Clothes Washer & Dryer Recommendations

I know you said you like the top loaders. I did too and thought the high efficency washers were a gimmick. But, when I did my research, I found out that the high efficiency washers were a great value.

They do cost more, however in the long run they pay off. High Efficiency washers use less than half the water that top loaders use. I was told a full load uses ~13 gallons versus a top loader that uses ~50 gallons. That means, lower water costs per load.

If you wash in warm or hot water, that also means a reduction in electricity useage. In addition, because they spin so fast the laundery cycles can be shorter becuase they clean the clothes better. Lastly, the spinning also means that the clothes are dryer at the end of the cycle, so you spend less time drying a full load (another energy savings). What used to take me a minimum of drying for an hour, now takes me 35 minutes.

All dryers are built the same. They're all 220v, and you can buy any one you like. No need to spend extra money on one that matches the HE washer (but a matching set is pretty), which they charge extra for.

Kenmore has some great brands. I shopped around and got my best deal somewhere else, however. Kenmore sales reps make commission, many other stores' employees do not.

I hope you find something you love and works out for your family!

Edited for spelling.

Just FYI...I have a new Bosch front loading high efficency washer and you CAN open it while it is running. You just press the pause button and open. It uses almost NO water, so nothing is leaking when you open it. I will never own and stadard washer and dryer again. It was not my idea to get this one, I would have been satisfied with a plain ol' inexpensive set, but my husband went and picked this out and I am SPOILED! Clothes come out SO clean!

Now, for another recommendation. We are military and the Air Force uses Whirlpool. I only tell you that because they are supposed to do tons of research before they contract with a company as far as value, dependability, durablity and efficiency.

Hope this info helps!

I have a kenmore front loader and I love it. It is easier on your clothes as well. My reccomendations if you want to stick with the top loader is Kenmore has a make that is a top loader without the agitator in it. It is supposed to be awesome! Kenmore's are really good as well. My mom had a kenmore for many many years before it died (longer than I have been alive). good luck on your quest! Also -- the warranties are awesome and they cover a lot of expenses. It would be worth it!

My husband and I bought a washer and dryer last year in September when we moved into our new home. We bought a top load Kenmore Elite Oasis HE washer, no agitator, and a Kenmore Elite Oasis Dryer. They were a bit pricey even on sale, around $800 or $900 a piece... but they work so great. I love all the features, how well it washes, and it's fairly quiet. It's a good investment, and we'll definitely keep these for a long time. There are some other good washers and dryers out there though that are more affordable, you just have to check out some of the stores and see what you like.

I have a Whirlpool Cabrio set and love them. The washer is high efficiency. You can press the "pause" button and add laundry any time. Their commercial claims that you can wash three baskets of laundry at one time and it's TRUE! The dryer dries in about 35 minutes. It's a little costly, but well worth it in my book. The washer uses so little water it's amazing. Here's their website if you want more info - http://www.whirlpool.com/content.jsp?sectionId=758. Good luck!

Kenmore either way would be my choice hands down.

Hi SLM,

I had a Kenmore set and I hated it. We had them growing up. My parents swore by them, too, but they're not as good as they used to be. Go to Lowe's and Home Depot and talk to a couple of different people that work there. They have a pretty good feel for what's out there.

Good luck!

Edited to add: If I'm going to say I hated it, I guess I should say why!

The washer tub chipped after 2 years and then left rust stains on my clothes. When I called because it only happened in a small half-circle in 6 places and never fot any worse, they told me it was too late. The truth of the matter is that there was a recall and any washers that did what mine did were eligible for replacement even after the initial warranty, but they didn't tell me that. I found out after the transmission went when it was 7 years old. The salesman told me that the life expectancy of a washer was about 6 years and I should be glad that my top of the line, super capacity, super quiet washer lasted longer than that.

As for the dryer, there was a problem with the interior light. After 4 service calls and a total assembly replacement, there was still a problem with the light. When I called again, they told me it was out of the initial warranty period, even though it was an ongoing problem. I'm still using the dryer (almost 8 years now) with no light.

We've got a Kenmore set. The Heavy Duty, Super Capacity, Quiet pak. We've had our set for about 10 years now and havent had any problems with it. I have to say though that I would love one of those toploading washers that does not have the agitator in the middle. When we lived in Korea we had a washer that used air/water force to swirl and swish the clothes around. Our clothes got so clean!!! And it was much gentler on the fabrics than an agitator. I've seen that some of the stores here carry them now, so if I get the opportunity, Im going to get one of those next time.