But what is it about one type of washing machine versus another one that causes such emotion in an intelligent person like yourself to lead to ad hominem remarks about someone who thinks the two are functionally identical?

Actually, in post 46 I made a very important point that appears to have been ignored.

I feel this point is so important that I will repeat it, simply.

Not all front loaders are better than all top loaders. There will be some top loaders that work well, and there will be some front loaders that do not.

If you bother looking at the consumer comparison charts you will see this to be true.

However if you wish to spend $$$ for an average machine that doesn't wash cleanly and take forever to do it leaving a manky, smelly, mouldy residue in the door seal then do buy a front loader.

If you don't automatically believe the hype then spend $$ on a top loader.

Simples innit.

(PS. blunt end)

To which I'd only add that another thing missed is the ironically chosen thread title. It's very obviously an unimportant question. Even the OP who appears to be willing to argue with his wife that his end of egg is the only rational choice, saw that.

What emotional response? I'm genuinely surprised that you think that there is one. I'm just applying logic to the statements that you have posted in this thread and finding that it comes up short.

For instance we can take an analytical look at this very post. You posit that front loaders and top loaders are functionally identical. I don't disagree with you, and furthermore I don't recall anyone actually making the claim that top loaders/front loaders are not functionally identical. I believe that we can take it as a given that they are both designed to wash clothes.

However, claims were made about the execution of this functionality. In particular: efficiency, water usage, wash duration, impact on clothes over time etc; such things that are objectively measurable and potentially different between the two washing systems.

Now, people will have different priorities regarding what is important to them and suits their needs the best. These priorities are real and not imagined and therefore your statement that this is equivalent to swifts allegory is inappropriate. I might even go so far as to say you over-egged it.

FFS. There's scarcely been a mention of efficiency (define it in context please), water usage (likely front is better), wash duration (top is massively better) and yes, these are objectively measurable.

I have a problem with the "impact on clothes over time" one though. I suppose it might be objectively measurable (with a great deal of effort to eliminate a host of other variables) but since no-one has offered more than anecdotal evidence, I choose to call it a draw.

There are more important things to worry about I'd have thought.

I suppose this is the closest we'll see to an acknowledgement that comparing the choice to that of deciding which side of a boiled egg to eat first was misguided given you are now accepting that there are, indeed, tangible differences. I'll accept this with good grace, even if I disagree about the impact on clothes.

Well, unsurprisingly given that I think this whole thread is nonsensical, I'll happily agree to to let it retreat to the Great Thread Graveyard in the Clouds.

Let's find something more substantial to disagree about.

I'm wondering if some of the marks left on clothes come from eggs.

... not sure how relevant this is (knowing me likely not).

A co-worker of mine was talking about front loaders recently and her espoused belief that mould grows inside them because all the water doesn't drain away properly.

Two things struck me about this conversation

1) I've never, ever heard of this happening to anyone ever - Think about it. It's a washer. It cleans stuff. This might only happen if you left it clogged up for a couple of weeks or so and let fetid water accumulate

2) North Americans have an all pervaisive fear of mould. Coming from the damp and rainy north, I grew up with damp in my wardrobe as a child, my university residence was so damp the wallpaper came off the walls... I've never really been scared about damp. Get some bleach, wipe it off, job done.

Strange really the fears of our continental cousins...

When mold permeates the rubber seal, wiping with bleach will not remove it. I had to have the rubber seal replaced and find I have to run a sanitizer cycle with special tablets every 6-8 weeks to prevent the clothes smelling moldy. I have a Miele which is highly rated.

It does make some sense. Most houses here are made of wood rather than brick.

Just leaving the door ajar fixes this though.

Can't believe I missed this thread.

Since moving here we've had the use of 3 top-loaders (Miele/Kennmore/?) while renting various properties.

Our first purchase after buying our own place last year was a front-loader and a lawn mower. I mention the lawn mower, because if for some reason I become nostalgic and wish to recreate the effect of the top-loader on our clothes, I can always chuck them out onto the back yard and run them over a few times with it.

I'm exaggerating a little but you get the idea.

@cjones

Yes, but can your front loader cut the grass?

Some front loaders had a strange resevoir design which meant they never drained properly,. The Whirlpool duet had an application in for a class action suit because of the mould around the seal. It certainly was gross on the machine I had.

North American design innit, a titchy, cheap UK front loader, no probs, over a grand for a N A behemoth results in grey clothes. No wonder everyone throws bleach in with the wash.