We have an LG top load HE. It’s on year 5/6. I love the amount it holds. We have no problem washing a king size quilt in it. But we have had issues with it since about year 2/3. I discovered this morning it is no longer agitating the clothes and this is the second time that has happened. It makes high pitched squeaky noises, will get stuck on the rinse load if it’s unbalanced. There have been times that a load has been washing for hours. We have had a repair person out numerous times and they never can get it fixed and tell us this is all normal. We are now out of warranty and I’m not going to pay to have it fixed.
So what do you all have and why do you like it/hate it? I am looking for a large capacity as I do have bulky bedding, pets, and young adults in the home. And HE would be nice too.
I’ve had the same problem with my kenmore washer. I found that the washer is very sensitive to large loads. So I don’t overload the washer and if I have a larger item (blankets or coats, things like that) I use the bulky items setting.
That seemed to solve the problem of the washer being “stuck” in a cycle. The bulky item setting on my washer is not set on load weight but is timed at 59 minutes.
Also after a couple of years the leveling on the machine may be off kilter or settled. You could see if that has happened and re level your machine.
Well…there was an excellent report on NPR about appliances…and they said the new ones really last about 7 years or so…so if you are on year 6, you could be nearing the end of the life of that LG washer. I know…ridiculous!
We have a 21 year old Maytag. The thing I like best about it is that it’s 21 years old. It has all metal parts (except the agitator which is plastic). My repair guys keep telling me to fix it as long as I can…the new ones are not built to last.
When it dies…and I expect that it will…I want the Samsung Top Loading washer, and matching dryer.
There was a Maytag washer and dryer in the house when we moved in 7 years ago. They were already several years old. We have had ZERO problems with either one. They’re not fancy and don’t have a ton of settings, but everything comes out clean and dry and everything on both machines work.
I have a Bosch front loader. I love the hand wash cycle as I do a lot of hand wash. It’s large enough that it’s fine when I put the dog beds in. It’s large enough for my comforters, too. I like the extra santitary cycle and the jeans cycle -which came in very handy when S came home from camp at end of summer with duffles full of dirty, smelly clothes.
I’m on year 10 with my washer and dryer. My selection knob on my dryer broke so needed the whole buttons part. It cost $550 with labor (part was $400) but worth it since new dryer is approx $1300 ish.
Cons - You must keep door open and wipe dry the door gasket after use to prevent mold. I also remove the part where you put the detergent after every use.
My laundry room is right of kitchen/family room so being quiet was very important. You wouldn’t know they were on until beeper goes off.
went thru several top-of-the-line Whirlpool HE’s and spent more on the repair guys than the original purchase price. Mold, wash disk needing to be repaired every couple of years.
Went back to old school – largest agitator machine with the fewest electronic controls that we could find. Yes, it uses more water, but not one repair problem for past 5 years
I bought a Speed Queen with mechanical controls (no computer) a year ago and love it. The cycles are short, it’s very sturdy and quiet, and my loads come out clean. I can easily wash our queen size sheets and blankets in it so it’s large enough for our purposes. The lid doesn’t lock, so I can add items at any time in the cycle. The spin speed is very fast and extracts more water than my Cabrio did (which shortens the time needed to dry them)-- and clothes and sheets don’t get twisted up as they used to in the Cabrio.
There are a few oddities. The only water temperature available for the rinse cycle is Cold. Also, Cold is the only wash cycle temperature available for Delicates and for Eco Normal (both of which offer 2 duration settings: normal and light). To use either warm or hot water for the wash cycle, one must select the Heavy/Permanent Press setting (which offers 3 duration settings: heavy, normal and light).
On the plus side, Hot uses solely hot water, not a mixture of hot and cold as with my previous machines. I like hot water for my towels.
Also, the Heavy/Permanent Press setting is the only one that fills the tub for rinsing; the other two settings spray water on the clothes to rinse while spinning them, saving water. HE detergent is recommended. There is a switch one can use for an extra rinse cycle if desired. I do not find that I need to use it. One rinse gets all the detergent out.
My old machine had a lot more cycle options, but I used the same few over and over anyway-- so I don’t miss having more options. The fast cycles of the Speed Queen more than make up for its fewer options. Getting more laundry done in less time is great.
I have a 20 year old stackable GE unit in a closet near the bedrooms. Washing machine does not hold much, but it was convenient during the baby/toddler years. Dryer broke years ago and since I have given up repairing inexpensive appliances, I went out to buy a new unit only to discover that GE had changed the footprint. Since the drain pan & closet were built to accommodate the existing unit, I was not about to pull out the old one. So I carry on without the dryer upstairs.
Basement washer was a year old when I moved in 20 years ago. Still going strong, and has never needed repair. I think I am on my third dryer, each one lasting five to seven years. Will keep the old washers as long as they continue to run as I have no faith in newer appliances.
@CTmom2018 – I had heard of Speed Queen years ago. Is that one of the brands that makes commercial washers for laundromats? Something to keep in mind when my old machines finally die. Must stop discussing this so as not to jinx their lifespan!
^Same here. My GE washer and dryer are 15 years old this month and still going. I feel like I’m jinxing them just by posting on this thread. That being said, given their age I am keeping an eye on the newer models so I’m not gobsmacked when they need to be replaced. Which, given their age, could be anytime now. I really like the Speed Queen as well but I will need to measure carefully to make sure they fit in the existing space.
@CTmom2018 - what made you choose the machine with the mechanical controls versus the one with the computer? I’m a techy type so the computer model appeals to me…
We have a Maytag top loading washer/ front loading dryer that we bought about 27 years ago. They both work great. We recently had a gasket replaced on washer and belt on dryer but otherwise both are performing fine. They were the top of the line at the time.
I have a large capacity Miele (can wash a king-sized down comforter in it) which I absolutely love, but sadly, Miele stopped making this model during the recession of 2009-1010, and the only Mieles you can get now are their regular capacity washers. Those are awesome machines, but they would be too small for the OP. My washer is about 9 years old.
I see that Speed Queen has a front-loading version, so that might be a good option.
SpeedQueen. Metal parts. Short cycles. Very large capacity. Mine is not digital (I don’t know if they make a digital model. I wanted simple knobs since computerized parts tend to be more expensive to fix). I love it. Mine is a top loader.
@CT1417 -yes they make commercial models for laundromats.
@SyrAlum, My first washer (bought in 1992) had electro-mechanical controls-- no electronics. I replaced it after 11 years only because we were replacing our dryer. I ought to have kept it! The two HE electronic-control washers we bought after that (Kenmore Calypso and Whirlpool Cabrio) lasted about 5 and 6 years, respectively, and we had numerous repairs visits.
The repairman said it was because moisture and electronics don’t go well together, and that the most reliable washers have electro-mechanical controls rather than computers. Makes sense to me…
I have a Whirlpool Duet front loader and the matching dryer, and I love everything about it. Everything gets really clean, and it handles everything from hand washables to comforters, rugs, and big canvas dog bed covers. It even has a sanitize cycle for extreme situations. It’s about 3 yrs old, IIRC, and has had no problems at all. No issues with smell, or anything else cited by some front loader owners. (Maybe because I usually leave the door open.)
In addition to that, A) It was made in Benton Harbor, Michigan and B) it is white and has little lights and sounds and is just like R2D2.
