Reliable Brand Washer / Dryer

[PandaBear]

I have a pair of Whirlpool basic top loader and dryer from the 90s that are still going fine (minor repairs like roller wheels and water pump, timer, door switches, etc). My parents had a set of commercial coin op Whirlpool from the 90s that finally died beyond repair (frame rust) that serviced 4 units for 25 years.

I think if you go with the basic no thrill agitator washer, and basic electric dryer today, will still last. I am not a believe with fancy electronics or touch screen, sensors, etc.

We also "inherited" some old coin op commercial SQ from the apartment building we bought and they are still fine since they enter service 30 years ago.

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted by Wolf359
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.


Big appliances almost ALWAYS stay with the home in the sales because they are expensive to move and the risk of them not working afterward is high (I've done a fridge and a washer move and they died a few months afterward). They also aren't worth much used, so why bother when the bargaining power is not there.

The only time they are moved, that I can think of, is when the previous owner bought a special / custom unit that they are really attached to, and they would not give it up. Usually buyer and seller would probably just bargain a few hundred dollars to make up the difference. These appliances drop their value by almost 1/2 as soon as they are out of the box anyways.

 

[Mr Nice]

Originally Posted by PandaBear

I think if you go with the basic no thrill agitator washer, and basic electric dryer today, will still last. I am not a believe with fancy electronics or touch screen, sensors, etc.


Yep. + 100000000 %

I buy basic washer and dryer. No need for high tech glam for something that a basic washer / dryer can do.

 

[Fordiesel69]

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.


I do not have time to read this entire thread, but what you are looking for in a brand new machine does not exist, period. Find a small mom and pop (honest) appliance store and ask them to hunt you down a speed queen top load washer that is older than 2017. Then you can get a somewhat matching dryer. Or a whirlpool direct drive as a second choice.

If you buy anything new as in 2019 or 2020 model year, you will get 5 yrs out of it on well water, and maybe 7 yrs on good municiple water.

Most front load washers do not properly rinse your detergents out, so you walk around with all kinds of chemicals on your cloths, but heck, you are saving water and the environment!!!!! And they will smell like black mold after a year unless you constantly leave the door open, and use the sanitizer pods.

 

[alarmguy]

Top Loading - GE, Whirlpool and Kenmore, skip the South Korean brands, save them for your TVs *L*

We have had Whilrpool elite (?) washer and dryer, typical top loader with the spindle in the middle. Almost 14 years now trouble free for both. No electronic controls! Though not sure if that is possible anymore. Anyway, I dont know why us spoiled Americans *L* need to examine the features of a washer and dryer to the point that people pay thousands to have their clothes spun in soapy water and dried with hot air and then, oh wait! Just wait till all those electronic controls go wacko!
Electronics sell products and I LOVE electronics but my washer and dryer? No thank you< I do laundry because I have too,

I bet when we go to a party, no one can tell what kind of washer did our clothes. *L*

 

[MCompact]

We recently bought a front load Whirlpool washer and dryer. The appliance repair shop we use(it doesn't sell new appliances) told us to steer clear of LG and Samsung.

 

[KenshinHimura]

Originally Posted by alarmguy

No electronic controls! Though not sure if that is possible anymore.


Only ones that I know of that are all mechanical are a few Whirlpool and Maytag branded dryers. All washers ive seen are the electronic controlled switches either being push buttons or knobs

 

[Alfred_B]

A question to those against electronic controls. Is the computer you are typing these comments on an electronic or a mechanical device?

 

[Hall]

Originally Posted by alarmguy
Electronics sell products and I LOVE electronics but my washer and dryer? No thank you< I do laundry because I have too,

When I was shopping for a replacement washer, one of the times I went with my oldest (adult) daughter, and we saw a washing machine with WiFi and connectivity options. Before we read the details, we played a game of guessing what the point was. One I said was, "you load clothes in, soap, close the lid, set the settings, and 'forget' to start it until you are elsewhere in the house or even leave the house and you can start it from your phone" (with a proprietary app, of course too !) or "your phone sends a notification when the load is done". She rolled her eyes at both of those as being silly or unnecessary .... but as I recall, both were features or functions that you could do !

 

[Alfred_B]

It's for custom programming and diagnostics through an app.

 

[Skippy722]

Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Originally Posted by alarmguy
Electronics sell products and I LOVE electronics but my washer and dryer? No thank you< I do laundry because I have too,

When I was shopping for a replacement washer, one of the times I went with my oldest (adult) daughter, and we saw a washing machine with WiFi and connectivity options. Before we read the details, we played a game of guessing what the point was. One I said was, "you load clothes in, soap, close the lid, set the settings, and 'forget' to start it until you are elsewhere in the house or even leave the house and you can start it from your phone" (with a proprietary app, of course too !) or "your phone sends a notification when the load is done". She rolled her eyes at both of those as being silly or unnecessary .... but as I recall, both were features or functions that you could do !


They're doing it with dishwashers as well. I refuse to connect mine

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted by Alfred_B
A question to those against electronic controls. Is the computer you are typing these comments on an electronic or a mechanical device?


Does your computer get wet, get steamed with harsh chemical, and vibrate out of the room every week?

Push buttons and knobs are fine, just the touch screen and LCD are the ones that you have to worry about. In general, power electronics are the first thing that goes and power electronics are not good with humidity or voltage surges. US power are not really that good and we fried our electronics a lot here because of those surges.

You will see the same problem with more complicated air conditioners that have multi-speed / variable speed / variable frequency motors, they get fried by the voltage surges much more than a single speed motor with no circuit control.

 

[meadows]

Speed Queen commercial.

 

[totegoat]

Wife has had set of Speed Queens for several years, and would recommend. Washer is top load because she never really liked her old front load.

 

[pandus13]

Originally Posted by PandaBear
Originally Posted by Alfred_B
A question to those against electronic controls. Is the computer you are typing these comments on an electronic or a mechanical device?


Does your computer get wet, get steamed with harsh chemical, and vibrate out of the room every week?

Push buttons and knobs are fine, just the touch screen and LCD are the ones that you have to worry about. In general, power electronics are the first thing that goes and power electronics are not good with humidity or voltage surges. US power are not really that good and we fried our electronics a lot here because of those surges.

You will see the same problem with more complicated air conditioners that have multi-speed / variable speed / variable frequency motors, they get fried by the voltage surges much more than a single speed motor with no circuit control.

US power no good/stable is a very local problem.
It simply depends on the local (sometimes even smaller than a zipcode area) grid.
Source: 5 industrial zones worked in or lived in, including a very unstable one, right next to O'hare

 

[nthach]

Originally Posted by pandus13

US power no good/stable is a very local problem.
It simply depends on the local (sometimes even smaller than a zipcode area) grid.
Source: 5 industrial zones worked in or lived in, including a very unstable one, right next to O'hare

When PG&E here in CA did "public safety blackouts" lots of electronics with poorly designed power circuits got fried. A commercial refrigeration tech told me he's seen high-end refrigerators/freezers in restaurants and bars needing new compressors or control boards, which often times are more than the scrap value of the appliance. I looked at someone's TV not connecting to wifi after a blackout - the power surge fried the TV's power circuit or wifi radio, but the TV still worked fine.

Apple harps about why using cheap chargers isn't a good idea - a properly designed power supply will handle minor brownouts and surges without an issue, and there are adequate means to filter the incoming voltage and make sure it's electronically "clean and tight".