Reliable Brand Washer / Dryer

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Go to the Yale appliance web site ! some excellent reading and repair results for models they have sold and serviced..
 
Originally Posted by UncleDave
Miele - You pay once up front and are good for between 10 and 15K cycles.

Electrolux - not bad.

UD

The house I'm working at just got a new Miele washer and dryer and they are very advanced. The dryer has a fabric softener cartridge good for fifty cycles. Ventless which blew my mind but apparently is nothing new.

Used commercial for toughness and parts avaliability. If they are making direct drive Speed Queens again, get those. Consumable electronic components won't be available forever, so you will be replacing whatever homeowner model you buy probably sooner than you think.

Speed Queen is a good investment though if you want to wrench on other things other than your washer and dryer. Made in USA
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Originally Posted by demarpaint
Speed Queen. You probably won't find them at HD or Lowes, but they'll be better than anything you'll find at HD and Lowes.

I agree with this. However, I purchased Whirlpool. Toploader without the mechanical agitator (uses jets), and frontloader (drier).

Neither are fancy.

Together they cost about $1000 total on Memorial Day.

I am very pleased with the drier. The washer, on the other hand, my house has a crawl space and as such is not on a concrete slab. This leads to more harmonics, for lack of a better term. The washer was brutal. I have fixed it 98% with this:
https://www.amazon.com/Ideaworks-JB6368-Anti-Vibration-Pads/dp/B008GUYZWK

It does and always has gotten clothing very clean. Operation is what I'd term somewhat noisy, with clangs and clanks coming from the unit during the process of selecting various modes or something as it continues about its wash cycle. The thing isn't the best balanced, but it WILL STOP and re-distribute the clothing if it truly gets out of whack. The vibration pads fixed my complaint with it to the point that I will replace it when it dies, and if that's 15 years from now, then I'll be fine with that, and pleased that it lasted.
 
I'm the delivery manager at a Lowe's store in Washington state. Based on what I see on a daily basis, Samsung would be the very last brand I'd choose. Just overall poor reliability . LG makes good appliances, but LG repair and service is a nightmare. I'd personally choose Maytag or Whirlpool.

I have a Whirlpool fridge and Maytag front load W/D. Our dishwasher is a Maytag. Range is a Frigidaire.
 
Maytag Bravos top-loader non-center agitator washer for around $450. I wash full loads 90% of the time and the Bulk Setting offers plenty of water and clothes come out clean. The other 10% of my washes are small and I use the Normal Setting with another feature this Bravos has...... a 2nd Rinse availability. Because these new fangled washers employ much less water, that 2nd Rinse cycle is the cats meow.

For dryers, buy the basic Whirlpool and you should be fine for many years of troublefree service.
 
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Originally Posted by Stewart Fan
I'm the delivery manager at a Lowe's store in Washington state. Based on what I see on a daily basis, Samsung would be the very last brand I'd choose. Just overall poor reliability . LG makes good appliances, but LG repair and service is a nightmare. I'd personally choose Maytag or Whirlpool.

I have a Whirlpool fridge and Maytag front load W/D. Our dishwasher is a Maytag. Range is a Frigidaire.


This post speaks volumes … it's what my friends and family experienced and even what I experienced the two years I lived in S. Korea.

KORUS was another trade disaster for the US and these guys got caught dumping more than once.
None of these for me, no KIA … They only buy their own brands.
 
Just went through this again, a bit too quickly...hint DON'T buy Bosch, and settled on Electrolux. We did a lot of research, talked to a few repairmen, and quickly eliminated Samsung and LG. Bosch was not in the running again. We had also had a bad experience with the older Whirlpool Neptunes, so they weren't favored.

Speed Queen aren't what they were, but are still very good relative to what else is out there. If we were planning on being in the house very long term, we'd have probably bought them.
 
Originally Posted by wings&wheels
Speed Queen aren't what they were, but are still very good relative to what else is out there. If we were planning on being in the house very long term, we'd have probably bought them.

Why does how long you may stay in your house factor in ? Is it customary to leave certain appliances if you sell, for instance ?
 
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Originally Posted by wings&wheels
Speed Queen aren't what they were, but are still very good relative to what else is out there. If we were planning on being in the house very long term, we'd have probably bought them.

Why does how long you may stay in your house factor in ? Is it customary to leave certain appliances if you sell, for instance ?


Yes, plus our plan is to split time with a smaller place in downtown Boston or Manhattan, probably looking at stackable units then.
 
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Originally Posted by wings&wheels
Speed Queen aren't what they were, but are still very good relative to what else is out there. If we were planning on being in the house very long term, we'd have probably bought them.

Why does how long you may stay in your house factor in ? Is it customary to leave certain appliances if you sell, for instance ?


Yes, it's pretty common to leave refrigerators and washer/dryers when selling. Sometimes the high end stuff like those front loading Samsung are excluded.
 
We chose Speed Queen... went in for a top loader and left with a floor model front loader. The price was too good to pass up and ultimately a front loader is what we wanted. The machine has been great, except for two issues:

First, within the first couple loads the front door/seal began leaking small amounts of water during the wash/rinse cycle. It didn't happen every load, but it started to become more frequent. Turns out this was a "known" issue and SQ redesigned the front door assembly. It did leave a sour taste since it took a lot of calls between the store we purchase it from and service outfits.

Second, about a year later the wash cycle would randomly stop, usually with water in the tub. Only fix was to unplug/plug machine to reset the error code. So another call to the service guys (who fixed leaky door) and the machine needed a new motor control board. They mentioned that SQ had a "bad" batch of boards and this was a common issue.
 
Originally Posted by demarpaint
Originally Posted by diyjake
I've heard good things about Speed Queen, they are pricey.

You get what you pay for.


Before we realized the LG front load washer and dryer was included with the house, we were looking at speed queen.

Mom has had hers for about 7 years and they've been great aside from a few seal failures that were covered under warranty.
 
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Originally Posted by wings&wheels
Speed Queen aren't what they were, but are still very good relative to what else is out there. If we were planning on being in the house very long term, we'd have probably bought them.

Why does how long you may stay in your house factor in ? Is it customary to leave certain appliances if you sell, for instance ?


Yes, it's pretty common to leave refrigerators and washer/dryers when selling. Sometimes the high end stuff like those front loading Samsung are excluded.


Originally Posted by wings&wheels
Yes, plus our plan is to split time with a smaller place in downtown Boston or Manhattan, probably looking at stackable units then.


You're both in the New England or NE part of the country so maybe it's a regional thing. Here, yeah, kitchen appliances frequently stay, specifically built-in ones like a dishwasher. Fridge and stoves ? It's up to the seller and will be indicated in the listing. For example, pictures will likely show them since the seller probably still lives there but it will say "Appliances not included in sale". That certainly doesn't mean you can't ask them to leave 'em though. Now, with washer and dryer, those typically go with the seller and are not left, at least it's what I see more often.
 
When we moved in to the current house last year, needed washer and drier because they weren't included in the sale. Wife had to have a top loader, no exceptions. I prefer front loaders because they clean better and have physics and gravity on their side to accomplish that. Anyhow, I wanted an energy and water efficient model, no exceptions. Tough search. She tried to badger me into caving and getting an old school Water Hog agitator type top loader, but I held firm. We ended up getting Maytag Bravo XL series top loader with an agi-tub, both units energy star certified and the washer is low water usage. It does have a setting titled 'deep water wash' and that's the one she likes of course, but it's still a lot less water than the standard top loaders use. When I do my laundry once in a while, I use the normal setting and conserve water. I'm not a tree hugger but I see no need to add unnecessarily to our municipal water bill, rates are high and keep going higher each year.

The Maytag Bravo XL series carries a 10 year parts and labor warranty. They're also built in the USA.
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Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Originally Posted by wings&wheels
Speed Queen aren't what they were, but are still very good relative to what else is out there. If we were planning on being in the house very long term, we'd have probably bought them.

Why does how long you may stay in your house factor in ? Is it customary to leave certain appliances if you sell, for instance ?


Yes, it's pretty common to leave refrigerators and washer/dryers when selling. Sometimes the high end stuff like those front loading Samsung are excluded.


Originally Posted by wings&wheels
Yes, plus our plan is to split time with a smaller place in downtown Boston or Manhattan, probably looking at stackable units then.


You're both in the New England or NE part of the country so maybe it's a regional thing. Here, yeah, kitchen appliances frequently stay, specifically built-in ones like a dishwasher. Fridge and stoves ? It's up to the seller and will be indicated in the listing. For example, pictures will likely show them since the seller probably still lives there but it will say "Appliances not included in sale". That certainly doesn't mean you can't ask them to leave 'em though. Now, with washer and dryer, those typically go with the seller and are not left, at least it's what I see more often.


House prices here are at least 300k to start for a condo and up to 800k or more. I've done a few million dollar sales, but those aren't that common. At that price, you leave the washer/dryer. I suppose if you're in the 100k-200k range, a set that's worth close to 2k makes sense to remove. Most people just include them in the listing so if you exclude them in the listing, it makes you look cheap so it's not good from a marketing view so that's why they're normally included. One less thing to move and either you get new ones at the new place or you also get a washer/dryer set in the new place. New construction usually leaves those out though although they might include the refrigerator. No one takes dishwashers/stoves because those are considered fixtures and come with the house. I did do a sale once that had an Aga stove. It's always on, even the home inspector who has been doing home inspections for 20+ years never saw one before, couldn't figure out how to turn it on when it's always on. At least you never have to worry about forgetting to shut it off because it's always on.
 
We have these … with the MCT driveline
They get stuffed often with blankets and large items and that's the only time used on Deepwater …
never spin out of balance
 
Originally Posted by diyjake
We are looking to replace our washer and dryer in the near future. Not looking for fancy features, just a solid front load washer/dryer. What brands are considered reliable these days and which ones should we stay away from? I've heard that Samsung is one to stay away from although they seem to be some of the most popular ones.

We will most like be buying from Home Depot / Lowes since they seem to have the best prices.


Our Whirlpool Duet front loader died a sudden and catastrophic death after 10 years of service. It was right around a holiday and Home Depot, Lowes, and the other appliance stores had a great sale on a Samsung front loader. We bought one despite the bad Dodge-like reviews, since for the deeply discounted price, if it lasted the warranty period, we were satisfied. Don't want to jinx it but it's been 7 years now and it's been great.
 
Originally Posted by Stewart Fan
I'm the delivery manager at a Lowe's store in Washington state. Based on what I see on a daily basis, Samsung would be the very last brand I'd choose. Just overall poor reliability . LG makes good appliances, but LG repair and service is a nightmare. I'd personally choose Maytag or Whirlpool.

I have a Whirlpool fridge and Maytag front load W/D. Our dishwasher is a Maytag. Range is a Frigidaire.

Several years ago, I worked for Lowe's delivery for about 10 months. One thing that stuck out to me was nearly every house we took a front load washer out of....a top load was what the customer replaced it with. There were a few repeat buyers of front loaders...but only a few.

Delivering those front loaders are like moving a Volkswagen Beetle. In a college town with LOTS of 2nd, 3rd and up floors in apartments was pretty rough. Then...due to space restrictions, a lot of the dryers had to be stacked on top of the washers...royal PITA.

The house I sold nearly 4 years ago, I lived in since 2001...I bought all brand new GE appliances including a basic GE washer/dryer set. When we moved out in 2015, I included them with the sale of the home along with all the other appliances. 2 reasons #1 when you start moving certain appliances from one house to another is when they develop issues a lot of times. #2 all the appliances were almost 15 years old, they were likely riding on borrowed time. Only issue I ever had with the GE dryer was the drum guide. Never had a single issue with the washer.
 
Whirpool. Parts are easy to source on eBay. Easy to repair yourself without a repair manual. OK you may need to watch a YouTube. Repair friendly. Top loaders super easy to repair.
 
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