Front Load Washing Machines

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CajunMama
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Front Load Washing Machines

#1 Postby CajunMama » Sun Sep 07, 2008 9:22 pm

I'm having to replace my 4 year old Maytag Neptune toploader. The bearings in the outer drum have water in them and the entire outer drum needs replaced to the tune of $600. I might as well spend a little more and just get a new machine. So we're looking at getting a front loader. Consumer Reports ranks LG brand high so i'm kind of leaning that way. So now do i get a 4.0 cubic foot or a 4.2 cubic foot. I really don't know if there's that much of a difference in size to warrant the difference in price. Help me decide please!
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Miss Mary

#2 Postby Miss Mary » Mon Sep 08, 2008 12:57 pm

The only front loader I've used is a stackable, condo unit duo in my late father-in-law's condo. That washer started and stopped, at least 6 times, used very little water. The way it washed clothes, reminds me of my new energy saver dishwasher (it also uses less water and starts/stops, constantly). I'm just used to washing machines agitating! LOL

But apparently clothes last longer because they are not agitated so much? I don't know......I do know it's a different way to do laundry. If you want to add something to the wash, obviously you can't. Not sure if you can even fill, agitate, soak and then restart (sometimes I soak an item for a few hours, or just stop it so I can add fabric softener later, when I'm back home, if running out).

Hopefully someone here will own a front loader and can honestly tell you if they like it or not.
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Re: Front Load Washing Machines

#3 Postby andrewsmith1 » Mon Sep 08, 2008 8:27 pm

CajunMama wrote:I'm having to replace my 4 year old Maytag Neptune toploader. The bearings in the outer drum have water in them and the entire outer drum needs replaced to the tune of $600. I might as well spend a little more and just get a new machine. So we're looking at getting a front loader. Consumer Reports ranks LG brand high so i'm kind of leaning that way. So now do i get a 4.0 cubic foot or a 4.2 cubic foot. I really don't know if there's that much of a difference in size to warrant the difference in price. Help me decide please!


My wife and I just got a new 4.2 cubic foot LG front loader. It does a great job. Like Miss Mary says, it starts and stops a lot. Our laundry room is near the bedroom so I can't sleep if I start a load of laundry at night because I keep hearing it and trying to guess where it is in the cycle. It uses very little water and I am amazed that the clothes come out clean as a result.
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Re: Front Load Washing Machines

#4 Postby PurdueWx80 » Wed Sep 10, 2008 7:37 pm

my new apt has a frigidaire front-loader and i LOVE it. they save a lot of water and detergent, and perhaps surprisingly, do a really good job of cleaning dirty clothes. you can set them to wash a bit longer if a load doesn't seem as fresh as it should be. go for it!
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O Town
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Re: Front Load Washing Machines

#5 Postby O Town » Wed Sep 17, 2008 8:41 am

So have you decided on what your going to do yet? If I could afford it I would get a front loading washer and dryer. I worked at a dry cleaners for years in my younger days and thats all they use for dry cleaning and also for regular washing. They don't need but about half the water and clean really well and are much gentler on your clothes with the type of agitation used. Also you can fit larger items such as comforters, and blankets in. I think you should definitely consider getting one, its a win win win trade off I think.
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#6 Postby DanKellFla » Fri Sep 19, 2008 6:47 pm

How many people do you do laundry for?
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CajunMama
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Re: Front Load Washing Machines

#7 Postby CajunMama » Sun Sep 21, 2008 8:47 pm

I bit the bullet today and bought the washer and dryer. I did the research and went to several stores getting prices and felt that bestbuy was the store that was most knowlegable about the product. I also bought the pedastals. I opted for the electric dryer over the gas dryer because of the short drying time. It's going to seem strange having a washer/dryer that is not white or ivory. This is what i will be getting on thursday in the green as shown. It's a LG 4.0 washer and 7.3 dryer which will be plenty, probably more, than enough for 3 of us to use.

Image
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Miss Mary

#8 Postby Miss Mary » Sun Sep 21, 2008 9:04 pm

Sweet!

I'm sure you'll be happy with your new washer and dryer. The water saving features take some getting used to but they're better on your budget. And easier on your clothes too.
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#9 Postby CajunMama » Fri Sep 26, 2008 1:36 am

Delivery was today! And of course i had to wash a load of clothes. Our jeans came out so soft and smelled so good not musty like the top loader. I'm sure this enthusiasm of washing clothes will last a month, max. :lol:
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Miss Mary

#10 Postby Miss Mary » Fri Sep 26, 2008 6:36 am

A month! LOL

Yes, the newness will wear off but in the meantime, enjoy your new washer and dryer.
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#11 Postby O Town » Wed Oct 08, 2008 4:22 pm

Yay! Congrats on your new toy.
And your right, laundry will suck just as bad in a month in the new one as it always has with the old one. LOL.
I despise laundry. :grrr:
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Miss Mary

#12 Postby Miss Mary » Wed Oct 08, 2008 6:27 pm

My laundry trouble? Doing it all in one day! If my husband had his way, I'd wash, dry, fold, and put away all of our laundry. In one day. Before nightfall. But no we have baskets of clean laundry usually sitting around. LOL

We will be true empty nesters (sniff, sniff) in January. We would be now but our oldest (Sr. in college) took a semester off for a Fall Internship so it's been very nice having her home again (she hasn't been home this much since August, of 2005!). But I keep saying once I'm doing laundry for two of us, I should in theory be able to do that - pick two days a week and do all of our laundry. Possibly, Mondays and Thursdays. But wait, we have a ton of TV on those nights.....he he Already talking myself out of this chore....

I will let you all know if I pull this off. I haven't yet and we've been married for 22 years! LOL
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Re:

#13 Postby CajunMama » Wed Oct 08, 2008 8:31 pm

Miss Mary wrote:My laundry trouble? Doing it all in one day! If my husband had his way, he'd wash, dry, fold, and put away all of our laundry. In one day. Before nightfall. But no we have baskets of clean laundry usually sitting around.


There mary, i corrected that for you. Image I'm really lucky that my husband does most of the laundry.
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Miss Mary

#14 Postby Miss Mary » Thu Oct 09, 2008 6:02 am

OMG, I've been corrected by S2K!!!

The outrage, the nerve.....

he he - it's all gooooood CajunMama!!!!

Let's see, the ONLY time he did laundry was when I was in the hospital for a week. Yes the kids told me they threw all the dirty laundry over the upstairs hall balcony, onto our 2 story family room floor (which was in plain sight of the front door and side windows, if anyone had peeked in). Then they told me, they'd sort colors and start the wash (my kids were 3rd and 6th grades then). I have these images of dirty underwear on the floor still lying about, because he wasn't doing whites yet! Oh BTW, we didn't have our dog yet but had we had a puppy, those dirty underwear and sox would have been carried who knows where (she's even taken them to the backyard, sox only, thank goodness!)....

But he at least did it (back then)......so he has the capability to do it!

LOL!
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#15 Postby CajunMama » Thu Oct 09, 2008 4:20 pm

I'm assuming that these new washer is making a drastic reduction in my water bill. I compared last months to this months...

8/2 - 9/2 2008 Gallons used 9600 $17.86
Wastewater (sewage) $42.78 less $4.50 for summer usage = 38.28
Total: $56.24


9/3 - 10/1 2008 Gallons used 4700 $10.36
Wastewater (sewage) $24.26
Total: $34.62

I know there's a difference of 2 days but there's already a savings of $21.62 in a month!!!!!!! I could so get used to this!

Last year, this time
9/5 − 10/3/2007 Gallons used 7100 $13.58
Wastewater (sewage) $32.53
Total $46.11
so a savings of $11.49 over last year
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Miss Mary

Re: Front Load Washing Machines

#16 Postby Miss Mary » Thu Oct 09, 2008 9:51 pm

That's it, that's how to solve my budget problems! I'm moving to LA and use Kathy's washer/dryer!

LOL

I wonder if my almost brand new dishwasher is saving me money? I do know it is supposed to use far less water than the older model. Hey maybe I'm saving $ and don't even know it! I tried letting the dishes air dry but they remained damp and some outright wet the next day. So I had to resort to ~gasp~ heated dry. So I figured the water savings probably were eaten up by the heated dry cycle.

Either way, it's a wash...LOL Oh, that was a very bad pun.

Alrighty, back to saving money......
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