You spin me right round baby right round

September 30, 2008 10:18 AM

Recommendations needed for stackable, energy saver, low water washing machine/dryer combo

Looking to buy one of this sweet front loader, stackable washer dryer thingamabobs and I would like to know if anyone has input on which might be considered the most reliable. Considerations for me:

1. Needs to be 24 inches wide or less
2. Needs to use 15 gallons of water or less per cycle
3. Gas powered dryer
4. Stackable to less than 97"
5. It would be nice if it can steam clothes as well

I've been looking at LG because in a drunken picnic conversation one of my good friends was talking about LG - problem is I can't remember if they were raving or criticizing and she is in labor right now so can't call her.

Previous Ask post on this was in 2005 so I'd like some updated info

posted by spicynuts to Home & Garden (11 answers total)

Best answer: 1. Not sure if our recent purchase fits this width, though perhaps another model might.
2. Pretty darn sure it beats that by a long shot.
3. Available, but we don't have it.
4. Absolutely doable (you realize that's over 8 *feet*, right?
5. Don't know.

LG was the brand we went with very recently. While there are other brands of front-loading washer available, apparently this brand has European roots, and has been doing it for longer than others. Reliability of others isn't up to the standard of LG, so goes the story.^*

Everything has been going great with our LG for at least the past few weeks that we've owned it.

^{*That was the salesman's line, and it agreed with a few web posts, so we've swallowed the story.}
posted by LoraxGuy at 11:05 AM on September 30, 2008

Check out for Miele. I'm in Europe and here it is by far the most reliable brand, and they have a large range of prices, but all are energy efficient. I bought my washer and dryer earlier this year and am very very happy about them. The washing machine is silent, very efficient, a great user's manual, and the best is the centrifuge that goes up to 1600 rpm. The dryer is of a lower price range but does the job, with many options and extras like scheduled start, etc. Hope this helps.
oh, they are a bit more expensive than other brands, but they also last forever.
posted by uauage at 11:07 AM on September 30, 2008

If I were searching for this combo, I'd probably check out CostCo and go with the closest item that they have in stock. CostCo has a "return it anytime, for any reason" policy that I believe applies to appliances, so I suspect that the items they carry are more reliable than stores that do not have such a policy.
posted by zippy at 11:09 AM on September 30, 2008

Response by poster: The Mieles are 2 grand just for the washer (or at least based on the stock that amazon has) - definitely out of my price range. I guess I should have posted that. I'm looking for 600 bucks for each, which the LGs can meet.
posted by spicynuts at 11:26 AM on September 30, 2008

Miele is like the Mercedes of washer/driers (German, expensive but also very good and reliable). You could look for other brands with European roots (front loading, 24"x24"x33" (50cm x 60cm x 85 cm), energy efficient, stackable.): Bosch or Siemens are almost as good and reliable as Miele, but should be a little bit cheaper. Mmmh, the cheapest Bosch washer seems to go for $750....

(Is it my imagination? I think that front loading washers give better results than top loaders.)
posted by mmkhd at 3:52 PM on September 30, 2008

Have you considered the combo machines? I had a Thor and very much liked it. I usually didn't actually dry clothes in it, and there was a knack to drying them right, but it was low energy, low water, all that. It was also nice to not have to lift wet, heavy clothes.
posted by QIbHom at 5:36 AM on October 1, 2008

Response by poster: The thing with the combo machines is they seem to have REALLY small load capacities and take forever to get through a cycle. The combo was my first choice but the sales person gave the run down on the disadvantages and I was pretty well swayed.
posted by spicynuts at 7:34 AM on October 1, 2008

Ah, cool, spicynuts. I found the load capacity was perfect for me alone. More than 2 people, it'd probably be annoying. I didn't think the cycle time was that big of an issue, but it did take my Thor some time to get through one.
posted by QIbHom at 8:06 AM on October 1, 2008

Response by poster: Well, it will be just me, but usually i wait two weeks between doing laundry and take most of the afternoon sunday to do it. Or at least I did with the top loader at my old place. So do you find that you need to be doing your laundry twice a week or something in smaller loads because letting it all pile up for two weeks would take forever for the Thor to get through?

I think right now I'm down to either the LG or the Thor combo as I've spent the last 30 minutes researching each.
posted by spicynuts at 8:14 AM on October 1, 2008

With the Thor combo, I did a load of darks once a week, and a load of whites every 1.5 to 2 weeks.

My Thor is now 7 years old, my tenant loves it, but I've heard other brands are more reliable. I've had no trouble, though.
posted by QIbHom at 3:52 PM on October 3, 2008

Response by poster: Bought the LG. So far I am semi-pleased. I can only fit one duvet cover in there at once and the dry cycle will not get it try as there isn't enough room to tumble. This is kinda sucky as most of the laundromats within walking distance will not allow you to just use the dryers and it's cold out now so I'm not going to be air drying on my deck. Other than the duvet covers though, all other loads have worked perfectly.
posted by spicynuts at 7:10 AM on November 2, 2008