Washing Machine Dilemma - Page 2

Zeke · 09-30-2021, 09:54 AM

Used but good quality. No need to buy used junk. My current one was free and it's a newer
Fisher and Paykel. I'm sure happy that I now know what a heap of plastic crap those are. And they are pricey new.

Ferrino · Ferrino's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by tabs

No.agatation does not mean broken trans..a coupler causes the same thing.

I can turn the trans pulley in one direction and get the basket to spin. But it’s completely locked in the other direction (agitate). Isn’t that the sign of a broken tranny?

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vash · vash's Garage

i would buy a new one. an energy efficient water saving one.

with 3 kids and heavy use, you would save a lot of water. my whirlpool is holding up pretty well.

tabs · 09-30-2021, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ferrino

I can turn the trans pulley in one direction and get the basket to spin. But it’s completely locked in the other direction (agitate). Isn’t that the sign of a broken tranny?

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What part of the Wash cycle is the machine set on?

tabs · 09-30-2021, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vash

i would buy a new one. an energy efficient water saving one.

with 3 kids and heavy use, you would save a lot of water. my whirlpool is holding up pretty well.

By all means do so, and in a couple of years do so again.

Those energy efficient and WATER SAVING ones do not clean like the old agitators.

There is a appliance guy in Philli that does Utube vids about rebuilding and then selling the old Direct Drive machines he fixes. Does that tell ya sumthin?

tabs · 09-30-2021, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by john70t

New low budget ones used to start at $350-$500 but that has pretty much doubled or tripled.
(Take your nitroglycerin pills the next time you go shopping)
$800+ now for flimsy plastic garbage. The quality is not the same.

If you can change oil, you can fix the mechanical side. They are surprisingly simple and easy to work on.
There are a few threads which have links for online parts.

If you can assemble Tinker Toys you can work on the old Whirlpool/Kenmore..

javadog · 09-30-2021, 01:51 PM

Get on YouTube and watch the diagnostic videos. There are hundreds of them.

sugarwood · sugarwood's Garage

You're on a DIY site where people preserve 40 year old cars.

VillaRicaGA911 · VillaRicaGA911's Garage

Buy new, HE one. Current one in my house is a top load HE Maytag almost 3 years and gets lots of use. The do clean very well, the issue is most people still use the same or close to the same amount of detergent as they did before. In an HE washer this will make your clothes less clean, they really do clean with far less detergent than you think.

Bill Douglas · 09-30-2021, 07:17 PM

Repair man told me don't use eco plant based laundry detergents. They block up the pump and pipes. And he also definitely don't use eco dishwashing products in your dishwasher, they are particularly fatal for those machines. A hot wash without anything in the machine once a month will keep it working well.

island911 · 09-30-2021, 08:02 PM

Horizontal axis machines will clean clothes better and be much more efficient while doing it. - The clothes lift and then "slap" into the water below. (very efficient. )

1990C4S · 08:05 AM

Front loaders also don't typically last as long as a good quality top load. I'd rather replace some clothes sooner than replace the machine.

island911 · 10-01-2021, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

Front loaders also don't typically last as long as a good quality top load.

Commercial Laundromats use front loaders almost exclusively. There is nothing inherently "higher quality" about a top-loading vertical-axis machine. BTW there are top-loading horizontal-axis machines that both wash and dry. Yet not so much availability in the US. :-/

1990C4S · 10-01-2021, 08:35 AM

The vast majority of home use front loaders are overly complicated, cheaply built, and difficult to repair. You're welcome to take a different view, but they do not compare to top loaders for useful life.

They are the antithesis of of what people refer to as an 'appliance'.

island911 · 10-01-2021, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

The vast majority of home use front loaders are overly complicated, cheaply built, and difficult to repair. You're welcome to take a different view, but they do not compare to top loaders for useful life.

They are the antithesis of of what people refer to as an 'appliance'.

Ah. I see. Yes, but in general all modern appliances are overly complicated, cheaply built, and difficult to repair. Especially on the electronics side. Flimsy ribbon cable and flex circuits... cheapest of the cheap thermal switches... poorly designed plastics... Sounds like what you are advocating for is for people to stick with older mechanical designs, more so than front or top loading.

GH85Carrera · GH85Carrera's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by island911

Ah. I see. Yes, but in general all modern appliances are overly complicated, cheaply built, and difficult to repair. Especially on the electronics side. Flimsy ribbon cable and flex circuits... cheapest of the cheap thermal switches... poorly designed plastics... Sounds like what you are advocating for is for people to stick with older mechanical designs, more so than front or top loading.

Like modern cars, the more features they add, the more can go wrong. And rarely is is a small component repair, the entire expensive module has to be replaced.

I am a tech geek and love gadgets. I have yet to figure out why any appliance of mine would need internet connectivity. Appliances don't need huge flat panel displays regular firmware updates. Well, I guess my modem and router are pretty much appliances and they do get regular updates but the also are my connection to the internet.

1990C4S · 10-01-2021, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by island911

Sounds like what you are advocating for is for people to stick with older mechanical designs, more so than front or top loading.

Yes, I would prefer a front load, no doubt they are better. But a used Maytag top loader costs $100 and lasts at least ten years.

Ferrino · Ferrino's Garage

Hadn’t considered a front-loader. Are there any good new ones you’d recommend?

Also, I’m seeing a lot of love for Speed Queen: is this also for their older units or do they also make good new units?

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wilnj · 10-01-2021, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ferrino

Hadn’t considered a front-loader. Are there any good new ones you’d recommend?

Also, I’m seeing a lot of love for Speed Queen: is this also for their older units or do they also make good new units?

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If you’ve got an extra $1600 burning a hole in your pocket you could buy a Speed Queen front loader. $2k if you want stainless.

beepbeep · 10-01-2021, 02:23 PM

Overhere, top loaders are almost non-existent. I have Bosch washing machine and dryer. With three kids, they have been in constant use for 10 years. Door handles broke (I swear, they were engineered to break!) and I replaced them myself. Dryer (heat pump design) needed a good clean, so I had to disassemble it.

Other than that, no worries.

Old stuff is cool but across thousands of washing/drying cycles, those efficiencies add up. I reckon I saved 2000kWh on heat pump vs condenser during its life. That is price for one complete dryer. Also, our kWh price varies per hour so being able to schedule washing cycle saves even more.