"Ian" wrote in message . ..
What is it about the front load washers that makes then twice the price of
the top load units?

I'm trying to cut through the sales talk. Are they actually "better"? If
so, what do they do that the top load units don't?

Front loaders use much less water, which may or may not
be a good thing, depending on the load you're washing.
Sometimes with very heavily soiled items it's better to
have more water than less.

Also, generally, front loading machines can handle larger
loads.

As to why the price difference, I'm sure some of it is due
to higher design and manufacturing costs for front loading
machines (e.g. better quality seals are required on the door
and wash basket, for obvious reasons), but beyond that
I'm not sure why they cost so much more than top loaders.