It's a Bosch Logixx 10kg New Dimension. I was really apprehensive before we got it, because of the things I'd read about front-loaders, and even had MIL on the phone telling us we were making a mistake. But I am totally thrilled with it. I have gotten used to the cycles taking longer than our top-loader too; the timer feature is especially helpful. I really highly recommend it! But I would never wish a broken dryer on anyone. :( Our old one broke the day before we left for our overseas trip to the US and Japan -- gutting! I had to take dirty laundry along with me and wash it at my mother's house when we got there!

Jaycee, our front-loader can have things added to it once the cycle starts -- you can add things at any time during the cycle. You just press Pause and the door unlocks and you can biff things in. It is a great feature.

It also has a timer on it so you can see how long each cycle will take. You set the clock time when you install it, then it will tell you each time you do a load of washing at what time it will finish. Brilliant!

We recently bought a new washing machine after having a Fisher & Paykel top-loader that was fixed three times in six years. It was a hand-me-down from DH's family when we got it, so it probably lasted a good 10-12 years, which I think is a pretty good lifespan!

We did heaps of research about washing machines when we were buying, and in the end we went with a front-loader. I was apprehensive about it because I had read that they can take ages, but despite this, I am really, really pleased with our purchase. We bought a Bosch Logixx 10kg New Dimension. It's very water-efficient (4 stars) and was more energy-efficient than any of the other washers we looked at (3.5 stars). Because it's a 10kg washer we can wash duvets in it, which was one of the things I really wanted to make sure we could do.

It has heaps of settings, and I've found that it gets clothing and towels much cleaner than our top-loader. You can vary the spin speed for delicate items and decrease or increase the water temperature depending on what you're washing. We've had no problems with the "footprint" it takes up. It is larger than our top-loader, but since it's got the door in front we can store the washing powder and stuff on top of it! There is no way a toddler can open the door to it as it's very sturdy and requires opening a certain way. Overall, we're really happy with it and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.