Anyone bought a Washing Machine lately?

[gour0]

I've never. But, now we are. Funny, buying a house doesn't throw me, but a washer.... I'm stumped. Any wise words of consumer wisdom? Best, worst, wastes of money, etc? Alan and Denise haven't covered this, have they?

[sweetbasil]

We just love our Frigidaire Gallery Front Loading Extra-Large Capacity washer. It's more energy efficient, uses less water and soap, and spins the clothes until they're dryer than our old washing machine (a top-loader) did.

Good luck,

[gour0]

Frigidaire Deluxe Front Load Washer #GLTF1670AS

Extra-large capacity stainless steel drum. 16 cycles including short wash. 2 speed combinations. Automatic temperature control. 7 temperature combinations. Model GLTF1670AS.This item is only deliverable by Boscov's Home Delivery Service. Click below on Alternate View for further information....
More info...
http://www.boscovs.com/commerce/images/193147629GLTF1670AS.jpg

Is this it?

[nohomama]

Stacey,

I'm not certain if this is the model Julie was talking about, but it's similar to what I have. Mine is one or possibly two generations prior to this one and I think it's fabulous for all the reasons Julie mentioned. We also have the matching dryer which I'm not as in love with. One of the advantages of owning both though is that the washer and dryer can be stacked if we ever move someplace that's short on space.

[Jenmv]

I would definetly go with a front-loader style washer. We bought a Maytag Neptune a few years ago and have been very happy with it. When we bought it, it had one of the largest capacities but there are more models to choose from now. I hear Whirlpool makes a good one. I love the front loaders. They use less water and are much gentler on your clothes. They also rinse cleaner and leave less soap residue on your clothes. I have put everything in my washer from giant comforters to dry clean only mohair throw blankets and they have all come out with out a scratch. Also if you live near a Sears they sell a house brand of high efficiency detergent. We usually find the buckets on sale for like $15 and they last us for a good 6 months.

[gour0]

This got good reviews online...

http://img.epinions.com/images/opti/ac/4e/Kenmore_Elite_3_7_cu_ft_IEC_HE3t_Front_Loading_Was her_42926_Washing_Machines.jpg

[LisaMom2Allie]

We have the Kenmore Elite Calypso HE and love it. The dryer is the Elite something mate that went with it. We have been very happy with it and I wash most of my "dry clean only" clothes in it and have only ruined one dress(a linen/rayon blend) so it really saves on dry cleaning. It had several cycle choices and custom options so now I never have to handwash either.

This may sound strange but I could never decide what I wanted to do w/ my wedding dress so it just hung in the closet for 5 years and when we moved and bought the new washer two years ago I decided 'what the heck' and threw it in my washer on the dry clean cycle and it came out great-didn't lose any beading or anything.

It did cost more but it is more efficient even though I use the HE detergent. You can use regular just less of it. It was well worth the money.

Lisa
Mom to Allie Nicole
3-10-03

[egoldber]

We have a Fisher&Paykel washer that I LOVE! Its a New Zealand washer that is relatively new to the US market. It is a top loader that is just as efficient as most front loaders. It also has an incredibly fast spin cycles that gets clothes very, very dry.

It is also far less expensive than the average front loader. I've had it for 2 years now and I adore it.

Mine is an older model, but here it is:

http://usa.fisherpaykel.com/Products/Laundry/Washers_GWL10.html#

http://usa.fisherpaykel.com/

HTH,

[COElizabeth]

I have a front-loading Kenmore, and one feature I really like (probably common to a lot of machines) is that it automatically adjusts the water level to the size of the load, so you don't have to decide whether your load is extra small, small, medium, large, etc. My dryer also has electronic moisture sensing, so it quits when the clothes are dry and never "bakes" them. I would definitely look for those two features again.

Elizabeth, Mom to James, 9-20-02

[annex]

Consumer Reports rated them in its August 2003 issue. For top-loaders, they gave Best Buy recs to the Kenmore (Sears) 2381 and the Maytag Performa PAV2300A. For front-loaders, they recommended the Kenmore (Sears) Elite HE3 4282 and the Whirlpool Duet GHW9100L. Even if you don't subscribe, they have some general info on their web site about choosing a washer at:
http://www.consumerreports.org/main/content/display_gateway.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=337151

[emilyf]

We bought all our appliances (Kenmore) for our newly remodeled house at Sears and I have been so thrilled with their customer service! We had 2 things go wrong, both the fault of the contractor who installed the machines, and Sears was out right away to repair and there was no charge. The problem with our washing machine turned out to be serious-a loose connection had caused a leak which destroyed the motor underneath. I called Sears at 10 pm when I realized it wasn't working and they had a repair person out the next morning, replace the whole motor, the guy was super nice and didn't charge a dime. This was all standard warranty, we didn't buy anything extended. We have a front loader, not sure of the exact model but I do like it, but more than that I would highly recommend buying it from Sears.
Emily \r\nmom of Charlie born 11/02

[NancyJ_redo]

Where I live (Los Angeles) some of the utility companies give you a rebate for purchasing energy efficient appliances (look for the "EnergyStar" label), oftentimes up to $100 per appliance. So although the front loading washing machines are more expensive, the rebate really helps make up the difference. I suggest you check out any rebates available in your area from the water company and the gas company, you can probably find out online, since those may figure into your buying decision.

[DebbieJ]

We have the Kenmore Elite front loading Washer and Dryer and couldn't be happie! These machines are awesome. Splurge and get the pedastals, too--the extra height puts the doors at just the right level.

I started looking about 2 months before we moved. The salesman at Sears took my name and number and called me when they were having a great sale. I ended up getting an extra 10% off and free delivery! They were able to schedule the delivery for after our move in date, even though it was amost 2 months away.

This was at the Sears in Northridge, CA. I'm sure other stores will do the same.

Deb in Los Angeles, CA
#1 due 12/4/03