anybody have a front-loading washing machine?

[all.of.me]

i have looked at real goods/jade mountain, and i hear sears has one now, too, made by whirlpool. it seems that when i first looked into buying one about seven years ago, there were a lot more options.

thanks!

[SCDem]

1. i have one

A Maytag "Neptune" I believe it's called. I love it. Less water and easier to do my wash.

[all.of.me]

3. thanks. i didn't know maytag made one

[NMMNG]

12. I have a Neptune also--it's great!

[Scruffy1]

14. Very sad that maytag is gone

My brother bought a Neptune when they first came out. It died due to a lightning strike frying the printed circuit board. I called Maytag and they sent a truck from the factory to pick it up and gave him another. Of course he only lived 20 miles from the factory and I think they wanted to see what went wrong because it was a new model. The factory is now gone and Whirlpool, which used to be in the Twin Cities got paid to leave a Blue State during the RayGun presidency along with Diamond tools.

[txlibdem]

15. Another vote for the Maytag Neptune

We've had ours for over 5 years now and just love it. We got the pedestal on sale because we bought the washer and dryer (gas) at the same time.

You gotta use the "He" detergent, though, because it uses way less water than a "normal" washing machine.

[WolverineDG]

2. I also have

a maytag neptune. not only does it use less water, it gets your clothes cleaner too!!!!! :)

dg

[all.of.me]

4. thanks! that maytag again.....

my washer pump need to be replaced a few weeks ago, so we took a couple loads to the laundromat and pondered buying a new washer. that's when i remembered i'd researched front loaders so long ago. yeah, my clothes were cleaner, less water, less soap, and less propane! that would be a huge savings for me.

thanks again!

[WolverineDG]

5. it's more gentle on your clothes too

no agitator to tear them up. :)

dg

[all.of.me]

6. good point!

ok. that's it. i'm saving my money. that neptune is less expensive, too. most i've seen are about $1100 or so.

[WolverineDG]

7. really?

I got mine 5 years ago & they were the most expensive & the top of the line. But Maytag is worth the cost. :) Besides, they have insulation so the machines are quiet, a plus when your "laundry room" is a washer/dryer hook up in the kitchen, as it was in my old apartment. :)

Now I have a real laundry room next to my TV den & the only thing I hear from the machines is the "ding" when the wash or dry cycles have been completed.

dg

[all.of.me]

8. the neptune is now $799 or $899

depending on features (i just skimmed the page). the one at real goods is at least $1100, as is the sears model, which is made by whirlpool.

so now you've enticed me again! it is quiet...... i love my old kenmore (it's a 1979), but it's noisy. maybe that's because there IS no ding! it just stops, and the silence is very noticeable. haha

[Dora]

9. We bought the sears front-loader in 2002, w/ matching dryer

We love it. It's wonderful. Worth every penny. I no longer feel like I'm sending money down the drain just to wash a load of jeans.

added on edit: It's silent. I can be standing in our kitchen, just twelve feet and an open door away from the washing machine, and not hear it running. I think even Consumer Reports likes them. (You might find that it's worth getting a month-long membership in CU just to search their online ratings. We did, and it helped our appliance search a lot.)

My mom has a Maytag frontloader that's given her some problems, she bought it in 2001. I don't think it's as easy to operate as our Sears machine.

[politicat]

10. yep: whirlpool something or other.

20 gal a load and very energy efficient (it uses about 1/2 the energy the machine it replaced used.) The load is also twice as big as the old top loader. I also bought one for my rental, though I have to teach the tenants how to use it every time because they can't figure out that yes, they can indeed stuff it pretty darn full. (My tenants seem to be short on common sense at times.... )

The only downside is that it' a PITA to use the machine for dying or for soaking.

[eleny]

11. I yearned for one for a long time

My Kenmore washer and dryer just wouldn't die. Only one easy repair kept that washer going for 20 years. Finally, they started to go and I got a Whirlpool front loader and dryer. I stacked them and was so happy to have the new space where the dryer sat. We put a deep work sink there and it's one of my favorite things.

Anyhow, like everyone else said, front loaders do a better job with less water and soap. I'd never go back to the top loader side by side. When I have back troubles, I just grab a chair and unload the washer while seated and toss things up into the dryer.

Good luck!

[Greyskye]

13. We got one recently.

My wife was looking forward to it when the old top loader died. She really likes how it washes and spins out the clothes, and she loathes the loading/unloading process now. :( I recommend getting a riser for the washer, or a chair for your back. I'm still considered too incompetent to get the right colors in (thank goodness!), but I've started doing all of the laundry switching and loading after it's been sorted.

I have mixed feelings over the whole process. :evilgrin: