Which Washer-Dryer: Front-Load or Top-Load?

Your first decision in searching for laundry appliances is which washer/dryer: front load or top load? There are a variety of factors to consider when making this decision.

Reliability and Service

Traditionally, the top load models were most reliable. They had been around for the longest period of time, and the engineering was tried and tested.

Therefore there are fewer mechanical problems with top loading washer models.

Additionally, more service people are acquainted with the ins and outs of top loading washing machines, and it may require more time to repair the more complex front loader.

As time goes on, however, repair people are becoming more familiar with the popular front load models.

Clothing Damage

One thing washer-dryer front load combinations do well is protect your clothing. Top loading models of washing machines use a center agitator to move clothing around and extract the dirt from the clothing.

Front loading models rely on centrifugal force in the high speed spin cycle to extract the dirt and dirty water from the clothing. There is no agitator, and therefore less wear and tear on the clothing.

Clothing washed in a front load washer will likely last longer and look better.

Energy Conservation

Top load washing machines fill up entirely with water. This means they use about 8,000 more gallons of water per year than a front loading washing machine.

A washer dryer front load also has an advantage when it comes to saving energy in the drying cycle. A front load washer spins at about 1,000 revolutions per minute (rpm). Some made in Europe spin even faster.

At this speed, many fabrics are nearly dry when they are removed from the washer. Particularly if you separate clothing by weight when you dry, your drying cycles will be much shorter, and you’ll extend the life of your dryer.

Initial Cost

The initial cost of the washer-dryer front load is about $300 higher than its equivalently sized top load counterpart.

A person deciding between the two types of laundry machines will need to balance the initial cost of the machine against the potential energy cost savings over time and determine whether or not the equation balances toward the front loading or the top loading model.

Load Size

Because the washer-dryer front load machines do not have agitators in the washers, they can hold more clothing.

Therefore, an equivalent top load model has a smaller load size than a front load model.  

Additionally, the front load models cannot be overloaded; they can handle as much clothing as can be put into the drum. There is also no way for clothing to get between the drum and the washer wall, which is a common problem with top load machines, especially when children operate them.

Detergent

Washer dryer front load machines do recommend that the consumer use a special high efficiency laundry detergent that creates fewer suds than standard detergent.

Although the cost of this detergent is going down, it is still slightly higher than standard detergent. It may also be hard to find.