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Most LG washers do well in Consumer Reports' tests. Some are near the top of our ratings. And you'll see LG front-loaders on our recommended list, but you won't see LG's top-loaders on that list. That's because they're significantly worse than most other brands when it comes to being repair-prone.
That's what we recently found when we surveyed 115,573 subscribers who bought new washers between 2007 through the first half of 2014. LG doesn't make agitator top-loaders, so the top-loaders cited in our survey are high-efficiency washers, or HE models, which do not have agitators and use a lot less water to get the job done. Among top-loaders, HE and agitator models, Speed Queen, Roper, Maytag, Samsung, and Whirlpool were more reliable brands.
For HE top-loaders to make our recommended list they have to score 71 or higher and can't have brand reliability issues. Recommended HE top-loaders include the Samsung WA48H7400AP, $900, Samsung WA52J8700AP, $1,000, and Kenmore 28132, $800. Agitator washers must score 51 or higher, and of course brand reliability can't be a problem, to make our top picks. The minimum overall score required is lower than HE washers because the best agitator top-loaders don't perform as well as the best HE washers, yet agitator washers remain popular since they're cheaper and have faster wash times. The Whirlpool WTW4850BW, $580, and GE GTWN5650FWS, $650, are both recommended.
LG and Samsung are among the more reliable front-loader brands, while Frigidaire and GE are among the more repair-prone. Front-loaders set the bar for top overall performance and recommended models must score 81 or higher, such as the Samsung WF56H9110CW, $1,450, LG WM8500HVA, $1,450, and the Maytag Maxima MHW8100DC, $1,400.
And if you're wondering about dryers, LG electric and gas dryers are significantly more reliable than any other brand, and Fisher & Paykel electric dryers are the most repair-prone brand, according to our survey of 105,474 subscribers who bought new dryers between 2007 and the first half of 2014.
See our washer and dryer Ratings for all the details. Click on the Brand Reliability tab and the Features & Specs tab too. You'll see the appliance dimensions noted here. That's important, especially given the increasing width of some washers and dryers. Any questions? E-mail me at kjaneway@consumer.org.
—Kimberly Janeway
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