Washing Machine question for the handyman types...

[Dawg52]

Problem solved. New machine will be delivered by Lowes tomorrow morning. Guess I will have to cut back on med's for a couple of days to offset the cost.

 

[W2R]

Problem solved. New machine will be delivered by Lowes tomorrow morning.

Super!

Guess I will have to cut back on med's for a couple of days to offset the cost.

Without the aggravation of a malfunctioning washing machine, you may not need them so much anyway.

 

[Sue J]

Problem solved. New machine will be delivered by Lowes tomorrow morning. Guess I will have to cut back on med's for a couple of days to offset the cost.

What kind did you decide on?

My 1991 Maytag top loader is still working well. I'd love to get one that uses less water, don't know if I'll get a front loader or a top loader. I've read mixed reviews on both types.

Don't have to think about it for now as the old one keeps working and I'll be paying huge costs for health insurance starting in 2013. I rather get a new washing machine!

 

[Dawg52]

What kind did you decide on?

I went with the below. Made by Whirlpool and it's basically the same model as my last one. Cost $350 plus tax, delivered to my house. Just a basic machine, but all a single guy needs. If I can get 10 years out of it like my last one, I will be happy.

Shop Roper 3.4 cu ft Top-Load Washer (White) at Lowes.com

 

[Lakedog]

I went with the below. Made by Whirlpool and it's basically the same model as my last one. Cost $350 plus tax, delivered to my house. Just a basic machine, but all a single guy needs. If I can get 10 years out of it like my last one, I will be happy.

Shop Roper 3.4 cu ft Top-Load Washer (White) at Lowes.com

I replaced a Maytag with a similar (same?) Roper model a few years ago and have had no issues at all.

 

[W2R]

I went with the below. Made by Whirlpool and it's basically the same model as my last one. Cost $350 plus tax, delivered to my house. Just a basic machine, but all a single guy needs. If I can get 10 years out of it like my last one, I will be happy.

Shop Roper 3.4 cu ft Top-Load Washer (White) at Lowes.com

Super! At that price, it's sure not going to break the bank. That sounds like a great choice, especially since it was made by Whirlpool. If/when my washer ever dies, I'd be looking for something like that, too, the simpler the better. I don't need a lot of cycles and so on.

 

[Moemg]

What kind did you decide on?

My 1991 Maytag top loader is still working well. I'd love to get one that uses less water, don't know if I'll get a front loader or a top loader. I've read mixed reviews on both types.

I had an old Maytag Washer that lasted forever but my newer Maytag appliances have all needed repairs.The Maytag repair guy isn't lonely anymore . He is at my house .

 

[ERD50]

I had an old Maytag Washer that lasted forever but my newer Maytag appliances have all needed repairs.The Maytag repair guy isn't lonely anymore . He is at my house .

This is what I fear. Cars keep getting more reliable, but that doesn't seem to be the case with appliances, at least not from the anecdotal evidence.

-ERD50

 

[Texas Proud]

This is what I fear. Cars keep getting more reliable, but that doesn't seem to be the case with appliances, at least not from the anecdotal evidence.

-ERD50

I agree... I think they have cut corners.... BIG corners... to try and make more profit...

I have one of those new front loader washers... and hear that they only last 4 to 7 years... for $1,000 plus

My old machine was 25 years old and working.... it broke down and my wife immediately jumped on buying a new one... now I wait for the breakdown....

 

[Dawg52]

When the delivery man brought in my new machine, the first thing he said "these new machines are much lighter than the older ones". Of course that's a good thing for him, but I'm thinking.....so the new cases are lighter which will allow the machine to vibrate more which will in turn put more stress on some of the parts like the lid switch. But when running, I will admit it does seem quieter and doesn't vibrate as bad as my old one.

Seems like a nice machine with all the features you need. But if the parts are truly not as well made as the older ones, I might be doing this again soon. I sure don't expect 15+ years as some have experienced, but I won't be happy if it bombs on 4-5 years.

 

[tryan]

Yeah we had a front loader that died (bearings went) in 5 years and required $900 worth of repairs.

Yeah we went back to a upright ($600 new). I figure anything past 5 years is a bargin.

Meanwhile the 20 plus yo upright we have at the lake keeps chugging along ... no problem. Matching Dryer did die a few years ago (only because parts were not available!)

FWIW I've found the first thing to go is the timer (knob used to set the cycle). I'll replace this first using the part number from the old one ... after that it gets hairy.

 

[Mulligan]

Yeah we had a front loader that died (bearings went) in 5 years and required $900 worth of repairs.

Yeah we went back to a upright ($600 new). I figure anything past 5 years is a bargin.

Meanwhile the 20 plus yo upright we have at the lake keeps chugging along ... no problem. Matching Dryer did die a few years ago (only because parts were not available!)

FWIW I've found the first thing to go is the timer (knob used to set the cycle). I'll replace this first using the part number from the old one ... after that it gets hairy.

Wow, the higher end washer and dryers are expensive to buy and fix! Being a single guy, I hate spending money on those things, I buy the cheapest models I can find. Both my approx. $200 a piece washer and dryer no name set bought over 10 years ago still going strong. Come to think of it, about every appliance I bought is cheap. Spent $900 combined for new fridge, stove, and dishwasher, almost 10 years ago, and they have had no problems either. I did, however, learn a lesson about buying cheap couches and mattresses. Never again!

 

[Ally]

Yeah we had a front loader that died (bearings went) in 5 years and required $900 worth of repairs.

Yeah we went back to a upright ($600 new). I figure anything past 5 years is a bargin.
.

I just had our bearings on our two yr old front loader go out. It costs more to repair than a new one. The repairman called the new front loaders "disposable", because any repair costs more than a new machine. The parts are all enclosed in a big unit, so you can't just replace a bearing. You can't purchase just a bearing. I bought an old style top loader a week ago!

 

[meierlde]

I just had our bearings on our two yr old front loader go out. It costs more to repair than a new one. The repairman called the new front loaders "disposable", because any repair costs more than a new machine. The parts are all enclosed in a big unit, so you can't just replace a bearing. You can't purchase just a bearing. I bought an old style top loader a week ago!

Given that front loaders are ingeneral more expensive, and can also cause greater damage if the seal around the door fails, it seems to me that unless on does a lot of laundry, the water savings is less than the added costs. Of course the best way to save is to do cold water wash only.

Note that GE made a big change 10 years ago where the water is pumped out by a separate pump not connected to the main motor. The tub does not start spinning until the loose water is all pumped out. It takes a lot less energy and the pump works at 100% efficiency during the entire pump out rather than running slower while the mass of the water is pumped out.

 

[Ally]

Do you mean GE top loaders? We bought a GE top loader because they are now made in the US, have good ratings and we have had good luck with other GE appliances. We've had terrible luck with Kenmore appliances.

Already, our whites are so much brighter in this traditional machine.

 

[meierlde]

Do you mean GE top loaders? We bought a GE top loader because they are now made in the US, have good ratings and we have had good luck with other GE appliances. We've had terrible luck with Kenmore appliances.

Already, our whites are so much brighter in this traditional machine.

Yes indeed I did mean the top loaders. Had an old Ge that lasted about 20 years, then the pump clogged up, bought a new one, and then when I moved I left it and the 28 year old dryer in the old house, bought a new pair for where I moved, replacing the old units my parents had in the house. (The old units had the filter flo filter and the coupling as described in many pictures)

 

[Nords]

I'm sensing a lot of unhappiness with front-loading washing machines (with the exception of SamClem's Staber!) so I thought I'd chip in.

We bought a Kenmore front-loader model 417.43042300. "Kenmore" is just the label that Sears slaps on their contract-manufactured appliances, and this one was actually made by Kelvinator. (http://fixitnow.com/wp/2005/10/08/who-made-my-kenmore/)

It was made in 2004 and we bought it used in 2006. It's been flawless-- no problems with any part of it. The clothes are spun so hard that they're nearly dry, and can easily be hung up on a line to finish drying in less than an hour. The machine has never given us any problems with drains or hoses or pumps or any of the [-]flooding disasters[/-] glitches of top-loaders.

I know that some front-loaders have earned their bad reputations. This model appears to be the exception to that trend...

 

[travelover]

I'm sensing a lot of unhappiness with front-loading washing machines .......

I love the way my Kenmore spins out the clothes, too. In spite of having its own dedicated surge protector, the brain has semi failed and it only completes some cycles. Others have to be done in two steps, with a separate rinse cycle..

Advice from the same fixitnow site confirms it needs a new brain - $250 - nearly half the price of a new machine and that is if I install it.

 

[Nords]

I love the way my Kenmore spins out the clothes, too. In spite of having its own dedicated surge protector, the brain has semi failed and it only completes some cycles. Others have to be done in two steps, with a separate rinse cycle..
Advice from the same fixitnow site confirms it needs a new brain - $250 - nearly half the price of a new machine and that is if I install it.

You might be missing the point. "Kenmore" is just a Sears pseudonym for any of a half-dozen different appliance brands.

You can only compare your Kenmore to someone else if you have similar model numbers from the same manufacturer. If you look up your model number in that table link in my last post, then you can correctly [-]curse[/-] identify the actual manufacturer.

 

[travelover]

You might be missing the point. "Kenmore" is just a Sears pseudonym for any of a half-dozen different appliance brands.

You can only compare your Kenmore to someone else if you have similar model numbers from the same manufacturer. If you look up your model number in that table link in my last post, then you can correctly [-]curse[/-] identify the actual manufacturer.

Right. Although I realize that Kenmore slaps their name on various other manufacturer's products, the trend for front loading washers seems to be that they are loved until they need a repair, which way too often approaches the replacement cost.