Sell Me a Washing Machine

[NoRagrets 1125]

My 12 year old LG front loader crapped out and we are ready to replace it anyway with a top loader HE type.

I don’t want to break the bank. $900 or less. Anyone have some recs?

Edited December 31, 2020 by NoRagrets

[Nonbryan 173]

Got sick of replacing washing machines and bought a maytag commercial unit this year.  Fingers crossed this one lasts!  So far, the washing lady likes it!

[Enchubben 5510]

If you want dependable no frills top loader, go Speed queen. It’s the brand that you see in a shit ton of laundromats.  We’ve had our set for about 7 years now with zero issues.

It should be under your budget.

[Nueces River Rat 5539]

Stay away from Samsung.   We bought a dryer/washer set six years ago and replaced the dryer last year .  The Washer won’t last much longer and has some rust developing.    

[HiggyBaby 2545]

Following. Our 10 year old Samsung w/d set is showing signs of crapping out.

[CooterBrown 18027]

Replaced front load LGs with top load Maytags. It was a bit disturbing how much cleaner your clothes are after a wash in the top loader. Also, the wash cycle time has been more than cut in half. The dry time is faster also due to the larger bin. We will never go back.

[NoRagrets 1125]

Pulled the trigger on top loader LG with wi fi. Thats right. My wife insisted on it. 

[NoRagrets 1125]

3 minutes ago, NoRagrets said:

Pulled the trigger on top loader LG with wi fi. Thats right. My wife insisted on it. 

I couldn’t complain since I got a pellet grill with wifi a few years ago.  

[Wanker Bob 379]

5 minutes ago, NoRagrets said:

Pulled the trigger on top loader LG with wi fi. Thats right. My wife insisted on it. 

Ha I just bought that same one on Friday. Old maytag went out a month ago and the wife wanted one with steam for the kid's allergies. This one also has some sort of allergen cycle

[MNLonghornFUKM 8817]

We had bad luck with a front load GE, bearing went out after about 2 loads . Went to top load whirlpool with out the agitator. So far so good after over 2 years. In fact our last house had whirlpool top load washer dryer had very little problems. Had to replace one piece once because the hot water wasn’t working l.


And they’re twice as less as anything Front load and don’t require a cement foundation to sit on to reduce noise


Edit looks like you purchased one and went back to top load.

[BearSchlong 8110]

19 hours ago, Wanker Bob said:

Ha I just bought that same one on Friday. Old maytag went out a month ago and the wife wanted one with steam for the kid's allergies. This one also has some sort of allergen cycle

Do any of you people actually use the steam feature?

I spent yesterday afternoon replacing the rollers and belt on my whirlpool front loader, showroom floor quiet now.

[Wanker Bob 379]

I have no idea. Apparently she will because it's good for alleviating the kid's allergies. Too me as long as the machine doesn't ruin my clothes and makes them not sink I'm good. This fucker just got delivered this afternoon and it's like operating an air traffic control module

[RPM 26351]

15 year old Kenmore w/d still chugging away.

[Nueces River Rat 5539]

On 1/5/2021 at 2:37 AM, RPM said:

15 year old Kenmore w/d still chugging away.

I guess this is the  one thing Sears was good at even in in the later days.  The Kenmore Brand indeed rocks!  As an  aged homeowner (getting close to being olds and the big 50), I can understand why my  parents and others in their generation and before  were  loyal to Kenmore and Sears for that matter. 

For comparison in my home

Bought new with house and still working 16 years later

Kenmore Stainless Steel Refrigerator  -  Ice maker issue a few years ago and was repaired , but working great otherwise

Kenmore Elite Cooktop-  Still working great

Kenmore  Elite Dishwasher- Finally had to replace last year, but for the wear and tear it received it did well.  Replaced with a Maytag and not too impressed and wish I would have spent a tad more and gone with a Bosch or something with a little more speed and dried better

Kenmore Elite Oven-  Worked great for 10 years and then a power surge took it. 

 

All of this compared to replacing  (during the same time span)  two dryers made by LG and Samsung and one washer made by LG with the Washer made by Samsung probably going out soon and has rust developing around the opening.    The dryer was replaced a third time with a more old school function Maytag that works like a charm.   I don't think I'll ever go back to a dryer with all the fancy sensors and all that jazz because they really didn't do what was advertised.  Often I had to run another dry cycle for towels or socks and underwear despite neither being a heavy load.   

 

 

 

 

 

[HiggyBaby 2545]

Do any of you people actually use the steam feature?

No. Ours was connected forever and we never used it. Then we moved and didn’t reconnect it.


I also wish to go back to a top load. But our laundry room has a counter over the washers. We could remove it but we use the counter space a lot so .

[HiggyBaby 2545]

15 year old Kenmore w/d still chugging away.

Has Kenmore ever made their own stuff? I thought it was all re-branded GE, Whirlpool, etc .

[Paper_jam 831]

On 1/5/2021 at 2:37 AM, RPM said:

15 year old Kenmore w/d still chugging away.

Same here (actually, 18 years old) Kenmore washer & dryer, as basic as you could get at the time. Like $700 for the pair at Sears even with tax.

Actually I did have to replace the lid switch on the washer about 3 years ago, but it was worth it. It kills me that most of the new washers are so automated and computerized they don't even let you control water level.

 

[Nueces River Rat 5539]

2 hours ago, HiggyBaby said:

 

 

Has Kenmore ever made their own stuff? I thought it was all re-branded GE, Whirlpool, etc .

 

 

I think they Kitchen Aid and Whirlpool makes or made most of their stuff.   The filters for my Kenmore fridge match up with Whirlpool models from the same time frame. 

[TwiceHorn 31534]

57 minutes ago, Nueces River Rat said:

I think they Kitchen Aid and Whirlpool makes or made most of their stuff.   The filters for my Kenmore fridge match up with Whirlpool models from the same time frame. 

Yeah, in the last 20 or 30 years, it's been almost exclusively whirlpool stuff.  But it seems to have slightly higher reliability than the usual whirlpool stuff and they don't quite match up to a whirlpool model, so maybe like semi-premium whirlpool.

I dunno who all they've used over the longer term or more recently.

[dingleberryswitzer 2724]

They are all shit.  

Just buy a cheap one, cross your fingers and put $20 a month away for the next one.  

My bad experiences are probably 100% related to our hard water.  I thought my old one was leaking, turns out the little water spout was gunked up with calcium and just spraying all over the place.

[skeeter 454]

be sure to check that front-loader for proper fit ...

 

[Nueces River Rat 5539]

13 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Yeah, in the last 20 or 30 years, it's been almost exclusively whirlpool stuff.  But it seems to have slightly higher reliability than the usual whirlpool stuff and they don't quite match up to a whirlpool model, so maybe like semi-premium whirlpool.

I dunno who all they've used over the longer term or more recently.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenmore_(brand)

Quote

As of 2017, Kenmore products are produced by manufacturers including Whirlpool, LG, Electrolux, Panasonic, Cleva North America, and Daewoo Electronics. Today, the majority of the brand's portfolio is sold at Sears, Kmart, and Amazon. In 2019, the brand's grills and vacuum cleaners were offered at Lowe's, The Home Depot^[2] and Target.

Same article says Whirlpool and Sears pretty much parted ways in 2019.   

 

Amazon looks like they want  to be the new store front for Kenmore as Sears continues to wind down.  But based on the fact Kenmore and Whirpool parted ways, it looks like 

https://www.amazon.com/kenmore?productGridPageIndex=1

[midtown 3348]

I bought a very average top load Whirlpool 15 years ago and a matching dryer.  Not a single issue while all the fad people bitched about their front loads breaking and having mold issues etc.   I never understood the need to invent the wheel on a completely basic appliance that no one will see but you 

[RPM 26351]

4 hours ago, Nueces River Rat said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenmore_(brand)

Same article says Whirlpool and Sears pretty much parted ways in 2019.   

 

Amazon looks like they want  to be the new store front for Kenmore as Sears continues to wind down.  But based on the fact Kenmore and Whirpool parted ways, it looks like 

https://www.amazon.com/kenmore?productGridPageIndex=1

Back in the late 80's I hauled freight and used to load appliances in Little Rock. They were Kenmore, Whirlpool and one other brand I can't remember. They were all the same machine, made in the same place, just a different label.

[HiggyBaby 2545]

Following. Our 10 year old Samsung w/d set is showing signs of crapping out.

And they’re done. Just installed this unit with the matching dryer.

https://www.electroluxappliances.com/Washers-Dryers/Washing-Machines/Washing-Machine/EFLS627UTT/


We gave a set of GE’s a trial run but the washer failed miserably. Noisy spin cycle and it couldn’t figure out spin cycles on unbalanced loads, a common gripe in reviews. (These https://www.geappliances.com/appliance/GE-5-0-cu-ft-Capacity-Smart-Front-Load-ENERGY-STAR-Steam-Washer-with-SmartDispense-UltraFresh-Vent-System-with-OdorBlock-and-Sanitize-Allergen-GFW850SPNRS ).

We narrowed it down to these two sets because of the reversible doors. Our washer connection is to the right of the dryer, apparently very non standard.

[bluto 4942]

Best appliance move I’ve ever made was buying a scratch and dent refurb top load washer with agitator and no electronic buttons. Cost me $150 delivered with a 3 month warranty and never had an issue in 18 mos I owned it. F you Samsung

[midtown 3348]

I've had a whirlpool top load W&D for 10 yrs. Nothing fancy. No issues at all. Of course no woman was involved in the decision

[Dr Fear 1268]

On 12/31/2020 at 2:03 PM, Enchubben said:

If you want dependable no frills top loader, go Speed queen. It’s the brand that you see in a shit ton of laundromats.  We’ve had our set for about 7 years now with zero issues.

It should be under your budget.

Love my speed queen, but you really have to make sure that is it level or it will cut off when doing anything large like a blanket.

[Chips O'Toole 1327]

On 4/4/2021 at 6:57 PM, bluto said:

Best appliance move I’ve ever made was buying a scratch and dent refurb top load washer with agitator and no electronic buttons. Cost me $150 delivered with a 3 month warranty and never had an issue in 18 mos I owned it. F you Samsung

Was this in Austin?  Washer front panel just went out after 10 yrs, 500 at least to fix.  The tech was on the cynical side to say the least, and said basically any brand these days will have issues within 3 years by design to keep us buying new appliances.  

 

 

[Updawg 2286]

My 13 year old Samsung finally died a while back. Can’t complain about a Samsung lasting that long.

Tried to buy a lg from Lowe’s but after a couple of weeks of them failing to deliver it I had to cancel the order. Bought a whirlpool from a local appliance store in Austin that could deliver it the next day.

Not sure if Lowe’s just sucks or if there are bigger supply chain issues but something to keep in mind

If this new one doesn’t last long I will go the super basic route

[El Diablo 4232]

My old man landed a job as a Maytag repairman when he got out of the service after WWII. Paid OJT. Kept that job for 40+ years, even after finally getting on at the USPS. Only brand of appliances we ever owned when I was growing up was Maytag. For a number of years they were built like tanks, indestructible. Then a couple of things happened thru the '70's and '80's - manufacturers discovered statistical process controls and electronics. Shits been downhill ever since. 

Wish like hell I could find a bunch of old fully mechanical Maytag machines. Build one good one and have a few for spare parts. 

[Judge Roybeanbag 11820]

45 minutes ago, El Diablo said:

My old man landed a job as a Maytag repairman when he got out of the service after WWII. Paid OJT. Kept that job for 40+ years, even after finally getting on at the USPS. Only brand of appliances we ever owned when I was growing up was Maytag. For a number of years they were built like tanks, indestructible. Then a couple of things happened thru the '70's and '80's - manufacturers discovered statistical process controls and electronics. Shits been downhill ever since. 

Wish like hell I could find a bunch of old fully mechanical Maytag machines. Build one good one and have a few for spare parts. 

My wife and I got married in 1993 and my parents bought us a Kenmore topload washer and a dryer.   We used them over the next 20 years raising 2 kids, on hard well water, and aside from replacing the heating element in the dryer they still work fine.  Amazing. 

[bluto 4942]

Was this in Austin?  Washer front panel just went out after 10 yrs, 500 at least to fix.  The tech was on the cynical side to say the least, and said basically any brand these days will have issues within 3 years by design to keep us buying new appliances.  
 
 

Fort Worth for me but I guarantee there’s shops like that in Austin.

And almost every major appliance brand is having huge supply chain issues. Like much of the rest of the economy.

[DCA_HORN 725]

The only thing I'd add is to make sure that the one you get has the water filter access panel on the front of the machine. Learned this lesson the hard way.

[midtown 3348]

I have never heard of a water filter access panel. Nor have I ever accessed this panel. I assume this is on a front load that wives demand

[DCA_HORN 725]

I have never heard of a water filter access panel. Nor have I ever accessed this panel. I assume this is on a front load that wives demand

That's correct. And then said wife washes a fluffy bath mat where it falls apart in the wash cycle and clogs the filter.

[Baboontyme 2821]

Is there any sense in having someone come out to look at a washing machine these days or just scrap it and buy another? It's a top load, new enough that there's no agitator and it's giving out that burning electronics smell while not agitating or spinning properly. It drains but the clothes are still wetter than they should be and I don't think it's doing the full on cycle that it's supposed to. I'm thinking just buy a new one vs having to deal with some asshole whose going to come out and tell me that I need a new motor and it's going to cost $1400.

[tigol 2399]

4 minutes ago, Baboontyme said:

Is there any sense in having someone come out to look at a washing machine these days or just scrap it and buy another? It's a top load, new enough that there's no agitator and it's giving out that burning electronics smell while not agitating or spinning properly. It drains but the clothes are still wetter than they should be and I don't think it's doing the full on cycle that it's supposed to. I'm thinking just buy a new one vs having to deal with some asshole whose going to come out and tell me that I need a new motor and it's going to cost $1400.

I wouldn't even bother with it.  Just go get a new one with the longest warranty available.  Maytag top loader with agitator has been going strong for 5 years for me.  I may take a look at Speed Queen when my time comes.  

Edited January 2, 2022 by tigol
More stuff.

[TwiceHorn 31534]

As I think I noted upthread, when buying the basic whirlpool, we had a choice between agitator and impeller (bottom "swashplate" thing).

In the one concession to modernity, we chose the impeller model.  It actually seems to clean better than the old agitator model.  I can't think of any reason other than the agitator/impeller that it does.  The most noticeable thing being that the collar/neck of undershirts/tshirts doesn't seem to yellow as fast (less Spray N Wash).  Also, washes pillows nicely, and big things like bedspreads and sheets without getting imbalanced.

It's a bit of an educated guess, but from an engineering standpoint, the impeller moves less violently (no direction changes) than an agitator and would therefore seem to last longer.

Tentatively recommend the impeller.

[Baboontyme 2821]

I pulled the trigger on something from Lowes, delivery and haul away tomorrow. I found the top rated one with a slightly larger capacity to what I was using because no doubt my wife throwing 14 Beach towels and 8 horse blankets in simultaneously contributed to the early burn out. I went back to the agitator. I did not like the impeller. Love that these appliance companies basically have us consumers strung up by the balls and we have to replace dishwashers, washers, dryers, fridges etc after 5-8 years of use. Assholes.

[fattyflattie 4638]

1 hour ago, Baboontyme said:

I pulled the trigger on something from Lowes, delivery and haul away tomorrow. I found the top rated one with a slightly larger capacity to what I was using because no doubt my wife throwing 14 Beach towels and 8 horse blankets in simultaneously contributed to the early burn out. I went back to the agitator. I did not like the impeller. Love that these appliance companies basically have us consumers strung up by the balls and we have to replace dishwashers, washers, dryers, fridges etc after 5-8 years of use. Assholes.

I completely rebuilt a dryer we had for about 7-8 years.  Couple hundred bucks, brand new everything just about.  A few months later my washing machine that had never given us any trouble loses the computer/panel.  It was like $500, even at the cheaper parts houses i found while rebuilding the dryer.  I’m OCD af about things like this so sold the set for $300 and wife went and bought a new “top of the line” set (I was out of state on project).  New one is built considerably cheaper and I don’t expect we get 5 years out of it. We’ve had warranty guy out several times for washer but they won’t actually replace anything, just “can’t replicate” over and over.  Dryer doesn’t fully dry unless you manually set it each time to the most bad ass setting.  It’s depressing as hell. We are a younger, active, family of 5, so laundry is an everyday event at a minimum.  My good set was a whirlpool platinum iirc. Wish I would have spent the $500 and not listened to the repair tech on that one. 
 

Eta: the dryer lint blower had died. It started to pile lint over the entire floor of the dryer, where it eventually touched the heating element, and began a singe/slow burn situation. Wife smelled it and we shut it down without incident. But the smell was so horrible I had to simple green/pressure wash a lot of parts to get the smell gone. Smell left but that ruined the rollers, of course. So new lint blower, rollers, roller shafts, and belt while there, along with cleaning so clean you could eat off of. It literally looked new when I was done for about $150 in parts or so.  It was considerably quieter, dried faster, and was just overall solid. 

Edited January 2, 2022 by fattyflattie

[harpercollins 394]

I love the guys at applianceblog.com. They have helped me dx and diy two dishwasher repairs and an oven repair.

[Stella Link 534]

Purchased a top-loader Speed Queen (and side loader dryer) several years ago and totally love them.  They look and work just like washers and dryers from the 80s and 90s.  Speed Queen was purchased by a global company and couldn't sell consumer products in the U.S. for 20 years until recently.  They have been the #1 commercial brand globally.  The washer and dryer I purchased are basically commercial products.  Built like a tank.  You can only buy them from mom and pop appliance stores.  Highly recommend them.

[Okie State 3847]

Purchased a top-loader Speed Queen (and side loader dryer) several years ago and totally love them.  They look and work just like washers and dryers from the 80s and 90s.  Speed Queen was purchased by a global company and couldn't sell consumer products in the U.S. for 20 years until recently.  They have been the #1 commercial brand globally.  The washer and dryer I purchased are basically commercial products.  Built like a tank.  You can only buy them from mom and pop appliance stores.  Highly recommend them.

I've been wanting to get a set of Speed Queens since my Whirlpool washer shit the bed a few years ago. Have been using the in-laws old Kenmore and I hate it. Think I'll use moving to a new house as an excuse to finally pull the trigger. Which ones do you have? The capacity seems small compared to all the other brands these days, but I have no idea what my old one was.

[Stella Link 534]

Both are Commercial Heavy Duty Super Capacity Plus (electric)

Washer:  AWN542 (Full Model #AWN542SP111TWO1 ) (Traditional top-load line with traditional dials)

Dryer:  ADE4BR  (Full Model #ADE4BRGS171TW01)  (Traditional side-load line with traditional dials)

Purchased both in 2011 from Proven Products Appliances in south Houston, near Hobby Airport (outstanding customer service).

 

. 

 

 

[ZB'Tejas 593]

I replaced my washer late last year but help on my gas dryer. However, it now seems clothes are coming out a bit musty... would that be a dryer issue or potentially the vent that needs to be cleaned out? I'd rather not replace it right now if I don't have to.

[Stella Link 534]

2 hours ago, ZB'Tejas said:

I replaced my washer late last year but help on my gas dryer. However, it now seems clothes are coming out a bit musty... would that be a dryer issue or potentially the vent that needs to be cleaned out? I'd rather not replace it right now if I don't have to.

Do you have a high efficiency washing machine??

[ZB'Tejas 593]

3 minutes ago, Stella Link said:

Do you have a high efficiency washing machine??

Yes, an LG top loader. But the Samsung one prior should have been HE as well.

[Stella Link 534]

1 minute ago, ZB'Tejas said:

Yes, an LG top loader. But the Samsung one prior should have been HE as well.

Thoughts....

1.  Could be letting clothes sit too long while wet in the washer after the cycle ends

2.  Washer may need to be cleaned...transferring musty clothes from mold in the washer to the dryer

3.  Dryer vent (or lint filter) could be clogged, need cleaning or not working properly

4.  If you have sulfur-rich water, that could be transferred to your dryer

5.  Could be overloading the washing machine and clothes aren't being cleaned

6.  Take a damned shower once in a while.... 

 

[Okie State 3847]

Both are Commercial Heavy Duty Super Capacity Plus (electric)
Washer:  AWN542 (Full Model #AWN542SP111TWO1 ) (Traditional top-load line with traditional dials)
Dryer:  ADE4BR  (Full Model #ADE4BRGS171TW01)  (Traditional side-load line with traditional dials)
Purchased both in 2011 from Proven Products Appliances in south Houston, near Hobby Airport (outstanding customer service).
 
. 
 
 

Had these delivered today. Not hooked up yet, but hope they last a long time.