Washing Machine Recommendations? (1 Viewer)

[Da Guru]

I do.  The smell really only occurs the minute I start doing a new load.

Clean the inside rubber seal ring once a month..that is where all the gunk build ups.  Then run a cycle without clothes and add white vinegar instead of  soap.

 

[skol asylum]

I think you are supposed to drain the front loaders occasionally. There should be an access panel somewhere on the bottom front I believe.

 

[nirad3]

Clean the inside rubber seal ring once a month..that is where all the gunk build ups.  Then run a cycle without clothes and add white vinegar instead of  soap.

This.

I think you are supposed to drain the front loaders occasionally. There should be an access panel somewhere on the bottom front I believe.

And that.

 

[maizie]

A woman.

 

[odin33]

There's really not a big difference between LG and Samsung.  They're both Korean made.  Made to last about 10 years if lucky.  Service on them is not great.

Thanks for the heads up. Fingers crossed this these last a little longer. In your opinion is the step up to bosch appliances with the additional expense?

I guess what I'm thinking is that if GE, Maytag, LG, Samsung, Bosch, Kenmore, and it's sounding like Speed Queen now are all on the same relative life expectancy, why not go with the cheapest version that gets you what you want, regardless of brand. Maybe I've been thinking about it wrong the whole time.

 

[stbugs]

May be in the market for a new set soon. 3 boys, lots of sports, so we do a ton of laundry. The LG ones we have aren’t bad. I can’t even remember how old they are now. Probably 6 years but I think my wife is done with the top loader and dryer where the vent broke. The top loader goes unbalanced a lot which stops the wash and has to be reset and the vent seems to catch clothes so we have to put tape on it.

I looked at some st Costco that were on sale and with their credit card, they start with 4 years of warranty. I liked the pedestals we had at my previous house (unfortunately they wanted us to leave the washer/dryer instead of the projection TV) and the one I looked at had the small washer in the pedestal. My wife washes baseball pants with Iron Out by themselves before putting a full load in so that would get used a lot.

Anyone have any experience with the pedestal washers?

 

[Osaurus]

Thanks for the heads up. Fingers crossed this these last a little longer. In your opinion is the step up to bosch appliances with the additional expense?

I guess what I'm thinking is that if GE, Maytag, LG, Samsung, Bosch, Kenmore, and it's sounding like Speed Queen now are all on the same relative life expectancy, why not go with the cheapest version that gets you what you want, regardless of brand. Maybe I've been thinking about it wrong the whole time.

You got it.  AC units are the same way.  Save some   on disposable appliances.

 

[Hawkeye21]

Thanks for the heads up. Fingers crossed this these last a little longer. In your opinion is the step up to bosch appliances with the additional expense?

I guess what I'm thinking is that if GE, Maytag, LG, Samsung, Bosch, Kenmore, and it's sounding like Speed Queen now are all on the same relative life expectancy, why not go with the cheapest version that gets you what you want, regardless of brand. Maybe I've been thinking about it wrong the whole time.

I don't think Bosch is worth it.  If you are going to be looking at any of the main brands like GE, Maytag, Whirlpool, Samsung, LG and Kenmore I would put service first because they are all pretty similar otherwise.  They may have special colors or features but for the most part they are similar.  I would base my purchase on which one offers the best warranty and who can service it for you.  When you are buying something that costs that much you want to be able to repair it if it breaks down in a short period of time.  Find yourself a reputable retailer that has a good service department and talk to the guys who actually service the appliances.  They'll be much more honest with you than a sales person.

I always recommend Speed Queen for laundry now because of the components they are made with, the warranty it has and where the product is made.  We sold Maytag products for a very long time before Whirlpool bought them and turned the product to crap.  The majority of my customers were farmers and they always needed a heavy duty washer to handle their work clothes.  Maytags were the best for cleaning and lasting a long time.  There are still people who have their old Maytag washers after 30 years.  Our customers wanted that same machine and I wanted to sell it to them.  The closest machine I could find was Speed Queen.  Very happy customers after we started selling them.

 

[Hawkeye21]

May be in the market for a new set soon. 3 boys, lots of sports, so we do a ton of laundry. The LG ones we have aren’t bad. I can’t even remember how old they are now. Probably 6 years but I think my wife is done with the top loader and dryer where the vent broke. The top loader goes unbalanced a lot which stops the wash and has to be reset and the vent seems to catch clothes so we have to put tape on it.

I looked at some st Costco that were on sale and with their credit card, they start with 4 years of warranty. I liked the pedestals we had at my previous house (unfortunately they wanted us to leave the washer/dryer instead of the projection TV) and the one I looked at had the small washer in the pedestal. My wife washes baseball pants with Iron Out by themselves before putting a full load in so that would get used a lot.

Anyone have any experience with the pedestal washers?

Do you mean a washer and dryer on the pedestal accessories?

 

[stbugs]

Do you mean a washer and dryer on the pedestal accessories?

No. Those are great for front loaders for access and storage. I’m talking about the pedestals Ithat have a mini washer in them so you could run a regular load in the normal washer and a small load in the pedestal at the same time or different time. 

 

[Zegras11]

I don't think Bosch is worth it.  If you are going to be looking at any of the main brands like GE, Maytag, Whirlpool, Samsung, LG and Kenmore I would put service first because they are all pretty similar otherwise.  They may have special colors or features but for the most part they are similar.  I would base my purchase on which one offers the best warranty and who can service it for you.  When you are buying something that costs that much you want to be able to repair it if it breaks down in a short period of time.  Find yourself a reputable retailer that has a good service department and talk to the guys who actually service the appliances.  They'll be much more honest with you than a sales person.

I always recommend Speed Queen for laundry now because of the components they are made with, the warranty it has and where the product is made.  We sold Maytag products for a very long time before Whirlpool bought them and turned the product to crap.  The majority of my customers were farmers and they always needed a heavy duty washer to handle their work clothes.  Maytags were the best for cleaning and lasting a long time.  There are still people who have their old Maytag washers after 30 years.  Our customers wanted that same machine and I wanted to sell it to them.  The closest machine I could find was Speed Queen.  Very happy customers after we started selling them.

Had an issue with washer and dryer at new rental I just bought. The old guy repairman said the Speed Queen is still the best bet.

 

[Hawkeye21]

No. Those are great for front loaders for access and storage. I’m talking about the pedestals Ithat have a mini washer in them so you could run a regular load in the normal washer and a small load in the pedestal at the same time or different time. 

I see what you're saying now.  Seems like another sales gimmick to me in order to get people to buy.  To me it's just another part of the machine to go wrong.  I wouldn't be surprised if that small washing area breaks down first or it just doesn't get used much anyway.  

 

[stbugs]

I see what you're saying now.  Seems like another sales gimmick to me in order to get people to buy.  To me it's just another part of the machine to go wrong.  I wouldn't be surprised if that small washing area breaks down first or it just doesn't get used much anyway.  

Yeah, I am only thinking about it because in baseball season we do multi-weekly real small loads for pre-washing. Using the big washer is a waste and means we can’t do anything else at that time. We are a special case otherwise I wouldn’t get it just to be cool. We just bought a new fridge and for hundreds more you could have a smart fridge. WTF would we ever need that?

Unfortunately baseball season is now almost all year round!

 

[Hawkeye21]

Yeah, I am only thinking about it because in baseball season we do multi-weekly real small loads for pre-washing. Using the big washer is a waste and means we can’t do anything else at that time. We are a special case otherwise I wouldn’t get it just to be cool. We just bought a new fridge and for hundreds more you could have a smart fridge. WTF would we ever need that?

Unfortunately baseball season is now almost all year round!

The more technology it has the more things for it to go wrong.  One of the things I always loved about the Speed Queens was the simplicity of them.  The newer machines have more electronics not but only because they had to.  My Speed Queen washer does a load of clothes in under a half hour and since it doesn't spin as fast as the front loaders it doesn't go out of balance with a small load as easily.

 

[acarey50]

Found out my BIL/SIL have approximately a $440 credit for Samsung ($100 less for any other brand) due to a previous issue with a washer that they had. They are staying with us for the foreseeable future and have said we can use that towards whatever washer we end up getting. I'm intrigued by the Speed Queen as it seems to get mostly positive reviews (Consumer Reports has it as one of the most reliable top loader brands and highest rating for Owner Satisfaction), but CNET says they are overpriced and don't clean as well as they should at the price.

Hope to have time this weekend to really focus on my research and make a decision - I don't think the extra $100 to get a Samsung will sway me unless the boss (aka my wife) really wants a Samsung - but I don't think the repair guy we have grown to trust works on them. I'm going to have her talk to him for some recommendations as well.

 

[Hawkeye21]

Another thing I've noticed is that the Speed Queens are not the most attractive machines.  A lot of women think they are ugly and I don't blame them.  Buying a washer based on looks is one of the worst ideas though.

 

[acarey50]

Another thing I've noticed is that the Speed Queens are not the most attractive machines.  A lot of women think they are ugly and I don't blame them.  Buying a washer based on looks is one of the worst ideas though.

Well, my wife did marry me, so at least she can get past the ugly part. Not sure if that is the case with a washer though

 

[stbugs]

The more technology it has the more things for it to go wrong.  One of the things I always loved about the Speed Queens was the simplicity of them.  The newer machines have more electronics not but only because they had to.  My Speed Queen washer does a load of clothes in under a half hour and since it doesn't spin as fast as the front loaders it doesn't go out of balance with a small load as easily.

I think it just wore down because the bigger the load (part of the reason we got the top load) the more chance it stops due to the balance issue. Also, by balance I don’t mean the washer moving a bit, I mean the cycle actually stops and you have to rearrange clothes to get it to finish. The other two front loaders I had (probably 16 years between them) never had that issue.

I definitely think we’ll be going front loaders soon. Baseball is starting again in a couple weeks, so might have to look soon. I hate to replace units that work but I know we’ll need some in the near future and we both work so convenience is key. 

 

[Hawkeye21]

I think it just wore down because the bigger the load (part of the reason we got the top load) the more chance it stops due to the balance issue. Also, by balance I don’t mean the washer moving a bit, I mean the cycle actually stops and you have to rearrange clothes to get it to finish. The other two front loaders I had (probably 16 years between them) never had that issue.

I definitely think we’ll be going front loaders soon. Baseball is starting again in a couple weeks, so might have to look soon. I hate to replace units that work but I know we’ll need some in the near future and we both work so convenience is key. 

I completely understand the out of balance issue.  If the tub is overloaded or doesn't have enough clothes in it they will go out of balance.  Can do it with top and front loaders.  There are switches around the tub that get hit when it shakes too much and the spin will stop and then try to re-position the clothes.  It will then try getting up to speed again.  Usually after three attempts if it can't get to full speed the machine will stay at a slower speed and you'll notice the clothes are not as dry as you're use too.

 

[stbugs]

I completely understand the out of balance issue.  If the tub is overloaded or doesn't have enough clothes in it they will go out of balance.  Can do it with top and front loaders.  There are switches around the tub that get hit when it shakes too much and the spin will stop and then try to re-position the clothes.  It will then try getting up to speed again.  Usually after three attempts if it can't get to full speed the machine will stay at a slower speed and you'll notice the clothes are not as dry as you're use too.

Yeah, the one we have is terrible at it and I’ve seen a lot on the Internet about it once we started seeing the issue. We are more careful now but it got progressively worse until we “managed” so I don’t think it’ll get better. Sucks when you can’t use the size that was the reasons we got the top loader. They have bigger front loaders now and I definitely prefer that style after going back to top. Also helps the kids do some of their own laundry since my wife and boys aren’t quite as tall as me.

No need to change soon unless I see a great sale. I like Costco because on sale (like my fridge) was cheaper than anywhere else and with their credit card you start with a 4 year warranty. 

 

[SHIZNITTTT]

My mom still has the same washer top loader from when I was a kid.  It has to be over 25 years old.  Old Maytag the only problem I remember it ever having was unbalanced loads and the washer "walking" a few inches. 

I have owned several different brands of front loaders, Neptune, LG, GE, Whirlpool and they all do a good enough job with around 1500 settings that never get used.  A lot of bells and whistles.    But the one thing all of our front loaders have in common is the mildew smell.  I have cleaned the large rubber gasket, left the door open, and done the tub cleans.  If we don't get the laundry out of the washer within a few minutes the launder smells really bad after drying.     So we have the alarm set on HIGH when the clothes are finished so someone can run in and throw them in the dryer.   

 

[Joe Bryant]

Follow up. We did wind up getting a new Speed Queen washer and dryer back in 2018 and they've been great. Highly recommend.