Need Info on Washers and Dryers??

[searchdog]

I am just starting to research washers and dryers. The pair we have are at least 20 years old and were a hand me downs from my grandma. I have always wanted a front loading washer and dryer, but I need to know if they are worth the extra expense. We are a family of three that will most likly never be bigger than a family of 4.

So I need to know where to look to research if I should get a front loader set, and if so which is the best buy for the money, or if I should just get one of the top of the line top load washers and a new dryer??

Any info is appreciated.

[ellies mom]

We have the Bosch frontloader washing machine and dryer, and just love them. There are only 3 in our family and it is still worth it. We use regular detergent instead of the HE stuff (just way less of it), so we save money there. Also the washing machine regulates the amount of water used based on the size of the load, so it saves a lot of water on the smaller loads. Another plus is that the washing machine spins the clothes so fast that they are drier going into the dryer so that takes less time as well.

[bostonsmama]

I would absolutely in a heartbeat decide to get a front loader if I didn't have one. I'm sure I've written ad nauseum about how much I love my front loader (the Consumer Reports top-rated Kenmore Elite HE3/4t), so feel free to do a search for posts I've written in the past that are a little more clear-headed and throught through.

But I save gobs of money on detergent (this past year, although I tried a lot of different brands, I think I only spent $40 on laundry detergent. I use between 3 tablespoons and 1/2 cup of regular detergent, or 3/4-1 cup of HE (or ultra) detergent. I've really been pleased with Costco/Kirkland Signature's HE liquid, which is $11 for 300oz, versus Tide HE's $6-7 for 100oz.

My clothes are cleaner; my clothes dry faster, my clothes get less wrinkled, I can machine wash my stockings for the love of heaven it is THAT gentle on the "ultra handwash" cycle!!! It has a super huge capacity (at one time I had the fitted, flat sheet, 2 pillowcases and a queen sized bedspread in there).

More importantly it uses less water...to the tune of saving 15 gallons of water per load...the environmental impact/footprint of such savings is astronomical when you factor in a family's regular use. I also love that it uses something like 600 less killowatt hours of electricity per cycle (on warm water wash) than standard washers. It's energy star rated, it's quiet (the quiet sloshing is rhythmic and lulling-only makes noise when the cute little "jet engine" noises wind up for the high speed spin)...and you just save money all around. We, too, had a washer/dryer given to us by my parents. The pair was well over 20 years old, but it worked fine. Little did I know that the dryer was costing us big time. With both the washer, dryer and air conditioner running, my electric meter spun slower than the old dryer alone! I believe we save about $5-10 in water and $10-15 in electricity every month, not to mention the detergent savings (in the high double digits). This washer has paid for itself just in the past 3-4 years. I got it when it first came out and have had ZERO problems with it. We paid about $1200 for the washer and $700 for the dryer at SEARS.

Ooo, and I wasn't going to do a full review. Sorry...guess you got it anyway. Can you tell I'm passionate about this stuff?

Larissa
who's gettin in the holiday mood

"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them." -
James Baldwin

[lisams]

We just had our first full month with our Kenmore HE set and our water bill was $10 cheaper. Electricity is harder to determine as far as the exact savings, but the clothes aren't as wet when they are done spinning so they don't need to run as long in the drier. It's also energy star certified so I know we're saving!

We are very happy with out set so far. I had a few of DD's shirts that had what I thought were permanant stains (one was blood) come out after one washing in the new set using the same detergent. I was amazed!! It does a much better job of getting our clothes clean.

I never thought I would love a washing machine this much!

[searchdog]

Thanks Larissa, Lisa, and Veronica for the info. I have to have my facts and figures in line to convince DH that we "need" these. My FIL gave us a check for xmas that would cover at least half of a nice pair, but we would have to kick in the other half so I have to justify it all to DH. I am thinking we would save a ton on water and electricity with the new models. We CD so I am washing diapers every other day so we would probably see and even greater savings because of that.

[LaurelC]

We have the Whirlpool Duet pair, which is the same thing as the Kenmore that Larissa raves about. Ditto to everything she said! It is amazing how much stuff you can cram in there. It is also amazing how quickly the clothes dry. We have the gas dryer and it hardly uses any gas at all.

Also, check with your utility company. We got a $75 rebate from the electricity/gas company and a $125 rebate from the water utility. They actually sent us checks for those amounts. This was in 2003 in California.

[torontomom]

deleted...

[emilys_mom]

Just want to add my .02 as my husband got me a front loader set as my gift for DD's birth (I know-- not exactly the most feminist-friendly gift) but with as much laundry as we do (can you believe a little one needs so much??) and with as little detergent as I need, I think the added value was really worth it. We got the Maytag Neptune, as my in-laws also kicked in half and helped my husband pick.

I'm sure Consumer Reports can help you once you decide top loader or front loader, but they don't really pit the two against each other.

Couple of other points:

-Saves wear and tear on clothes
-Roughly about $300 - $400 more overall, but you will make up for that in water and electricity fairly quickly.
- I have found that they truly are better than my old top loaders at removing stains, (to be fair, however, they were 10 years old).

HTH!

[bostonsmama]

You're right abouut CR not making too big a deal about the differences btwn top and front loaders. The top of the line top-loaders do equally well in performance (as in getting clothes clean, being reliable, etc), although they do make the point that if you're considering the top of the line top loader (which you mentioned in your OP) you might as well go w/ front loaders b/c the price is the same (~$1,000) and the benefits & savings of FLs automatically trump any up-front cost savings of the TLs. Does that makes sense?

My mom has a really nice top loader...and I do like it and use it when I'm at her house for extended stays...but she bought a model that was pared down enough ($399 on sale) that FLs weren't really in her price range (nor were top of the line TLs) even after I helped her calculate the savings.

Larissa
who's gettin in the holiday mood

"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them." -
James Baldwin