Product review (1 stars): We did and hate it; sour clothes and reliability issues
DO NOT BUY A FRONT LOADER!!! We did and hate it; sour clothes and reliability issues. It simply doesn't use enough water to get things clean and you end up using strong scented detergents to mask the sour smell or running the same load twice. They try to convince you that you are doing the world a favor by using less water but I think the laws of physics dictate that YOU NEED WATER to do the job. You're better off going to the toy department and buying a sparkly fairy wand if you want to magically clean your clothes without water or if dry cleaning everything is not an option. Prior to purchase I thoroughly researched our model using Consumer Reports, we follow all the recommended maintenance steps from the manufacturer and also use those mysterious cleaning tablets. Washing clothes has never been so complicated. I've come to the conclusion we are just trying whatever we can to make up for design flaws in the machine.

Pros/Cons:
Front Loader vs. Magic Wand
- Very shiny (so is the magic wand)

- Expensive to purchase and maintain (A good magic wand can be purchased for less than $10 and is totally maintenance free, ribbons can be added for extra wonder power)

- Using less water makes you feel good about yourself and your contribution to the environment (using a magic wand just simply makes you feel awesome about everything!)

- Single wash cycles can take over two hours (magic wand is instantaneous or you can spend as much time as you want if you're really enjoying your newfound magical awesomeness)

- Clothes will frequently smell sour, especially dark colored clothes for some unknown reason. If you have clothing articles that will be ruined by torching them in the dryer y'all gonna STANK like you've been sleeping on a park bench a couple weeks = not good at all for your (surrounding) environment. (Magic wands won't make your clothes any cleaner or smell any better but sane people are sure to keep a safe distance and won't notice your musty smell from over there. Also, magic wands never discriminate based on color or textile properties as does the front loader and results are consistent and 100% predictable)

- Front loaders are "energy efficient". Although I'm sure that's probably not true since you have to run your loads multiple times to get clothes clean. (Magic wand uses zero electricity and zero water. The only energy used is the calories you burn, which can be significant if you develop a good routine. May be worth considering combining with your Zumba class for added health benefits)

- Front loaders are of relatively recent (70 or so years?) technology. (Magic wands have been around for thousands of years and are just as effective today as ever)

When we first bought our (very expensive) front loader we would watch through the little window and marvel how amazing this machine was and how it didn't look like it was doing anything and it was oh so quiet. Turns out, that machine really ISN'T DOING JACK. It gently rolls the laundry back and forth a little, puts a spritz of water in the mix and then sits long enough that you figure that it must have done something.

True story: I recently went to our local Sears and told the appliance sales guy that I wanted to see their machine that uses the most water possible. At first he gave me that "I don't know what you're talking about" look. But after I kept pushing he finally gave it up and admitted that "those front loaders" don't work well at all. It was as though I had finally cracked the code and he proceeded to show me their high capacity top loader. Then, looking around nervously in case the water police were nearby (yes, that's really a thing here in California) he quietly showed me how the low water level function could be overridden. Now, we have yet to replace our front loader with a proper washing machine but only for two reasons; 1) we spent a fortune on this shiny machine. 2) I would feel bad selling it to some uninformed sucker on Craigslist.

If you still feel the need for a front loader washing machine then I've got just the one for you.