Forum Thermomix
Welcoming Center, Management and General Chat => Chit Chat => Topic started by: riv_mum on June 23, 2009, 07:16:20 am
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Im after a new washing machine but not sure what to get. I currently have a twin tub and do 3 loads of washing per day. (In summer i usually wash every 3 or 4 days as i can get the clothes dry quicker) I like the look of the front loaders but dont know how well they will wash the clothes using less water etc - my kids love mud and usually have 2/3 sets of clothes per day! Also dont want to have to wait for hours for a load to be done.
I am familiar with top loaders and have used my mums a lot but not sure whether they have more postitive/negaitves over a front loader.
Please let me know what you would/wouldnt recommed!
Thanks :)
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Riv_Mum, I have a front loader and really love it. It seems to wash really clean. The only downside to it is that it will take over an hour to do an ordinary wash, even using cold water. Once you get used to that I find it very good.
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I have a front loader now, after years of a top loader.
The front loader washes perfectly clean and uses far less water and soap, making them gentler on the environment. They are also much, much gentler on your clothes, making them last longer.
While the tubs may look small they will take a very large load - at least as much as a top loader and will take more and wash it much better than a twin tub! (I had one of those once, too).
They do take longer to do a load, but as the loads would be larger than your twin tub, the extra time shouldn't be an issue.
The biggest problem that I have is when I drop a sock or something on my way to the machine. Once it is started you cannot stop it to pop something else in.
A minor hassle compared to the benefits.
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I have a top loader but am definitely getting a front loader next time - water saving benefits sound huge and I have used my DD;s and can pile heaps into it.
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Hello,
I went from a massive top loader that used 200 litres per wash to a front loader that uses 57 litres/wash. It washes fine and I haven't noticed any problems. We were pleasantly surprised to see a significant decrease in our water bill.
Happy washing machine hunting,
Karen
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we have a front loader and i love it, the long wash doesn't bother me as we generally only hang washing out once or twice a day anyway and have no preferences as to when LOL (my mum lives in disbelief ;))
why not get one with a timer so it can be ready in the morning when you need it?
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I have a front loader and I LOVE IT! Highly recommend one. With my 5 kids I only need to do one load a day and then the loads of linen etc as there is a load (eg the day I change beds etc) you will be surprised how much you can fit into one. I think they wash cleaner than a top loader AND YOU CAN USE THE TMX WASHING GOO in them ;D ;D ;D ;D get one, get one get one lol
oinly con's are that you can't put something in once it has started (just wash it tomorrow lol) and yet they take longer to wash. In saying that with my top loader I was doing 2 loads a day and that took longer than the one in the front loader.
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i can add stuff to mine after it's started ;D
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Thanks guys. The water use doesnt bother me much cos our monthly water bill is around $3. I have to wash in dirty river water which is brown before you start, if i use less what is it going to look like at the end!!!
What are your spin cycles like? RPM? I have heard that the clothes come out quite damp and so take longer to dry. Im definatly going to have to get one that can be opened part way through as i am always adding things!
Which brand do you recommend?
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I have a front loader too. Actually it is my second one. The first one was by Sears and broke way too soon, so I do not recommend that! The one I have now is by Bosch. You can add things after it starts, but you have to push certain buttons to unlock the door before doing so (to keep water from gushing out).
Mine has several spin controls from no spin to max. If you use a gentle spin, the clothes are pretty wet. But max spin-- I think they are actually drier than my top loader machines were. The water saving is good, too, but I think that the machine just cleans better and does not get off balance like a top loader. Personally, I would never go back.
If you have a cat or small child, maybe they would enjoy watching the clothes go round and round, too. :D
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i can add stuff to mine after it's started ;D
OK...what is the brand and model?? It's not very often that I want to but would be a little handy ;) Mind is only 2 years old so will be a while before I can replace it ;D
Mine has spin from 0 to 1000 RPM and believe me at 1000RPM you would almost think the clothes have been hanging on the line for an hour or so.
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Mine is a top loader, I love it! It does a 1200 rpm spin (adjustable obviously) and capacity is 5.5kilos.
It has various lengths of programs ranging from 30 mins to a daily wash of 1 hour and up to 2 and half hours. I personally prefer top loaders, as you can add something you forgot easily, and washes really well! Its a Whirlpool, I am very happy with mine! Has a timer too, to program it to finish up to 24h later!
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actaully i wouldn't recommend mine LOL it's an ASKO. we'd also had an LG and sold it on before the warranty had even finished. both of them had multiple service calls (as has our ASKO dishwasher). if i could have afforded it i would have gone for the Bosch too. the BIG one!
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oh and ours has 400-1400 rpm.
anyone else having trouble with the forum keep crashing this mroning?
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I agree with everyone's comments. I've been very happy with my front loader. I wash one day a week and do about 3-4 loads. That's for a family of six. I'm amazed at how much I can cram into it and it washes great, clothes last longer. Mine spins at about 800rpm. It does take longer, but I'm used to it. If I'm organised, I'll put a load or two on the night before washing day so I can get it hung and dry by days end. I can unlock the door after its started, if I turn it off at the wall for at least 1min. Don't usually worry about it though.
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Mine is an Asko and has run problem-free for 6 1/2 years now.
Oops, maybe I shouldn't have said that?
Tempting fate!! ???
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I am on my third washer in 38 years of marriage all were Whirlpool the first one lasted for 20 years. The current one I have had for 2 years is a front loader and it has been great once I learned that since we have softened cold & hot water to the laundry room I only needed to use 1/2 the soap. If you drop a sock and find it within the first 3 to 4 minutes after starting a load you can stop it and add it. At the time we bought each washer it was the top rated by Consumers report. Right now Samsung & Electrolux are the top rated with LG & Whirlpool the most reliable but Bosch is very close in reliablity. I do not hang clothes outside here because of the dust, so I put all sheets, towels, and underwear in the dryer but the front loader gets so much more of the water out every thing dries faster.
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Karen, it was interesting reading that you had an LG front loader and got rid of it. We did too and just before the 2 year warranty ran out it needed repairs. The next time it broke down we replaced it with a Bosch. That is really good.
DH managed to fix the LG himself for about $2, so now DD is having it when she moves out.
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What dryer do you have agpest? That also on my list of things to get! It gets quite cold and frosty here in winter so i dont even bother to hang the clothes on the line. The dew hangs around in the morning and comes in again by late arvo so very little drying time. The dryer I currently have isnt keeping up too well!
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I love my Fisher & Paykel top loader. It's a 7kg & has plenty of options for length of cycle including one where you can put the clothes in, fill with water & it will hold them just agitating gently for 2 hours so that really dirty clothes can be soaked. I have had it about 12 years & I guess it isn't as water efficient as a front loader.
For drying (important issue in Melbourne) I have clothes drying stands (clothes horses to the English among us) & hydronic heating so I never use a dryer. I LOVE my hydronic heating......... :)
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I have a Whirlpool dryer but it is gas so it is more efficient than an electric. I think most front loaders come with prewash and soak cycles, on mine you can use them by themselves or add them to a wash cycle. It has a silk cycle and a wool cycle. I never thought I would have a use for the wool cycle once we moved to the desert, on a business trip to Washington D.C. my husband discovered the cleaners had given him the wrong pants to his suit. The only place open late was J.C. Penney so he bought a cheap washable wool suit on sale. When it needs cleaning I just throw in the washer & dryer and use the wool cycle on both. So far it looks good. I have only had to do this a few times because he does not have to wear suits much here.
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Miele is the best brand of washing machine - expensive but worth it. Definitely front loader.
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oh and ours has 400-1400 rpm.
anyone else having trouble with the forum keep crashing this mroning?
Yes, Brazen, I had trouble with the forum crashing (course it was not morning here :-)))
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What dryer do you have agpest? That also on my list of things to get! It gets quite cold and frosty here in winter so i dont even bother to hang the clothes on the line. The dew hangs around in the morning and comes in again by late arvo so very little drying time. The dryer I currently have isnt keeping up too well!
I have a westinghouse sensor dry...love it as it stops when the clothes are dry ;D Loads that I used to put on before for the 30 min cycle in my old dryer are quite often done in 10-15 mins in this one. This has reduced my power bill by a large amount in the winter!!