There's a lot of threads on the different machines with recent feedback and information, except for the GEs. Not much owner feedback on the GE machines for a couple years now. They got rave reviews at the start and there's been some sideways criticism that I've seen from people who don't own them and have no experience with them so that's not much value to me. A local appliance dealer recommended the GE over the Frigidaire Affinity but only by a little. He did however much prefer the Whirlpools. Most all Kenmore front loaders are made by Whirlpool. He didn't give an opinion on the LG and LG gets mixed reviews (and complete opposite too) here lately. It really would be worth your time to peruse the myriad of threads on the front loaders. Sort the good info from the questionable and you'll get a lot of valuable info. I've been in a position that I'm thinking I need to be ready to replace my 30 year old machine, probably within the next 20 years or so, which means I've been gathering info on the good and bad. I had my heart set on a Danby, but alas, they're no longer made. Lately though I'm leaning heavily on going to top load, but am still considering the Duet, GE (newer version made in China) and the Maytag Epic, sibling to the Whirlpool front loader. I'm just a bit hesitant on the LG from owner reviews. I'm just glad I don't have to make the decision right now! Good luck.

screw gun, hand saw. Plywood. 2x4s. Paint, adhesive tiles or ceramic. If you're talking side by side, then make sure the 2x4s are under each corner of each unit (8 in all). Assuming you want to make it about 12" tall, and you aren't too particular about that height, I would go buy some 1/2" exterior plywood, a couple of 2x4s and some deck screws (probably galvenized or stainless). I would cut 8 pieces of 2x4 into 1' lengths. I would measure the width of both units, lets say 60" wide and 28" deep. I would cut pieces of plywood 60"x28" for the top, 2 60"x12" for the front and back, and 2 28"x12" for the sides. At each corner of the 60"x28" piece I would attach (with screws) a 2x4 piece vertically. Then (assuming both the w/d are 28" wide at their feet) I would measure from the corners and attach the other 4 2x4s 28" from the ends (leaving about 4" in between them). I would then attach all the sides, turn it over, and paint or tile as I felt. Check and trim for level, put it in place, put the units on it and enjoy.

How long a cycle takes is like asking how long does it take to cook a meal. It varies. It will make a difference if you're using a heater in the washer and if the washer has a 110v or a 220v heater. It'll also depend on the number of rinse cycles, and much more. If you have a heater and use a sanitize cycle, you can have a cycle take hours to complete. There's a difference between using a front load and a top load. For some, it's an easy adjustment but for some it's not so easy. How much detergent you use will also vary on the type of machine, the load, they type of detergent, water conditions and more. Most front loaders have higher spin speeds and will extract more water and the amount varies from machine to machine. Many people don't understand that a 1000 RPM or 1200 RPM spin speed advertised on machines is very misleading. First, many people have experienced wrinkling issues with high spin speeds since it plasters the clothes against the drum and putting wrinkles into them. This of course varies with the clothes. So some people don't use the highest spin speed. Also, the spin cycle does not run at the max speed during the spin cycle. It starts out slow and speeds up and slows down while it balances the load and might only reach the top spin speed for a couple minutes so it's not spinning at that speed very long. Nevertheless, it does help extract more water, that is true. And of course the less water, the shorter the drying time. Many people have tinkered with the water levels on the front loaders because they're not happy with the water levels especially for rinsing but also occasionally for washing. Many machines have "bulky" cycles that use more water. However one thing that you should be aware of is you should not plan on paying for a machine with water savings. Generally speaking there's some savings in water and a bit in electricity but many will argue on the true savings on detergent when you look at all factors. I won't go into this argument. Just because you use less water doesn't necessarily mean you should use less detergent. You need proper amounts of detergent to suspend the dirt to remove it from the clothes. There's a lot more to it that I won't go into but suffice to say it's also naive to think you'll pay for a machine through detergent and water savings. Most front loaders are substantially more expensive than top loaders. There's also HE (high efficiency) top load washers out like the Fisher & Paykel, GE Harmony and the Whirlpool Cabrio/Oasis/Bravos models. For those with ergonomic concerns these can give many of the benefits of a front loader. Smell is a concern of many. It's my belief that the vast majority is simply pilot error. Much of the smell comes from excess humidity, either in surrounding areas or not ventilating the machine properly. It can also be caused by improper dosing of detergents and fabric softeners. Using too much or too little can be problematic. You can build pedestals or shelves yourself but be careful to build it properly. Front loaders are substantially heavier machines than most top loaders. I raised my "conventional" front load dryer up because of problems bending and reaching. FYI Fisher & Paykel has a top load dryer that is very popular with most of their owners. Some with front loaders have a chair and sit down to transfer the items. That wouldn't work for me though. My dryer has the hamper door (drop down type - Whirlpool) and it's perfect for me to use the door as a folding shelf when I remove things from the dryer. Then I set the stuff on top of the dryer or on top of the washer or put it into a basket to take upstairs. No properly working washer of any type (including scrub board and washtub) should leak. That said, you do have to exercise a bit of caution on treating the gasket carefully and the gasket as mentioned before often holds some water that will allow some mold growth. Many just wipe it with a rag but leaving the door open for a while to air out works well for most. If you have the machine in a very humid area you'll have more trouble than a very dry area. Most all front loaders will let you add an item if the water level isn't above the door however sometimes there's a time delay before it unlocks and if it's doing a sanitize cycle it might not let you open it if the water is dangerously hot. People have favorite brands but often there's a Ford/Chevy debate that goes on. Some insist that you must have a heater. Some feel you need gigantic capacity. It really depends a lot on your laundry needs. It's like asking whether to buy a subcompact car or a dump truck. Each satisfied owner will suggest theirs but it might not meet your needs. You should first consider your budget. Why consider a $2000+ washer if you can't afford more than $200? Then look at the size of loads, types of clothes, cycles that have been important to you historically and that will give you a starting point. It's also important to consider who will service the machines. LG for instance has pretty iffy availability of service in a lot of areas so many think twice about it. Find out what is available for reliable service people in your area and what brands/models they service. Few these days repair them all. There is a laundry forum and there is truly a wealth of information there that can be very valuable in your research. There's service people there too and some give very very good advice and opinions that are fair to all sides. However be forewarned that many people are very protective of their appliances! You see a lot of childish bickering going on in KT but there's some heated arguments in the laundry forum when there's differing opinions. Some won't have their machines criticized! (But the same happens here in other ways too.) Just read with an open mind and you'll tell when someone is biased and misrepresenting things or giving factual info and trying to be fair. Often you can't compare things when they're so very different.

As far as fresh water rinse, the spray rinse nozzle in the LG on certain cycles sprays fresh water (water not entering through detergent tray) onto the clothes while doing an interim spin between wash, rinse, and extra rinses. You will find many of these options are similar among vendors although named differently. On the Lux, rinse water enters strictly bypassing the detergent trays. As for being a real benefit, that's quite subjective. Samsungs Power Foam, LG Turbo Wash, and Kenmores Acela Wash are all basically the same thing. The benefit of manufacturing a machine that reuses rinse water is impractical and would add cost. You basically would need a holding reservoir for the final rinse water (no softener of course), then it could be reused for maybe a pre-wash in the next cycle. Seriously not a big energy savings and quite impractical.