Washing Machine - Super exciting...

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#1921136 18-Dec-2017 10:37

Dingbatt: If you have a sprung wooden floor just be aware that front loaders can shake the crap out of your house. Concrete slab, no problem.

We don’t have a sprung floor, but I can validate the shake factor esp. with towels in the machine. We have timber floors and on anything >800rpm you can really feel it.

Then again, 800rpm is pretty decent at rinse, and our f&p’s have been real troopers.

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davidcole

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#1921137 18-Dec-2017 10:39

antoniosk:
Dingbatt: If you have a sprung wooden floor just be aware that front loaders can shake the crap out of your house. Concrete slab, no problem.

We don’t have a sprung floor, but I can validate the shake factor esp. with towels in the machine. We have timber floors and on anything >800rpm you can really feel it.

Then again, 800rpm is pretty decent at rinse, and our f&p’s have been real troopers.

A fewer of the higher end front loaders hit 1600rpm. And have 100kg of lead in them.

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trig42

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#1921144 18-Dec-2017 10:53

Ours does 1400rpm, and can wobble the house a bit. No lead in it though (or, certainly not 100kg of it). The old F&P (pre-Gentle Annie) top loaders had a block of concrete in the bottom of them. Still didn't stop ours walking its way across the laundry a couple of times.

dt

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#1921170 18-Dec-2017 11:01

davidcole:

A fewer of the higher end front loaders hit 1600rpm. And have 100kg of lead in them.

Our Bosche can do up to 1600 RPM, has two concrete blocks in the body to keep it stable.

1600 RPM is pretty harsh on the clothes though so we very rarely go that high.

davidcole

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#1921171 18-Dec-2017 11:03

dt:

davidcole:

A fewer of the higher end front loaders hit 1600rpm. And have 100kg of lead in them.

Our Bosche can do up to 1600 RPM, has two concrete blocks in the body to keep it stable.

1600 RPM is pretty harsh on the clothes though so we very rarely go that high.

Yeah as ours is cycling up it's fairly noisy at lower rpms till it get up there then it stabilises. Could be by that time the load has distributed round the drum better.

jonathan18

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#1921264 18-Dec-2017 13:34

I got some useful advice here on re front loading options here a few months back:

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=141&topicid=223436

Overall really happy with the machine we chose (the Bosch model close to the top of the Consumer test), and wish we’d made the move sooner. Biggest issue is the harder towels which we’ve not been able to solve completely, and the length of normal cycles takes some getting used to (though most of the time the 1hr cycle performs fine - certainly better than anything our old top loader could do!).

Was turned off the Samsungs with the history of some catching fire, and read some stuff about poor support from LG given they’re based in Aus. The Bosch we got is only sold by HN, but it seemed a reasonable price for a decent machine.

tdgeek

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#1921303 18-Dec-2017 14:11

Senecio:

Or just do it for the better quality wash and how much gentler front loaders are on your clothes.

But you wont get the handy, tie everything together in a bundle feature that top loaders have......

MikeAqua

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#1921318 18-Dec-2017 14:25

Front loaders can be hard on the back. I have to get down on my knees to unload the things. If I ever owned one it would be going on top of a bench (a solid concrete one by the sounds of it) for ergonomic reasons.

For now the original model F&P Smart-drive is still chugging along having catered to household of 2 - 6 for (guessing) >15 years.

Also if European in origin top-loaders often many options and arcane function labels. I've never owned one but consistently been frustrated by the things when staying in rented accommodation where no manual has been provided. If it's a combo washer-dryer, the control dial can be bit like the rosetta stone.

But yes they use less water if that's an issue where you live.

Mike

WyleECoyoteNZ

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#1921411 18-Dec-2017 16:51

jonathan18: I got some useful advice here on re front loading options here a few months back:

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=141&topicid=223436

Overall really happy with the machine we chose (the Bosch model close to the top of the Consumer test), and wish we’d made the move sooner. Biggest issue is the harder towels which we’ve not been able to solve completely, and the length of normal cycles takes some getting used to (though most of the time the 1hr cycle performs fine - certainly better than anything our old top loader could do!).

Was turned off the Samsungs with the history of some catching fire, and read some stuff about poor support from LG given they’re based in Aus. The Bosch we got is only sold by HN, but it seemed a reasonable price for a decent machine.

Thanks for that. Our TL F&P is stilling working, but throwing its toys every now and then, but becoming a bit more frequent.

It's getting to a point of when it's going to give up, not if.

jonathan18

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#1921594 19-Dec-2017 08:07

WyleECoyoteNZ:
Thanks for that. Our TL F&P is stilling working, but throwing its toys every now and then, but becoming a bit more frequent.

It's getting to a point of when it's going to give up, not if.

We were in a similar position, in that our then machine (also top loading F&P) was generally still working ok. We decided to buy before it died, on the assumption we’d get more for a working machine than a dead one, and also have the time to find a replacement at a good price rather than having to buy in a hurry. We got $150 for the old machine, so certainly better than nothing...

timmmay

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#1921596 19-Dec-2017 08:13

Our 10 year old F&P top loader is ok, but no longer has a "low water" setting. If we sit it low it does medium, set it to medium it does high, set it to high it verges on overflowing. I wonder if I damaged something when I waterblasted the inside to clean it...

Anyway, reason for posting on this thread is we have that, plus hung on the wall above a tub we have a clothes drier. I never feel that comfortable using the tub as the clothes drier could fall on you, and it'd probably kill you or do a lot of damage.

Can you stack a front loader washer on top of a front loader drier, or vice versa? I might have to re-plumb to do it, but it could be worth it.

davidcole

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#1921597 19-Dec-2017 08:15

timmmay:

Our 10 year old F&P top loader is ok, but no longer has a "low water" setting. If we sit it low it does medium, set it to medium it does high, set it to high it verges on overflowing. I wonder if I damaged something when I waterblasted the inside to clean it...

Anyway, reason for posting on this thread is we have that, plus hung on the wall above a tub we have a clothes drier. I never feel that comfortable using the tub as the clothes drier could fall on you, and it'd probably kill you or do a lot of damage.

Can you stack a front loader washer on top of a front loader drier, or vice versa? I might have to re-plumb to do it, but it could be worth it.

Our new washer and drier was a floor model that included the stacker kit. Designed to be put dryer on top of washer. So depending on models yes you definitely can.

Jase2985

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#1921598 19-Dec-2017 08:17

if its hung on the wall correctly its not going to fall on you.

timmmay

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#1921600 19-Dec-2017 08:24

Jase2985:

if its hung on the wall correctly its not going to fall on you.

It's been there for 10 years so it's unlikely. Is it done correctly? Probably...

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#1921642 19-Dec-2017 09:29

Our 10 year old mid range German made Bosch front loader has traveled across continents, been assaulted by drunk relatives, cramped in clothes and drowned to the neck by lazy man of the house and had never missed a beat.

The only thing to get used to is it takes forever, i manually add water because i don't trust how it tries to dry clean my soiled clothes, and once you press start you can't put anything else in.

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