Just for perspective I will tell you what I did today.
I just used a small washer in our bathroom in our rented apartment in France. I translated the directions with my knowledge from my one year of French audit course I took at home at the local U this past year. I did miss two weeks at the end of this semester so maybe that would have covered machine instructions? The washer sits beside the sink and is a top loader with a little tumbler you open and shut like a bingo tumbler. My clothes are now on a drying rack in the living room and I am guessing will be dry this week (I hope). It washed just fine on the quick 30 minute cycle. Actually I am impressed by two things. One, I could figure it out how to use it, and two that it actually did a good job.
What ever one you choose it has got to be bigger than this one, and a dryer of any kind would be nice.
It depends on the particular settings, but some of them do take an hour. A regular cold water wash takes about 45 minutes. I think ours is a Maytag, but I’ll check later. We really don’t like it, because it takes forever to do your laundry if you want to do separate loads.
I also have the Electrolux front loader. When it did break down, I could not find a repair place that would touch it. Spouse has a sense of adventure about such problems and took it apart himself and ordered a “thing” from repairclinic dot com. Good as new! But, not necessarily what everybody else would want to do. (Lasted 2009-2015 before needing repair.)
OP, I was like you and didn’t want a front loader after our Maytag died. We purchased a top loading Fisher and Paykal which was noisy and constantly became unbalanced in the middle of a cycle. I caved and went with a front loading machine, and love it.
The concerns about mold didn’t materialize, although we leave the door open until it dries, and then just leave it slightly ajar. We use VERY LITTLE detergent and have no trouble with rinsing.
We did not purchase the pedestals, and even though both of us have back issues, it has not be a problem with the machines.
I love my Speed Queen with mechanical dials. The cycles are short and my clothes come out clean. It extracts water better then the Cabrio I had previously, so the dryer doesn’t have to run as long.
I have a speed queen washer and I love it, it is built like a tank (and weighs like one), they use a bronze gear drive mechanism and a direct drive motor, and it is also simple, the main unit is mechanical and can be replaced pretty easily. If my dryer ever goes and I don’t feel like fixing it (usually it is either a belt that goes or the igniter), I will definitely get a speed queen.
Washers have changed a lot in recent years. Pros and cons to various kinds. I researched them extensively 2 or 3 years ago (time flies).
Definitely get a high efficiency washer. So much less water used. Plus, one that judges the load will use the proper amount of water to do the job. You also use less detergent than you think (or likely than recommended).
Two kinds, top and front loading. Top loaders will not do as well with those large bulky items- king comforters et al nor with area rugs from the sources I researched. I can do those nicely with my front loader. I chose the front loader LG model (specific washer/dryer had more whistles and bells than needed because they were on sale) and am very happy with it. LG has a bottom front tube you can drain most water from the machine. I like this as then there is not the moisture to yield mildew. I also leave the washer door open a bit- magnet to hold it in this position. Getting older so I paid the extra for pedestals- not as much leaning down. I do not use the washer cleaner more than once a year- and then just because, not because I felt it truly needed.
I checked on top loaders but disliked how far down I had to reach to get stuff from the bottom- and I am tall with longer arms. Plus I disliked the directions for bath rugs- much better with the appropriate front loader method of turning items around. The reasoning behind the way clothes are moved in a washer with a front loader makes a lot of sense.
You do not need to get the top of the line but I would get an upper level model of a good brand. You do get what you pay for up to a point. The old high gallon washers were faster and rougher on clothes and also used more energy. Using less water and taking longer to do a good job with less wear and tear on clothes is worth it. Also- easier to do large/small loads with proper amount of water (you have to decrease the detergent amount though). No small load swimming in a pool of water or clothes not getting wet or churned…
The he washers also extract more water- leaving less to remove in the dryer. Newer dryers do not have the ability to “cook” clothes at as high a temp as many decades ago- I use the hottest temp all of the time without damaging things (I plan on cottons doing some shrinkage, btw).
You want a high end but no need to get the most high end or expensive models. The mildew issues of decades ago have been addressed by manufacturers in recent years. Check reviews for reliability.
My vote is still for LG. List prices around the $1,000 mark but check for sales.
Addenda. I finally noticed the “small loads” feature on my dryer. Plus, I find large bulky items do best on timed drying since otherwise wet areas get folded into the middle and the machine senses dryness too soon.
I love my frontloader Whirlpool Duet washer. I’ve had it for several years, no problems, does a fabulous job with everything from delicates to dog beds, rugs, and queen-sized comforters. Gets everything really clean, and doesn’t beat up on stuff. I also love the matching dryer.
When I first got it–replacing a very old Maytag that wasn’t doing well in the agitation area any longer–I was stunned by how much cleaner and whiter everything was.
Okay you all are giving me a lot to think about. I definitely need to see the front loaders in person to see if they would be easy to use. I like the idea of being able to do a smaller load and being energy efficient. It was drilled into me by my mom to never, ever do anything less than a full load in my traditional washer.
My current model doesn’t wring out nearly enough water so I would be eager to have “drier” clothes going into the dryer. Then the next question is, do I replace the dryer which is the same vintage as the washer! ;))
In theory you don’t need to replace both. Look at things in the stores and see if the newer models seem to make more sense. btw- mine both came with a steam feature (best pricing with sales at the time) which isn’t necessary. I like matching the appliances and the size dryer works well for very full wash loads. Depending on the age of your dryer there may be energy use differences as well as how hot the dryer gets. I like the electronics which tell me approximate drying times left, although the cool down at the end often means a very long 1 minute- and midway through the dryer may up the time left to account for how things are drying.
I thought I wouldn’t like the musical tone end of cycle for each appliance but it is a nice feature. Knowing time left is useful. Determines whether it may be worth waiting to finish before leaving (I know you’re not supposed to leave them going while gone) or just go and wait until you return to empty/dry…
I like white in the laundry room because it is more cheerful, room looks larger.
Don’t have advice about the dryer but we bought front loading Maytag Bravos a couple years and what a nightmare! Splotches of detergent were left on my clothing and I tried using different types, tiny amounts, everything. It became a nightmare to get rid of the machines (I even posted about it here) and, finally, after months of trying to work through the mom and pop shop where I bought them, I wrote the head of CS of Maytag and copied the CEO and they finally agreed to take them back and refund my money. Went with Speed Queen top loading machines and have been very happy. Was a bit concerned about water consumption but you can set it for low, medium, large, etc load which helps. Only very small complaint is that the washer doesn’t have a signal to let you know the cycle is done. The dryer does so don’t know why they neglected to add this feature but, otherwise, they’re perfect.
Do replace the dryer. I made a mistake of not buying the matching Miele dryer with my washer thinking I would delay the date it hit the junkyard… Bad mistake. Models change, appearances change - it is so much nicer to have a matching set. Plus, with some matching sets, the dryer’s programs are tailored to the washer’s.
@LBowie “I have a front load and think getting clothes out is a lot easier on my back than pulling them out of a top load.”
This might depend upon individual preferences / differences. I am quite tall and am much better with a top loader, because I don’t like to bend down as far.
Consumer Reports doesn’t like top load as much as front load, since the front load scores are much higher. But Kenmore and Maytag are at the top of the CR list, but their scores are much lower than their front load offerings.
For the HE type washer recommendation, only an LG is listed.
I got a simple Whirlpool top loader. I think it is HE. No agitator but the bottom has a little micro agitator thingy that moves the clothes without trashing the. Dials, simple button to start. I really like that it senses the load size and adjusts. So far, do good. Less than $500!
Oh, one thing I didn’t mention about the Whirlpool Duet is that the dryer has a de-wrinkling feature that injects some water/steam into the drum, but of course it has to be hooked up to the water to do it. Mine isn’t. The original plan was that if we renovated the laundry room we would place then side by side and use that feature. but alas that hasn’t happened yet. Nevertheless, the dryer is really great also. Love the wrinkle-free setting that fluffs the load periodically for about an hour.
Also, they were made in Benton Harbor, Michigan by American workers!
Speed Queen. Hands down it is the best machine out there. They are made in America and have lots of metal parts (which is why they are heavier than most other washing machines.
Cycles are about 30 minutes which is much faster than my old Kenmore. Water level is variable. I love this feature as we have transitioned from kids at home to just the two of us now.
