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SoftTalker 2 hours ago [-]
I have fixed a couple of washing machines and other appliances over the years. It's satisfying although likely not money-saving unless you don't put a value on your time. But I like working on mechanical things so it's closer to a hobby for me.
It surprises me how the US loves their top-loading washers. Here in the UK, there isn't the complex (though interesting) "transmission": the drum has fins to act as both agitator and spin-dryer. This means it's just a boring belt drive between motor and drum (or direct drive, for newer machines.)
ssl-3 52 minutes ago [-]
We have those types here in the States, too. They're very common. We even have several different domestic manufacturers of them to pick from.
(As an aside: I don't throw rocks at your house.)
aidenn0 1 hours ago [-]
Mainly it's just everybody grew up using top-loaders, though it's also easier to get clothes in and out of a top-loader than a front (unless you have a huge machine). [edit]Oh, and also the up-front cost of a top-loader was about $100 less when I last bought a machine.
I've used a front-loader now for years and the only thing I really miss from my top-loader is that I could just leave the lid open for it to dry out. The door of the front-loader is perennially in the way if you leave it wide open, so we have to prop it open to prevent mildew.
ssl-3 39 minutes ago [-]
I once had top-loader in the bathroom of an apartment that I lived in by myself.
Leaving the lid wide open was a pretty great way of living life. I'd shed my clothes to take a shower and just toss them directly into the washing machine. When it came time to start a load it was a simple matter to put some soap in and push start.
jacquesm 1 hours ago [-]
It works well but takes up more space because you can't stack washer/dryer, in Europe apartments and houses are a bit smaller so if you can save a square meter then that's good.
ssl-3 43 seconds ago [-]
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emmelaich 1 hours ago [-]
Top loaders are higher capacity and cost less. And open air drying is preferable to machine drying.
aidenn0 1 hours ago [-]
Top loaders also act as spin dryers...
olyjohn 58 minutes ago [-]
Front loaders also get moldy and stink because they have to be sealed up so tightly. If you're not there to immediately pull out the clothes after the cycle, you're screwed. And in a small laundry room there isn't always room to let the door stay open to dry out the inside.
gmac 3 minutes ago [-]
In my experience with front-loaders, all of these are non-problems.
But my understanding is that top-loaders are always inefficient: they have to use a lot more water, because the clothes have to be submerged, and thus they also have to use a lot more energy to heat it.
chiffre01 60 minutes ago [-]
It's my understanding that top loaders are less prone to breakdowns.
https://web.archive.org/web/20260117044133/https://k0lee.com...
(As an aside: I don't throw rocks at your house.)
I've used a front-loader now for years and the only thing I really miss from my top-loader is that I could just leave the lid open for it to dry out. The door of the front-loader is perennially in the way if you leave it wide open, so we have to prop it open to prevent mildew.
Leaving the lid wide open was a pretty great way of living life. I'd shed my clothes to take a shower and just toss them directly into the washing machine. When it came time to start a load it was a simple matter to put some soap in and push start.
But my understanding is that top-loaders are always inefficient: they have to use a lot more water, because the clothes have to be submerged, and thus they also have to use a lot more energy to heat it.