DawnM Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Our dryer is dying. It is 13 years old. The matching washer is about 15 years old. Is that the expectation? I thought we would do Speed Queen, but not after reading that it has changed so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bambam Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 We bought this house with their washer/dryer - specific size to fit in the area. They lasted ~13-14 years based on age of house. It is sad they don't last longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 It seems like my mother's dryer lasted for over 25 years, but we need to replace ours every 15 or so. Maybe they don't make them as well as they used to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Mom Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 3 years? We do a lot of wash, but washers/driers aren't what they used to be. We replace either the washer or drier every 3 years. (We typically purchase something in the $600-700 range.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 15 years for any appliance seems optimistic 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storygirl Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 We are leaving our old dryer behind for the buyer of our house. It's 30 years old (I have the owner's manual, which is dated). But it's a Speed Queen, so I don't think that is typical. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Ours is going on 20 years, but we’ve had two washers during that time. Given the noises it sometimes make, I think failure is coming soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Targhee Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Having bought a washer, dryer, and fridge within the last 6 years I was told with each purchase that 10-15 years is the life span. It’s sad! I was also told that manufacturers only intend the appliances to last about that long because they will be obsolete (tech wise) by then. I don’t know, if you can get my clothes clean that’s all I care about. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjzimmer1 Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 I'm thrilled with anything over than 8 years. We've been in our house almost 20 years and are already on our third set of washers and dryers (all purchased brand new). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Our last dryer lasted 10-11 years. It’s matching washing machine is 14 years old but it could kick the bucket any day now. We replaced the water pump in it (ourselves, with Youtube help) about 6 months ago and a couple times in the last 6 weeks it’s had error messages and I’ve had to go through a fixya checklist and give it a shake and both times it eventually worked. But...any day now... The worst part is trying to decide what to buy to replace it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 We got exactly 10 years out of the first set we ever bought. (Married in 2002, bought our first WD when we bought our first house in 2007.) Summer of 2017, I was hauling ass to the laundromat for a while while we shopped for a new set. I will be happy to get 10 years out of the ones we bought in 2017, though I have heard of people having issues at 5 years. We are DIY repair people so we had repaired the washer from 2007 several times before it was just past the point of being worth it. The dryer had been on the fritz for a bit too and there was a big discount for buying a set so we replaced them both at the same time. If I could get a new but old set from the 1980s I would. A lot of my friends parents seemed to have had 80s era Kenmores for 25+ years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Same dryer here for 15 years, but we have been through two washing machines in that time. Now we have a Speed Queen washer. Appliances definitely don’t last like they used to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Closeacademy Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 That 10 to 15 years is now a dream. A lot are only made to last only 5 or 6 years for appliances. I've had to replace my washer/dryer 3 times over the last 10 years. My old ones I got in 2000 died, bought new, 6-7 years later they died and now I have old used ones which have been repaired. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted June 8, 2018 Author Share Posted June 8, 2018 7 hours ago, happysmileylady said: The dryer we have right now is the one that the builders put in the house we had built. We closed on that in 03. So Probably made on 02, so probably 16 yrs old. I try to hang a lot though in the summer. The dryer in my parents house is older than DD22 and might actually be close to 30 yrs old. But my dad is pretty good at fixing that sort of stuff, no you tube necessary. Our washer is the same age as the dryer. Three yrs ago some switch went out on it. After we got the water drained (from a full load of dirty cloth diapers) DH was able to fix it pretty cheaply. My husband is handy, although he does sometimes look at youtube, but he has fixed our washer twice and our dryer twice. However, he is reading that this latest issue is a computer panel issue and the computer panel needs to be replaced. I think that is around $250 to replace. We just aren't sure we want to put $250 into a 12 year old dryer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Mine is 19 years old and still going. It’s not electronic, and we’ve replaced the heating element once and th belt once. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Ours lasted for 12ish years before we replaced, and that was only because it was cheaper to buy a new one than to repair the old. I still cling to old school, though, and didn't buy anything too fancy. I just need it to dry clothes reasonably. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted June 8, 2018 Author Share Posted June 8, 2018 1 minute ago, HomeAgain said: Ours lasted for 12ish years before we replaced, and that was only because it was cheaper to buy a new one than to repair the old. I still cling to old school, though, and didn't buy anything too fancy. I just need it to dry clothes reasonably. That is where I am leaning......basic, with low, med. and high setting. The end. We never use 80% of the features on our dryer. And there is still talk of moving and I am NOT carting a washer/dryer back across the country, so whatever we get will stay with this house, so not fancy would be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 I bought a xlarge washer/dryer when we moved back in ''93 and had 4 kids. They moved with me in '12 because I knew that "newer" was not always better for w/d and the w/d at the new house were much smaller. The dryer did eventually die at that house, so it lasted a little over 20yrs. (dryers die quicker because of the moving parts). The washing machine was still going strong when we moved last year. I SO agree about a simple dryer that dries... I don't need a lot of bells and whistles. I never use half of the features on my w/d. Do you have a Habitat for Humanity ReStore near you. You might find a perfectly good used dryer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 When the appliance repair guy came, he said to expect 7 or 8 years out of any modern appliance. I f you want to stretch it out, he said don't overload and also get a simple, no bells and whistled product - the more extras, the more that will go wrong. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Older appliances though last longer - the last dryer we had was 30 years old, and when we married we had the matching washer which was about 20 years old, and we kept it for three years. It was still working - we wanted to reduce our water use because we were on a dodgy well, so we bought something more efficient on water. My friend is still using it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 8 hours ago, Storygirl said: We are leaving our old dryer behind for the buyer of our house. It's 30 years old (I have the owner's manual, which is dated). But it's a Speed Queen, so I don't think that is typical. Our 1985 Maytag dryer is still going strong! Since that year we're on our 4th washer, 3rd fridge, 1st upright freezer, and our 4th dishwasher (just 5 years old) needs replacing. In related news, my 1973 Tappan harvest gold range is very much alive, but not kicking it consistently like she used to. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbecueMom Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Mine is 10-11 years old. The cycles where it senses how damp things are and adjusts the dry time don’t work anymore, but it still runs. For now. We did have to replace the washer we bought with it, because the part alone to fix it was greater than what we paid for the washer. We are on our third dishwasher in ten years though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsmith Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 One of our dryers is about 17 - 20 years old. We thought we were losing it, but dh looked up the issue, found the part cheap and a YouTube video for the repair. It cost us $25, a repair company would have charged us over $200. Our other dryer is a few years old and is having an issue with the drum already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted June 8, 2018 Author Share Posted June 8, 2018 40 minutes ago, OKBud said: We got our dryer used (for 50$) ten years ago and it was eleven years old at the time and it's completely fine even though it's been moved a bunch of times and I treat it roughly. We're giving it away now to someone whose dryer which they bought new six years ago and subsequently treated with kid gloves has bought the plot. Our last dryer in our house in CA, we paid $75 for, it was already about 7 years old. We used it for 5 years, then we gave it to some friends when we left, who used it for 3 more years, and they gave it to a family who couldn't afford one and last I heard, 5 years after that, it was still working just fine. Basic Kenmore model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted June 8, 2018 Author Share Posted June 8, 2018 Dumb question, but if you were buying a house, not a starter home, but a mid to upper range house, would it bother you to see a washer-dryer that didn't match in a laundry room where the door could close? We have a black set of Kenmore washer/dryer units. I am not sure we can find a black dryer in a basic model (if they exist please link for me!) I am "over" caring if they match, but what do you think buyers will think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Last week we had to have our dryer repaired for the first time, and it was under $100. We bought the dryer 26 years ago. I asked the repair guy if we should replace instead of repair and he laughed. usually he’s very upfront w us when we need to replace instead of repair, but I guess a dryer igniter is no big deal. It’s a Kenmore....but back when they made them well. ‘I don’t care whether the washer dryer match, but I’m probably not typical. We’re on like the third or fourth washer since we bought this dryer so ours hasn’t matched in ages, but they are the same color (white). I thought you meant matched like a matching pair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 My current dryer is a Maytag and is going on 18 years. I expect it to last forever. ? I know it won't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted June 8, 2018 Author Share Posted June 8, 2018 3 minutes ago, Annie G said: Last week we had to have our dryer repaired for the first time, and it was under $100. We bought the dryer 26 years ago. I asked the repair guy if we should replace instead of repair and he laughed. usually he’s very upfront w us when we need to replace instead of repair, but I guess a dryer igniter is no big deal. It’s a Kenmore....but back when they made them well. ‘I don’t care whether the washer dryer match, but I’m probably not typical. We’re on like the third or fourth washer since we bought this dryer so ours hasn’t matched in ages, but they are the same color (white). I thought you meant matched like a matching pair. Yeah, I am just kind of questioning if we should buy a matching set or have mis-matched items. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 I vote mismatched. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuvToRead Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 We replaced our dryer after 20 years. It was still working, but was taking forever for stuff to dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 I could not care less about whether the washer ad dryer matched. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted June 8, 2018 Author Share Posted June 8, 2018 1 minute ago, Bluegoat said: I could not care less about whether the washer ad dryer matched. That is me too, but I worry about how it will be viewed by others when I want as much as I can get for my house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Just now, DawnM said: That is me too, but I worry about how it will be viewed by others when I want as much as I can get for my house. So far everyone at the Hive seems to agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 As long as they work, I wouldn't care if the washer/dryer matched. DH bought me our set for a wedding present, so > 20 yrs. He's fixed both several times. The washer's switch in the lid that allows it to spin only when the lid is down doesn't work anymore. DH put a broken pencil in to keep it working, but it keeps falling out. DS#2 hooked me up with a custom-fit pen carcass that doesn't fall out & is attached to the old switch in the lid. I love my handy guys. I'm hoping they keep them running for another 20 years because I don't want to deal with electronic whiz-bangs that go out in five years. (My mom's new unit lasted 7 or 8 but had to have a computer board replaced a few times. Pricey!) Fridge/freezer is ~16 yrs old. Stove is newer (8?). Last microwave lasted ~20 years. Next one only 2. Hoping this new one lasts longer than the last one. Dishwasher came with the house, so probably > 20 yrs old. DH has done some work on it, but we're not hopeful that it'll go much longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted June 8, 2018 Author Share Posted June 8, 2018 5 minutes ago, happysmileylady said: If I were buying a house, my first assumption is that the appliances, mismatched or otherwise, are not staying. I mean I know sometimes they do, but sometimes not. When we sold our house, the stove, dishwasher and microwave stayed, the fridge and washer and dryer came with us. Yeah, just worried. You know how people can't see past the color of the paint or the carpet, even if you list it with a carpet allowance? That. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 27 minutes ago, DawnM said: That is me too, but I worry about how it will be viewed by others when I want as much as I can get for my house. It does not matter to me one jot, but I know people who would think that was a deal-breaker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted June 8, 2018 Author Share Posted June 8, 2018 11 minutes ago, Quill said: It does not matter to me one jot, but I know people who would think that was a deal-breaker. yeah, it is silly, but the market here is tougher than where we moved from, so I feel like I need to have at least similar (same color). I am looking this weekend at used and seeing if a more matching one can be found used but in good condition/newer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Designed obsolescence is a thing. I can't help but wonder if they've missed the environmentally sustainable sweet spot between efficient operation and efficient repairability, in the drive to sell more appliances while appearing "green." 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 27 minutes ago, Ravin said: Designed obsolescence is a thing. I can't help but wonder if they've missed the environmentally sustainable sweet spot between efficient operation and efficient repairability, in the drive to sell more appliances while appearing "green." I could not agree with you more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 11 hours ago, Storygirl said: We are leaving our old dryer behind for the buyer of our house. It's 30 years old (I have the owner's manual, which is dated). But it's a Speed Queen, so I don't think that is typical. Don't do it! You'll be sorry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 3 hours ago, DawnM said: That is where I am leaning......basic, with low, med. and high setting. The end. We never use 80% of the features on our dryer. And there is still talk of moving and I am NOT carting a washer/dryer back across the country, so whatever we get will stay with this house, so not fancy would be fine. We bought a basic dryer 4 1/2 years ago. We thought, it will dry clothes. That's all we need. Well, it doesn't just dry clothes. It wabs them up into a big ball and then sets in the wrinkles so that you literally can't get them out. It's remarkable how bad it is. It felts cotton. This is not supposed to be possible. I think the design of the 'tumbling' vanes is wrong or something. Plus it takes forever to dry things, because they are in that big ball. Even if I go and pull the ball apart every so often during the drying process, it always takes a long time and sets in wrinkles. The only thing it is good for is towels and underwear. So, beware. There IS such a thing as a bad dryer. Who knew? We finally bought a Speed Queen, which works beautifully. It's the first time in my life that I have replaced a still functioning appliance, and I'd do it again tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 13 minutes ago, Carol in Cal. said: We bought a basic dryer 4 1/2 years ago. We thought, it will dry clothes. That's all we need. Well, it doesn't just dry clothes. It wabs them up into a big ball and then sets in the wrinkles so that you literally can't get them out. It's remarkable how bad it is. It felts cotton. This is not supposed to be possible. I think the design of the 'tumbling' vanes is wrong or something. Plus it takes forever to dry things, because they are in that big ball. Even if I go and pull the ball apart every so often during the drying process, it always takes a long time and sets in wrinkles. The only thing it is good for is towels and underwear. So, beware. There IS such a thing as a bad dryer. Who knew? We finally bought a Speed Queen, which works beautifully. It's the first time in my life that I have replaced a still functioning appliance, and I'd do it again tomorrow. Ugh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 3 hours ago, DawnM said: Dumb question, but if you were buying a house, not a starter home, but a mid to upper range house, would it bother you to see a washer-dryer that didn't match in a laundry room where the door could close? We have a black set of Kenmore washer/dryer units. I am not sure we can find a black dryer in a basic model (if they exist please link for me!) I am "over" caring if they match, but what do you think buyers will think? 2 hours ago, DawnM said: Yeah, I am just kind of questioning if we should buy a matching set or have mis-matched items. I will be the lone dissenter and say that I would expect the washer and dryer to match unless the house was priced very low or I lived in an area where most home sales didn’t normally include the washer and dryer. Can you check local listings on Realtor.com and look at the photos to see the laundry rooms? If most listings have a matched set, I would try to have the same. Overall, it’s a relatively small expense compared to other things people do to get their houses ready to sell, and it makes a big visual impact on the appearance of the laundry room. Personally, I like my washer and dryer to match, so if one breaks, I replace both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaVT Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 I am now feeling the need to thank my washer and dryer every time I use them. Ours are 11 years old and we haven't had any issues with them. They're basic LG with a front loading washer and they are stackable. Also feeling the need to start a new appliance savings account. We bought our fridge at the same time and that's also been fine w/ no problems. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Targhee Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 3 hours ago, DawnM said: Dumb question, but if you were buying a house, not a starter home, but a mid to upper range house, would it bother you to see a washer-dryer that didn't match in a laundry room where the door could close? We have a black set of Kenmore washer/dryer units. I am not sure we can find a black dryer in a basic model (if they exist please link for me!) I am "over" caring if they match, but what do you think buyers will think? When we bought 7 years ago we included W/D in our offer (spiffy newer matching front loaders). They accepted offer with out the W/D. Then they offered to sell them to us for $1400. ? Um, no. We purchased a new set, middle of the road, and they’re still going. We are building right now and I plan to bring them to new house. If they don’t fit with *my chosen* laundry room look and die in a year or two fine, but I’m getting my money and use out of them! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Targhee Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 4 minutes ago, AmandaVT said: I am now feeling the need to thank my washer and dryer every time I use them. Ours are 11 years old and we haven't had any issues with them. They're basic LG with a front loading washer and they are stackable. Also feeling the need to start a new appliance savings account. We bought our fridge at the same time and that's also been fine w/ no problems. ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 51 minutes ago, AmandaVT said: I am now feeling the need to thank my washer and dryer every time I use them. Ours are 11 years old and we haven't had any issues with them. They're basic LG with a front loading washer and they are stackable. Also feeling the need to start a new appliance savings account. We bought our fridge at the same time and that's also been fine w/ no problems. That's from before the major unreliability issues started, so hopefully you'll be able to keep them for a long time yet. I am hopeful that in 10 years or less manufacturers will learn to build reliable machines again. The same thing happened with the low flow toilets. The first ones basically did not work. But now the newest ones work just great. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelAR05 Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 We’ve only ever own 1 washer and 1 dryer. They’ve both lasted for 20 years and still work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted June 8, 2018 Author Share Posted June 8, 2018 3 hours ago, AmandaVT said: I am now feeling the need to thank my washer and dryer every time I use them. Ours are 11 years old and we haven't had any issues with them. They're basic LG with a front loading washer and they are stackable. Also feeling the need to start a new appliance savings account. We bought our fridge at the same time and that's also been fine w/ no problems. Well, ours are older than yours......so hopefully you have more time. As for the fund.....it is always a good idea. When we moved into our current house, the appliances were older. We knew they would need replacing. Well, the fridge started making weird noises, the freezer stopped freezing (but we used our stand alone freezer for a while during that time), the stove stopped heating enough to boil water, and then the dishwasher company sent us a recall notice of possible faulty wiring and fire hazard and told us to stop using immediately. Sure enough, when we pulled the dishwasher out, there was a wire that had burnt through the wire, and made a burn mark on the flooring! We realized it was TIME. We had saved something like $5,000 for new appliances. We went to Sears and they were having a 25% off all appliances AND a bonus 40% off if you bought three at once!~ So, we essentially got $5,000 worth but only spent about $2,500 even with tax and delivery! (I may be a little off on the exact amount, but it was a great savings!) So, yes, start the account. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storygirl Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 8 hours ago, Carol in Cal. said: Don't do it! You'll be sorry! ? I would have kept the old SQ, but the buyer requested it. And our new home only has space for a stackable unit. So, sadly, I must say good-bye. ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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