Wanting to buy a washing machine but need some advice please from you technical gurus. I am familiar with automatic front loaders but not with twin tubs at all.
The sales people's English is too limited re technical questions and couldn't find anything on the Samsung website regarding the two models I am interested in.
Have been looking at 2 Samsuing top loaders, which are much cheaper than autos: 6.7Kg and 8kg (WT86J8 and WT10J) (5000b & 5600b).

1) What are the important pros and cons of a top loader versus an automatic front loader? I understand top loaders are now called semi-automatics? Meaning I suppose that at the end of the wash/rinse you must manually move the clothes to the spin dry tub? Or that the draining and filliing are manually controlled?

2) What is the kg capacity needed for washing a double duvet? Will the 6.7 kg be big enough (1 adult + child + occasional extra adult).

3) WATER SUPPLY AND DRAIN: My main concern.
I have a garden tap next to where it will go.
The Samsung water connecion appears to be just a push fit into a pipe with a "funnel" end. That doesn't look like it will handle normal water pressure, so one would have to be careful how much you open the tap.
I have an auto back home and it has a proper screw fitting on the pipe from the machine to the tap, and handles high pressures.
Do top loaders have a fill valve or do you have to control this manually?

Regarding the outlet, my auto has a pump which drains the machine. The Samsung just seems to have a shortish pipe which apparently just lies more or less flat on the ground for the water to drain out, presumably when a valve opens. Does anyone know if top loaders have a drain pump or not because the shop don't understand what I am asking.

To go out through the kitchen sink outlets it would need to handle a hight of about 12-15" off the floor.

Any advice or suggestions welcome.

Twin tubs are semi auto I saw them in the sixties and were replaced by top loaders
top loading are auto

lots of machines here in Thailand do not have pumps to empty them
this makes them cheaper
I had to put my machine on a 150mm plinth to get to drain correctly
the shops should know if they have pumps in them
can tell as the outlet will be quite high

My wife runs a small laundry (well family does now she is in Aus) back in Khon Kaen district and uses automatic top loaders,(for customer use, coin operated) small front loader (same) and a couple of twin tub machines, the latter of which get the absolute crap worked out of them by the family without barely a problem.I had to replace a spin motor once but they are about 3 years old now so must be just about worn out by now I'd imagine. I'll be back there in April so I'll see then.

Can't remember the brand offhand but I will ask her. On other queries, I don't think the small 6kg machines handle large douves very well at all. There are some of the twin tub machines that go up to about 15kg though but from memory hers were around 11kg. When they have large blankets etc. they usually use the large top loader automatic machine. It strips the nylon drive mechanism now and then (not surprising) but it is easy and cheap to replace (cost about $10)

No pumps on Thai machines I have ever seen. Just use a valve either manually (on the twin tub) or via a solenoid on the autos.
Cannot drain up into a tub, just drain out at floor level.
I remember coming across this when I first went there and saw the hoses lying on the floor.
I said this would not work as water will syphon out but that was received with just a funny look.Turns out they knew more than I did on that occasion.

Filling twin tubs is, as you say, just a hose that fits the tap. No problem as it just sits in a receptacle in the tub(no valve) so no problem blowing off as no pressure build up.

Brand was LG with a 13Kg capacity...cost was around 9,000Baht each and they have, if i remember correctly, a 5 year warranty on the motors if used for non-commercial.

http://www.lg.com/th/search.lg

http://www.lg.com/th/washing-machine/lg ... ng-machine

I have no idea where you're shopping but I would suggest you visit one of the home centers around UT before buying anything. My wife and I just bought a new Hitachi side by side fridge at Home Pro yesterday after buying a new Samsung front load washer a few months back at the same place. The salesmen in both those purchases spoke passable English and were able to easily answer most of our questions.
In addition to what has already been pointed out about the lack of a pump to drain the machine most Thai washers are not grounded (earthed) which to my mind is a significant safety issue as water and electricity just don't mix well. This is easy enough to remedy as there is normally ground screw located on the rear of the machines. Just look for a screw with a GROUND symbol next to it. Run a seperate electrical line from the screw to a ground rod hammerred into the ground.
The Samsung front load washer we bought has a proper threaded connection for the water supply. The female end of the water supply hose threads directly onto a male threaded faucet which is widely available at every home center here in UT. Something to keep in mind if buying a front loader is vibration. Some of these machines will "walk" when working. Look for a front loader with an internal balance mechanism to prevent this. The Samsung we bought is outfitted this way and stays put. Many other front loaders (usually the low end washers) do not have any anti-vibration mechanism built into them. This is a feature that we had to research out on the Samsung site because the salesman could not undertand this feature saying all the front loaders were outfitted this way which is totally incorrect.
I hope this helps.

Hi everyone thanks for the useful advice. It looks like it will have to wait for my next visit. Gf says I've spend to much money on her this visit haha.
I looked at BigC in Udon and the same machines at a Home Applicance store near the Post Office in Sawang. A nice classy store. Prices were about the same. At BigC the salesman looked blank at my questions and I was in a hurry so didnt try to find someone else.

OK, some things are clearer now, in particular about the inlet. Looks like you would turn the tap on as required to fill it with the twin tub. So can't just go out and leave it running = needs some attention for the different cycles.

Regardng outlet, good tip to look at the height of the outlet on the machine. With no pump would have to make some other plan to get the water out (like the plinth noosard mentioned). was hoping to connect into the double sink drain pipes but that is over a foot off the floor level.

Thanks for all the info fdmike. Hi to you, and hope you are well?
The electrical grounding is a good tip.
I note that all mains sockets in this house are 2 pin ie no earth!
My gf had an unused Home Theatre Anp so I connected it up for her. Works OK as long as the sound souce has no mains connection in which case you get a loud 50 Herts hum (earth loop)!

Just to get the terms quite straight in my mind:
An auto toploader is the same as a auto front loader - just has the door on top?
And with a twin tub, the one tube is for washing and and you fill manually when necessary.
The other tub is for spin drying, and you need to move the clothes to it when required. Price would be a consideration and full autos are obviosuly a lot more expensive that the 5500b for the Samsubg twin tub (8-10kb for an auto) , She would need to be home for the twin tub to do the necessary, but it will still save her a lot of elbow grease over hand washing.

Anyway will check HomePro ands similer stores next visit and also find out delivery costs to Sawang which my gf thinks will be a lot.

Just a bit extra ,you'll need at least a 11kg m/c to do the duvet , my experience is top loaders donot wash the clothes as good as front load auto's , but no prob with twin tub but it's more elbow grease , hope this helps ,

All front loading machines have balance rings, it's the nature of the beast.
At least for the last 50 years since Hoover brought out the frontloading Keymatic machines.
Front loaders have the advantage of being more resourceful with water use.
Disadvantage is of course, if you forget to put something in, forget it until next time.
Just no way to interfere with the "programmed actions" once you push the start button, you are locked out.

bluejets wrote:All front loading machines have balance rings, it's the nature of the beast.
At least for the last 50 years since Hoover brought out the frontloading Keymatic machines.
Front loaders have the advantage of being more resourceful with water use.
Disadvantage is of course, if you forget to put something in, forget it until next time.
Just no way to interfere with the "programmed actions" once you push the start button, you are locked out.

Maybe on some models, but not all. Our LG front loader has a pause button that pauses the cycle, but it may take a few minutes for the door lock mechanism to release.

Blue

I have to disagree with you on 2 points. Not all front loading washers have EFFECTIVE anti-vibration devices which prevent the machine from "walking" and becoming very noisy when the load is out of ballance. They may have some sort of "balance rings" but most are ineffective. There are several manufacturers here in Thailand which produce high end front washers with very effective anit-vibration devices, Samsung being one. However, not all of their front load washers have this feature as it adds cost to the machine. The one we bought even comes with an inverter motor which uses less electricity.
The second point is opening the door. As best I can determine there is some provision for stopping the machine after it starts to open the door to add or remove an item before the water begins to fill the tub.

Hoopoe wrote: ↑

February 15, 2015, 5:59 pm

Just a bit extra ,you'll need at least a 11kg m/c to do the duvet , my experience is top loaders donot wash the clothes as good as front load auto's , but no prob with twin tub but it's more elbow grease , hope this helps ,

I know it's a while since this thread was active, but after 12 years my old front loader has just about given up the ghost, so I'm looking for a new machine. After I'm not sure how many ear bashings, I have agreed that Mrs Statts can have a top loader this time (if only to save going to the local shop every couple of weeks to wash a duvet). Spoke to local salesman in the first shop I tried and was told that a MINIMUM 14kg would be required to wash a double duvet
Not sure if this is a trade recommendation or just him trying to get me to buy a bigger (higher commission ) machine.
Have to see what some of the other shops say

My missus puts the duvet in a big plastic tub and jumps on it, clean as a whistle, meanwhile our front loader is ten years old and still going, they are the best by a mile.

A little history first. At home, we had a top loading LG. (8 KG) It cleaned clothes good enough to suit my wife. The only problem was that the spin cycle made the machine walk all over the floor. It lasted ten years before it simply quit.

At the condo, we have a Samsung top loader (8 KG) called a Wobble. It too washes clothes good enough to suit her.

Neither of the machines are big enough for heavy blankets. She wanted a bigger machine and we bought a Toshiba (11 KG) top loader inverter model. The good is that it is VERY quiet and the spin cycle is very smooth. The problem is that it just doesn't clean clothes very well. She has been running through an extra cycle and even at that, she says her clothes are not as clean as from the old LG or the Samsung. At this point, she is using a plastic tub for a prewash and then dumping the clothes, detergent and water into the Toshiba.

First of all I think that you need a 10 kg. Up for washing the double duvet.
Second. Me to I wasn't happy with my top loader Toshiba .not cleaning good and "died" after only 2 years.
I bought an LG before 3 weeks. For now I am satisfied