Washer & Dryer

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IPD_Mr

IPD_Mr

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Joined
Jun 27, 2007
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Zionsville, In
Anyone bought a washer and dryer recently? Any good suggestions? Front load, top load, direct drive? Still not over the sticker shock yet. :frown:
 
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1) Get a high efficiency washer. Uses HE detergent and saves a lot of water.
2) Don't put a front load on a wood floor ie...upstairs or over basement. The spin cycle obtains very high speeds and vibrations.
3) HE washers are prone to developing mildew and mold at the seals. You must run through a "clean the washer" cycle on a regular basis.

We purchase an HE top load Maytag about a year ago with a matching dryer. It has been great. Very happy with it. The top load avoids the vibration issue as we have a basement. The dryer has a steam cycle which has come in handy for doing a quick "refresh" on items.
 
We bought the Kennmore HE front load washer and dryer. We love them. (same as Whirlpool HE, EXCEPT Kenmore uses computer circuitry instead of 20th century "timer" switches).

As far as the "mildew" issue, all that is required is to leave the door open about 1 inch when not in use. Be sure to spend the really smart money to replace the hoses with auto shut off stianless ones (very inexpensive). The number one cause of home flooding is a split washing machine hose.

These units are among the best appliance purchases we have ever made. The clothes get cleaner, fewer wrinkles and they save on water and electricity. Additionally, they hold 22 pairs of jeans!
 
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our 4 year old GE dryer quit on us about 6 months ago, bought an LG frontloader and love it. It has the damp sensors and lets you know when the laundry is dry, not when 45 minutes are up.... and it can dry a ton of towels pretty quickly.
 
We went with front load in both the laundry rooms. Whirlpool generics for the guests side and Electrolux for us. As andy says just leave the door opend a bit on the washer and no mildew problem. we have had ours over a year now and no sign of mold on either set.
 
best thing that happen to me was when my washer died and when yes my frig did at the same time too so i feel for you. i took apart my fridge and got away with it working again without use of the ice maker in the door. it still makes ice but doesnt dispense it via the door....oops we are talking washer dryers :). i got a front load GE HE set from lowels AWESOME is all i have to say on water and electricity savings not to mention a suberb wash and very quick dry. its the entry level without the steam option and lowels had free delivery and removal and 10% military discount. they provided a super buying experience.

the washer rings (is that the spelling?) the cloths dry at a very high speed which saves on the dryer having to not work hard. i agree the dryer dampness sensor works great and the way you add soap and bleach is very clean and so cool. i converted the dryer to propane which took a good hour and a half. my girlfriend now wife, thank you Lord, at the time thought i was nuts tearing the dryer apart with pieces all over the kitchen within 10 minutes of it being delivered. it went ok but on a GE a propane conversion is not for the faint of heart but you will save alot using gas over electricity. you can get a conversion kit calling up GE with the unit ser# or simply get a tech to do it.

thats what makes the IAP so incredible.....a wealth of info on anything and everything from everybody :). just awesome
 
A year ago we bought a washer and dryer with all the bells and whistles. WHY?! Because my wife wanted them. "Look honey, it can even do this" :confused: Problem is, she hates to do laundry so I do it most of the time and don't use, much less even know, what half of the features are. I just want my clothes clean and dry. I would have settled for an old ringer washer but boy...........they sure LOOK nice :rolleyes:
 
My daughter was told by the repairman after his 3rd visit to her 1.5 yr old front load machine that the max life expectancy of the electronics is 5 yrs . She went back to a 10 yr old machine which shoud be good for another 10 . Throwaway washing machines have now joined the small unrepairable appliances . Wonder how long it will take society as a whole to reaquaint itself with the fact that repairable machines use less resources .
 
My family treats washers badly. We have 8 kids, 2 grown and 6 kids at home, oldest at home age 19, youngest age 4, most with special needs, including a 17 year old boy who requires fresh linens every day because well, you don't really want to know.
We killed a GE, a Kenmore and a Maytag before I bought a Staber washer about 8 years ago. It's a top loading, horizontal axis washer that is just about bulletproof. It's easy to fix when you have to, it doesn't use a lot of water or detergent, and it gets the clothes clean without tearing them up.

We do at least 18 loads per week. A washer breakdown is an emergency on a par with the septic tank backing up, so I don't mess around. As far as I'm concerned, this thing is a tool, and it works. The wife would like a shinier LG with all the bells and whistles, but she would find the one cycle she likes and never deviate from it, and the clothes would not be any cleaner.
 
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Just bought my Bride a new set of front load high effiency she loves them. She never ask for anything so when the oppertunity top do something I make the best of it......... of course I don't do much laundry so she can get what she wants as far as appliances.
 
Bought an LG front load about a year ago and am happy with it. Direct drive which I am told is better. I do the laundry because it's in the basement and my shop is in the basement. I bought in mainly because of the lower water use. I was having septic problems at the time. Wasn't worried about the amount of water used because any I use goes back into the ground and by the time it gets to the river it's cleaner than when it came out of the tap. I get around the mold problem with the front seals by leaving the door open except when it's being used. Everything drys no mold no smell.
 
A very timely thread. We are in the process of replacing both the washer and dryer. We have an LG range and fridge and are very happy with them so LG is the choice for the laundry room. The only problem is deciding between top load and front load, we are leaning toward the front load.
 
We have had the Whirlpool HE Front Loading washing and dryer for a few years now. They are great and have been trouble free. You do have to keep the "mildew" issue in mind. It usually just requires leaving the door open a bit so that moisture in the door seal area can dry.
 
Whirlpool HE Duet front loader. Purchased 6 years ago. No problems, ever.
As far as mildew, run a cloth inside the rubber gasket once a month or so and you have no problem.
Hope this helps. And yes they are pricey. I think ours was around $1000 or better back then.
Russ
 
IPD_Mr said:
For those with front loaders, did you buy the pedistals? If you didn't, did you regret it?
Click to expand...

No and no, but then who ever built this house laid a 12" thick concrete pad along 2 walls in the basement to keep washer, dryer and water heater above the floor. It was a real pain with the top loader on that pad though.
 
I have a 25 year old dryer and a 10 year old washer. I see no reason to change, though the washer has started shaking a lot as of late, so I may replace it with a new toploader.

I hear the Bosch frontloaders are excellent, especially if you get the lifetime warranty. BUt they're too bloody expensive.
 
We purchased a Bosch HE front load washer and a Whirpool dryer that were on clearance at Lowe's several years ago, paid $317 and change for the pair, the were new display models and the store just wanted to get rid of them. The washer alone retailed for over $1,100 at the time. Very please with the service. We have had some issue with mold, I have teenagers that do their own laundry and cannot leave the door open as suggested. I would highly reccomend a front load waher and no, we did not purchase pedastals, has not been an issue.
 
We purchased the pedestals for the pair we use. They are situated side by side not stacked. I could have built a cabinet for them to sit on but my wife didnt want to wait 10 years.:rolleyes: We do not regret it at all. My wife is 5-8 so the extra height helps.

Mike
 
Don't know what the prices are now but when we looked at the HE washers we found the special HE detergent to use in them to be much more expensive than the regular stuff.

Haven't looked at the parts diagrams on the HE washer/dryers but I expect they are more dependent on logic boards and are a little less friendly to DIY home repair for the moment.
 
About 5 years ago the transmission went out on our washer (which was a high quality best buy according to consumer reports). The repairman said the majority of washers have the transmission go bad. In my case this happened because I had a tendency to overload it. I also rarely checked the water setting and there were times I had to rewash since the last person to use it ran a small load. I ended up getting a Fisher Paykel and love it. It is direct drive and will determine the correct amount of water for each cycle. It gets the clothes clean and there is no fear of damaging the machine due to overloading. We also got a rebate from the dept of water and power for buying it.
 
Beating the cloths on rocks at the rivers edge is out too, even though that is how Chuck did things when he was a youngin. :tongue:

Thank you all for your input. It is nice to know that the pedestals are not a must. I just hate the idea of paying $400-$500 for a couple of drawers. And Jon your input meant quite a bit to me. You are a tall person and if the height of the front loaders bothered you, I am sure you would have said something.

Now I just need the Mrs. to tell me what to do. :eek:
 
we just got a set of Whirlpools Top loader on the washer. Its HE, but doesn't have all the bells and whistles. I don't feel it gets the cloths as clean as they used to. And if you want to soak something, forget it.
 
Odd you should post this question. My front loading Kenmore washing machine HD (just a name... it was ANYTHING but heavy duty) just pooped out on us. It was only six years old!

Front loading washing machines don't sit on a firm base. The horizontal tub is held in place above by springs and below by shock absorbers. As these stretch or wear out, the bearing in the back goes out prematurely because of the alignment issues the stretching causes. Terribly expensive and prohibitively expensive to replace.

We haven't the room for side by side units, but I sure do wish I could have a top loading washer again. What a pain. I guess I'll tear it down, fix what I see broken or worn out, and go from there.
 
While you're at it, use the right fittings!

The advice about the anti-flood hoses is invaluable. The major causes of home floods are washing machines, toilet supply lines, and refrigerator icemaker lines.

As luck would have it, I'm home from work today because of a laundry room flood! No, the hose didn't break. That would have been too stinking easy. Instead, the Great Disaster Planner made sure that the do-it-yourselfer that scabbed in the bathroom plumbing 25 years ago didn't use dielectric fittings to connect copper to galvanized.

This mess is in the attic. I had to tear out the ceiling in the laundry room to get to it. Off to the hardware store!

P1040014.JPG
 
IPD_Mr said:
For those with front loaders, did you buy the pedistals? If you didn't, did you regret it?
Click to expand...

We did get the pedistals. In the package deal that we got, they were more or less free. I can't IMAGINE NOT HAVING THEM NOW! NOT having to bend over to load and unload clothes really is nice on "old" backs!
 
IPD_Mr said:
Anyone bought a washer and dryer recently? Any good suggestions? Front load, top load, direct drive? Still not over the sticker shock yet. :frown:
Click to expand...


Mike
I sold Appliances for over 15 years at (Sears) retired in October 2010 from retail and on laundry equipment, something made by LG comes to mind, ALL Sears Kenmore front loaders are made by LG, except for two models now. I say Kenmore because they are less that the "LG" named and rate higher in Consumer Reports than the LG named. Front loaders save water(65% plus), electricity (about 75% less than standard), soap, (about 75%) and most importantly clothes. On a normal load of say towels you will have 90% less lint coming out of them in the washer or dryer - no agitator to stretch them...This means that your clothes will last t least 10 times longer than using a conventional washer. They spin around 1200 rpms on cotton cycle (three-four times faster than conventional washers) and the dryer time will about HALF the time. ANY dryer will be more efficient with more water being taken out. Like someone said you need use HE soap ONLY. On a full load on the big units, about 1/4 of a cup (REALLY!) is all that's needed. I say the "big units"...They can now do about 24 pieces, 30x60 bath towels. But you set no water level, it has sensors that tell the need...A heat loss/heat gain sensor that will stop the water from coming in.

Surprisingly THE ONLY front loading washer and dryer set Made in America...? It's BOSCH, same people that make the spark plugs. They are very good in laundry. Made in North Carolina these days. Also the Service Records for LG's and the Bosch sets have the least amount of major service calls in the "expected life time" of the units. This according to Sears Service people that I know.

(Sorry to carry on but if you should need any information Mike just shoot me a PM)

On Refrigeration...Anything made by Whirlpool with a Whirlpool compressor stands out. They are almost always the higher rated refrigeration in Consumer's Reports. They are the quietest of all compressors on the market, any supplier. They are the longest lasting, again according to service techs. People who work on them. One might be surprised that some GE's and a few other refrigerators out there actually are equipped with a Whirlpool compressor! Whirlpool actually own and make Whirlpool, Whirlpool; Gold, Kitchenaid, Tappen, Matag, Roper, Jenn-Air and others.

Wow, I went on and I'm out of selling appliances! Mike - Please PM me sometime if you need any questions answered.
Take care
Randy
 
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Sometimes, Mike, to deplete stock levels companies offer "Buy a set of laundry and receive pedestals for free" in the form of a rebate.
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IPD_Mr said:
Beating the cloths on rocks at the rivers edge is out too, even though that is how Chuck did things when he was a youngin. :tongue:

Thank you all for your input. It is nice to know that the pedestals are not a must. I just hate the idea of paying $400-$500 for a couple of drawers. And Jon your input meant quite a bit to me. You are a tall person and if the height of the front loaders bothered you, I am sure you would have said something.

Now I just need the Mrs. to tell me what to do. :eek:
Click to expand...
 
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