I've been in the market for FL's as well. I'm getting Electrolux units this week, as a matter of fact. All of the reviews I've read have been outstanding. In fact, I haven't really read anything negative about them. They have the largest capacity of any other FL's out there on the market right now at 4.7 cu ft. The the dryer is also 8 cu ft.

I didn't really shop for other brands because I need units where the doors are reversible and again, Electrolux is the only brand out there that have this option, from what I've found doing research. FL's typically come in a Washer on the left and Dryer on the right format. My laundry room is not conducive to this setup, unfortunately, nor is it large enough to allow me to swap the two with longer hoses.

Good luck! This forum has a wealth of information available.

FLs are deeper than TLs - not sure if you have any space constraints. If you do that may limit your options. I've had the Kenmore version of the Whirlpool Duet for about five years - I've been very satisfied with them. I recently bought Frigidaire Affinity for my weekend lake place - the Duet was too deep for that space. I've been satisfied with those so far too - but haven't had them long enough to know about reliability.

Apparently budget is no concern so I'd suggest you take your comforters and blankets with you to the stores and try them and see if they'll fit in machines you're considering.

No indication of what cycles or anything you need. Presumably basic is fine? Then there's a lot of options. I would think a unit with a heater that works on more than just one or two cycles would be a nice feature to have although you probably wouldn't use it very often. It can help maintain temperature for the long cycle times expected in a front loader.

Have you considered whether you need or want pedestals? If you have trouble bending over, crouching down or the like it makes it easier on the back to have it on a pedestal. If you're short, want to stack them or want to put them under a counter, you might not want them. But pedestals are a bit spendy. Look for about $200 each. The drawers in them don't get used much by most people who have given feedback on them. But they're fine for storage of things you seldom use and of course the primary use is to raise the units.

Are you going to get a new dryer too? Or is your old one working OK? If you are not, just be sure to check the capacity of the dryer you have to make sure the capacity is large enough.

Happy hunting!

Before the revelation dawned that is was depth no width that would confine me to a compact pair I was looking at the Amana pair which were recommended by Consumer Reports as a good basic set.

Thank you all for these suggestions. To answer some of the questions brought up:
*I will be looking at getting pedestals because I hope this will help make things easier with my back.
*I am looking at getting both a washer and a dryer.
*Space isn't a problem because I have a fairly large laundry room.
*Other than larger comforters and blankets, most of the other laundry is just basic everyday clothes.

I just want to be able to have a W/D large enough to do those things, but I don't want to get stuck with a brand that is known for leaks or any other common problems. So I'm trying to do some research to hopefully get a good quality pair.

I've read that it is best on the frontload washing machines to leave the door open to cut down on mildew build-up. Are there other suggestions or tricks to helping with this?

besides leaving the door open a bit, do a hot water wash with bleach every once in a while (like once a month).

I have an LG that is fine. It has an internal heater which will maintain temps during a cycle, but not really raise temps. My brother has a Samsung and he is mesmerized by how steady it is.

You didn't say if you had small kids? Having a unit with a large heater (more difficult to find) would be good for diapers and other similar soils.

twong1200, like I said in the thread where you asked about reversible doors, Miele washers are hinged on the right, so Electrolux isn't your only choice. Personally I wouldn't want to give up my Miele for an Electrolux. Electrolux cycles are short, designed more for throughput at the cost of cleaning performance. Internal heater operation is half-hearted on cycles other than sanitary. It doesn't offer an evenly-spaced selection of wash temperatures like the Miele. And there's no specific cycle for comforters, a curious omission considering the big drum.

I love my Samsung 448 set. I can fit my King size comforter in it. I have no trouble with mildew smell, but I always leave the door open when it's not running. It has the SilverCare and towels always come out fresh smelling. I just love my washer and dryer. I've had them for about 9 months now.

countrygal...I went today and looked at washer and dryers and the Samsung 448 was exactly the one I was most interested in. I'm so glad you posted because I was wondering if it would fit our king size comforter. I'm glad to hear that you really like them. I think that is probably the one I'm going to be getting.

Southern chic, your comforter should fit in that model. If you have any concerns just take your comforter to the store and try it out.

My Frigidaire front loader is dying after 12 years, so I'm in the market. So many options and such a wide price range...

I realize that my old washer had three cycles--regular, permanent press (which doesn't spin as fast) and delicate. 95% of the time we just use regular. We do use the extra rinse option. We use hot, cold, and warm as needed. We never use the delay option.

So I realize it is easy to get seduced by options. Many of the new $1000 washers have so many options, and I realize we'd never use most of them. You think, you know, if I had these great options, I might use them. But I bet after the first month you go back to two or three options and never use the rest.

I also see the front loaders have sanitize cycles now. I never really had a problem with mold or smells in mine (except the soap tray area), but I wonder if this cycle is specifically to get rid of mold people talk about.

Two salespeople now have told me that LG and Samsung are the best sellers now, and one person said they have a few more returns on LG, even though Samsung bought the design and technology from LG. FWIW. In playing with a couple of models in the store, they have a clock that shows how much time is left in the cycle. I'm suprised that most cycles are between 50 minuts and 70 minutes. Seems like my washer takes about 25 minutes for a load, and that is with the extra rinse cycle. All models are digital now, which is a little bit annoying and probably more prone to expensive repairs.

Anyway, I'm debating on a new Samsung (Great reviews on various websites) in the $700 range, or just get a more basic (smaller) Frigidaire or Whirlpool or maytag at the Sears outlet store.

IÂm surprised no one mentioned noise and vibration. ItÂs my understanding that not all machines can go in second story laundry rooms because of the vibration they cause. And in my case, the LR is adjacent to the kitchen, so noise is important to me.

ItÂs my understanding that the Samsung 448 you have your eye on rates well in both these areas. :-)

Cross-badging is certainly not unheard of in the appliance game. Not sure what has happened since Whirlpool acquired Maytag but Samsung was making a few different models for Maytag in their factories. Amana was owned by Maytag which means it is now owned by Whirlpool. A lot of the smaller makes usually market stripped down versions of product made by the parent company - the fact they don't have the parent company's name on them makes them less valuable to consumers even though they are essentially the same product from the same factory. Less features, less to go wrong, your smart to think about what you actually will need and use and purchase accordingly.

Attached link may help you sort out who makes what in the appliance department.

Here is a link that might be useful: partial whose who in appliances

I just got my Samsung w/d delivered that past Friday and I am just thrilled with it. It isn't the one with silvercare but the model just below it and it is wonderful. It is on the main floor and I have no problems with vibration or noise at all. I can't believe how quiet it is!
I can't attest to the durability but I did a lot of research and they seem to be one of the least problem prone and all the salespeople I spoke to had nothing but good things to say about them. They guy I actually bought it from said the difference between a Samsung and a Whirlpool/maytag, etc is like the difference between a Honda and a Chevy.

I don't think you can go wrong with a Samsung. I have been washing everything I can get my hands on. I didn't know laundry could be so much fun. I even washed my bed pillows, which I was never able to do with my old toploaders.

Hey, there's nothing wrong with my Chevy!

But I havn't heard of many problems with vibrations. I think they have those things pretty well isolated these days that it isn't a problem. and I bet a front loader is less likely to have balance issues than a top loader.

We need anti-vibration and quiet - second floor laundry. We bought the Samsung 448 and they are perfect. We stacked them and very minimal vibration. Clean excellent and huge capacity.

I love my Maytag Bravos washer/dryer. They are much better than almost every Chevy I've owned -- with the sole exception of a '69 Chevelle Malibu. (Sure wish I still had that car today!)

Two cousins, who live hundreds of miles apart and made their decisions independently of the other, have bought Samsung FL's this year. I don't know the model numbers; I know both bought large capacity models which have internal water heaters. They both say they did a lot of research. Both of them give their washers/dryers glowing reviews.