Best washing machines

[Shadow01]

Before I bought by last machine about 5 years ago I did some research and found a forum where people were talking washing machines. Speed queen was the overwhelming favorite and they had a bunch of tricks and trips about modding them. One I used was a clothes pin to lock out the lid so you can open it without shutting the machine off. Happy with My Speed Queen.

Same mod to ours. Unfortunately the new models can’t be modded to bypass the lid lock. I’ve tried many different options on my mothers new SQ washer to no effect.

 

[Old Dog]

They are all JUNK! Some brands are just better junk. I bought Whirlpool pair in 79, replaced them in 97 with new Maytags. Replaced the Maytags in 18 with new Maytags. Old Maytags were given to neice and are still working. Wish I had kept them as the new ones are not nearly as good. I will be happy if I don't have to replace them in a few years. According to research I did the new Speed Queens are not what they used to be 2 or 3 years ago.

 

[WebSnyper]

NOT SAMSUNG, every single samsung appliance I have purchased has failed miserably.

My SIL bought the Speed Queen old school top loading washer several years ago, still working fine. We would have bought the same but needed a front loader due to not wanting to stress an old septic system with a lot of water. Bought a GE front loader about 3-4 years ago & it is still fine.

There are HE top loaders. I'll never do a front loader personally.

 

[WebSnyper]

-1 on the Samsung as well, sporadic leaks and low quality.
Have an LG direct drive, no impeller and it gets things perfectly clean, and if I don’t come home covered in mud or oil I must not have left.
One of my favorite things about it is that once you start it, it fills, instead of shutting on and off. The last couple were hard on my constant pressure well system, dribbling water in on and off. The other favorite is the water plus feature, fills it up, gets it clean.

May have to try an LG when it's time for a replacement.

 

[wcd]

We had a Samsung with recall they never fixed it, never issued promised check for compensation big pos.

We now have a commercial grade Maytag clear lid with agitator, works well for us. And trust me I can get clothes dirty on the homestead. Nice feature is it really extracts the water cutting down on dry time.

 

[WebSnyper]

We had a Samsung with recall they never fixed it, never issued promised check for compensation big pos.

We now have a commercial grade Maytag clear lid with agitator, works well for us. And trust me I can get clothes dirty on the homestead. Nice feature is it really extracts the water cutting down on dry time.

Interesting. They applied the recall fix to ours several years ago, and I also actually got an email recently for the class action settlement, though I didn't fully check it out since we had gotten the fix applied.

 

[gregr]

We have a Whirlpool top-loading washer and Whirlpool electric dryer. Had to have the previous washer replaced after only 2 years. What a ripoff. The repair dude said that none of them are made like they used to be, or made to last. But they all sure come with a premium price. We`ve had to have two water heaters in 4 years too. It`s a wreck waking up to water everywhere. They`re not inexpensive either. It`s getting so that you can`t hardly keep up with appliances anymore.

 

[dieselrealtor]

We had a Samsung with recall they never fixed it, never issued promised check for compensation big pos.

Same here, they said they were extending our warranty.

Had another failure during the warranty period, CS stated on the phone that they were going to do a buy back, then nothing. No returned phone calls, or emails.

Chocked it up to experience, and here I am several years later stating what JUNK SAMSUNG IS.

 

[patience0830]

Samsung SUCKS.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

My old Kenmore (bought at a Sears scratch and dent outlet) is every bit of 20 years old and while I know it needs a new tub bearing, it's still kicking. Dryer (bought from the same scratch and dent place) is at least 15 years old and still works well.

 

[BugI02]

Another vote for SpeedQueen here. I replaced a Kenmore about 5 years ago that I had run for more than 20 years

I did a lot of research. Didn't like front loaders mainly because you can't just open them and throw a forgotten piece of laundry in and the need to treat them regularly with chemicals so they won't mold and stink

The high efficiency washers are the ones with tiny or non-existent agitators (sounds like our men these days, but I digress). The only efficiency they seem to care about is to use less water. You can't open them during a cycle because THEY decide how much water to used based on the size of the load and they spend 20 minutes or so just rotating dry clothes to make that decision. Then the actual wash cycle takes 30 to 40 minutes sometimes more

The SpeedQueens are built like tanks and are just the basic no frills top loader we all got used to. YOU set the water level and the temperature and cycle, and you can open the lid at any time to add something to the wash. No see through lid as the other poster said, only come in white enamel I believe. Made in Wisconsin with no known cheap failure prone Chinese parts (which are usually circuit boards and controls)

I am very happy with my purchase. Word to the wise, I bought a few mesh bags. The high speed spin cycle is so fast that it causes the sleeves of long sleeve shirts to tie themselves in knots, so I wash dress shirts etc in the mesh bags to keep the sleeves under control. That same high speed spin is awesome for towels and bedding

I think a good basic model (T5) can be had for around 900 delivered currently

 

[ditcherman]

NOT SAMSUNG, every single samsung appliance I have purchased has failed miserably.

My SIL bought the Speed Queen old school top loading washer several years ago, still working fine. We would have bought the same but needed a front loader due to not wanting to stress an old septic system with a lot of water. Bought a GE front loader about 3-4 years ago & it is still fine.

Another vote for SpeedQueen here. I replaced a Kenmore about 5 years ago that I had run for more than 20 years

I did a lot of research. Didn't like front loaders mainly because you can't just open them and throw a forgotten piece of laundry in and the need to treat them regularly with chemicals so they won't mold and stink

The high efficiency washers are the ones with tiny or non-existent agitators (sounds like our men these days, but I digress). The only efficiency they seem to care about is to use less water. You can't open them during a cycle because THEY decide how much water to used based on the size of the load and they spend 20 minutes or so just rotating dry clothes to make that decision. Then the actual wash cycle takes 30 to 40 minutes sometimes more

The SpeedQueens are built like tanks and are just the basic no frills top loader we all got used to. YOU set the water level and the temperature and cycle, and you can open the lid at any time to add something to the wash. No see through lid as the other poster said, only come in white enamel I believe. Made in Wisconsin with no known cheap failure prone Chinese parts (which are usually circuit boards and controls)

I am very happy with my purchase. Word to the wise, I bought a few mesh bags. The high speed spin cycle is so fast that it causes the sleeves of long sleeve shirts to tie themselves in knots, so I wash dress shirts etc in the mesh bags to keep the sleeves under control. That same high speed spin is awesome for towels and bedding

I think a good basic model (T5) can be had for around 900 delivered currently

I’d pay extra to make my own decisions, and I’d pay extra to not have circuit boards. Nice to know there may somebody out there doing something right.

 

[AtTheMurph]

The cheapest and simplest are the best. The new HE washers with no central agitator are crap.

We've bought the HE washers (three I think) and will not go back. got rid of the 4th that was in second house I bought after it too broke.

Simple is best. The least amount of electronics is preferred. It's a washing machine. All the crap is BS and doesn't actually work. Just get a washing machine not the International Space Station.

 

[indyblue]

Simple is best. The least amount of electronics is preferred. It's a washing machine. All the crap is BS and doesn't actually work. Just get a washing machine not the International Space Station.

Not limited to washers:

Simple is best. The least amount of electronics is preferred. It's a car. All the crap is BS and doesn't actually work. Just get a car not the International Space Station.

If only they made anything like that anymore.....

 

[shadow64]

I have a LG top load it is on its 10 th year no problems . Had a whirlpool before that it only lasted 5yr .

 

[Butch627]

I suspect that this has changed greatly but years ago washers and dryers were dead simple inside and replacement parts were easy to find and there were plenty of books available to troubleshoot and repair them. If I had a 10 year old one I would seriously look into repairing rather replacing it.

 

[BugI02]

Yes, the folks relating tales of how long their washer has lasted are basically reliving a bygone era. Whirlpools and the like built 20 years ago were built with an entirely different philosophy and very few Chinese sourced parts

Just about everything built in the last 5 to 7 years is planned obsolescence, especially anything designed to use less water to get some green rating. If something takes 50 minutes to over an hour to wash a load of clothes because it is rotating them dry for 10 to 20 minutes to try to balance the load and decide how much water it is willing to use you would think would be disqualified because it shouldn't meet energystar standards

I looked at some where the 'agitator' looked like the center of an oversize fruit juicer, about 10" in diameter and less than 6" tall for a full size washer

 

[jkaetz]

I have experience with two different LG sets. Both front loading, the first was purchased in 2006, used once or twice a week, and was still going 12 years later when we sold the house. I did replace a hall sensor in the washer myself about year 3 but it was only a few $$ since I did it myself. The 2nd set was purchased in 2018 and now that we have kids gets used nearly daily. No issues so far. I do believe LG is one of the few manufacturers that still makes their own stuff.

 

[KingLouisIX1250]

Well my old Kenmore washer is finally starting to give out, so I am in the market for a new washer. I honestly don't really know what makes a good washer these days, so I'm hoping some people here will. Mainly looking to see if any brand is better quality than others.

I want to stick to a top load washer, and I like the clear lid option to be able to make sure its working right without opening the lid. I noticed a lot of them either have a very small agitator or non at all, which seems like they wouldn't clean as well, but I could be wrong. It is just me and my son at the house so I don't need a big one.

There aren’t any “good” washing machines anymore, as modern production machines are now designed to fail. I had to search for an older model for sale by someone who was updating. Bought it, wished them luck with their new ones and left knowing what I just purchased was far superior to anything they could find in the market today, and I could keep it running as long as parts, which are much cheaper for direct drive units, are available.
Home appliances are another industry ravaged by D.C. bureaucratic green regulators looking to impress certain parties at the expense of regular people.

 

[Libertarian01]

On products like this I spend $20 / year for membership to Consumer Reports. Gets me ratings and value of all major appliances being sold today.

I just did a check a while ago and found a good dishwasher cleaner. I choked that it was made by Walmart, but I bought it based on their comparisons.

Caveat: I won't argue that what is made today probably isn't as durable as what was made decades ago, only that CR is rating comparisons of what is made today.

Regards and Good Luck,

Doug