Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
slowdowntohurryup

Top loaders LG vs Maytag

slowdowntohurryup
12 years ago

...was told a while back not to look at the LG b/c of service (how often does a washer need to be serviced? - and if that is a factor - why buy it - buy something that won't break -- :-)..)...maytag of ten years finally bit the dust (never did anything do it except wash two loads every day...and people on the net and some retail stores are touting the LG models.... so here is what we are contemplating..

LG WT5101HV - vs Maytag MVWB850 or 950 (gray)...both are about the same price...not buying the dryer now -- hoping to get a deal in a couple of weeks over Black Friday - but we NEED a washer now.... any thoughts on these two (we going to buy one tomorrow ;-(

thx

Comments (31)

  • Nunyabiz1
    12 years ago

    My wife and I just bought that exact LG washer and dryer yesterday.
    Wont be delivered until Nov 11th though.
    We got a rather decent deal on it I thought at Sears.

    Counting tax and delivery plus hauling away the old dryer carcass and also the $35 kit for the dryer which is the cord plus vent hose etc. the total was $1715.00 for both. We got a bit over 25% off.

    What sold us the reviews by consumers, I rarely see ANYTHING that pretty much has nothing but 5 star reviews from everyone.
    Here are 75 reviews from this one site alone, I believe it is like 69-70 out of 75 are 5 star.
    even the ones that weren't seemed almost more operator idiocy than it did the machine.

    http://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/WT5101H.html#BVRRWidgetID

    I looked at over 250+ reviews for the LG the past 2 days and 99.5% of them are 5 star.

    So we went with the LG, it also rated the highest on consumer reports.
    This top loader is every bit as good as any of the front loaders without the inherent problems most front loaders seem to have, at least according to hundreds of reviews.

    Here are 128 reviews from Home Depot virtually all of them 5 star.

    Here is a link that might be useful: LG 5101H Home depot

  • montel (CA US 10b/Sunset 16)
    12 years ago

    We are in the same situation - we are going to need a new washer and dryer for our new house in December - the Laundry room is ready right now!

    We are looking at the Bravos and the LG top loaders - we have so far kind of leaned towards the Maytag Bravos 850, mostly because of service issues our family has had with LG front loaders (lack or delayed parts availability).

    I am willing to be swayed in either direction. We are hoping for some Black Friday deals also.

  • gr8daygw
    12 years ago

    This is a picture of my Maytag Bravos 750 also have the dryer 850. Ok, my complaint is that if you wash sheets it wads them into such a tight ball it is like a huge rock. This picture shows one set of king sheets with a summer weight open weave blanket. It got itself into a mushroom cloud of wad that took all of my strength to pull apart, it was so wrinkled and heavy and filled with water that I thought I would never get it undone. I am not ignorant of the directions and do all it says but sometimes it does this even with carefully placing clothes in there. Needless to say that once there is this solid rock of sheet and blanket it is not balanced and will bang around and make noise like you cannot believe and walk forward from the wall. I strongly dislike this machine. But I can see how some would like it. The steam in the dryer does nothing. My clothes are so wrinkled from the washer that nothing will get them out. I must iron everything now. Honestly, laundry should not be rocket science. How I wish I had just kept my old Maytags that were 18 years old and doing fine but I got caught up in that government rebate program thinking that I needed to replace them while it was a good deal since they couldn't last forever. The dryer works how it wants to work. It has nothing to do with number of minutes or dryness. It is also very noisy and the first few days I had it a paint chip came off the drum. It pops and cracks and I more or less despise the thing as much as the washer. the paint is already failing on the top of it. It is almost worn through on the edges. My husband and I are the only ones who use it so it doesn't get a workout. My porcelain top on my old dryer was just as beautiful the day it went out of here as it was the day I bought it. Maytag Bravos = fail...

  • livebetter
    12 years ago

    I've read complaints about these machines tangling and causing excessive wrinkling. Not sure all makes are guilty.

    From Consumer Reports:
    High Efficiency Top Loading Washers
    These use a variety of methods to lift and tumble the laundry (I suspect they way some makes lift and tumble causes tangling of items).

    Cons:The high-speed spin can tangle and wrinkle clothing.

    Sorry you're not happy - nothing worse than spending good money and being unsatisfied.

    I found this on the Maytag site (but you may already be aware of this info):

    Loads are tangling and twisting in my BravosTM HE washer.

    Did the tangling or twisting happen while washing sheets or other large fabric items?

    Use the Sheets cycle for sheets, pillowcases and towels. The wash action of this cycle is designed to keep large items from tangling and balling up. For best performance drop items in loose heaps evenly around the basket wall. Do not load items directly in the middle of the basket for this cycle.

    Were you washing just one type of garment in the load?

    Loads tend to tangle or twist when washing loads of one type of garment, such as long-sleeve shirts. Try mixing different types of load items to reduce tangling.

    Did the tangling or twisting happen while washing a large load?

    To reduce tangling and twisting, the load items need to move freely in the washer. You may need to reduce your load size. Add only one or two items when the Add A Garment or Add Clothes light is on.

    Did the tangling and twisting occur during a wash cycle such as Super Wash or Normal?

    Select a cycle with a lower-speed wash action, which will reduce tangling and twisting. Lower-speed wash action cycles include Wrinkle Control or Hand Wash.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Loads are tangling and twisting in my BravosTM HE washer

  • Nunyabiz1
    12 years ago

    If you have a problem with wrinkles in your clothes then slow down the spin cycle and use cold water, usually solves the problem.

    That is basically what the "wrinkle guard" selection on most washers do, it is the same situation regardless of top or front loader.

  • dadoes
    12 years ago

    Cold water will solve the situation pictured above? Really? :-D

    High spin speed does contribute to wrinkling, but has *no* relation to tangling. Tangling is brought about by items moving in relation to each other. Spin has the pieces pressed stationary against the drum or basket, not moving over and around each other. Tangling occurs during the wash (and/or rinse) agitation process, *before* spin begins.

    @gr8day, I'd recommend not washing the sheets and blanket together. The blanket is a stretchy fabric weave much different than the sheets. Some of them can absorb a lot of water and get quite heavy when wet, even if the fabric is otherwise lightweight. Wash the sheets on the specific Sheets or Bulky cycle if your machine has it, otherwise try Delicate. Run the blanket separately on Delicate, see if that helps.

  • gates1
    12 years ago

    You can read my ownership reviews on the wave force washer under the heading of "my new wave force review" I love mine and owned it since Jan.

  • gr8daygw
    12 years ago

    Thanks everyone, I have tried many things already. In fairness it's not every time but many times. Makes it scary to leave the house with a load in the machine like the carefree good old days, lol. One of the reasons I bought it was for the large capacity and ability to put more in and what I have found is that you really can't do that and take advantage or you will end up with a mess on your hands. It is all sort of misleading. Sometimes reinventing the wheel can be tricky!!!

  • _sophiewheeler
    12 years ago

    "One of the reasons I bought it was for the large capacity and ability to put more in and what I have found is that you really can't do that and take advantage or you will end up with a mess on your hands."

    Exactly! That's why you will always be able to do larger loads in a FL rather than a TL. The drum size is deceptive. You cannot use all of that space. In a FL you can get it almost full and it will still wash your clothes. And wash them better than any TL. "High Efficiency" top loaders is only high efficiency compared to the old top loaders. It's like saying that a SUV gets "great" gas milage. Great compared to a Hummer, sure. Not so great when compared to even a plain Honda Civic.

  • gr8daygw
    12 years ago

    hollysprings, I'm a believer now. If I could sell this and get an FL I'd do it today.

  • Nunyabiz1
    12 years ago

    except of course if you put large loads in the FL the bearings will fail just that much faster.

  • Nunyabiz1
    12 years ago

    Just passing on what many repairmen with decades of experience have very clearly stated is all.

  • asolo
    12 years ago

    Yo, Nunyabiz1.........other than puking up what you've read you don't bring anything worthwhile to the table. Are you fearful for our welfare that we may not have read what you've read? Are you thinking you're providing a service?

    If you've got some specific experience that may be interesting for others to consider, by all means let us know what you think. However, I don't care what you've read. I can read. I have read. If that's all you've got, shut up, will ya?

  • Nunyabiz1
    12 years ago

    then why are you here READING these post?

  • asolo
    12 years ago

    Logic 101 on display.

    Bye.

  • Nunyabiz1
    12 years ago

    that's better.
    I guess you failed Logic 101.

  • livebetter
    12 years ago

    Nunyabiz1, is the type who "needs" to have the last word (makes sense since he feels he's so smart too).

    It's a waste of energy to have any discussion with him as he's only here to voice his thoughts. He's not interested in what others have to say (particularly if they don't jive with his own beliefs).

    He can't just let others post their positive thought without posting his own (unsubstantiated) drivel.

    I'm sure anyone who posts anything positive about front loaders will have to endure his condescending comments.

    Unless of course you're here to tout the merits of HE TL in which case he'll be the first one to "gush" over his purchase.

    Sadly, it only takes one ...

  • Kappen
    12 years ago

    Doesn't the WT5101 have an issue with actually getting hot water into the wash unless you run the 3 hour sanitize cycle?

  • Nunyabiz1
    12 years ago

    "Doesn't the WT5101 have an issue with actually getting hot water into the wash unless you run the 3 hour sanitize cycle?
    " =====================================================

    Yes it does, but so does EVERY HE washer be it TL or FL, that is part of how they all qualify for "Energy Star and High Efficiency" standards.

    I don't think any of the newer HE washers have what used to be called a true HOT WATER wash. At least that is my understanding of HE anyway.
    Fortunately for those times you feel you might need that ultra hot wash it does have that option on the Sanitize Cycle that heats the water to 158 degrees.

    I think if you want a true hot water washer anymore you need to buy a used washer for $50 off of craigslist from probably at least 10 years ago.

  • montel (CA US 10b/Sunset 16)
    12 years ago

    So back on topic - it does seem that the LG Top Loaders have much better consumer reviews compared with the Maytag Bravos.

    In general what are the preferred Top Load sets on this site?

    We are going with natural gas - not sure if that matters.

    Top loaders in the mix: LG & Maytag Bravos as top picks, or something from Samsung, GE, Whirlpool, Kenmore...

  • dadoes
    12 years ago

    In general what are the preferred Top Load sets on this site?

    We are going with natural gas - not sure if that matters.
    There are no washers that run on natural gas, never have been.ÃÂ Maytag had wringer washers that run on gasoline engines (popular with the Amish) instead of an electric motors.


    I don't think any of the newer HE washers have what used to be called a true HOT WATER wash. At least that is my understanding of HE anyway. ...

    I think if you want a true hot water washer anymore you need to buy a used washer for $50 off of craigslist from probably at least 10 years ago.
    Your Neptune TL fills with full hot water on the hot setting, mine does. I do know of at least one toploader brand on the market now that can fill with full-hot.

  • asolo
    12 years ago

    "....what used to be called a true HOT WATER wash...."

    Not sure I'm understanding correctly. "Hot" used to mean tap-hot which was typically between 120-140F from the pre-purged tap which was reduced to 105-120F with heat-loss in the machine. Without a built-in heater and with 30-gallon fills, that was about the limit. Most new HE (low water use) machines with a built-in heater offer 155-160F "sanitary" settings plus a couple of others that will heat to 125-130F.

    There used to be 220v machines that would go to 205. Not sure they're available in the US any longer. I was never interested in that kind of heat anyway but I do like the idea of being able to dial in 125-130F when I want it. That's my idea of "hot" or "hot enough" or whatever for normal loads. However, an HE machine without a built-in heater WILL NOT deliver anything close to that whether set on "hot" or not.

  • Nunyabiz1
    12 years ago

    My Maytag Neptune came out about 8+ years ago though, I have had it a little over 7.
    I thought the newer standards for HE especially if it is "Energy Star" rated essentially negates the use of straight hot water because using hot water is 90% less efficient than cold.
    A Hot/Warm cycle cost about .68cents of electricity while a cold/cold cycle cost .04cents in electricity.

  • Nunyabiz1
    12 years ago

    ""Not sure I'm understanding correctly. "Hot" used to mean tap-hot which was typically between 120-140F from the pre-purged tap which was reduced to 105-120F with heat-loss in the machine."
    =========================================================

    No you understand correctly, that was a true HOT WATER wash, in other words just straight hot water from your tap at what ever your hot water heater happens to be set at, ours currently is 125 degrees. It would just fill the tub with straight hot water which used to be quite a bit of water in top loaders. Newer HE top loaders don't use even close to that amount of water and I am pretty sure don't use straight hot water either, not if they are Energy Star rated and HE anyway because they would never pass the standard requirement.

    But the newer HE machines I am fairly sure even if you select HOT what you get is several seconds of COLD then it pours in some hot water at the end, which is basically just "warm" water.

    Personally we are perfectly fine with that because we rarely if ever used hot anyway, cold water with the correct detergent works very well.
    If we ever decide we just have to sanitize the hell out of something then we will do the Sanitize cycle.

  • asolo
    12 years ago

    "....hot water is 90% less efficient than cold.
    A Hot/Warm cycle cost about .68cents of electricity while a cold/cold cycle cost .04cents in electricity."

    That would be if "efficiency" has only to do with electrical consumption and assumes that cold water cleans as well as warm or hot (my definition would be 105 and 125+) and thereby pretty much ignores the purpose of having the the machine in the first place. Cold water does not clean as well as warm or hot water regardless of the "correctness" of the detergent.

    Where I live tap-cold is about 70 in the winter and 90 in the summer. People who have colder tap water can expect to get worse results in their "cold" water than I do.

  • Nunyabiz1
    12 years ago

    That's debatable and totally depends on what you are cleaning.

    For greasy heavily soiled whites I agree, hot water works best and is indispensable.
    For the average load of clothes especially dark colors cold works just fine, if they are a bit more soiled than usual simply pre treat then wash in cold.
    But hot water will shrink, wrinkle and fade clothing faster, so unless it is really dirty and rather durable we always wash in Cold water, sometimes "warm" and it works just fine for us and everything comes out nice and clean and in general last longer.

    Whether or not the ONLY concern is electricity or not is moot if the difference between Hot Vs Cold is 90%.
    Amount of water consumed is also a factor as is the amount of water left in the clothing after spinning.
    But those 2 things generally make a bit less of a difference than the Hot Vs Cold difference.
    .68cents Vs .04cents

    Here is a link that might be useful: Energy Star guidelines

  • asolo
    12 years ago

    We agree that HE machines use less water therefore less water has to be heated to whatever temperature is chosen. I believe this is obvious.

    The ES guidelines say nothing about ambient water temps, nor do they define "hot" or "cold" in the formulas or in the text. To get the ES rating/label, the manufacturer only has to comply with the formula. One of the annoyances for consumers researching current HE machines is trying to learn exactly what each manufacturer means when they say or write "cold", "warm", and "hot" for a particular machine. (which intentional obfuscation has been discussed to death on other threads.) For example, my HE machine (Duet 9400 from 2/95) has buttons for selection of cold/warm/hot. If I select "hot" in a cycle that doesn't use the built-in heater, and purge the line so that 130F water flows in from the first drop, my actual wash temp is about 105F. Due respect to Whirlpool and the US government's ES formula, that is NOT what I or anyone I know considers to be hot. Hot-tub "hot", maybe, but not laundry-hot. I resent this industry-wide obfuscation and/or failure to disclose this most basic of information. The number of consumers who have been surprised and disappointed to learn of their expensive machines' deficiencies in this regard are legion.

  • montel (CA US 10b/Sunset 16)
    12 years ago

    "There are no washers that run on natural gas, never have been.� Maytag had wringer washers that run on gasoline engines (popular with the Amish) instead of an electric motors."

    Now come on Dadoes - I am sure the word "Top Load sets" in my comment made it clear I was talking about a top load washer that runs on electricity, and uses water, with a standard Natural Gas dryer. I could see if you thought I might want one of those crazy top load dryers (I am staying away from F&P...)

    I hope you are just messing with me :)

  • Nunyabiz1
    12 years ago

    I agree that manufacturers should be more forthcoming about what the actual temps should be when they have a "HOT" option.
    Far as I can tell there aren't any HE machines whether FL or TL that actually have real HOT WATER (to me that means just straight hot water from the tap 120-145 degrees what ever your hot water heater is set to).

    I just looked at the online manual on the one we just bought and it says that both the "Extra Hot" (Sanitize) and even the "Hot" cycle use the internal heater to raise the water temp, so I assume the hot cycle must actually resemble hot water of at least 110+ degrees. Anything less than that certainly isn't hot water and should have no reason to use the internal heater.
    That might be why some people believed that it doesn't have truly HOT water because they might have been feeling it as it comes in instead of after it sits in the tub and heats up? I dont know, will see in a week I guess.

  • livebetter
    12 years ago

    Actual temps for LG vs. Miele (this was specific to the LG WM3885 but I imagine they are all the same or very similar).

    LG (WM3885)
    Extra hot 70 C (158)
    Hot 50 C (122)
    Warm 40 C (104)
    Cold 25 C (77 F)

    Miele W4842
    Sanitize 70 C (158)
    Hot 60 C (140)
    Very warm 50 C (122)
    Warm 40 C (104)
    Cold 30 C (86)

    One of the reasons I went with the Miele was the fact that Miele guarantees the temperature in all programs/settings (except Normal). This means it uses its heater in all but Normal.

    When you consider how much heat is lost in the transfer of water to the machine. It has to travel from the hot water tank and the cold wash drum and clothes cool it even further. Especially now with such low water used in new HE machines. Even a warm wash may end up luke warm at best without the aid of a heater.

    I felt better knowing the Miele would always ensure the proper temp selected. It monitors the temp throughout.

    LG never seemed to answer the question about what settings it would engage the heater. I was told sanitary but no one seemed clear on whether it used it on hot or not. Interesting that information now seems available in the manual.

Sponsored
Maruca Design / Build
Average rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars20 Reviews
Exceptional Residential Design and Remodeling Services in Fairfax