How did I live with out it?

This may sound strange, but I almost look forward to doing laundry with this washer. This thing is awesome! When my 15 year old washer started smoldering during mid-cycle I got lucky, it didn't take the house with it. I quickly recovered from the depression of having shell out money to buy a new appliance to assist me in doing laundry, a chore I usually despise. Since we always have a lot of laundry, I decided that I should go with a good quality front loader. This would be gentler on the clothes and save money on energy due to shorter time required in the dryer. The spin cycle operates at very high RPM’s and the clothing comes out much dryer than a typical top loader. I lot more energy is used to dry clothes then is required to wash them. Shorter times in the dryer should save big $$.

Some front loaders have a reputation as shaking violently during the spin cycle. Not this unit. The control scheme for this washer is a sight to behold. During the spin cycle the washer slowly ramps the speed up to remove the bulk of the water trapped in the clothing without going too fast to become unbalanced. It goes thru this process a number of times all the while repositioning the clothes evenly in the drum. It has the ability to perfectly balance whatever is in the drum. Heavy comforters that would make my old washer do a cha-cha dance across the floor are completely tamed by the LG. The motor is a direct drive brushless DC motor which allows the LG to easily vary the speed and direction. This is key, no belts or transmission to break on the LG. Most traditional washers use an AC motor and a belt drive to a transmission.

The clothes come out remarkably clean and it requires less soap and water to get the job done. The washer can boost the temperature of your incoming hot water for a sanitary cycle. A unique steam feature is offered called Steam Fresh. Running late and forgot to iron the night before? Toss a few wrinkled dress shirts in for a Steam Fresh cycle. This is not a wash cycle as it does not use detergent, but just a short steam only cycle designed to remove wrinkles. Not good enough for a job interview wardrobe, but definitely good enough for most work situations. The quick steam cycle is worth the price of admission by itself especially if you dread ironing. It also has a steam boost which adds the cleaning power of steam to a traditional wash cycle.

The menus are well thought out and easy to use. It has a time delay feature for up to 16 hours. The display has an accurate count down of how long remains in the wash cycle. Like most front loaders the wash cycles take longer. If a typical top loader cycle 25 minutes a front loader will take 60 minutes. The longer cycle times are partially offset by the fact that this thing has a very large drum and you can do huge loads.

Close to perfection, but there must be compromise in any design. Like most front loaders HE detergent is recommended. Not a big deal as it costs the same as regular detergent. I tried Tide HE with good results. Another gripe is unique to front loaders in general. Unlike a top loader the front loader door must create a water tight seal. After you are done with laundry for the day it is a good idea to leave the door cracked open to allow water to evaporate and avoid mildew.

I usually skip extended warranties, but Home Depot offers a 4 year extended for $90 in addition to the 1 year factory warranty it seamed like cheap insurance. This is a well made machine, but if it were to break my guess is you would blow past $90 in a hurry.