Should I buy front-loading or top-loading commercial laundry equipment?

When it comes to buying commercial laundry equipment for your establishment, you need to make sure to choose carefully. You need to weigh up all of the options available and assess the requirements of both you and your staff, and of course, your customers.

The first choice you will have to make is whether you want to buy a top-loading or front-loading washing machine. The following information, about the benefits and drawbacks of each, should help you to decide.

•    Capacity - Top-loading machines require the clothes to be placed inside a watertight tub containing an agitator, which is used to keep the clothes moving through the soapy water. Front loaders do not have this agitator; they use gravity and side panels to move the washing, and can therefore accommodate 20-30% more washing per load. This also means they can help you to save money on water and energy.
•    Costs – Top loaders are less expensive than front loading machines, although they may end up costing you more in the long term due to maintenance, energy and water costs.
•    Performance – When top loading machines begin to age, they tend to make more noise when active, and can also become increasingly more unbalanced when handling heavy loads. In comparison, front loaders can easily cope with heavy loads and offer users a quieter and gentler wash.
•    Access – Top loaders are generally easier to access, as there is no bending down to get clothes in and out of the machine, but front loaders tend to take up less space and can usually be stacked.