My sister was just told from Lowes after a huge ordeal with a Whirlpool Refrigerator, that Maytag is now owned by Whirlpool, and that may explain the decline in quality. However we do have a Whirlpool Duet front loading washer( 5 years old) and it works great. You can open the door during the first few minutes of the was cycle too. Just had to have the element replaced in the dryer, though, but not a bad record for the amount of laundry done aroud our house. I would highly recommend Whirlpool for the washers and dryers, but run away from their Refrigerators, unless you dont care if your ice maker works. LG brand although a new brand is owned by the Zenith corp who has been around for years.

We just purchased the new LG Brand front-loading washer and dryer set (Home Depot had 10% off this past weekend). It was ranked highest across the board by Consumer Reports. LG does not have a long track history, though, so we got the 4-year service plan on each. My simple advice - You MUST read all the directions and follow them before using the new equipment. Otherwise, you're doomed to fail.

msncdso, thanks for the opinion on the front loading washers. Up until now I had only heard good things about them, ie; consumer reports. We are building a house and I was actually planning on buying one (not maytag), but I'll investigate further before committing.

Maytag is certainly not what it used to be. In 2004 I paid way too much extra money to purchase a Maytag Neptune washer and dryer thinking I was getting quality that was worth the difference in other brands. Was I ever wrong!!! I'm on a first name basis with the repair man after numerous dryer problems. The washer hasn't actually broken, but I dislike not having the option to choose a water level, it seems to have a mind of it's own about too many things. It locks as soon as you start it (I suppose that's a safety feature), but I like to know what's going on inside sometimes. The entire time it's operating, all you hear is a series of moans and groans and other curious sounds. I have to set the spin cycle on 'extra low' to not have the clothes so twisted and wound up that it's an ordeal to separate the pieces. Sometimes, when you finally get the clothes unwound, there still dry spots here and there. It's really embarrasing to admit publicly that you're so stupid.

Have been curious about the "front loading" washers anyway. It seems to me there would always be a potential for leaking with this design....I mean lets face it a 5 gal. bucket standing in the upright position will not leak.....however the same bucket on it's side without a good, sealed lid will always leak!!!! Why are paint cans, milk containers, and anything liquid not stored on their sides....?