Sign of the times. HE washing machine odor
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Bluebinky
Member
It also has my IP address completely wrong -- we have hundreds, if not thousands, of computers going through that router to get to this site...
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Ballvalve
General Engineering Contractor
Front loaders are a joke from smells to electronics. The cheapest top loader is ergonomically superior and you can leave the lid up to stop the spin cycle and get a free soak. Try that on front loader.
Chad Schloss
Member
what???
you can't open the door on a front loader (it locks itself) so water can't spill out on you.. how is that dumb?
top loaders waste so much water.. i am not even an eco freak... we have both. upstairs is a conventional cheap top loader, and in the basement we have an lg front loader from 2006 or 2007. you can't even compare how the clothes come out, let alone how much water is not used with the lg..
Bluebinky
Member
On a top loader, you can stick a screwdriver down the slot to override the spin lockout (at least you could a few years ago). Useful when you're mad at your younger brother...
My cool t-shirts last forever now with the front loader. The clothes do come out much better. Really nice.
Odor? It's in the garage so I haven't noticed.
Mold? Haven't noticed any yet.
Water savings? Haven't noticed -- water's relatively cheap. I guess I should care.
Detergent? Use a *lot* less, but probably costs the same or more than the old stuff overall.
The only problem I've had (LG) is that after I used bleach for the first time, the next load got really messed up. I take out the dispenser and rinse the bleach out now -- three years and going without a problem.
My cool t-shirts last forever now with the front loader. The clothes do come out much better. Really nice.
Odor? It's in the garage so I haven't noticed.
Mold? Haven't noticed any yet.
Water savings? Haven't noticed -- water's relatively cheap. I guess I should care.
Detergent? Use a *lot* less, but probably costs the same or more than the old stuff overall.
The only problem I've had (LG) is that after I used bleach for the first time, the next load got really messed up. I take out the dispenser and rinse the bleach out now -- three years and going without a problem.
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Runs with Bison
Member
Yep, this is a big difference. I noticed it in the dryer right away, far less lint with each load. The front loaders don't grind down the clothing as rapidly. Clothes are lasting longer, making the economics a no brainer. The agitator trashed clothing/sheets from time to time. So far I've had exactly one incident with a pair of shorts getting stuck between the gasket and wearing a hole. They are still wearable though, looks like they were artificially "distressed."
Ballvalve
General Engineering Contractor
Several top loaders now meet the same water standards as front loaders - without all the things to go wrong.
DonL
Jack of all trades Master of one
I like the Top Loaders, there is nothing wrong with them.
Now a days people must like to feel that they are at the Washateria. Many people can not get their Belly close enough to load and un-load a top Loader.
Front Loaders work good when you don't have to pay for their maintenance. They also look good with the TV mounted above them.
Front Loaders may be easier for disabled folks to operate. That is a good thing.
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BobL43
DIY Senior Member
I like my front loader, and I do not resemble any of those people you mention who must need them. Da Churse is yaws, ma fren.
Bluebinky
Member
Overall, I like my front loader so far -- it's only three years old. Ask me in another 10 or so...
Don, my mother had a wringer, and, like you, she got her arm stuck in it. It must come with the turf. I was young, but I remember that well. That washing machine when I think of it, brings back some really warm memories for me. She did her wash on Thursdays, and, I would come home from school, and come running in to see mom, and I could hear the " thump, thump, thump" before I hit the basement, so, I knew she was down there. Remember that sound? While down there, I would run about, always, busy, lol, and would run my hands up and down the feel of the pipes I loved so well. Years, later, I learned it was asbestos.
The basement was loaded with it, some painted, some not. When she passed away, I got her washing machine, the wringer. I kept it in my garage, for I am a more modern girl, ( she used it til the day she died) but, on somedays, when I wanted to "hear" mom, I would do a load. I remember a girlfriend coming over when I was reminiscing with mom's wringer, and she said, " how old are you?" and, was amazed, I knew how to work it. The wringer was in excellent shape, dad kept it that way, and I took very good care of it. Then one day, one of my neighbors came over with his mom, probably in her 80's. And, she saw the wringer in the garage, and, her little legs ran over to it, there she was touching it, and, then, the story came. Hers broke, and couldn't be fixed, it was all she used in her life.
That day, watching it being lifted into his truck, she hugged me, kissed me, and blessed me,
. I truly, never felt better in my life. She was great Don.My cats watch the dogs go 'round & round, lol.
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Ballvalve
General Engineering Contractor
The wringers did have a quick release lever to hit with your hopeful free hand before you came out looking like a donald duck cartoon.
A REAL laundry set up has a 6 foot table to the left of the top loader - slide the stuff in and sort there. Then we need a top loader DRYER, so its just one lift and a slide to the dry. Although a good tilt down door rig works about as well.
These porthole machines are just a gadget to fleece the housewives. Only useful in the kitchen of a European apartment.
A REAL laundry set up has a 6 foot table to the left of the top loader - slide the stuff in and sort there. Then we need a top loader DRYER, so its just one lift and a slide to the dry. Although a good tilt down door rig works about as well.
These porthole machines are just a gadget to fleece the housewives. Only useful in the kitchen of a European apartment.
When we bought our first house in the early's 80's we couldn't afford right away a washer & dryer, so I went to the laundry mat, and I guess I am weird but, I loved going there, lol. I read the bullentin boards the business cards, and sat in the sun nearer the window, read the paper, made friends, and sipped my coffee. It was also, a unique way to find prospective people wanting to buy a home.
My parents surprised me one day, with a used setup of a washer & dryer found in the local paper. That set lasted a long, long time. It was just a top loader, which I still only want. I like the top loaders. Years later we bought a second home. This house came with a laundry chute. One day, after moving in, I told the boys to throw down their dirty laundry. I had the door to the chute open, and my head sticking in it looking up, when the laundry including a toy car, came racing at my head at 90 mile per hour. But, I was quicker. I got my head out just in time. lol.
Then, we developed a clog in the chute. The clog was on the third floor, boys clothing.
I told the boys to get a stick and push at the clothes as hard as possible to loosen it. They are very obedient kids and this time, along with the clothes came a stick shooting down the chute. I nearly, was missed by the stick. I learned a lesson, do not put your head in the chute, especially, if looking up, and be very specific in your directions. Shove clothes, keep stick. My husband started to do the laundry and he became very good at it. Sure, we had an occasional pink load, shrunken sweaters, but, I was just glad someone else was sticking their had in the chute.
A REAL laundry is when someone else is doing the work!
Bluebinky
Member
On ours, you needed to wrap bailing wire around one end of the wringer before trying to run little bro's hand through or else it would just pop open.
The top-loaders are a little easier to load and unload -- I guess if you couldn't bend over it would make a huge difference. However, I almost never need to buy clothes any more, except that the knees on my jeans still wear out.
Runs with Bison
Member
1. The HE top loaders are more expensive than the HE front loaders.
2. The HE front loaders are still much more efficient with water then the HE top loaders.
3. The HE front loaders still spin the water out better on average than the HE top loaders--big savings in the dryer.
4. Eliminating the agitator allows for bulkier items to be washed and it is gentler on the clothes--the clothes last longer.
At any rate, even compared to getting along with our old style top loader and spending nothing, my front loader has already paid out, and that's without making an estimate of the value of increased clothing life. Our clothes also tend to come out cleaner than the old top loader, unless we did half loads in the top loader. (It didn't circulate full loads well.)
There are installations where HE top loaders would make more sense, particularly ones where the floor is not solid and any vibration will be transmitted, or in locations where it is inconvenient to have the doors open (e.g. where entrance doors are through the utility space.
Chad Schloss
Member
i have two different lg washers and dryers. one set is like 6 years old, the newest one is this years model. the older one is sitting on pedistals on a concerete floor. they vibrate slightly at high speed. the new lg are stacked on my main floor in the rental house. subfloor is only 3/4" OSB. no vibrations or noise at all. the newer set does not spin as fast as the old set, maybe that fixed that issue, not sure. both sets are very easy on clothes. i have spent less money on clothes and sheets/blankets since i have had the 6 year old set. my buddy has a fisher/paykel lop loaders. i don't like them simply because there's nothing to them. they weigh next to nothing and make more lint than i think HE washer/dryer's should. they are way noiser than the lg's by far, and cost about the same from what i have compared. i use less soap with the HE washers. yes, the HE soaps can be more expensive, but you can get off brand compareable soaps from places like sam's club for half the price. the washer's that i have also have a heater built in, so if the water is not up to temp, it heats it to what is needed, and has a steam wash (and the newer dryer is also a steam dryer). can't find those in a conventional top loader either. I'd never switch back if I had the choice.
BobL43
DIY Senior Member
My wife is 5' 1 inch tall. Our washer and dryers are on those fancy pedestals with drawers. They bring up the height of the doors on the front loaders to the ideal height for my wife. Last night, we were at HD and looked at the selection of washers and dryrs for the fun of it. The largest (an LG) washers there that was a top loader, was so tall, my wife was not able to reach over far enough into it to reach the bottom of the tub, like if she had to pick up some socks at the bottom or whatever. And that was without a pedestal under it.
Ours are now 3 years old, and work like new, no smells; wife happy, me happy.
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