Toploader or frontloader?

[hansje1980]

Sorry I'm a bit confused, Thais say frontloader is not good, better use toploader washingmachine.

But I don't believe them anymore, same crap like Yamaha is the best motor, Isuzu the best car and sweeping the floor is better than a vacuum cleaner, nonsense.

Back in Europe it's all front... But why?!

So who can tell me what the differences are? Besides easy to fill with toploader and usually a cheaper price.

I'm avoiding Siemens as spare parts are difficult to get as I've read in some other old thread here. Just want to know which of the 2 loader types would wash our clothes better with the same budget of 15-20k?

Thanks a lot (of bubbles)!

PS. Preferable own experience, not from your Thai wife

[ETatBKK]

I do washing for the family, first hand experience here. I used Japanese toploader for very short time many years back, then 25 years on Philips, Fisher Price, and now Siemens frontloader.

toploader used to apply water current and fabric friction for cleaning, use a lot of water, less thorough on cleaning. in the past cool water only. it takes less weight per load. load from top not easy for older and small people.

frontloader only applies fabric friction for cleaning, more thorough. different rotation patterns were designed for cleaning different materials and different stains. warm water washing available. could take 8kg cotton washing in one load.

bad things though, frontloader more damage on cloth. I did some mistakes on temperature setting and washing programmes, my wife not happy at all. now I carefully separate the fabric type, and pouch every piece of washing.

preference - frontloader.

[Sayonarax]

Top Loader..

Everyone i know who's had a front loader has had to repair the silly thing. I've also had the front loader and it too had to be constantly repaired. Go the classic top loader..

[stoneyboy]

If you use the search function there are endless topics covering this,here's one for instance.

Personally I won't have anything other than a front loader,as I find the top loaders just swill the washing around in dirty water.

[Sayonarax]

I do washing for the family, first hand experience here. I used Japanese toploader for very short time many years back, then 25 years on Philips, Fisher Price, and now Siemens frontloader.

toploader used to apply water current and fabric friction for cleaning, use a lot of water, less thorough on cleaning. in the past cool water only. it takes less weight per load. load from top not easy for older and small people.

frontloader only applies fabric friction for cleaning, more thorough. different rotation patterns were designed for cleaning different materials and different stains. warm water washing available. could take 8kg cotton washing in one load.

bad things though, frontloader more damage on cloth. I did some mistakes on temperature setting and washing programmes, my wife not happy at all. now I carefully separate the fabric type, and pouch every piece of washing.

preference - frontloader.

One thing Thailand doesn't lack is water.. and washing temperatures is a thing of past when it actually mattered if you washed in cold or hot water. If you get poor washing results its more likely your brand of detergents and lack of washing experience.

[robblok]

Front-loader off course, much more advanced. You don't wash in dirty water, you can set temperature. There is a reason why its used more in advanced countries because its the better machine.

[robblok]

I do washing for the family, first hand experience here. I used Japanese toploader for very short time many years back, then 25 years on Philips, Fisher Price, and now Siemens frontloader.

toploader used to apply water current and fabric friction for cleaning, use a lot of water, less thorough on cleaning. in the past cool water only. it takes less weight per load. load from top not easy for older and small people.

frontloader only applies fabric friction for cleaning, more thorough. different rotation patterns were designed for cleaning different materials and different stains. warm water washing available. could take 8kg cotton washing in one load.

bad things though, frontloader more damage on cloth. I did some mistakes on temperature setting and washing programmes, my wife not happy at all. now I carefully separate the fabric type, and pouch every piece of washing.

preference - frontloader.

One thing Thailand doesn't lack is water.. and washing temperatures is a thing of past when it actually mattered if you washed in cold or hot water. If you get poor washing results its more likely your brand of detergents and lack of washing experience.

Funny guy water temperature does not matter, everyone knows it does. Detergent cannot compensate for it unless its real aggressive. Just read some research why temperature matters when cleaning. Good luck changing the laws of physics.

[Stradavarius37]

So the answer is - TV is of two minds on this topic....shocking

[topt]

Electrolux front loader in Thailand. 3 years and so far no problems (touch wood). For comparison I have to use a cheap top loader in a rented apt. in China and I hate it.

Minor stains seem to come out with the front loader but not with the top.

Remember there will always be "rogue" electrical products of any brand and one swallow does not make a summer - or something like that

[rak sa_ngop]

I do washing for the family, first hand experience here. I used Japanese toploader for very short time many years back, then 25 years on Philips, Fisher Price, and now Siemens frontloader.

toploader used to apply water current and fabric friction for cleaning, use a lot of water, less thorough on cleaning. in the past cool water only. it takes less weight per load. load from top not easy for older and small people.

frontloader only applies fabric friction for cleaning, more thorough. different rotation patterns were designed for cleaning different materials and different stains. warm water washing available. could take 8kg cotton washing in one load.

bad things though, frontloader more damage on cloth. I did some mistakes on temperature setting and washing programmes, my wife not happy at all. now I carefully separate the fabric type, and pouch every piece of washing.

preference - frontloader.

One thing Thailand doesn't lack is water.. and washing temperatures is a thing of past when it actually mattered if you washed in cold or hot water. If you get poor washing results its more likely your brand of detergents and lack of washing experience.

Funny guy water temperature does not matter, everyone knows it does. Detergent cannot compensate for it unless its real aggressive. Just read some research why temperature matters when cleaning. Good luck changing the laws of physics.

Not to mention the world-wide fact that the upsurge in bed-bug activity has been attributed to reduced washing teperatures not killing the critters!

[robblok]

I do washing for the family, first hand experience here. I used Japanese toploader for very short time many years back, then 25 years on Philips, Fisher Price, and now Siemens frontloader.

toploader used to apply water current and fabric friction for cleaning, use a lot of water, less thorough on cleaning. in the past cool water only. it takes less weight per load. load from top not easy for older and small people.

frontloader only applies fabric friction for cleaning, more thorough. different rotation patterns were designed for cleaning different materials and different stains. warm water washing available. could take 8kg cotton washing in one load.

bad things though, frontloader more damage on cloth. I did some mistakes on temperature setting and washing programmes, my wife not happy at all. now I carefully separate the fabric type, and pouch every piece of washing.

preference - frontloader.

One thing Thailand doesn't lack is water.. and washing temperatures is a thing of past when it actually mattered if you washed in cold or hot water. If you get poor washing results its more likely your brand of detergents and lack of washing experience.

Funny guy water temperature does not matter, everyone knows it does. Detergent cannot compensate for it unless its real aggressive. Just read some research why temperature matters when cleaning. Good luck changing the laws of physics.

Not to mention the world-wide fact that the upsurge in bed-bug activity has been attributed to reduced washing teperatures not killing the critters!

Just a bit of a search discovers all sorts of scientific reasons why hot water is better as cold water and why its better for the machine. I am not saying its cheaper as heating water of course costs money. So if its a money thing one of the cheap top loaders with cold water will always win.

[impulse]

I've gladly paid for my own top loaders twice to replace front loaders provided for free by my landlords.

They took forever, and never got my clothes clean.

Top loaders are also much cheaper to buy, though that did not affect my decisions.

Edit: It would be more accurate to say the front loaders never got the soap out properly.

Edited July 2, 2013 by impulse

[pattayadingo]

Have a toploader and had it over 6 years. No complaints at all.

[rookball]

frontloader, a decent one at least. you have to keep in mind you had to have a higher budget for a decent frontloader than a decent toploader. alot of people experience problems with frontloader simply due to the fact they cheap out

excluding soiled pants and etc, with proper temperature and settings, you do not even actually need detergent for a frontloader

[craigt3365]

Front-loader off course, much more advanced. You don't wash in dirty water, you can set temperature. There is a reason why its used more in advanced countries because its the better machine.

My parents bought one of the most advanced, and expensive, washers you could get back in the US. It's a front loader, low energy, low water usage. Amazing at how little water was used and how dry the clothes were when finished. Almost didn't need to dry them!

[KhunBENQ]

We have a toploader on the gorund floor and a frontloader in the first floor.

My wife washes all the "important" stuff wth the frontloader.

Modern frontloader with multiple program and temperature options is the thing for us!

[ETatBKK]

'Modern frontloader with multiple program and temperature options is the thing for us!'

my top of the line Siemens, not even a page in the manual on sorting garment into program and temperature. in the first couple of months, try and error then my wife's 'important' stuffs have to throw away.

if your washing are all cotton, linen or other natural fabric, not a big issue. yet most ladies garments are synthetic, add-on printing, then temperature setting are critical, and not good for high stretching drying neither.

now I know and I am enjoying it :-)

[hansje1980]

Thank you everyone for your kind answers which are really helpful!

Love you ThaiVisa

[kikoman]

I used top loaders since our old ringer washer gave out many decades ago, never had much of a problem with them.

When I met my wife I was buying her a top loading automatic machine and she opted for a old manual machine as most Thai's in the village use, after 3 years it needed repairs and I went and brought her a top loader, she loves it.

Hot water should not be a problem in Thailand as you can use a low tech solar water heater, by painting a 55 gallon drum black or buying a black plastic 55 gallon, fill it full of water and place it where it will get full sun all day. hook up a inlet pipe, with a float and an outlet pipe connection to the washing machine.Using a gravity fed system, which is setting the bottom of the 55 gallon drum up higher than the top of the washing machine, to gravity feed the hot water into the machine.

A very simple source of hot water!!

Cheers:

[kevvy]

front loaders you cannot open the door once the cycle has started, and to say the top loaders wash dirty water is wrong as they have many cycles , also the front loaders take forever to finish the load .The top loaders do a far better job in cleaning the clothes

[kriswillems]

We had several machines of both types and we had several brands:

- the frontloader uses less water

- the frontloader washes the cloths slower than the toploader

- the frontloader has much more settings and options.

- the clothes are much cleaner when washed in the frontloader

- the frontloader is much more expensive

- the frontloader machines need to have their shock-breakers replaced more quickly.

- spare part for the toploader are cheaper than for the frontloader

- Thai often don't know how to use a frontloader, so if you want to attach a coin box to the machine you should choose a toploader

- Toploaders often support heavy loads (up to 12kg or more) so they are better for heavy blankets.

In my experience all brands have expensive spare parts except samsung and LG. I now choose machines of samsung only for this reason (their quality is not so good, but at least they can be fixed).

If Thai people need to use the machines I buy toploaders. For own use, we use frontloaders.

Edited July 2, 2013 by kriswillems

[bangkokstick]

In Roma do like...

So in Asian it's Asian machine and top loader.

People who repeat like robots that western machines are just plain stupid.

I made lots of test and even if the theory wants front loader to clean better they actually do now.

6000 Thb front loader is enough and any Thai "repair" place will help you in case of problems that hardly happens.

Also, anybody with a minimum of brain knows that the more useless functions and the more electronic the more you will have problems. It's exactly like cars, the engine do not break anymore nowadays but electronic systems do.

Edited July 2, 2013 by bangkokstick

[ABCer]

Can't even compare. Front loader is the only way to go.

The difference is in the principle of action.

Top loaders (all) use agitator - more water, less action.

Front loaders (all) use gravity force to wash.

The best I ever had was 'Bendix'. Pity, not available in Thailand ( I couldn't find any).

Make sure the one you buy has SS drum and fittings.

Electronics control is better than el-mech ones.

Easy to find out - the control knob in electronically operated machine can be twisted either way.

Electro- mechanical control knob only goes one way. This is the first thing that breaks down.

Happy hunting.

[Scottythai]

Laundry? When it is dirty I put it in a basket and the next day its folded and hung up in my room. Why get a front or Top loader you just need a magic basket

[ignis]

Not here in Thailand but I bought a brand new CHEAP front loader, I sold my house 13 years later the washing machine had 1x repair in 13 years the clip on the door...

Here did not have a lot of say and back then front loaders were VERY expensive, so was a top loader LG, 4 repairs in 6 years, and still not working correct, will not drain the water and often keeps filling until the water comes out of the top !! when it worked was not a bad machine... still in 2 mind as to have yet another repair done..

So over 2 years ago went to buy a new washing machine, notice the front loader are not much difference in price, but had little say in the matter, so have another top loader Electrolux 9 kg T-Drive..... hate it, I really hate it... often wash will say 37 mins, yet 2 hours later will still say 13 mins !! ? what is it doing ? would not matter if the clothes came out clean, but they don't and are all tangled up.... as soon as I get my pension it will be one of the 1st things to replace to a front loader..

Also top loader have a compartment for bleach !!......... so a normal Thai washing day....... use very big bowl, fill with water add 2 caps of bleach and stir, add clothes and leave to soak overnight, next morning add 1 x cup of bleach to washing machine + washing powder + softener add wet clothes out of overnight soak bowl, close lid and switch on.

Hang out in the sun when done......... so have dull coloured clothes after a few weeks/months..

[hotandhumid]

I wouldn't have a clue since I've never used a washing machine in my life.

But it doesn't suprise me one bit that there are so many experts on here.

[YaiJung]

Toploader all the way. I've had both and as far as I can tell they both do the same job, but the toploader is much easier on my back. It kills my back to bend over, reach in and grab the wet clothes. You couldn't give me a frontloader for free.

[robblok]

Toploader all the way. I've had both and as far as I can tell they both do the same job, but the toploader is much easier on my back. It kills my back to bend over, reach in and grab the wet clothes. You couldn't give me a frontloader for free.

I can only imagine what kind of shape you are in if this is an issue. No offence meant.

[Scully]

Laundry? When it is dirty I put it in a basket and the next day its folded and hung up in my room. Why get a front or Top loader you just need a magic basket

People have told me those magic baskets often cost a fortune to maintain

Toploader for me as the water pressure goes up and down like a bar girls ?, better not finish that sentence.

What's your water pressure like OP.

[Upnotover]

Got both here, toploader makes the clothes wet, frontloader cleans them.