When it comes to stain-removal tests, front-loaders consistently perform better than top-loaders. This is due to the fact that the tumbling wash motion of a front-loader is more effective than the twisting wash motion of a top-loader (whether or not it has an agitator). However, if your laundry loads are only moderately dirty or if you don't mind pretreating stains, top-loaders can still do a good job at cleaning.