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Everyone I know who has one says they will buy a top loader the next time. Friends who live in humid climates compain that the inner workings must hold moisture and smell bad. They spend more time running empty loads with bleach to disinfect the washers than they would like. They also complain of the seals/gaskets on both the washer and dryer growing mildew. Then I have a friend with a front loader set in a dry climate. She does not like the ergonomics of the front loader. She said dry laundry is no big deal because it is light and we are all familiar with bending over and lifting the dry laundry out. But she said that the front loading washer is more difficult for her to get the wet laundry lifted out and transferred to the dryer. And everyone complains about the cost of the detergents for front loaders.
We have a stackable that we inherited with the house. Wife likes them except for the fact the bottom unit is on the floor and it hurts our backs (retired oldies) to bend down to retrieve the laundry. If they were both mounted side by side on a stand it would be more convenient.
We have front loaders and we tried stacking them. Depending on the type of flooring you have, they can really vibrate. We started off with them side by side in our laundry closet when the machines were delivered. The appliance store didnt have the bracket in stock which allows you stack them. So I went to another appliance store and got the bracket.
My husband and I were able to lift the dryer on top of the washing machine and do the set up our selves. We got the bracket specific to the model machines we have and followed the directions closely (not really a whole lot to do). I was pleased as it gave me the other half of the laundry closet to store other things. Then I did a load of wash. Wow, they vibrated terribly. Enough that we took the dryer down and went with side by side set up again. A lot less vibration. Overall I am not super impressed with the front loaders anyway. They have some pros but my machine seems high maintenance. If I could do it over, I would get the machines that are like front loaders but designed like the traditional machines. They have a smaller foot print and don't seem to have the stink factor like front loaders do.
I hate the idea of buying more expensive H/E SOAP.
That is what I have run into with mine. It leaks. It is very temperamental. Too heavy of a load, it leaks. A speck of dog hair against the seal, it leaks. Too much soap, it leaks. My husband and I wanted to run hardwood flooring into our kitchen but our laundry closet is in the kitchen. If we had, the floors would have been ruined by now.
The soap isn't that much more, if any really. All the major brands have a HE version now.
I've had top loaders, a stackable 1 piece set and currently have front loaders. I think part of the issues people have may be with the brand. I've had my Frigidaire set for 3 years now and have only had one problem. Part of the electronics went out on the washer while under warranty. The part was replaced within 48 hours and I've had no problems since. As for the seal and the washer's "bad smell", after each wash, I leave mine open with the door attached to the clip that comes on the machine until dry. Once dry, I close the door. Have not had one odor problem. I live in a mobile home so there are times when the machine vibrates but nothing more than a conventional top loader has done. Personally, I love my front loaders.
I've previously owned top loading and now own front loading machines. When I sell my house in the future, I will leave my front loading machines and go back to the top loaders. I miss that stupid old agitator that really did get my clothes cleaner.
I purchased my Whirlpool machines new in 2007 and they have performed well with no mechanical issues, nor have I had any issues with a "bad smell". But I do wipe the door and seal and leave the door slightly ajar until dry. The machines are located in the basement on a concrete floor, so I can't speak to the vibration issue although I suspect they would be 'noisy' if mounted on a surface that was not concrete. And actually, I would worry more about leaking if they were located in any other part of the house.
We were at Lowes getting a new dryer to match our new Maytag top loading HE washer. Lady was replacing her dryer. She had a Neptune, had nothing but trouble with it. Going back to the old style units.
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Wow, they vibrated terribly. Enough that we took the dryer down and went with side by side set up again. A lot less vibration. Overall I am not super impressed with the front loaders anyway. They have some pros but my machine seems high maintenance. If I could do it over, I would get the machines that are like front loaders but designed like the traditional machines. They have a smaller foot print and don't seem to have the stink factor like front loaders do.
