{PSA} Samsung is bringing its exploding feature to more of its product line

@narfcake actually, a recent look at what people were buying showed that trends were going back toward top loaders.

@meh I wonder why; is it just initial cost?

The best front-loaders clean better and are gentler than the best HE top-loading washing machines while using less water. Front-loaders take longer than HE top-loaders, but spin faster, extracting more water and trimming dryer time.
(CR, Aug2016)

It seems like my dryer bill went down after I got the front loader, but the math is a little hard to pin down with variable gas prices.

@compunaut the articles reviewing them seem to go back and fourth more than ever on which is better. i didn’t participate in the debate but i definitely bought top loader because of budget. well, that and because my parent’s were uber unhappy with their front load set. apparently wrong decision because now mine might explode. so there’s that.

you can check samsungs website if your washer is affected, although they literally have no solution other than “sit tight, we’re trying to make this cost as little as possible for us, try not to explode kthxbai” https://pages.samsung.com/us/top_load_washer/index.jsp

@compunaut Spinning more water out of the clothes definitely makes a difference. Most of my shirts are hung dry and with the old top loader, a wash done in the morning might not be dry by that evening, whereas they usually are with the front loader; weather is dependent, of course. After I replaced my folks’ top loader, their total water usage went down by 1/4 and the gas by 1/3.

@meh @narfcake We bought the cheapest front loader we could find when we moved (14-15yr ago?)
Kenmore; tho I think it’s made by Fridigaire. Haven’t had any trouble that I remember.

@compunaut Yeah, the Kenmore front loaders are OEM by Frigidaire. The washer I got is a Frigidaire, the similar dryer is a Kenmore. Both were purchased off craigslist, and as the old top loader and dryer were a matching set, I had no problem reselling them for $200, which was $40 more than what I paid for the newer set!

@compunaut a lot of people complained about the door seals on front load washers. You’d have to leave the door open or the seals would start to get musty because the water didn’t spin out properly. I’ve heard that this problem has been mostly fixed on newer versions but I still hear people using that as a reason they don’t want front load.

The new top loads use very little water… So people complain that it’s not using enough water, lol.

@RiotDemon Yeah, our machine has a special clip that holds the door open about 1", and we use it. The drainage holes/slots are discolored from water sitting in there, but it doesn’t smell. Maybe we use enough liquid bleach to keep everything under control?
My sis-in-law didn’t like to leave her front load door open and bought a new top loader. It’s designed to use no more water than a front load machine. Trouble is, it doesn’t get clothes very clean.

@RiotDemon Just saw a news item this week about a class-action settlement for front loaders that had mold growing in them, causing horrible odors in the clothes and the house.

@pitamuffin Yes. It appears that some designs (from about 10yr ago, I think) are prone to mold/mildew when water with dirt and detergent residue isn’t adequately drained or cleaned from the machine, especially seals. Several Whirlpool models (also branded as Kenmore & Maytag) as well as some from LG & Bosch have resulted in (small) cash settlements or rebates on newly purchased machines. This after several years in court proceedings.
Note that many other models and brands of front-load washers are NOT afflicted with this problem.

@compunaut I’ve been happy with my top loader and there’s been no signs of exploding, though it does take a long time. I hear that’s just the thing with HE washers, but it’s kind of irritating that it says 53 minutes then 30 mins later says 45 mins. But in any case, if I get the opportunity to get a different set I’ll probably look more closely at top vs front loaders. I assume if they recall it I’ll probably have to get another Samsung.

All told, I feel like washers and dryers are a god damned racket. my old apartment had an uber old stacked set from the early 90s. It had no fancy functions and my clothes were always clean, not one hiccup in 5 years. In the meantime, my parents front load (cant recall brand - Kenmore I think?) washer burnt a motor, my neighbors new Maytag front load dryer caught fire (seriously!), and my dryer has burned up its heating element (apparently). All items less than 5 years old (in my case, barely 6 months). Stuff is a god damned joke. No one makes shit that works anymore.

END RANT

@meh If they made them too reliable, then you’re not going to buy a new one for the next 15+ years. Remember the old Maytag repairman?
/image Maytag repairman

Well, the counter that, Maytag came out with their front loading Neptune series – which were complete pieces of shit and managed to wipe out the brand’s reputation.

@meh If only there was someone to blame all this on …

@meh
/giphy yay!

@daveinwarsh Or, they could position them as self defense weapons for people who don’t want or can’t get a gun.

@driver8 Maybe bank robbers could just hold up a potentially exploding Samsung phone & yell “Give me all your money”.
Rolling in a Samsung major appliance that could explode may cause too many difficulties for a quick get-away…

@daveinwarsh Samsung does make cars too …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_Samsung_Motors

@pitamuffin
/giphy exploding oven

@pitamuffin Don’t worry. What could go wrong?

@Jdub To paraphrase “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”, one company’s recalled product is a liquidator’s clearance deal!

@stienman Now they tell me.

@stienman