Pros and Cons of Washing Machine Agitators

If you’re currently on the search for a new washing machine, you will soon find out there are many decisions to be made on all the features and designs available in today’s laundry appliance market. In the world of top-loading washing machines, there are two major types of washing systems: washing machines with an agitator and washing machines without an agitator. Since there are plenty of good arguments for both types of washing machine, I will help identify and break down some of the key questions you should ask yourself during this process. In doing so, you will be able to determine which type of washing machine will be best for your purposes.

How do each of these work?

Washing machines with agitators: We’ve all seen them before. This type of washer scrubs the clothing an agitator that ratchets in a circular motion. The agitator typically has a spiral screw type design which causes a churning motion in the washer that pushes the contents of the machine up, down, and in a circle to physically break loose any dirt or debris on the clothing.

Washing machines without agitators: These machines work by using an impeller that sits underneath the washing machine drum. The impeller pushes pulses of water into the drum which causes the clothing and water to circulate. They also sometimes have small paddles at the bottom of the washer drum which rotate to help circulate water.

The key point is that washing machines with agitators physically move and circulate the clothing with the agitator. Clothing in non-agitator washers are still circulated, but they are pushed around mostly by water pressure.

What type of clothing are you washing?

If you think you will be regularly washing stringy and delicate clothing, washing machines without agitators tend to work particularly well. This is because they are generally far more gentle on washing your clothes. In a traditional washing machine with an agitator, clothes (such as shorts with drawstrings, bras, or spaghetti straps) can have a tendency to get wrapped around the rotating agitator during the cleaning cycle. In bad cases, this can cause damage to your clothing and even worse damage to your machine’s agitator. In a machine without an agitator, the clothes move freely around the drum which eliminates the risk of wrapping or stretching of your garments.

How dirty is the clothing you will be washing?

If you’re wondering if one type of washing machine cleans better than the other, then yes, there is a clear winner. Washing machines with agitators do a better job of scrubbing and cleaning clothes. This is not to say that washers without agitators do not clean clothes, however if you know you will be handling large amounts of heavily soiled clothing (such as someone you works in construction, athletes, parents with young children) you may consider the benefits of having a washer that has a higher capability of scrubbing dirt from clothing.

How bulky is the laundry you are washing?

If you regularly wash “bulky” loads of laundry such as comforters, large blankets, sheets, and large loads of towels, then you would benefit from a washing machine without an agitator. Not having an agitator will help you in a number of ways.

First, by not having a large agitator spindle in the middle of your washer drum, you get substantially more volume to load your bulky laundry. Second, bulky loads can be the “kiss of death” for a washing machine’s agitator. If you’re tempted to load too much laundry in a machine with an agitator, (I must admit, this is often me) you run the risk of damaging or breaking the machine’s agitator. This can happen from the contents of the machine wrapping around the agitator and restricting its movement until it reaches its point of failure. Not good.

What is your budget?

Of course, when buying an expensive new home appliance, budget is always a key component.. Fortunately, you will typically be able to find models of washing machines on both ends of the pricing spectrum. However you will also quickly find that if you are wanting a machine without an agitator, you will usually have more buying options in the middle to upper price range. The low-cost washing machine market is vastly dominated by traditional styled top-loading washing machines with agitators. In short, if you have your heart set on a washing machine without an agitator, then expect to pay a little more so you can have plenty of options to choose from.

Thanks for reading this article! Hungry for some more information on washing machines. Check out our guide to the most common washing machine function.

Lastly, check out some of our products that can fix some of your most common home appliance issues.