Top Load or Front Load Washer? Which Style and Model Are the Best?

As for the mildew smell, that is because people don't know how to take care of their front loader. You have to leave the door slightly ajar after you wash to let it dry. I never have a smell with mine and love my washer!

I have an LG steam front loader and I live it. To avoid the mildew smell you just leave the washer door open after each load to let it dry.

The appliance repair person that I use hightly suggest the front load washer and dryer. He tells me the Whirlpool Duet is better and less repairs. I found them at Lowe's. Good Luck!

Can't help you with top loading washing machines, but I live in Europe and here we can ONLY get front loaders. I was sceptical since I was used to a giant top loader, but I really love my front loader and it does clean much better.

I have an AEG, it's my second one. I made mistakes on the first one (we bought a really cheap one but it still lasted for 7 years, even with my mistakes), but this time the guy explained that it was really, really important to wash the load with 1/3 laundry detergent once a week on HOT to keep it clean. So I do that. And I always leave the door open when I'm finished to help it to dry out. I also don't overload it; I only have a 6kg machine and make sure I don't put more in than that. Means more loads of laundry, but that's okay for me. Next time I would get an 8kg, or even 9kg one. I have had this one for 3 years and it still works brilliantly.

If you take care of your machine, I think it will serve you well, regardless of whether or not it's a top loader or front loader, but all things being equal - I think front loaders clean better.

Good luck!

I have a front loader, top of the line,Whirlpool and do not like it. The clothes do not seem to wash better, if anything worse. The clothes always come out all tangled up and wound around each other (even the gentle cycle)...so when you try to pull out a pair of jeans, you have 4 other pairs all tangled together...never ending tangle. Then if you pre-treat with stain remover and fold your clothes over where you sprayed...I've found that when I pull that piece of clothing out, it's usually still folded over, which makes me think the agitation is not very good. Never had issues with mold smell, but i do spin the inside to make sure I got everything out and can hear water inside the machine and makes me wonder if that water is clean if it's just sitting in my machine for long periods between loads.

I plan to get a top loader if I did it again....I did live in Europe and their front loaders are much better than the designs sold in the US...so just b/c someone said Europeans all use them...the machines are not the quality that we have here in the US.

If you don't want to be frustrated, go with the top loader...you won't be disappointed.

I had a top loader for many years. Have now had a front loader for a year. I love it. The top loader uses more water and I think just pushes the clothes around, where as the front loader, saves water and tumbles the clothes. Seems to get the clothes cleaner. Haven't had any problems with smells. Of course I use my washer almost every day, so I don't think it would have time to gather any mildew or anything.

Front loader! I have a Kenmore set and love them.

I have the Maytag Neptune washer/dryer (front load) and I've had it for several years.

I've never had any issues with mold, mildew, etc. I love the spin cycle because it cuts the drying time donw quite a bit.

The ONLY negative I can come up with is.....if you forget to put a piece of clothing in you can't just open it up and add it. It has to wait for the next round. To me...that is not a deal breaker, I just make sure I get things together for larundry like I should anyway.

Now, I bought my washer/dryer Maytag set BEFORE the issues with Maytag set in. Although I LOVE my washer/dryer...I would not purchase Maytag again. I had a bad experience with a top of the line Maytag dishwasher (it died within 3 yrs) and top of the line Maytag fridge (died within 5 yrs). Maytag went through some quality issues that are still not fixed. They cheapened their product and no longer deserve the good name they had for so long.

I have since replaced things with Kitchen Aid and I LOVE Kitchen Aid.

TF

We splurged and bought an Asko front-loader washer and dryer 6 or 7 years ago. I absolutely love them! Never had a problem with mildew smell. One thing that has come up once is that my cleaning lady uses the super-short wash cycle (because the full wash cycle takes over an hour), and after a while some of the towels got kind of stinky, but I washed the stinky towels on a full wash cycle, and the smell was gone. I do enough of our laundry during the week that it isn't a problem.

I use one tablespoon of HE detergent with every load, and it gets my clothes super-clean. I love that the clothes don't have that strong detergent smell, and I can hardly stand it when I wash clothes at my mom's house during visits. I wash my cashmere sweaters on the handwash setting and then lay them flat to dry, and they look great (and I save on the dry cleaning). I can wash big loads or one or two little things, and I don't feel guilty about the small loads because the washer uses such a small amount of water.

So, I guess if you are considering a front-loader, you can call me a very, very happy front-loader owner!

I purchased a front load washer about 2 years ago and will never go back to a top load washer again. I love it! I have not had a mildew smell problem or anything. I do like to clean it ever couple of months (it has a function for that). Mine is a GE Energy Saver Duo set. I got it from Lowe's.

I LOVE my front loading washer and wouldn't have anything else.
As far as the mildew smell leave the door to the washer open when you are finished with it. I bought mine from Sears and bought their extended warranty. They will come to your home once a year to service it and fix whatever is necessary. Not that there is anything wrong with it, but they do seem to be a little more sensitive than top loaders.
One draw back with a front loader is that after you get so far into the wash cycle you can't really open it. I have paused mine at the first of the cycle, but any later I have found that you will have a mess in your floor. The second drawback is that they are very low to the floor. I didn't buy one of the stands because we are going to build a platform that both the washer and dryer will sit on. After speaking with a service technician they told me that that was just as acceptable and probably even a little better because then the platform wouldn't move when it goes into the hard spin at the end.
I hope that I have been able to help. Good luck with whatever you choose.

Merry Christmas and God Bless.

I purchased my top load washer two years ago and it is just a blessing! Ive never had to worry about any repairs, it world so well and its even more quiet than front load washers. Im not sure why but it is.
Having a top loader your clothes come out much cleaner as well.

I have an LG front loader and love it. I purchased the first one at Home Depot it was the cheapest one they sell. The first time I used it water started leaking out of the bottom. I replaced it with a more expensive model and have not had any problems. If you want a machine that is maintence free these are not the machines for you. I have found you must drain it once a month. Use the clean tub cycle once a month (with bleach) I found the tablets they sell don't work as good. Youe need to dry it when you are finished with laundry. If I am in a hurry I just leave the door open. If you do all this you should never have a mildew smell. Also you can't leave laundry in it for long period of times or it will start to smell. Not the first time you do it, but if you do it all the time you will start to smell mildew.

I had a top of the line front load, digital buttons. It broke twice and the cost was enough to cover an inexpensive washer, which I did out of frustration. I figured I could upgrade later if I felt the need. The cheap one is louder, but it works just fine. The only thing I wish I had done differently was buy one without the agitator thing sticking up in the middle.

The front load uses less water. Since I am conscious of environmental issues I liked this, but what I didn't like was that you can't easily add something to a load that has already begun. It has to totally drain before you can open the door. It's easier to soak things with the top load too. You can check on what is soak, and again, add items. Call me old fashioned but I prefer the top load.

If you get the front load be sure to get the pedestal. Otherwise it is very low and you really have to bend to see into it. However, the pedestal makes it too high to be able to fold clothes on top of it. I guess I'm making it clear that I prefer top load.

My SIL went through this last year. She wound up getting a front load washer. After a year she is on the fence about the purchase. Most importantly she loves the way it cleans. She likes that it can handle larger loads. She has not noticed it costing more to run. What she doesn't like it that hers recommends keeping the front open when it's not in use so it doesn't get that mildew smell. She has a rather large laundry room, so it's not a huge ordeal, but she feels like she is always walking around this big open door, because even though she leaves it cracked, it always falls all the way open. Lately she has been drying the machine with a towel so she can close it...either way it's an added nuisance.

I did a ton of research and ended up getting the Maytag Bravos top load. It uses less water, washes GREAT, is quiet, and spins the clothes enough that they don't need to dry as long. It has many of the features of a front load but you can add clothes at any time and you don't have to worry about the mildew issues. With a front load, you need to wipe the gasket and leave the door open so it can dry out. I couldn't do that with toddlers. No telling what they'd put in it.

Whatever you decide, I do NOT recommend purchasing them at Home Depot. They delivered 3 or 4 damaged dryers and it became a huge fiasco. We will never buy an appliance there again.

Stephanie

Front load, no doubt.

Ours was a TOP load which has a cellanoid (sp?) valve that tells the washer when to stop filling with water as it is now "full". Our valve broke after a large load got unbalanced. We had no way of knowing the valve was broken, though, and the next time we used it just happened to be at midnight and we went to sleep (which was our big mistake, no matter what kind of machine you use). 4 hours later I woke up to use the restroom and our ENTIRE 2500sqft house had flooded. The whole house had to be packed up and it took 18 months to rebuild from the damaged (7 which we were displaced).
I now have the FRONT load because it utilizes no such valve and the drum can never be off balance.

M.--

I'm on my second front-load washer. I've NEVER had a mildew smell. The 1st one I owned was a Kenmore and the one I have now is a Samsung.

I do about 15-20 loads of laundry per week. I would never go back to a top loader! The f-l uses a fraction of the water that a t-l does, it spins more efficiently so that the clothes only need 40 mins to dry, it gets clothes cleaner, and it's better for the fabrics since it doesn't agitate.

We had a f-l back when we lived in the UK over 10 years ago. I noticed how much cleaner our clothes were and when it came time to replace our t-l and I did research, I discovered why!

My vote would be for a front loading machine! Try Sears scratch and dent for a great deal!

Front Loader! We just got a Bosch set, I absolutely love them. Larger loads and a lot quieter! The newer ones have different design features to reduce the chances of mildew and other problems the older ones had. I say go with a front loader, but do your research and find a brand that meets your needs and has good reviews.

When I had a repairman here the other day working on my 21-year-old Maytag top loader, I mentioned that both daughters have LG front loaders. His main comment was to be sure to check for change in pockets before washing because the drain pipe in the front loaders is the perfect size for a quarter to get stuck in.

I have a Kenmore front loader and do not like it. Soap and water and my baby's socks get caught in the gasket, and the socks come out sopping wet. I have to clean out the gasket all the time as the soap and water leaves grime in it. I haven't had the mildew smell, but probably would without cleaning it all the time. It seems ridiculous to me to spend so much time and energy cleaning a machine that is supposed to clean itself! It is very time consuming! I hadn't heard the suggestion about leaving the door ajar, though it would be impossible at my house...my nearly 2 year old prides himself on making sure every door and cabinet in my house is closed.
If I had to do it over again, I'd get a top loader...this one's not worth the time or the money.

I have to agree with the majority on the front loaders. I purchased a red Maytag set last year and LOVE IT! They are correct on leaving the door open a bit, it is in the instructions. However my set is in a closet area right in our dining/living room, so I don't usually leave the door open to dry, but have not experienced any mildew smell as of yet, but will soon move and have the area to do so. Also little things can get stuck in the rim. Mine started this real loud ticking noise as it spins and my husband found that a pen was stuck inside, creating the ticking noise. So just be sure to empty all pockets (which is wise in any washer). I did purchase the pedestals (got one free with rebate) and they are the perfect height; however you also have the option of stacking the washer/dryer if you ever have the need, of course not using a pedestal. I also purchased the extended warranty, but have not used it yet, but will do real soon just to have it all checked out. I know they have come down in price since a year ago, so I am sure you will find a good deal if you keep your eye open and it seems you will as you have done extensive research. Good luck in finding the perfect set. Happy washing :)

If I had to do it all over again, I would not have purchased my LG front loader and would have just found a top-of-the-line top loader.

The comments of "People who have smell issues just don't know how to take care of their washer" are not necessarily true. Most models have terrible design flaws with the door seals that sets you up for stink problems no matter how meticulously you clean and dry it out. They are too expensive to have to fuss over so much. I like that I can wash a ton of clothes due to the large capacity (which is why I picked that one), but not if they end up stinking...

The front loaders are great! The people who say that they smell like mildew are the people who do not follow the directions with the machines,and that is that you are supposed to leave the washing machine door wide open for a few hours after you do your last load of laundry for the day. Not between every load, just the last load that you do before you are going to leave your machine sitting without being used for a day or two. The reason for this is very simple to understand when you think about it. A top load washer relies on gravity and the four solid walls of the washer to hold the water in, therefor, the machine door is not airtight, which allows for the water inside to dry even if the door is closed and get fresh air in even if the door is "closed". The front loaders obviously have a very watertight and air tight door to keep the water in the machine while washing, so when you do not leave the door open after doing your laundry for the day and leave it closed overnight, the water is retained and no fresh air gets in, creating the mildew. Just leave the door open or atleast cracked and that keeps the mildew away. I love my front loaders, I will never have a toploader again! I think they are great!

We have had our front load washer for about 6 months now and I would give anything to have my old top loading machine back! We bought the LG steam washer and dryer. For starters, you need to leave the washer door open all the time or you will get the mildew smell. The problem with leaving the door open is it won't just stay open a crack, it swings all the way open. BUT, all the way open is at about a 40 degree angle so I'm constantly hitting it with my leg.
Also, it doesn't matter how heavy a load I do, delicates or heavy, it never seems to unfold towels etc. If something goes in folded, it comes out the same way. I just don't feel it gets clean enough.
It takes soooo long to run a load. What I may be saving in water I'm spending more in electricity to run the stupid thing.
Last complaint, it takes the HE detergent. This wouldn't be a problem except we have a newborn and can't find the dreft HE except at babies r us. I want my old machine back. Don't get sucked into the front loading washer trend like we did!

I have a Whirlpool front load washer and absolutely Love it. I have never had a problem with Mildew however Whirlpool does sell refresher tablets for that reason to get rid of dirt and mildew that might accumulate after awhile. Also, make sure you get a pedestal if you get a front loader. Good Luck!!