Whirlpool also sells the regular “Duet” but the Sport model is the smaller one. Honestly, our last washer was so old that its capacity really was about the same as the newer Duet Sport washer.
We wanted a set that had excellent reviews overall in terms of reliability, effectiveness and price. Back when we were in the market, I did lots of research and found these rated well in general.</p>
<p>After 5 years, we’ve been very happy with both the washer and the dryer. They do the job–quietly, low energy requirements, and zero repair issues. </p>
<p>We certainly don’t expect them to last 25 years like the 1st washer did though!</p>
<p>I dunno. I feel like all the ratings and opinions fall for the features I really do not need, have lived without. </p>
<p>I mostly care about:
getting clothes clean
reliability
parts available and not too expensive in case of repairs
does not die too soon in relation to cost of purchase</p>
<p>Also hope for:
not too noisy or bouncy (on 2nd floor)
cycles not hours long
not too complicated to operate</p>
<p>Sure, it would be nice to save water and energy, too.</p>
<p>Still looking for ideas - thanks ALL!
I just want to get back to the basic purpose of these machines!!!</p>
<p>Check the washer reviews on Consumer Reports. And there are other washer discussions on CC.</p>
<p>I just got a basic, simple, Roper ( made by Whirlpool ) top load washer from Lowes last month. Very happy with the performance. </p>
<p>After doing homework on washer reviews, I decided to stay away from the front loader and other fancy features. Got a Whirlpool washer from Best Buy, found out that I do not like the locked top and the much longer time to finish a cycle, and not wanting to deal with it for many, many years, I returned the washer.</p>
<p>Now, I am happy with my simple, old-style washer.</p>
<p>My mother got a new set about 6 months ago, front loader by Maytag. She had already heard about the need to leave the door open and does so, no mold issues. She noticed that the cycles you pick-normal, quick wash, etc, seem longer than need be so usually does the shortest cycle to because it annoys her to have the washer running for an hour for a load and her clothes are not dirty.</p>
<p>The dryer is a vast improvement over her old one which nearly always had to be two cycles as clothes were never quite dry the first time, this one she always uses the shortest cycle and clothes are fine.</p>
<p>Due to attractive store & utility company rebates she bought the steam clean models with all the bells and whistles, she did well learning to use it, but rarely uses the steam as it sets up a very long wash cycle. The time shows in the window for each cycle and that one is more than an hour.</p>
<p>She likes the front loader’s reduced water consumption. It is weird that there is no setting for load size, I guess it senses that.</p>
<p>I have noticed that clothes come out somewhat tangled, legs of pants snarled with sleeves of shirts, etc. She also bought a lingerie bag to use for delicates.</p>
<p>Oh, and after reading some online horror stories about $1000++ washers dying, she bought the extended warranty so likely will have no problems</p>
<p>I got a G.E. top-loading (to avoid some of the frontloader rubber seal problems you mentioned) high efficiency (water and electric) washer over 2 years ago.</p>
<p>Reliability - high. No repairs needed.
Performance - very good. Gets clothes clean with one exception – heavy cat hair on knit clothing sometimes requires running clothes a second time. It has, however, been excellent in removing food stains, mud from gardening clothes, etc.
Noise - somewhat loud. Pitch of the sound is not annoying, but definitely louder than the old-fashioned model it replaced.
Stability - no rocking or bouncing. Loads stay balanced. (When washing something large like a full size comforter, I’ve learned that I need to add a couple of towels or other smaller items to avoid unbalancing during the spin cycles.)
Time - I found this interesting. The cycles for the washer are much longer than older washers; but the time saved in drying (the washer really, really spins out the water!) means that the whole laundry time is the same. I’ve even been able to use lower dryer settings for towels, etc., and retain the very short drying time.<br>
Ease of operation - excellent. Obvious controls and settings.
(About settings – most of the he washers have two different cold settings – one is purely the cold water from your cold water lines, regardless of temperature. This can sometimes be too cold and result in detergent not working well or in incomplete rinsing of the detergent. There will be a different cold setting that actually adds warm water, if necessary, to get the temperature of the water up to the recommended level – I think it’s something like 60 degrees.)
Good luck in finding a machine that suits you!</p>
<p>LOVE my 3-yr old Miele high capacity front loader. It can handle anything from a single silk panty to a king-sized down comforter without any troubles. Ever since I got it, I see less lint in the dryer lint trap. The Miele is amazingly gentle on the clothes yet it cleans very well. I use detergents from Costco, and I add about 1/2 of the recommended amount. The only drawback is that the regular cycle is more than 1 hr long, but gentle and handwash are 30-40 min.</p>
<p>I see that Miele did some redesigning of the model very recently, so what I have is not exactly what they sell now.</p>