There is a forum right here in the house section that is just for Laundry, loads of great advice on top and front loaders.

Personal experience, I've never owned anything but a front loader since way before it became fashionable (30 years). Granted mine are before the super water saving ones they have today, still can't imagine owning anything else.

Front loaders have been standard in Europe for 40 years or more, directly developed from the Bendix model you refer to. They never went out of style in Europe.

Contrary to what you seem to have been told, they are FAR more efficient at getting clothes clean, and are much, much gentler on the fabrics, compared with the beating the central spindle on a top loader gives them.

They use much less water, so are more fuel efficient. The program takes longer, but - counter intuitively - this is a part of the greater efficiency on water and power use.

I hope you get more accurate information on the efficiency and 'green' credentials of front loaders, over at the laundry forum, because I do feel someone has been giving you a great deal of inaccurate information.

Here's another fan of the front loaders - I'll never go back to top loading again. Yes I do leave my door ajar and also the detergent dispenser and I wipe the rubber gasket once every two or three months. No big deal. It's an easy trade off for their efficiency, capacity and one of the bonuses that I didn't anticipate - I now launder all of my hand wash items in the washing machine because the delicate cycle is really delicate - there isn't an agitator, it just swishes. I've had them for 7 years and I've never had any problem with smell.

Just because something "went out of style" doesn't mean it's inferior. I honestly think that top loading washers are a result of marketing than real superior design. To the points you have heard about specifically...

1. they don't clean as well..

Not sure where you heard this or what it's based on but I personally think it cleans better with less damage to clothes. The gentle cycle is gentler than hand washing and cleans much better. The regular cycle is equivalent to top loader gentle cycle but cleans just as well IMHO. I grew up with top loaders and switched to front loading when I got my own place about 20 years ago so I've had about equal experience with both.

2. Smell...

I too leave the door open and take out the detergent tray. Not big deal. The reason there is a perceived issue is that top loaders don't have a sealed tub so any residual moisture evaporates. The problem is, top loaders are not immune to smells either. We often had to leave the top open which is no different than front loaders. Also, if you do laundry once a week or so, the smell is unlikely to be an issue.

3. Cleaning...

Frankly, whoever told you that was probably trying to sell you a top loader. If anything, In the last 20 years, I've put less thought into cleaning than a single year with a top loader. The detergent tray of the top loader would always get gunked up and require cleaning. The problem is, sometimes they were not removable. Most if not all front loaders have a detergent try that's removable.

One funny fact about my front loader is that if I leave something in my pocket (or my kids do), they usually end up inside the fold of the door gasket. It's almost list it was designed to catch coins and little toys that end up in the wash no matter how hard we try.

I think the one I have is a Kitchen Aid which was the only one around when it was just starting to come back into style. It's still running strong. In that time I've only had to replace a door clasp which was two screws and $8. It's made 3 moves and still going strong. For the last 6 years or so we've averaged about 3-4 loads a week at least because of the kids.

Couple of other benefits that hasn't been discussed is large items. We wash comforters and rugs in there which we'd never be able to do in a standard top loader. Never had it stall because of an out of balance drum like the top loaders always had. Clothes come out dryer because of the "jet turbine" spin so they require less drying time. Finally, in the 20 years I've owned my washer, my parents have replaced their top loader twice and are now planning to buy a front loader. They went with top loaders because they were cheaper but it turned out they've spent more money on replacements compared to what I spent on my single unit.

In short, one person pointed out that front loaders are a palliative to enviros who want to save water and that if front loaders would have been the answer the original Bendix machine of 50 years ago would have survived.Frontloaders HAVE survived. I don't believe there has ever been a time when they *weren't* available on the U.S. market.

i posted once or twice in the laundry forum about my front loader, which i got after having many top loaders. The difference was astronomical. It was good. There are no analogous comparisons to make using other products that you will know better, like cars or small appliances. The benefits are unbelievable. It's worth a lot more than what they charge for it.

Your post has elicited only responses from enthusiastic front loader fans. I too have switched to a front loader (Samsung 338). I couldn't wait to get rid of our old Maytag and when it needed a new part (the vibration brake linings) I did. Now I would give anything to get it back. So would my wife. Unfortunately, the government has seen fit to regulate how much hot water we are permitted to use and so no top or front loader can clean like our old Maytag. So you may not have much choice. Most top loaders don't clean well any more (look up Consumer's Reports on the topic), there's not enough hot water in the cycles. My front loader cleans very well but I don't think it gets all the soap rinsed out even with the extra rinse cycle. My wash cloths turn a basin of water milky when I shave. I would have to run an entire wash cycle without soap to get a really good rinse. It takes water and the front loaders save water and energy by rationing it in their design. That is tough luck but you can get to where you want if you choose. How long they will last is another story. They aren't designed for all those rinses and spins if you are a fanatic like me.

nerdyshopper, how much detergent are you using? in 40 years of using a front loader, on two continents, I've never ever experienced poor rinsing like you describe. It certainly seems exceptional.

Switched over 5 1/2 years ago when my old TL broke down. If I'd known then what I know now, I would have switched much earlier. (Duet 9400)

IMHO, there's no comparison. FL is superior. I'll never go back to TL.

Get one with a built-in heater.

I have a front loader and it has saved me a bundle on the water bill each month. But I also had stinky clothes issues. Here is what I learned short story, I only use powder soap, Tide HE. I only use a tiny bit, 3/8" in the bottom of the little green cup. Soap lasts me forever now. So another savings I like. If the washer starts to get funky, I run some "automatic" dishwashing detergent on longest hottest cycle and it freshens it. The rubber ring on my Maytag is spotty with mildue and I don't like that but I wipe it down and move on. It was a problem with my model and I think many have this problem. I think the clothes come out clean and I am overall happy with my machine. If you purchase one, ask about the gasket and if there is a hiden filter and never use liquid!

@nerdyshopper, sounds like too much detergent---we had similar problems when we first got our front loader (which we now love---but yes, you must leave the door open or else clean the gasket. We leave the door ajar and clean it a couple times a year, which seems to work fine on our Bosch, but I think it varies by manufacturer).

When we first got ours two years ago, I reduced the amount of detergent because I'd read about sudsing issues---but even that was far too much. When we finally cracked out the manual (I know, I know! :) I discovered that ours only needs a couple of tablespoons of liquid detergent per load. Solved the problem---no more soapiness, and clothes are clean. Liquid works fine for us, but then we wash on cold most of the time anyway.

Things I like:
- Low, low energy and water bills (ridiculous drop, but then the old one was 20+ years old)
- Ability to run delicates for real (very delicate; I wash dry clean only clothes on that cycle) and ability to wash large items we used to have to take to the laundromate (e.g., comforters and dog beds)
- Clothes seem to take less damage (occasionally would have issues with things getting caught on the center post and stretched out before, but this doesn't seem to happen as much with this design)
- No more Kleenex in the wash issues! (Okay, this one is dumb, but with the top loader, if I accidentally left a tissue in a pocket, it would be all over *everything* and I'd have to peel it off fiber by fiber. For whatever reason, this doesn't happen with the front loader---I presume b/c there's less water and it doesn't dissolve the tissue with the same force.)

Things I don't like:
- Having to leave the door ajar, because we did not plan ahead for this spacewise and thus have to be careful not to hit it with another door---had we known and switched our dryer and washer positions before installation, though, it wouldn't be an issue. Could also just wipe it out but it's easier to just leave it ajar.
- Long cycles, especially on sanitary settings (2+ hours)---though we did choose one with a quick wash cycle too that's 25 minutes.
- Digital everything! We've never had a problem (knock on wood!) but it was frustrating that every washer seemed to be run by a computer. I know that's supposed to make it "smart" in reading load sizes and such, but still would have been nice to have a simpler design sans digital readout. We lucked out and got a discontinued matching dryer that just has a dial, but I think even those are digital now.

We have never cleaned our rotating drum, and it's never occurred to me to do so...?

I have the Whirlpool Duet front loader washer and dryer. Last owner bought them so they are about 4 years old. The washer does a pretty good job, uses less water, on high speed spin it could launch a 747. I would not buy it because they are just too expensive. My previous home had a nice mid range Whirlpool washer/dryer, Gold I think, for about 750 out the door for both with 4 year extended warranty from Lowes. My wife liked that washer better. Getting clothes cleaner? I don't notice any difference between the machines. Yes you have to leave the front loader door open, but on the top loader you should leave the top open too.
I don't like all the extras with the front end loader because of the expected repair costs when it breaks. So I think depending on a failure cost, I'll buy the traditional top loader WP Gold again.

Yo, Totsuka. Stongly suspect we have the same machines and yours is not properly installed. Mine is on slab and hasn't moved a fraction of an inch in 5 1/2 years. If you tell me your installation configuration, I'll bet I can fix you up in minutes.

Mine is on tile over slab.

OK...you said "...high speed spin it could launch a 747...." which I have taken to mean your machine shakes/vibrates when it spins. Is that right? Or have I mistaken what you said?

To me, " high speed spin " means it is astronomically better at spin drying. It is impressive. It sounds like an airplane. This is good.

The new participant named totsuka seems to be negative but that may change over time.
I've seen other new people start off with a spate of negative posts and then come to more balanced views later.

Oh yes the high speed spin is something to get used to. I walked into my laundry room one day and discovered my son and 2 friends standing there. He had invited them in to watch and listen to my washer in the final spin cycle.

Getting back to my rinse problem. I use Kirkland Free and Clear liquid HE detergent. The measuring cup has no lines to indicate how much to use. I usually use about 3/4 of the small cup. Sometimes about 1/2 depending on dirt levels and spots I need to remove. I usually pre-treat spots with an OxyClean clone liquid spray. I can see that when a load is washing the water is not more than enough to just wet the fabric---no water sloshing visibly with the clothes. They are wet but no more. So I don't have any suds.

When you say "the small cup" what does that refer to? If it's a large cap, then I would say it's too much. The water quantity sounds correct, so I would try running the towels through a program with no detergent at all, to clean them out, then use less liquid. I use 7th Generation liquid and use perhaps a 1/4 to 1/3 of a measuring cup.

I use Kirkland Free and Clear liquid HE also. I was using it even with my old toploader because I felt it cleaned almost as well as Tide and is cheaper. There ARE lines on the cup. Almost impossible to see, but they are there. :) 3/4 of the cup is way too much. The highest line, for a full HE high-capacity machine, is about 1/2way up the cup. In order to have ANY idea where the clear lines on the clear cup are, I had to look at the diagram pictured on the bottle, then study the cup in daylight (my laundry room lighting is horrible).

Even with my traditional toploader, I found that the newer detergents with more enzymes and less phosphates can eat holes in fabrics if you use too much. Phosphates are much more forgiving, and you can slop almost any amount in. Enzymes, no, you've got to match the soil level to the cleaner. This is true for the newly formulated dishwashing detergents as well. Too much detergent for the soil level in the load can etch the dishes.

For rinsing, check your model's manual. Some models use a "deep" rinse with more water if you select "fabric softener." I am sure this is true even if you don't actually use the softener, because there's no sensor to detect the softener. Deep rinses are often used on the bulky or heavy cycles. So it might be worth it to check the manual.

The newer detergents also might not rinse away as well, either. Phosphates make detergents clean better in hard water and rinse away cleanly. But phosphates have been reduced or eliminated by recent regulations. I have hard water and find that vinegar in the rinse water helps rinse away the detergent and the minerals in the hard water. I was using it even in my toploader for things like towels and microfiber.

We just bought and installed a Duet 9400 on Saturday. The procedure for leveling the machine is tedious and time-consuming. And we needed to move the dryer out to have space to do it. I bet that a lot of installers do not bother to get that last step right. It's not easy like with the old-style washers you just tilt and let the legs self-adjust.

@nerdyshopper, I'd check your manual and go by what it says vs. what the detergent says. We use Trader Joe's unscented clear detergent so I don't know how cap sizes compare to Kirkland's, but if I were to fill 3/4 of the cap of my bottle, I'd be using about three times too much detergent. I measured with a tablespoon for a few months to get a good sense of just how much the right amount for my washer was, and now can guesstimate pretty accurately by just pouring it. You could also physically measure it into the cup and then mark it with a Sharpie, too; when you bring home a new bottle of detergent, just swap the caps.

The other possibility is that you have a washer that's trying to be all smart and "read" the load size, which some of them do, and is getting it wrong and thus not giving you enough water. Ours also just barely gets wet, but it's definitely enough that there's a little sloshing (they're not sitting in water by any means, but are definitely more than just damp). So you could check that out, too. HTH!

Yesterday I did another load of whites. I used the sanitize cycle which takes over 2 hours to heat the water to about 160 degrees. It uses a "very hot" wash and a cold rinse. I selected the "extra rinse" feature that spins out the first rinse and adds more water and does a second rinse. When the wash was done, I took the clothes out to put them into the dryer and they were hot. I think that means the machine is not adding enough rinse water to cool the clothes down even after two rinses. I think I will have to call Sears and go for warrantee service. Looks like the problem is a computer glitch that doesn't think the load needs much water. Or else the darn thing is just normally not adding enough. I don't know which is true. It is a Samsung WF337AA, if anyone has one and knows.

@asolo - It's loud and shakes some, but really loud which surprised me. That was the super high option so I use the high or medium option now. I guess the idea is to get as much water out of the clothes as possible but I wonder if it is using more power to spin faster which increases the cost of each load?

yo, totsuka....

Couple of thoughts.........

"Loud" doesn't matter much. Doesn't last long in any event. "Shakes" is more symptomatic....and is what I was suspecting/looking for in your response. Since you said previously that your installation is on firm flooring, I'm going to suggest a procedure that I think will improve matters significantly.

My own machine -- I think pretty much same as yours -- is also on firm floor. Installers leveled and blah, blah, blah but the "trick" is to accomplish what I term a "dynamic balance" adjustment. What I mean by that is to put a full load of laundry in there and wait for the part of the cycle where it spins up. That part of the cycle will last for a couple of minutes so you'll have time to play.

Be ready with a wrench that exactly fits the adjusting feet in front. (I'm assuming you've already done the push/shove test so you think the feet are equally weighted. If I'm right for your situation as you've described it, I'm going to show you that they aren't.) When the machine spins up to full speed, tweak one of those front feet up or down and notice the difference. I'm talking 1/8th turns...1/4 turns...really not much at all. I'm almost certain you'll find that a small adjustment under spin-stress will markedly change your machine's performance. I did this to mine 5 1/2 years ago and it fixed everything.

Installers won't hang around to do this minute adjustment that so often makes all the difference. If you're willing to do this, I would be VERY interested to learn that it didn't have the same result as my own did. Since then, I have no shaking or walking and I routinely spin out my loads at top speed. The machine doesn't care.....as long as its suspension components are allowed to do what they're designed to do. The only way they can is if they're allowed to bear equally or almost-equally on those supporting feet.

It takes minutes, really, except for waiting for the load to reach the spin-up portion of the cycle. If you're willing, I think you might be impressed.

"I can see that when a load is washing the water is not more than enough to just wet the fabric---no water sloshing visibly with the clothes. They are wet but no more. So I don't have any suds."

Thanks for these posts, folks. Wife is talking about buying a new washer and new dryer to replace a perfectly funtioning elderly Maytag Top Loader. I told her I have not read anything good about the new ones---and You guys have convinced me,

There is NO WAY, I would touch those clothes that were washed in one of those with a TEN FOOT POLE (Front loader), especially that one that has almost no water in it or suds!

The old maytag still works great, I can choose how much water and temp of water, Hot, Medium or cold , and same with rinse,

Hopefully after I show the wife these post she will "Compromise", as I suggested--Get a new dryer,sometimes it heats, sometimes it doesn't but leave the Washer as it has nary a problem, and never has!

Thanks again for the help!!!!

Greatfully!!

Gary

I bought a Maytag Bravos top loader nine months ago and love it. I don't have room for a front loader where you have to leave the door ajar. I do leave my lid open when not in use for obvious reasons...no mold...no problems. I use Affresh in the machine which not only cleans the drums but around the areas you load bleach, detergent, oxy, fabric softener. It has a specific cycle just for cleaning the machine.

It can hold a HUGE amount of clothes. More than I really need now with only one college student living part-time at home. No agitator but everything comes out clean. I am more than pleased with it. It has the best of the TL advantages and none of the FL disadvantages.

It doesn't walk, it doesnt make any abnormal vibrating noises and it's on vinyl on the main floor on wood (over basement).

I have no urge to ever get a FL.

Gary,

Save yourself money and get a technician out to your dryer. It probably needs a new solenoid or something.

Thanks Pillog, more than likely the ignitor is weak. The dryer is a very old Hotpoint, works maybe 70% of the time.
In good weather, wife usually hangs stuff up to dry so I don't see the hurry--but--- she says She "Wants them replaced before She retires (Probably next February).
Hopefully everybody is happy with their dryers so wont be "Such a choice" as to which one to pick---but I will start snooping the laundry forum.

Thanks again, everybody, (even those of you that luv your front loaders) Like we say, in the classic car world, "If everybody wanted the same thing , there wouldn't be enough of them to go around".

Gary

I'm happily using a 19yo top loading Maytag washer/dryer set, but when they die, it will be time to start looking for front loaders. The last time I read Consumer's Reports, they didn't recommend ANY top loading washing machines. I know folks here don't generally hold CR in very high esteem, but their logic seems sound to me on this one. Manufacturers have had to really dumb down their designs to meet current energy/water usage standards, so none of them can get laundry very clean anymore.

Considering how many times I've seen people say on this discussion board (and others) that they wash everything in cold water, seems that the dumbing-down of temps isn't (or shouldn't be) of too much concern, LOL.

We used to live in Italy, and all they have is front loading machines (same with the rest of Europe). They've had them for years, so it's not like it's some new enviro scheme, even if it has been marketed that way in the U.S.

Yes, they do clean better and use less water. I haven't used bleach on our whites in years adn they stay brand-new looking. The downside is the wash loads are much longer. It's a bit of a learning curve to learn that a hot water wash can take 2 hours! However, you do get used to it. Additionally, the newer U.S. machines are just *so big* (17 pairs of blue jeans, 20 towels!) that the additional time shouldn't affect you that much. My Euro machines were so tiny, lol.

My only advice would be to purchase one that has an internal heater. That will get your water consistently at the right temperature. Even then, the U.S. washers I've seen aren't nearly as nice as even the cheapie Euro versions I've used. They all had an option of what is termed a "boil wash", where the water would get to 95 C (around 200 F). The temps on the Euro washers are also right on the dial. We ended up with a Bosch (bought at Lowes) that will get the water up to 170 F during the Extra Sanitary cycle. I do buy HE detergent; HE detergents just don't have the sudsing agents that are added to most other commercial detergents. I live in a pretty small town, and several stores (Wal-Mart, Target, Kroger) carry the HE detergent. Not every brand, but it's there and available.

As far as closing the door to prevent mold/mildew, I've never left my door wide open, even in Italy where mildew problems on the walls are very real. I just close the door but don't latch it when it's not in use. That little gap seems to work fine.

Dust mites reproduce fast so it matters little.
Dust mites only live a month.

Dust mites' digestive matter is the item to wash away.
Their digestive matter is the stuff that people's lungs react to.
They leave this "matter" out (exposed) for ambient humidity to work on further.
The stuff they produce has enzymes on it.
Think of your own gastric juices.
They excrete it, so it can be called excrement.
Then, they re-eat it later.

Dust mites get washed away regardless of the water temperature.
But this is not the real concern.
It's their "matter" they produce.

Dust mites may be killed with enough high temperature water.
But this has no effect on the number of dust mites in your pillow a few days later.
Ambient humidity allows dust mites to breed and multiply immediately.
There is no way to remove dust mites from your environment.
You can reduce their number, by washing more frequently than before.

HTH

Cooks-n-Sews,

There are a few HE toploaders with water heating, but it is supplemental heating moreso than intended to work from a starting cold fill.

-- The top-of-line FAV9800 model of Maytag's Neptune TL (which is no longer available).

-- The MVWB850WL model Maytag Bravos.

-- LG model WT5101H has an Extra Hot temp selection and Sanitary cycle (heats to 158°F).

-- Kenmore model 29278 (which may be sourced from LG and similar to the model above) has a Sanitize cycle and Extra Hot temp selection.

-- GE Profile Harmony model WPGT9360E has a HydroHeater feature.

OK, top load v. front load. Here's my story.

I had the infamous Maytag Neptune W/D front load (tip: if someone tries to sell you a "NEPTUNE" ... run). I had it for 11yrs, going through all the smelly troubleshooting. This past October, I couldn't stand it anymore and started doing my research.
My research found: ALL front loaders will exhibit the mildew smell if 1) you don't clean the gasket 2) don't prop the door open 3) use a "sanitizer".
I'm all about conserving water and energy and usually wouldn't look twice at a top loader. I was seriously drooling over the new Samsungs ... until I happened upon the new LG top loaders.
I found that this new top loader uses about or less than the amount of water that the front loaders use. It also has a great Waveforce technology that doesn't use a "clothes damaging" agitator as the normal top loaders use.
I was going to pay the same for a front loader, but didn't want the inconvenience of fighting the mildew. I went for the LG WT5101H (matching dryer) ... and GAVE away the (still working) Neptune set to a womens shelter (and full 'mildew-be-gone' written instructions).
Now we've had this for little less than a month. There is no front loader that can handle the loads I can do, using the same amount of water. As previously posted, it also has the Sanitary hot water heater up to 158degrees (that the pricier front loaders have).
I also followed many Appliance forums (washer repair specific) and the new GE Profiles, Maytag Bravo's and Kenmore's are on the top of the repair list. I saw nothing for LG top loaders.
There is a HUGE 10yr direct drive motor warranty ... that's a big deal.

So, yea, here's a vote for this top loader. I won't buy into the overhyped marketing of front loaders too much; although I will agree that they do clean well (not better) and save water. I do not agree that I need to do daily "mildew maintenance" instead of quarterly cleaning.

Here is a link that might be useful: LG WT5101HW Washer

Cool! I expect to have my beloved old toploader for at least another 10 years, but I'm glad to know that they're making good ones again. :) Thanks!

Actually, I have a question about that. I've had a couple of people recently tell me that top-loaders of ANY type will be history after 2012 due to "regulations". I've not read that anywhere. Is this an emerging urban myth?

Yo there, solo one, can't say for sure and stranger things have happened, but seems highly unlikely that Whirlpool would spend time/money/engineering to develop a NEW mechanical design for their toploaders (both washplate/HE and agitator models) if they'd be dead-on-the-market in two years.

I think the the dead by 2012 must be about the previous technology. As long as they can save water and energy, there's no reason why a top loader shouldn't be sold. Just takes some invention. :) That's why I was so happy to see Impliedconsent's positive review. It doesn't matter what it is if it doesn't work well!

No---they were probably talking about the new appliance standards that kick in for 2014 (the only change for 2012 that I know if is for new construction, which does get new standards then). There's nothing against top loaders, though---just lower water use and electricity use bars, which might mean some of the current top loaders are out of the game, but so are some of the current front loaders. (They are also supposedly going to change how they test efficiency of the machines, though, which might mean the actual standard relaxes a bit.) The appliance manufacturers negotiated and signed on to the new standards, though, so I'm quite sure they have things in the works to meet demand for both front and top loaders.

Here is a link that might be helpful - scroll down to see ratings: http://www.allbrandservicenaperville.com/products-washer.html

@ chefmom_2010: that's a fairly dated article (Jan 2007). Technology and refinements have moved on quite a ways in (almost) 4yrs. Example: "A few of the disadvantages are that they use more water and are harder on clothes. They also spin slower meaning longer dry times. Powdered soap is recommended." That's not true. Most of the better top loaders have redesigned their "agitators" or methods of washing. The spin speed is also increased (the LG WT5101H and the Whirlpool WTW7990XG both have 1100RPM spin cycles). In my LG, the clothes come out nearly dry, which reduces my LG dryer time to @30min.

I was reading many of the threads in "Laundry" and a common theme on the front-loaders continue to be the moldy smells. Some FL users deny this is true (but admit they do leave the door open for airflow and/or use daily maintenance to mitigate the problem), others demand it's true (as I do). Time will tell on the top loader, but overall I'm not only happy with my TL, but fairly impressed (ask my wife, I'm not easily impressed).

@ Asolo..i use to have a FL washer in our mudd room on laminate floor...it shook everywhere and the maytag guys were here for 4+ months before they finally took it back. Does the shaking only occur on 2nd floors?

Shaking always occurs. The issue is whether or not the suspension components of the machine can handle it....which requires those components to operate as they should....which requires that they're able to bear solidly on their supports....by which I mean the machine's feet on the floor.

Where I live, all the houses are on slab. I've yet to encounter a machine here that I couldn't smooth out by adjusting the feet to accomplish solid/equal bearing for the suspension components. Installers typically either don't know anything about it or can't spend the time required to check and/or adjust the machine as it requires. They just eye-ball it and leave. Then the customer thinks they have a bad machine because they don't know how to make the adjustment themselves.

On slab floors, smoothing out a machine usually takes only adjustment of the machine's feet so that the suspension components can bear solidly. On a suspended floor -- like a second-story floor -- often the floor itself is too flexible to allow solid bearing. That's why there have been so many complaints about second-story problems. Very hard to tell in advance whether or not it will be an issue.

The problem of today's market is that sometimes you have to sacrifice something for another. A couple of reasons for the development of front loader washers is eco-friendliness and space-savings.

Eco-friendly in the sense that the front loader uses less water and therefore less detergent. They are also a space-saver because of the ability to stack the dryer on top of the washer, install them in a closet space or even under a kitchen cabinet (like the ones that ASKO produces - http://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/W6984FI.html?brand_store=1).

But then again there are companies out there that are taking the "less water" concept into consideration when developing top load washers. Take for example, WA42T26GW1 from Fisher & Paykel (I found it here - http://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/WA42T26GW1.html) which has an auto water level that senses the size of the load and selects the optimum water level automatically, eliminating water wastage and fabric damage caused by too little water. The only thing is that you can't stack it, but if that isn't a problem for you then it doesn't matter.

I use to own a top load before converting to my Electrolux Wave Touch machines, and my machine use to emit a nasty smell (well, maybe not nasty but definitely not pleasant) after a couple of weeks of use and I use to hate cleaning the dispensers which use to get all greased up and nasty (I tend to use this word alot!). So smell there always will be whether you use a front load or a top load. And cleaning the tub is definitely not that difficult as my machine reminds me when I need to do it and all I have to do is run a cleaning cycle with bleach.

Like PC vs Mac, there will always be arguments around which one is the best and it will always come down to which one YOU are most comfortable with.

"So smell there always will be whether you use a front load or a top load."

Well, no. That's not at all true.

In decades of owning many washers I've NEVER had any of that. In the last six years of owning FL (Duet 9400) I've never had any of that. None reported among friends and family either. Actually the only places I encounter it are in these forums.

Sorry for your trouble, but your complaint is far from universal.

I love my BOSCH FL washer and will never switch to TL again.
The clothes comes out perfect, nothing is ecer damaged, the machine is quiet, I use "delicate" cycle for "dry clean only" tops and they come out perfect without any of the bad chemicals, etc.

It took me a while to figure out the right detergent/etc to use - but based on this forum's recommendations I use Charlie's Soap/Persil, Shaklee for spot removal (I just add a scoop inside the machine with Oxy), and plain white vinegar (in the softener container); add "extra rinse" - and everything comes out beautifully clean and fresh.

I had never had any smell issues.

HTH