Washer Recommendations

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May 23, 2016
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499
Location
New England
Bought a new Whirlpool clothes washer about 4 years ago and it's already having problems. Just won't complete a cycle. Evidently, I have to pull it out, take a cover off the back to get to the spec sheet, and read the error codes. Then go from there.

The previous machine lasted for decades. This POS is already giving problems. Is it even possible to purchase a quality appliance that is going to last these days? Any recommendations?

I will add that we only use the thing for 2 small loads a week. Truly aggravating.

Thanks.
Nibbana
 
Bought a new Whirlpool clothes washer about 4 years ago and it's already having problems. Just won't complete a cycle. Evidently, I have to pull it out, take a cover off the back to get to the spec sheet, and read the error codes. Then go from there.

The previous machine lasted for decades. This POS is already giving problems. Is it even possible to purchase a quality appliance that is going to last these days? Any recommendations?

I will add that we only use the thing for 2 small loads a week. Truly aggravating.

Thanks.
Nibbana
Common reasons your Whirlpool washer is not completing the wash cycle include a faulty lid switch, a bad water-level pressure switch, or a defective timer. what are the error codes?
 
Is it even possible to purchase a quality appliance that is going to last these days? Any recommendations?

I believe it's possible, but only with a solid used unit from an estate sale or resale shop. When we bought our home in the St. Louis area in 2018, the previous owner was almost apologetic about leaving an 80s-era Maytag washer in the basement. It consists of a body/chassis, motor, tub, and three analog dials. It came with us to Texas and is still chugging along just fine. Aside from needing a belt one day, there's just not much to break.
 
Washers are like oil filters
They change daily...
In my thread LG has apparently stepped up in quality....
My 26 year old Kenmore never had a service...
 
Who's the YT repair guy? He typically has some good guidance, although I think much of today is more about the lesser of the evils vs good, better, best of days of old. Now it's really crappy, kinda crappy and just-crappy.
 
It's not so much the basic appliance as much as the cheap-sheet electical components that they put in them, like switches, contacts, rotarty or push button controls etc. These things are so poorly made because volume production is paramount over quality, that it taints the reputation of nearly all brands these days. Once you get past that, the rest of the appliance is solid generally.
 
We have been very happy with our LG model WT7300CW, purchased 2021 when we moved into this house. It was the Consumer Reports-recommended top pick at the time, for whatever good that is worth in this day and age. Gets used and abused with loads of kid clothes and it chugs along with no issues.
 
i bought a nearly new Speed Queen front loader (huge discount)
,but before that Hit costco and grab something for 400-500 in-store was my plan.

If you just want to spend bucks get a Speed Queen Toploader TC5(traditional style) or TR7
 
Before you give up on the thing, make sure to use Grok3 AI to troubleshoot. Mine simply had a clogged drain pump, full of debris which was my fault. I purchased a new pump and changed it out from the front. Easy.
 
Oh it's possible to get the good stuff- Miele. Buy once cry once.

Speed queen has no internal heater, and has plastic ladles inside the drum otherwise it's a great machine.

Id rather have an eletrolux over any of the korean brands.
 
I was poking around on OfferUp.com. I see a few used direct drive Whirlpool washers on there for $300. I have one that’s 35 years old (I’ve last put into it a new transmission) so I’d go out and get one of those.
 
There are no great appliances today, its a disposable society with the need for the latest and greatest.
Customer surveys drive the industry, can I turn it on with my phone or color options is way higher on the wish list than longevity.
Do you really need a camera inside the fridge or to knock on a glass window to see in it or just open the door and look?
Some are brands are better, I'm a Whirlpool built advocate because I spent 46 yrs. fixing appliances and they were less problematic than the imports and parts availability is very good along with tech support.
Low water use and energy star ratings are the source of todays complexity across the board. IE dishwashers are very quiet now but 2 hours to do a normal load is the norm to do more with less.
LG and Samsung are notorious for parts lists with incorrect parts listings.
Some folks have had good luck with a lot of the poor brands and some have had issues with the good makes but with a constant exposure to them all that's what I base my recommendations on.
 
New speed queen front loaders are just as reliable and much more efficient.
With that being said nothing is as reliable as the mechanical dial washers.
 
Our LG made it 2.5 years so far trouble free :whistle:

Previous home had a Whirlpool for 16 years and still trouble free when we sold the house. I did at some point replace a small plastic part in the top of the agitator which only involved taking the top cover off the agitator. I found out it was bad when I peeked under the lid one day (which no one does) and noticed the agitator was barely agitating.

Other than that comments on products regarding anything more than a couple years old are no longer valid. Much of the "analog" mechanics of old appliances have been replaced by circuit boards that need to conform with EPA water standards. I never use our new LG on normal wash as the amount of water barely covers the clothes. We always wash on deep wash which is the way the older machines work. A nice full tub of water covering the clothes. I can only assume ( I think correctly) government mandates the normal setting to be water saving.
 
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