GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I'm looking at getting a new washing machine. I currently dont have one.I'm think I'm most interested in a Top-Load High Efficiency model. I just dont know much about what to look for. Any tips or suggestions from those who may have done this already or experts in the area.Thanks!My research so far seems to get just as many bad reviews as good for any particular unit.

The high-efficiency machines are almost always front loading. THhy spin faster, use less water, and less overall energy.

Quote, originally posted by RIT »The high-efficiency machines are almost always front loading. THhy spin faster, use less water, and less overall energy.and when they break they cost a lot to fix and they do break.

I wonder if there are any tax breaks (state or federal) as incentives to buy the high efficiency ones. Worth checking into, and weighing that against the potential repairs and whatnot. Figure in the savings for efficient water usage as well. You never know, you may be just as well finding an older model on sale or even a used one (financially and reliability speaking).

There are a few top load HE units...Our Local Utilities offer some rebates on Energy saving appliances

Quote, originally posted by RIT »The high-efficiency machines are almost always front loading. THhy spin faster, use less water, and less overall energy.They are also better on your clothes because there's no agitator. I had one in my condo and loved it.

Just remember to leave the door open for a day after washing to dry out the drum out otherwise mold can grow between the drum and the washer, which can leave bad odors in your clothes.The HE washers seal much more tightly than the traditional top loaders which can trap moisture which eventually leads to mold.

Quote, originally posted by Herb »Just remember to leave the door open for a day after washing to dry out the drum out otherwise mold can grow between the drum and the washer, which can leave bad odors in your clothes.The HE washers seal much more tightly than the traditional top loaders which can trap moisture which eventually leads to mold.Thats the biggest complaint I have found among the front loaders.

http://www.energystar.gov/inde...ancesI sent in my rebate application for my dishwasher. $50 I used that energy star site, and checked the customer reviews at amazon, best buy, etc. to make my choice

Quote, originally posted by zionzr2 »Thats the biggest complaint I have found among the front loaders. I've seen similar reports to HE top loaders as well. The main thing is to remember to follow the instructions in the manual, which most people don't. HE washers also require HE specific soap as well

Quote, originally posted by bodhi_tree777 »I wonder if there are any tax breaks (state or federal) as incentives to buy the high efficiency ones. Worth checking into, and weighing that against the potential repairs and whatnot. Figure in the savings for efficient water usage as well. You never know, you may be just as well finding an older model on sale or even a used one (financially and reliability speaking). Apparently there is a rebate in Canada for this year only. Sadly I bought my set last year so I don't qualify

Quote, originally posted by Sputnik »They are also better on your clothes because there's no agitator. I had one in my condo and loved it. The other bonus of no agitator is that you can fit more into the washer itself.

Quote, originally posted by Herb »Apparently there is a rebate in Canada for this year only. Sadly I bought my set last year so I don't qualifyAre you talking about the home renovation tax rebate? The washer wouldn't have qualified for it.

Quote, originally posted by Sputnik »Are you talking about the home renovation tax rebate? The washer wouldn't have qualified for it. No, I'm not referring to that. I heard about it on the radio, something to do with more energy efficient washer/dryers. My friend who bought a new set told me he qualified for it so I'm pretty sure it's out there.

Quote, originally posted by Herb »No, I'm not referring to that. I heard about it on the radio, something to do with more energy efficient washer/dryers. My friend who bought a new set told me he qualified for it so I'm pretty sure it's out there.Interesting. maybe an eco/energy rebate then.

I looked at Consumer Reports and just picked one of their highest rated models. It was a Kenmore H4. I found one at the local Sears appliance outlet (a "scratch-n-dent" place where Sears liquidates display models and restocks) This was several years ago, I'm not sure if it's still available but there's probably an equivalent. I must say it's awesome. It uses very little water and much less soap and has a lot of cycle options. One of the first things I noticed was how much less lint there was in the dryer. That means it wasn't beating up the clothes as much. It's also temperature controlled, so you get consistent "hot" or "warm" water. Another plus is that you can wash all sorts of hand washables in it with less risk of damage. I have a couple of washable silk shirts that come out fine, as do knits and sweaters. I will say that it's slower than top loader. A typical load takes about 40 min (as opposed to 25 for top load) For dirty clothes you may need an hour or longer cycle. Althogh if your clothes aren't that dirty and just need freshening-up there's a 30 min. "express cyle"It also fits in the Vibe with an appliance dolley next to it. You should have seen the looks on the guys faces when i backed the vibe up to the loading dock. They didn't think it would fit.

I would check your utility company's website to see if the rebate info is on there. That's where mine was.

Quote, originally posted by ned23 »I looked at Consumer Reports and just picked one of their highest rated models. It was a Kenmore H4. I found one at the local Sears appliance outlet (a "scratch-n-dent" place where Sears liquidates display models and restocks) This was several years ago, I'm not sure if it's still available but there's probably an equivalent. I must say it's awesome. It uses very little water and much less soap and has a lot of cycle options. One of the first things I noticed was how much less lint there was in the dryer. That means it wasn't beating up the clothes as much. It's also temperature controlled, so you get consistent "hot" or "warm" water. It also fits in the Vibe with an appliance dolley next to it. You should have seen the looks on the guys faces when i backed the vibe up to the loading dock. They didn't think it would fit. I would love to see you smugly loading that Kenmore in the Vibe. I also bought a Kenmore front loading washer several years ago after reading consumer reports and have found it very reliable and gets clothes cleaner in a more gentle tumbling way. We also save money on the water bill. Mine has a timer too so I can load it, put the soap in the dispenser and run it in off peak hours to save even more money. Tip: Some older people might want to put it on a stand so it's easier to get the laundry loaded. I sit on a low stool when I load and unload it. It really holds big loads and queensize blankets too.

We got a stacked Frigidaire setup last year fro our townhouse. I think reliability will be a crapshoot, and that seems to be true across all brands now. Learn how to clean out the pump/drain trap and that should prevent the most likely service call. I throw bleach in with no clothes every month or two and keep the door popped open.Was a PITA getting it inside, it came as a 7' tall, nearly 400lb monster to try to wrestle in. Finally got it out of the box and in the house, then realized with it teetering on the top basement stair that I would very soon be dead. Between the wife and I, we separated the units and got them down. I put it all back together and we've been happy since.Best part is the window on the front of the washer. We don't have cable, so I can watch the Laundry Network instead. It's a HE/Energy Star setup with gas dryer.

Quote, originally posted by psiu »Best part is the window on the front of the washer. We don't have cable, so I can watch the Laundry Network instead. This isn't as bizarre as you might think. I had a friend from out of town staying over for a weekend, and he was telling me they wanted a new washer/dryer set and wanted to check mine out.We spent part of the evening sitting in front of the washer having a beer and occasionally shining a flashlight into the washer.His wife was happy watching the TV upstairs

Another Kenmore fan here. We have a stackable, full sized front loading washer/dryer set with no trouble after 6 years. As far as fixing them goes, most models out there now are impossible for the DIY-ers. they weld on the back panel of the dryers so you can't easily get to the heating element. And, it's insane to rebalance a washer after pulling out the drum. Like most things, they now have built-in obscolencence.