Posted on 10/24/2010 12:31:21 PM PDT by Frantzie
Have you considered a washer/dryer stack? We’ve had a Maytag stack for 8 years and I love it. They aren’t terribly expensive and still have large enough capacity for most household uses. In our case, it left enough space for a freezer...:)
We got the newer high-end Sears front-load HE5 machines a couple years ago. We’re pretty well impressed with the results in the laundry.
I don’t know that they’ll fit in your space requirements tho.
After years of having a top-load and now having a front-load, I will say this: Your clothes will last a lot longer in a front-load.
Dryers rarely break. There’s really nothing TO break. There’s a motor, a belt, a drum, a bearing and a heating element. Keep them free of lint build-up and they last forever. Usually when stuff goes wrong on a dryer, it is small stuff like the switch on the door being broken from someone slamming the door too hard. Aside from that, the only issues on dryers are lint and how well the machine deals with it.
The old top-load washing machines used to have issues with their transmissions, their pumps, etc. The new front-loaders have issues with their door seals more than most other issues. For my part, I could do without all the silly beeping and whirring of the new machines, which try to ‘talk’ to you like R2D2, but on the top-end Sears machines, you can press a switch that says “STFU!” and then it reverts to being a laundry machine instead of a droid.
I have the Whirlpool front loader washer and dryer..the big one in Aspen Green. I love it..saves on supplies, water, etc and is so quiet. I have had it for almost 2 years not repair issues..all you have to do with a front loader is wipe the door dry and leave it open a bit and the drawer for the detergent..use the HE stuff..you will not get that nasty smell some talk about.
In our last house, we had bought a Fisher Paykel top loader that was small and did a great job on cloths. A simple induction motor, and simple mechanicals, although we had to have a replacement wax reed valve after about four years.
Made in New Zealand.
We bought a Maytag centennial about a year ago. I previously had Maytags and loved them. Not this one.
A couple of things I do not like about it. It’s noisier than all heck. Throughout the entire cycle. You also cannot choose your own water level. Many of the new appliances are like state nannies. They do not want you to waste water so the unit senses the size of the load. If you forget to add something and lift the lid it will override itself and fill it to the top regardless of how much laundry you have in there. I can’t figure out how to fix this problem.
Our frontloader is yucky and I am constantly cleaning it. My husband just thinks I complain about it a lot, but I’ve liked other washers better, and I want to replace our front loader.
I can remember my Mom having a Speed Queen back in the 50's when I was just a kid.
I hate my Frigidaire appliances- I can’t type the names I’ve called that company because I’d probably get banned here! They are crap crap crap! They also make Electrolux to beware!
I just bought a cheap Roper washer and drier set. When we did the math on how much money we would potentially save by those fancy new front loaders, it was still cheaper to go with the old fashioned kind. To break even on price we would have had to have kept the new front load style for 19 years for it to pay off. My old washer lasted 7 1/2 years so I didn’t want to go for it. Just my $.02!
The one piece units normally found in condos, townhouses etc? I looked at a couple. They are nice because they usually are older mechanical with not a lot of electronics to break. I say a pretty good one by Whirlpool with a 3.2 cu ft washer. They usually have smaller washers.
It is about $900 to 1000 versus a stack with fancy front loaders about the same price.
Buy LG. The L stands for lucky so you know you can’t go wrong.
Thanks for the tip. Yeah the front loaders advantage is it avoids beating up the clothes. I like that idea. I agree that dryers are pretty much dreyers and they do not break too much.
LOL! I like the STFU idea button. R2D2 whistle back at yah!
Been using mine for years.
Maytag is the best buy. (Avoid GE. Family has had nothing but problems with their washer & dryer and refrigerator).
Maytag is the best buy. (Avoid GE. Family has had nothing but problems with their washer & dryer and refrigerator).
Maytag is the best buy. (Avoid GE. Family has had nothing but problems with their washer & dryer and refrigerator).
I have a 25 year old Maytag. Moved it across the country. Stored it for 10 years when we had a built-in. Plugged it in 12 years ago when we moved here and it’s plugged along like it was NEW. I have not fixed one thing. I highly recommend Maytag.
If you are putting a lot of loads through the machines, Best Buy offers a 5 year warranty that offers free repairs to your machines. We have made use of this service on our current washers/dryers numerous times in those 5 years due to the large number of loads going through the machines. Maytags cost more to buy, cost more to maintain, and are more complicated machines that break down more often.
The GE's are a simple design, simple to repair, lower upfront cost, and are cheaper to run.
Ours is a LG front loader, and I hate it!
So is ours and we love it. The dryer too.
Why don’t you buy one made in Iceland?
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