It's time to start replacing the 21 year old appliances and the GE stacking W/D is first. The dryer has problems and the main bearing is about shot in the washer. I hate to loose my small hanging space but I think I'm going to reconfigure the laundry closet and just buy a "non energy conserving" LG top load 7000 washer and 6100 dryer. I looked at a slew from inexpensive Chinese GE to $$$ Speed Queen. According to the appliance salesman "none of them are going to last more than 10 years".
All I wanted was a new stacking set with the washer having a heavy duty, sealed main bearing that would be good for 15+ years, and limited wash options that used lots of water. Nope. There's steam cycle, 37 different wash modes, WiFi controlled, the latest designer colors, water saving or super water saving, yada yada. I take reviews with a grain of salt but LG seems to get pretty good ones overall. My daughter and her family have been using LG for the last 4 years and they run them almost continuously.
A question regarding new dryers, is it necessary to buy a new cord rather than reusing the one off my 21 year old dryer? EVERY place I went insists they must use a new cord.

As has been oft-repeated here on the forum, including by the forum's Washer/Dryer Guru himself Appliance Brad: Friends don't let friends buy LG or Samsung appliances.

They're less reliable, and when (not if) they break, parts are significantly harder to source.

LG and Samsung makes great TVs, but not so great washers/dryers/fridges/etc.


Also, don't take the advice from random appliance salesmen as gospel. Speed Queen washers/dryers are well known for their reliability and ease of maintenance, and last longer than other brands. They will easily last more than 10 years. They're built to commercial standards, and are easy to maintain.

Speed Queen's TC5 and DC5 in particular are the last of a dying breed... old-school, high quality, ultra-reliable, American-made, non-HE, analog washers and dryers.

That seems to fit exactly what you're looking for, in that they're heavy-duty, have limited wash options, will be good for 15+ years, and use a lot of water. They get around the EPA water saving requirements by having one cycle ("Normal") that uses significantly less water than usual, so that the other cycles can all use more water than usual, like washers used to. So you can just avoid the Normal cycle (unless you're only washing one or two items) and just wash everything on Delicate/Permanent Press/Heavy Duty/Bulky, and have plenty of water. There's even an option for even more water, allowing a full tub fill, which is basically unheard of in new washers today.

The only downsides are the extra cost (buy once, cry once), the added water usage (worth it to have clothes get truly clean), and the fact that they're not high capacity (which would be an issue for a family of 4+, but if it's just the two of you that doesn't matter).

So give Speed Queen another look. They even offer a couple stacked models, though I don't know anything about those.

If you reuse a power cord and there’s a fire or electrical event, you better hope that the insurance company doesn’t find out.

I'm going to agree that LG is the way to go. We started by replacing our several year old GE Fridge with an LG and couldn't believe how long things lasted. Next up was to replace the 20+ year old Maytag washer and dryer. Went with LG and so far, absolutely love it. Does have WIFI and all the latest features but bottom line, it cleans like a beast. Got the non-agitator model.

Things may have changed but the last time we bought a washer and dryer (2years ago), Lowes and HD were dogshit. No help, no inventory and nobody knew anything. We tried Best Buy and were surprised at the contrast. Lots of inventory, knowledgeable sales people and easy transaction/delivery

The wife prefers Samsung, I know they aren't highly recommended here but zero problems out of our Fridge, oven, microwave and washer and dryer

I have heard nothing but bad things about front-loading HE washing machines and would steer clear of them. When our 10 year old HE top-loader Kenmore finally conks out, I'm going to replace with a GE Profile HE top-loader. A family member bought one and has been happy with it so far.

quote:

Originally posted by ridewv:

EVERY place I went insists they must use a new cord.

Seems like an easy way to squeeze a little more profit out of people TBH. I'm sure their cords are marked WAY up.

I'd rather go down to the river and beat my clothes on a rock than spend the kind of money they ask for these new fangled, computerized, low water, no agitator, 37 different mode pieces of Chinese plastic junk that are designed to fail. Thank you...no.

Speed Queen analogs are what you are looking for. Agitator that beats the dirt out of your clothes and a tub that fills all the way up. If mine ever decide to die, I'll look to replace them with the same, go to eBay and find an old ringer washer, or head down to the river.

And if the dryer cord is in good shape, there's no reason to not use it. They are fairly cheap though, so there's that.

I was not at all disappointed when our previous HE washer had a problem and needed service. That was my justification for dumping it and looking for an old-fashioned washing machine that had an actual agitator and used lots of water (as ridewv said).

That pretty much narrowed the field down to Maytag and Speed Queen. I found similar models selling at similar prices, went with the Speed Queen, and have only one small regret that has nothing to do with getting your clothes clean.

---

The minor item is, wife likes to defeat the safety switch, so she can open the lid to check on progress (it's a wife thing) while the machine is running, without interrupting the cycle. Previous machines had magnetic lid detector, so all she needed to do, was place a refrigerator magnet next to the lid. Speed Queen has a mechanical thingy behind the machine, difficult to get to in our limited space laundry room. Clipped it with an old-fashioned wooden spring-type clothes pin and that worked. For about five minutes. Clothes pin fell off and is now on the floor behind the machine where it will probably remain for many years. A zip tie would probably work if I could get back there.

quote:

Originally posted by Leemur:
If you reuse a power cord and there’s a fire or electrical event, you better hope that the insurance company doesn’t find out.

You're not alone but I was just asking why? What about the 220v receptacle that the cord plugs into and the associated wiring to the panel box? All the wiring in the house is 21 years old including to the heat pump, kitchen exhaust, whole house fan, lights, and the water heater (which has been replaced twice now). I have lamps with cords 30+ years old. What is it about a 21 year old dryer cord which looks new that is so prone to causing fires? BTW I know the old type cords could be bad but I'm not talking about them.


As far as LG and Samsung, I've heard great things about Samsung electronics such as phones, TV's etc., but not their appliances. To reference my daughter again, when they moved into their house 8 years ago they replaced most of the appliances with Samsung and they had problems including servicing issues with them all. They finally got fed up and replaced the W/D and refrigerator with LG and have been very pleased.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
The minor item is, wife likes to defeat the safety switch, so she can open the lid to check on progress (it's a wife thing) while the machine is running, without interrupting the cycle. Previous machines had magnetic lid detector, so all she needed to do, was place a refrigerator magnet next to the lid. Speed Queen has a mechanical thingy behind the machine, difficult to get to in our limited space laundry room. Clipped it with an old-fashioned wooden spring-type clothes pin and that worked. For about five minutes. Clothes pin fell off and is now on the floor behind the machine where it will probably remain for many years. A zip tie would probably work if I could get back there.

I use a bungee cord and run it from the switch to the bottom of the machine. Works like a charm.

I will take a WAG and guess that this whole "you have to use our cord" thing comes from A. chance to squeeze a few more bucks out of the customer and B. a CYA thing.

They may have had installs where they show up and the old cord is falling apart or doesn't get installed right and they have to come back on their dime to fix it.

When we got our new kitchen, we went with quartz countertops and the countertop company also let us choose a "free" sink as part of that package. I'll bet you they got burned in the past then their guys showed up to install the counters and the hole was cut too large or too small for the sink the customer had. By controlling both the countertops AND the sink, they can ensure that everything will be right.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Speed Queen washers/dryers are well known for their reliability and ease of maintenance, and last longer than other brands. They will easily last more than 10 years. They're built to commercial standards, and are easy to maintain.

Speed Queen's TC5 and DC5 in particular are the last of a dying breed... old-school, high quality, ultra-reliable, American-made, non-HE, analog washers and dryers.

That seems to fit exactly what you're looking for, in that they're heavy-duty, have limited wash options, will be good for 15+ years, and use a lot of water.....

So give Speed Queen another look. They even offer a couple stacked models, though I don't know anything about those.

I will look and make a couple calls to price Speed Queen's Classic series. SQ has the reputation of holding up well overall long term at the expense of having more minor failures requiring service calls, and I hate to think of what service calls run nowadays! They also seem to place low when it comes to overall cleaning yet high for being hard on fabrics. I don't have any reference other than my current front load washer seemed to clean better than any of the top load washers I've had previously, but top loads in general just work better. And as mentioned SQ is very expensive to the tune of at least double what the LG set I'm considering will cost.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
I will take a WAG and guess that this whole "you have to use our cord" thing comes from A. chance to squeeze a few more bucks out of the customer and B. a CYA thing.

Yeah when I questioned the need for new cord "requirement" I was told in a very condescending manor "why would you risk burning down your house by not buying a new $40 cord?"

quote:

Originally posted by ridewv:

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
I will take a WAG and guess that this whole "you have to use our cord" thing comes from A. chance to squeeze a few more bucks out of the customer and B. a CYA thing.

Yeah when I questioned the need for new cord "requirement" I was told in a very condescending manor "why would you risk burning down your house by not buying a new $40 cord?"

Ok that confirms it's a profit squeeze for them

A new dryer cord is like $15 at HD

LG front load HE user here, 20+ years on same one so far. Likewise on the dryer.

When my wife finally got fed up with the Samsung washer and dryer pair I warned her not to buy, she'd been so pleased with the GE Profile gas range she had we bought her GE Profile washer and dryer. They were expensive, but, as I told her: "I don't skimp on my tools, neither should you."

The washer is front-load and, I imagine, HE, because it uses a ridiculously small amount of detergent/load.

Going on nearly two years and she's still pleased with them. Her comment: "I can highly recommend them. I'd buy them again."

The washing machine is a hoot. The extract cycle is so powerful the machine is shipped with a bazillion pounds of concrete block in the base to make sure it stays put during a spin cycle. And it does. Wife: "I can set something on top before a spin cycle and it doesn't budge."

The spin cycle doesn't mess around. The first time it ran she commented "Almost don't even need the dryer with this thing!"

And, yes: There's an app for them. She didn't see the need until I installed it on my phone and showed her what it could do for her. (E.g.: Notifying you five minutes before a load is done, and when it's done, so you can be down there when it's done instead of the clothes sitting in the drum wrinkling.) She loves it.

With as much as these appliances cost I can't see getting all wrapped around the axle about a new power cord ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ They insisted on a new hose kit for the new washer, despite the fact a new hose kit had been put on with the 4-5 year-old Samsung. (Which, in turn, had replaced a nearly new hose kit I'd installed on the washer before that one.)

Speed Queen has pretty much been surpassed by the more modern washers in terms of performance. SQ has been said to be weak on stain removal. This is mostly due to using a tub full of water and diluting the detergent. That’s an idea who’s time has come and gone. That and their very small capacity made them a no-go for me.

I went with the whirlpool after reading this article and the not-so-good reviews of the Speed Queen on the same site.

quote:

Originally posted by mark123:
Speed Queen ... their very small capacity made them a no-go for me.

Capacity is why my wife shot SQ down.

I'm late to this party, but I had to chime in because I went through a couple of washer and dryer sets before I found Maytag commercial-grade washer and dryer. The set was expensive and they aren't pretty like other brands, but I have used them for 10 years now and had no issues. I did experience long drying times and so I had the Dryer Vent Squad come out and they solved that issue.

I really like that Maytag is still Made in the USA.

quote:

Originally posted by ridewv:
I will look and make a couple calls to price Speed Queen's Classic series. SQ has the reputation of holding up well overall long term at the expense of having more minor failures requiring service calls, and I hate to think of what service calls run nowadays!

Our Speed Queen setup has been going strong for close to 7 years, without one single hiccup or issue, nada. When we were looking for a new set, there was no other consideration other than SQ. My wife loves the machines, the best she has ever owned. We bought the 2017 models before they switched to a new design, but I hear the TC5 is back to old specs. This is the washer model we bought: