Posted on 10/24/2010 12:31:21 PM PDT by Frantzie
+1 on the Samsung... and I bought a new last years model at a great discount!
Ymmv
Front Loaders Smell!
I have purchased two expensive front loading washer/dryer sets and one top loader set and have decided the next set will be top loading without an agitator.
1st set was an extra large capacity Maytag Neptune set purchased in 2001. The rubber seal needed frequent replacement. Buttons and zipper pulls from jeans tore into the rubber seal ripping it to pieces, leaving a wet mess on two separate floors. At 200 dollars per repair, it was too costly to maintain. The seal is not a covered item with extended warrantees. By the time I tried to make claim for the extended maintenance replacement/depreciated value clause, I was informed by the repairman & Maytag’s rep that Maytag was in a class action suit for my model ( for which I was not notified )and for which I missed the claims deadline by two weeks. S.O.L.
NO MORE MAYTAG! The company was aware of the problem and lost the class action. Newer Maytag Front Loader versions include a drainage outlet on the rubber damn so that water does not collect and create the mildew buildup within the washer. This is what causes the horrible odor in the machine and on the clothing.
2nd set was the GE front loader which quickly established the mildew odor, despite leaving the washer door open to air dry between washings as recommended by the repairman. At the last repair attempt, the repairman took apart the washer and found the internal drum had a plastic safety strap which should have been removed by the installers. The strap was wrapped tightly around the internal structures and it burned out the motor. Again, this damage was not covered under my extended maintenance contract. I threw that unit to the curb.
3rd set is currently a top loading Cabrio set which is soon to hit the curb. Despite it’s high recommendations online - I find this unit to be the most frustrating of all. The agitator arms are responsible for more damage to clothing than any other unit I’ve ever used. The flaps on the agitator are attached to the center agitator bar at the base but then gradually angle up with a flexible curved flap. The space between the base of the washer drum and these flaps catch on thick hems, seams on sleeves and towels, pant legs and buttons, clasps, zipper pulls and collar tips which result with the clothing wrapping tightly around the agitator bar — making the machine walk across the floor — at times forcing the machine into error mode which shuts it down.
No more front loaders for this house. No more top loading machines with agitators that are not sealed to the base plate.
My spouse and I have scouted appliance stores and find there are top loaders without agitator bars, with stainless wash basins (painted porcelain has rusted in the past). I am wary of the fancy steam options - would prefer a low tech version. The salesman who sold us the Cabrio set talked us out of purchasing a set without the agitator bar. If I had his name, I would force him to buy back the Cabrio set.
As luck would have it, my current dryer’s timer seems to have broken. One more problem, and this two year old set is history too.
I bought set of White-Westinghouse, that suits me fine. They wash/dry fine, have had no problems, but the thing I like about them is that they’re quiet as a mouse. And the dryer has a nice ding ding alert instead of the nasty whaaa whaaa whaaa of some other models.
We've owned front loaders (Maytag) and the repair bills almost killed us. The upfront cost was hundreds more than the GE. Like I said, we do a LOT of loads.
Eventually, it was our repair guy, who was at our house for the umpteenth time who finally said, get a large top-load GE. We got one with as little 'extra' technology as possible. There was very little to break down. Then we spent the extra hundred bucks on the 5 year free repair warantee from Best Buy. In less than 5 years of virtual non-stop use, the dryer has burned out a drum gasket, burned out a motor, and burned out a another drum part (can't remember what part). All of which were repaired by Best Buy at no cost.
The Maytag washer/dryer broke down more. Ended up costing us more to repair, with the warantee, and had extra sensors that fried on us. We ended up leaving the washer (front loader) on our curb and it was picked up by scavengers for parts in one day. I told my wife, we are never buying another.
We also had the ‘bad Maytag front loader’ experience. Too expensive.
Large and cheap top loader is the way to go. As long as you get the big store (best buy, etc.) free repair warantee. No more $100 repair bills- or ‘gee mister, the moter fried’ and a another $150+ bill. Best Buy’s people come out. Fix it. No bills. Lower up front cost.
Westinghouse is OK. GE has been alright for us. Low cost parts. Easier to repair. Less cost to purchase.
My Ge Refrigerator my Kurig coffee maker my Phillips TV
A woman.
I also recommend a Samsung front loader. It spins so fast the clothes are almost dry. Really cuts down on dryer energy.
AMEN brother, I don’t know about the new washers or dryers, but cars, tvs and televisions seem far superior.
True, however, you could find something to block it open.
I wish I could find my mother's old Maytag washer. The only thing wrong with it was the gearing on the dial was worn out (less than $100 to fix). The washer worked fine. It was over 20 years old when she traded it on a new Maytag. Nothing wrong with the new one, except the load capacity is about 2/3 the old one. I overflow it every time we go to visit because I'm used to a washer than can actually wash a load of clothes, not a couple of shirts and a few socks.
Yep. Vinegar works. The wife uses it on every load. She also wipes down the door and keeps it open when not in use. We've got LG brand front loaders. No problems for over a year now.
PS you can get more reviews from epinions.
Too bad about your appliances but one point you may be missing is that the ones you listed are significantly more complex than their counterpart of 50 years ago. Unless you last name is Getty, 50 years ago, you would never have been able to afford even the least inexpensive television on sale at WalMart today were such device even available.
All you have to do with a front loader
I do not bother to wipe it dry, I just leave the door open a little- no smell no mold no problems. My granddaughter was having problems with hers-her dad cleaned out the mold which took some doing, she now leaves the door just a bit open, and has not had anymore trouble.
I don’t have any problem with clothes not being clean either. and it is quiet.
Miele is German right? I saw another high end German brand. They make really good stuff. I have a Rowenta iron. You usually pay more but the German stuff lasts.
I will check it out. Thanks.
“Maytag is owned by Whirlpool now.”
Thanks. I like Whirlpool. Kenmore is also Whirlpool.
I wanted a top loader Whirlpool HE with the lack of agitator but it will not fit. I liked the lower power and water but the more mechanical controls for less things to break.
I do not like GE because NBC/MSNBC and they are just sleazy. Electrolux has a factory in MN and the night shift is almost all muslim - they have prayer rug breaks. No thanks there. Bosch and the other German brands are not cheap.
Samsung/LG are pretty much the same company. Good but expensive and not as reliable as you would expect. Daewoo gets bad ratings.
A big discount place had a nice Maytag frontloader stack for just under $1,000 for the two after rebate.
I will go back and look again. The local laundry toploaders are usually Whirlpool or Maytag. SpeedQueen is till out there and they are supposedly pretty good.
Thanks. Nice tip on buying pedestals on eBay. How long have you owned the LG?
I recently purchased a Kenmore dishwasher from Sears, having selected the model I did in order to qualify for an $80 rebate on delivery and installation. At check out the salesman gave us another 5% discount ($20) for using our Sears card.
When we applied for the rebate online, the rebate center disqualified us from the $80 due to the lower $20 discount.
Needless to say, I am an unhappy camper. I've sent a detailed letter to the CEO of Sears Holding but haven't received my promised rebate.
I would recommend that anybody expecting to have the advantage of any discounts steer clear of Sears.
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