Front-load washer?
 

Looks like I'm gonna want a stacking washer/dryer. The dealers seem
to be pushing front-loaders everywhere now. Near as I can tell, the
front-load options allow for fullsize units, as opposed to the smaller
stackable top-loaders. Do you use a front-load washer? Happy with
it? More bending over to load and unload? Consumer Reports said
sumpthin about greater difficulty loading, not sure what they meant...


--

Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people.

....WC Fields

Front-load washer?
 

Steve writes:

Looks like I'm gonna want a stacking washer/dryer. The dealers seem
to be pushing front-loaders everywhere now. Near as I can tell, the
front-load options allow for fullsize units, as opposed to the smaller
stackable top-loaders. Do you use a front-load washer? Happy with
it? More bending over to load and unload? Consumer Reports said
sumpthin about greater difficulty loading, not sure what they meant...


We have a front-load washer, which we bought a few years ago. Seems to
do fine washing the clothes, and uses a lot less water and detergent.

No more bending over to load and unload than the front-load dryer
beside it (which is 20 years old).... The trip from the washer to the
dryer is shorter - I just get down on my knees and move it from one to the
other in handfulls until it's all done. Then I stand up. I lose socks in
the washer at about the same rate as in the dryer - you do need to "get
down" to fish out the ones stuck to the top of the drum.

Front-load washer?
 

Steve wrote:
Looks like I'm gonna want a stacking washer/dryer. The dealers seem
to be pushing front-loaders everywhere now. Near as I can tell, the
front-load options allow for fullsize units, as opposed to the smaller
stackable top-loaders. Do you use a front-load washer? Happy with
it? More bending over to load and unload? Consumer Reports said
sumpthin about greater difficulty loading, not sure what they meant...


--

Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people.

...WC Fields

My washer went out last November and I bought an LG washer and dryer
with the stacking kit and love them. They wash so well and spin out so
much water that it takes no time to dry the clothes. They are energy
efficient and quiet. LG seems to be rated better than most and there
are very few complaints about them. I would say go for it. Do your
research and buy what you want, but consider the LG's. The stack kit
is better than the others...heavy metal versus foam and stuff.

Front-load washer?
 

D Smith wrote:
No more bending over to load and unload than the front-load dryer
beside it (which is 20 years old).... The trip from the washer to the
dryer is shorter - I just get down on my knees and move it from one to the
other in handfulls until it's all done. Then I stand up. I lose socks in
the washer at about the same rate as in the dryer - you do need to "get
down" to fish out the ones stuck to the top of the drum.

You musta spent some time training your socks - mine crawl behind the
drum to hide. And, while I couldn't prove this, I'm pretty sure some
of them have managed to escape the washer entirely at some point in
the cycle.


--

My friends tell me I have an intimacy problem.
But they don't really know me.

....Garry Shandling

Front-load washer?
 

"USA1st" wrote:
My washer went out last November and I bought an LG washer and dryer
with the stacking kit and love them. They wash so well and spin out so
much water that it takes no time to dry the clothes. They are energy
efficient and quiet. LG seems to be rated better than most and there
are very few complaints about them. I would say go for it. Do your
research and buy what you want, but consider the LG's. The stack kit
is better than the others...heavy metal versus foam and stuff.

Saw some LGs at BestBuy today, they look pretty cool too. Sorta
tempted to put them in the living room. :)


--

My friends tell me I have an intimacy problem.
But they don't really know me.

....Garry Shandling

Front-load washer?
 

"USA1st" wrote:
My washer went out last November and I bought an LG washer and dryer
with the stacking kit and love them.

Any idea what the cu ft capacity is? Home Depot has the 3.42' washer
for $799 and 7.0' dryer for $649. They also have the 3.72' washer for
$999 and 7.3' dryer for $799. Does that amount of extra space seem
meaningful?

I'm not sure how tight you're supposed to pack the clothes in a
front-loader, but it must take quite a bit more than an equivalent
top-loader, since there's much less water and no agitator taking up
room?


--

My friends tell me I have an intimacy problem.
But they don't really know me.

....Garry Shandling

Front-load washer?
 

The appliance manager at BestBuy told me sumpthin sorta weird, but
maybe it's true - he says the LG washers are great, but because they
go to max spin instantly, there can be sympathetic vibration of floors
etc.


--

My friends tell me I have an intimacy problem.
But they don't really know me.

....Garry Shandling

Front-load washer?
 

"Steve" wrote in message
...
"USA1st" wrote:
My washer went out last November and I bought an LG washer and dryer
with the stacking kit and love them.

Any idea what the cu ft capacity is? Home Depot has the 3.42' washer
for $799 and 7.0' dryer for $649. They also have the 3.72' washer for
$999 and 7.3' dryer for $799. Does that amount of extra space seem
meaningful?

I'm not sure how tight you're supposed to pack the clothes in a
front-loader, but it must take quite a bit more than an equivalent
top-loader, since there's much less water and no agitator taking up
room?

I have a front load washer. I pack it with as much clothes as I can jam in
there and it does fine. It is a different paradigm - it does not need to
have free room in there. As another poster noted, it does use less water
and I use about half the detergent.
Tomes

Front-load washer?
 

"Tomes" wrote:
Any idea what the cu ft capacity is? Home Depot has the 3.42' washer
for $799 and 7.0' dryer for $649. They also have the 3.72' washer for
$999 and 7.3' dryer for $799. Does that amount of extra space seem
meaningful?
I'm not sure how tight you're supposed to pack the clothes in a
front-loader, but it must take quite a bit more than an equivalent
top-loader, since there's much less water and no agitator taking up
room?

I have a front load washer. I pack it with as much clothes as I can jam in
there and it does fine. It is a different paradigm - it does not need to
have free room in there.

Is a 3.4 cu ft washer big enough for normal usage, or does the 3.7
seem worth the extra money?


--

My friends tell me I have an intimacy problem.
But they don't really know me.

....Garry Shandling

Front-load washer?
 

Steve wrote:
More bending over to load and unload?

I put mine n a 2' platform. We just store stuff underneath and there's
no bending over.

Front-load washer?
 

i have a 3.4 and it does fine with a queen size comforter...and I have
squeezed a king size comforter in it with no problems.

Front-load washer?
 

you can't stack them if you put them on a platform. I stacked mine to
free up the other side of my tiny laundry room. this allowd me to
build shelves to store more stuff.

Front-load washer?
 

"USA1st" wrote:
you can't stack them if you put them on a platform.

Well, not unless you wanna play basketball getting the clothes into
the dryer. Might be kinda fun...


--

My friends tell me I have an intimacy problem.
But they don't really know me.

....Garry Shandling

Front-load washer?
 

On 7 May 2006 15:25:59 -0700, "USA1st" wrote:


Steve wrote:
Looks like I'm gonna want a stacking washer/dryer. The dealers seem
to be pushing front-loaders everywhere now. Near as I can tell, the
front-load options allow for fullsize units, as opposed to the smaller
stackable top-loaders. Do you use a front-load washer? Happy with
it? More bending over to load and unload? Consumer Reports said
sumpthin about greater difficulty loading, not sure what they meant...

My washer went out last November and I bought an LG washer and dryer
with the stacking kit and love them. They wash so well and spin out so
much water that it takes no time to dry the clothes. They are energy
efficient and quiet. LG seems to be rated better than most and there
are very few complaints about them. I would say go for it. Do your
research and buy what you want, but consider the LG's. The stack kit
is better than the others...heavy metal versus foam and stuff.

Our Frigidaire Gallery set is still running well 3 years later and
cost us 60% of what the Whirlpool, Kenmore, and Maytag varieties cost.
Well worth it, especially with a 5-year extended warranty just in case
(front load washer transmissions are the weakest link in these
machines).

Front-load washer?
 

"Steve" wrote in message
...
The appliance manager at BestBuy told me sumpthin sorta weird, but
maybe it's true - he says the LG washers are great, but because they
go to max spin instantly, there can be sympathetic vibration of floors
etc.


That's not an LG thing. You can't install a front-load washer anywhere but
a basement, on a solid concrete floor. That is, unless you LIKE all your
pictures shaking off the walls. :) -Dave

Front-load washer?
 

"Steve" wrote in message
...
"USA1st" wrote:
My washer went out last November and I bought an LG washer and dryer
with the stacking kit and love them.

Any idea what the cu ft capacity is? Home Depot has the 3.42' washer
for $799 and 7.0' dryer for $649. They also have the 3.72' washer for
$999 and 7.3' dryer for $799. Does that amount of extra space seem
meaningful?

If all else is equal, buy the LARGEST capacity you can afford. Don't buy a
crappy set just because it's bigger, but if you have a choice that is equal
in quality, buy the larger ones.

We bought a set at Lowes that is appropriately sized for a KING sized
comforter, according to both Lowe's literature (in the store) and the
manufacturer of the appliances. It does an OK job of washing our QUEEN
sized comforter. The QUEEN sized comforter is really squashed in the
(supposedly KING size) washer. I wouldn't attempt to wash a KING sized
comforter!!! I also believe that the queen sized comforter would probably
get cleaner if the washer (and dryer) were a bit larger. But we bought the
KING size appliances, so sheesh . . . what's larger than that? -Dave

Front-load washer?
 

"USA1st" wrote in message
oups.com...
i have a 3.4 and it does fine with a queen size comforter...and I have
squeezed a king size comforter in it with no problems.


I have a 3.7 and it's a bit small for a QUEEN sized comforter. I wouldn't
attempt to wash a King sized comforter with it. The QUEEN sized comforter
is really squashed in there. -Dave

Front-load washer?
 

"Mike T." wrote:

That's not an LG thing. You can't install a front-load washer anywhere but
a basement, on a solid concrete floor. That is, unless you LIKE all your
pictures shaking off the walls. :) -Dave

Agree

make sure that floor is SOLID

Front-load washer?
 

"Mike T." wrote:
The appliance manager at BestBuy told me sumpthin sorta weird, but
maybe it's true - he says the LG washers are great, but because they
go to max spin instantly, there can be sympathetic vibration of floors
etc.

That's not an LG thing. You can't install a front-load washer anywhere but
a basement, on a solid concrete floor. That is, unless you LIKE all your
pictures shaking off the walls.

I've seen plenty of front-loaders in high-rise condos, but that's
probably concrete and steel construction, so I guess vibration
wouldn't be a problem?


--

My friends tell me I have an intimacy problem.
But they don't really know me.

....Garry Shandling

Front-load washer?
 

"Mike T." wrote:

The front-load washer will shake a
house so bad that most new owners assume that it is defective. (and thus
they call for service) -Dave

That was my experience

Bough Kenmore FL units

Shakes the floor so hard I swear I wont buy another
front loader ever UNLES its concrete floor

I'm going top loader Fisher Paykel next time.

Opinions?

Front-load washer?
 

"Mike T." wrote:
I've seen plenty of front-loaders in high-rise condos, but that's
probably concrete and steel construction, so I guess vibration
wouldn't be a problem?

Depends on your definition of problem. If you have nothing hanging on your
walls anyway, NO PROBLEM. :)
The guys installing our front-loader set said that 90% of new front-load
washer owners request warranty repair within the first few weeks if the
washer is not sitting on solid concrete. The front-load washer will shake a
house so bad that most new owners assume that it is defective. (and thus
they call for service)

Thanks for the info, dunno what a guy would do without this group! :)

Interestingly, I don't recall any mention of this in Consumer Reports.
Wouldntcha think they'd run across this problem in their testing?


--

Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen.

....Albert Einstein

Front-load washer?
 

Thanks for the info, dunno what a guy would do without this group! :)

Interestingly, I don't recall any mention of this in Consumer Reports.
Wouldntcha think they'd run across this problem in their testing?


Consumer Distorts probably tested in a lab with a concrete floor or some
kind of ultra-hard industrial flooring (on top of concrete). Interestingly
enough, our front loader sits directly on concrete floor in the basement,
and shakes the nearby concrete WALLS, also. :) But we don't feel any
vibration upstairs. Still, if you ever even put your hand on the washer
during the spin cycle, you will understand the need for installing it on
concrete, without anybody telling you that it's necessary. These things
have a lot of POWER and TORQUE, and they throw your laundry around at insane
speeds, causing very violent vibrations. You do NOT want these vibrations
transmitted through a typical floor in a modern house. It has to be set on
solid concrete. -Dave

Front-load washer?
 

I installed my new whirlpool front loader in a room framed with
16 foot long 2X12 floor joists on 12 in centers. I can relate to
how it might vibrate violently if loaded in such a way that it
becomes unbalanced, but so far there's been no problem and i
works great.

-Mike

Front-load washer?
 

Front-load washer?
 

hubcap wrote:

I installed my new whirlpool front loader in a room framed with
16 foot long 2X12 floor joists on 12 in centers. I can relate to
how it might vibrate violently if loaded in such a way that it
becomes unbalanced, but so far there's been no problem and i
works great.

-Mike

I'm thinking if a person is gonna install a front
loader on a "soft" floor..... than maybe installing it
under a counter or at least bolting it and the dryer
together may help reduce vibration or spread vibration
out

What you think?

Good idea or bad idea?

Front-load washer?
 

Steve wrote:
"Mike T." wrote:
The appliance manager at BestBuy told me sumpthin sorta weird, but
maybe it's true - he says the LG washers are great, but because they
go to max spin instantly, there can be sympathetic vibration of floors
etc.

That's not an LG thing. You can't install a front-load washer anywhere but
a basement, on a solid concrete floor. That is, unless you LIKE all your
pictures shaking off the walls.

I've seen plenty of front-loaders in high-rise condos, but that's
probably concrete and steel construction, so I guess vibration
wouldn't be a problem?


--

My friends tell me I have an intimacy problem.
But they don't really know me.

...Garry Shandling

My LG's are in my house in my laundry room off from the kitchen on a
plywood base floor (and actually on vinyl floor) and I have no
vibration problems. I can hear the final spin cycle but it doesn't
vibrate anything. Of course the people that delivered it installed
them. I have been very pleased.

Front-load washer?
 

D Smith wrote:

This isn't to say that people that report problems here are wrong -
just to say that some of us have front-loaders on the main floor (not
concrete) and don't have shaking problems. It probably depends on just how
much flex there is in a particular floor.

Understand and agree

I probably live in a rental apartment that has a very
"flexy" floor

But given that you never know what the floor will be
like in any rental unit I still am going back to top
loader next time. That's just me of course

Now if I owned my own house....and could do something
abt the floor.....Id stick with FL

Front-load washer?
 

Front-load washer?
 

Mike T. wrote:
"Steve" wrote in message
...
The appliance manager at BestBuy told me sumpthin sorta weird, but
maybe it's true - he says the LG washers are great, but because they
go to max spin instantly, there can be sympathetic vibration of floors
etc.


That's not an LG thing. You can't install a front-load washer anywhere but
a basement, on a solid concrete floor. That is, unless you LIKE all your
pictures shaking off the walls. :) -Dave

My toploader died 6 years ago and I decided I would get a energy and
water efficient machine. We have had a Maytag Neptune since.

In this house it sits on a concrete floor in the laundry room - In our
last house it was on concrete in the garage. The Neptune does not spin
up to full speed right away. It tosses the clothes at low speed and
gradually speeds up to allow them to spread out in the drum more
evenly. It is vibrates sometimes, but it's usually very quiet and has
never tried to walk across the floor like the old top loader did from
time to time. The noisiest part of the entire wash process is when
it's filling with water.

I calculated the water usage/cost to see if the thing was really worth
the extra money. I paid about a $grand for the Neptune and figured a
good top loader would cost me $400-$500 at the time. The water savings
alone paid back the cost difference in less than five years. One might
argue that waiting 5 years for the payback might not be worth it, but
it is a payback, and I wanted to conserve water and elecricity so it
was the right choice for me.

Front-load washer?
 

"Mike T." wrote in message
reenews.net...
"Steve" wrote in message
...
The appliance manager at BestBuy told me sumpthin sorta weird, but
maybe it's true - he says the LG washers are great, but because they
go to max spin instantly, there can be sympathetic vibration of floors
etc.

That's not an LG thing. You can't install a front-load washer anywhere
but a basement, on a solid concrete floor. That is, unless you LIKE all
your pictures shaking off the walls. :) -Dave

I disagree with this. My front loader is in the laundry room next to the
kitchen, with a normal first story floor and vibration is NOT an issue,
either from the washer or the dryer. My pictures stay on the walls fine.
If it shakes that much, something is wrong with the machine.
Tomes

Front-load washer?
 

wrote in message
...
hubcap wrote:

I installed my new whirlpool front loader in a room framed with
16 foot long 2X12 floor joists on 12 in centers. I can relate to
how it might vibrate violently if loaded in such a way that it
becomes unbalanced, but so far there's been no problem and i
works great.

-Mike

I'm thinking if a person is gonna install a front
loader on a "soft" floor..... than maybe installing it
under a counter or at least bolting it and the dryer
together may help reduce vibration or spread vibration
out

What you think?

Good idea or bad idea?

I think that one should just get a good front loader that does not vibrate.
Mine does not have these problems and is located on a normal first story
floor. It's not like we are careful to balance the load either, we just
shove it full, add detergent and turn it on. No problem. Kenmore
417.something model.
Tomes

Front-load washer?
 

Tomes wrote:
"Mike T." wrote in message
reenews.net...
"Steve" wrote in message
...
The appliance manager at BestBuy told me sumpthin sorta weird, but
maybe it's true - he says the LG washers are great, but because they
go to max spin instantly, there can be sympathetic vibration of floors
etc.

That's not an LG thing. You can't install a front-load washer anywhere
but a basement, on a solid concrete floor. That is, unless you LIKE all
your pictures shaking off the walls. :) -Dave

I disagree with this. My front loader is in the laundry room next to the
kitchen, with a normal first story floor and vibration is NOT an issue,
either from the washer or the dryer. My pictures stay on the walls fine.
If it shakes that much, something is wrong with the machine.
Tomes

I don't know how all front loaders are built but was told LG's do not
use a belt...are are direct drum driven, so perhaps that is why there
is less vibration? They are more stable?

Front-load washer?
 

"USA1st" wrote:
I don't know how all front loaders are built but was told LG's do not
use a belt...are direct drum driven, so perhaps that is why there
is less vibration? They are more stable?

I was told that LGs are the biggest problem - they're not belt-driven,
so they reach final spin speed almost instantaneously, not gradually,
which causes vibration problems. Dunno whether this explanation makes
any sense, or even whether it's accurate...


--

Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen.

....Albert Einstein

Front-load washer?
 

Sent email to Whirlpool about the vibration issue, here's their
response -

===========================

From:

Whirlpool Horizontal Axis washer model GHW9400P has a maximum spin
speed of 1200 RPM, and model GHW9150P has a 1000 RPM spin speed.

Due to the high spin speeds that the Duet washer can achieve, a floor
reinforcement may be necessary to reduce vibrations if the pair is
installed on a second floor or over a basement. We recommend using
3/4 inch plywood the size of the bottom of the unit to be screwed
every 6 inches with 3 inch drywall screws.

The Horizontal Axis is a term used by Whirlpool because of the way the
tub and drive motor system are placed in the cabinet. It has a
world-class 6-point suspension system that features dual springs to
isolate vibration and four shock absorbers at the washer base to
minimize movement. If it detects any unbalance, the washer
automatically attempts to redistribute the load up to seven times.
Even the largest loads spinning at high RPMs can remain in complete
balance.

When installing on a second floor, you will need to make sure that the
floor is able to support 600 pounds for the large Duet pair or 400
pounds for the Duet Sport.

The Duet Sport model WFW8300S washer and WED8300S electric dryer,
WGD8300S gas dryer are new and manufactured with 2nd floor
installation in mind. The Duet Sport washer features four shock
absorbers and two support springs that cushion the motion of the inner
drum as it spins, reducing vibration and noise.


--

I've wrestled with reality for 35 years,
and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it.

....Mary Chase

Front-load washer?
 

you do need to "get down" to fish out the ones stuck to the top of the
drum.

If you grab the nearest fin on the inside of the drum and give it a push,
you can roll the drum 180 degrees and bring whatever's at the top to the
bottom without fishing. Usually, it's not dead center at the top and appears
just off center from the bottom in one small push or pull of the fin.


"D Smith" wrote in message
...
Steve writes:

Looks like I'm gonna want a stacking washer/dryer. The dealers seem
to be pushing front-loaders everywhere now. Near as I can tell, the
front-load options allow for fullsize units, as opposed to the smaller
stackable top-loaders. Do you use a front-load washer? Happy with
it? More bending over to load and unload? Consumer Reports said
sumpthin about greater difficulty loading, not sure what they meant...


We have a front-load washer, which we bought a few years ago. Seems to
do fine washing the clothes, and uses a lot less water and detergent.

No more bending over to load and unload than the front-load dryer
beside it (which is 20 years old).... The trip from the washer to the
dryer is shorter - I just get down on my knees and move it from one to the
other in handfulls until it's all done. Then I stand up. I lose socks in
the washer at about the same rate as in the dryer - you do need to "get
down" to fish out the ones stuck to the top of the drum.

Front-load washer?
 

In article ,
says...
"USA1st" wrote:
My washer went out last November and I bought an LG washer and dryer
with the stacking kit and love them. They wash so well and spin out so
much water that it takes no time to dry the clothes. They are energy
efficient and quiet. LG seems to be rated better than most and there
are very few complaints about them. I would say go for it. Do your
research and buy what you want, but consider the LG's. The stack kit
is better than the others...heavy metal versus foam and stuff.

Saw some LGs at BestBuy today, they look pretty cool too. Sorta
tempted to put them in the living room. :)

Anyone have the LG with the steam "freshening" cycle? As someone who
"irons" her clothes by spritzing them with water and throwing them in
the dryer for a few minutes, this really appeals to me.
--
Debbie the Dogged das at spamcop dot net
"Poodles are space aliens who think they've disguised
themselves as dogs." - Paghat the Ratgirl

Front-load washer?
 

Curtis CCR wrote:
Mike T. wrote:
"Steve" wrote in message
...
The appliance manager at BestBuy told me sumpthin sorta weird, but
maybe it's true - he says the LG washers are great, but because they
go to max spin instantly, there can be sympathetic vibration of floors
etc.


That's not an LG thing. You can't install a front-load washer anywhere but
a basement, on a solid concrete floor. That is, unless you LIKE all your
pictures shaking off the walls. :) -Dave

My toploader died 6 years ago and I decided I would get a energy and
water efficient machine. We have had a Maytag Neptune since.

In this house it sits on a concrete floor in the laundry room - In our
last house it was on concrete in the garage. The Neptune does not spin
up to full speed right away. It tosses the clothes at low speed and
gradually speeds up to allow them to spread out in the drum more
evenly. It is vibrates sometimes, but it's usually very quiet and has
never tried to walk across the floor like the old top loader did from
time to time. The noisiest part of the entire wash process is when
it's filling with water.

I calculated the water usage/cost to see if the thing was really worth
the extra money. I paid about a $grand for the Neptune and figured a
good top loader would cost me $400-$500 at the time. The water savings
alone paid back the cost difference in less than five years. One might
argue that waiting 5 years for the payback might not be worth it, but
it is a payback, and I wanted to conserve water and elecricity so it
was the right choice for me.

Here I am, ten days after the last post and feeling compelled to
update. Just had the control board and door lock motor in my Neptune
replaced this morning the tune of over $400. It is not clear whether
the board went bad and wrecked the lock motor, or vice versa. Sypmtom
was the spin wouldn't start so our clothes were still soaking wet when
the machine stopped. Neptunes will wash-rinse-repeat when unlocked.
However they will not spin with an unsecured door.

This is the only repair we have needed in the 6 years we have had the
machine, but any further problems with repair estmates this high will
result in my replacing the machine. I will be watching what people say
about LGs and others.

Front-load washer?
 

On 19 May 2006 15:07:33 -0700, "Curtis CCR"
wrote:

Here I am, ten days after the last post and feeling compelled to
update. Just had the control board and door lock motor in my Neptune

If you ever have the problem of disposing of a dead Neptune, you
should call the Neptune society.

Front-load washer?
 

wrote:
On 19 May 2006 15:07:33 -0700, "Curtis CCR"
wrote:

Here I am, ten days after the last post and feeling compelled to
update. Just had the control board and door lock motor in my Neptune

If you ever have the problem of disposing of a dead Neptune, you
should call the Neptune society.

So far, I love my LG's and friends and family all want them now too. I
have read good things about them on the internet and very little that
was not good. I don't have the steam one, but love what I have and
wash a load almost everyday.