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#1
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Desperate for front-loading, top-loading washer advice
Greetings all!
When my wife and I bought our home around 8 years ago, we inherited my mom-in-law's 20-year-old washer and dryer...presumably, so we thought at the time...as a stop-gap measure until we bought our own. Well, the truth is, these old Kenmore appliances worked great, and were very capacious and never harmed clothes, so we just kept them. But my wife has always been waiting for the point when one broke, so she could buy us a fresh set. Well, she finally got her wish. The dryer stopped working, and though I reckon I could fix it (or have it fixed), this event signaled the moment at which we commit to getting a 21st century washer and dryer. After some research on the matter, I am frustrated and stumped. The wife really has coveted a side loading washer for ages, but as soon as we started researching them, all kinds of negatives appeared. Can anyone address any of the following?: (1) Putting holes in clothes. A search on the web suggests that lots of people seem to have had this experience. My old Kenmore, with the old-school agitator, has never harmed a single garment. I think if I got one hole per thousand garments, that would be one hole too many for me. I have zero tolerance on the whole hole issue. (2) Water spilling/leaking out of the front. That's a deal breaker too. (3) User-overide of preferences? I love Best Buy, and this is not a slam at them, but the person I spoke with on this matter had absolutely no idea about the products he was assigned to sell. They seem to market these front loaders as having all kinds of presets -- for instance, the washer adjusts the amount of water for the amount of clothes I put in; also, somehow the washer monitors the dirt in the water and keeps running until until the dirt presence is sufficiently low. Suppose, JUST SUPPOSE, I want to wash one sock with the maximum amount of water the washer can hold. I am not saying I would do this...but CAN I tell the washer I have put in a huge load, even if that means I have to lie to the robot? Also, we do loads of wash with dirty, junk towels we use for cleaning up dirt in the basement, etc...and we don't really care that these towels get ultra-clean. I don't want the washing machine to continue washing these nasty towels for hours trying to reduce the dirt presence to zero. What side loading and front loading washers do people recommend? I am very keen on high capacity washers. If anyone wants to JUST TELL ME what to buy, please do...I have had to make a million important household decisions over the last 8 years, and one million is apparently my limit. I'm spent. I feel like Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca..."You think for me, Rick." Chuck |
#3
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On 20 Aug 2005 21:49:33 -0700, in misc.consumers.house
wrote: Greetings all! When my wife and I bought our home around 8 years ago, we inherited my mom-in-law's 20-year-old washer and dryer...presumably, so we thought at the time...as a stop-gap measure until we bought our own. Well, the truth is, these old Kenmore appliances worked great, and were very capacious and never harmed clothes, so we just kept them. But my wife has always been waiting for the point when one broke, so she could buy us a fresh set. Well, she finally got her wish. The dryer stopped working, an http://www.consciouschoice.com/2000/...ible1305b.html Front-Loading Washers by James Dulley Dear Jim: I need a new clothes washer. I have heard about quiet, efficient front-loader models, but since they use less water, I worry about allergies from ineffective rinsing. Do they really wash and rinse well? — Peg J. Dear Peg: Front-loading washers (horizontal axis) are superior in most ways to top-loading ones that are most popular in the U.S. In Europe and most of the world, efficient front-loaders are predominantly used. Front-loaders typically are designed with very high-quality materials for a longer life. A front-loader design allows the washer and dryer to be stacked on top of one another to save floor space. Also, the ease of access to a front-loader for the physically impaired is a serious consideration for our aging population. By design, front-loaders wash more effectively than top-loaders. By using less water, less detergent, and less energy to heat the water, the annual savings of operating a front-loader can be as much as $100. Also, the gentle washing action minimizes damage and fading of your clothes. Instead of filling a tub with water and using a plastic agitator to move the water, a front-loader uses gravity. As the tub spins on a horizontal axis, the clothes gently tumble through the sudsy water. An automatic sensor determines the proper water level for the size of the load. As the tub is only partially filled with water, the clothes actually fall through the air from the top of the tub as it spins. This allows them to fan out before they reach the water and swish through it again. There is very little clumping of clothes, which allows for more thorough cleaning. Many of the models have built-in adjustable water heater elements that can raise the wash water to as high as 200 degrees. This improves cleaning and is ideal for washing children's clothes. The hotter temperatures can also kill the bacteria and viruses that are so common during cold and flu seasons. With a horizontal axis and no agitator, a front-loader spins several times faster (up to 1,600 rpm) than a top-loader. This improves rinsing. An electronic brain senses if the load is unbalanced. If so, the tub automatically stops, rotates back and forth to even it out the weight, and spins again. For effective rinsing, some models use a suds sensor. If too much soap is present, it automatically runs additional rinse cycles until the water is clear. You can also select models with manual settings of up to seven rinses. Combination space-saving front-loader washer/dryers do both the washing and drying in the same unit from start to finish. You put in the dirty clothes and take out clean dry clothes. Portable models are available on casters that have small built-in water heaters so only cold water is needed. Write for (or instantly download) Update Bulletin No. 866, buyer's guide of twelve front-loader and combination washer/dryers, capacities, speeds, cycles, and features. Please include $3 and a business-size SASE. James Dulley, Conscious Choice, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244 |
#4
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In article .com,
wrote: After some research on the matter, I am frustrated and stumped. The wife really has coveted a side loading washer for ages, but as soon as we started researching them, all kinds of negatives appeared. I have the Neptunes. I know nothing about washing clothes other than I put the clothes in the front, some HE liquid in the top, and I have clean clothes 2 hours later (60 in the washer, 60 in the dryer). (1) Putting holes in clothes. (2) Water spilling/leaking out of the front. (3) User-overide of preferences? I never had any of those happen. I set up one program on the washer, and that works for everything. I hit the same button on the dryer every time to get the moisture sensitive drying. -john- -- ================================================== ==================== John A. Weeks III 952-432-2708 Newave Communications http://www.johnweeks.com ================================================== ==================== |
#5
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In article .com,
wrote: Well, she finally got her wish. The dryer stopped working, and though I reckon I could fix it (or have it fixed), this event signaled the moment at which we commit to getting a 21st century washer and dryer. If you can fix it without a large expense of $ or time, fix it. That takes the pressure off so you can make a more intelligent purchase. -- Rich Greenberg Marietta, GA, USA richgr atsign panix.com + 1 770 321 6507 Eastern time. N6LRT I speak for myself & my dogs only. VM'er since CP-67 Canines:Val, Red & Shasta (RIP),Red, husky Owner:Chinook-L Atlanta Siberian Husky Rescue. www.panix.com/~richgr/ Asst Owner:Sibernet-L |
#6
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wrote in message oups.com... Greetings all! What side loading and front loading washers do people recommend? I am very keen on high capacity washers. If anyone wants to JUST TELL ME what to buy, please do...I have had to make a million important household decisions over the last 8 years, and one million is apparently my limit. I'm spent. I feel like Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca..."You think for me, Rick." Chuck Two-plus years experience now with a front-load washer has convinced me it's a better choice than a top-loader. Less soap and water, clothes ready for the drier with less moisture, very quiet, no problems with holes or other wear on clothes, enough options for wash/rinse that it handles any reasonable dirt condition and I can stuff it full for one load and put in just a little for the next and it doesn't care. It's a standard GE with matching dryer purchased from a local appliance store. The price was as good as from the big box store down the road and I got lots of knowledgeable help with the purchase. I'd go with the same deal and choice again. What surprised me the most is the difference in water and soap usage. The front-loader uses significantly less of both even when set for an extra rinse. TKM |
#7
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I too have a GE front load washer, and while I agree with all the
positives mentioned in this thread, I do have one negative - it takes 60 minutes to do a load, and I seem to remember that at the laundromat, the top loader Maytag, would take only 30 minutes. |
#8
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