Yes you load them from the top. They take a lot more water because the
water has to be deep enough to actually cover the clothes. There is a
piece
in the center that agitates back and forth and/or up and down to get them
clean. Where I am at the front loaders are about three times as expensive
as the top loaders so most people have top loaders.

For us, the end price was lower for the front loader. List price *was* 3x
higher, but there was a manufacturer rebate, a distributor rebate, a
power-company rebate, and two tax credits that brought the price down from
close to $600 to $187. Oh, and we managed to get it on sale, too..lol! My
husband swears that when businesses see me coming they scramble to lower
their prices.

Jenrose