Front Loading Vs Top Loading Vs HE Top Loading
Mar 12 '08
The Bottom Line I would have to recommend a Front Loading Machine. They are superior when it comes to energy efficiency and will outlast their HE competitors.
Conventional Top Loading machines are dinosaurs. Most are slow moving, not intelligent and definitely on the verge of extinction. These machines not only use tens of gallons per load they also consume more energy. They will provide a good cleaning but can destroy clothes. With new energy standards in place many of these models will be discontinued and while there are many repair shops and parts available, in years to come it will be penny-wise to replace it rather than repair it. Sure, they are cheap upfront but long after it's been bought your still paying higher utilities monthly to wash and dry your clothes. Not to mention it will also benefit our environment as a whole to ditch these energy leeches.
High Efficiency Top Loaders are convenience at it's best and worst. These machines use less energy than it's predecessor but still consume more than front loading machines. It maintains the ease of loading and unloading your clothes, the best convenience. The overall cleaning is good when using an agitator but I can't see how a new bouncing-cleaning action in which no agitator is used to move clothes around can actually provide a good cleaning. You might as well throw your clothes into your bathtub and push them side to side, yep that's it. These HE models aren't cheap either, most cost just as much as a high end front loader.
Front Loaders are the wave of the future. They typically use half of the water than a traditional top loading machine, thus saving water. They spin at a higher rate of speed extracting more water from clothes, thus less time and energy used during drying. Uses gravity to it's advantage to wash clothes, think prewashing machine when clothes were dunked into water slapped on a rock and dirt pushed out. Multiply than action by a 45 minute - 95 minute wash cycle and you can rest easy that your clothes are coming out pretty darn clean. I will admit that loading/unloading this type of machine is anything but awkward but nothing is perfect in life. Pedestals are available for another $200 bucks (199.99) if you really want one, unless you have back issues I say get used to it.
One other quirk is the water left behind after a wash, whether it's on the seal or the window itself. Yes, you will have to wipe off the machine and leave the door open until the water can completely evaporate to avoid a mildew smell occurring. This is caused by the airtight seal which allows the machine to function without leaking, water is trapped inside and causes a smell or even mold to occur if ignored. So for the very first time in your life, don't close the door behind you ! At least not right away.
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