Our Tennessee washer repairman recommended we not buy anything new .... get an older machine. The new ones are cheaply made and wimpy.
We wwere looking into a new microwave a few years ago and the reports were terrible. After a few months, they either quit working or caught on fire.
I happened to see an older model of one at a thrift store, the same make as we had from when the kids were in college. It was only $8 so I grabbed it for parts at the very least.