Rochelle ~

My hubby and I have five kiddos so our washer and dryer get a lot of work. For the past four years I have had the Fisher-Paykel Intuitive washer. I don't have a matching dryer because the one I have works fine.

I love this washer and so does my hubby. It only has five moving parts and it comes with a manual or you can print one online. Really, it is about as simple a machine as I have seen.

It offers many options and I am so impressed with it's ability to judge the fabrics and amount so that the right water level is used. No more under using water or using too much.

The Intuitive is a top-loader with a metal wash drum and it was energy star rated. Now, I will tell you that it spins pretty fast (you can adjust the speed) and the clothes come out barely damp to the touch. The dryer doesn't have to work hard or long. I am always amazed how quickly the dryer buzzes that it is done.

I got the washer through Lowe's and they were having a demo sale. This machine had just returned from a home show but hadn't been used. I got a great deal.

I've had no water, smell, mold or any other kind of issues with it. What other washer will tell you when it is done and tell you to have a nice day ..... complete with smiley face. It is a hoot!

Good luck in your search.

Robyn
P.S. - Hubby and I have a queen-sized bed and it washes the comforter with no problem. You can put it on "bulky" wash.

Robyn,
Thanks! I had actually meant to say something about bedding. I am seemingly always potty training someone, or having a little one get sick in my bed, etc. so the washer must have the capacity to handle lots of bedding. That's great to know that the Fisher and Paykel might satisfy both of us!

Rochelle

With that size family I would go with a large top loader. They offer better load flexibility to front loaders.

There are 7 to 10 people living in my household at any given time. We use a one year old Speed Queen top loader, which replaced another SQ after 20 trouble free years. I like traditional, durable, flexible and functional appliances with sensible cycles. For that as well as quality and excellent washing/rinsing nothing beats Speed Queen, IMHO.

Before I replaced my old SQ I looked at some he top loaders. The Fisher and Paykel Intuitive Eco would have been my second choice. They are a well-designed machine with very interesting options and the flexibility of traditional full immersion washing or auto-sense fill. I have used F&P washers where I was vacationing and liked how they cleaned and rinsed.

Good luck and I hope you'll find something soon.

Whirlpool CABRIO

You can wash 3 baskets per load - it has a capacity of 4.6 c.f.
You can wash big blankets
It is energy efficient
It is gentle with the fabrics.
It saves water.

All the recommendations so far I'd agree you would be well advised to consider. Couple other thoughts. You might want to consider two washers. You could then look at a smaller front loader with a heater for diapers and things and a large top loader of your choice for the big bulky things. Depends on what the budget would be. But to not include a matching dryer, or at least a low cost functional dryer you might still be on budget. You could even start with one machine and add one down the road as family size increases and hopefully budget would permit. Lots of different options, even two identical or whatever. But you could be doing two loads at a time and with the large family, and with everything else you must have to do, it could cut down the laundry time. Run two loads and carry/hang two loads at a time. If budget permits, it could be a very good consideration for you.

Another top loader that gets great reviews here is the GE Harmony. There's a version available that has a heater in it now too. Very few people report issues. FWIW, it's made by LG I'm told. It's a similar design to the F&P.

Are you considering the Fisher & Paykal with or without the agitator? Dadoes is the resident F&P specialist here and could give you more detail if you have questions. There's also a lot of threads devoted to F&P and for that matter all of the aforementioned washers. Might be worth your time to peruse them for some ideas.

The Cabrio also comes in agitator and washplate versions. They're different sizes too so be careful and double check model numbers and specs. The Whirlpool Cabrio, Maytag Bravos and Kenmore Oasis are all sibling machines. So compare prices and features, you may have more options if you go that route.

For a dryer, I'm hooked on the Whirlpool 7.4+ cubic foot models. They're about as big as you can get in a consumer model, are downright cheap when you look at it ($300-$500) and are a proven reliable machine. The guideline usually is to get a dryer with double the capacity of the washer or more. I can't say for sure but if memory serves me correctly the matching Cabrio/Oasis/Bravos dryer is only about 7 cf and costs much more.

BTW, kudos to you for using cloth diapers! Also for the clothesline. You sound like a sensible person. Good luck in finding the perfect laundry setup for your needs!

Oh, one last thing on the Staber. It is an impressive machine. But I think it's a pretty spendy machine for the features you're getting. It's unique, yes. It's supposed to be very easy to work on, yes. But I think you might get a machine better suited to your needs by looking at other options. Although maybe is you had one Staber and one other???

Deciding on laundry machines shouldn't be so confusing!