[mad madam mim]

Put a load of washing on before I left to do the school run this morning, come back and the machine is beeping and has stopped mid wash, won't drain, and I just can't get the b*st*rd to work again, DH is going to take a look at it when he gets home, but I am doing research in case it turns out to be cheaper to just buy a new machine.

Does anyone have any recommendations, anything that they think I should stay away from? Top or Front loader? My mum says front loaders are better but a friend is saying top lol, I really don't care if it works lol, but don't want to buy a dud. This machine is just over 8 years old so I guess by todays standards it has done ok.

Figures this would happen as our fridge has been having issues aswell and we were looking at saving for a new one (need a new couch too), looks like the damn washing machine will have to come first now

[SarahM72]

Check that there is nothing caught in the drain outlet. Remove the drain pipe at the back and have a look in the outlet, then have a look down the pipe. Could be full of lint, or even a button or a coin. This has happened to me. Once I removed the blockage it worked fine.

[Flibbertigibbert...]

Is the drain blocked? My front loader has a drawer on the front down the bottom that acts like a filter type thing and if it gets blocked it wont drain, I just pull it out and empty it.

To answer your question I have always had top loaders, and after buying the front loader I am a convert, heaps more efficient, cleans better, quieter. It wont go back to a top loader. It's a Siemens 7.5kg.

[PrincessPeach]

Something i learnt on Friday - check for a stray sock.

In top loaders if you overfill them socks can float over the top edge & get caught in the drain. The machine then wont drain.

Front loaders are supposed to be gentler on clothes, however I don't have the patience to wait 90 minutes for 1 load - so I'd go a top loader.

I hate my simpson, but my SIL has a 8.5kg fisher & paykel & loves it. It also copes with my brother's very greasy work clothes.

[*LucyE*]

I believe it depends on your budget. A good front loader is best but if you can't afford that, then stick to a top loader.

I have a Miele front loader and it has a manual drain and door opening handle for situations such as yours so washing can never get 'stuck'.

I can open the door mid cycle on most cycles (except the special ones where the water level is above the door or it is really hot), adjust the spin speed, temperature levels and other settings to suit my needs. It has fuzzy logic so it will match the water level and rinse cycles to match the washing and detergent load.

They are expensive though.

[Jekaho]

I echo everything *LucyE* said.
But hopefully yours is easily fixed anyway.

[Fossy]

We have an LG front loader and it's great, it works hard and is still going strong 6 years on. We had always had top loaders before, but I'll never go back.

Fwiw simple wash takes 27 minutes, nowhere near 90, and you can open the door after the cycle starts to chuck in anything you forgot. They're more energy and water efficient and gentler on clothes than top loaders.

[qak]

I had an issue recently and a local guy came and fixed it for under $100 very quickly, so I would be checking that too, like PPs suggested.

(the culprit was my kids, who got into the pantry and took one of my coffee bags ... I found the bag in the coloureds a few days previously and said WTF ... lucky it was not in the whites! ... then the wrapper blocked the drain)

[robot sm]

We switched from a top loader to front loader when we moved, found that the Cottons cycle (that takes a full load) on the Cold Water setting takes about 45 minutes, which is about the same as our top loader took. Spin cycle is great, really reduces the drying time. There is also a half-load 15-min quick setting if you are in a hurry.

[causeway]

I have a fisher & paykel 8.5kg top loader.... LOVE IT!

It was a replacement for a Samsung Front Loader... I do not like front loaders!

Sometimes I cannot believe how much I can fit in!