Ooooh, I've lay in wait for this question to get asked. Under no circumstances should you buy a front loader from Maytag. Neptune energy star. We were happy with ours for about a year, just about the time the warrenty expired. Then, it started to smell of mildew. Slightly at first, but it got worse and worse. It actually got so bad that it started to make our clothes smell like mildew. So we call in a Maytag repairman. "No sir, there's nothing wrong with your machine. Works dandy." I call the shop to complain that there is indeed something wrong with this machine. It stinks. The lady became short and rude and actually hung up on me! No wonder. I get on-line and start reading. The very machine we bought was the object of a huge class action suit. Alas, I was too late to become a litigant. Everything I read was exactly what we experienced. And there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. We have remedied the problem buy buying a specially made rubber ring (apparently it was cheaper to make these than fix the flaw). We also spent a week running loads of hot water with bleach, hot water and vinegar, hot water and baking soda. It's a pain, but we have to leave the door wide open now. We also have to wipe out the soap tray after each use and run a load with vinegar once or twice a month. I'll be so happy when this thing croaks for good.

So Maytags are bad. They are of the devil. I hear they even test puppies in them! Well, that's just a rumour, but they do suck.

Hope that helps you decide what NOT to buy.

Steven

p.s. Maytag will rue the day they sold me a lemon!

I would also not get a maytag...did u try epinion.com? I recently had a washer repaired and the repairman and I spend most of the hour he was here discussing front loaders. He said stay away from Maytag also. The repairs are frequent and expensive on their front loader. Maytag just "ain't" what it use to be...I would not own another maytage appliance even if they gave me one. Several years ago, I bought one of their top end refridges...side by side with digital veggie drawers for longer lasting fruit and veggies. More even temp control. Well, I loved it, the veggie and fruit kept far longer and better quality. But three months after we bought it, I woke to the smell of fire. The fridge had burned during the night..melted the inside completely thru. A wiring harness for the drawers inside the sidewall caught fire. My brand new fridge was toast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For three weeks I had NO fridge while I argued with them daily. This was the offer they made me. The fridge we had bought was discontinued )I suspect because of fire issues since it was a brand new model to begin with). Since our model was discontinued, we could choose from anything of the same value or less. Well of course there was no same value...and less was several hundred dollars less and considerable options less.....so because they made a fridge that caught fire and could of burned my house down, I should not only lose the food inside it (it was packed, both fridge and freezer) but I should also take an additional loss and settle for a lesser fridge for the same money I bought the higher end model. No money refunded....that was it, suck up the food loss, take a lesser fridge, and they keep the money diff. No way was I going to settle for that. After three weeks of arguing daily and eating out of a cooler, I got them to refund my total purchase price including delivery(they wanted me to eat that expense also orginally) and 100 dollars for the food. That was their last and final offer. I took it, but I should not of had to fight for it for three weeks. As far as I am concerned Maytag no longer stands for quality and service as it once did. I will never buy another maytag again in my whole life, nor would I accept a free one. I also already owned a maytag dishwasher at that time. This spring that dishwasher was in the national recall for fire hazards. It might catch fire. I already woke to smoke from one maytag and here was the only other maytag I owned also recalled for fire hazard. That speaks volumes for me....my family and home is far to important to ever own another maytag again.....so when my repair man said stay away from maytag front loaders I was thrilled to hear his advise... :))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) Avoid maytag at all costs...at least research the reviews on them.

Cameron : We too are experiencing the drought from hell. I have Momma's washer and dryer...they are nearing the 30 yr mark. I have had one repair call and that was due to my DIL getting a sock stuck between the basket and the wall of the inner washer. I asked the repair guy what he thought about getting something more efficient. He just looked at me and said, no more washing than you do for 2 of you and given the really poor quality of all new machines he would NEVER get rid of these appliances until they died for good. So you might want to rethink replacing something that works. On the grand scheme of things my washer is the least of the water users. Hope this helps add at least another view . Caroline

Stephen -- glad to give you an outlet for all that pent-up anger!

It's true that there are no "clear cut" solutions. The NEW top loaders are rumored to not even get your clothes clean. The front loader folks are all over the map with what's good, what's bad.

Our top loader just isn't doing a good job anymore. I knew I should have brought MY washer and dryer when DH and I got married 5 years ago. But, since we started out in his house while we built....anyway.

It's more like soaking than washing! Sometimes I have to wash clothes twice. The clothes come out so twisted that my DH's dress shirts for his job are getting frayed easily and going to the dry cleaners all the time is an option on that.

Two friends have the Sears HE2 plus. One loves it. The other one had a repair just one week after owning it. Some folks on Home Dec forum like their LG. Reading reviews at the big box places, folks seem to like the LGs if they can't afford the Bosch. I don't want to spend $1200 on a Bosch washer either!

Guess I'll just get out the old washboard and head to the creek. Oh wait, there's no water in the creek. And, there are neighborhood covenants against clothes lines! :-)

Isn't modern life interesting?

Please do you best rain dance for us!

Cameron

Steven....sorry that I used 'Stephen' yesterday (spelling of my relatives).

My apologies.
Cameron

We ended up buying a Bosch Nexxt 500 today. I was in Lowe's looking at the 100 which is priced at $798. The salesman came up and told me that I could buy the 500 on sale -- 10 per cent off and $100 rebate. That brought the price down from $998 to $798! Sold. It will be delivered tomorrow. And, we get the delivery free, too.

Thanks,
Cameron

Check out this guys blog before you give up on front loaders. Its not about saving water its about saving your investment and washing your cloths.

http://whirlpool-dueling-with-duet.blogspot.com/

We needed a new set too, and with only Hubby & me, and a small house, I wanted something small & stackable. (When we renovate the downstairs bathroom, the tub is coming out & we'll put in a stand up shower & the washer/dryer). We found a set a Home Depot by Amana for about $1000. So far, I'm very happy with it.

Our old microwave died & we're renovating the kitchen this summer, so I'll be buying an over the range microwave, but I needed something in the meanwhile. They have a 'for sale' posting at work & someone was giving away their old microwave - an Amana. It's old fashioned looking & probably 15 years old, but it works great. So we thought their quality would be good for the washer/dryers too.

Gail