http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/washing...uying-guide.htm
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Traditional top-loading washers
These machines fill their tubs with water and an agitator circulates the laundry much the way it did on earlier models.
Pros:
They're the least expensive overall. Loading these washers or adding items in mid-cycle is easier than in machines without an agitator.
Cons:
These perform the least impressively as a group and because they use more water and extract less than high-efficiency top-loaders and front-loaders, dryer times are longer, increasing energy use. Traditional top-loaders hold about 12 to 16 pounds of laundry. Most are relatively noisy and their loads can become unbalanced.
High-efficiency top-loading washers
These use a variety of methods to lift and tumble the laundry. They fill only partly, so they use less water, and spin at higher speeds. They work best with low-foaming, high-efficiency detergent.
Pros:
Most high-efficiency top-loaders hold more laundry (17 to 28 pounds) than regular top-loaders and typically wash better. The higher spin speed reduces dryer time and energy consumption by extracting more water.
Cons:
The high-speed spin can tangle and wrinkle clothing, and while prices have dropped these still cost more than traditional top-loaders and can cost as much as front-loaders. Manufacturers have increased capacities so that you can wash more laundry less often. One way to increase capacity is to make the tub deeper, and some washers are also taller now, making it difficult for shorter people to retrieve laundry at the bottom of the tub. When shopping reach into the washer. If you need tongs to grab a sock, consider another model.
Washing waterproof or water-resistant items in some HE top-loaders may cause the load to become unbalanced, and that can cause excessive shaking and possible damage. Before choosing a model check the manual. A low-spin or no-spin mode may be recommended; Samsung added a Waterproof cycle to its HE top-loaders and we found it prevented the washer from becoming unbalanced when we washed several waterproof jackets.
Front-loading washers
These also fill only partly with water. They clean clothes by lifting them to the top of the tub and dropping them back into the water and work best with low-foaming, high-efficiency detergent. Front-loaders lock at the beginning of a cycle but can usually be opened by interrupting the cycle.
Pros:
The best front-loaders typically clean better and more efficiently than the best high-efficiency top-loaders. Most can handle roughly 17 to 28-pound loads and spin even faster than high-efficiency top-loaders. Typically that means more water is extracted, reducing drying time and energy consumption. As a group front-loaders tend to be very quiet. Many can be stacked with a dryer to save floor space.
Cons:
Front-loaders tend to cost more than high-efficiency top-loaders. A front-loader's high spin speeds might vibrate too much for the machine to be placed near living areas. While most manufacturers have reduced the vibrations, keep in mind that concrete floors can absorb vibrations well, unlike wood-framed floors.
These machines fill their tubs with water and an agitator circulates the laundry much the way it did on earlier models.
Pros:
They're the least expensive overall. Loading these washers or adding items in mid-cycle is easier than in machines without an agitator.
Cons:
These perform the least impressively as a group and because they use more water and extract less than high-efficiency top-loaders and front-loaders, dryer times are longer, increasing energy use. Traditional top-loaders hold about 12 to 16 pounds of laundry. Most are relatively noisy and their loads can become unbalanced.
High-efficiency top-loading washers
These use a variety of methods to lift and tumble the laundry. They fill only partly, so they use less water, and spin at higher speeds. They work best with low-foaming, high-efficiency detergent.
Pros:
Most high-efficiency top-loaders hold more laundry (17 to 28 pounds) than regular top-loaders and typically wash better. The higher spin speed reduces dryer time and energy consumption by extracting more water.
Cons:
The high-speed spin can tangle and wrinkle clothing, and while prices have dropped these still cost more than traditional top-loaders and can cost as much as front-loaders. Manufacturers have increased capacities so that you can wash more laundry less often. One way to increase capacity is to make the tub deeper, and some washers are also taller now, making it difficult for shorter people to retrieve laundry at the bottom of the tub. When shopping reach into the washer. If you need tongs to grab a sock, consider another model.
Washing waterproof or water-resistant items in some HE top-loaders may cause the load to become unbalanced, and that can cause excessive shaking and possible damage. Before choosing a model check the manual. A low-spin or no-spin mode may be recommended; Samsung added a Waterproof cycle to its HE top-loaders and we found it prevented the washer from becoming unbalanced when we washed several waterproof jackets.
Front-loading washers
These also fill only partly with water. They clean clothes by lifting them to the top of the tub and dropping them back into the water and work best with low-foaming, high-efficiency detergent. Front-loaders lock at the beginning of a cycle but can usually be opened by interrupting the cycle.
Pros:
The best front-loaders typically clean better and more efficiently than the best high-efficiency top-loaders. Most can handle roughly 17 to 28-pound loads and spin even faster than high-efficiency top-loaders. Typically that means more water is extracted, reducing drying time and energy consumption. As a group front-loaders tend to be very quiet. Many can be stacked with a dryer to save floor space.
Cons:
Front-loaders tend to cost more than high-efficiency top-loaders. A front-loader's high spin speeds might vibrate too much for the machine to be placed near living areas. While most manufacturers have reduced the vibrations, keep in mind that concrete floors can absorb vibrations well, unlike wood-framed floors.
Oct 18 2014, 03:36 PM
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