essentials you can't live without in your front load washing machine?

9 years ago

I am trying to purchase a new washing machine for our new home, but there are so many choices. please help me narrow it down. The sales person recommends Electrolux. I currently have a Samsung and have been 100% happy with it. It has the handwash and wool cycles in addition to steam and many more cycles. Is the delicate cycle the same as handwash? Please advise. Thanks.

Featured Answer

laundryvet

9 years ago

My 10 cents worth:

-it must clean clothes (stating the obvious)

-absolutely can't leak (we value our house)

-must stay in one place when run (again - we value our house)

-reliable (you press go - it goes)

-durable (they are expensive, you don't want to have to buy one every 3-4 years)

-must be a reasonable cost for the projected life expectancy (I require 12-20 yrs)

-cycles must be quick (laundry at my house never ends)

-must deal with out of balance loads (I wash lots of rugs, shoes, etc)

-must offer at least a normal and delicate cycle (wife relates to concept of delicate)

-must be energy efficient (money doesn't grow on trees last I checked)

-should spin out at least to 300G (I pay for the drying)

-has to be simple to operate (no rocket scientists in our house)

-must be easy to load and unload (I'm not getting any younger)

-must be reasonably quiet (mine is on the first floor, but I can shut a door)

-must be offered in materials and colors that are timeless (1970s orange, green,...nasty)

-exterior must be easy to keep clean (detergent compartment in particular)

-exterior appearance should withstand 20 years of use (and interior for that matter)

-should be easy to install and later remove (I do my own appliance installs)

-parts must be available when needed (again laundry at my house never ends)

-qualified service personnel must be available (doesn't do wash when it won't run)

-must come from a company on firm financial ground (see parts and service notes above)

-must come from a customer focused company (decisions based on customer needs, not company needs)

Things that may have some value to the right person (based on quite a few posters here):

-adjustable end-of-cycle signal, at least one loud enough to hear 30 feet away

-electric heater - for the times the $&@# hits the fan and you need to nuke the germs

-nice styling (ours is in a back room that nobody sees when visiting)

-pretty colors (although I would rate stainless steel more timeless)

-steam functionality (not sure how this works - see electric heater)

-built in detergent/softener/bleach storage and dispensing

Always a tough decision since you need to live with it for years unlike the purchase of a vacation. Like picture-in-pictures hocked as a gotta have on TVs 10-15 years ago, do you really need all the bells and whistles touted by the sales guys on the floor?

It's just laundry at the end of the day, and we would all prefer to be doing something different if given the choice.

laundryvet

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Comments (9)

abick2
Original Author
9 years ago
WM4270HWA what about this LG model?
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Don
9 years ago
1) Water heating. There's no other way to have a hot wash in a front loader. In-machine water hearing also helps prevent mold.

2) "Turbo wash"- water pumping to wet clothes faster and shorten cycle time.

Most features are mostly marketing.

If budget is important, buy just enough capacity. Extra capacity is expensive, especially in dryers.

We don't have adequate information to know the more reliable brands. Modern front loaders are not designed to have a long life. It's a low margin business that sells features over quality.
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fahrenheit_451
9 years ago
Can I ask why the salesperson is recommending Electrolux, and what they compared Electrolux to? Where are you shopping for your washer? If you are happy with your Samsung washer, why not take it with you? Both Samsung and LG have made exponentially large strides in their products in just the last five years.
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abick2
Original Author
9 years ago
He is against getting anything from overseas. I think the model I mentioned above should be good.
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fahrenheit_451
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Too bad about your salesperson as just about every product has a mix of imported parts from somewhere in the world. I looked at the reviews regarding the model you mention and they are good. I recently moved my mother into a retirement community and we remodeled her kitchen with both LG and Samsung appliances purchased from large home improvement stores. The reviews we read at the home improvement stores websites were pretty much spot-on after the appliances were installed and my mother had used them for a while.

What people might not realize is that both LG and Samsung understand fast-tracking production and innovation; they have both placed emphasis on intellectual capital, let alone production processes, and this is really starting to show in their products.

My wife and I own Miele, but upon their replacement, we will both review the market regarding what is current, and make our decision thereafter. I'm impressed with both Samsung and LG these days, so we will look at them too.
abitawheat4me
9 years ago
Whichever brand you choose you should strongly consider getting the extended warranty. Trust me, I repair these machines for a living. If you insist on not buying one don't buy a GE. The cost of their parts is outrageous!
rpsinfoman
9 years ago
Love the Electrolux control interface on there 70 series I believe. Has a large selection of specialty cycles, although seldom used its intuitive. I believe it also lets you store 3 custom programs for three different users. Another feature others should take note of. I looked at this machine prior to purchasing the Kenmore. Unfortunately it had to be ordered and the wait was far too long. 60 series almost does the same thing, but not quite as nice.
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sandy1616
9 years ago
My must haves are a sanitize cycle that actually gets hot enough, extra rinse options, Spin speed above 1200 to cut drying time, a heavy duty cycle. Wash time isn't a huge factor for me as laundry is done daily.
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