We just got a new Frigidaire washer and I love it. - Rochelle

Love my Samsung. - Georgia

i have frigidaire front loader ones. did my nerdy consumer reports homework and those were the recommended ones and after over a year, they really do rock. i'm on the road so don't have the models, but they are high capacity and energy star. - jambina

We've been pretty happy with our Kenmore front-loader (high-capacity, energy star, and it's a few years old so model probably irrelevant). - Walt Crawford

how much of an issue is mold/funk with the front loaders? Do they really make that much of a difference in energy bills/clothes cleanliness? - Sarah G.

We just got our first front loader. We got very good advice to leave the door open all the time, and to keep the seal wiped dry, and it hasn't been a problem. Also, the cats quite enjoy it. Not sure about energy savings or cleanliness. But it does wring the heck out of 'em, so they don't need to dry as long. - Chelle Chelle Ro Ro

What Rochelle says. Wipe the door dry after each load; leave it ajar. I don't think there's much question that front-loaders (a) save water and energy, (b) are gentler on clothes, (c) get clothes cleaner and (d) reduce energy by reducing drying time. That's certainly been our experience. Another tip: Drain out the detergent/softener tray after each use, another way to discourage mold. (We've never had a mold problem.) - Walt Crawford

The guy who installed our front loader said to keep the door open and wipe the seal dry if you are going to not run another load for >24 hours. Since I run about 3 loads a day, that's never been a problem. - Rochelle

Or move to Colorado. - Steele Lawman

The Maytag repairman is no longer lonely. Hated my Maytag front-load. Also, we live in Colorado and we had gunk/mold. No one said, until it was too late, to leave the door ajar. Replaced with Bosch. Expensive, but can't beat German technology. - Mama Lawson

Heh. I guess we just left the door ajar because we aren't the type to close the door. :) - Steele Lawman

I guess I can't decide if it's worth the extra expense. Are the clothes A LOT cleaner? I never considered clothes washing to be something that has differences due to the machine. I'm just going to be thrilled that I can wash one shirt at 10pm on a Tuesday if I want. - Sarah G.

Only you can say whether the expense is worth it to you. I know our clothes are lasting longer and coming out cleaner. For us, it was absolutely worth the expense. - Walt Crawford

To me, it's worth the extra expense just because the front loader wrings the clothes out so well that it shortens the dryer cycle time significantly. Like, in half. - Rochelle

Sarah, as far as the cleanliness goes, I really can't tell. I like the front-load for the fact that it uses less water. - Mama Lawson

Also, hi mom. I'm still not on fire. - Steele Lawman

We bought an LG efficient top loader and it's great. - Eric - seven eleven

If you get a front loader, your other decision is whether or not you want to pop extra for the pedestals. We didn't. But I'm the shorty in the family so it's no biggie for me. - Chelle Chelle Ro Ro

We didn't either, and neither my 5'11" wife nor me (at 5'10" on a good day) find it troublesome. - Walt Crawford

I used to have front loader envy, since I cannot get them into my house (missed it by a half inch). However, I do really like my GE high efficiency top loader, esp since 1) don't have to worry about front loader funk 2) if I do find that one sock 2 minutes after the cycle starts, I can open the door and throw it in. - sglassme

(Smiley still feels like if he were given half a chance, he could get those washer/dryers into your basement.) - Sarah G.

sglassme: Oddly enough, our Kenmore front-loader has a button that will, for the first 5-6 minutes, let you pause it and add laundry. You do, admittedly, have to press a button, not just open the door. - Walt Crawford

(Well Smiley was nearly trapped in the basement forever when we got the chest freezer. I think he has repressed that memory) - sglassme

Hi Steve, glad you're still not on fire. You're welcome to come here to cool off. Not the "damn dog" though. Oh, and that big storm we had a couple of weeks ago? New roof, some new cedar siding and painting the whole exterior. Thanks USAA. Sorry Sarah for hijacking. - Mama Lawson

Oh, that's okay! My sister and I are sort of hijacking it ourselves. This can just be the thread where FF family members communicate. :) - Sarah G.