Front Loading Washer and Dryers

I have the Whirlpool Duet set with stands and LOVE them! I fold laundry right out of the dryer and have had no problems at all with doing that. It has a wrinkle prevention setting that I could not live without! I haven't even had the mildew/smell problem that some people complain about even though I leave the washer closed when I'm not loading/unloading it. I can tell a difference in how clean my clothes get and I'm thrilled with them!

We had the Neptune and recently moved on to the LG. I really love the LG but it does need to be taken care (washing the front, cleaning the liner)--if you take care of it, it takes care of you :)
I would not trade my LG for anything else.

I bought both front loading three years ago and I am very happy with them. The brand is LD (They were cheaper at Fry's at that time). I don't have the model on top of my head but can look up for you.

QA

I have owned both the Sears Kenmore H3T and H5T front loading W & D and love them. The T stands for thermal heating which means the machine heats the water directly and can heat it to over 100 degrees (I don't know exact specs) for a sanitary wash cycle. They offer machines without that feature too. I bought both sets at the Sears outlet. I ended up leaving my H3T's when I moved from CA, we didn't want to spend the money to move them. I bought the H5T set here in TX at the outlet in Grapevine (there's one in Addison too). The H5 is basically the same with more wash cycle features, but it also spins faster. The fast spin helps the clothes come out of the wash dryer so they spend less time in the dryer.

If you decide to go this route, here are some thoughts on the matter:

Go either H3 or H5 with or without the thermal heating. They offered an H4, but apparently that model was very repair prone. I've never had an issue with either H3 or H5 model.

Save the bolts from shipping. These stabilize the washer drum during shipping and are removed during the set up. We just tossed them after our set was delivered, but it is why we ended up selling our H3 set with our house. It was going to cost us $500 to have the moving company put new bolts.

Don't pay full retail price. You can purchase the same extended warranty from Sears outlet. Some machines there are used, but there are also brand new ones that may have slight cosmetic damage. This set I have I bought in Grapevine were brand new, but they had minor scratches.

Bottom line, it gets clothes cleaner, is gentler than an agitator machine, uses less water and fully loaded can wash a bunch of clothes at one time. It's been a godsend for my family with 3 kids. And now with Shout colorcatchers, I wash big mixed color loads and spend less time doing laundry.

K.
Mom to 3 aged 6, 5 & 3

We have a Kenmore front loader washer and dryer. We're happy with them, but had a terrible experience with the Sears at Valley View Mall in Dallas. The delivery people arrived with the washer and dryer and said it was too big for our laundry room and they refused to bring it in. They didn't even measure (which I had done before I bought them). They told me I had to go back to the store and get another type. I called the store and kept being placed on hold, so I had to take my then infant daughter to the store. The sales person said that was ridiculous and I couldn't get anything smaller and that I needed to call the delivery people and demand that they deliver it. I told him he needed to call them. He did and they said they'd try again in a few days to deliver! When it was finally delivered, it had the wrong hose so it couldn't be hooked up (even though the sales person insisted he told the delivery team which hose to bring. They said they could return a few days later with the right hose. My husband went back to the store, demanded the correct hose and installed it himself. We were without a washer and dryer for nearly a week. I spoke with the manager who was useless and wrote Sears corporate, but never received a response. I refuse to buy anything from Sears again because of the miserable experience.

The only issue we had with the washer was a sock got sucked into the hose and blocked it. We were told with front washers/dryers that we needed to bag small items so they wouldn't get swept into the hose and clog it again.

If you buy from Sears, make sure you get everyone's name that you speak with in case you run into problems and need to get assistance. Good luck!

I recently purchased the Samsung front loaders from Lowes. I love them!!!!!!! I have a family of 5 and haven't had the problems some of the others have mentioned. My washer turns in both directions as it fills wo I have very little tangling. With no aggitator my clothes are in better shape. I can wash bigger loads, and they are extremely quiet. My sons room, 9months old, is closest to the laundry room so noise was a big issue, not now. I feel like I literally have 1/3 less laundrey because I can run these machines anytime and can do larger laods, I wouldn't take for them.
HS

My mother has the Whirlpool brand of washer and dryer. It is wonderful. The washer used less water and the dryer has all kinds of special settings. They are geared more to the types of clothes people wear daily. She has had them for almost two years now and has no complaints. Hope this helps.

L.,
i have the LG Tromm i absolutely detest it and wish i would have went with the top loader as the sales man really did a great sales pitch :) the whole energy efficient and uses like less than half the water of a top loader hmmm well lets see my water bill hasnt went down any as you cant put much laundry in at a time yes it will hold tons but it wont get clean and even with half a washer it still leaves dirt etc... and as also you have very limited choices in detergent :(p.s. the detergent for front loaders cost more)onto the dryer were to start it supposed to have a sensor that knows when your clothes are dry and shut itself off it will alright while the clothing is still wet the good news is it has a little insert for drying shoes so they wont clink around and for laying sweaters on as there is a setting for air dry i have heard the maytag is good but take my word dont by the lg tromm it is a nightmare besure to look at the consumer reports track records then u will know oh and by the way when u go to buy one they will tell you can fit a full to queen sz comforter in them you can but only half will be even wet and the soap doesnt fully wash out i ended up having to go to the laundry mat arrgh! these were my xmas present two yrs ago and i have to say if i could do it over hmmm it would be a maytag neptune. good luck and do your research :)

I bought a Whirlpool Duet Washer and Dryer last fall. I love them. I can fit more clothes in each load, I use less detergent, our clothes come out really clean. The dryer runs until the clothes are dry and then turns off. They're great. I haven't had any problems with clothes getting tangled and as for clothes dropping, I keep a laundry basket handy just in case something were to drop (but I did that with the old top loading machines too).

Hi, We have the Maytag Neptune and LOVE it...

A. J

If I had the chance to do it over, I would NOT buy front-loading machines again. Ours are Whirlpool and, although they run fairly quietly and use a little less soap and softener, they are a lot of trouble to use. The clothes get really tangled in the washer and have to be separated from one another so they won't dry in a wrinkled, creased-up mess - especially the jeans. Clothes fall to the floor when I move them from washer to dryer, so I'm always having to bend over and pick them up. I tend to fold the clothes right out of the dryer, and they fall onto the floor at that time, too. Another concern I have - but haven't been able to prove - is that my clothes are getting holes in them. This is especially true for whites. I've been doing laundry for 30 years, and only now that I have this new washer am I finding pin-sized holes in my clothes. I'm not sure if it's because of the way bleach is distributed or the way the clothes get so tangled ... maybe zippers and other hardware are catching on clothes because of the tangling and increased spinning ... I don't know. Anyway ... I'd take my $2000, but an energy efficient set of top-loaders and pocket the extra money!!

Geri

We got a front loading washer a year ago and I do like it. BUT....as another person commented on, baby socks, small rags etc can get suck behind the gasket and sometimes travel through the washer to a filter and clog up the drainage system. I had problems with my washer rocking and noisy when spinning and the Sears man found a baby rag and sock in the drain filter. He said that the water was not getting out of the washer before it spinned because of this it was not spinned correctly. They don't tell you this when you purchase it and the Sears man said that he was suppose to charge me for the call but I talked him out of it cause I couldn't even find this in the manual. The only thing they recommended is using a laundry bad to put the little items in but who has the time. I just payed attention to what the repairman did so I can fix it if it happens again. Also, you can not leave a load in the washer very long after it stops cause mildew will grow and the washer will get a smell because it has to be so tight for the water to not leak out. Definately get the drawer cause it's too hard to unload so close to the ground. If buying a washer again I would really have to think about getting a front loader.

L.!
We purchased a front loader washer and dryer before our twins were born last year. We bought a Kenmore from Sears. My experience with both has NOT been a pleasant one. We bought the stands that they put them on to make them a little higher...so you don't have to lean over...well... I end up leaning over anyway because every time I take clothes out of the washer they are all tangled and they fall on the floor. Also, the stands cause the washer to shake and can inch its way across your floor. The service tech said I should be glad I don't have hard wood floors because he has seen them "shimmy" all the way across the floor. The washer is LOUD. The spin cycle I can hear even with my door shut to the utility room. If you accidentally leave anything in your clothes...wrappers, bobby pins, money etc...it gets jammed in the machine. Instead of the old school washer and dryers where you would just reach in and take the item out. I have had to replace the dryer lint screen because it fell apart in the first 2 months. Lint still collects down in the machine. That can't be safe. The clothes don't dry unless everything in the machine weighs the same weight. So you end up running your dryer sometimes twice through or on the timed dry to get everything completely dry. Back to the washer...this was a BIG one for me. You are only suppose to use a certain amount of soap in the washer but I would run clothes through that clearly smelled and when I would take them out to put them in the dryer I could still smell the odor. So the big deal with these machines are that they use less soap and less energy. Less soap?? I guess if you are okay with your clothes still being dirty!! And if you have all day to run your clothes through the dryer over and over. I have the twins and a 3 year old so I NEED my appliances to work!! I KNOW I am not the only one who is dissatisfied. Several of my friends have been very unhappy with their purchase and the sad thing is SEARS...who I totally expected more from...has not done anything to make the situation better. I have had the service tech out 4 times in less than a year and I still am regreting my decision to spend $2000 on these supposedly wonderful machines!! My advice? DO NOT get them. :)

I have a front loading washer and dryer. I got it at Sears. It is a Kenmore and I LOVE it! I have the smaller size but it has handled good sized loads. I lived in Europe for a while, and I learned there that the more you stuff in, the better it does. In other words, it holds a lot of clothes! There are two of us here now, but my daughter and her husband lived with us for a year and they go through a LOT of clothes. The clothes are spun so well that they are almost dry when the go into the dryer, so it takes a very short time to dry them. The majority of the time I use the short cycle and it does fine. I would recommend them. 5 star on energy saving too.

I had the Maytag Neptune set for 9 years and had issues with mold the last year and ended up buying the LG front loader. I have been very pleased with it. I did a bunch of research on front loaders and brands and the LG had a high rating. I am a big proponent of epinions.com, cnet.com (mostly for techie stuff) and of course consumer reports.

When you are dealing with a front loader I just thing there is a little extra effort you have to put in. I wipe out the drum and the seal with a towel and leave the door open after every load to avoid any mold issues. I really debated buying a top loader last time but the water and energy efficiency and ease of use out weighed for me.

good luck

I have a frigidaire, 3.1, energy star washer and dryer. I love it. It uses less water, less soap, the washing cycle is shorter (I think) and it's quiet. Since the washer is in my kitchen, I usually wash at night and the kids can sleep with no problems. The repairs are expensive if you don't have a warranty(keep one). I've had mine for a over a year with no problems.

I just had my new Kenmore Elite HE3 washer and dryer installed last week, I was able to wash all my laundry yesterday, yes every sheet, towel, blanket, sock and everything else in 1/2 a day! The washer cycle is a lot longer than the traditional top loader, but the dryer takes no time at all. My laundry room wasn't even warm after my laundry marathon, with my older machines, it would really heat up in there after one load.
I've had nothing but pleasant experiences with Kenmore appliances, and the salesman at Sears didn't try to up sale me once I had decided what I wanted to purchase. Installers were quick and courteous.

I have samsung front loaders. The dryer works great but the washer is a pos. I have had it for about 18 months and have had the control panal replaced twice now. It useually takes 10 days for the damn part to come in (I'm waitng on it now)10 days is a long time to be without a washer. This last time the door wouldn't unlock so my clothes were stuck. My advice would be if you get one buy the extended warranty. The parts are more when they are digital.

Do not buy a Maytag Neptune!! We've had ours for several years now and the washer seal is full of mold. I have tried everything to get it out and it won't totally go away. I even tried to contact the company and they offered nothing, so I am completely turned off by Maytag. Apparently there was even a class action lawsuit against them for this reason as thousands have had problems with the mold in their washers. You have to keep the door open after every wash and do some maintenance cleaning on them from the start but we still have mold. I do not recommend them!

we got the Maytag front loading washer and dryer and absolutely love them!!!! my kids can help with the laundry with them. they also get your clothes much cleaner than the other machines. i highly recommend them!

I have neither, but heard on the news earlier this year that because the front loading washer conserves so much water versus a top loading machine that standards are actually being changed so that in the future ONLY front loadign machines will be manud=factured! I don't know when this is supposed to happen.

I have had my LG washer/dryer now for a month. Love them!! It is absolutely amazing how efficient they are. My clothes are almost dry right out of the washer and the dryer dries them in half the time. LG is the number one selling model right now. It is very easy to use. Stay far away from Maytag. No one has anything positive to say about them. GE,Whirlpool and Bosch make nice ones too. I just happen to like the LG model. As far as HE detergent, I don't see that as a drawback. It might be more expenive initially, but you aren't using a whole cup of soap each time-mine will only take 1oz.

We have the Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer. We've had them for four years. They are great. The hardest thing to overcome was not to fill up that soap cup. You will use very little soap and water softener if you chose. We have only made two service calls on them in that time.

The first one, little kid socks can go down the line with the water and cause a plug. If you have small items, put them in a mesh bag while being washed to save from having that problem.

Just recently, we had water on the floor whenever I was washing a load. We had an expert repairman come out and basically give us a lesson on how to use these machines. The commericials state that if you can close the door, it will wash. Our repairman said that is not good for the washer. He suggested that the washer never get filled more than half way which was not what I had been doing, and it was causing suds to seep out and leave a wet spot on my floor. He also suggested that we wash like things with like things...not colors. Pants all go in one load. Shirts in another load. I'm not sure if there's any truth to his reasoning, but I will tell you that putting away laundry goes much faster that way!

L.-

We have the GE brand front loaders and I like them. The only two drawbacks that I see are:

You need to use special "HE" detergent
If you have a small laundry room like us you have to keep the doors closed (i like to keep the door open so the washiung machine dries out after a cycle)

Good luck!

We have the whirlpool duet washer and dryer. We love them! We've had them about a year and with 2 little ones have gone through less than 2 boxes of detergent. They are quite, and my 3 year old can practically do laundry by himself. I do help him with detergent and making sure the settings are on the right place, but he loves to load and unload the laundry and do pretty much everything besides sorting and folding. We picked the whirlpool because it's simple (doesn't have tons of buttons) it's energy and water efficient, and we got a good deal on it at Lowe's, and my husband felt it was higher quality than some of the other brands. You have to keep the washer door open after unloading so that you don't get mildew, but even just leaving it a few inches open does that, and we haven't had that problem (mildew) for the year we've had it. The other nice thing is that they are quiet. Most of the time, if I have the utility room door closed, you can't tell if it's on or off, and sometimes even when the door is open. (depends on the noise level of the kids.)

I do not have a front loader, but my in-laws have LG front loading washer and dryer. Worked great in the beginning, but they, too had the problem with mold, due to water sitting in the door area/seal. I just recently asked her what they ended up doing (they considered getting new again). She said she got the odor out for the most part, and now just makes sure to leave the door open at all times if the washer is not in use. I don't know if the mold is an issue with all front loaders, or just a few models here and there, but I guess I would just suggest leaving the door open, atleast with this model. The mold smell is horrible to get rid of once it comes!

I've had my front loaders for 3 years. I love my dryer and, for the most part, my washer. My only problem with my washer has been the shocks...yes, they have shocks. The repair man told me that sometimes the shocks wear out, ecspecilly if you are washing different types of items in one load (ie, jeans with t-shirts). He said that doing this gets the washer off balance...all the items tend to stay to one side of the tub...wearing the shocks down quicker. I've never had a problem with mold or mildew smells, though.

I had the maytag neptune years ago and still have the dryer b/c the washer computer system went out and was too expensive to fix. So I replaced the washer with the LG front loader.......LOVE IT! So economical and washes beautifully and quietly. It took a lot of shopping around to choose but I'm pleased wth my desicion. Good luck in your adventure, there's alot to choose from.

We bought a Bosch front loading washing machine just over a year ago. It is super easy to operate. Lowe's carries the Bosch brand of appliances. This one was under $1000, so it was more affordable than the Samsung or LG brands. It has a large opening to load the clothes, and that opening angles up toward you a bit, rather than being perfectly straight ahead. That makes it easier to load. I love the timer feature as well. You can load it up in the morning, set the delay, and when you walk in the door from work or errands, your clothes are freshly washed and ready to go in the dryer. My only complaint about the Bosch is that there is no "quick" cycle. A complete cycle takes about 45 minutes...but that is equal to our dryer's cycle, so there's no downtime inbetween.

I bought an LG front loading washer and dryer about 2 years ago (so I know there has been at least one newer version of it). The best part is the large capacity. What use to be two loads, I can fit into 1 load. And the clothes do come out clean. Except I don't feel the towels get clean if I fill the washer up with towels, so I only fill it half full with towels.
The only problem I really have is water collects in the rubber casing where it opens. If I do not take a towel and dry it out, it mildews and has an awful smell. I have talked to people who have these washers and they say that they leave the door open after washing until it dries out, but my washer is in a place where we cannot leave the door open most of the time.
Hope this helps.

I've had my front loader for five years and I have not had any problems. My sister-in-law has had hers for six years with no problems. My mom has had hers for three years and had to have the motor replaced after a year (she hasn't had any problems since). We are all very satisfied.

I have a Bosch washer and dryer and have had them for about three years. I love them. I can put 16 pairs of jeans in the washer at once. I can also wash 2 full size bed sheet sets, 1 king size and one twin all at once. Very easy to use. You will enjoy having a front load washer.

I have had my Maytag w & d for about 4 years. I bought them at Sears scratch & dent and have had no problems with them. I even use regular Tide for washing (just put in 1/2 the amount). When you go looking, pretend you are loading & unloading clothes, the machine has all the cycles you want, and if you are comfortable - buy that one!

I have had the Maytag Neptune washer and dryer for about 6 yrs. I love them.. NO issues whatsoever. Love the frontloading features. As for the detergent...you can pick it up at the grocery, target, etc for about $3.99 a bottle when on weekly special. I just stock up on it.

I will NOTE..........I had a top of the line Maytag dishwasher and fridge which SUCKED. I have recently replaced both. I believe we got the washer and dryer BEFORE Maytag started going lax on quality.

My new appliances are Kitchen Aid and I couldn't be happier.

TF

I got my front loading machines when we moved to a new house last year. I love them. I thought the washer would be weird...water in the front and i can't really let them just soak while i poke around on them. Well, with afamily of 5, i keep our machines going all the time. The cycles are great and i really have seen a difference with the mucky clothes. Teh ones i would normally soak usualy just was right out. Plus, the machine does not have the big drum in it so i can put my king size comforter in and tons of my husbands jeans. It has really cut down on the number of loads i do. The first time you run it you will have to stare at the door. It sounds like a jet. Very entertaining! Side hint.... I would suggest you either buy the drawers that go below the units or do like we did... My husband made a shlef basically with concrete blocks and plywood and we put fabric over it (teh fabric was the same as my curtain) and then put the machines on it. If not the machines are very close to the ground. My mother did not that to hers and a wek later seh pulled them out and had the drawers put in. I opted for the shelf b/c the drawers are expensive and the shelf gave me lots of storage underneath. I use plastic tubs to hold swimming stuff.

I have a Whirlpool Front load washer and dryer. Love Them!!! Wish I could have gotten them sooner. Uses less water, much quieter. Felt that the Whirlpool was better made, less plastic and the customer satisfaction rating is the highest. A little pricey, but I am glad I chose these. Contact me if you want more info.
Linda

I agree with Geri. We have also found holes in our clothes that we NEVER got before. When we bought the front load machines we also now buy the H E detergents. We are not sure if the holes are caused by the detergent or the machines. I don't recommend the top load machines!!! I have had the very expensive machines for about 8 years and have had them worked on by professional repairmen about 4 times. The computer boards inside the machines have gone out on the washer and dryer, mold in the washing machine and other things. Each time I had them worked on it was over $250.00 a time.
R.

I LOVE my front loading washer. I will say that when we bought ours we couldn't afford much so we bought the Kenmore version. I have had a good experience with it. No problems, no repairs we've had it about 5 years.

We have a Kennmore front loader and love it. The spin cycles for jeans and towels is so fast, it pulls the majority of the water out of the clothes. You spend much less time with the clothes in the dryer. Ours also has a timer delay, so I can put clothes in the washer in the morning, and set the timer for them to begin washing about 30 minutes before I get home from work.
Jen D.-Frisco

L. I have LG Tromm washer and dryer. I absolutley love them!!! You can fit more in a load of laundry and you use way less water!! The cycles are pretty long compared to the top loaders(about an hour per load) but you get more in a load. My daughter has a down alternitive comforter that is queen size and I can wash it in my washer. Good luck with your shopping.

I bought my front loading washer and dryer around Thanksgiving and I LOVE THEM. They are fairly quite and I can do so munch more laundry than I could before. I went to Lowe's to purchase mine. I bought the Maytag Duets.