SS drum is very important as it only can withstand the rigours of daily washing.
Tumble wash in front loading is good and cleans clothes better but has more maintenance involved (eg: suspension wears out, front glass/acryllic door may get slightly scratched with pennies in the pocket, pant zips etc, front rubber wears out, foam comes out sometimes) and requires little effort and bending to load/unload.
I think only IFB supplies driers in India. But it is great if you can get one. You can ask the salesman for a model which can be mounted on top of your existing washing machine to save space.
6 kg wash capacity or more is ideal for a family of four(even this may not suffice for some).
Have used whirlpool, IFB and LG washing machines with mechanical and electronic controls. Electronic controls have much better tactile response. Both are prone to failure eventually I guess. I donno about this. I keep my LG top loading m/c with electronic controls which I have been using for 4 years without problems in my balcony. It has braved the very hot day sun facing the east, has been rained on, been coated with layers of dust from outside but still works fine
. Only have had to clean the water input filters.
Semi automatic is only for those who are extra concerned that their clothes would get frayed or damaged during the spin cycle. Not a good buy IMO also.
Not all washing machines come with hotwash. Better to get this option. It comes useful sometimes with cottons. IFB, Whirlpool and LG would be recommended based on my experience. IFB/Siemens has some good german tech and have been in the business for a while. Whirlpool is an american company and I've been using their fridges. Quite good stuff I must say. American tech focuses on user comfort and might not be as power efficient as Japanese tech. LG...well my experience with their products has been good( I rate them better than Samsung.) They are also worth having a look at IMO.
P.S. Goes to show that gals aren't the only ones doing the washing at home. :ashamed: