washing machines

[charlie*]

At last we can start to think about the nice trivial things !

Moving to Brittany at the month, need to get a new washing machine- has anyone had tried the top-loading machines rather than the front loading ones which are common in the UK?

Any comments - good or bad will be most welcome.

[Dick Smith]

Most machines seem to be top loaders. Ours seems to work fine, and takes up a lot less space than a front loader. Mind your fingers on the drum door, though.

[Teamedup]

After 22 years with top loaders, I have just gone back to a front loader.

I would stay away from those where one puts the powder etc in the outer lid. I had terrible problems as the water stagnated in the joint between the lid and the rest of the washer, it stank. Some have another inner lid or distribution thing at the side of the drum.

[Val_2]

What about the wash load with those top loaders? Ones I looked at recently only seemed to have space for two pair of jeans at once,yet I get four or more inthe front loader. My machine is just over four years old and has already had two new motors fitted and a whole new control panel,thank god I took out the five year gurantee for an extra 500F. Will never buy that make again either.

[WJT]

Would be interested to know what make it is, we are also needing to buy a washer and dryer when we arrive the end of Feb.

[Teamedup]

My most useless one was an Arthur Martin top loader, lasted two years and about a day. The guarantee was for 2 years.

The last Philips (top loader and quite expensive) was a poor buy from the start. The repair man just about lived here at one time. In fact that and every last thing made by this company in our house conked out within a year of the guarantee running out. I am now giving them a wide berth.

I've been buying from MDA recently and they usually have a good line in Siemens and Bosche and AEG, so I'm giving their stuff a try now.

[Mistral]

I had a top loader before and now I've got a front loader. You get the feeling you can't get as much washing in a top loader but when I really looked at it, it was about the same amount. The top loader lasted 10 years, the front loader is on its third.

The big advantage of a top loader is that if it breaks down mid cycle you can empty it without flooding the kitchen.

[Val_2]

Last time I mentioned the make on here, it got deleted but it is also an Arthur Martin Electrolux - never again and it wasn't particularly cheap either.

[Tourangelle]

I have a top loader, and the top of which has fallen on my head several times when I have been reaching for something at the bottom.  Very painful

Jane

[Teamedup]

I agree Val. Forum Admin should understand that real after sales service in France is sadly lacking and that it is extremely helpful to give out such information.

And Arthur Martin, or better still an independant engineer can come round and examine the pile of merde that we bought, that was supposed to be an expensive washing machine. We still have it, for all the world to see, stinking joint and all. Looks brand new still, pity it wouldn't work longer than two years and a day and stinks to high heaven when liquid goes anywhere near that joint.

[Russethouse]

I understood that top loaders should wear better because there is not so much wear on a key part, because of the design. For a long time spin speeds were better on top loaders too, although I think there is little difference now.

Personally I am buying Bosch appliances now, seem to get good reports.

When I replaced my last washer I looked at Kelkoo (you could try Kelkoo.fr) and when I had settled on a possibility I googled the make and number along with the word 'review'

If you have a small local supplier (in France) it may be worth using them as you are well placed to get after sales care.

[Teamedup]

I have always found that spin speeds are better on front loaders than top loaders.

[Russethouse]

My mother has a Hotpoint top-loader which is said to spin at 1500rpm (its old too) where as front loaders with that sort of speed seem to be fairly recent and upper end of the market.

Of course thats only my experience, yours is obviously different.

As I never hang washing out, (lazy cat ) spin is important !! (but I only have room for a front loader)

[Teamedup]

I've never seen top loaders like Hotpoint in France. Here they are a drum that clicks together. I remember that Hotpoint used to be fast, but as I say, the french ones are not normally the same.

[vrooje<BR>Cheers,<br>-Brooke<BR><br><B><A TARGET=blank HREF="http:www.experienceburgundy.com">http:www.experienceburgundy.com<A><B>]

Charlie,

I prefer front loaders, myself -- they usually can handle higher capacity loads than top loaders because there's no need for a drum, and they're also better on water consumption.

I learned more than I ever wanted to know about this when I was looking for input on what type of machine to buy for our apartment. I found a laundry forum, where people really just talk about their laundry preferences all day. I think it was a subset of a gardening website (not sure why), but if you were to google "laundry forum" I'd be willing to bet you could find it.

[Teamedup]

So where can you get a top loader in France without a drum. I really have never seen one.

[kiwitk<P>Kiwi in Cognac<P><P>[email protected]<P>]

Hiya,

In NZ the top loading washers are the norm, so spent most of my life using them and find that the ones we've had pretty much last forever!  In fact my mum had hers for 20 odd years before deciding to buy a new one!  At home you can buy them in different drum sizes depending on whether you need small or large load capacities, you can fit heaps in if you want to!  In my experience between the washers back home and the front loading one we have here in England I could get much more in my top loader at home!

Happy appliance shopping!

Tris