On Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:01:22 -0500, "Existential Angst"
wrote:

"Jules" wrote in message
news
On Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:59:52 -0500, Existential Angst wrote:
You can drastically shorten your drying times/costs with a front loader
wash
machine.

Agreed

Why they cost so g-d much up front is another story.....

Also agreed. ****es me right off. A typical machine at a typical 'big
store' in England in around 200 pounds - which is somewhere in the
$US 300-350 range. Yet typical prices at similar stores in the US seem to
be around $600 (or more). There's no way I'm going to pay nearly double
the price* that they charge in other countries. (Canadians - what
are the prices like for them there?)

* actually, looking at the high end of the market it seems like they
typically charge an extra $200-$300 for the privilege of owning a
front-loader in the US, regardless of how good or bad the product is.

I have never seen a frontloader in the US for $600.
The Consumer Reports top rated best buy, is the Frigidaire, at about $750
US -- a fantastic bargain when compared to the Kenmore (Sears), has their
frontloaders at $1,000 and up, up past $1600, which was previously the
stratosphere occupied by the likes of Miele, and some other hoity toity
brands. I suspect a good part of that is the paint job.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02632212000P?vName=Appliances&cName= Washers+%26+Dryers&sName=View+All

$492, and a whole bunch more in the category from $500-$600 with
varying features. We have the 2002 Kenmore version of this, and it
was around $500 then too. The "regular price" is ~$800, but Sears'
trick with products like this is that they have a number of
almost-identical models with only a feature or two different, and
rotate which is on sale, so there's always one at the sale price.

These are decent machines, with a capacity similar to a normal
top-loader (they look smaller, but you can stuff them full, including
comforters and other big items because there's no agitator taking up
space).

You can certainly spend much more on a huge front-loader with digital
everything (which will have quite a bit more capacity than any top
loader), but that's not really the right comparison.

It's like dishonest "studies" showing that driving a car costs $X more
than taking the bus, when they average the cost of all cars, rather
than comparing *basic* car transportation. Yes, a Lexus is nice, but
a Honda Fit or used '95 Saturn is much closer in cost and *still*
offers more comfort and features than the bus. YMMV of course...

Josh