I had the Amana High Efficiency Front loader (NFW200TW) for a few years. I liked the machine but then a piece cracked off the plastic silver rim around the door. I was still able to use the machine for a few months after that and then the rim cracked. The door is hanging from the hinges which came through the plastic rim. My advice is that if you get a front loader to make sure that the circular silver rim around the door is not plastic. I ended up replacing with a top loader due to this experience.

DrSandyM

Tewksbury Township, NJ

I've had my Amana washer (model #NFW7200TW) for about 5 1/2 years now - it's our 2nd front loader. The first didn' t even last 2 years. If you haven't thought about a front loader before, consider these. 1. This machine uses much less water than others, so water bills are lower. Water is a non-renewable resource; it's important to conserve wherever possible. 2. Less water use means your septic tanks won't fill up as quickly. 3. This Amana washer spins at an incredibly high RPM. This means your clothes are MUCH drier when removed from the washer, so they need less time to dry. Sometimes when I begin to remove clothes from the washer I hesitate and, for a moment, wonder if I forgot to turn the machine on! They have that much less water in them! This, of course, saves on electricity and wear and tear on your dryer. 4. Front loaders are far gentler on your clothing than machines with agitators. So your clothes last longer. 5. This particular machine does sound an alarm when it's finished with a load. But, instead of a harsh or unpleasant buzzing machine, it sounds an adorable and pleasant series of chimes. :-) Yeah, I know, you won't buy this machine because of that but it does make laundry somewhat less unpleasant! Now, that said, there are a couple of things that I do like better about the machines with agitators. 1. It could be our very hard water but it sometimes seems whites don't get as white as they did with the old style machine. Not certain. 2. If you are taller or have back issues, bending over for the front loader can be a little uncomfortable but it's not like you are doing this for an hour at a time. Neither of those are deal-breakers for me. I LOVE this machine and when the time comes and I need another, I hope they are still around. I'd definitely buy another. Energy Efficiency There are several ways this machine saves money, less water use means you pay less for your water (important if you are on city water), less electricity used by dryer because clothes dry in half the time, And the machine itself is one of the more energy-efficient models. The size of this model is also an energy saver. Due to its extra large capacity it easily holds my king-sized comforters. Cleaning Time It's true, some cycles can be longer than with an agitating machine but there are a couple of quick cycles for when you need something quickly. And there is a rinse/spin only cycle if you're REALLY in a hurry. ;-) Performance My husband gets his jeans and work shirts very dirty. I have never had a problem getting these clean. The only thing I sometimes am not sure about is white loads (mostly socks and dish towels) sometimes don't seem as white as they could be but it could also be due to our hard water. Ease of Use Easy! Quick! All buttons and detergent/bleach/softener trays are within easy reach and there are a number of pre-set wash styles. Design The top is flat, unlike some front loaders so you can get additional storage space. The front is simple and without a lot of unnecessary gadgets and buttons. Everything is clearly labeled in a size that is legible even for older eyes. Durability In regular use for 5 1/2 years now, had to have a repair just days shy of it being 5 years old but thankfully it was still within warranty. Sadly, the repair person said most of the time that's all you can expect of machines these days. We will see how much more time I get.

melrensckit

USA

This is a great front loading washer. It's definitely durable by my standards. There is five teenage boys in the house, that all do there own laundry. And as boys are, they shove as much as they can in at a time. This washer doesn't seem to be affected by the overloading. I have had this machine for about five or six years now. We use it almost every single day. It manages to still get everything good and clean. It's real easy for the kids, husband and myself to use. Very simple. It's compact and fits almost anywhere, yet holds a lot. It cost much less than my last washer did to run. My only issue with it is that i have to leave the door ajared on it when not in use. To keep it from getting a mildewy smell.

mcinnish7

USA

We have had the Amana Front Load Washing Machine for about 4 years now. It has been a huge blessing! First off, the load size is great. We have been able to wash large loads of laundry, or small ones, and the machine will use the correct amount of water; we LOVE not wasting water! We have even been able to fit our king size comforter in this washer! I also like all of the settings you can choose. There are several options for the temperature (hot, cold, warm, and combinations), spin speed (gentle, low, medium, high), as well as soil level of the load (light, medium, heavy). There are also some buttons you can push if you would like to only do a rinse and spin or if you want to add an extra rinse to your load. There is also a knob where you select what kind of load you are doing (delicates, hand wash, quick wash, etc). It is so nice having so many options! I also like the display setting on the washer. There is a countdown that shows how many minutes are left of the current load. You can even set a timer for when to start the washer, although I have never used that feature. My only complaint about the washer is the door. After several uses, it hangs down lower than it should. It still closes, we just have to lift it and push it in (instead of just pushing it closed). It's not a huge deal, and we've gotten used to it. Not sure if others have had the same problem or not. Cleaning Time There is a quick wash option which is around 30 minutes. If you do the normal wash on the quickest settings (fastest spin speed, lowest soil level), it's around 45-50 minutes.

rebma108

USA

I'd never owned a high-efficiency washer or front-loader when we bought this, along with the dryer, in late 2008. LOVE this washer. And almost 5 years later it still looks and runs like new. Will be selling ours as we move, but definitely plan to buy the newer similar model when we move into a new house. Highly recommend.

Mawby

USA

Love this washing machine due to price, overall use and effectiveness. Had it for almost 4 years now and still works like brand new. Ease of Use Love the "wrinkle release" option because it helps me save time in having to iron since they come out ready for folding already.

fuzion7

Toledo, OH

We bought this washing about 5 years ago. It cleans and works great. It is very easy to use and has all the buttons needed. The only complaints I have are that if I don't leave the door open, I get a smell inside the washer. Second is that at least on my washer, the door is a little difficult to close. All in all, it's a great washer and I'd buy another one.

ESL2979

Webster, MA

In general, I really like this washer. It has a nice design, is easy to use, and even has a quick setting that allows me to get a load done in 29 minutes. I also like the way it sings a little song when the load is done. But I have had a terrible problem with it not draining properly in the front, which leads to bad mildew issues. It smells very badly (especially in the summer) if I do not leave the door open, clean it regularly (and there are some spots that I can't clean out because they are unreachable), and sometimes it even gets into the clothes and the smell in the washer and the clothes affects my families allergies. It would be such a great washer, but for me it is such a poor flaw in design and a very bad issue. If I had a choice, I would trade it in for a different one that would not have that problem. Design I had to give this a lower score because of the mold/mildew issue.

loweg23

Linn Creek, MO

I purchased this machine in November and had it installed the first week of December 2009.  It worked perfectly until the end of January and It started showing this code "nf" (meaning not filling with water" and the machine would stop.  I would move the clothes around and start the machine again and it would do the same thing.  After about 5 trips to the basement to reset the machine I would just switch it to rinse.  I have had 3 repairman and each time they try to blame the size or types of load and the problem has not been repaired.  One actually put on his report that he found debris in a pump but he never told me that.  The people at customer service have been really nice and even gave me an extra year warranty but since this problem started I have only been able to wash 2 loads with no problem.  I have another repairman scheduled for today I only hope he can actually fix this problem. I have told the customer service people if it does not work, I want the machine out of here and my money back. I have never had this kind of problem with any washer this soon after purchasing.  I am including an update. the repairman came out and replaced the hot water valve. We have only done a few loads in it and it seems to be working fine now.  Other than this problem it does really clean the clothes when it is working.  I also recieved a call from an Amana Representative over this blog. She was  very nice and professional and called the service company as well.  I really hope I don't have any further problems with it because I personnally would hate to work for a company that does not stand behind their products and so far I have no complaints about their customer service. I have had this machine for about 2 years now and since the problem with the water flow was fixed it has worked well and takes heavier loads than my old machine. Energy Efficiency I cannot understand how it can be energy efficient when it takes twice as long to process a load as my old machine. Cleaning Time This machine seems to take over an hour to process an average load. My old machine only took 30 min. Performance The clothes due come out clean but I have noticed that sometimes the fabric softener dispenser clogs up even though I dilute it according to the instructions. Ease of Use I would prefer to be able to to adjust the timing myself Design na Durability I'll have to see if it lasts as long as the old one which came with the house 15 years ago

grammabanana

Chicago Heights, IL

At the time our washing machine went out, I'd been looking to get a Samsung...you know the kind with the steaming option and all the bells and whistles!!!? And it came in RED which I REALLY thought I'd want! However, when I looked at the amount we had to spend on a washer AND a dryer (which went out too) I was not so happy with the Samsung price tag and the reviews on both brands were so similar..in fact, the reviews for Amana were nearly all great! So I thought I'd check out the Amana in the store and it did everything I wanted. Also, the bells and whistles on the other brand were going out on some people and there were quite a few complaints with nearly every brand except amana on a certain smell front loaders are known for. So I was leary about spending that kind of money. We went with the Amana and I've never been so impressed!!! My parents have a much more expensive Maytag unit and my mom stayed with us for a few weeks and went home wanting her washing machine to be this Amana!! It's fantastic! It does what it's supposed to and it is quiet and clean and NO TROUBLE!!! Very happy with this purchase. Oh and one more thing...in the end when we measured, this was the only one that would have fit without taking a wall out or moving things around. Most of the washers and dryers are massive these days and the way our laundry room was built did not allow very much room. This was a perfect fit!

AlarieC

Springdale, AR