What are decent washer/dryers? (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: Yesterday 12:15:11 PM EDT
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My 20 year old Maytag dryer died this morning. Timer ticks down but it won't turn on, just clicks. Replaced every other appliance this year, guess these were feeling left out. What are the go to brands these days? I have a gas line in the laundry room, is that preferable to electric? |
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Everyone is going to say Speed Queen, and they're probably right from a quality perspective. That said, we looked at them and they are small and use a ton of water. Speed Queen says you can fill the more full than the bigger units so it works out, but they physically look smaller than other units. My wife basically told me "nope" when we were shopping despite the reputation |
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All appliances suck these days, some just slightly less than others. With that said, SQ has the best reputation for reliability. Although Maytag recently announced the MTW8305T washer which is supposed to focus on long-term reliability instead of bells and whistles. |
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my wife is tiny so we went with front load so she could reach things easily. They also use less water. Most here will say to avoid front load, and I get why. We just make sure to keep ours clean around the detergent drawer, seals and doors. No major complaints though I did have to replace the dryer belt at year 6. $10 and under two hours of my time (only b/c I'd never done it before). |
 I've Repaired Hundreds of Washers — These Are the Only 4 I'd Actually Buy |
...another place, where the faces are so cold
I'd drive all night just to get back home
I'd drive all night just to get back home
| We like our Speed Queens. My wife does bitch that clear liquid detergent needs to be used or you may have blueish marks on your clothes which require another wash.. She also says the cleaning cycle works much better if you start the wash to fill the tub. Once you gets a few inches of water in it, add the detergent. Then add the clothes and continue the wash. |
| We bought the Speed Queen FF7 and the matching dryer. Yeah, it was just under $5k for the pair (gas dryer), but I don't think we'll need to replace them ever. After the 5 year warranty is up, I plan on just repairing them myself if needed. I have filled the FF7 a couple times just to see what it can do, and it handled it well. Generally we don't use it to full capacity, but being a front loader, it does use less water. But, our water is fairly cheap (for city water) and we do have a minimum cubic foot usage each month that they charge us even if we don't hit it. |
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Originally Posted By CFletch: Not Samsung, that's for sure. I've never had a washer so sensitive to any slight imbalance of the drum and error out constantly. 
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Award: 24/365 Most likely to be an appendix.
"Dealing with Congress is like trying to have an adult conversation about the credit card with your alcoholic bi-polar Ukranian import wife."
"Dealing with Congress is like trying to have an adult conversation about the credit card with your alcoholic bi-polar Ukranian import wife."
I'd fix your 20yo Maytag and get another 20 years Everything new sucks these days Attached File |
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Originally Posted By medicmandan: We've been using frontload. The local appliance warehouse place doesn't have frontload SQ. |
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"Dealing with Congress is like trying to have an adult conversation about the credit card with your alcoholic bi-polar Ukranian import wife."
"Dealing with Congress is like trying to have an adult conversation about the credit card with your alcoholic bi-polar Ukranian import wife."
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All mine are Speed Queen, but that said, I'd try fixing the Maytag first. It's a washing machine, not an automatic transmission, not a Mars rocket. A decent multimeter, some nut drivers and a couple of screwdrivers, you're in. Look for a corresponding youtube video. You can evaluate it from there. It's already broke, you have the opportunity to learn. It might be completely fubar, but you'll be a better man finding out yourself. |
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A twenty year old dryer is so simple you should be able to go buy the part and fix it yourself. When is the last time you cleaned your vent hose? Have you checked the fuse on the back? When you turn it on does the heating element heat but the drum doesn’t turn. I’ve made tons of money fixing dryers that only needed simple parts replacement. Unplug it and pull it away from the wall and disconnect the vent hose. Then take the back panel off and post a pic. Unless you just want a new one. |
 The Best Cleaning Washer I've Tried! The Electrolux Front Load & Dryer Review (ELFW7637AT) I have a set of the Electrolux 600 series of washer/drier combo for several years now and have been very happy. The front loader does a great job of getting clothes clean. ETA: buy the washing machines from Electrolux...do not order them from a big box store... |
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Speed queen IMO isnt worth the price. Any low-feature, basic top loader from Whirlpool or Maytag is going to get you similar performance and if it breaks every 5 years (probs not) it'll be cheaper to replace it, several times over, than buying a speed queen. I've got high end LGs and they are doing fine; bought the Lowes warranty with them so I'm sure they wont break until that expires
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Originally Posted By Frank_B: Speed Queen, tested for 14,000 cycles. Get the ones with the real knobs and switches. https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%2Fid%2FOIP.1YFPgKu9RlNrrnyJ_c6kAwHaBv%3Fpid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=2aba93226de2d4850bce7c41ead003001be069e40f2a37d16ae7dfbfa76b2122&ipo=images They’re not real knobs and switches. They’re the same as my SQ above in a different form to satisfy “knobs and switches” people. |
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Originally Posted By Frank_B: Speed Queen, tested for 14,000 cycles. Get the ones with the real knobs and switches. https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%2Fid%2FOIP.1YFPgKu9RlNrrnyJ_c6kAwHaBv%3Fpid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=2aba93226de2d4850bce7c41ead003001be069e40f2a37d16ae7dfbfa76b2122&ipo=images We paid a bit more for the digital model. Sturdy components, but the digital controls are a waste of money. |
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Originally Posted By BB: Speed queen IMO isnt worth the price. Any low-feature, basic top loader from Whirlpool or Maytag is going to get you similar performance and if it breaks every 5 years (probs not) it'll be cheaper to replace it, several times over, than buying a speed queen. I've got high end LGs and they are doing fine; bought the Lowes warranty with them so I'm sure they wont break until that expires You might be excommunicated for blaspheming Speed Queen
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If you want large size and good cleaning scores, top load LG has been good. If you want a durable as you can get and can live with the smaller barrel, Speed queen. If you don't mind having mis matched items, there are still Maytag dryers that use mechanical timers and are really easy to fix if anything ever breaks. MED4500 is an example of that, and cost less than half a speed queen. They are built off old whirlpool designs are are normally pretty damn solid. |
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If you can fix your old one without a lot of cost or hassle I'd go that route. Everything else besides SQ or commercial units are garbage now. Avoid anything with a touch panel and I personally don't like front loaders. Besides having to keep the gasket clean I don't like having to bend over like that because of my back. |
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Our local appliance outlet has a $99 membership program that includes free delivery and haul away of your old plus a 7 year warranty. We already bought several appliances this year so if we do go with new at least we'll have a 7 year warranty on it. When we bought the fridge and I told the sales guy we were replacing a 20 year old one. He said don't expect the new one to last that long. |
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Originally Posted By Mojo_Jojo: The "buy once, cry once" approach to purchasing no longer applies. Buy mid market and plan on replacing when it breaks in 5-10 years A lot of appliance guys seem to think the opposite. The cheap ones are simpler and less likely to break. The mid cost ~$1000 units are made with a lot of the same components as the cheap ones but are fancier which means more likely to break something but you're not getting better internals- they start to include touch panels for more modes, steam in the dryer, and the outer shell is better looking. If you go above that ~$1500 SQ you get into better internals and heavier duty construction. The Maytag commercial are the ones to get if SQ is too pricey but you want something better than the cheap $500 Lowe's Whirlpools. My MIL had an expensive Samsung set and they lasted a good while but after replacing the touch panel for the second time in a few years on the washer she opted for the cheap $500 Whirlpool. The touch panel part alone was over $350 + labor 
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OP, I am very much on the Speed Queen bandwagon (especially the washers), but if your Maytag dryer is one of the older Centennials, it's probably worth fixing. When my last washer quit after 14 months (12 month warranty) I didn't even bother trying to fix it. I replaced it with the predecessor of the TC5, the AWN432. It has been fantastic and it gets clothes clean in about 30 minutes. However, my dryer is a twenty year old Maytag Centennial that has never missed a beat. When it quits I'll make the effort to repair it before I even think about replacing it. Originally Posted By Praetorian55: Everyone is going to say Speed Queen, and they're probably right from a quality perspective. That said, we looked at them and they are small and use a ton of water. Speed Queen says you can fill the more full than the bigger units so it works out, but they physically look smaller than other units. My wife basically told me "nope" when we were shopping despite the reputation Originally Posted By Praetorian55: Everyone is going to say Speed Queen, and they're probably right from a quality perspective. That said, we looked at them and they are small and use a ton of water. Speed Queen says you can fill the more full than the bigger units so it works out, but they physically look smaller than other units. My wife basically told me "nope" when we were shopping despite the reputation You know why they use a "ton" of water? Because that's what gets clothes clean, instead of just twirling them around in a half tub of water for an hour or so. Originally Posted By tifosi: All appliances suck these days, some just slightly less than others. With that said, SQ has the best reputation for reliability. Although Maytag recently announced the MTW8305T washer which is supposed to focus on long-term reliability instead of bells and whistles. And, it's going to directly compete with Speed Queen on pricing. In other words, it's going to be $1500 for a yet unproven design. SQ has hurt Maytag so bad that they were forced to respond with a new model that will hopefully last more than five to seven years. Originally Posted By talontsi_95: We like our Speed Queens. My wife does bitch that clear liquid detergent needs to be used or you may have blueish marks on your clothes which require another wash.. She also says the cleaning cycle works much better if you start the wash to fill the tub. Once you gets a few inches of water in it, add the detergent. Then add the clothes and continue the wash. Is your wife using the ECO cycle? Never use the ECO cycle. It's just there so the EPA will allow SQ to sell the Classic as a high efficiency (HE) washer. I have never had an issue with detergent staining clothes, but I've never used the ECO cycle either. I also keep the water level setting on extra large. If she is not using the ECO setting and she does have the tub fill all the way up with water, just have her turn the extra rinse cycle on to get the rest of the detergent out of the clothes. It'll be quicker and easier than the effort she's making now. |
PFG #39
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Front loader will save you 25-30 gallons per wash and clean just as well. Over a 15 year period, that's about $500 in water/waste water cost. Much more if you're a heavy user. I've had both. You can safely ignore the chatter. Budget? Affordable - Whirlpool. Top of the line - LG. Never buy - Samsung. If you really miss clunky appliances from the 70s - Speed Queen. |
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Originally Posted By JaredGrey: My wife bought LGs for our house. 13 years later, no problems yet. I have 4 LGs and all of them have been flawless. The oldest one is about 13 years old and has done A LOT of laundry. My neighbor has a Speed Queen and has already had the repair man to his house at least once. |
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Originally Posted By rustypigeon: I have 4 LGs and all of them have been flawless. The oldest one is about 13 years old and has done A LOT of laundry. My neighbor has a Speed Queen and has already had the repair man to his house at least once. Originally Posted By rustypigeon: Originally Posted By JaredGrey: My wife bought LGs for our house. 13 years later, no problems yet. I have 4 LGs and all of them have been flawless. The oldest one is about 13 years old and has done A LOT of laundry. My neighbor has a Speed Queen and has already had the repair man to his house at least once. Got the biggest LG Washer (5.5cf) and dryer Home Depot carried about 4 years ago (they were were on sale for ~$750/ea vs $1250, IIRC). Love ‘em! The Direct Drive is so much quieter, even when it’s doing the spin cycle. It’s never once had the unbalanced load buzzer go off (they’re in the basement where the gym is, so I frequently workout while the machines are running). The timer is actually accurate. When it says 22 minutes, it’s done in 22 minutes. One of the considerations, was having replaced the belt on the old washer numerous times. Direct Drive = no belt. And the motor spins the tub up really quickly (and quietly). Hopefully they’ll continue working perfectly for another decade+. |
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BTW, these things are a great add-on. Makes cleaning the dryer duct really quick and easy.   Failed To Load Product Data |