Agitator vs. No Agitator? Which one is better. 

They should make washing machines with removable agitators. It wouldn't be that difficult, and would bring the best of both worlds.

None of the washing machines in the last 10 years do NOT get clothes clean. I hate them!

Thank you for explaining! Great video.

i always gotta have the agi with the top loader, if not, the front loader washer it is lol

Smells good longer. Clothes, in an agitators

How does an HE washer use less energy when a wash cycle takes over an hour vs something like a Speed Queen TC5 that can do a load in a half hour and get the clothes twice as clean as a washer without an agitator? Seems like if you have to wash a load twice to get it clean and each time takes over an hour that you aren't saving anything that way. In fact it looks like you be using more energy, unless you wanted to go around in half washed clothes.

less than year old maytag medb855dc4 and mvw855dc4 both for $950 good price? Debating if I should upgrade from kenmore 500 series washer and 600 series dryer.

The non agitator takes my clothes and turns them into a rope and stretches them out,ruining them.

But the non agitator depends on rubbing clothes against clothes with less water. Clothes don't last as long...believe me.

Save your money and don't buy an impeller washer. Agitator is much more efficient in cleaning soil and stain and giving a more cleaner wash.

Watched this video& asked my wife if she had an agitator and she said " yes I married one" Ouch!

I’m agitated

I’ll go with agitators all day gotta love those old Maytags

Non agitators tend to have trouble with sheets and cloths mix, screws them into a knot, if you have a large family and short time, some people over fill their machines. The sheets turn into parachutes and engulf all the cloths, then overloads. Having had front, top with or without agitator, I prefer top loader with agitator shorter time and comes cleaner for work cloths. Delicates i hand wash and then machine spin dry. Busy household.

I definitely want an agitator model, as we have the "non-agitator" and it has never gotten our clothes as clean.

My experience with a years-old LG impeller is that it hardly moves the clothes around and they will often just be sticking out of the water as it uses so little. For me it would be an agitator or a front loader next time.

Takes longer to run a cycle in a HE machine, clothes come out muddy still, have to wash twice. How's that more efficient? I'll keep my 20 yr old Whirlpools.

Just got rid of a washer with no agitator . My clothes didn't get clean but now i have a heavy duty washer with an exaggerated agitator and the difference is night and day . I feel better washing clothes now .

Old school are the best. They aggressively clean much, much better with more water.

There's only 2 top loaders to consider: 1. Maytag 3.5 Cu. Ft. Commercial-Grade Residential Washer - MVWP575GW 2. Speed Queen TC5003WN aka the TC5 classic I'll save you time with research, there's other differences, but most importantly - Maytag has better wash action w/ dual action agitator, but the SQ is built like a tank. Both are fantastic, and make sure you type in model numbers when searching.

I will go with the classic agitator

Seems the idea was less water used in the new agitaterless models, truth is we must run clothes through twice to get them clean. Anyone else see the flaw in that logic?

Non agitators don't wash every well!

We have no agitator and hate it. Clothes never seem as clean as I would like and doesn't get deodorant marks if my shirts. My wife does smaller loads more often but that takes forever and doesn't save any money on my water bill.

I had an LG frontloader for 12 years until it died, throwing a code that indicated catastrophic failure. That machine cleaned the clothes well, but had a moldy smell the last 5 years and also was very low to the ground, making unloading it awkward. I shopped top load agitator & impeller machines for a while, and had not really made up my mind when I saw an LG agitator top loader in metallic grey on clearance. I got one factory wrapped for 1/2 price. I've put it through the paces and can say that its not your grandma's agitator. Its got every bell & whistle, is quiet, and cleans the clothes well.

Agitators seems to extract dirt and debris while impellors only seem to loosen them. With an agitator I can hang up my clothe to dry right after, with impellors I must put it in a dryer. Most of the time impellers leave a ton of hair or debris. Agitators work much better in general.

The older models with the agitator were much better than the newer models. The cycles were shorter, clothes came out cleaner and fresher smelling and didn't take forever to dry like with the newer models. I use to like doing the laundry, now I hate it!

I have a GE top load washer with the impeller. Looks just like the GE washer in this video, just without the agitator. I’ve had it over a year now. It cleans my clothes just fine! However, I do have all my wash setting set to the “deep fill” for extra water. It didn’t seem to do as great of a job without the deep fill option on.

Ok i can confirm im getting old, looking for washing machine reviews

I’ve had the LG impeller (non-agitator) model for years, through 4 kids and it works fine. If you have a grease, oil or food stain your worried about, just pre-treat. It’s nice for not beating up sweaters and washing bulk items like comforters and bedspreads. Just my experience.

The non-agitator GE washer that I've owned for two years is a total Pile and pain in the butt to use. Unless you load the clothing in very carefully, the machine goes out of balance, and ultimately doesn't completely drain, and spin. You get to reset the machine to drain & spin, and redistribute the load so it doesn't un-balance. Forget washing quilts because the machine can't even begin to balance a quilt, so you get to try 3-4 times, until you get it right. I'm 61 years old, this is the worst washer I've ever owned. I'm going to dump it on Craig's List and buy a cheaper-simpler washing machine.

Bottom line- get washer machine with agitator if you want whatever you're washing to be cleaned! don't be fooled.

You forgot to mention the new ones even with agitator break in less than 5 years... and that is info from a washer repairman.

There is no "technology" that will agitate clothes without an agitator. Since "HE" washers are so awful, a front loading washer has become the only functional modern washing machine.

Our experience has been that if the no-agitator type machine is loaded improperly it will twist the clothing into a tight tangled mess and not completely rinse out the loosened dirt from the clothing. We replaced an agitator type machine which was only 5 years old with a no-agitator type machine which is now 5 years old (and has developed a small leak), and the wear and tear on the clothing seems no better than or worse than the agitator type. One way we noticed the extra wear on the clothing is the lint trap in the dryer retrieves much more lint with smaller loads than it did when we had an agitator type machine.... We use small loads, rarely ever large loads. And the high efficiency no-agitator definitely requires a minimum of detergent or it won't rinse out the soap even with a double rinse. Bottom line is read the user manual and follow the instructions. We are shopping for a new agitator type as this is being written.

The non-agitator washing machine does not work for me because it does not clean my construction clothes which are very dirty most of the time. The non-agitator actually uses more water because I have to wash the clothes twice

While visiting my Son and his Family I used their washer and boy was I disappointed. Washer had no agitator and “six inches” of water. My clothes were dingy and white socks still had dirt around heels. Who designed the mechanics of washer was an idiot. My son bought a conventional (normal) washer as the other washer was in house he purchased.

I guess I’ll stick with the non agitator. If my clothes ever got too soiled I’ll pull out a heavy bin, some dish soap and a garden hose and go to town. Having something that can handle a comforter to my regular clothes is a deal sealer.

Thanks. But I will keep my 1984 Maytag workhorse... has never stopped working and works great today.

Or just get a front loader that's the best of BOTH worlds, works as good as an agitator model while being delicate and energy/water efficient.

Let’s review the purpose of a washing machine. It is to wash. If it doesn’t wash, what is it’s purpose.

if you DON'T want your clothes clean get the impeller model.

The truth is that the automatic top loader washer was perfected in the late 1960's anything new is just hype and.......junk.

I had a non agitator washer and took it back because my clothes would often come out either half wet/dry or still dry and dirty! They badly use any water and just barley bounce the clothes around and that’s it! These so called “high efficiency” washers with no agitators are a joke!

last two machines i have owned have had no agitator and they clean my levis just fine, agitator machines seem to tear my clothes up, the clothes come out virtually dry. minus the levis which need about a half hour in a dryer. beyond that im a happy person with non agitator models.

Agitator all the way.

very cool. i like them both. anf i agree on agitator models wash best for heavy duty.

At the end of the day, we just want clean clothes. I switched out my old agitator washer for a new Samsung no agitator washer. MISTAKE. I have to wash a load of towels 3 times to get them clean. Definitely dumping the new one and going back to an agitator.

The heavy duty issue can be countered by programming soak time so when/if the impeller/pulse machines come down to realistic price I want one. I am patient and refuse to pay the premium for newer tech.

The non-agitating machine is horrible. It doesn’t rinse well at all. I almost always have do a drain and spin after every load. I’m definitely going back to the agitator

I just bought a brand new LG impeller washer, one of the nicer ones. I had a front load Maytag previously that worked very well but it finally went out. This LG is horrible. It does not wring the water out well enough and the clothes are sopped so I either have to dry them that way or spin again. It does not wash my hair off clothes. I picked off about 25 of my own hairs from a sweatshirt the other day. I didn't even know there could be that much hair in the wash as my previous washer got it all off. I have three dogs and weirdly it gets most of that hair but not mine. Also I've watched it run and sometimes it takes about 10 minutes for the top clothes to be pulled in to wash so those clothes obviously don't get as clean as the rest of the clothes. I washed a kitchen towel on Sanitary cycle and it still had crusted food on it. The towel wasn't very dirty to begin with. I'm so bummed because it is such a hassle to return something that big.

Non agitator models is like beating your clothing against a rock. Uses less water and relies on the impeller to grate against the cloths to get them clean. They are no more than something the manufacturer came up with to sell you on the idea of saving water. I would rather my cloths float in the water than to have little water and let them be beat to death on the impeller. Front loading machines are even worse and I hate having to leave the door open to keep mold from growing inside the rubber gasket.

My five year old Whirlpool 4.3 cf impeller model just completely stopped rinsing the clothes. I had to wring everything out by hand to even dry the clothes for a week. My husband hated that machine from the start and wanted to go back to an agitator from day one. Well after replacing it with 4.5 cf agitator he model yesterday, I should've listened to him. I didn't realize how wet the impeller one left the clothes (even before the issues). Also it has cut down the time to wash and dry in half. The clothes actually smell like they were washed. I will never go back to an impeller model again.

stay away from the no agitator washers. i got one mainly to clean 2 large blankets i would otherwise have to take to the laudromat. they dont clean as good. they hardly use any water unless (on mine) you use deep water wash setting (2hours) they take 3 times longer to wash. you cant really put in a full basket of clothes because it only puts a few inches of watet. most of the time, any towels will have wrapped around the rest of the clothes like a bag & all the time with 1 or more bedsheets.... getting this was one of the worst things ive ever done. next time its gonna be a front load speed queen.....

I LIKE THE AGITATOR AND NO AGITATOR

I should of watched this video first before buying a no agitator machine. Worst disappointment. I thought that propeller would work similar to a blender 😂

Old stuff works better 😂

We have the Samsung extra large capacity washer & dryer with no agitator - I HATE them. I was curious to see actually how much water the washer uses even on a heavy duty load and I laughed as I opened the lid - there was a few inches of water. After the load is done washing the clothes are still practically dry. Newer is not always better. We’ve had our machines for 3 1/2 years and I’m currently looking for just a simple washer and dryer, with an agitator this time.

I just bought my very first brand new home here in TX & only thing I need is a new washer & dryer combo. I'm leaning towards either Whirlpool or Maytag brands, not sure which one to pick. Anybody has one of these models??? Either way, I'm going to go with the old fashion AGITATOR version tho😁

2:45 Heads up. Efficient, not effecient. 2:53 Wrings, not rings, out clothes.

I don't like the one we have it has the agitator BUT! its to slow, the old washer had fast agitation and got stuff cleane first wash, this new GE W agitation I have to was things 2 or 3 times to get them clean, SO I'm using more water and more electricity so it defeats the so called energy saving BS

I wish a company made a washing machine that works and hits clothes like old school washers but lives up to the modern era

Well, we bought a big LG non agitator machine a couple of years ago and its worked very, very well. Even on heavily soiled items. First machine we've had that can wash pillows, large quilts, dog beds, just about everything fits. Only thing is, its not the fastest and being a large machine it does use its share of water, but electricity wise, its quite efficient. Plus it has a real smug, self satisfied tune at the end..

Agitator machines cleans clothes better hands down. Had non agitator model and it ripped clothes up. Garbage!

Yes, this is pretty solid advice. The agitator models definitely clean heavily soiled clothing better. The newer style is fine for delicates.

I got my new Maytag agitator glass top. I feel better. Ah it’s a little rough on the clothes...give me a break. At least they get cleaned

God damnit just bought a new Samsung washing machine with no agitator and I'm pissed I definitely wanted that but wasn't familiar that the new ones don't have it. Just listened to it run the first time like oh hell no I wanted that. Damn thing sounds like it's barely cleaning. I'm pissed 😡 You're probably saying well didn't you see that when you purchased and no I didn't they didn't have the model I chose on the sales floor so he pulled it up on the computer and me thinking newer is better I jumped right on it. Buyer beware...

All of these washers you by now that are high efficiency are disposable they do not want you to fix them they want you to buy another one in about 4 to 5 years how is that good for the environment you're putting all that waste into landfills.

I just happened upon your videos and so glad I did. This was an excellent explanation of the two types of washers, easy to understand, and to the point. Thank you so much!

I have the GE washing machine with Agitator and soak cycle. Works like a charm. I will highly recommend this cleaning gator :)

Coming from an appliance expert. Each model is different. Just cause it has an agitator dose not mean it washer better. It's a case by case answer for witch washer will be best. Last Washers are not made anywhere near the level of quality of years ago. Over all LG and Samsung are leading but falling short on dryers.

I live in a very very old apartment (like appliances from the 60's old) but one thing i do like is the old fashioned washing machine.

I hate my non-agitator washing machine 😒 Can't wait to go back to the good old- fashioned model with the agitator arm! The machine i have now leaves my clothes, towels, blankets smelling musty! The machine itself always has a musty smell too! Never again 😒

The difference between clean clothes and wasting time. Using less water means less clean clothes. Have a moldy front loader. Will be throwing it out and purchasing an agitator model where I control the amount of water, the temperature of the water and the length of the cycle.

Thank you kind sir. I wish there was a book that told everything about washing machines. My Maytag Commercial Washer seems to be wearing out (not to mention shredding) my "stuff." The last technician said to get a Speed Queen next time. I tried to have him adjust the water level so the machine didn't use about 50 gallons to wash & rinse a small load ... couldn't do it.

Not really sure you can say it rings them out more effectively if it never gets them as wet in the first place. Regardless, thanks for the video!

the question is, does the impeller clean out poop stains just as good as the agitator? XP

Bought my first impeller washer a couple years ago and find it doesn't rinse the soap out very well. Particularly noticeable for dark washes. I usually end up having to put it through 2 rinse cycles at the end. I've tried different brands of soaps, different deliveries of soap (liquid, powder, sheets), different water heights, you name it. Any suggestions as to how to thoroughly rinse out the soap using cold water?

Impeller for the win!!! (No modern appliance haters here!)

You have to see them in action washing a load of clothes for this to have any relevance. I thought an impeller model would be great, assuming the technology was the newest most effective thing. I exchanged it for an agitator model after using it for several days. I just did not get the job done.

Once I had a 3rd option Swedish made "Electro-Helios" washing machine back in the late 70's and it suited me perfectly. It was a top-loaded horizontal drum (H-axis drum just like a front loader) and it washed clean and fluff-free as front-loading drum-washers always do better thanks to its two compartments i.e. inside round drum with laundry in a outer square box, but (unlike front-loaders) you could always stop it simply by lifting the top-lid and add what ever was forgotten. After opening the lid you rolled the inside drum by hand until you could open two "barn-doors" and chuck something extra inside the drum. Then it could just keep going washing again. Sadly I left it behind in Uppsala when moving to Australia, never to be seen again. That was ~50 years ago and many my washers later I never had a better one... Nothing close...and a similar washing machine is impossible to find 2020. Sad :-)

Ironically, Consumer Reports says the top 10 impeller units washed their clothes cleaner than the agitator models.

Now do a wash with the new HE and then put those clothes straight in the old agitating washer - watch how dirty the water is! You can't wash clothes without water - especially if you have kids :) We did this a while ago when we moved from our rented suite with HE washer to the new house we bought that had an old fashioned top load washer. We put clothes that had just come out of the HE machine into the old washer and the water was black - disgusting!

Do NOT buy an impeller. Agitator washing machines come with delicate cycles on them. No one is wearing just silk or chiffon clothing: we wear jeans and wash bed quilts. We wash dirty socks and underthings. The machines without agitators do NOT clean clothes. Sloshing clothing back and forth does NOT get them clean. Why would anyone want an entire machine that only washes on the "delicate" cycle anyway? No one is going to buy and have two types of machines in their homes. What are people supposed to do with their kid's football uniform, take it to a laundromat? This is common sense and does not involve any "new technology." Anyone with any doubts, look up the reviews on these machines. They are a complete fail at cleaning.

Non agitator washers take forever to wash cloths. Did not like it and returned for old style.

Some LG top load washers now have agitators, but they don't seem to rotate the clothes from the bottom to the top (or vis versa) the way my older GE did (I don't think the GE washer is this video was not even made by GE). The LG agitator just moves the clothes back and forth with more force. My older GE also allowed me to set the water level in 5 different levels. My new LG only allows me to use Deep Fill, which is too much water, but necessary otherwise there will only be a puddle of water that will not get clothes clean. Many of the problems of new washers (and dishwashers) are caused by EPA regulations.

3:13 EXCUSE ME THAT IS BEYOND INCORECT NON AGITATOR WASHERS CAN NOT WASH FULL LOADS WHICH IS A WASTE OF SPACE THE AGITATORS USE THAT MIDDLE SPACE TO WORK WITH FULL LOADS TO PUSH THE TOP OF IT DOWN IMAM TIRED OF PEOPLE SAYING NO AGITATOR WASTE OF SPACE

Does ANYONE do a cost analysis for washing machines - I just came off a horrible nightmarish Speed Queen odyssey. My 27 yr old Kenmore washer was damaged in a move 8-9 yrs ago. I drank the kool aid and bought a Speed Queen (AWNE92SP113). It was represented as COMMERCIAL - same quality as Speed Queens in laundromats. I was told it would last far longer than my Kenmore. I was told the easy to remove front panel made service quick and less costly. NONE of it was true. The SP died last week, didn't even quite last 1/3 of the time of my Kenmore. The service tech said the bottom board had gone bad. I learned the quality of boards used in residential SP and in true commercial SP differ. The ones in residential machines are cheaper. And the cost to repair! That was insane. The part cost $260. (the tech did zero diagnostics so no idea if a component on the board could be replaced or if SP makes them so the whole board MUST be replaced if any component it fails. The board is located just inside the front panel on the left side wall. Very easy to see and reach BUT the labor cost was $240! That means for a part that apparently the tech sees repeatedly go back (and SP had not bothered to recall ) will cost 1/3 the price of the machine AND there is another board that also fails per the tech. Add in I just realized any SP is an energy hog with both water and electricity. It means it falls into what we call LUXURY item - you pay more to own, you pay more to operate, you have difficulty finding expert tech support, AND you pay more for repair work. So you help the brand, the retailer and the repair techs BUT don't end up with QUALITY. Luxury just means you have money to waste. I need to figure out what machine makes sense. Our Kenmore Dryer is still going strong. I worry because it is so old though. I am wondering if it makes more sense to buy a set again like I did just after I married and bought the Kenmore set? But good grief which one?? I know the SP is OUT. I have already played the fool with the that company. NO brand customer service (they will send you a CASE NUMBER but never do any followup!) No brand field reps. Do any of the brands have them? Warranty. I found it so interesting that the SP died just after the warranty lapsed. Was it programmed to die? Whoever engineered the board chose components with life spans that work to warranty - not to the 20+ yr claim offered at point of sale? I wish someone would tell us about those boards? I wondered if my first Speed Queen just was unlucky and got a defective board? But they didn't recall it? And the tech said he had seen a LOT of them fail! Tells me that is how Speed Queen makes them. When it comes to agitator or no agitator - doing laundry is not that simple. You can use warm water or cold. You can use different levels of water. You can have a load run for different times. All of those variables work in concert with the impeller or agitator to clear clothes (and of course the type of soap, booster matters a LOT). It also matters if you have hard water or soft water. When I went to dealer to replace the completely disappointing AWNE92SP113, the dealer said all Speed Queens without the panel like both of our attempts had a faulty start button. It was part of a top circuit board and could easily be problematic. IS there any machine being made right now that is DIY friendly when a board fails? I saw where the LG board is just under $500! Anyone know if it too fails easily? Is it covered in the 10 yr warranty?

I bought a front loader washer; never again....constantly smells even if i leave its door open; clothes dont get clean enough...big mistake...now have a top loader with agitator

Kenmore & LG

This is a worthless, no commitment review. You hit all around it talking about heavily soiled clothes. Just say it. Agitator washers clean better. Was that so hard?

GE's are junk, my new profile did two and a half loads, until it broke, waiting six weeks still nothing!!!!!!!!!!!

We own one without an agitator and I can confirm they suck at cleaning clothes. You can literally put clothes in it folded, they will come out still folded. They don't churn the water or clothes at all.

I purchased an LG top load over a month ago, and never once have I seen a stain on my clothes

Non agitator just wrap your clothes into a ball and don’t clean. I will never use a non agitator again. Put your delicates in a mesh wash bag or pillow case. I used twice as much water and energy with the non agitators. Horrible design

I wish they still sold the up and down agitator models of the 60’s. Clothes really got circulated and clean.

If you put your wash on quick a BUNCH of soap is staying in your clothes even when you do a regular wash, watch the next time if you choose to see it. Turn it on again & you'll see all the leftover soap after it's been agitating for 2 minutes. Plus water is a major part of getting your clothes to come clean washers need more rinse cycles not less especially front loading washers. Also front loading washers and top loads without a adjitater in the middle don't scrub clothes clean there just barely spinning or tumbling on top of eachother.

LG not good appliances, poor product support, hard to get parts, difficult to find factory service or even local repair. Avoid LG refrigerator completely. Daughter has a 4-5 year old expensive Ss cook top oven. Burner relay board died, parts no longer available. Yeah, not good at all!!

The high efficientcy machines can't cut it for me. Im a dirty man that does a lot of mechanic work and dirty yard work and gross home improvement work. Without the aggressive agitator and lots of water im better off cleaning clothes by hand.

I'm an agitator person. I find it easier to load clothes in a washer with an agitator than a washer without an agitator. My mother has an LG washer.