OK, my old dryer bit the bullet, my washer is on its last legs, both are 20 years old, so I’m in the market to replace them both. I’m just a single dude who really doesn’t know anything about washing clothes besides the absolute basics, so is there any reason I wouldn’t just buy the most basic washer/dryer? I’m thinking of getting the Admiral (which I understand is actually made by Whirlpool) machines from Home Depot. I see there are a lot of other options and they get very expensive, is there anything worthwhile to someone who just wants to get their clothes clean? The pair will still cost me about $900 when is all said and done, and if I get anything nicer the price will quickly increase, but I’d be willing to spend more if its worth it. I don’t want to regret not spending $1500 to get something 3x better or something like that. Any advice?
I can’t answer that question, but here’s something to remember. The pair doesn’t have to match. If you like the Whirlpool Washer and the GE Dryer and you don’t mind them not (physically) matching, that’s fine. The dryer will dry wet clothes regardless of which brand of washer washed them.
If you have the same experience as I, you won’t get 20 years out of the next set. I replaced my 1984 vintage Maytags in 2005. The dryer failed in 2010 and washer in 2012 (the final repair would have been over 80% of the cost of a replacement).
Maytag is not what it used to be. I am now hoping LG is better.
(Other Maytag products are fine - still eat the blue cheese and drink the beer but they have lost my appliance business 
Simpler is better. The obsession with sterilizing things until you can operate on them is just silly. Electronic controls are just something else to go wrong. Buy one with a drum selector (much cheaper to replace than electronic panels) that has basic wash cycles on it: probably something like “regular”, “permanent press”, “delicate”; and a selector for hot, cold and warm wash. Same for the dryer: a timer and a selector for hot, warm and cool.
I don’t think that Maytag ever had anything to do with the other Maytag besides besides the source of his money.
Our old house came with a very fancy set of front loader machines, whirlpool duets I think. They stayed with the house when we sold it, and we bought an older, regular set with a top loading washer off craigslist for $200 for the new house. I think the CL set cleans better.
Unfortunately none of the modern appliances have the longevity of the older stuff (largely because they’re stuffed full of electronics which often can’t be replaced when they fail).
OP, if you want longevity, look for the simplest, least electronicized set you can find, as Chefguy recommended. You don’t need to get fancy to have clean clothes.
My experience is that the basic units last longer than the fancy ones, I think because they have less things to break, and are made out of pretty simple components. It’s hard to evaluate what that means now because I keep hearing that the quality of appliances in general is declining, and I’ve experienced that in the microwave, refrigerator, and electric stove categories. So maybe the simple units last no longer than the fancy ones, but we don’t have much desire for the fancy features except for an icemaker, so we’ll probably stick to the basics, we like to spend our money on other things.
Unfortunately, going this route isn’t foolproof either. I have a one step up from the bottom-of-the-line Kenmore washer/dryer set from 2005. No electronics, you just turn a knob to select temperature and wash cycles and I’ve had a lot of problems with it. I have to slam the lid in a certain way to start it and the dryer was almost declared dead several years ago before the repair at the last minute jiggled a wire and fixed it. (The Sears repair service also sucks ass; it costs a prohibitive amount just to get them in the door.)
Basically, OP, they don’t make appliances to last anymore so just get the cheapest option that doesn’t look like it’ll fall apart immediately. I always get the second cheapest.
speaking from experience, mechanical timers aren’t all that long-lived either. I had to give up in disgust on a Whirlpool direct-drive washer when it appeared multiple confounding things failed at once.
Mechanical timers have lasted a long time for me, but they may not be the quality they used to be. I assume the same designs are now made with more plastic or cheaper metals.
Yep.
Besides, today all Maytags are Whirlpools or Amanas or Jenn-Airs or Kitchenaids… the beer got sold off too. The cheese is still real Maytag.
Couldn’t agree more. Do not go for electronic displays and whatnot. Go simple. Go old school. Your wallet will thank you later on down the road.
Find a used appliance place, they often have scratch & dents there, and trust me, they do recondition their used units (read reviews on the place to check them out) and usually offer warranty of their own. I buy all washers/dryers used, usually $400 the pair, installed, old ones hauled away.
Yep, that’s the way to go. Great price and you have helped the environment, too.
Thanks for the info everyone. It really helps because (obviously) my laundry knowledge is extremely limited. I just used what was here when I moved in until it broke. It sounds like the best bet for someone like me is to get the most basic (or close to it) models. I’ll also consider used, as well as keeping in mind that they don’t necessarily have to match.