Advice for choosing a new washing machine

In My Humble Opinion
1

My 28 year old Sears Kenmore washing machine is reaching the end of its life. It no longer reliably spins the clothes mostly-dry. (We re-run just the spin cycle a lot.) So i guess we need a new one. We relaxed the dryer about 5 years ago with a relatively low-tech speed queen, and are happy with it.

I gather washing machines have changed a lot in the last couple of decades. They use much less water. Also, i see ads about detergent that will remove odor on a single washing, a problem no one ever had with washing machines 28 years ago. So I’m guessing they don’t actually work as well. And I’m nervous about how well they rinse, because my skin is sensitive. I couldn’t sleep at night for weeks due to horrible itching, and finally solved the problem by changing my laundry detergent, even though i rinse all my clothes twice with warm water. (And yes, both the second rinse and the warm water help.)

So… Any advice? I’m looking for a sturdy machine that cleans actual dirt or if the laundry (from yard work) and also does an excellent job of rinsing out the detergent. Bonus points if it’s gentle on clothes and large enough for my comforter. But the first three points (sturdy, removes dirt, removes detergent) are my top criteria.

2

I can see going one of two ways.

One is to purchase a washing machine with no electronics, like a Speed Queen top loader. This will maximize reliability, but will probably not be the most efficient in terms of electrical usage or water usage.

Another is to get one with electronics but is also reliable, like an Electrolux. But you’re going to pay through the nose.

3

I worry about exactly the same things. Our Maytag of unknown age (it was old when we bought the house 20 years ago) still seems to be working fine, but I like to think ahead.

Also, may I ask what detergent you switched to? I had been using All in the white bottle but I was still having issues, so a few months ago I switched to Earth Breeze laundry sheets (mostly for ecological reasons), and that has worked much better on the skin sensitivity front.

4

I think the MSRP for the least expensive Speed Queen on that website was $1,259, so also not cheap. Mainstream washers are available for half that.

5

Is money truly no object? I like Miele.

6

Use the KISS method (Keep It Simple, Stupid). In other words, reject anything with touch controls and gee-whiz electronic features (do you really need wi-fi for your machine?) if you can. The cheaper the machine, the simpler the controls: manual rotary switches and limited options. The biggest problem we had with our last washer was the electronic touch button controls. Also, companies tend to stop carrying the modules for those after a few years, so repairs become impossible.

7

I mean, I’m not going to drop $1M on a washing machine, but I’m not very cost sensitive.

That’s not always cheaper these days. Electronics cost less than mechanical switches. But yeah, i would prefer physical knobs to a touch screen. And i don’t need my laundry to send me texts. I can hear it from much of the house, and i don’t actually care if the laundry site in the machine half an hour after it’s done.

8

And that is pretty much what Speed Queen is selling. There may be other manufacturers like it but that’s the most obvious one still selling mechanical machines. They’re the ones I often see in laundromats.

9

We have two Mieles. We like them, but one has had electrical issues, and not too many people around here are able to work on them.

10

The problem is that the companies change the electronic control modules every few years to fit the newest model and you can’t find a replacement part when yours goes toes up. That’s what happened to us. If you do go with electronic controls, get a home appliance warranty after the factory warranty expires. At least then, when the damn thing starts just blinking stupidly at you, and there is no replacement part available, the warranty company will write you a check to help getting a replacement machine.

11

I would prefer not dealing with a washing machine that’s blocking stupidly at me. I’m happy to pay extra now to reduce the odds of that.

12

Just to pile on about how unreliable the new ones are:

Anecdotally, I’ve had 3 “modern” LG washing machines over the last decade (because I’m poor, and they were typically the cheapest bigger ones you could get). They had those really annoying electronic control screens.

All of them washed great – every load came out clean, they were super quiet, efficient, etc. 2 of them have had LCD screen issues that could not be repaired. They didn’t impact functionality, but basically you’d have to guess as to what they were doing because you couldn’t see the feedback anymore. The third is still too new (only a few months), but I fully expect it to have control panel issues too – it’s only a matter of time. Repairs likely won’t be available, and even if they were, the cost of parts + labor to actually repair them would probably cost more than a new machine anyway.

My aunt had one of those old-school manual-only washing machines, AND she paid a hundred dollars or two every year for an appliance warranty. When eventually the dial itself wore down (the attachment nub wore so thin from friction it couldn’t “detent” to the next setting anymore), she tried to use the warranty, and it took two months of back and forth angry calls and emails to get them to pay up (which they eventually did), all while they were unable to change the laundry settings (but they were at least able to still use it, I guess).

If I were made of money, I’d prefer the old-school dials too. The LG control panel interface sucks even when it’s working, and some error codes can only be interpreted by an app. These things are just waiting to break. It’s planned obsolescence at its worst.

But, you know… despite these issues, we keep buying them every few years (when we move, etc.). My partner and I even explicitly discussed it before we bought the new one: “Well, the screen is probably going to break again in a year or two. Are we ok with that? Yeah, why not, it’s half the price of the next thing.” They’re cheaper than repairs anyway, and at least the underlying mechanical functions still work very well, and the machine is nearly silent, which is a godsend in a small house. Shrug. Tradeoffs, I guess.

I wish LG would just sell an optional “buttons and dials” upgrade that you can replace the screen with.

This just goes with what everyone else is saying: Newer machines are totally unreliable. But, you know, if you’re cheap and renting/moving often, they’re a good way to get you through a few years. I definitely wouldn’t expect it to last 10 years, much less 28.

13

Around 10 years ago my neighbor purchased a brand new LG washing machine/dryer combo. As soon as the warranty was up, which I think was one year, an error code was displayed and the unit wouldn’t work. He took it apart and tried to find the problem, to no avail. Online research suggested the computer board was faulty. He took a gamble and purchased a new one for $250. Installed the new board and… same error code. He was so pissed off that he dragged it out to the end of his driveway and put a “free scrap” sign on it. He then purchased old-school (mechanical controls) appliances, and they’re still going strong.

14

We got a Miele stackable (with a heat pump dryer) when we had to replace our previous stackable a little over a year ago. We’re really limited because the laundry in our style unit was in a closet, so size is a HUGE limitation. We’ve had no issues at all so far, and the only limitation is that the drum size is not especially large. But I can wash my queen size duvet cover in it with no problem.

Everything seems to come clean fine, but I don’t have the sensitivity issues that you have so I can’t give any insight there.

15

We have an Electrolux set we got through Home Depot with the extended service plan–works great. No touch screens although plenty of electronics. Very similar to this which for $900 seems pretty decent.

16

That is probably what my appliance repair guy would suggest. I started a thread relevant to this question a few weeks ago.

17

If I had known about those speed queen models, I would have bought that. We bought a new Samsung washer 4 or so years ago. It’s a great washer with all kinds of features and wash modes, but I always feel it underfills, and we never use all the capabilities, and I don’t particularly like the touch-pad style buttons. I think it’s a mid-range model. We’ve had no issues other than figuring out the best way to level the machine (an old house with un-level floors) so the high speed spin works properly.

18

Based on your criteria, I would look at a Speed Queen. My appliance repairman said it’s the only brand of washing machine he’ll recommend anymore. But it isn’t very efficient as far as water and electricity usage.

I’ve had an LG front load washing machine for about 4 years and no issues with it. Mine doesn’t have an LCD or touch screen though - you spin a dial to make your selections. It washes great and it’s pretty quiet.

19

I bought my LG washer/dryer when I bought my house… just shy of ten years ago.

Still work great (and I don’t treat them well). Only issue I have had is I had to replace the drum roller wheels (see above about not treating things well) and a heat sensor on the dryer (did it myself, took less than an hour, cost of parts was like $25).

ETA: It’s because of how reliable they have been that I just recently replaced my decrepit old dishwasher with a new LG, and the difference in performance between that and the old one is just startling…

20

Bought an LG top loader washer a few years ago and its working fine. But, the water level in the regular setting doesnt even cover the clothes, so we use max water setting.
And there is no agitator! Gentle on clothes I guess.
We call it a rinsing machine