Don't feel alone. I've had my front loader for about 6 or 7 years and I'm still not so sure I like mine either. Some things come cleaner in it, but other things don't. Plus I don't feel I've saved anything when it comes to the water and electric. If I had to do it again, and from what I've read here that may be much sooner than with my TL, I'm not sure I'll get another FL.

It might not be the washers but the clothes themselves. A few years ago I started noticing that certains items like my sheets were harder to get clean. My DH sweats at night and his sheets were turning yellow. This has always been a problem but I could always get them clean. I had a TL then. It finally occurred to me that it had something to do with the materials or chemicals they were using in the sheets themselves. The cheap polyester that I used to buy obviously didn't react with my DH's chemicals.
Several months ago my son gave me a set of FL's. I wasn't in the market for them since my TL's were fine but I never turn down something free. Plus I live in a drought prone area.
I handle change well luckily. I don't use extra rinses and I don't freak out at how little water is used. Washes average about 53 minutes and dry time is never over 40 minutes. A quick dry is only 25 for a load of jeans. My old TL had a 25 or 30 minute wash and dry time was always a minimum of 90 minutes. I have noticed a slight difference in my whites (whiter), everything else seems the same.
My utility companies send out quarterly audits comparing usage with previous years. My recent audit showed a slight dip in water and electric. The amazing thing is we have 2 additional adults living with us since last year so this is good.
My DD's love them because they are quieter and the laundry closet is opposite their rooms. So I'm not sure why yours are shakier and noisier. Are you on a slab? Pedestals? My TL washer used to go out of balance all the time and literally "walk" until the buzzer went off. I spent alot of time rearranging wet clothes. No matter what I put in the FL washer I haven't had that issue.

Shakier is a good clue. It probably needs to be leveled. This can impact several different things. Of course, noisier, but also it can affect spin speed, which will affect water and dirt extraction and of course drying time.

Are you using the right cycle for the stain? Temperature? You say you've tried different detergents but did you spend enough time to learn how much to use for optimal performance in your conditions?

Smelling fresh and clean can just be you. Smelling "bland" sounds like it's clean to me. Clothes do not naturally smell like "April Fresh", "Mountain Meadows", "Floral Foyer" or "Sunny Citrus". Maybe they're clean and you're looking for residue from detergent or softener? I believe in washing clothes when they smell. I don't want them to smell out of the wash. But some want the chemical smell in their clothes.

I've never had a front loader but have come to the conclusion that there's a definite learning curve to it to get maximum benefit. Just like it's much different driving a subcompact than a gargantuan SUV. Don't give up. It's probably a great machine just needing you to learn to make use of its features.

Something else to keep in mind. FL's are much easier on clothes than TL's. Your clothes won't wear out as fast, will last longer, and will look better for longer.

Thanks for the replies everyone! I'm sure I still have a lot to learn about this machine and do reference the manual often.

Yesterday, I tried using the permanent press wash cycle for the first time; I guess it just washes (and rinses?) differently, but they were still pretty wet when I put them in the dryer...and...it took a little over an hour to get them dry! Usually, it's 30-45 minutes when I use the cotton cycle (which is what I've always used).

Two of my boys' shirts have small holes that didn't used to be there but seem to develop a lot lately and I have heard that FL are gentler on clothes, so I don't know if the machine is the cause.

I use hot, bleach water for towels; but things like t-shirts and undies have a yellow tint to them, which seems to get worse the more I wash them; and this with the occasional baking soda or Borax being used as well (is that too much stuff to have in?). Maybe my water is too hard, IDK.

I perspire/sweat bunches and there are a lot of my tops that do still have somewhat of an 'underarm' scent to them even after I've washed and dried and they are supposedly clean. Maybe I need new clothes!?!

And, when I say shakier, the machine itself doesn't move, but my bed, dresser handles, etc (in other parts of our mobile home---no pedestals are being used by the way) is what lightly shakes during the spin cycle (you can always tell). Lately also, if I'm in there and it's getting ready to spin, there is this noise (don't know how to describe), so I hope that something isn't getting ready to tear up on it.

When I can wash a load of clothes in TIDE HE (scented) and not smell ANYTHING on the clothes if I use extra rinse. I always remember smelling the perfume smell on clothes when using a TL washer even with extra rinse.. The one exception is when I use "Spray n Wash" (shew) talk about strong. If I pre-treat a spot I can still smell it after the wash where I spot treated! I'm pretty sure though this would happen in a TL as well...I do notice stains not coming out in my FL washer if I don't pre treat certain types of stains. If I do forget to pre treat, the stain is so faded it's barely visible. This was never the case in a TL washer...The stain was much more visible after a TL wash...Can't explain what's going on with your FL washer. A lot of the TL washers you buy now will not fill to the TOP, even with full selected they will fill 3/4 full. I guess manufacturers are trying to cut back on water usage even with TL washers.

You may need to re-level your washer. But since you have had it since May, I would go ahead and pull out the dryer and clean the vent. Call it early spring cleaning. Your loads could also be taking longer because of lint caught inside the vent tube.

If the washer is not level it's not going to spin the water. It will keep getting unbalanced and slow down and try to readjust. Thus your clothes will come out too wet.

As far as the vibrations, can someone get underneath your mobile and put a jack support system under the washer unit, to give it more stability?

Lastly, small boys equals lots of dirt. You may just need to switch detergents or up the dosage. Also Oxi-clean or Clorox II, in the hottest water the garment can take, may help with the yellow in your clothes.

A good soaking in Borax or Oxiclean could help with the whites too. What kind of detergent are you using? You're not the first to complain about clothes still having body odors after being washed in a front loader. That's not right. And I can imagine the frustration. Does your machine have a built in heater to raise the temp of the water? Might be a good idea to get a small box or bottle of Tide or Cheer (I'd get the unscented so you can tell if the smell is coming out) and see if that helps. Both of these have enzymes. Wisk used to be very good but I haven't used it in decades and now that it's been sold, I'm not sure if it's even the same formula. Some like Charlie's Soap but they refuse to sell small amounts. There are some similar ones like Sport Wash and Walmart has a Great Value brand of laundry detergent with enzymes that's not outrageously priced. Could be a good idea to survey your neighbors' wash habits, detergents, machines, and the like to see if that could shed any light on your issues.

The vibration is being transferred through the structure. Not sure what you can really do about it. Depending on the structure under the floor, possibly you could put down some 1" plywood (maybe a double layer) and securely fasten it to the home structure to minimize the vibration. You're experiencing the same issues many people find with second floor installations.

Regardless of whether I'm using a FL or a TL, with two boys active in sports, I use name-brand detergent, STPP, pretreat with Shout, and add oxy-clean or bleach to their clothes. A FL doesn't magically get out ground in dirt or pizza stains or any of the many other stains kids get without some help. I also use warm or hot water, especially on their jeans with dirt and grass stains. We have red clay in our dirt which is next to impossible to get out sometimes, but pretreating and using additives ususally does the trick.

I gave up on the FL and went back to TL. I am pleased with the change. The clothes in my FL just weren't smelling clean anymore and bath towels just didn't seem to last for more than one use and then smell moldy. I am not having that problem with the new TL.

I spent a year with a Kenmore FL, hated it, and went back to a top loader and couldn't be happier with my decision.

In spite of all the theoretical benefits, I found the FL took forever, cleaning was mediocre, and was no more gentle than my old top loader.

I tried everything and eventually concluded that if I used enough detergent to clean satisfactorily that the machine didn't rinse it out well. And then I had to run ANOTHER rinse and spin. At that rate I'd NEVER get the laundry done.

My neighbor has a old-style Maytag Neptune she is happy with. The difference is that her Maytag uses a lot more water than mine ever did. And if I remember the first Neptunes won awards for efficiency. But they've taken efficiency too far for me now.

I expected a $1500 washer to make my life easier and it certainly did not.

For cuffs054:
As to the mildew smell - did you keep your washer doors closed all the time - after using the washer??? If you did, the problem might be the the lack of circulation in the washer (or dryer) might be allowing the "mold" and "mildew" to grow in the tub area. Just speculating, but was told by a Whirlpool representative that this was a problem in all FL machines.

This CAN be a problem in a TL machine as well-I've been told.

Let me know what you think. Please

This CAN be a problem in a TL machine as well-I've been told.
Yes, it "can", however you need to understand the major difference is that a front loader by design MUST be watertight, thus, pretty much air-tight too. A top loader lid doesn't seal. It is a cover and that's all. Even closed, virtually all top loaders will get air circulation if the air is moving in the room which of course is not true with a front loader.

I always left the lid on my top loader open when not in use. I did it simply because then I could take a glance at it and if the lid was down, I knew I had something in it that needed to go to the dryer. Could be a day or two later. There is another issue many claim is a problem with a front loader. If you leave clothes in there. I don't monitor my washer too closely so it can go hours and occasionally a day or two. Now and then I do a rinse & spin if there's a bit of a sour smell from sitting too long, but that's rare.

Top loaders and front loaders are different and need different operation. It's just the way it is.

homeowner, yes I left the door open on the FL. I could run a clean cycle with Cascade and it would be ok for a while and then come back.

Did you have a TL before in the mobile home? My cousin lives in a mobile home with a TL and when she does laundry the whole house shakes. It's normal.

Mobile homes are have notoriously bad foundations. The slightest vibration will cause sympathetic vibrations through the steel frame. Make sure your machine is properly balanced, but even then you may still have vibrations being transmitted. Have you had your water hardness tested? Since the FL's use less water then TL's you might have more of a problem with iron or other hardness problems causing yellowing. I have had a FL now for almost 5 years and have never noticed a problem with yellowing or destruction of clothes. The smell you have is caused by bacteria growing on the residue in the washer. Clean out the pump filter and then perform several cleanings with either dish washer detergent or use a commercial product for that purpose called Affresh. Go to www.affresh.com for the different products. Bleach alone will not cure your problem (I've tried it). The best thing anyone with a new FL can do is to make sure and read the owner's/operator's manual and follow the maintenance schedule to the letter. I know, I didn't with my first washer and I had problems. The only reason I got a new FL is that we sold our home and the washer and dryer stayed behind.

I also find that bath towels begin to smell after just one or two uses. My FL door is always open when not in use and I run an extra rinse on every load. My theory is that front loaders just don't use enough water to dilute odors.

I don't have a front-load washer but I know a trick for getting rid of mildew odor in towels and wash cloths or dish rags. Soak them in a bucket of ammonia and water solution. For perspiration odor, soak in a solution of vinegar and water. You can also spray this solution on your armpits after you shower. Let it dry. Then use antiperspirant. Your armpits will not smell nearly as bad.

Funny, but we experienced the exact opposite of some posters here. With our crappy TL, towels would smell musty after the first use. I guess they were never getting really clean and the dryer sheets just masked the smell.
Our FL (Bosch Nexxt 500plus) gets everything clean and smelling neutral. We don't use FS or dryer sheets and we don't have any residual smells when we use the Sears powdered detergent. Liquid detergents leave a slight smell, but all body odors, smoke, sour or musty smells come out either way. We use our towels for a week and even then they don't smell. If they do, it is from bodywash, shampoo or something like that.
I don't even need to use the sanitary cycle, most of the time I wash them at just 120 degrees. No problems with smells whatsoever.
The only thing that can be tricky to get out are grease stains. They need pretreatment, but we did that with the TL as well...

I'm hoping to switch to a FL when the current set wears out so I can stack (new laundry area is very tight!). I've been reading about them for several years on this forum, and just don't understand why there is such a mixed reaction: Are there some machines (within the same brand) that just don't wash as well? Is the FL actually difficult to use? Are the suggestions above likely to help? What's the scoop?

I really really really could use the space, but not if my clothes won't get clean.

Soaking white clothes in Borax can really help with stains/yellowing.

Adding baking soda to a load of laundry can really help to take out odors - doesn't matter what kind. When I wash really grungy guys' clothes, I put a cup of baking soda in the washing machine drum before adding the clothes, use the hottest water which is appropriate for that fabric, and let the clothes soak at least a few hours, sometimes overnight, before completing the wash cycle.

Sniff them before putting into the dryer. If you smell even a whiff of odor, DO NOT put them into the dryer, as the heat will only 'set' the odor so that it will be virtually impossible to get out later (ditto stains).

Also - you may want to consider drying them outside (weather permitting) or in the house (can hang them from a shower curtain rod). Drying outside will really give them a fresh scent.

claybabe,
I would say go for a stacking FL set. If you are willing to change a few laundry habits and learn how to use a FL, you won't have any problems getting clothes clean. The fact that you are reading and posting here shows that you are open to suggestions and tipps, so I think you are a great candidate to make the switch.

I grew up in Germany where TL with agitators don't even exist. When I moved here, I had the "privilege" to use a TL for a few years. The only thing I liked about them is how fast they finished a load. But that was about it...they just didn't clean well, tore several strings out of pants and shirts, ruined some bras...and I just hated the amount of water and detergents/additives needed to do a load of laundry.

A typical load with my FL takes about an hour. The clothes come out clean and without any nasty odors. An extra rinse would add about 15 minutes, but is hardly ever needed/used. Some posters say that an extra rinse negates any water savings, but that is far from the truth. It takes about 4 gallons which adds up to a total of 18 gallons per load. A TL uses almost 25 gallons per fill which is 50 gallons if you do just one rinse!

I think the mixed reviews for FLs are mainly due to user errors. Using too much detergent and liquid fabric softener is probably the most common mistake which leads to nasty buildup and musty smells. My washer is 18 months old now and doesn't have the slightest hint of mold. I don't do clean washer cycles or any extra maintenance. I just leave the door open and use hot cycles about once a week. Couldn't be happier with it. Our water usage in the winter is between 2000 and 3000 gallons per month for a household of three. That equals the city's minimum usage!

Sorry for the long post. I hope it helps!