QUOTE(halcyon27 @ Oct 7 2014, 09:58 AM)
You won't regret a Hitachi Big Drum front loader. Clothes washing wise, it fills the tub with water first to rinse then the it fills water into the soap dispenser. The wash comes out softer and dryer (lesser residual moisture). The added bonus is tub clean program.
The spin even at 67dB is not even a muffled air plane whine. It's more like low pitch 'mmmm' kind of sound that's not noticeable unless you're within 6ft in front. One of my favourite use is when coming back from overseas and then doing 3 loads in 45 mins using 15min quick wash and then drying everything up. All done within 1 hour.
If you use hot wash 60-90deg yes it will consume more energy for water heating. Most of my washes are at 40 degrees. But if cold wash then it avoids that but at the cost of a longer wash cycle. The inverter motor is quite up to task.
Softer are because of detergent and softener used
Nothing to do much with WM.
If want to compare, use the fastest spin speed to wash. When I using the Samsung FL and spin at 400rpm, it do softer but not dry. If spin at 1000rpm, it is dryer but not soft.
Detergent not properly removed during wash also resulting to softer laundry.
Now the Samsung FL spin at max speed are at 85dB, standing 10ft away, 1ft away reaching 90-95dB depending on load. Not to mention it dance every now and then when the load is >50%.
Someone here mentioned that it is more gentle as gravity force pull the laundry down, but this is wrong thinking. It drop at the wrong time causing the whole WM to dance.