Washing Machine

[MossRoad]

We've had 3 washing machines in 35 years. The first one we bought used for $100 in 1985, and left it with the house when we sold it in 1996. The 2nd came with the house we are currently in in 1995. It was still working when we sold it 8ish years ago and got matching Speedqueens. Never had one fail. Guess we're lucky. k-nock on wood.

 

[mwemaxxowner]

We had one quit on us a few months back. The one that quit we got secondhand, and we'd been using it for 10 years.

We needed one quick, fast, and in a hurry. For some reason due to covid, at that time at least, washing machines were in short supply.

We found ONE in stock that we could purchase without waiting for months on backorder. It was $870. That hurt! We searched all Lowe's and Home Depots within a reasonable driving distance.

This was one they weren't supposed to sell too. I can't remember what kind of inventory they called it but it wasn't supposed to be one they could sell at the time, we had to make a few phone calls to get it authorized to sell.

It's nice though. If we get 10+ years out of it I'll be happy.

 

[Oaktree]

All the new ones are basically the same...Junk. I have a wringer in the shop for towels and it's older than I am (70) and runs like a top. It's the backup when the house machines die.

Wife had an Amana----- Junk.. Then a Speed Queen-----junk, Now has a Maytag----- working on junk. Maybe an LG is better but I doubt it. Wife is smart though, she gets the extended warranty and when they puke, she gets a new one cheap because they buy back the junk one. She has that figured out. Interestingly, always the same thing, the unitized motor assembly. Shaft seals leak and short the motor and instant junk. They haul the clunker away and drop a new machine, about every 3 years. The electric dryer is forever it seems. Still have the Amana.

What are you doing to trash washing machines? I don't think I've ever gotten less than 10 years out of one.
As far as your comment about "all the new ones are junk"...well, they said that 40 years ago too.

Everyone seems to like to hate on front loaders, but I really like them now.

Who is hating on them? I've only ever had one...a Kenmore that my wife had when we met. Trouble is the tub bearings go after a while, and are expensive to replace. Not hard to imagine why...all that weight only supported on one end.
Other than that it was very good, used very little water and spun it out very well.

Some of the newer "water saver" units go a bit too far in conserving water...sister had one and sometimes not everything in a load even got wet, let alone clean.

 

[mrmikey]

Give me a washer that washes clothes, three water levels, hot, warm, cold and I'm good. I don't need fancy controls, just the old mechanical timer. Friend of mine just bought a washer, $800.00, 'Its programmable, says "hi' when you start it and put in your name". Ok....so did you buy a friend or a washer, looks like the dash of the space shuttle,......totally unnecessary superfluous crap IHMO.
The salesman told him average life is 8 years or so then start looking for a new one. Wow, totally a waste.........Mike

 

[GSVette]

Bought a lightly used Whirlpool Duet front loader to with the Frigidaire dryer I had remaining to put in my shop. Really happy with it so far.

Have an LG front loader at home-been bullet proof

 

[Egon]

We have a top loader washing machine upstairs. It’s at least one hundred years old and still works perfectly. There is variable control on water amount and temperature. The cycles also have variable control at your own disgresion.

 

[radios1]

front loaders take way more time to clean properly, whites are a problem if you don't use the sanitary cycle which takes one hour to finish.. top loaders clean much better, that forceful agitation does the trick.. and as far as quality goes, people wanted cheaper machines, so they built cheaper machines..

 

[MossRoad]

We have a top loader washing machine upstairs. It痴 at least one hundred years old and still works perfectly. There is variable control on water amount and temperature. The cycles also have variable control at your own disgresion.

That described my grandmother... :laughing:

I miss her.

 

[RustyA]

Whirlpool Duet set we bought new in 2005. At the time the tech terrified me but they've both been great...One water discharge pump in washer I replaced for $40, one idler pulley in dryer the bearing got noisy for $29. Washes and dries large loads and clothes seem to last forever compared to our old top load washer.

 

[CADplans]

We went with a front loader because we're on a septic, and dumping massive water through a septic system is a really bad idea.

I am pretty sure that different septic systems handle water volumes differently.

Our septic was installed in ~1978,, we actually have one outside rain water source directed into the septic.
I have raised two daughters (both with l o n g hair) and the septic has never even needed pumping.

We did have it pumped, once, the guy asked why we called,, there was almost nothing but water in the tank,, that was the year 2001.
He left about 1/4 of the water in the tank, because he felt our bacteria must be just right for our tank.

So, I think our septic operates very good with high volumes of water,, and yes, we have a top loader washer.

 

[CADplans]

I have seen a comment that all washers are alike,, ours is different.

We have a Fisher-Paykel top loader. it must be about 15-20 years old.

The washer has NO TRANSMISSION!

That alone must make it different,,

The drum is are directly connected to an inverter controlled motor,, all speed and direction changes are handled electronically.
Even the back and forth agitation is simply the motor reversing,, there is nothing mechanical, other than the motor.

I have seen YouTube videos where people pull the motor out of these washers, and make a water powered generator out of the motor.

The main reason we bought this one is the crazy high final spin speed, the clothes come out virtually dry.
The inverter controlled motor has no problem going the high speed to super dry the clothes. Again, no gear box to worry about.
I think the washer has paid for itself in reduced drying time, compared to the Maytag, that had a final spin speed of about half the RPM of this one.
15 years of the dryer running about half as much adds up to a LOT of electricity,,

The dryer can now finish drying the clothes long before the next load of wash is finished,, it is amazing.


Also, we are on a well, so there is zero concern about the volume of water used, as far as acquiring water.

 

[5030]

Actually, none of the 'new' washers have transmissions. The motors are ALL direct connected the the agitator or wash plate spindle. One it's cheap to manufacture and two when it fails, you get a new one because the coat to repair is more than it's worth.

 

[5030]

What are you doing to trash washing machines? I don't think I've ever gotten less than 10 years out of one.
As far as your comment about "all the new ones are junk"...well, they said that 40 years ago too.



Who is hating on them? I've only ever had one...a Kenmore that my wife had when we met. Trouble is the tub bearings go after a while, and are expensive to replace. Not hard to imagine why...all that weight only supported on one end.
Other than that it was very good, used very little water and spun it out very well.

Some of the newer "water saver" units go a bit too far in conserving water...sister had one and sometimes not everything in a load even got wet, let alone clean.

Two words, well water.

 

[Alien]

The LG has no gearbox and operates like the Fisher and Paykel. As do plenty of others now but F&P was the pioneer of transmission-less tubs from my memory. I had 2 of them over the years.
Our well water has a PPM of 6 -10 TDS. Can't get much better than that. It will not harm anything. Even dries on the car without leaving a mark. Local city had a TDS of 640 PPM last time I checked it.

 

[5030]

Ours is off the scale and makes scale, literally. We can go through a washer machine in a couple years max. If they built a washer like my ancient Maytag wringer, where the spindle driveshaft was dry with a seal on top and the drive on top of that, they would run forever. it's the water on the seal that destroys them for us. No issue though. Like I said, my wife has the extended warranty thing down. The warranty always covers a new one plus a small service charge.

 

[5030]

Something about a oil filled transmission with real gears inside spells durable to me, versus the flat motor, no trans plastic crap they pawn off today for a washer.

 

[Alien]

I bought a Simpson Delta 10 once because a buddy reackoned they were the ducks nuts. (in the '80s) It lasted 1 year and the bearings whirred so loud it was frightening. I junked it.

 

[Fuddy1952]

We're on a well and our 20+ yo Maytag has been working flawlessly (I'm knocking on wood) all these years. It's needed nothing.
When I bought the house 40 years ago there was an old Maytag in the house (early 60s I'm guessing) that I've replaced drive belts...otherwise it still works (shop rags).
I had to admit my wife is correct about not using cheap detergent.

 

[5030]

Old washing machines are good for processing chickens been told. Removes the feathers nicely...

 

[Oaktree]

Two words, well water.

What's in your water that causes this? Maybe we're lucky here, I have a well, and I don't have those kinds of problems, a little bit of sediment that a filter takes care of but that's it.