Washing machines have risen out to be one of the most important parts of our daily households in modern times. With a one-stop solution for clean clothes for the entire family, it makes sure that you don’t have to worry about rubbing the clothes with hands or go through the trouble of squeezing together once they are washed.
However, with so many types of washing machines, it has become very important to know exactly what your washing needs are. With a plethora of different types of washing machines in the market providing you a whole menu of additional features like a quick wash, protective rat mesh, hot wash, temperature control, wash programs, child lock and many more while stepping out to buy, you need to be aware what machine is better suited for your requirement.
Confused already? Let us take a virtual tour of the kinds of features offered by each washing machine and help you find out the one best suited to your needs.
Different Types of Washing Machines
Automatic Washing Machine
In the modern world of technology, there are always advancements in the field of appliances to cut down on the man-hours required to do a particular time. With a fully automatic washing machine, the task of washing clothes is easier than ever.
Working on a principle of the entire washing process taken care of by the machine, in the automatic washing machine you can just put in the clothes and forget about them. The washing machine is equipped to take care of the washing and rinsing of clothes on its own without any need for supervising. Along with this some of the modern.
Automatic washing machines come with the additional features of Temperature control, Time delay, pre-soak, and fuzzy logic to understand the washing needs according to of certain clothing items.
There are two types of Automatic Washing machines:
- Top loading Automatic washing machines
One of the most common types of washing machines, the clothes are placed into the top of the washing tub. These are generally the cheaper models that require you to choose the functions and thus complete the entire cycle. The comparatively lighter model, there are a lot of additional features that help you choose just the one for your home.
However, the machines can only work with running water to complete the cycle automatically requiring a higher water consumption than its counter-part.
- Front loading Automatic washing machines
These washing machines have doors on the front to places the clothes inside which are then washed with the rotation of the drum. Along with being better wash quality, these machines are more water-efficient, making it more eco-friendly. Complete with more water settings these machines are better equipped to understand the need of your clothes.
In spite of this, there are some drawbacks to this including its heavy size not made for movement. With a slower wash cycle, the machines come with a smaller range and capacities. With a requirement of a higher initial cost, these machines are not made for people who move around a lot.
The fully automatic machines take the time required in the washing process to a whole different low, but are you still confused if it is the one for you? Let us go through a pro and con list to help you make that decision.
Pros.
- Complete washing process taken care of without required supervision
- More advanced features, More user friendly
- Comparatively better washing technology
- Single tub technology for both washing and drying
- Better with space constraints, Better with delicate clothes.
- Comes with an option of top load or front load
- Easy installation, Less recurrent repair cost
Cons.
- Comparatively higher prices than semi-automatic machines
- Less water efficient
- More power requirement
- Slower wash cycles
Semi-Automatic Washing machine
As the name suggests, Semi-Automatic is made up of two tubs, with a separate washer and dryer technology. Unlike its counterpart, the semi-automatic washing machine requires you to manually put the clothes in the dryer once the washing process is completed. This machine is also made to require manual intervention in the controls where you would have to choose the controls depending on the kind of clothes.
These machines do not require a regular running water supply and would consume comparatively less water which you can monitor. Semi-automatic give you the power to make the decisions regarding the washing which Fully automatic do not allow you. These washing machines are often cheaper than the fully automatic machines and also are lighter in weight which is an added advantage.
However, for operating a semi-automatic washing machine you would need to be at the top of all the information about the amount of water and detergent required for all the different kinds of clothes. Therefore, the overall semi-automatic washing machine requires a lot of human intervention and manual work including requiring you to fill the washing machine with water and then drain out the water after the cycle is complete.
Having a more than 30% better sales record in the Indian market, there are many who claim that semi-automatic is the best washing machine in India taking into consideration our clothes and washing habits.
To help you decide whether the Semi-automatic machine is the one for your home, here is the list of the pros and cons of the same.
Pros.
- Continuous water flow not required
- More water efficient
- Wash cycles require less time
- Lightweight-easy to move
- Less electricity consumption
- Budget-friendly purchase
Cons.
- Requirement of manual intervention
- Requires more space
- Most controls are manual requiring more knowledge of cloth needs
- Risk of getting a shock while moving the clothes
What is Front Load and Top Load in Washing Machine?
Now that we have explained the difference between the two different washing machines, let us delve more into the debate of which is better, the front load, or the top load. People who use either of the two have strong opinions on what the two can do for you, but how do you decide which one is better.
The first thing we need to mention is that Front load and Top loading are options that come along with a fully automatic machine, which doesn’t require you to manually control the washing and drying process.
When we talk about the top-loading, there are generally two different types of washing machines we refer to including the Agitators and the impellers.
The agitators are built with poles with fins that will protrude from the bottom of the drum and helps in moving the clothes around. The impellers are built with propellers at the bottom which move to churn the water to move the clothes around.
One of the best things about the top wash that users claim is the ability to add or reduce the number of clothes mid-cycle without having to restart the load. Along with that since the wash cycles are shorter, washing clothes would be less time taking affair.
However, not everyone’s experience with this type of washing machine has been good, with often complaints of the water used to be excessive. Along with that people found that the Agitator models can be tough on the clothes leading to a drop in their quality. Even in the impellers, people found that untangling the clothes is a task.
Coming down to talk about the front loading washing machines, in simple words, these washing machines come with a front-loading system where you would put in the clothes. The washing of the clothes takes place with the rotation of the machine drum, and the same technique is used in the tumbling of the process.
These machines are known for their efficient water and high power use. Claimed to be one of the best quality cleaners, almost all these machines come with a built-in heater to heat the water to the requirement of the clothes.
With a lot of additional features including Automatic dispensers, Extra rinse cycle, and air dry features, the front-loading is set to be a cloth-understanding machine that doesn’t need any supervision.
But, as they say, each coin has two sides. There are complaints about the requirement of a high-pressure water source. Along with that, the price tag on the machine is bound to be higher than that of Top loading which is a deal-breaker for many people. Another complaint is the inability to add more clothes in the middle of a cycle and having to redo the entire process to wash new additions. With a heavy cumbersome built, these machines are not easy to move.
Having gone through all these points we cannot come to a judgment for the ultimate best as it highly depends on the need of the customer. To help you make a quick decision, however, we provide you the pros and cons of both.
Top Loading Washing Machines
Pros.
- User-friendly design
- Less chances of mold growth as the lids on the top are not airtight
- Generally cheaper than front loading
- Usually lighter in weight
- Wide range of models and features suiting your needs
Cons.
- Model with agitator feature can be tough on the clothes
- Models with impeller can lead to strung up clothes
- Cycles take longer
- More water requirement
- More energy consumption
Front Loading Washing Machine
Pros.
- Comes with a built-in heater to heat the water according to the cloth needs
- Generally more water-efficient
- Wash quality is better because of a tumble wash
- Comes with more cycle setting
- Many brands are stackable that make these machines more apartment-friendly
- Out-performs top loaders in cleaning tests
Cons.
- Higher purchasing cost
- Heavier than top-loading models
- Wash cycles are slower
- Smaller range and capacities
- Needs a fixed place in the house for it cannot be moved around.
Conclusion
With more choices comes more confusion. But don’t worry, match your requirements with our list to find the perfect washing machine according to your needs.