Saw this topic up on the site so I decided to put my 2 cents worth...
I’ve worked on the design of these appliances so I pretty much know what they’re about.
First of I’ll outline the cleaning action of the 2 machines and then go into which one is more suited to you.
Cleaning in the Front Loading machines :
The cleaning action is not mechanical but chemical in nature. Yes there is a mechanical action but its not a cleaning action its just spinning the clothes so that the different clothes are tipped into the water and the detergent gets into all spaces in the clothes.You will be depending solely on chemical cleaning so a slightly stronger detergent may be used.Since a complete soak is not required the amount of water to wash a load of clothes will be lower compared to a top loading washing machine.However the trade off is the time for which you wash which will be longer as compared to top loading.
Cleaning in the Top Loading Washing machine:
The cleaning action in this is mechanical as well as chemical in nature.Weaker detergents can be used as compared to front loading. The mechanical cleaning is done using an agitator(the centre pole which rotates and has grooves cut into it).This basically causes the clothes to rub against each other, which pretty much means that each cloth is involved in cleaning another cloth so if any of you see the clothes floating around in the tub without coming into contact with the agitator don’t get too bothered If the clothes are small they will rub against other clothes and change their orientation where they are.The larger cloths might be better off near the centre since the agitator can help change the orientation of the clothes.Top Load washers typically have shorter cleaning times
Ok now that you know what the cleaning action in both these machines are(hopefully the explanation was good) I will go into why one should go for a front or top loading machine
Pros of the Front Loading machine:
1)They require significantly less water than the top loading machine which is good for those of you who are environmentally inclined and don’t want to push out a lot of soapy water into the ocean.
2)They cause less wear and tear on the clothing since they don’t mechanically clean the clothes(once again spinning the cloth is not a cleaning action).This is an important point since people have to keep in mind that nowadays the value of the clothes you put in the washing machine is frequently higher than the cost of the washing machine itself.
Cons of the Front Loading machine:
1)They are less suited to the American consumer since he/she will have to stoop down to throw clothes in(Don’t think Indian and other Asians are as bothered which explains why front loading is more popular in the east)
2)They take much longer to wash
3)If you use a stronger detergent which is not gentle on the clothes you may negate the advantage you gained in lack of wear and tear
Pros of the Top Loading machine:
1)They take much less time to wash
2)They are easier to load since you don’t have to stoop down to throw your clothes in(a big hit for Americans)
3)You can use less powerful detergents
Cons of the Top Loading machine:
1)They wear out your clothes on an average(this again depends on the settings you input in your control panel, you can choose a setting designed to cause less wear and tear on your clothes)
2)They use much more water
3)They also tend to chew up small clothes if you don’t watch out.If some of you have noticed that your delicates(include socks and other small clothes) are missing after each wash then its most likely because the clothes have slipped into a small space between the centre agitator and the bottom of the wash tub.The clothes might come out ragged or disappear altogether.This happens more often in older machines.
Well I hope this review provides a better idea about the front as well as top loading washing machines. However I have one more point which is perhaps the most important (which is why I’ll put them in caps and bold :o) )
Note:-
There Is No Difference In The Cleaning Action Between Front And Top Loading.If One Load Was Kept In The Top Loading And An Identical Load In All Respects Including Soil Content Was Put In The Front Loading You Would Get The Same Quality Of Cleanliness Out Of Both(the time for cleaning would be the only easily measurable difference)