provenance61 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Help! We have had the same washer/dryer for many years -- at least 15. My DH has been good at tinkering, and has taken things apart many times to fix belts, motors, etc. But the dryer has finally died -- we have determined that the broken part in question now is $$$ enough to go ahead and buy new rather than fix. We would like to go ahead and get a set so they will match, as the washer may not last much longer anyway. So...we are now in the market for a new washer and dryer. I will start researching (while taking clothes to the laundromat!). But does anyone have specific features they recommend, things to watch for, etc.? We would like to reduce water usage, but am not sure about front loading. Do they take longer? And what about the Kenmore brand -- we've liked their products for years but understand Sears is in some difficulty, what would happen if they went out of business, would we still be able to get parts some years down the road? We wash daily here, approx. 2-3 loads. Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
romeacademy Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 I have had my Kenmore front loader for about 5.5 years. I also do 2-3 loads a day. It does take longer to wash a load, which I have kind of gotten used to. At first, it seemed like it took less time to dry, so the oveall time balanced out. Now the dryer seems to run longer (I suspect the humidity sensor thing is going bad). Also, the machine seems to chew up my clothes. In the last few years it has put holes in or torn (usually the sleeves of) several T-shirts, a soccer jersey, 2 pair of hi-tech long underwear, and countless dish towels. It seems to happen to lighter weight articles, and last time I noticed that the machine was pretty full. So for now I am doing laundry the way mama taught me - separate heavy items from light items. Also I am underloading the machine and lowering the spin speed. Of course that means more loads and even more time in the dryer. I am secretly hoping it dies soon so I can justify replacing it. When it does I will replace it with a top-loader. Added advantage, I can try felting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthwestMom Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 I have had a Kenmore front loading set for nearly 7 years, and honestly, I don't like them. The rubber liner in the washer collects water and mildew and has to be cleaned regularly. I have had "minor" repairs on both pieces that cost $100-200 each time. Sometimes the washer eats the clothes, especially bra straps or spaghetti straps. I'm really not impressed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brendag Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 My friends and I all have LG steam wash front loaders. No issues yet and many of us cloth diapered so there was some serious washing going on! My mom mentioned how she thinks Kenmore has gone down in standards. She has had to buy 2 sets in the last 10 years. Yikes! Maybe it's a fluke, but she isn't having to do nearly as much laundry either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizaG Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 I'm probably not much help, but we have an older (late 90's?) Maytag Dependable Care top loader. We looked into replacing it with a front loader, but have been warned by many sources that they're likely to break down in a few years at the rate we do laundry. We also had a front loader at our old house that had the stink problem no matter what I tried (and did not get our cloth diapers clean), and though I thought that had been fixed in newer models, I'm not so sure. So we're holding on to our old machine. If it gets a problem that can't be repaired, we'll replace it with either another vintage model or a Speed Queen. I'm considering getting a second set for upstairs. (Our laundry is currently in the garage, which is kind of nasty. :tongue_smilie:) If we do that, I'm leaning toward Samsung. But we would still leave the workhorses where they are for emergency backup, gardening clothes, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 I really like my new Whirlpool Cabrio set. It has a lot of eco-friendly features (automatically senses amount of clothing in the wash and adjusts water level accordingly so you don't have to choose your load size, for example). Both machines have indicators to tell you how eco-friendly your current settings are. The dryer has a neat feature that allows you to run a short steam cycle to knock wrinkles out of clothing. Did I mention that my machines are super-duper capacity? I can easily wash a dozen+ pairs of jeans at one time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ma23peas Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I really like my new Whirlpool Cabrio set. It has a lot of eco-friendly features (automatically senses amount of clothing in the wash and adjusts water level accordingly so you don't have to choose your load size, for example). Both machines have indicators to tell you how eco-friendly your current settings are. The dryer has a neat feature that allows you to run a short steam cycle to knock wrinkles out of clothing. Did I mention that my machines are super-duper capacity? I can easily wash a dozen+ pairs of jeans at one time! I think I have the same pair, have had it three years...generally no problems, can wash huge comforters with no problem... But, Never wash coins ever! I spent two hours taking apart my washer, disassembling the water pump only to find two nickels that due to the thrashing of the machine on spinning caused the nickels to rub a hole in a thick plastic part, still boggles my mind...after researching my washer, this is a common problem, we all leave a coin in something eventually...just not happy coins can do this kind of damage...luckily I am a DIYer so with youtube videos and buying part online, it costs $65 for the fix... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneddmanybooks Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I love, love, love our LG Tromm (frontloader) washer and dryer. So many great features! One thing I have found is that I try to remove the drawer (where you put in detergent, softener, etc.) after I am done for the day and turn it upside down in the sink to dry. If you don't do this, you will get some nasty buildup in that area. I highly recommend LG! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
romeacademy Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 I really like my new Whirlpool Cabrio set. Did I mention that my machines are super-duper capacity? I can easily wash a dozen+ pairs of jeans at one time! I have appliance envy. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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