Looking to Buy Top Loading Washing Machine

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There is one downside to a sealed tub. Imagine if you forget to empty pockets and something falls inside. In between the drum & tub. How would you get it out. Bobby pins spring to mind.

You can actually remove them via the drain hole hose located in the bottom of the tub, after you remove the drain pump hose.

heh, I know that site for mobile reviews. I suppose this is one way to test out different machines. Those cloth strips are all standardised. But how well clothes can be cleaned depends on how quickly they are washed after getting stained. Longer the stain remains more it sets in and a better machine i kinda doubt will make a difference.

The one thing that struck me about Samsungs is on the exterior they are very attractive. I have a habit of slamming doors in these shops and the Samsungs have a very satisfying sound when you close them. It makes you think the machine is really solid. Not quite the same solid bang with an LG.


Panasonic seems just ok. Didn't see anything in these machines that would make me prefer them over a Korean. The service network wouldn't be as established as the Koreans but acceptable in Tier 1 cities.

In previous year reviews the samsung scored the best in cleaning because their cycles are longer in time, now they have also improved on the time. I hope their intense rivalry between samsung and LG makes better reliable products.

Agree Samsung products externally appear and feels better not only in washing machines, even in Fridge, microwave. Its the internals that one can't gauge and will have to rely on consumer owner feedback. It's like those European cars they are built sturdy but not always as reliable as the Japs or the koreans.

Panasonic atleast in India the service was always a issue,very late to get parts in my case a replacement door for my brand new fridge in 2011.

I need a another washing machine for another floor and for me the no 1 criteria is whether it has a tub held by screws or clamp, followed by wash quality and noise. Those direct drive machines are indeed very quiet but they put even more strain on the drum bearings vs a pulley based drive.

 

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You can actually remove them via the drain hole hose located in the bottom of the tub, after you remove the drain pump hose.

oh yes i forgot there is always the drain pump reservoir.

I need a another washing machine for another floor and for me the no 1 criteria is whether it has a tub held by screws or clamp, followed by wash quality and noise. Those direct drive machines are indeed very quiet but they put even more strain on the drum bearings vs a pulley based drive.

It won't be a Bosch. Every Series 2 & 4 in India comes with a sealed tub if you check on the american Bosch parts site

I don't get it !! the Series 4 in the UK all had split tubs

This really stinks. A drum repair will be half the price of the machine at this rate.

That leaves LG

 

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It won't be a Bosch. Every Series 2 & 4 in India comes with a sealed tub if you check on the american Bosch parts site

I don't get it !! the Series 4 in the UK all had split tubs

This really stinks. A drum repair will be half the price of the machine at this rate.

That leaves LG

The series 4 sold in india is a older model. But why do series 6 and above even in UK still have sealed drums, is their logic that those who spend 550£ pounds or more don't mind replacing a full drum assembely or the entire machine.

Looks like Lg, is the only one in india which is worth buying. samsung just has to many complaints about spyder failure, exploding top load washing machines, multiple law suits.

 

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The series 4 sold in india is a older model. But why do series 6 and above even in UK still have sealed drums, is their logic that those who spend 550£ pounds or more don't mind replacing a full drum assembely or the entire machine.

I think you were right with your initial observation. The latest Bosch come with integrated tubs.

So series 4 in India isn't the older model but a recent one. Rather i think the series 4 sold in the UK are older.

Series 6 in the UK are recent. The big hike in price appears to be that they are 8kg models.

Why integrated tubs ? cheaper assembly i suppose. It does make it more certain that people will opt to get a new model in the event of a drum failure than repair.

Looks like Lg, is the only one in india which is worth buying. samsung just has to many complaints about spyder failure, exploding top load washing machines, multiple law suits.

Which LG models are you looking at and let's see if the story is the same or not

 

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Thae d

I think you were right with your initial observation. The latest Bosch come with integrated tubs.

So series 4 in India isn't the older model but a recent one. Rather i think the series 4 sold in the UK are older.

Series 6 in the UK are recent. The big hike in price appears to be that they are 8kg models.

Why integrated tubs ? cheaper assembly i suppose. It does make it more certain that people will opt to get a new model in the event of a drum failure than repair.


Which LG models are you looking at and let's see if the story is the same or not

That door design of series 6 indicates that its of a older design, in amazon UK bosch washing machines with that design says first available in 2014 vs the newer door designs which say first available in 2016.

Intergrated tubs may save time in final Assembly but the welding during manufacturing takes hell of lot more time, they are basically welding the two split tubs, more power bill for the manufacturing plant , you can seen in the below video that they still go to every step except puting screws for the tub, instead a robot welds it. Which actually takes longer time, you have to wait for the weld to finish and then wait for it to cool down before its touched again vs just putting screws or clamps and a rubber gasket.

I am looking for a 7kg LG machine with 1200rpm spin and wifi. Yet to go to stores and checking them, this one fits the criteria not sure about the tub inside.
https://www.lg.com/in/washing-machines/lg-FHT1207SWW

 

[Mr.J]

Kindly share first, why your mom is insisting on top load compared to front.. same situation here. my sister wants a top load machine..
I researched the washing machine thing and found front load being more efficient on power/water etc.

She says that top loading is better for use. Means loading, unloading clothes etc. Front loadings are problematic as you need to bend, crouch, or sit on a small table. And it's not just her. Have heard same stuff from others too.

Anyway, after going through this thread I've asked to check for LG even though those are costlier.

 

[rdst_1]

It literally takes 30 seconds to load or unload a washing machine. I have been much happier with the cleaning since we moved from a top loading machine to a ftont loader. Granted, our top loader was Semi-automatic but it left a lot to be desired when it came to cleaning. Mom had to manually scrub all cuffs and collars with the top loader. No such issues with the front loader. I do have a friend whose mother is happy with her IFB top loader, but that is mostly because she says that the top loader washes more clothes per cycle.

 

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She says that top loading is better for use. Means loading, unloading clothes etc. Front loadings are problematic as you need to bend, crouch, or sit on a small table. And it's not just her. Have heard same stuff from others too.

Anyway, after going through this thread I've asked to check for LG even though those are costlier.

If the reason is only bend or crouch, you can use a metal stand made of steel L angle and raise the machine. This also helps during draining of water to bucket during cleaning the drain filter or to open the door during power cut. The space below the stand cane be use to store laundry in a basket.
Having used semi auto, top load auto and front load, I can tell you that none of the top loads are a match for wash quality and water efficiency.

 

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It literally takes 30 seconds to load or unload a washing machine. I have been much happier with the cleaning since we moved from a top loading machine to a ftont loader. Granted, our top loader was Semi-automatic but it left a lot to be desired when it came to cleaning. Mom had to manually scrub all cuffs and collars with the top loader. No such issues with the front loader. I do have a friend whose mother is happy with her IFB top loader, but that is mostly because she says that the top loader washes more clothes per cycle.

I'm trying to figure why your top loader didn't clean as well. And i suspect its because it didn't heat the water enough. Did your semi-automatic have a heater ? the hitachi we have from the 80's is all plastic and did not. It has a little area to scrub collars. We still have it and i've kept it as a backup in case the FL fails for any reason. It's nearly thirty years old now. Only changed the drain pump in that time.

Now would the same be true of a top loader that DID heat the water to at least 40 degrees ? open question

I've used top loaders only in laundrettes abroad. I'd always choose the warm option and never scrubbed any collars or cuffs.

As for more clothes per cycle, larger tub volume is cheaper with a top loader than equivalent front loader. The 65% guideline still applies for loading. Same with a mixie too.

There is no doubt that a FL will rub the clothes together better which will also contribute to better cleaning. Indeed this is its USP but only applicable with soils more than medium where the extra rubbing makes the difference. Not so apparent with medium soils.

 

[rdst_1]

We did use warm water in winters in the semi-automatic. Didn't need it in summers as water was already hot enough due to our water tanks being in direct sunlight. Even in the Bosch we don't use higher temperatures than 40 degrees. The tumbling of the front loader definitely helps in cleaning. Other reason might be that the earlier days were when we were in school so we definitely had dirtier clothes due to playing out in dirt and heat. Whereas most of the time was in AC rooms when the front loader came, so definitely clothes were less dirty. Like, I said, I know of people who are completely happy with their fully automatic top load. But I have washed quite badly soiled clothes in the FL and the results are definitely far superior to my experience with our top-load.

 

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But I have washed quite badly soiled clothes in the FL and the results are definitely far superior to my experience with our top-load.

Yes it will be and that is the main reason to go with a FL over TL. I don't know how soiled clothes will be, so i prefer one that has a larger scope.

 

[NotMyRealName]

I dunno how you guys can even compare semis and autos (top or front) in the same sentence. Semis just spin the damn load round and round forever, then reverse it. Wash quality is terrible for soiled clothes in semis. If it's just regular use with a bit of sweat etc. it's fine, about the same as soaking the clothes in a bucket, then shaking it all about for a minute and rinsing. But if there's any visible soiling, there's no way it will be cleaned. Not to mention the uselessly tiny spin drum and the retarded oscillations will the load settles. Rather hand wash than use a semi. Decent autos agitate it around, the action usually causes vertical tumbling and may also have showers etc.

 

[rdst_1]

I am talking about early 2000s mate. Difference between automatic and semi-automatic used to be that you transfer clothes to spin tub yourself. Rest of agitation actions used to be same. My aunt used to have a fully auto top load at the same time. Not much difference in wash quality and water wastage used to be a lot. Vertical tumbling and showers have seem to come quite later IMO. Dunno if there were such features in premium top load machines at that time. Even if there were, everyone who bought premium machines in those days used to go for front load. My parents probably didn't even look at those because of budget or probably because they didn't do too much research at that moment. Even when it came to replacement, it was I who researched online and chose a front load and a Bosch

 

[NotMyRealName]

Agreed. At that time front loaders had superior wash quality. And then came the agitronics.

We had an imported General semi-auto from the late 80s. Around '93-ish we got a bpl auto top loader. It was pathetic. Just spin the wash round and round and then back just like a semi. We complained and it went so far that a bunch of senior management people came to see a live demo of how it wouldn't clean my school uniform shirt collars. I was in the 6th or so. They accepted and took it back and got a full refund. (power of moms who won't take no for an answer).

Our next machine was a whirlpool with the agitator. Wash quality was excellent even with room temp water. It lasted almost 20 years. Halfway through it's life cycle, the board rusted and corroded and i replaced all the LEDs and it's been fine since. I've been washing and ironing my own clothes since i was around 12. So i speak from experience.

Now you're saying you're talking about 2000s. But anyone reading would infer that semis and top loaders are the same even today. Which is inaccurate. Top loaders are at least 75% as good as FLs in my experience. Maybe even more. Semis are a total waste of money but only somone who's used a good TL will understand this. Never ever buy the cheapest, basic TLs with like 3 buttons. They wash just like Semis. No need to buy the most expensive either, just dozens of programs you will never use. I use a 5-year old panasonic f62 and it does the job well enough. For a budget model.

 

[rdst_1]

What a coincidence. My aunt also had a BPL fully auto top load and had to replace it. We used to have a Whirlpool semi-auto top load which did duty from 1997 to 2011 when I replaced it with the Bosch FL.
I'vr already said that I know people who have recently bought a fully auto TL from IFB and are very happy with it.
However, like you yourself mention that today's TL are 75% as good as FL. So I see no reason why one should opt for a TL if the pricing is comparable.

 

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Our next machine was a whirlpool with the agitator. Wash quality was excellent even with room temp water. It lasted almost 20 years.

So you would be ok with a FL that didn't heat water provided it had decent wash action ?

Top loaders are at least 75% as good as FLs in my experience. Maybe even more. Semis are a total waste of money but only somone who's used a good TL will understand this. Never ever buy the cheapest, basic TLs with like 3 buttons. They wash just like Semis. No need to buy the most expensive either, just dozens of programs you will never use. I use a 5-year old panasonic f62 and it does the job well enough. For a budget model.

F62 seems to have good reviews and price is quite low. 14k? what is the tub volume though

See the price, my FL cost 31k for a 54l drum. its quite basic otherwise but works well.

Given a choice between that and paying twice more a lot will opt for the former.

F62B25 does not heat water but still has a metal drum. So i have no idea what good tub hygiene does with this model but the metal drum means a higher spin speed. Good if you're line drying in colder weather

F62V27 does heat water

 

[NotMyRealName]

What a coincidence. My aunt also had a BPL fully auto top load and had to replace it. We used to have a Whirlpool semi-auto top load which did duty from 1997 to 2011 when I replaced it with the Bosch FL.
I'vr already said that I know people who have recently bought a fully auto TL from IFB and are very happy with it.
However, like you yourself mention that today's TL are 75% as good as FL. So I see no reason why one should opt for a TL if the pricing is comparable.

But that's just it, pricing is not comparable. A decent FL is at least 50% more expensive than a decent TL.

Also, the convenience. I like to micromanage things almost to an OCD level. So a FL is definitely for the shut it fill it forget it kinds, but not me.

 

[NotMyRealName]

So you would be ok with a FL that didn't heat water provided it had decent wash action ?


F62 seems to have good reviews and price is quite low. 14k?

F62B25 does not heat water but still has a metal drum. So i have no idea what good tub hygiene does with this model but the metal drum means a higher spin speed. Good if you're line drying in colder weather

F62V27 does heat water

Mine's the F62H3. bought it along with a panasonic single door 195L for 26.5k according to the bill. Don't have the breakup. I guess 14k sounds about right. Or maybe it was 12 and the fridge 14?

I specifically wanted an SS drum but not for hot water. It last forever, and a model with an SS drum is usually built overall better than those without.

No i barely spin. We've had this conversation ages ago in another thread here. In my experience, the spins between washes leave my clothes all wrinkly and they seem to wear out faster too. I just drain and rinse manually without spins in between. Wastes a bit more water but my clothes survive longer. The final spin is kept on speedy too, maybe 2 mins max. I have no issues with line drying. Maybe in rainy weather it takes 8-12 hours to dry but that's ok. I also never mix colour types and my line drying technique means i almost never need to iron shirts or flat fronts but that's a whole different ocd story...

 

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If you don't spin then you will double the life of the machine as less stress is put on the bearings. I suppose you can reduce wrinkles by snapping clothes as you hang them up. But it won't remove every wrinkle. No spin will be better.

Heating is where running costs with a TL will exceed a FL over time.

150 litres. So if there are two rinse cycles then at least 50 litres needs to be heated for the wash cycle.

A FL will use a fraction of that. 10-15L at most. Less water to be heated and this applies all the way up to 95 degrees.

Quantity of water isn't an issue here as water costs are low. Heating that water is the point.

 

[Futureized]

If you don't spin then you will double the life of the machine as less stress is put on the bearings. I suppose you can reduce wrinkles with snapping clothes as you hang them up. But it won't remove every wrinkle. No spin will be better.

Heating is where running costs with a TL will exceed a FL over time.

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150 litres. So if there are two rinse cycles then at least 50 litres needs to be heated for the wash cycle.

A FL will use a fraction of that. 10-15L at most. Less water to be heated and this applies all the way up to 95 degrees.

Quantity of water isn't an issue here as water costs are low. Heating that water is the point.

I truly appreciate your technical explanations on things
We decided only for top-loading machine.... same explanation as per Mr.J here
Looking to Buy Top Loading Washing Machine