Talk to me about washer and driers

It's time for us to purchase a new set. We want the stacking combo and front loading. I know there are some models that are better than others and more problematic than others. I've heard replacing the electronic control boards are not cheap either. I've looked at some models and read some reviews and there are many options. Tell me some good options!

We have had an old Wirlpool washer and drier since about 1995, and they have been a tank and still running. The washer works great, but the drier needs 2-3 cycles to completely dry clothes. (I'll be selling or giving this set away when we get the new one's).

Have you cleaned the dryer and the exhaust vent? Ours, which is 2 years old, was having air flow issues, it requires constant attention and cleaning. Therefore, I can’t recommend Maytag

I'm keeping my old Maytag washer running as long as parts are available because it allows me rather than electronics to determine how much water I need to wash clothes.

Not sure they still make washers that allow you to set the water level.

The only thing I don't like about our house is the dryer vent. It vents to about 20 feet of pipe that has three 90-degree turns (not counting the one at the dryer itself) before exiting a vent opening on the roof. It has to be blown out about twice a year. Many folks recommend an electric leaf blower for the task.

One gets your clothes wet and clean one drys them.

I wouldn't recommend Samsung. The set we had was terrible. The washer died 3 times in the first year and Samsung's warranty people were as bad as their washer. We bought them at Lowe's and they stepped up and replaced them both with a more expensive set from LG but didn't charge us the difference. The LG set has been perfect so far but it's only been about 5 years on this set.

Every appliance repairman I’ve talked to says avoid the front loaders like the plague. Stick with top load washer with a metal tub and conventional front load dryer.

Plus the old tub type just clean much better than the front loads if you get your clothes dirty.

This is the largest problem with dryers the house vent runs are to long and to many 90 degree corners and they get plugged up so you have no air flow

I’ve had Samsung front loaders for 12 years have never had a problem with getting clothes clean there stacked and take up a lot less room. I believe most washer and dryer problems are operator error the largest problem is to much soap if you use to much soap it won’t get all rinsed out and soap still in your clothes will collect dirt .

Up-front lint cleaner is a must on a dryer for me.

I got a new GE dryer in May. It broke 2 weeks ago. I bought the simplest one they have thinking it would not be subject to breakdowns as bad. I bought it at Lowes and GE's service comes out of Paris, two hours away. Well they picked up the dryer and have had it two weeks. I wouldn't recommend GE as its been a PITA. My washer is a Samsung front loader and it's been problem free for three years. It's quiet. I don't even notice when it's on. The cycles are longer on front loaders though. If I bought again, I probably get a top loader.

I prefer top load. have GE now and working well.

Can't, the frau won't let me touch hers.

I purchased Whirlpool Duet Washer / Dryer Front Loading back in 2009, they have been flawless.

I have the gas dryer

Speed Queen makes the best machines today, but they don’t have stackable machines. I advise you call a repairman for the dryer, maybe he will fix it, and talk with him about the best stackable units.

Thanks for the replies. We have top loaders now, and they work great. If we go to stackable front loaders, we can redesign the layout of our laundry room for more room. The front loaders will help us do that. I'll have to take down our cabinets above the washer/drier currently and move them over. Not too big a deal (I hope). But the small room will open up more room once complete. I've always been a Wirlpool fan, so leaning that way. I've also heard good things on the LG's.

Same here.

We still have the old school top load side by side. They are simple and they work.

If the dryer requires several cycles to dry I bet you may have a heating element out, that is what it has been in past for me. Ive used the new style washer/dryer my in laws and parents bought recently and don't like them and both of them say they wish they would have kept their old ones.

I sure understand that too. My reloading bench is in my washroom/utility room and a little more room would never hurt.

Stackable makes room for a beer fridge! These are LG, 6 or 7 years old. Never had an issue.

I despise our front loader. It came with the house. I have a brand new high capacity agitator-less model in the garage that is going in our new build.

My Samsungs are stacked I put my gun safe where my dryer was

The people I know with front loaders seem to always have issues. Dryers are pretty easy to fix, if a plugged vent pipe is your problem a new dryer isn't going to solve things.

I tried buying high end appliances after we started getting a little coin in our pocket. "buy once, cry once" Problem is they are all designed to not last that long these days, I have gone back to buying name brand middle of the road type stuff without all the gizmo's. My top load Whirlpool washer and dryer are each about 13 years old. Have had to replace a few things on each but they still get the job done. When they do go I'll get on the internet and buy another middle of the road set with a history of 5 star reviews and keep them 15-20 years.

Our dryer did the same thing, it took 2 or 3 cycles to get the clothes dry. Turns out the heating element wasn't working and was replaced free. This is the first time my Lowe's 5 year warranty paid for itself. But I'll never buy Samsung again. The washer walks to much on heavy loads. Never had that problem with my previous LG's.

As several already said Samsung is a huge NO!!!!

We are on our second set of Maytag Duets... Wife loves them! First set were some of the original front load.... Replaced when we moved to new house and gave the working older ones to a friend...


TGT

We have front load and not again. Taking clothes out of the washer, everything falls on the floor....

That is my biggest complaint

The wife has a whirlpool cabrio set (top load washer) that's big enought to wash a king size comforter...that was her requirement when she purchased them. They are about 10 years old and have been good...drier had a board replaced a few years back (it was relatively cheap, less than $200)...otherwise, they've been trouble free. She'd buy them again.

Back that far ago there was seal issues with the front loaders so she opted to stay away from them.

I think ours has 27 feet before it exits the roof. I have access to the pipe from inside the walk-in attic. I think I’ll put an elbow in there with a cap so I can better service it. I have a 30 foot kit to clean the exhaust vent, but it gets hung up around 24 feet.

just got my first front load about 2 years ago, i hate it. the damn thing will start to stink something horrible and you have to purchase washing machine cleaning tablets, you run it through a cycle and all is good, you have to do that regularly. the front seal molds up even though i leave the door open when not in use. and i just cant seem to get my clothes fresh smelling either, yes it cleans them awsome but i just dont get that fresh detergent smell and as soon as say a towel gets wet when you dry off its stinks immediately and the wife buys every laundry booster and dryer sheet and my stuff still doesnt smell fresh. its like it rinses to good.

My washer is the Cabrio and it has been a good one. Went with a less expensive Whirlpool dryer. Both have been good units.

..

Although it is front loading, I have no idea as to what brand of washer and dryer we have.

Samsung front loader an elect dryer, going on 11 years now (fingers crossed). I stacked ours a few years ago to make room for an upright freezer. I still prefer the old top loaders.

I prefer the top loaders also, but my wife wants to redesign our laundry room.

Biggest problem with the front loader that I had was that it wouldn't wash very big loads. I learned to despise it. I was actually happy when it quit working. I replaced it with a Speed Queen which will wash more than my dryer will handle.

In the 22 years we've been out here in the Pineywoods we've gone through 5 washers and 3 driers. Started out with a matched set of Maytags. Growing up in a family of 6 we had the same Maytag set for 25 years so that was a natural. Washer started having issues in the 2nd year ... tub bearing. I nursed it with lubing about a year then went and bought a 2nd hand one for $50 (same exact model). It trashed, same thing within a year. bought a Kenmore replacement. Family grew and it was small. Control board went out at about 5 years later so I sold the dryer and trashed the washer and went and bought a matching set of Whirlpool Cabrios. They lasted about 5 years (dryer lost drum bearing and washer had control board replaced once under warranty and once on extended warranty). I had bought a Maytag drier when the Cabrio went out and have had it for about 6 years without issue. When I replaced the washer I went with a huge tub , agitator free Samsung. Had it for about 5 years now and am happy.

Conclusion ... it's a krap shoot and they're all throwaways. I followed online reviews pretty closely on these last two.

1 for the washer, top loading only. (or you will get leaks, bacteria and mold in the front loader seal)
2 and with a central agitator, never without. (or you will get cloths that are less clean and the spin cycle will go off balance often, you lose a little space but it's worth it, buy the biggest you can find)

Speed Queen old school pair. No electronics, stainless tubs, water level choice, agitator, ten year bumper to bumper warranty. Bought from a dealer that’s been there for 100+ years. They’ll probably outlive me.

These are their ‘Classic’ pair, plain washer and dryer, but they are the most expensive pair and the only washer that still has a transmission and an agitator.

We have two sets of washer and drier. In the main house we have the stackable front loaders. They’ve lasted 11 years, so no complaints other than the mold and small load issues. In the barn we have the set that the wife’s mother owned. They are the old version, with top loading washer. We’ve had them for 11 years and who knows how long the MiL had them before that.

When the front loaders in the house die, they WILL be replaced with top loaders (says the wife).

OP, If you get stackable you may or may not care which way the dryer door swings. If you get top loaders make sure which way the dryer door swings. We bought new top loaders last year. I knew the dryer door swung the wrong way when I took it out of the box. The washer is on the right. The dryer is on the left, with the door swinging back toward the washer. I thought it could be reversed, and would do it later. It can't be reversed. I'm stuck with this big PIA.

The only reasons dryer doors are occasionally reversible is because some southpaw built a house backwards or more likely, to prevent mindless builders from being publicly flogged...

Go for it! I’ve been a proud member of the front load tribe for over 15 years. Along the journey I’ve come to the realization that owning an energy efficient, near waterless, save the planet front load washer is like owning a classic or exotic sports car, you have the joy of getting to wipe it down by hand every time you take it for a spin… If you don’t the mold that hides on all sides of the rubber seal just might kill you…

Besides the Ferrari like service schedule it goes without saying that front load ownership gives you the added moral advantage over any member in the top load camp. If public shaming strangers is your thing, you’ll be happy to know that it’s super easy to identify any member of the top load tribe in public. Top-loaders are the ones with clean, soft, fresh smelling clothes while those of us in the front load tribe most often have stiff itchy clothes that sud up and make cute bubbles when caught in rain showers.


All kidding aside, regardless of which brand you get, get the one with the best components with the least electronics as possible. Most of us grew up with appliances that lasted decades because they didn’t fail when there was a lightning strike in the same zip code. When it comes to an IoT appliance, do your future self a favor and just say no…

We just got the same classic set back in December. 10 year warranty and we love them.

This ^^^