OT front loading washers

I have 'history' with my machine... It washes a treat, but!

Bought the original WP when the old AEG died rather dramatically! The day it arrived the drive belt dropped off. WP wanted to wait three days to fix it, which was unacceptable, so the guy I bought it from came out and did it, then tore sheds of WP for their crappy service! :)

Six months later it nearly went up in smoke! BOILED a 30 degree wash for a couple of hours, melted the soap drawer it got so hot, and I needed to wear oven gloves to turn it off.

They argued about replacing it, built I eventually got a new one, but the trim cracked within weeks of it getting here...

Ho hum! Never again. I have better things to do than argue with after sales droids who don't know their arse from their elbow and veto a replacement recommended by their own service engineers!

It's interesting how peoples' experiences differ--I have all Whirlpool appliances and I have never had a single problem.

I bought the Duet washer and dryer a few months ago and I have to say I love them. My whites have never been so white-it's amazing that it only uses 1/3 cup of bleach. And I don't have to go to the laundromat anymore to wash my quilts-it was worth it just for that reason.

Maybe it is? Were you wearing your glasses last time you checked? >g< . In message , Polly Esther writes

I looked at Bosch and Whirlpool; they were within $100 of each other. The Bosch had fewer knobs/buttons, so I figured it had less to break. I've had mine about a year, and I'm very happy with it.

I've never had any quarel with the was quality: just with the build quality and the after sales (complete lack of) service.

Taria, when you decide which one you think is the best, please be sure to post again and let us know. DH and I are looking at buying a new front load w/d also. My old Maytag washer is beginning to leak again and I don't think she's fixable this time. So I told DH that I want a new front load set. I know Whirlpool bought out Maytag so I have no idea how the service will be with them now. We haven't done any research on the different brands yet so let me know what you decide. What brands do those of you who have the front load have?

Hugs, Mika

Sounds like the transmission is going. Look for oil leakage coming from under the machine. That is your signal to start shopping!

Linda in Tx

All our white goods are Bosch, also. . In message , Sally Swindells writes

That's what the repairman told me, and the parts are no longer available.

The repairman suggested the Fisher-Paykel. I don't know if that's good or bad ;-). From what I've read it sounds like a good machine but I'm not at all familiar with the brand.

My daughter liked the Fisher-Paykel, but she likes the LG even better. One plus with the F-P is that you can use any laundry detergent; I think you need a special (low-sudsing?) detergent in a front loader.

Julia in MN

DH did the research for us last year when we moved from apartment to renting a house and had to purchase our own washer and dryer....

He figured out the Neptune from Maytag (?) was the deal for us and I

It's a front loader (much easier on my back since I'm a petite thing and spent many years practically climbing into the washer to get eveyrhing out). I believe in the long run they tend to be more water efficient (althouch I don't recall how reliable the source was that I heard that from).

Besides the different settings that I love on the Neptune we have (such as "handwash" which has done wonders for many of my sweaters and unmentionables -- even the sweater with pearls on it), I love that it had no center agitator for stuff to get tangled up around.....I'd HATE to have to go back to a top loader.

The set we got (W & D together) has it so you can change which directi> Time to upgrade my washing machine. Water going up 29% and I need to

My Neptune has a presoak that can be done if need be -- and stain cycles, and the ability to "tell" it how dirty things are....

So Lah-Dee-Dah *smirk* Tricia

I use Tide + Oxyclean -- I just adjust he amount I use

Tricia

On Sat, 22 Jul 2006 22:17:16 -0500, Julia in MN

Yes, Yes! With a front loader if you don't use low suds detergent you will be covered in bubbles!

As almost everyone here has had front loaders for about 30 years its difficult to find any other than low suds detergent. I use one that comes in little dissolvable sachet bubbles so you just pop one into the drum - can get them in Bio and Non-bio for whites, and for a special one for coloureds. Can also get liquid for wool & silk, and for blacks so they don't fade.

My friend in California always complains that her whites are never whites any more and wants her Persil back! When we stayed with her, her washing products took patches of the colour out of one of DH's best dark blue cotton shirts, so the collar looks batik! She said that our detergents have different ingredients to to yours - I had never heard of anyone putting bleach in their washing machine. We can get various products for stain removal - (if you spill tomato soup down your shirt!) but I seldom do that!

Isn't it fascinating to compare the differences in our two continents! Like the fact that we all (or almost all) sleep under duvets and would use a quilt or a bedspread as a decorative covering for during the day or just leave the pretty duvet cover showing. Saves on the washing when you just wash the cover along with the bottom sheet and pillowcases. And your quilts last longer!

-- Sally at the Seaside ~~~~~~~~~~ (uk)

at this point I may have to mention that mine is 12 year old and therefore not so up to date...

well.. when the white detergent doesn't get the job done alone and having to use 4 stain removal products that cost $$$ it's cheaper the use bleach. this is pre "vanish" though vanish isn't as good as the ads say and if I was still doing ex's chef's whites I would still choose bleach.

If you use the regular detergent the bubbles and some of the water stays in the bottom of the machine and will start to smell. The "he" soaps don't stay in the water and rinse away cleaner. My manual (yes I do read them) says to drain the machine at the special door once a month. This gets the yucky water that accumulates out.

Linda in Tx