We've had a series of Kenmore front load washers. They seem to last around 4 years for us, being used to wash one or two loads per day. If our laundry room/mud room had space for a top load washer and a dryer that were side by side, I wouldn't have bought a second front loader.

We have some shiny red ones my wife loves.

Our Whirlpool front loader is still doing ok after 7 years. We had some early problems with leaks, but that has been resolved. Also some early odor problems, but leaving the door open so that it airs out has solved that problem as well. We probably won't go front load again, but we're also not rushing out to replace it. Y'all have me interested in the Speed Queen now. Combine the Speed Queen and Waste Kang! and you've got appliance royalty.

I recently took Appliance Brad's advice and bought a SpeedQueen analog washer/dryer. Cost about $1800 and it's money well spent as far as I'm concerned. No way I'd buy a trendy he front loader on a stand when a true commercial SQ can be had for less money.

quote:

Originally posted by jaaron11: Combine the Speed Queen and Waste Kang! and you've got appliance royalty.

Speed Quang!!! (ok, I've gotta give Sigmonkey credit for that from another thread)

We are 6 or so months using our Speed Queen top loader. It is Awsome, needless to say we love it!
It's a blast from the past. Add clothes, add detergent fill with water (I pick how much) and forget it. No BS just clean clothes.

I found it interesting that SQ claims their digital model to be better than the analog. They offer a 5 year warranty on digital and a 3 on the analog.

I, like most, would have thought otherwise.

Thank you all.
I'll be discussing getting another top load with the warden, but I don't think my 5' wife will be onboard.

I spent the entire day going to Lowes, Home Depot, and Sears.
Even JC Penny, but that was a waste of time.
Been seriously considering Electrolux from Sears or HD or a top end Whrilpool set from Lowes.
The Whirlpool goes on sale tomorrow, $300 off each washer and dyer, pedestals for $125 ea.

I'll research the Speed Queens in the next few days as well..

Thanks for the input..

1lowlife,

Take a strong look at products made in the USA, and another look at your att inbox. I work for Whirlpool, and may be able to help you in your quest. If you have any questions, I'll email you directly to answer. Take care,

I took Appliance Brad's advice back in 2008 and bought a top load Whirlpool Cabrio high end washer and matching dryer. Huge capacity compared to the old Admiral (whirlpool) set we gave away. Worked great w/out a service run ever. Too many settings and buzzers for me to figure out though. Buzzers and beeps got annoying to me but mama liked it.

We moved. Our old house had w/d in basement and it took trick shooting to get them installed. New house has limited space. We left the Whirlpool set and bought new Speed Queen analog set. Close fit but they work. This was about 5 months ago. I'd never used them until mid March and only then because my wife fell and broke her tibia plateau. a plate and 4 screws, healing fine but the bad news is the bone is soft on the tibia plateau and she can't put any weight on it for 12 weeks.

I'm doing the laundry and using the SQ is a pleasure in it's old school simplicity. No buzzers or beeps, just logical settings and then turn the knob & push or pull. Clothes come out clean, the wash cycle is fast and the machine's motors and controls have the solid feel of quality. Need to open the washer lid to add an item - no problem. Want to get the lint out of the dryer - simple as doing it.

Get the old school model while you still can was my thinking and at age 66 I can say wild horses couldn't make me move again and I'm expecting to finish out my days the this w/d.

Thanks again guys..

Your input has been more than helpful..

Late to the party but Bosch is DEFINITELY not the way to go. Same problem with torn boots here.

And their warranty is nothing to brag about either. My wife had a service call for the first boot, probably three months after purchase. The service provider promptly told her that it was her fault the boot was torn and we had to pay $200 up front to order a new one.

Well a trip to the local Lowes where we bought those from and a few choice words took care of that. Along with a note on our account that under NO circumstances were they to send that same appliance service out again.

Finally the fourth time it was serviced the problem was found. There is a guide in the washer to deflect clothes from the boot. Replaced, problem fixed. Unfortunately the guide is a wearable part, we have one in reserve now.

Best part, by luck of the draw after third boot they contracted the job to a different (third) company. A friend worked there, saw our name on the job ticket and grabbed it. He found the problem.

I prefer the old school top load.

had a lid switch go bad on my current unit, ~10 yrs old at this point.
The previous pair was ~20 yrs old with no issues.

Always check with Sears and buy what they have deeply discounted for the week, with my features.

I have friends with the expensive front loaders that have had numerous expensive issues with various brands including LG, Bosch.

We have been very happy with our matching set of Maytag Bravo XL.

Top load analog Speed Queen is the way to go in my opinion. Simple and long lasting. You dont need all the bells and whistles. Just more stuff to break.

Consumer Reports is your friend on this.

Avoid Sears like a bad habit. A good friend is at a Sears Call Center for service and warranty in Round Rock, Texas. Service is so bad that she will buy nothing sold by Sears despite having an employee discount. My friend reports that Sears service calls usually take from two weeks to a month normally regardless of the product. This makes their long term warranties a terrible deal. Add to this, Sears is dying and can be done as a company soon.

A friend in the business. He, and his father before him and now his son been in the business for ~100 years. Biggest appliance dealer in the county, recommends the touch pad speed queen. He sell the analog as well but something about fixing to be hard to get parts, expensive to fix or being discontinued or something was the reason when my sister bought new last fall.

Wonder if Brad could weigh in on that?

quote:

Originally posted by absolut18:
1lowlife,

Take a strong look at products made in the USA, and another look at your att inbox. I work for Whirlpool, and may be able to help you in your quest. If you have any questions, I'll email you directly to answer. Take care,

Do me a favor. Walk down the hall to the office of the guy who designed the Cabrio top load washers, and give him a swift kick in the nuts for me. Then walk out of the office for a minute, and then walk back in and give him another kick.
That's for the stupid design of the plastic frame on the lid that cracks right at the hinges. I've had to replace the lid on mine twice in about 7 years I've had the washer. The first time I was able to get Whirlpool to send a replacement lid at no charge to me after being on the phone with different people for a couple of hours. The second time I had to pay out of pocket. Over $200 shipped for a new lid. The lid itself is easy to replace, 5 minutes with a screwdriver and you're done. It's the stupid plastic frame that causes all the problems.

Now go give him another kick since I had to go through all that again.

Although I doubt they're even made anymore, I have a top-load Lady Kenmore (might be Kenmore Elite now) and dryer in my laundry room that I bought 18-NOV 1995...still have the receipts. Twenty-Two (22) years, my friends. I guess Sears had to do something to reduce the dependability so the consumer would have to buy washers & dryers more often. My mom had a Lady Kenmore washer/dryer for over 30 years at one point.

If I had to shop for a set now, I'd be totally lost like the OP.

These whirlpool cabrio washers clean real well, are very easy on the fabrics and are ok ,price wise, but !

the computer control board died 11 months in , then it got real noisy, so they replaced the bearing on the tub and then the transmission drive unit , ( under warranty, )

10 1/2 months later its getting real noisy , again !

I don't think I can recommend the whirpool cabrio line any more