Among the factors to consider when shopping for a cheap washer are the style, the capacity, the footprint, and the energy consumption. The cheap washer segment is dominated by traditional top-loading washing machines. Front-loading washing machines, with their modern aesthetics and energy-saving technology, are generally priced beyond our cheap ceiling, although a few good deals can be found. Cheap washers with a front-loading design boast larger capacity for any given drum size because there's no center agitator taking up space. Cheap washers with a top-loading design are usually not as deep as front-loaders and may fit better in small laundry areas. Note that the cycle time for front-loading washing machines is about double that of top-loading washing machines.
