Front Loader does not disappoint

Bought into this new technology when my old and trusted top loader took a dive. After a debate on repair and cleaning costs we decided to buy new. Studied almost every model and style of washer and decided on this LG front loader early in 2008. Waited to review it myself after using it for a while and getting electricity and 2 water bills.

Overall I am very happy with this washer. We have two boys and their laundry is plentiful and dirty (dirt, food, blood, etc) and this washer takes it in stride and gives our clothes a fresh start. Will buy again (hopefully in 10-15 years)

Lower water bill - Yes, there was a significant drop in our bill. If you have to pay for it you'll see a difference.

Electricity - Haven't seen a significant rise in my bill. The machine stops and starts and is running all through the average 53 minute cycle, but doesn't seem to have thrown us over the edge in electricity use. Less water and the varied final spin cycle does make a difference in less dryer time.

Noise - Overall it's very quiet and I find myself checking that it's still running, but the time indicator is nice for letting you know how much time is left in the cycle. Let's you know when it's unbalanced by being very loud and bouncing around, but that's no different than any top loader. The delivery guys didn't seem to balance it very well and it danced around quite a bit at first. I tested and use the Spin Sense option for every load and that problem seems to have levelled out.

Cleaning - Cleans well. Wasn't sure how it did it without as much water as top loader, but after watching it through many cycles and comparing top load washed whites against front load washed whites I did see a big difference in the cleanliness and whiteness. I also considered that in the top loader our laundry (especially in the whites) the clothes would sit in dirty water for long periods which they don't do now.

Gentler - Doesn't beat the heck out of things like floor rugs like an agitator does. Within the first few days I washed EVERYTHING (yes, everything) in my house to make sure it could take it. We have a lot of floor rugs that the agitator would beat up and leave chunks of yarn in the washer, the front loader does NOT do that, rugs come out in one piece. Clothing does not come out tied together and bunched up like before resulting in less wrinkling.

Cost - This model wasn't too far off from the upper level top loader. Also waited for the big sale and used price matching between stores. We're even saving more because our water bill shows a decline since the new front loader arrived.

Negatives - Lumping these together because I find them to minor annoyances. Have to leave the door open all the time to let it dry out, but I'm not sure how bad this is when I consider how gross the inside of my top loader was at the end (maybe the top should have been left open, too). HE detergent is expensive, but I really use less and clothes are still clean. I will use more detergent on the grimy stuff but that balances out in the end. HE detergent is also limited in stores and varieties. Since I use fabric softener with every load I hate the scents in HE detergents which for me tend to be very overpowering. Waiting on dye and scent free varieties. The spin cycle really vibrates on the floor. Didn't get a base for several reasons, don't mind bending over since the opening is parallel to the dryer opening, the extra cost was ridiculous, and thought it would add to balancing and levelling problems. I would like it to be on a slab rather than the floor, but it's livable.