frontload washers

sucks2beme

So after reading of others looking at new washers, I have a story to tell.
Flash back to xmas 2011. I have a working older model washer dryer. Wife decides
it's time to update. We go to Lowes for a special deal on a Samsung washer dryer pair.
We wait for 6 weeks for the washer , and dryer, well they didn't have an answer when
it would arrive. The washer runs for about a week. Suddenly, clothes are coming
out sopping wet.Spin dry isn't kicking in properly, only a very slow spin.
Tech comes out, insults the wife (tells her she's not setting up the washer correctly).
She tries a couple more times. Tech comes back out and tells her there's no problem.
I certainly can't see anything she's doing wrong. Lowes still can't give us a date on the washer.
I tell them to pick the washer up and give me back my money.
Off to Sears. I get a top loader, it gets delivered. it fills up with water and dies.
I go back to Sears. I ask the salesman what I can buy that isn't a complete pile of poo.
He says the Kenmore Elite series never come back. $$$$ even with a big discount.
New washer and dryer come, everything is fine for over a year. Then washer stops after
one load and doesn't power up. I check the outlet, call Sears. After 60 minutes of trying to convince
the guy in India that the washer is broken, not the outlet, I finally grab a heavy duty extension cable
and plug the washer into my outlet in the garage, and still no sign of life. They schedule a tech for
a visit 7 days later. He show's up and orders a new control board and power? board. And talks us into
an outlet surge protector. Week later, board arrives, and next day so does the tech. Wrong parts.
New order goes in. Tech scheduled for another week out.
This washer appears to be built by LG for Sears. So it's certainly not a fly by night deal.
Moral of the story? Be happy with your 10+ year old washer and dryer. Pay a good repair man
to keep it running. The new stuff just isn't going to last. The extended warranty cost a couple
times as much as having a tech rebuilt the old stuff and run another 10+ years.

treitz3

I'm perfectly happy with an old washer and dryer set. They aren't all snazzy lookin' but 30 years strong without so much as a hiccup on the washer. Not even one. The dryer on the other hand has needed some repairs over that span. New bearings, a new heater filament and two relays at a cost of less than $200. Think about this. 30 years of service and 30 years of abuse and it cost us a whopping $200.00?

I cringe at the thought of a 2 year old washer and dryer set sitting literally 2 feet away from me at the moment being installed. I love my wife to no end and her father had a set that he no longer needs. She wanted them. I cringed at the thought and I cringe at actually installing them.

The label on the new washer says "Extra Large", yet when I look inside? It looks like 2/3 the volume or less. So, I go to the 30 year old washer and it says "Large" and when I look inside, it's cavernous. Washing a large comforter with a blanket and some shirts would be no issue. The new one? I'll be damned if I could stuff a comforter in there all by itself.

My neighbor across the street has a "new" dryer that failed within the year it was purchased. Bad plastic door switch. What in the hell were they thinking? Plastic and heat............never mind.

They don't make things like they used to. If I had a choice, I'd keep the 30 year old W & D. The new set has me biting my fingernails to the bone just thinking about it.

Tom

jbooker82

I have been happy with our WhirlPool Duet front load washer and drier. If you don't load the washer right or if you don't have the right setting according to what your washing it wont spin out because it detects an imbalance. You cant wash a single pair of jeans or it wont spin out because of the imbalance. Where as your 30 year old washer will try to have the drum pound out of the case that you have to go open the lid and redistribute the load.

Willow

Same here duet sport models. Going on 6 yrs. They get used quite a bit with two kids under 2.

zane77

I have a set of GE front loaders that I've had for about four years, they have worked like a champ. They use detergent and after the spin cycle the come out AA lot dryer than my old top load set, so I use less power to dry the clothes. Everything seems to come out a lot cleaner too.

badchad

I have a pair of Samsung front loaders. I like them. I haven't really noticed much of a change in water usage, but they seem to use less detergent. I also think they're easier on clothes since they lack an agitator (like many top-loaders), but that could just be my bias. The dryer is head and shoulders above the old model. Much, much faster.

rpf65

I work on air conditioners, so I'm by far no expert on appliances. When you go to various different homes,you tend to run into different trades. I get questions on which brands of a/c's I would use, and have asked which appliances is best to buy. From the mouths of every appliance tech that I have spoken to,be it washers, driers, or refrigeraters the answer is the same. Buy whatever bare bones one is on sale.

These machines are designed to last about 10 years, and everything else is simply bonus time. There are many stories where people have gotten a lot more time,but just as many that around year 7 or 8 they fail, and the cost of repairs just aren't worth it. Not recomending anything here, just passing along info that many of the people familiar with these products have passed on to me.

exalted512

My wife wants a new set. I think I've got her held off for now...
-Cody

ken brydson

gvgodbaby reported

sucks2beme

This washer does have some nice features. when it detects an imbalance, it adjusts the load.
No more shake. Clothes come out almost dry. And they come out clean. It handles a pretty big load,
although as empty nesters, not a problem any more.
My 1st washer I ever owned cost $60 used. It was one of those with the up and down agitator in a lovely
aged brown color. Ran it 8 years, had to change a drive belt once. Sold it for $40.
What kills me is how bad the service stuff is. How would anyone with a bad fridge deal with 3 weeks?
I have seen a lot of chatter about how front load washers have become the #1 serviced appliance.
It sure seems to be trouble in my book. If I'm doing something wrong, it sure would be nice to know
what it is.

ZLTFUL

Our front loader has bee nothing but a pain in the **** since day one.
If you put one item too few or too much in it, it gets out of balance.
If you mix a load with different weight stuff, out of balance.
If you **** while in the living room downstairs, out of balance.

We had one of the balance springs break. Tech came out, diagnosed it, ordered parts, back a week later to repair it.
When it is loaded perfectly, it works like a champ. But hold your breath if you walk past it.

We have started shopping for our next set (this set is 3 years old...forgot brand but was "top of the line" when new) and are looking *only* at top loading HE models..

Like my wife says each time we are doing something else and the thing gets out of balance, "I wish that effin' thing had a dick so I could punch it in it."

Bob in WI

I fix them twice. After that I figure they're past useful life span. Must say that I haven't run into a series of beaters like the OP tho. That pretty much sucks. We've LG front loaders now & they've been reliable for like 3 years. Of course, thats not very old for a major appliance.

treitz3

Hello, Bob. I haven't minded fixing the dryer more than twice. The first repair was about 7 years ago when the dryer started making a very sick sounding noise. I opened her up and the bearings were worn slap out to the point to where the inner bearings started to turn to dust. It took about 30 minutes to install new ones and put it all back together and it's been quiet ever since. 2 or 3 years later, the heating element died. A trip to the store and it was back up and running within 5 minutes, a very easy fix and diagnosis. The third repair was a 30 year old relay that no longer switched. While I was at it, I replaced another relay just so I wouldn't have to dive into it again, if and when that one failed [tested OK]. Dryers are basically all the same and the initial design has not changed in half a century. The parts that go in my dryer most likely go in yours and everybody who happens to read this thread. Pretty much the control board and options are the only things to change.

Now when it comes to the washer? Twice, then it's out the door unless they are as easy to repair as the dryers are. I don't know, my Whirlpool hasn't failed yet after 30 years of faithful service. *knocks on wood*

Tom

sucks2beme

My hope is they get better at building HE washers after a few years.
Let's face it, the front loader speed queens at the local laundry mat aren't
dying all the time like this. The ones I see use more water than the HE models
for home use. Not a lot of bells and whistles, just go and go.

jimbo1421

I bought a Bosch Axxis front loading washer five years ago; it has been trouble free. It was one of only two models that would fit in the small space I have for it. It rebalances the load automatically if it detects a problem.

My solar clothes dryer has failed to work only a few times in the last 10 years (YMMV). However the vinyl coated clotheslines did turn gummy after a few years in the sun. Replaced them with galvanized wire. Vinyl isn't always better (who knew!)

Jim

Tornado Red

I've got one of those Sears Elite top load HE washers, been happy with it since the purchase 2 years ago. Front loads scare me a bit, some have mould issues, some leak, can't add a garment after start up etc. Had a friend in the repair business who cautioned about expecting longevity from the drum spinning on a horizontal axis, but who's to know? Brand names aren't what they once were in appliances today it seems. I looked at my ex's electric stove for her, no elements running in the oven. Basic Kenmore, $340 new 2 years ago. Elements are fine, no power coming from the little center control panel. I look to check the fuses, there are none anymore. She buys the control panel, I put it in for her, everything's fine. The panel is made in China by "Electrolux", looks to be worth about $5-$10 to build on an assembly line, probably should retail for about $30-$40. It goes for $160. I told her any older, she might as well toss the oven and get a new one. This stuff all seems to be needlessly "throw away" today, great way to save the planet, eh?
Good luck with your stuff S2BM...

Bob in WI

The Speed Queens in the laundromats are alot more expensive & better engineered than something that would sell mass market. Alliance Laundry makes Speed Queen & I think they still make at least part of their product line here in WI. People abuse the daylights out of the commercial machines.

devani

just replaced two relays on DUET front loader....dreaded code F11 shows...it's working fine ever since...easy to replace parts....hope they make replacements for a long time.

jephdood

We have an LG 'HE' top loader. No issues yet. Our old Kenmore front loader STANK. Even if we left the door open to air out after use. Top loaders from now on for me.

gudnoyez

The wifes early birthday present is this pair of Maytag Front loader washer and dryer combo, Maxima HE washer. I was hesitant on a front loader also because of mold and leaksage issues, and suggested a Maytag HE top loader she wanted this instead, glad she opted out of the drawer/stands these sit on she figured they would be to high off the floor. The funny thing she leaves the door and soap dispenser open for fear of mold issues go figure:rolleyes: I think this things more difficult than figuring out one of those Denon AVR Manuals, she keeps a towel on top of both so they dont get scratched. Iam officially banned from washing clothes:eek:

jbooker82

If you want to keep mold out then keep the front door cracked open so the tub isn't constanly wet. Run a load of whites with some Clorox Bleach as your last load of the day. Use an Affresh tab every month to keep it build up free. Our Duet has an actual Affresh Washing Machine Clean mode.

gudnoyez

Yeah we got a sample tab of Affresh we will use it. The wife will be glad to hear that you recommend keeping the door opened, she uses peroxide with her last load of the day. I guess she knows what she's doing, and I will quit ribbing her about it.

I'am probably still banned from using it until the newness wears off, but towels on the top not to scratch them? The funniest thing is the other day she was blasting the tunes (Eagles) sitting in front of it with the washer light on yes it lights up inside, drinking a coke. I guess she is easily entertained, oh well at least I know where to find her.

tonyb

A washer light on the inside ?

Is that so you can see the expression on the cats face ?
Eagles baby...listened to their greatest hits last night. :biggrin:

Strong Bad

Gimme the old school washer and dryer with a few knobs ya turn. Love my Kenmore washer and dryer. All these fancy computerized models they have coming out just set you up for serious headaches.

tonyb

I'm with ya ^^^. It only has to wash clothes for pete sake. You don't need a light to watch it wash, tell time, or connect to the internet so you can survey it's operation or turn on or off.

The older machines were built to last a bit longer than todays. Given the costs have gone north and dependability south, I would hold on to those older machines as long as possible.

gudnoyez

I agree with you our kitchenaid washer and dryer gave us 15 years of fathful service we could of repaired the washer, the dryer still worked great, the problem with even the new cheaper models is they dont live that long anymore. I couldnt tell her no not with all the Speakers, Amps and stuff that has come through the door the past year or all the CD's and Lp's that show up in the mailbox. I can tell you this though $2700 would of bought me one heck of a Amp or a pair of Legacy's or LSIM's. You got to keep the wifes happy.

sucks2beme

My wife keeps the door and soap bin open all the time.
No odors yet. Now if it would just turn on........

disneyjoe7

Knock on wood Whirlpool Duet here and happy, but have a really nice meter protection on the ac coming in the house. I'm sure that as saved me over the years, in lightening.

Sherardp

Whirlpool HE front loaders here and no issue. I did get an error code, but I fixed it myself per a youtube video. Washer drain had a stuck sock in there causing the issue. Back to business.