Need New Washer

[isaku5]

Our very old second hand washing machine quit Friday night. Since neither of us really wants to go to the laundromat for long, I''d really appreciate recommendations.

 

[mochi]

I have a Bosch washer and Dryer which was purchased 4 years ago. It''s a German company and states that it''s a ''powerful combination of efficiency, performance, value and engineering''. They say that it''s the best that i would ever own. I think it sucks....

It take so long to wash a load. And front loaders are really bad, especially in a humid climate area, to mildew. This is the second one I have owened (first one was a Maytag, which also mildewed, very bad customer survice. I will never buy Maytag again) that is a front loader.

The lint trap on the dryer does not work well, allowing the link to ''escape'' from the trap and get into the vent area, a possible fire hazard. Yea, I would not have bought a Bosch if I knew all about this.

JMHO....

 

[AGBF]

I just went through this! I always bought Kenmore (Sears) washer and dryers in the past, but haven''t had to buy one in years. I am a researcher by nature, but doing research on this drove me crazy.. For each positive review by an individual I read, there was a negative one. So I broke down and bought a subscription to Consumer Reports, only to find that the machines that they recommended had strong negative reviews by individuals, too. In the end I decided to buy the only machine that had only good reviews from all its users the Miele. It''s a 4640 or some such thing, not a flat 4000. Everyone everywhere loved it. It costs a ton of money. I never wanted a high end washer. On the other hand, I don''t want to call the repairman every other week and with this machine, no one even offered me a contract for repairs!

The Miele dealership told me that some of the owners of Consumer Reports are major stock holders in Sears and that that is why Kenmore brands always end up at the top of its ratings lists. I do not know if that is true. I only know that Consumer Reports bills itself as being free of pressure from advertisers since it does not accept advertising. I do not know how it is held. People can say anything! I didn''t have the time to check it out while looking for my washing machine, although you may .

At any rate, I now own a Miele front loading washer-my first time with a front loader-and it worked well the first and only time I used it! Good luck on your journey! Report back. We can start an appliance thread!

AGBF

 

[AGBF]

I just checked my old information from Consumer Reports (which seems to be a non-profit organization held by Consumers Union). My machine is a Miele W4840 and it was tested by Consumers Reports. Its score was a 77, which is pretty high for them. It got stellar ratings in nearly every category, too. They grade on:

washing performance
energy efficiency
water efficiency
capacity
gentleness
noise
vibration
cycle time (which gets an exact number of minutes)

Except for vibration (on which this machine got a "fair") and gentleness (on which it got a "good") this machine scored all "excellents". Those "excellent" ratings are very hard to come by! When one glances at the page, the red circles which represent an "excellent" are few and far between! The Miele W4840 has almost all red circles.

The price listed is around $1900. You could buy another washer and replace it if it broke for that. I thought of that, believe me! I just didn''t want to have to be the one managing the repairs and the replacement!!! I am sick of washers and driers after 32 years of marriage! Some of you may be newer to this, however!

AGBF

 

[arjunajane]

I love my Miele front loader!
I will never go back to a top loader, they're bit too harsh on your clothes imho..

 

[strmrdr]

$1900????
Think I will stick with top loaders can get 20 of them for that.
Find an old working GE hi capacity(metal transmission that rarely breaks unlike most in the last 15 years that are all plastic) for $50 and have my brother tune it up for $25 in parts for new bearings and seals.
Even if it needs a motor it will be under $125 total.

My current one is 25 years old and and has had $25 worth of parts replaced.

 

[AGBF]

Date: 4/6/2009 8:27:28 AM
Author: strmrdr

Find an old working GE hi capacity(metal transmission that rarely breaks unlike most in the last 15 years that are all plastic) for $50 and have my brother tune it up for $25 in parts for new bearings and seals.
Even if it needs a motor it will be under $125 total.

If I were married to my friend's husband, Phil, I would do what you do...because Phil can fix anything. I am not, however. And I cannot fix anything, either. So I have to call (expensive...very expensive) repairmen. One came from Sears to fix my 9 year-old (inherited with the house we bought) broken washer and charged $70.00 for doing nothing (the machine would have been too expensive to fix). (And that was our newer washer! We were lucky to have an old one in the basement attached with a hose to a sink!) You may not realize that your ability to fix things is worth a lot of real money, Karl!!!

AGBF

 

[soocool]

I have never had a problem with a washer in my life, but a couple of years ago I thought it was time to replace the old one since it was going on 16 years and I wanted a much larger capacity washer to at least do the twin comforters so I bought another Whirlpool. I love Whirpool and my refrigerator and dish washer are Whirpools. The only problem I had was not the washer, but the drum. After 1 year the drum chipped. It could have been because I did not check the pockets and the screw that was floating around chipped the drum. Well the chipped area began to rust and then stained my clothes so I replaced it. Now while the drum is under "lifetime" warranty, the labor to replace is not and if you try to do it yourself the warranty is no longer valid. So we paid the $200.00 labor charge.

Fast forward now 10 months later, same thing. My DH is notorious for screws, nails etc ending up in the washing machine when he washes the car towels. So the same thing happened again and another $200.00 for the labor. I could have bought a new machine.

The moral, next time I am buying a machine with a stainless steel drum! If your husband is a do-it-yourselfer, you have kids who keep junk in their pockets, or you do not check the laundry before you wash it, get a machine with a stainless steel drum or be prepared not only to replace the drum, but also the clothes that will be ruined.

 

[Gailey]

Without doubt, Miele is the Rolls Royce standard in washing machines today. One thing you can be sure of if you buy a Miele is that you will get a Miele machine, built by the Miele company. It will be installed by Miele employees if you opt for that and it will be repaired by Miele if in the unlikely event it breaks down and all parts used will also be genuine Miele parts.

Every other brand of washer on the market cannot claim any of these things. If you only want to buy one washer in the next 15-20 years, buy a Miele. If you don''t mind replacing your washer again in 8-10 years, buy any of the other brands out there.

I actually don''t own a Miele machine. I have a 11 year old AEG washer. It''s motor burned out six months ago and I contemplated what to do and I did a lot of research. In the end I opted to have a new AEG motor put into my machine. Luckily my model was of an age that it meant that only a genuine german built AEG part would fit. Had my machine been younger, it wouldn''t have been an AEG at all under the badge, but an Electrolux.

If I had have opted to buy a new machine - without doubt I would have bought a Miele. $1900 may seem like a lot of money to lay out up front. Not so much when you consider the reliability and life cycle of some of the other brands out there today.

One other thing to consider is how expensive is each machine to run? When I bought my house 11 years ago, it came with a very old top loading machine that chewed up my clothes and didn''t wash at a high enough temperature. Within two months I bought a front loading AEG machine and my water/electricity bill reduced by approximately 50%.

My machine is also cold fill only. the machine heats the water to a temperature that I choose. That''s another important factor if you have allergy concerns. DH has asthma and is allergic to house dust mites. They will only be destroyed in washing temperatures of 60°C (140ºF). When I was shopping for a new machine the North American models that I came across did not have a water heater in them and only washed clothes at the temperature set by the boiler.

 

[Gailey]

Date: 4/5/2009 9:50:04 PM
Author: mochi
I have a Bosch washer and Dryer which was purchased 4 years ago. It''s a German company and states that it''s a ''powerful combination of efficiency, performance, value and engineering''. They say that it''s the best that i would ever own. I think it sucks....

It take so long to wash a load. And front loaders are really bad, especially in a humid climate area, to mildew. This is the second one I have owened (first one was a Maytag, which also mildewed, very bad customer survice. I will never buy Maytag again) that is a front loader.

The lint trap on the dryer does not work well, allowing the link to ''escape'' from the trap and get into the vent area, a possible fire hazard. Yea, I would not have bought a Bosch if I knew all about this.

JMHO....

Your 4 year old Bosch may have a German brand name but I doubt it is a German built machine. I believe, Bosch is part of Thermador these days.

 

[soocool]

Isabel: My mom and dad had their Whirpool washer for at least 30 years and it is going strong ( my dad gave it to the neighbor after he moved out of his house two years ago). They did have to have the motor replaced once. But it was just the 2 of them for most of that time and I expect the wash loads were not tremendous. So you have to factor in how much laundry do you do, how dirty is the wash, and do you really need the fancy gadgets, etc. With us it just the 3 of us and not a ton of wash. My only problem as I mentioned before was that we chipped the drum. While many people may not have problems with their washers, you could get the lemon and vice versa. I just go with the one that doesn''t have a lot of repair problems and in the 20 years that I have been married and in the over 50 that my parents were married we all used Whirpool with no problems. No doubt machines made today are more energy efficient then they were a number of years ago. You just have to decide what bells and whistles you need on your machine and do you just want your laundry to come out clean.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 4/6/2009 9:12:52 AM
Author: AGBF
If I were married to my friend's husband, Phil, I would do what you do...because Phil can fix anything. I am not, however. And I cannot fix anything, either. So I have to call (expensive...very expensive) repairmen. One came from Sears to fix my 9 year-old (inherited with the house we bought) broken washer and charged $70.00 for doing nothing (the machine would have been too expensive to fix). (And that was our newer washer! We were lucky to have an old one in the basement attached with a hose to a sink!) You may not realize that your ability to fix things is worth a lot of real money, Karl!!!


AGBF

I bet it was the transmission on the 9 year old one.
It is the right age for an all plastic transmission and the plastic gets brittle and they break.
New transmission is retail $400 and $250 labor....
Wholesale on the transmission is $300 for most of them and is all plastic just like the original.

 

[isaku5]

Thanks so much for all the help! I should have provided more info in the initial post.

As hubby is very knowledgeable about all things mechanical, he can usually fix whatever needs fixing. The only washer we have ever bought new was the one purchased when we got married 46 years ago. It was a basic GE model and lasted a very long time. Our current machine was one given to us when my mom moved into a ''retirement home'' in 1988. She''d had the machine for years and because she lived alone for quite a while, the washer was not used for anything heavier than sheets.

Right now, we''re not sure how long we''ll live here; we''ve done so much re-decorating and renovating which cost $$$. Spending an additional $1900. for a washer is out of the question.

It''s just the two of us now so we don''t need anything that''s top of the line (although I have to admit I looked longingly at the classy front loaders yesterday).

Thanks again for the suggestions and we''ll consider all options mentioned (except the pricey ones).

Update: DH confirmed that it''s the motor, but also that there are no replacement parts for a 70''s machine. It''s served us well.

 

[strmrdr]

motors are available.
Get the part number off the motor and post it here.
Including specs off the plate on the motor.

 

[diamondsrock]

I just went through this over the winter. I''ve had a Whirlpool top loader for about 15 years and it finally broke. I researched, etc...but didn''t want to spend the money on a front loader, plus the whole mold thing kind of freaked me out. I''ve been perfectly happy with my top loader all these years so I went with another Whirlpool. It was around $450 I think or so.
Works great just like my other one! I love it. Plus it has an extra rinse cycle and more settings than my old one.

 

[crown1]

whirlpool all the way.

 

[VRBeauty]

I''ve had a Kenmore front-loader for about 4 years now, and I''m very pleased with it. It uses less water (and less detergent) than top-loaders and it has a faster spin cycle that removes more water, so the drying time is shorter. Someone mentioned mildew problems with front loaders -- that''s mainly because the seal on the door can trap water. My washer has a baffle that does trap water. I just use an old wash cloth or hand towel to sop it up (the towel goes outside to dry). I think some of the newer models have baffles that drain. When I was shopping for a new washer, Kenmore also had a model that would superheat the water for sanitation purposes.

I live in California where water and energy prices are only going to go higher, so a washer that uses less water (and therefore less energy) makes sense.

 

[lovewhitediamonds]

we just bought the LG steam washer and although it does a great job, I am not a huge fan of the front loader. If you have a big load of towels, or bedding, it''s so heavy to move it to the dryer...all hunched over... it''s a huge strain on your back.

I miss my top loader and if we move, I will never have a front loader again. Just MHO!

 

[Dancing Fire]

we bought our Maytag washer and dryer 22 yrs ago,it still works okay today.

 

[Gailey]

Date: 4/6/2009 7:22:34 PM
Author: Dancing Fire
we bought our Maytag washer and dryer 22 yrs ago,it still works okay today.

DF, you''ve hit the nail right on the head. The problem is that most of today''s machines are not built to last the way they were 10-20 years ago.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 4/6/2009 7:45:36 PM
Author: Gailey

Date: 4/6/2009 7:22:34 PM
Author: Dancing Fire
we bought our Maytag washer and dryer 22 yrs ago,it still works okay today.

DF, you''ve hit the nail right on the head. The problem is that most of today''s machines are not built to last the way they were 10-20 years ago.

yeah,i don''t trust those machines with all them electronic stuff,most of them will go

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Very satisfied with my LG Tron. Would recommend LG!

cheers--Sharon

 

[isaku5]

Date: 4/6/2009 2:48:20 PM
Author: strmrdr
motors are available.
Get the part number off the motor and post it here.
Including specs off the plate on the motor.

Okay, we might as well give it a try anyway. Thanks Karl

Serial # LH8080 and Model # W722HW1291. It''s a GE machine bought in the 70''s.

I hope you can find a place that carries really old parts.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 4/7/2009 10:40:53 AM
Author: isaku5

Date: 4/6/2009 2:48:20 PM

Author: strmrdr

motors are available.

Get the part number off the motor and post it here.

Including specs off the plate on the motor.

Okay, we might as well give it a try anyway. Thanks Karl

Serial # LH8080 and Model # W722HW1291. It''s a GE machine bought in the 70''s.


I hope you can find a place that carries really old parts.

Is that the washer model # or the motor part #?

 

[strmrdr]

that is coming up as invalid get the washer model #
model tag for the washer is on the left side bottom front corner.

Then go here:
http://www.repairclinic.com/
Click on live chat.
Tell them what you need.
They said their charts go back that far.

If they cant find it then take the motor out and go to a couple local repair shops and see if they have one either new or working used.
I try for a working used and it is usually not that expensive, I have got them for $15 at times.

 

[isaku5]

Date: 4/7/2009 12:49:36 PM
Author: strmrdr

Date: 4/7/2009 10:40:53 AM
Author: isaku5

Date: 4/6/2009 2:48:20 PM

Author: strmrdr

motors are available.

Get the part number off the motor and post it here.

Including specs off the plate on the motor.

Okay, we might as well give it a try anyway. Thanks Karl

Serial # LH8080 and Model # W722HW1291. It''s a GE machine bought in the 70''s.


I hope you can find a place that carries really old parts.

Is that the washer model # or the motor part #?

I haven''t a clue which it is. DH should be back early this evening so I''ll check with him then.

Update: He called to tell me that he doesn''t think that it''s the motor that''s causing the shut down, but rather the ''clutch assembly''. He''s going to check it out tonight.

. I have have this weird feeling that it''s going to be one repair after another on that old baby.

 

[strmrdr]

once he knows what it is check with the site I linked above for parts.

 

[isaku5]

Date: 4/7/2009 7:16:27 PM
Author: strmrdr
once he knows what it is check with the site I linked above for parts.

Thanks for checking in, Karl. The problem has been diagnosed as the motor, but he couldn''t see any other numbers other than those I gave you earlier and they were those of the washer.

Bottom line, given the age of the washer, the $$ it would cost to have the motor shipped to Canada, etc. I think we''ll be shopping for a new basic model.

(Psst...I saw a second hand one for sale. It''s a Kenmore Elite HE3 High Efficiency washer that''s front loading and 3 years old. The matching dryer was available too. Any opinions on this pair?

)

Price (for pair): $700.

 

[Mara]

i personally love Kenmore products. i was raised with a Kenmore W/D and our last place had Kenmore Front Loaders for 5 years, we only had one issue with the dryer in that the 'auto dry' stopped working so we just didn't use it but we prob just had to replace a sensor.

i wanted to get a Kenmore for the new house but then Greg said he wanted a larger capacity than our old set, and the larger capacity Kenmores were just too expensive! it's a Sears brand, hello, why is it priced more than a lot of the other 'higher quality' brands out there? i was shocked and Sears typically has good deals but not when we were looking. i did a lot of research, we almost got an LG until a local shop told us they are horrible to repair and the parts take forever to come in from overseas and read a fair amount of bad reviews. looked at Whirlpool but i just didn't love them. so we ended up with a Bosch set that is very large capacity and we got a stellar deal on them, funnily enough through Sears.

the new Bosch are SUPER quiet. we love that part as the laundry is right near the kitchen near the fam room whereas our old ones used to be upstairs and would shake the house, the new ones don't shake anything (they are front load) at all. but the washer takes FOREVER for a load. i don't like that you can't choose a 'quick' load like you could on the old ones. so a load of laundry takes at least an hour. the dryer is very fast, the auto dry is great. also the capacity in the washer seems a lot smaller than the dryer or maybe its my imagination.

most of the reviews i read had great ones for the Bosch. we do not have a prob with mildew (knock on wood) and did not have that with our old front loaders either, we just leave the door open after every wash for 1/2 a day and let it air out and we don't leave clothes in it wet longer than a few hours. we have had it only 3 months so far...i don't love them as much as the Kenmore (old habits), but they are good so far. the pair was $1600 but i got a $200 rebate.

PS... isaku the 2nd hand $700 pair sounds promising, i would just make sure to have them checked out by someone first if possible.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 4/7/2009 7:42:22 PM
Author: isaku5



(Psst...I saw a second hand one for sale. It''s a Kenmore Elite HE3 High Efficiency washer that''s front loading and 3 years old. The matching dryer was available too. Any opinions on this pair?

)

google says RUN!!!! Away!!!!!!
Way to many problems came up which is why it is likely for sale.
Very problematic with parts rusting then permanently staining clothes basically ruining them.