Stuck- I really cannot find a good washer/ dryer to buy...

9 years ago

I currently have a GE front loader and dryer that are 7 years old that are not fixable. I think it was the GE GFWN1100LWW (it looks the same). Here is a picture.
http://products.geappliances.com/ApplProducts/Dispatcher?REQUEST=SpecPage&Sku=GFWN1100LWW

We had a similar model in our last house, so this is really the only Washer/ Dryer experience I have had other than my parents 25 year old Maytags.

I went to my local dealer and loved the looks and size of the HE top loaders, but see they do not get as much love as other machines. I am hoping that I can get honest opinions on these 3 machines or other suggestions as to what might work in my situation.

Laundry is my nemesis. I have so much dirty laundry that the HE top loaders with their higher capacities really appeal to me. I love the simplicity of a SQ, but am ready to sacrifice reliability for better capacity.

I love my Front loader and have had no problems with cleaning or stains which makes me think that I might not complain about the HE Top Loader as much as other people. I hate the bending down and ergonomics of the Front Loaders. I also would like a higher capacity, so my towels and sheets/ comforters don't take 2 or 3 loads a week. My current capacity is 3.5 cu feet on my front loader.

So having said that, my local store recommended these 3 models to me. All are basically the same price for me. I am willing to go to higher models if they are better or allow for more HE overrides.
Maytag Bravos XL MVWB880BW
Fisher & Paykel AquaSmart 22 lb WL4227P1
Whirlpool Cabrio Platinum WTW8500

SO here are my questions.
Is there a difference in wash wear between a front loader and HE top loader (I hang dry my kids clothes so dryer wear is not a concern)?

If I go the Whirlpool/ Maytag route which one is the better of the two (I know they are both owned by Whirlpool)?

Do any of these really tear/ put holes in clothes more than any other washer? I have not really had much of a problem with it in my current one.

I think I can handle all other HE top loader issues, but feel free to point out any other differences. Also, if you have a REALLY big FL that you would recommend, I would be interested in checking it out.

BTW water usage and electricity savings are not really a big concern for me. How laundry is handled is.

Samsung and LG are out because the repairmen around here are non-existent.

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Comments (4)

rcoop
Original Author
9 years ago
Just thought of one more question. My appliance seller said that other than Speed Queen, 7 years is about average for a front loader. Do HE top loaders have a longer lifespan or is that standard now for all washers?
speedlever
9 years ago
Our TL washer is about 14 years old and is becoming unreliable. Time to start shopping before it completely dies. So this thread is of interest to me!

TL vs FL. Seems about equal in the love/hate department. It's a toss up with our friends and family too.

Our laundry is on the 2nd floor, so vibration and potential leaks are a concern.

Scanning the CR archives, the FL rate significantly higher than the TL. Samsung and LG typically rate higher on reliability too. But getting a repair made may be another issue altogether.

Man, I wish they still built them like they used to!
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gr8daygw
9 years ago
I had a Bravos and hated it so much I sold it for pennies on the dollar. I think it was $1000 and I sold it for $100. I wish I could tell you the big tub is a wonderful thing but it's not. It doesn't put enough water into the tub and sometimes my clothes were not even wet. It was gross. Not to mention it was big so it often went out of balance and the clothes were in a huge wadded up ball when I extracted the clothes. They went too far when cutting down the water used to wash the clothes because it now does not get clothes clean or in some cases even wet. It's also a noisy machine and takes forever to wash clothes. My GE front loader does a much better job of cleaning clothes. I would never buy a top load High Efficiency machine again. The dryer was noisy too. I'm much happier with the set I have now which I think is the same GE set you mentioned in your post.
larsi_gw
9 years ago
The Electrolux Wave Touch (70 Series) are excellent machines. Both the dryer and washer are HUGE, offer endless options and work wonderfully. Also, the dryer is one of the few that reverse tumble....say goodbye to wrinkles and balled up sheets!!