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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Feb 11 2011 at 6:23am | IP Logged
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We just moved to a new house, and the washer and dryer are ancient. We figured that we'd probably live with them (and the other older appliances) for a while, but the washer is just weird (like, there is no "cold" cycle where the water isn't doing this strange thing where it draws from both the hot and the cold). It hardly seems worth the $$ to try and repair it. And, I'm used to a much larger capacity washer which is hard to go back from.
So, dh had looked at the Maytag Bravos (4.7 cu. ft) that was on sale at Home Depot. But even with the sale, it was around $1200 for the pair, and we weren't sure we could do that right now.
THEN, yesterday, I got a flier from Sears for an appliance sale next weekend, and for "three days only" the Maytag Bravos washer and dryer are on sale for $899.99 for the pair!
So, I need to make a decision soon.
If anyone can tell me about their experience with top loading, HE machines in general, that's great! If you have these actual machines, even better!
My reservations are that there is no soak cycle as with a traditional machine. This means changing my diaper washing and towel soaking routines as well as not being able to vat dye in the machine.
However, I'm considering keeping the old machine to do those things exclusively (like, I could actually use the machine as a diaper pail, which could be kind of cool). But, it also takes up that much more space in our laundry/utility room.
The definite positive is that we now have a well and septic, and the efficient use of water is a really, really good thing. I've been told things like you should only do 2 loads of laundry a day on a septic, etc... But, it seems the larger capacity and use of less water would definitely give me more flexibility for washing for a large family in this situation.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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stellamaris
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| Posted: Feb 11 2011 at 6:39am | IP Logged
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I have a front-loading HE washer.
What I love about it:
*it does really large loads and makes laundry go so much more quickly
*it uses very little water
*it looks new! (well, I spend quite a lot of time in the laundry room, so...  )
*uses less laundry soap
What I don't like about it:
*as you say, no soak cycle. I use a bucket, but for a lot of diapers and baby clothes that is not big enough. If I were you, I definitely keep the old washer for that.
*the rubbery gasket around the door gets just gross and slimy and stinky. This is a problem with front-loading HE washers; I don't know if the top-loaders have the same kind of gasket.
Otherwise, I'm happy with my HE washer.
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Caroline
Wife to  dh 30+ yrs,ds's 83,85,89,dd's 91,95,ds's 01,01,02,grammy to 4
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momtomany
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| Posted: Feb 11 2011 at 8:28am | IP Logged
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I have a front loader, the Whirlpool Duet, and it does have a soak cycle. I haven't had a problem with bad smells, but I do wipe down the gasket at least once a week with a Clorox wipe.
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Mary Ann in PA
wife to MIchael, mom to Elizabeth, Becca, Tim, Peter, Andrew, Sarah, Matthew, John, Leah and Joseph
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kristinannie
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| Posted: Feb 11 2011 at 8:38am | IP Logged
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I'm not sure if that is the same Maytag that I have, but I love my Maytag. It is water saver and it can handle about 3 times what a normal washer and dryer can so it really cuts down on my laundry! The only complaint I have is that it is overwhelming sometimes to fold and put away that much laundry at once! 
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kristinannie
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| Posted: Feb 11 2011 at 8:39am | IP Logged
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I have a top loading washer BTW.
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kristinannie
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| Posted: Feb 11 2011 at 9:11am | IP Logged
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I checked and my washer is the Bravos 300 Quiet series. I absolutely love and if that is what you are getting, the price is AMAZING! We paid over $1400 for the set a couple of years ago. Worth every penny.....
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mavmama
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| Posted: Feb 11 2011 at 9:23am | IP Logged
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I hate to be the party-p**per here, but I detest my top loading HE. It is a GE Profile. Just this morning I was talking to a friend about it and saying how I could not have cloth diapered with this machine.
Any time a piece of clothing goes into a washer folded (like from a suitcase, say) and it comes out still folded, it's not getting clean. I don't like not having a soak cycle; it has to fill and then I stop it to soak. The fact that it drains when I start it again makes it a not so $$ saving washer. I felt my knitting with my machine often,and that has also been difficult. When we move, this washer is staying here!
The very nice man at Sears did say I was the only person he had ever heard from that didn't like this machine however, so maybe I'm the strange one!
ps...sorry I'm so NOT helpful!
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Feb 11 2011 at 12:34pm | IP Logged
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Thanks ladies for all the feedback so far! (even negative feedback is helpful ).
One thing I like about the top loader is that supposedly, the stinky gasket issue is not as much of a problem since it doesn't have to seal in the same way.
Maybe if I go ahead with the purchase, I will keep the old washer for diapers and crafting, and if I find I don't need it, its a lot easier to get rid of it later than it would be to get another or get it back! I've always done a dry pail before, but I have wondered if I didn't keep the old washer if a wet pail wouldn't work. I'd just have to get something bigger than your bucket, Caroline
And yes, kristinannie, it is an AMAZING deal, which is why I feel like if I'm going to do this any time soon, I should do it NOW and take advantage. The ad says that the regular price is 1499.99 for the pair!
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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SaraP
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| Posted: Feb 11 2011 at 2:13pm | IP Logged
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I just did A LOT of research on this and specifically because of the cloth diaper issue I finally went with the Whirlpool Cabrio 6200 which is higher efficiency, but still has a center post agitator and uses regular detergent. So many of the cloth diaper sites I looked at said that the HE washers just don't do the trick for diapers - especially the stinkier toddler ones.
So far I am very happy with the Whirlpool. It holds more than twice as much as my old top-loader and it does, indeed, get the diapers really clean. There is the option to do a presoak as a part of the wash cycle, but you cannot control the length of the soak (I run a pre-rinse, but don't soak diapers so this wasn't an issue for me).
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SaraP
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| Posted: Feb 11 2011 at 2:18pm | IP Logged
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And FWIW we have been on well and septic for more than 5 years and even with cloth diapers and chronic bedwetters and having had as many as 12 people living and doing laundry here (3-5 loads/day normally, 6-8 loads/day when we had a second family living with us) we have not had any septic problems whatsoever. We do have the tank pumped every other year, but beyond that we never even think about our 40 year old system.
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Angie Mc
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| Posted: Feb 11 2011 at 2:22pm | IP Logged
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Lindsay, I switched from a front-loader to a top-loader within the past 2 months or so. We switched because the front loader, in the end, was sooooo costly to repair. Our repair guy told us to get a Whirlpool - nothing else - so we did...a Cabrio. I love the large capicty! I don't like that the top is curved (for style reasons but I wish I could place a basket on top.) Happy shopping!
Love,
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Angie Mc
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Top Loading HE Washers
