Your favorite washer (laundry), and how long you've had it.

[Quiteria]

This is the second washer we've had issues with.

What do you have, why do you like it, and how long have you had it? Any repairs so far?

:popcorn

[HomeyT]

Modern day washing machines make me so mad!
The salesman told me their life span is only 7-10 yrs now! I always get extended warranty on them.

[Sundance]

Mine is a Sears, basic model. I have had it for 5 years, and got it second hand.

We have had it repaired once, and since it's a top loader, we were able to get a local repair guy to do it, and it was straightforward and cheap.

That would not have been possible with a fancy modern front loader.

[Quiteria]

That's part of what irritates me. Growing up, we had a washer that was older than I am! It wasn't that big of a deal to repair oneself, or to call someone. But even though I know which part is broken on our modern washer, I don't have the equipment to reset the CPU if I were foolish enough to try messing with it without being an authorized repairman. :rolleyes :mad It's a racket. A complete racket.

---------- Post added at 12:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:21 PM ----------

Sundance, is it a conventional top loader, or a High Efficiency top loader?

[Sundance]

It's a conventional Kenmore. I just :heart it for diapers, our water is hard and crappy, and I have enough trouble with diapers as it is....I wouldn't want to try troubleshooting with an HE machine.

[Elora]

High Efficiency are AWFUL ime

we've been through 2 in 5 yrs...1 fancy expensive front loader and 1 fairly plain top loader

both had different, but equally frustrating, problems

and now i need a new one again

[jame06]

I have an LG front loader. I got it 3 years ago. I've had no issues with it so far. I like it because I can get my mountains of laundry done much quicker as it holds more than my previous top loader. I like the variety of settings and I like that it uses less water. The only complaint I have about it is the frequency that I need to clean out the rubber ring around the door and the soap dispenser drawer - they both get nasty quickly.

[jandjmommy]

I bought a Speed Queen last year and it is awesome. It is basically the machine you use at the laundromat without the quarters. I believe it is the only non-energy efficient washer on the market. It puts out scalding hot water and pure cold water. Most machines now put out warm water for "cold" and warmer water for "hot". It won't lock you out. It has an agitator. I do 8 loads of laundry a day. I have burned out 3 washing machines in the last 14 years. Speed Queen also has a 3 yr warranty INCLUDING labor.

[Sundance]

I bought a Speed Queen last year and it is awesome. It is basically the machine you use at the laundromat without the quarters. I believe it is the only non-energy efficient washer on the market. It puts out scalding hot water and pure cold water. Most machines now put out warm water for "cold" and warmer water for "hot". It won't lock you out. It has an agitator. I do 8 loads of laundry a day. I have burned out 3 washing machines in the last 14 years. Speed Queen also has a 3 yr warranty INCLUDING labor.

Holy smokes! How do you do that much laundry in a day?!

How much does that washer run, price wise?

How quickly does it do a load?

Does it have a heater to heat the water beyond what your tank does? Our washer puts out pretty hot water, but it's limited by what our water tank is set at.

[Weezie]

I have a Kenmore Oasis. It's a top loading HE washer- I believe it was one of the first with no agitator.

I love/hate it. I love it that I can dump the entire hamper in it and it fits. :tu
I love that the clothes are clean.

Issues:
The bearings have gone bad TWICE in 2 years, but it is a 2006 model, I believe.
Dh was able to find sights online to help him dismantle the whole thing to replace bearings. It's just a PITB to find separate bearings, as Kenmore wants you to have to buy a whole new tub. :td

It is computerized, so we had a problem with an error code, but I was working at Sears at the time, and had my manager call the big wigs and had it covered under a defect warranty, which it was. They were just being pig headed about it.:mad

I have NEVER washed cloth diapers, though, so that may change what other people think.

And the way this one fills is LOUD. I had the repair lady look at it, and she says it just is.:scratch It's only a bad thing because our laundry room is on the second floor right outside all of our bedrooms, so we hear it. I'll take that, though, over lugging clothes up and down from the basement, as we did in our old houss.

[Can'tTurnLeft]

I need to follow this thread.

[WI Mama05]

:cup following.

We have Kenmore HE2 models (W&D) and have had multiple repairs on them in the 7 years we've had them.

[Little Forest]

I had a wonderful Kenmore machine, bought in 1997, and my parents have been using it since I moved from TX in 2002. No trouble for me in those 5 yrs and I don't think they have had trouble either. Wow, that is 16 yrs. :heart I just loved it, did I mention? Very sad to leave that one. :(
Posted via Mobile Device

[crunchymum]

I can tell you what I DON'T like. :rolleyes We had an LG TROMM front loader at our other place and it was HORRIBLE. :td The only thing I liked about it was that I could do larger loads, and it was gentler on my clothes than a machine with an agitator. Anyway, it was awful, and I have since gotten rid of all of our clothes that were washed in it, because they stunk so bad. :(


Right now we have an old kenmore top loader (we're in a rental), and it works great except it's really rough on our clothes. :( the edges of some of my new since Christmas towels are fraying. :-/

[Quiteria]

I have a Kenmore Oasis. It's a top loading HE washer- I believe it was one of the first with no agitator.

I love/hate it. I love it that I can dump the entire hamper in it and it fits. :tu
I love that the clothes are clean.

Issues:
The bearings have gone bad TWICE in 2 years, but it is a 2006 model, I believe.
Dh was able to find sights online to help him dismantle the whole thing to replace bearings. It's just a PITB to find separate bearings, as Kenmore wants you to have to buy a whole new tub. :td

It is computerized, so we had a problem with an error code, but I was working at Sears at the time, and had my manager call the big wigs and had it covered under a defect warranty, which it was. They were just being pig headed about it.:mad

I have NEVER washed cloth diapers, though, so that may change what other people think.

And the way this one fills is LOUD. I had the repair lady look at it, and she says it just is.:scratch It's only a bad thing because our laundry room is on the second floor right outside all of our bedrooms, so we hear it. I'll take that, though, over lugging clothes up and down from the basement, as we did in our old houss.

:up

Yup. Same model. Love the size. Cloth diapers did get stinky.

So far, we've had the hoses replaced, I think twice, because it eventually rubs a hole in them when it spins somehow. This time, it's the drain pump. I forget what all else, but I know we've seen the repairman a few times. We bought the extended warrenty, and then a protection plan.

[jandjmommy]

Holy smokes! How do you do that much laundry in a day?!

How much does that washer run, price wise?

How quickly does it do a load?

Does it have a heater to heat the water beyond what your tank does? Our washer puts out pretty hot water, but it's limited by what our water tank is set at.
I am a really careful sorter so eveb towels have like 3 different loads (bath towels with bleach, kitchen towels with bleach, beach towels no bleach.
It was about $750 including tax.
An extra large load on hot with an extra rinse cycle takes exactly 1 hr. The energy efficient washer I had beore the Speed Queen took 90 minutes to do a load on cold and that kept me constantly behind on laundry if I didn't start when I woke up, set timer every 90 min, and finish after dinner.

[jandjmommy]

Holy smokes! How do you do that much laundry in a day?!

How much does that washer run, price wise?

How quickly does it do a load?

Does it have a heater to heat the water beyond what your tank does? Our washer puts out pretty hot water, but it's limited by what our water tank is set at.
I am a really careful sorter so eveb towels have like 3 different loads (bath towels with bleach, kitchen towels with bleach, beach towels no bleach.
It was about $750 including tax.
An extra large load on hot with an extra rinse cycle takes exactly 1 hr. The energy efficient washer I had beore the Speed Queen took 90 minutes to do a load on cold and that kept me constantly behind on laundry if I didn't start when I woke up, set timer every 90 min, and finish after dinner.

[BeckaBlue]

you do 8 loads every day?!

We have a basic top loading kenmore, after it replaced a top loading no agitator maytag that died after less than 1yr (used so no warranty :-/). we've had this for a little over a yr, I'm not sure how old it was, it was repaired before we got it though.

[2TMama]

We have an LG front loader & love it for the same reasons Lisa mentioned. I have never had problems with the ring (as I have heard a lot of people mention with their front loaders). Jen mentioned stinkiness--- but really the only things that has been an issue with are towels & dh's work shirts--- and I think those things would be irregardless of the type of washer.
We have well-water/a softener & use homemade soap. I don't know how that plays into all of it, but just wanted to mention it ftr :)

For the stinkiness-- I do a variety of things (not on every wash, but every so often).....line dry in the sun, use purex scent crystals added to the wash from time to time, put vinegar in the fabric softener spot, and for dh's shirts.....occasionally soak in hot water with borax prior to washing.

[elohcin]

We recently got a new washer, PRAISE THE LORD. And it's a plain ol' non-HE washer....which we purposefully chose. We went from an HE toploader that we only bought 2 years ago...no agitator (well, the "plate" kind") and water level sensing. HORRIBLE. Especially for a cloth diaper family (because I think a decent washer is essential for that!). Pretty sure it was an LG (probably not quite as fancy as some of the nicer ones mentioned here as we live on a tiny budget LOL). New we didn't want to go to a front loader since everyone we know hates theirs.

Anyway...we got a Speed Queen this time at the recommendation of my IL's who've had one for years (and work it to the bone!) with zero issues. AMAZING. It has the good old full size agitator and fills the tub FULL instead of by weight (we don't worry about using less water as we are on a well, plus our water is so hard we NEED higher levels for washers). It is a self-cleaning stainless steel tub. And it is SO FAST. (hence the name) It is designed as a commercial grade washer so while it doesn't look fancy (in fact, it looks "dated" when compared to all the fancy bells and whistles available on washers today!) but it runs like a dream and has like a 25+ year full warranty and everything. And it just works so awesomely. Our old washer left so much build-up in our clothes and diapers. It took me 6 washes to strip my diapers, but it was an awesomely quick process with how fast the cycles are.

[Elora]

I really have found the Speed Queen reviews helpful. Thank you! I will definately keep this in mind when I have money to get a new one.