<p>Not a single repair/issue except for spouse really taking apart the lint area and removing what seemed to be a pile of lint equal to a medium-sized rabbit. 27 year old Maytag just stopped.
So what’s the deal with these Auto DRy and Auto Sensors? Are they necessary? I’m looking for limited bells and whistles, only dry towels and underwear completely. Any ideas?</p>
<p>Any advice on purchasing a new clothes dryer?</p>
<p>I have Kenmore that is about two years old and the paint is peeling off the inside of the drum. I have no idea what model it is (not fancy).</p>
<p>I think that Whirlpool makes Maytags and Kenmores now.</p>
<p>We looked into this a while ago…but fortunately ours was “just” a broken belt which DH fixed. Most of the dryers now, even the bottom of the line, have the auto sensor…in fact, I realized my 16 year old Maytag had it! The thing to remember is to get a drying that is large enough to hold the clothes from the washer. So if you have an extra large capacity washer, get an extra large capacity dryer. At least that is what we were told at several appliance stores. If we had gotten a new one, it would have either been a Whirlpool or Kenmore. Both were just fine and had all of what we wanted but no real “extra” bells and whistles.</p>
<p>Whirlpool = Maytag = Kenmore
Look for the best rebates, many have utility company rebates offered now! We unhappily began the year with a new W/D and found that with the HE rebates we got the set with more features for less than the moderately featured one due to rebate offerings.</p>
<p>If you are not ready for an investment (the darn things are expensive) try Craigslist</p>
<p>Do you want a new dryer? If it were me (but I’m a DIYer and can manage to fix lots of things) I’d try to figure out what’s wrong with it at least and consider whether it’s worth fixing or not. When it comes to dryers it’s often the drum belt that breaks but this is relatively easily and inexpensively fixed. OTOH if the chassis is rusted through or something it may not be worth trying to fix. If it’s the control switch it may or may not be worth fixing.</p>
<p>I have the Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer, and while I love the frontload washer, the sensor in the dryer makes me nuts. Left to its own tiny brain, the dryer finishes with the clothes quite damp. I suppose this means less shrinkage, and if you live in a warm climate and have lots of time and hanging space, it’s probably great. Me, I prefer my clothes to emerge from the dryer actually dry, so I can fold them and put them away.</p>
<p>What I don’t want is to spend so much time figuring out the different models/features and what store has the best price. Husband is very much a DIY and hasn’t looked at the dryer yet. But I’m not holding my breath that after 27 years and 3 children that the repair would be simple and inexpensive.</p>
<p>I’d say 27 years out of a dryer is your money’s worth. I just replaced a five year-old dryer - not worth fixing. The cost of repair was half the cost of a new dryer. We redid the venting at the same time, and I couldn’t believe the amount of lint stuck on the inside of the ductwork. I had no idea that so much could accumulate - I always clean the filter throughly after every load, and I even try to reach down into the machine to get it all. I wonder if the lint buildup was the cause of its early demise.</p>
<p>I bought a bare bones GE - all nice and analog, just the way I like my appliances. The only premium feature is a stainless steel drum.</p>
<p>I agree that after 27 years (and 3 kids) your dryer’s done pretty well but you never know - you might still get a few more years out of it if the repair is simple and inexpensive - if you want to.</p>
<p>I understand not wanting to do the research if you decide to replace. My MO? I call up our local privately-owned appliance store. Ask them what they have on sale, what they recommend, make the decision over the phone, and have them deliver.</p>
<p>i have a top loading fisher paykel–it’s nice with a top loading washer because you don’t have to bend over so much! love them both–but i think the fisher paykel has they auto sensor as well.</p>
<p>My problem is that I could not make a purchase without doing the research. I would love to follow your steps ingerp but my insane personality would not allow it. My spouse would surely go into cardiac arrest if my typical MO was altered.</p>
<p>I bought a Maytag washer and it broke after 13 months. The thing that broke? An auto sensor. The repair person said that’s the most frequent issue on new washers. I believe my dryer is a Kenmore and it works very well. Knock on wood. No auto sensors there.</p>
<p>It seems as if most new ones all have some type of sensor. Whirlpool has an Auto Dry sensor or an AccuDry sensor. The former is supposed to react to moisture levels and the Accudry is designed to react to both moisture and temperature. Does the sensor operate on all cycles or is it a feature that you select?</p>
<p>I don’t think my dryer has an auto sensor so I’m not sure. On my washer, it’s just how it operates on all cycles and it’s not something you can shut off. My guess is on a dryer you can probably select something else… but I don’t know. I would definitely get one that suits the size of your washer. Mine are both extra large capacity. My boyfriend has an extra large washer and a teeny tiny dryer! Drives me up a wall to do laundry there!!</p>
<p>I would purchase the GE 810 for around $600 retail and you can usually get at least a 10% off discount. Another good choice is the Kenmore 800 series for around $500 retail. Consumer Reports has both these dryers rated as “best buys”. I have owned my GE dryer now for almost 2 years and really like it.</p>
<p>I have a Samsung–not the top of the line, but still quite big–about 18 months old. I am amazed by how quickly it dries each load and how much lint it removes from the clothes.</p>
<p>Getting ready to dry my first load in a Whirlpool 5300. $399. I’m sure it will last 27 years just like my old one. Thanks for the tips.</p>
<p>Something to consider…the new extra large dryers are about 3 inches more in depth than the old ones. For us, this would mean knocking out a wall as our washer/dryer are behind bifold doors in a bathroom. If our dryer dies, we weill be getting a bottom of the line GE large capacity because that is what will fit in the space. Ditto the washer…I hope neither dies real soon!!</p>