Washer/Dryer Recommendations

Submitted by adreamplay t3_11hc53j in BuyItForLife

Not sure if there’s a better sub for this, if there is please let me know. We are less than two weeks out from closing on our first house, and my parents and my husband’s parents have very graciously offered to buy a washer and dryer for the house.

I want to make sure we make the most of this offer and get something that will as close to buy it for life as possible. I was going to use Consumer Reports, but found out you have to pay to be a member to see the reviews—if anyone is a member and thinks it’s worth it, open to hearing about that too. Grateful for any recommendations on washer/dryer pairs that will stand the test of time.

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Whatarewegonnadonow t1_jasmgrb wrote

If you want buy it for life your only option really is Speed Queen. You'll pay more but you won't have to replace it every 5 years. As far as Consumer Reports I don't put much faith in them anymore. They rate LG Fridges with some of the highest ratings and look at all the issues they have with their compressors.

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BallsOutKrunked t1_jasp7am wrote

I have a Maytag front loader that's been flawless despite tons of use for maybe 6 years now. If you care about water usage at all you'll want a front loader. If you're in a very wet climate or otherwise just don't have any concerns about water usage a top loader has less to go wrong.

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larkinowl t1_jastbm5 wrote

Speed Queens will last forever but also use more energy and water. I value energy and water efficiency, so I go for front loaders. I've had whirlpool and now two sets of Samsung. My last Samsung washer lasted ten years, so I am satisfied with that. I got a simpler model this time (no steam settings) and hope it will last 10-12 years. I don't expect more than that.

Speaking of LG refrigerators: My favorite fridge was LG and I miss it every day but it died with no warning and they basically can't be repaired (hard to get parts even before Covid, and parts aren't cheap, take forever to arrive, and repairmen won't fix them) but it was only 5 years old! I replaced it with a Whirlpool but I still miss the better design of the LG.

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Muncie4 t1_jasu2jm wrote

The search engine is to the right, use it as this topic is discussed 8 times a week for the last 10 years.

Consumer Reports cares zero about lifespan.

−3

Rd28T t1_jasxpaz wrote

Miele. My family has various Miele appliances that hit 20 years old without blinking.

You have no concept of how rough the old style agitator washers are on clothes until you use a good quality front loader.

Unless you regularly have filthy clothes full of mud or grease, those top loaders just cause huge amount of unnecessary wear on clothes.

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HIGH_PRESSURE_TOILET t1_jasykko wrote

Replying to adreamplay (#2,154,107)

Speed Queens last a long time and are easy to fix but they are immensely wasteful in terms of water usage, are more likely to damage clothes, and may not actually be that good at cleaning. So if your priority is BIFL over everything else, they are good.

Otherwise, I would personally recommend Miele or Bosch which are well made but efficient and gentle.

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CamelHairy t1_jat1d2z wrote

There are only two brands to look at if you want longetivity (+25 years). Maytag Commercial and Speed Queen. Both are made with commercial parts.

Both come with 5 year warranties, Speed Queen is all metal in its internals, and the Speed Queen homeowner models have the same internals as their commercial units.

If your water conscious Both have an Eco mode to comply with US regulations.

We have had our Speed Queen front loader washer and dryer going on 10 years, with no problems. They replaced a piece of junk Frigidaire Neptune set that were constantly breaking down after year three. We also saw no difference in wash quality from the Frigidaire or the Speed Queen.

While you may find the Maytag Commercial line in the big box stores, make sure it is the model with the 5 year warranty and not the cheaper made 1 year warranty. Speed Queen can only be found at independent appliance dealers.

https://youtu.be/dV6pkY8maLk

https://youtu.be/cRgbfxJ8MTQ

https://youtu.be/dOjJXZySPQY

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SubstantialAbility17 t1_jat52xa wrote

We have a front load speed queen washer and it has not missed a beat in 3 years of heavy use.

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ClnSlt t1_jatkifc wrote

I have a speed queen but was wondering how people maintain theirs? Should I get it serviced every so often?

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crownofpeperomia t1_jatm52t wrote

Replying to adreamplay (#2,154,114)

Don't get the top load Maytag without the agitator!! I bought it last year and it's a horrible piece of garbage that can't even clean sand off clothes. It barely uses any water, so rather than be efficient I have to run the loads multiple times.

It's basically brand new and we are debating buying a new one because it's so incredibly frustrating.

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HIGH_PRESSURE_TOILET t1_jatmje6 wrote

Replying to SweetAlyssumm (#2,154,674)

The top load agitator models from Speed Queen are documented to be rougher than side load designs, but even the side load Speed Queens are purportedly less gentle than, say, a Miele.

This is a rather scathing review: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/speed-queen-review/

But even if you don't trust Wirecutter's takes, there are various anecdotes interspersed throughout the internet with similar stories, for example: https://reddit.com/r/Appliances/comments/wcvl5n/speed_queen_washer_dryer_may_not_be_for_you/

However, if you just wash regular t-shirts and jeans then they are unlikely to get damaged.

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IKnewThisYearsAgo t1_jatz6c6 wrote

Consumer Reports online might be available to you via your library. Hardcopy definitely will be.

Currently their top 10 top rated for reliability front load washers are all LG. This agrees with my experience as I have been using an LG washer for 14 years with zero problems.

There is less data for top loaders, but Speed Queen wins for agitator machines and LG sweeps the HE/ agitator free category.

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superNoid t1_jau21g1 wrote

NEVER buy appliances at a box store (Home Depot, Lowes, Best Buy) they only use "builder" quality parts. Manufacturers sell "builder" quality versions of appliances at a lower cost to box stores who buy in bulk. Margins stay the same and the manufacturer is whole because the components are cheap as hell.

This is why everyone complains about stuff breaks. So where do you buy appliances?

ONLY buy appliances from a commercial appliance retailer, your town has several. They will sell the exact model you see in a box store but the model # will have a slight variation. This will indicate cast iron components, 5 year warranties (vs 1 year on box store options) all for about the same cost or ~5% more.

I don't blame people who buy from box stores, because 99.9% of people don't know. But now you've read this and YOU (reader) know so I blame YOU (reader) if you continue to buy from these places and your appliances blow dong.

/NBCstar

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SweetAlyssumm t1_jauhpj6 wrote

Replying to HIGH_PRESSURE_TOILET (#2,155,282)

I don't need anecdotes - I have direct experience. My Speed Queen washes fine. I wash lots of different kinds of clothes from different age groups. Sometimes I have 10 people in the house and someone is always doing laundry.

I don't think Wirecutter is much of a source and I stopped reading The NY Times a long time ago. I've got my own data. Of course you don't have to buy a Speed Queen, it's just something that has worked well for me for several years.

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LN4848 t1_jaw5uvi wrote

I replaced my 27 year old Maytag set with a Samsung front loading pair. Washer can easily handle queen sized bedding and clothes and linens come out quite clean. You do need to leave the door open until dry and wipe the seal to avoid mold (I have never had mold), and I have not had trouble with the door alignment. Get the drawers for the base—you can store soap and irons and sewing kits below. Also, if you are over 40, you will be glad not to bend or sit to do your laundry.

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SweetAlyssumm t1_jc4of5a wrote

Replying to oxfozyne (#2,223,366)

If you think calling a set of observations over time is an "anecdote" ok, but I disagree. It's objective evidence. My clothes are fine. There is nothing more to say. I didn't say every Speed Queen is the same as mine. But I have yet to see an owner say their clothes were torn up.

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