Side loaders tend to get moldy. They also don’t get sweaty clothes clean because they use so little water, unless you have a machine that you can override the water settings. They are good for washing delicates. Top loaders can be easier to reach into if they are up on some sort of block or drawer so you are reaching out right in front of you.

Top loaders can also be HE and so I still recommend you get one with a way to control the water. If it does not have a manual way to do it, there might be a “bulky” setting, which means the drum will weigh as though there isn’t much in it even when it is full. Most people can reach into the top loader easily, unless you are very short, then you might need to stand on a stool, which can be a pain.

The old agitators are rough on your clothing, I like them for my husband’s sweaty, cotton, items.

The shorter agitators seem to work ok, I have only used them a few times. Most people I know who have them are happy with their washers. If I were looking for a new washing machine I would probably purchase the top load stubby agitator.

Top loaders for that towel/sock/T-shirt you just realized you have to add.

And my most recent model has no interior spindle, and just kind of humps my clothes up and down, so at the end of a cycle there is one big fabric torus. I hate it, but it’s probably more eco-friendly than the old one was. My stuff comes out clean.

Front loaders (“side loaders” ?) are kinder to your clothes. They aren’t pulling and pushing on the seams like a top loader. They also use less water and less detergent. But they are more expensive.

When I was last shopping for a washer in Chicagoland 6 years ago, used front-loading washer/dryer pairs were always available cheap on Craigslist, from well-off people who were moving or upgrading.

Looking today on the local Milwaukee Craigslist, they are not so common. I don’t know if the difference is the economic times or the much smaller market.

From what I understand, all washers are HE now.

I have a top loading, no agitator machine that i bought pre-pandemic. When I first got it, for the first few years, I was not happy with it because the HE uses such a small amount of water, the clothes would be barely damp when the cycle was done, and they were very twisted (aka “wrung out”). Now, someone taught me to put the machine on the “bedding” cycle and it gives more water and doesn’t wring them out so much.

The machines lock too, so after about a minute, you can’t open the lid, you can’t add water to it (once the lid locks), you can’t throw in a sock if you forget it. You can, of course, if you rememeber quickly and run over but once that lid locks, it’s done.

Also, with the HE, you don’t use so much detergent.

As @JLeslie mentioned, the side loaders have a reputation for being moldy and smelly.

Also to add that when I bought my machine, I researched models and deliberately chose a simple one with basic settings, and I wanted knobs. My stepfather has a machine which is totally computerized, and it calculates and gives you exact amount of minutes and heat temps and all kinds of stuff. I figured, for mine, the simpler it is, the less that can break.

My old machine was knobs and you could set the water level (small load, medium, Large, XL). Now, you’re kind of at the machine’s mercy.

There is a top loader machine, I think it is a Whirlpool, that you can use the agitator or remove it. I have no idea if it gets good reviews. I asked at Lowe’s if they get complaints, and the person I asked said no, but that is one employee and who knows how aware she would be of complaints.

Adding to some of the answers above:

My front loader I can pause and add a sock the first couple of minutes of the wash, but many of them don’t. Mine is an old LG, I have no idea if the new ones allow for it.

My “old fashioned” top loader that I had in an apartment not long ago, locked down at a certain point, but I liked being able to run in the water first with soap and then add the clothes. Some of the new top loaders you can’t do it.

My front loader gets moldy, but the sanitizing cycle completely cleans it out. I don’t think all front loaders have that cycle. It is an extra hot cycle and I put in some bleach sometimes too.

@canidmajor I have heard that complaint about the clothes bunching up, what brand washing machine do you have?

I have heard from several of my friends that the front loader smells moldy a lot. I asked the guy at Lowe’s why and he said the way the front loader was made, they couldn’t spin out all of the water, so it sits there and gets moldy.
I wanted a front loader to be able to wash my blankets and comforters. The salesman said the top loader will do that. I bought the extra large top loader. Comforters won’t fit in and more than 4 or 5 dog blankets don’t fit. I have to go to the laundromat for a large load like that.
My clothes get all bunched up too. Mine is a whirlpool.

Just realized that OP and some of us have used the term side loader, but the usual term is front loader.

I have had a front loader for years. It hasn’t gotten moldy yet. But if someone forgets and leaves the clothes in the washer too long, the clothes will get stinky.

For a moldy/mildewy washer, there are washing machine cleaners that you can use and put the water at the highest level it will take and add more water if you want.

My problem with all the washing machine cleaners I found is that they all have some kind of nasty fragrance that leaves the washer smelling “clean and fresh”. If I use that stuff, it makes my washer smell worse than it did before I used the cleaner! It’s like putting lipstick on a pig! But I have a workaround. I have found an OxiClean free and clear product, And I use that instead on the cleaning cycle.

There’s also a clean out at the bottom of the machine in front. The directions say you’re supposed to clean it out once a month. This means you unscrew the stopper and drain all the rest of the water out of the machine and into a pan that you have placed just below. There’s a filter there that will catch anything that might otherwise make it into the pump and ruin it. So you need to clean that, then put it all back together again, and you’re good to go for another month.

It’s really important to wipe down the front gasket and door of the machine and leave it open or ajar so that it can dry out between uses.

I switched to a front loader because the old agitator I had twisted the clothes. Welp, so does this one. A load of slacks comes out looking like a pretzel with legs all intertwined. It requires a lot more cleaning than the old one. I found I can add water through the soap dispenser, so I often do that for bigger loads.

My mother JUST bought a new washer. A top loader from GE.
It’s got a massive bucket, and we were hoping it would handle my father’s soiled laundry.

First off, it’s a “smart” washer. That, I despise, more than I could articulate…
It’s weird watching it (it has a transparent top,) because it wobbles like crazy.
It’s “supposed” to know the level of water by the weight of the load, and it’s supposed to be able to self-center the loads.
It has absolutely ZERO different parts in the bucket. Same old swishy pole with blades like EVERY top loader.
And believe it or not, it completely fails at self balancing, and the way it “self balances,” seems to be by stopping occasionally and jerking the bucket violently, causing it to smash around.
Personally. I think it’s only good for target practice…But she said ALL the new washers were similar.
As far as comforters, the load needs to be re-spun, to get the water out.
I don’t believe for a second, that it’s doing it’s job…
After watching my mother set it up, with it’s controls, I knew my father would not be doing laundry again. He’ll NEVER figure that out. Never.

She probably would have paid twice what she paid for this brand new machine, for a brand new 1990 washer…

@JLeslie My machine is a Whirlpool, circa 2019 (?). Since getting it, I have heard of a lot of these types (not just this brand) doing the same thing.

When I first got my machine, about 2018 or 19, I was sorry and wishing I had the old machine back. The old machine was so basic, with just S, M, L or XL load sizes, cold, warm or hot, and that was it. It also had “short cycle” and “gentle.”

^That would be great, if some company just made the older designs. I’m sure they would sell, and of course they’d be cheaper.

You want a basic top-loading HE washer (no agitator). They operate the same way as front-loading washers, except they avoid all the many problems with front-loaders. They’re also cheaper. Stay away from Samsung appliances. They’re trash.

Just bought a new Top loader. The new ones also minimize water usage.

I’ve had the same top loader for 30 years. Sounds like it’s good to hold onto as long as possible.

@janbb my last one was about 27 when it died. This one is rated for maybe 15 years. Much ugh. :-(

My last one was about 15 years old. The current one I have is a Kenmore, large drum, top loading, about 4–5 years old. It’s HE, like they all are now.

We went with a top loader for safety reasons. (Small children.)

Top loaders with manual knob controls without all of the restrictions on user control some brands impose are much much much better than any front loader. My Speed Queen top-loader set is now nine years old and performs like new. I expect it to last for the rest of my life. I don’t even mind if it has to have repairs. I do not want anything sold today. Speed Queen is still the best but, my goodness, they are expensive.

@all, great comments. Very helpful.

I did mean to say “front” and not “side” loader. Thanks for the correction.

I’ve hated my front loader from day 1. I think of it as a recent purchase, but in truth it was about 2009. It’s making a horrible noise. Last time I paid a repairman, it was about half the cost of a new machine. I think I’ll go for a top loader this time.

I kinda like “side loader”, it sounds a bit sexy and dangerous. ;-)

When we switched from top loader to front loader I found that clothes came out cleaner, esp. if it was fully loaded. I think the weight of all the wet laundry helps squeeze out the dirt. That means small loads won’t get as clean, which is opposite of top loaders. And as mentioned above, there is a propensity to grow mold because the door seal is watertight. Our machine comes with a spring/magnet gadget to keep the door slightly ajar when not in use. That slows the growth of mold so I only have to clean it a few times a year.