Top loaders are crap and ruin clothes. We have one in our condo and I can't wait to get rid of it. My daughter's just replaced her top loader with a front loader and is so pleased she did.

Where's the choice for what works fine and reasonably priced?

We have our trusty washer/dryer pair for $600 from Leons in 2005. Works great. Top Loader.

Nothing damaged, everything comes out spotless.

I had front loaders in England. No better, no worse.

By no means an expert in washing machine technology but does it really make a difference?

Surely it's still a big drum that spins quickly just on different axes

You would think. However, in real life what happens is that the clothes get compressed via gravity and the weight of water. It simply spins around and around (right round baby, right round aka Marc Almond...yes i'm at lunch and had 2 beers)

So anyway this by it's nature means that the clohes gett compressed. I've often found clothes come out with spots where the liquid gel pac has got stuck and there's still goop left on your clothing in one spot. So to me, top loaders are out of the question. We have a top loading washer and a front loading tumble dryer...i think that if it was a top loading dryer the clothes wouldnt get dry...as they oudnt tumble! This is the issue i have with the washer not washing: the clothes don't move around.

I wrote this post as a bt of fun but with a half-serious question. I think i have all the ammo i need now, so thanks for the help all you clever people.

In my research, i found this great candidate for one of the online dating TV ads, it must be his other job: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5MAIlPK1mw

Perhaps there's something wrong with your sticky-uppie-thing that turns and moves the clothes around.

At least get it right .. Dead or Alive -Pete Burns!

This. I suggest the lot of you read Swift again.

Frank?

The Jonboy of Swiftiness.

I too used to get holes in clothing when I had a top loader. Bought a lovely big front loader (and separate dryer) which is quieter, more economical, uses much less water (we are on a well), has a delay timer (great for coming home to a newly washed load) and it also plays a lovely tune when finished

When I went back to the UK last summer I remember looking into my mum's teeny weeny front loader and thought I was in toy town I'd forgotten just how many loads of laundry I had to do back then. Virtually took up my whole weekend

Are you saying that top loaders don't ruin clothes more than front loaders? It looks like you are, can you cite any evidence (other than your own opinion) for this?

Anecdotal it might be, but the amount of clothes ruined in the wash while I was using a top loader was far higher than when using a front loader. T-shirts stretched, holes put in things etc. The fact that so many people have this experience indicates to me that there is something to it.

Although holes appeared in various places, I have just remembered the cause of many small holes on the front mid area of many t-shirts - they were caused by zips on hoodies or jackets that were catching the t-shirts (unnoticed) while being worn. Holes were usually only discovered after they came out the washer until one day I noticed as I zipped up!

And yet when so many people holding similar experiences on other issues...let's say something like "life in Canada" is used to reinforce a particular view, it's dismissed as just an attempt at justifying their decision to move to Canada.

Just saying.....

One downside to front loaders is that you need to leave the door open between washes. I didn't and ended up with mold all over the rubber seal. I think this could be a child safety issue.

Never had that .. But then 4 people, at least 2 lots of sport kit a day ...it's usually always in use !