Learn Me: Appliance (washer/dryer) long term reliability ratings.

Our dryer(220v) no longer dries. It is also 10+ years old. I'm capable and happy to look into repairing it, but you always hear that the new generation of appliances are much more efficient and it is a good idea to upgrade at some point. You also hear many horror stories about the poor reliability and expensive repairs required by the new generation of appliances. Consumer Reports and other websites have testing and ratings of new appliances, but I'm looking to buy a used unit, 3-5yrs old. Is there a source of information that would help me determine the long term reliability and costs of certain brands/models of appliances?

Thanks for any help,

Mike

I can't help you with the dryer part (but I hear sun and wind are pretty reliable), but since your title is washer/dryer.....
For a washing machine, go Speed Queen. Lesser known, all steel construction (except the knob you turn to select the cycle), commercial washers released for consumer use. Every laundromat build since the 1940s uses Speed Queen. Not high-efficincy, but you'll be handing it down the the next generation instead of replacing it in 6 years.

I seem to recall that most current residential units are all manufactured by a handful of companies...I think Whirlpool builds most of the US-branded ones? I also remember it stated that there's a definite quality difference between the ones you buy at a big-box store vs. an independent dealer.

Unfortunately neither of those details really help much with your used shopping directly, though chances are any used-appliance store you have nearby is also an appliance repair place, so they may be able to provide more insight into it.

I bought the highest rated washer/drier by Consumer Reports back in '04.

While the drier has been good, I've since replaced the front-load washer's rear drum and bearing assembly (I was apparently using too much soap, which got past the seals and wrecked the bearing, which is one piece with the drum), the shocks (which had failed, new parts are a re-design), and the water pump (dunno what happened there).

Still cheaper than a new machine (if you're doing the labour yourself), and it still matches the drier in appearance (which is important to my OCD).

You can probably buy a replacement heater element, which likely is all that failed.

If you are shopping used, I'd suggest that it's probably more important to find the right seller/deal, as opposed to the right washer/drier. Any name brand units from someone who's moving or just looking to upgrade would be fine. Avoid used appliance dealers or anyone who thinks their old junk is worth good money.

DrBoost wrote: I can't help you with the dryer part (but I hear sun and wind are pretty reliable), but since your title is washer/dryer..... For a washing machine, go Speed Queen. Lesser known, all steel construction (except the knob you turn to select the cycle), commercial washers released for consumer use. Every laundromat build since the 1940s uses Speed Queen. Not high-efficincy, but you'll be handing it down the the next generation instead of replacing it in 6 years.

+1. We love ours. We have a Speed Queen dryer too.

Speed Queen. Just suck it up and buy one. And for that whole "high efficiency" thing, I would say that the Speed Queen washer was higher efficiency than the others. It might use more water, but the spin cycle is so good the clothes come out almost dry. I just don't think they play to the game of making a number to be rated "high efficiency."

Repair tech here. New washers suck lugnuts. Rusty ones. For long term reliability, serviceability and especially parts availability, Korean ones suck the most. If you want my advice, fix your old one, assuming it's a pre-HE washer. If you want a new one, buy a speedqueen. They are an old design, tons of water use but they are tough and will last a long time. Don't buy an HE washer a few years old, you're asking for a washer with wrecked bearings.

New dryers aren't significantly better, just fancier looking with more gimmicks. Some are mechanically pretty much the same machines. Fix your old one.

There is a new dryer design by whirlpool (also maytags) with a better blower designed for longer vents that is actually an improvement, though. Some of them are still the old school design (also good machines).

For the efficiency argument, what costs more- slightly more power, or a new washer every 5-10 years? The 10 is extremely optimistic if you have soft water like I do.

Having just replaced a 8 yr old pos Frigidaire dryer, that I repaired the heating cool 3 times on, with a new display model whirlpool front loader on the advise of a service tech friend. Yes it sucked balls to pay $700 for a new dryer but damn if it doesn't to the same job in half the time.

Well this is totally anecdotal so YMMV. My parents replaced 10 or 11 year old Kenmore branded front loaders with new Maytags 2 years ago, and I think the new washer has already had to be repaired. As far as quality goes, it seems lesser on the new machines. Also, I have 9-10 year old Maytag front loaders that came with my house, and quite honestly I think they are better than either pair of machines my parents had (these are Maytag Neptunes that are labelled Newton, IA, although I'm not sure they were actually made there).

My cheap, Bohemian mother researches everything and she bought a Speed Queen washer - so what does that tell you?

I needed one and went and got the same washer - when she came over I expected her to smile since I followed her lead - she yelled at me that hers danced around and could never be balanced. We hated ours as it too walked across the basement and we could never balance it. Of course I am dating myself back to the late 1980's......they might be better.

My HE toploading GE infuser 4 year old washer is not suitable for things that have been used in the garage, the yard, or gym. It's OK for my office work clothes, it just does not get the other stuff clean.

Not enough agitation for garage and yard stuff and not enough water for sweaty clothes and smelly towels. Steve

My Speedqueen doesn't walk around at all. Actually, last night it was in the spin cycle and I had to look and see if it was actually doing anything. It's about 3 years old or so.

RE: washer walking all over- could be legs not adjusted so it sits solid on the ground, also could be too many clothes and not enough water level (agitator can't balance load without lots of water) or springs broke or something. Hard to say without looking at it (in the past )

RE: not cleaning dirty dirty stuff, yeah Irrs is right, too little water. New HE machines just rinse lightly for a while, not really wash.

RE neptunes, most neptunes were good machines though briefly they were just rebadged LG garbage machines. The LG ones say made in Korea, not IA.

Ranger50 wrote: Having just replaced a 8 yr old pos Frigidaire dryer, that I repaired the heating cool 3 times on, with a new display model whirlpool front loader on the advise of a service tech friend. Yes it sucked balls to pay $700 for a new dryer but damn if it doesn't to the same job in half the time.

When anything burns out like thermal fuses or elements that quickly, it's probably a sign of bad airflow. Things don't always just break, there is often a reason. Then again, Fridgidaire stuff is kinda cheaply built. They handle the water in my area better than samsungs, but that isn't saying much.

petegossett wrote: I seem to recall that most current residential units are all manufactured by a handful of companies...

Not speedqueen. This is an old company, everything is built in the U.S. and is sturdy. We love ours, when our dryer dies, it'll be replaced by a speedqueen.

When we moved a couple years ago we needed a new set, bought the fanciest no beater set of whatever the new cool was; and, they didn't clean my clothes. I get dirty so they really need to work! I returned them and my wife said she had heard of SpeedQueen and we should check it out. Four years later we are still happy, they do an awesome job and have a great warranty to boot. A bit more money but every other laundromat in the US can't be wrong.

Just remembered I forgot to say thanks! I decided to fix it myself as suggested. I did this:

Then replaced this:

And for less than a hundred bucks, I'm back up and running with DRY clothes!

D to the I to the Y

That's an old whirlpool dryer, very good machine. Reliable and way easier to fix than any of that new crap. Don't get rid of it if you like fixing things yourself.

Fun fact, they have been making that basic design since the 70's, we fix ones that old from time to time. They run forever.