You can use the detergent of your choice in front or top loading machines.
i have a front loader and I am on a tight budget I just use the cheapest powder detergent usually it's purex!!!
No you don't need an HE detergent. I use concentrated ALL in mine. Works great. Better than any of the HE detergents I tried.
You need a lower sudsing detergent as far as I know. I don't know who puts one out besides tide, you may have info on the owner's manual if you still have it.
If it is a front loading high efficency (HE)machine (most new front loaders are high efficency) You need to (NEED TO) use HE detergents. There are many brands to chose from. I use Whisk in mine and have used All, Tide, Method, and a few other brands. As long as it has the HE symbol on the fron, you're okay. The link below is an example of the symbol and why you must always use HE detergents.
