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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 mac

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.

jacquesm 5d 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 5d ago
  Stacked combo units with a top-load washer on the bottom definitely exist[1]. Whirlpool makes them by combining washer assemblies from Clyde, Ohio and dryer assemblers from Marion, Ohio. (It's not necessarily the most convenient way to do things, but it is also not a fiction.) [1]: https://www.whirlpool.com/laundry/laundry-sets/stacked-laundry-centers.html https://www.whirlpool.com/laundry/laundry-sets/stacked-laund... [scroll down]
  - notpushkin 5d ago
    An apartment I’ve rented in Vietnam had a top-loader with a drying program. I think it put a stream of (cold) air through the clothes while spinning somehow, and IIRC the clothes were not completely dry at the end, but definitely closer than just after a spin. (I think if they’ve added a dehumidifier to the process it would work just as well as a standalone dryer!)
    - Animats 5d ago
      Makes sense in Vietnam's climate.
ssl-3 5d 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.
wing-_-nuts 5d ago
I dunno why anyone would want a front loader. If the seal fails, you have water on your floor. If the machine fails during the wash cycle, again, no way to easily get your clothes out without getting water on the floor. If a top loader fails, neither of these things can happen.
- ProfessorLayton 5d ago
  Got a new LG washer, but some clothing item with a metal button got stuck between the seal and tore a bit of it off, causing leaks. A new seal from LG isn't too expensive, about ~$70, however, it requires the entire front and top of the machine to be removed, so it's not a cheap operation (When hiring someone to fix it). I don't think I'd ever pick a top loader still, but front loading machines do seem to fail in more annoying ways.
- surfaceofthesun 5d ago
  Given the choice between a front loader or top loader without an agitator, the front loader wins easily. They use less water and do a much better job cleaning. I will note that the locking mechanism on my LG is quite strong. I tried to get past the safety lock (for high-temp washes) but couldn't get in. And in the case of catastrophic failure, you'll have much less water (and weight) to deal with vs the top load.
notpushkin 5d ago
One thing I love about top-loaders is that if you’ve found a piece of laundry you forgot, you can just throw it in mid-cycle. Not necessarily ideal but hey.
- buildsjets 5d ago
  Every side-loader I've ever owned also has this ability.
  - onlypassingthru 5d ago
    Does the water know to stay inside the drum when you open the door?
  - userbinator 5d ago
    How do you do that without the water spilling out? Or do you mean waiting for it to drain, opening it, and then refilling (along with more detergent, having wasted the previous dose)?
  - notpushkin 5d ago
    The older ones usually make you wait for a minute or two before the door is unlocked. I have one in my current apartment that doesn’t do that, but I’ve tried it a couple times and it does spill some water when you open it. With top-loaders, you don’t even have to pause, the lid is always open; and the water stays inside, obviously.

jacquesm 5d 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 5d ago
Stacked combo units with a top-load washer on the bottom definitely exist[1]. Whirlpool makes them by combining washer assemblies from Clyde, Ohio and dryer assemblers from Marion, Ohio. (It's not necessarily the most convenient way to do things, but it is also not a fiction.) [1]: https://www.whirlpool.com/laundry/laundry-sets/stacked-laundry-centers.html https://www.whirlpool.com/laundry/laundry-sets/stacked-laund... [scroll down]
- notpushkin 5d ago
  An apartment I’ve rented in Vietnam had a top-loader with a drying program. I think it put a stream of (cold) air through the clothes while spinning somehow, and IIRC the clothes were not completely dry at the end, but definitely closer than just after a spin. (I think if they’ve added a dehumidifier to the process it would work just as well as a standalone dryer!)
  - Animats 5d ago
    Makes sense in Vietnam's climate.

ssl-3 5d 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.

wing-_-nuts 5d ago

I dunno why anyone would want a front loader. If the seal fails, you have water on your floor. If the machine fails during the wash cycle, again, no way to easily get your clothes out without getting water on the floor. If a top loader fails, neither of these things can happen.

ProfessorLayton 5d ago
Got a new LG washer, but some clothing item with a metal button got stuck between the seal and tore a bit of it off, causing leaks. A new seal from LG isn't too expensive, about ~$70, however, it requires the entire front and top of the machine to be removed, so it's not a cheap operation (When hiring someone to fix it). I don't think I'd ever pick a top loader still, but front loading machines do seem to fail in more annoying ways.
surfaceofthesun 5d ago
Given the choice between a front loader or top loader without an agitator, the front loader wins easily. They use less water and do a much better job cleaning. I will note that the locking mechanism on my LG is quite strong. I tried to get past the safety lock (for high-temp washes) but couldn't get in. And in the case of catastrophic failure, you'll have much less water (and weight) to deal with vs the top load.

notpushkin 5d ago

One thing I love about top-loaders is that if you’ve found a piece of laundry you forgot, you can just throw it in mid-cycle. Not necessarily ideal but hey.

buildsjets 5d ago
Every side-loader I've ever owned also has this ability.
- onlypassingthru 5d ago
  Does the water know to stay inside the drum when you open the door?
- userbinator 5d ago
  How do you do that without the water spilling out? Or do you mean waiting for it to drain, opening it, and then refilling (along with more detergent, having wasted the previous dose)?
- notpushkin 5d ago
  The older ones usually make you wait for a minute or two before the door is unlocked. I have one in my current apartment that doesn’t do that, but I’ve tried it a couple times and it does spill some water when you open it. With top-loaders, you don’t even have to pause, the lid is always open; and the water stays inside, obviously.