Washer / Dryer Recommendations

[droht]

Anybody have the latest and greatest washer/dryer? Looking for some new gear for the laundry room, and figured this was the place to ask...

Let me know what you have and why you like it (or don't like it).

Thanks.

 

[dapack69]

I'm just going to say a front load washer is a must. Besides that I would just look into what options you need and what power they consume.

 

[MinusTheBear]

Get a front loader washer and dryer.

 

[walter duque]

Front loader only and don't buy a MIELE, certified junk.

 

[MinusTheBear]

From looking at the 2009 buyers guide in consumer reports for front-loading washers LG, Whirlpool and Kenmore are at the top of the list.

For dryers it is pretty much the same - the top rated models were from LG, Kenmore, GE and Whirlpool.

 

[droht]

Thanks guys. A front loader is what I was thinking; glad we are all in agreement. The only other thing I really want is large capacity. I will check the brands that MTB referenced. LG is not a company I normally associate with large appliances, but apparently they have been doing quite well for themselves.

 

[MinusTheBear]

LG is heavily associated with appliances. They also make microwaves, refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers etc. FWIW consumer reports generally reports LG appliances as being very good. It would still be a good idea to find a 2010 version of consumer reports that has updated ratings on the newer models.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

LG always seems to have good consumer ratings but I would never buy anything from LG.

I have their fridge which was high-end and it is horrible. It has required several service calls. I also had one of their LCDs and had a lot of issues with it.

I buy all my appliances at a high-end dealer and he dropped LG from their line last year secondary to all the issues he has seen.

LG is heavily associated with appliances. They also make microwaves, refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers etc. FWIW consumer reports generally reports LG appliances as being very good. It would still be a good idea to find a 2010 version of consumer reports that has updated ratings on the newer models.

 

[walter duque]

LG is not a company I normally associate with large appliances, but apparently they have been doing quite well for themselves.

[/QUOTE]

They did get their start in the appliance business. Goldstar came out with the first $99.00 microwave.

 

[MinusTheBear]

LG always seems to have good consumer ratings but I would never buy anything from LG.

I have their fridge which was high-end and it is horrible. It has required several service calls. I also had one of their LCDs and had a lot of issues with it.

I buy all my appliances at a high-end dealer and he dropped LG from their line last year secondary to all the issues he has seen.

LG refrigerators and dishwashers are their worst appliances according to CR with their refrigerators ranked the lowest. Their best appliances are microwaves, washer and dryers. As for electronics the LG LCD's are decent and can offer pretty good feature sets/value for individuals on a budget but are generally behind Sony, Samsung and Panasonic in regards to picture quality/performance.

 

[abboudc]

Anybody have the latest and greatest washer/dryer? Looking for some new gear for the laundry room, and figured this was the place to ask...

Let me know what you have and why you like it (or don't like it).

Thanks.

We have GE Profile and like them well enough. We picked it because it was the largest capacity at the store at the time, cuts down on the number of loads.

Whatever you pick for a dryer, make sure it has at least the capacity of the washer. You don't want to have to do two dryer loads for every one load of wash.

 

[Warpdrv]

I wanted a front load system a long time ago, and through all my research and investigation the Kenmore's came up the best and most durable.

I bought the best they had 10 years ago and they are both still running perfectly. I love them and would buy again as the newer models are more refined and have new features.

I did find alot of info over at http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/laundry/

My brother and his wife bought a pair, I just bought a pair for my parents and everyone loves them.

Be sure that you always keep the front door of the washer ajar so it doesn't mildew in there, and also from time to time run a empty load of bleach, to keep things fresh.

 

[bhodge]

Get a front loader washer and dryer.

I don't necessarily agree with this statement. There are a lot of factors to consider.

What is important to you? Price? The look? Operational Noise? Cost of ownership over the lifetime of the unit? Types of features? Being earth friendly?

If your sole purpose for buying the new machine is to be earth friendly, then sure go for it, buy front loading machines and don't turn back, but...

The big negative is price. The front loading washers are vastly more expensive than top loading. And most of the time that price difference is rarely recouped by the owner. It is becoming more affordable and with that more reasonable to buy the front loading machines, but still not a given. Additional knocks on front loaded washers: must use more expensive detergent(unless you are already doing so), more expensive to repair if they break, harder to get clothes in and out of because they are lower to the ground (they do sell pedestals but that adds ~$200 more to the equation), they take longer to wash your clothes, and depending on the model many complain about how clean some models actually get their clothes compared to a top loading machine (of course you can increase the cleaning by using more water or more cycles but then you start to neglect the benefit of the energy efficiency because you use more water and more electricity than a normal cycle).

There are of course benefits...they are much quieter, most can handle bigger loads, easier on your clothes because there is no agitator, the spin cycle removes more water (more on this later) and most people think they look nicer.

Another factor is how many loads do you do? Are you single and run only 1-2 loads per week or do you have a family of 5 and do a load every day. Obviously the more you use your washer the faster you will recoup the extra money spent on the front loading machine.

Dryers on the other hand are a much easier decision. I say do NOT buy the fancy matching energy efficient to the front loading washer (all dryers are front loading to my knowledge) unless you just want a matching pair of machines and willing to part with that extra cost.

There are a few features (buzzer when finished, wrinkle free option, auto sensing, different temperature settings, etc) so those should be easy for you to compare across models and should be available not matter what type of dryer you get. The big thing that determines the cost effectiveness of a dryer is how wet the clothes are when you put them in to dry. the front loading washer does the extra work for you getting your clothes 2-3 times dryer than a top loading washer. That alone saves a lot of money in operational cost of the dryer.

To me price is a big factor, I can think of a lot of things I would rather spend an extra 500-1000 on, but laundry room is rather close to my theater so noise was also a big factor and I'm single so I don't do a lot of loads.

My current washer and dryer I bought from frys for $400 TOTAL 7 years ago and they have never broken down on me. However, I live in Austin and recently Texas had a tax free weekend on buying an energy star appliance, home depot was running a sale, I got it price matched based a price from another store, I had a 10% off coupon, used my discover card which gives me 5% cash back at home improvement stores for that month, Austin water and gas gives a $150 rebate for installing an energy efficient washer, and I ended up selling my old washer for $50, so in the end it cost me ~$200 to get a new washer (they even delivered and installed the puppy). So that was totally worth it to me (it will still take me ~2 years to make my money back)

After using it for a month, I can tell you my dryer runs half as long to dry as it did before.

I got the LG WM2050CW after researching it. It initially got bad reviews, but LG updated the software to have better cycles and since that update consumer reports gave it a best buy rating. Its reasonably priced compared to other front loaders and it has done a good job in cleaning my clothes.

So first you need to decide what is important to you and once you find a few models you are interested in I would suggest you google them for reviews from reputable sites (like consumer reports). IMHO a front loading washer (dryer) is not necessarily a given. However, if you do decide to go that route, then be sure to do some research to see if your utility companies (water, electricity, and GAS if applicable) offer any type of incentives for purchasing energy star appliances. Also the fed gave money to every state for energy saving programs (I believe most if not all involve appliances). Each state decided how/when to use the money so you might also benefit from that program as well. See this site for more details:
http://www.energysavers.gov/financial/70020.html

 

[bhodge]

Be sure that you always keep the front door of the washer ajar so it doesn't mildew in there, and also from time to time run a empty load of bleach, to keep things fresh.

A VERY VERY good comment. That is another knock on front loading machines, many complain of a mildew smell after a while. Its important that you keep them aired out when you don't use them. I have a towel I leave on top of my washer that I use to give the gasket a quick wipe to help out the drying process (might be unnecessary but it can't hurt and only takes 30 seconds).

 

[Midwesthonky]

Ok, I gotta toss my opinion in here since I spent over 5 years of my life designing and building laundry products.

First, top load vs front load. I recommend front load as it will use less energy (less water, etc) and is less abrasive on the clothes. When I switched, I found my clothes lasted longer - reason is no mechanical agitator physically rubbing on the clothes. Trade off is you should use the HE detergent since it contains more proteins for dirt/soil removal due to less mechanical agitation. Clothes washing uses mechanical and chemical means to remove the dirt. Reduce the mechanical, you up the chemical to offset. Yes, the HE detergent costs more, but you really don't need a lot. We dropped from the #2 line on the fill cup to the lower #1 line and noticed no difference in cleaning ability.

Pro/cons: Front loads are lower in height than top loads so you are bending over more. Can be a concern with a bad back. You can buy risers, but if they are not perfectly level, it can make the units vibrate like mad in the spin cycle. ALL FRONT LOAD WASHERS HAVE MOLD ISSUES. I do not care what the sales guy says, they all have the same issue. It's only a matter of sooner than later. Best thing to do is leave the door open to air dry the inside. If it has a light bulb, unscrew it or let it burn out. Leave the door open. Think top-loads don't mold? Pull out the agitator with the fabric softener cup and look inside...you'll never want to wash clothes in that unit again! Mold loves the proteins in fabric softener. Not using fabric softener will cut down on mold in any washer. Also, liquid fabric softener binds to the fabric which makes your towels less water absorbent. Trade-off again, soft towels or more water absorbent...

Now brands: Kenmore and Whirlpool are typically the same thing. Sears farms out the design and production of the Kenmore brand to various manufacturers with Whirlpool being the most common. Although they will switch when they can make an extra buck. Laundry products will typically be made by Whirlpool and hence will share many of the same internal components. The difference is mostly some features/options and cosmetics. If you go with Kenmore, you are trapped with buying repair parts from Sears and they will SCREW you. Buy a non-Sears brand product and you can get parts anywhere YOU like. So you can go internet, dealer, whatever. If you want to buy a Kenmore, I would recommend a Whirlpool instead. Same unit but you get better options should you need an out-of-warranty repair.

LG like the asian brands does have some quality issues. Avoid Samsung as those are flaming sh@tboxes (I would use more adjectives but don't want to get banned). My company had contracted with Samsung to make some units for us to save capital expense (they spend the capital, we buy the units) and they were ungodly horrible. I tested them for 2 weeks in my home and told the techs to pick them immediately or they would be at the curb. They were absolute junk. Warranty rates in the first year were exceeding 50%. Great way for Samsung to learn how to make appliance while wrecking our brand name and not theirs.

The units I would recommend are no longer made. But the best unit I ever took apart and was really impressed with was Bosch. Not cheap, but man oh man was it well built and well designed. I was impressed. My next unit will probably be a Bosch.

Whirlpool doesn't make a bad front-loader and they were made in Europe and shipped over, at least they were about 5 years ago. They were bad when they first came out (our test units for work had a service tech come out every week at Whirlpool's expense ). But they have gotten better.

I don't like Whirlpool's top-loaders. Nobody makes a cheap top-loader like Whirlpool. I don't care what the price point is, from the top down, all Whirlpool units are identical. Same base, same tranny, same motor, etc. I can tell you what part on a Whirlpool top-loader is most likely to fail first and when.



Dryers: it is easy to be up-sold on a dryer when buying a new washer, especially if the washer is a high-end unit like front-loader. A dryer is pretty basic no matter what and the margins are great! So you don't need a high-end unit, a basic unit will do the same as a higher price-point. If you want an option on the dryer, go for one that has the moisture sensor. That way it stops when it senses the clothes are dry rather than keep on running like it will with a straight up timer. If you switch to a front-load washer, they spin clothes at higher RPM than a top load (800-1200 RPM vs 600 max for a top-load). So they remove more water in the spin cycle. The result is you can run your dryer for less time and save energy. Don't be like the wife of a friend of mine. They got the front loader. But his wife just set the timer on the dryer like she has the last 30 years. She is wasting energy and running the dryer a good 30+% longer than needed with the new washer! What a waste! So if you go with a front loader, be sure to use the moisture sensor on the dryer to reduce the drying time (energy use) or if using a timer, cut back on the time. Another nice feature on a dryer is a wrinkle prevent option. This will run the dryer off and on until you take the clothes out. It cuts down on the wrinkles. I like it for my work slacks. Saves me ironing time since my wife doesn't iron my clothes.

I'll get off my soapbox now.

 

[droht]

WOW, you guys are really upping the ante on info here. Awesome posts. We did a bit of shopping today. The Mrs. likes the top loading Whirlpool Cabrio, based entirely on 5.2 cu ft capacity, which seems to be best available among typical brands. The front loading Duet is at 4.5 cu ft. It costs maybe $200 more, and has more bells and whistles. Steam being the big one. Hard to tell if that is a gimmick or something of real benefit? I'm gessing gimmick, as I can't imagine you can steam clothes that are cold water wash.

Thanks much for all the insight.

 

[Warpdrv]

Both you guys have some great insite for anyone looking to buy a Washer/Dryer... and kenmore over whirlpool is a great piece of info from a parts standpoint...

I have to say - I dodged a bullet on my washer, I had an issue last year where the brain/computer was on its way out, the sears service guy came by and as it was an intermittent issue, he couldn't confirm the problem, he suggested I get a 1 year extended warranty for $130, and they came back 3 times and replaced 2 separate computers, which I'm sure cost far north of $500 plus service call fees....

Still thrilled with the performance of these machines after 10yrs...

HE4t & matching dryer

 

[Midwesthonky]

I have to say - I dodged a bullet on my washer, I had an issue last year where the brain/computer was on its way out, the sears service guy came by and as it was an intermittent issue, he couldn't confirm the problem, he suggested I get a 1 year extended warranty for $130, and they came back 3 times and replaced 2 separate computers, which I'm sure cost far north of $500 plus service call fees....

North of $500? Oh heck yeah! The boards alone probably totaled $550 to $600. Even more if they have changed them so they are out of production. At one point in my career, I set the pricing for appliance repair parts. The margins were awesome!!...for the seller. When you start getting into control boards, people really need to look at the life of the machine and think if it's worth to repair or replace. You really did get your money's worth out of that extended warranty.

I used to love stainless steel appliance parts like fridge doors, etc. They only cost the manufacturer less than $10 more than a painted steel part. But people perceive it as higher value so I could easily get $150-$250 more per part for stainless over the painted equivalent. So think of those types of things next time you go shopping. What is perceived as more value may not actually cost the seller more.

 

[Patrukas777]

I have the front load Samsung washer and dryer that Steam clean. I love them. They are a bit pricey, but man do they work good. I have never used a washer that cleans my clothes as good as these do. It's ridiculous! I have some friends that have LG front loaders and have had problems with them.

I've had my washer/dryer for 7 months now. No problems at all.

If you do get a front loader, make sure to purchase the pedestals. They are way over priced, but they are very convenient. The work great for storage, and set the units up high enough so you're not constantly bending over.

I wouldn't trade them for any other brand.

 

[GO-NAD!]

From looking at the 2009 buyers guide in consumer reports for front-loading washers LG, Whirlpool and Kenmore are at the top of the list.

For dryers it is pretty much the same - the top rated models were from LG, Kenmore, GE and Whirlpool.

I second the consumer reports recommendation. I refer to them for many purchase decisions. Except audio equipment......