In what can only be described as a one-two punch of home-ownership havoc, our washer officially died right on the heels of the big plumbing debacle that we detailed for you guys yesterday. Yup, remember when we mentioned that we hoped it would be a simple and inexpensive fix here? Well, the appliance gods must have been softly giggling as we typed that.
The repair guy took one look at the corroded interior of our old machine (rusted bolts, a broken belt, etc) and said “I could attempt to band-aid this for $200, but I don’t think it would run for very long – honestly, I wouldn’t put another dollar into this machine.” And that was coming from the man who would be taking said money… so… not a good sign. But we definitely appreciated his honesty.
And that’s how we suddenly found ourselves digging back into our “emergency fund” just days after writing a plumbing check to go laundry appliance shopping. We briefly considered trying to get something secondhand (from the ReStore, Craigslist, etc) but we decided that to spend once on something for the long haul would be more settling than getting another “in the meantime” fix and hoping it held out. So after checking out a few online appliance outlets, as well as some mainstream big box stores to see what was on the market, we hit the streets to check things out in person.
We had actually been looking forward to the eventual laundry appliance hunt, because we knew someday we’d get to upgrade these guys (the repairman guessed our washer was over twenty years old, so that’s a pretty good run!) but it was certainly nothing we expected to be embarking on so close to our little plumbing snafu.
When we moved in, we’d daydream about getting what I affectionately call “mac daddy appliances” someday (both in the kitchen and the laundry area) all of which would be pretty and sparkly and have all of the features we’d ever wanted (like projecting laser shows on the ceiling and making us waffles). Okay, maybe those last two are a stretch, but this sudden rush to get a working washer while our laundry piled up wasn’t the scenario we originally pictured ourselves shopping under (“what do you mean I can’t wait for a Presidents Day sale???”).
Luckily John’s parents welcomed us into their laundry room to do a couple of loads to tide us over while we researched and price-compared (and you better believe I asked John to do those loads so that if something broke he would be the one answering for it). Thankfully, we were able to catch up to our quickly-growing piles, and nothing broke on our watch.
We have sort of a new appliance mantra in this house, which is essentially that this time around we don’t want to just chase a deal. We want to do more research, be open to spending a bit more than before, and really think about the features we’ll enjoy and use, because we plan to be here for decades.
We got one of the best deals of our life on our last washer/dryer purchase because we selected the most heavily discounted models on the showroom floor (they were the same brand as our first set, which we liked, so it seemed like a no-brainer). But while we don’t regret the savings (nearly 50% off!), or the quality of them (they worked great for us), we did sacrifice some features in those heavily-discounted models that we ended up missing over time – like a digital display that showed the amount of time left in the cycle, for example. A little thing, yes, but something in retrospect that we would’ve paid extra for – especially since we had it in our first home’s washer & dryer, so we knew what we were missing.
After a ton of discussion and research, we narrowed our search criteria to the following:
- A Top-Loading washer. We liked our last two front-loaders a lot, but with our existing set-up we’ve both enjoyed not bending over as much. And we didn’t like having to keep up with mildew maintenance on our two previous front-loaders (we’d take time to wipe it down, leave the door open to air it out, and occasionally run Affresh tablets through it) which we understand is a persistent problem in front loaders. Plus, top-loaders now come in high efficiency versions which minimize front-loaders’ previous advantages of load size, spin speed, and water usage.
- Whirlpool or Maytag. Both brands are made by the same folks who made our last two washers & dryers, which worked really well for us (Whirlpool Corp). We also heard from lots of you that brands like GE and LG can be expensive to repair (and boy did we have repair costs on the brain!) while many of you agreed that Whirlpool/Maytag did you right (like on this comment thread for example). Plus, we liked our last two Whirlpool Duets and the top loading washer in this house that we’re replacing is a Maytag (that thing lasted 20+ years, so it definitely was reassuring).
- The ability to silence the buzzer. Again, it’s a little detail, but our current dryer doesn’t let us disable the crazy loud and annoying buzzer that shouts at us three times as a cycle comes to an end. So we couldn’t run it during Clara’s nap for fear that it would jolt her awake since it’s just down the hall from her door.
- A digital display. Mainly for the cycle time countdown mentioned above. What can I say, we’re divas for the
are-we-there-yethow-much-longer details. - A dryer with steam. We just heard good things about that throughout our research and it sounded like a feature we might actually enjoy and use.
Our search first lead us to this model (here’s the washer & the dryer) because it’s a Whirlpool and actually very similar to what we used at John’s parents house (they’ve had theirs around a year and have really enjoyed them so far). They each earned a 4.5 star review on Home Depot’s website too, so that was reassuring.
We narrowed our shopping zone down to Home Depot and Lowe’s, since we’ve had success there in our previous appliance hunts (prices from other vendors like Best Buy, HH Gregg, and sites like Whirlpool Outlet didn’t get as low as theirs for the same models) and both of our previous laundry sets were from Lowe’s.
The sale prices shown above and below are from both stores who each had them marked down 10% below MSRP and were running a 10%-off-all appliances promotion, which could be stacked. They also both were offering free delivery and haul away, and would honor 5% off if we used our store credit card (the Lowe’s card does it automatically, and if you ask Home Depot to do it at the register they should be able to manually apply that in the interest of “price matching” their competition).
Initially we were torn between the Whirlpool above and this extremely similar model from Maytag (here’s the washer & the dryer).
After hunting for some reason or review that would sway us towards one or the other (they both were very highly rated, had similar capacities, similar Energy Star ratings, and identical price tags), this third option appeared to us at Home Depot (here’s the washer & the dryer). It was just a slight step-down from the ones above (the washer capacity is .3 cubic feet less – oh the sacrifice!) and the front is designed differently (no gray trim, and no window into the dryer). But the price tag promised to save us over $130 between the pair and their online review boasted a nearly 5 star rating – which was better than the other two we had been weighing!
Home Depot carried it in stock (the display price of $724 was before the 10% off promotion was applied) but Lowe’s didn’t. They offered to special order it for us, but they’d only be able to apply one of the 10% discounts. We showed them the printout that Home Depot had given us that showed $651 as the final price (before the additional 5% credit card discount was applied at checkout) and they said they’d price match it. But ultimately we gave our sale to Home Depot, since they were the ones to show us this option first, as well as having it in stock (truth be told, we liked that salesperson better there too, so we wanted him to get the credit).
In case all of those words make your brain hurt and you like images and arrows, here’s a cost breakdown (mostly because John takes great pleasure in making them).
We’re glad that we weren’t forced to pay full price due to being under the gun and needing to replace them rightthissecond instead of waiting for a special holiday sale, but it also felt good to take the time and make a detailed list of what we really wanted this time (and check out a bunch of reviews) instead of jumping on the “this one’s the cheapest” bandwagon. Honestly, even if these were less discounted, the features and reviews probably would have tipped the scales in their favor.
They’re set for delivery a little later today (WAHOOOOOO!) so we should have an update for you next week once they’re here and we’ve taken them for a spin.
We also have some plans for the floor under them in the laundry nook (there are actually small scraps of old carpet hiding under the ones we have now). So just cross your fingers that we don’t peel back those carpet scraps under the old washer and dryer to find a giant hole/huge leak/live animal/other debacle lurking. Don’t they say these things happen in threes? Le yipes.
Psst- None of the links in this post are affiliate links. Also, your hair looks pretty and I like your smile.
Amy says
I have been reading your blog for a while now and haven’t commented, but this is a topic that I HAVE to weigh in on. Just over 2 years ago I purchased a Maytag Bravos washer and dryer after a flood left 5+ feet of water in my basement and my 20 year old machines out of commission. Unfortunately, I truly regret this purchase. I feel that these HE machines don’t get the clothes clean because they don’t use enough water. I have pulled shirts out of the washer after a full cycle only to find that it is half dry. Not sure how it could be clean if it never even got wet!
It is also worth mentioning that I have to frequently use Afresh tabs to clean the washer, even though it is a top loader. Not sure if this is true for all brands, but mine will start leaving crap on my black dress pants when it needs to be cleaned.
I got my machines from Home Depot. I had a horrible experience with delivery (damage to my house). They sub contract out their delivery, so I ended up fighting with the company in the mid-west for more than 2 months to get compensation. I will never buy another major appliance from Home Depot again after my experience! In fact it took me months to even be able to set foot in one of their stores after this. (From what I have heard, Lowe’s does their own delivery.)
Sorry this comment is so long! And I hate to sound so negative but I wanted to share my experiences so others can learn from my mistake!
Sherry and John, I hope you have better luck with your new washer and dryer than I have had!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, thanks for the warning Amy! Will definitely keep an eye out for washing/water issues. I think the newer models might have better luck with that (we have heard from folks who have this year’s model and use it for icky stuff (like cloth diapers) and love how clean it gets them, so we have high hopes! Will report back, good or bad, though!
xo
s
Liz says
This was a really good post. Thank you – it’s much appreciated.
Alex says
Definitely know the feeling! We just had 3 major plumbing issues the weekend we were moving into our new house! Thankfully no appliances failed.
I think the Maytag was a good choice. We had that same Whirlpool (except a couple model years older), and it kicked the bucket a few months back (just over 2 years after buying it, just weeks out of warranty). It failed in such a way that it couldn’t be repaired, and it sits in the garage, waiting for me to strip all the working parts out and sell them. We ended up getting an LG, but I was tempted by that Maytag as well.
Caryl says
I owned the Maytag model that you are replacing, which I purchased in 1982. I’m still sorry that I didn’t pay a couple of hundred dollars to have it fixed in 2001 because it probably would still be running, AND it was the best performing washer I have owned. This was the washer I used with my children’s cloth diapers. My mother also has this washer from 1984 (but not with the large tub that I had), still using it, never repaired, and still works like new!
Since then, I’ve owned another Maytag top loader (poor design, not Maytag’s, only the Maytag name), a Speed Queen front loader, a Cabrio top loader, and now a Sears Elite front loader (the second best washer I’ve owned). The poorest cleaning washer was the Cabrio, due to the washing plate design. I had had to buy a top loader because of the laundry room setup (washer stuck in front of a wall precluding use if a front loader).
I’m all for the high efficiency appliances, but not at the expense of poor washing performance. Good luck with your new machine!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, so sorry for all that trouble Caryl! I have heard such great things about the Speed Queen so that really surprises me!
xo
s
Cassie Dearborn says
We have the first machine set you listed. If the one you got is anything like ours, don’t go tossing out the afreash tablets yet. We have to do ours every month still or it gets REALLY stinky.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Cassie!
xo
s
Maria Ferreira says
Parabéns pelo seu blog, adoro segui-lo e encontrar historias verdadeiras e comuns a uma familia.
Continuem assim, parabéns.
Beijinhos grandes
Maria
Claire says
Do I smell a laundry nook update? You know, be a shame to have them sitting there all pretty in a dated little closet…. :-)
YoungHouseLove says
I’m gunning for that! John, ever the pragmatist, wants to get a little further in the nursery before changing gears since this baby is coming in 11 weeks. Haha! I’ll have to see if we can sneak some laundry updates into the mix too…
xo
s
andrea says
We have a Cabrio set. I love it. There are some quirks after using it 5 times a day for 2 years but I will tell you my favorite benefit is that we immediately saw an electric bill and water bill decrease. Clothes were noticeable cleaner and smelled better too. I am extremely picking about my detergent in it.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s awesome Andrea!
xo
s
Jackie says
I love all your posts but particularly the ones that come with compliments! Thanks ever so much :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha!
xo
s
Bill in NH says
Are you going to put the washer in a pan, and what are the plumbing requirements for drier steam?
Also, don’t forget to replace the hoses.
Thanks for commenting on my hair.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, yes your hair is looking great today Bill! We got the upgraded metal hoses that are more durable and a pan for the washer. Will share more updates soon (I’m excited to try them out a few times and report back).
xo
s
Brie says
Argh! I hate having to buy spur-of-the-moment appliances. We just had to replace a dryer that wasn’t very old. One of our $ savings tricks is to use a gift card resale website like http://www.cardpool.com or http://www.giftcardgranny.com. This how I’m planning to buy tile from Lowe’s for our next project. PS – looove how the house is coming along!!
YoungHouseLove says
Smart tip!
xo
s
Susan says
John’s parents’ dryer (door) looks distressed at his laundry-doings…. Houzz recently did a piece on houses/appliances, taking on human expressions–this qualifies, I think!
YoungHouseLove says
Hahaha! It was probably scared of us! Everything we touch goes haywire lately!
xo
s
Stephanie N. says
I just want to say I really enjoy reading this blog. It’s new to me, and you guys make me laugh! & thanks for the compliment :)
Also, I have the WP Cabrio machines (for 3 years). With 4 kids & about 3 loads a day on average, they have seen a LOT of use. So far, the only problem is the latch on the dryer door broke. However, I’m too cheap to call a repairman & packing tape works great…problem solved :) Just have to replace the tape a few times a month…figured I’d limp along until something major goes wrong. Good luck w/ your set. (sure you know this, but since the washer is “he” you’ll occasionally need to use the washer cleaner (there’s a setting on my machine.) Maybe less often than a front loader (not sure), but I do it maybe 3 times a year, so not that often. We have softened water & I do keep the lid open to dry out between loads.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Stephanie!
xo
s
Julie says
We have the same washer/dryer. I had to be pried off of the grey model when we were buying it bc I loved it so! We couldn’t justify the price difference especially since our laundry room is in the basement. We have had them for 2 years and I have nothing bad to say about them! Keep an eye out for the afresh tabs you are supposed to use to clean them to go on sale and stock up:-).
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Julie! I was in love with the gray ones too!
xo
s
Julie says
My front loading washer needs mildew maintenance? I don’t know why I never thought of that…what else in my house needs upkeep I’m not even aware of…yikes. Thanks for the tip and I just ordered your book! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, thanks Julie!
xo
s
Shannon says
We have the same washer and dryer in the gunmetal color and we LOVE them! They work great and I’m so glad we went back to a top loader in our new house; our last front loader was a pain in the booty!
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh gunmetal is so swanky! Glad to hear you love them so far!
xo
s
Cincy mom says
Glad to see your approval of whirlpool! That’s what we’re wanting and someone told me they’ve gone downhill in recent years compared to the LGs and Electrolux. I think it’s marketing though.
Also, kudos on your choice to use Home Depot. I’ve sworn off Lowe’s since they disregarded my dad’s veteran status (10% discount). He had the icon on his license but they wouldn’t honor it because it wasn’t an official military ID. Home Depot always did, realizing a license too is an official government issued id. Home Depot gets all my business :)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s such a shame they did that Cincy Mom! And thanks so much to your dad for his service.
xo
s
Vicki Cornelius says
Joining the comments late–but I find it very interesting and a little odd that people on East coast apparently consider W/D as “built-in appliances” that convey when a house is sold to the new owners vs going like furniture with the sellers…
We have had w/d in all homes by time we have sold them and never left them in any house…We are in Texas…
BUT when we bought a home about 2 yrs ago the sellers who were moving to San Francisco (and I think a rental initially) left a fairly new, front-loading GE washer/dryer combo for us…just brokered into the price–we didn’t negotiate separately for them although the sellers offered their home theater system with wired in speakers and big hard drive w/tons of movies for sale.
Our daughter who had bought home several years before also had the seller leave her w/d set–which was not nearly as new/nice…but still since they were moving from condo w/no laundry of their own, having ANY w/d a few steps from your bedroom is a luxury…
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, I think it’s just one of those regional things. Here people factor in what appliances are new (or need to be replaced) when settling on a listing price, so you can get a fixer upper for a much better price by saying “all the appliances are old so they’ll need to be replaced” or command a higher asking price by saying “new top of the line appliances” which obviously add a lot of appeal/value. So it’s not like you leave your new appliances without getting anything in return for them, that’s just factored into the listing price here :)
xo
s
Vicki Cornelius says
Sorry–left out detail that the houses we and our daughter bought were in FL–south of Sarasota…
Pamela says
Favorite part of this post? The LITERALLY gif, I downloaded it this week & have been using it nonstop when sending texts to the bff. :P
And YAY! on still getting on awesome deal :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! It’s LITERALLY the best thing ever. Literally.
xo
s
Bobbie says
I will never buy another appliance from Home Depot. Even if they have it in stock they consider it a special order and won’t take them back at the store. My new washer broke after 24 hours and all they would do is tell me that I had to call the manufacturer to get them to come service it. I was so mad. I went a little postal on social media at them and eventually they agreed to switch it out for a new one but I had to get the same model and brand. The next day the brand new dryer stopped heating and we had to repeat the same process. I hope you don’t have any of the same issues!
YoungHouseLove says
Yikes, what a headache! So sorry, Bobbie! So far ours are doing ok, but you never know…
xo
s
frances favela says
we just moved into our home a few months ago and it did not come with a washer and dryer. we previously had a frount loader at our last home. Was not impressed with the smell and constant cleaning of them.
We just purchased your exact brand you are buying and i am in LOVE! they are the best machines ever. Enjoy!
YoungHouseLove says
So glad to hear that!
xo
s
Sassafras says
Ha! Where was this awesome breakdown a month ago when we needed it?????? Well, we made it a 1 1/2 years in the new house w/some HE set that was part of the deal. It could tell me the time in Russia but it leaked and made all kinds of blips and bleeps when things were happening. Too smancy fancy for this ol’gal. No instruction manual could be loated. Went back to plain ol’ plain ol GE models. I am happy w/them so far. A little on the ‘thin’ metal side on the dryer door and lint trap plastic, but other than that we’re doing fine a month in. I like the looks of what you guys are getting!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Sassafras! Hope yours are awesome for a nice long time!
xo
s
erika says
“Your hair looks nice and I like your smile.” – BWAAAHAHA!! Proof that we do read every stinkin’ word you post :-) Love it.
Suzi says
Feeling your pain…this post title perfectly describes our house right now! I’m 38 weeks pregnant and in the spam of 1 day we had a broken dryer, blocked waste water line from the laundry room, broken pipe under utility sink which was full of water (due to trying to unclog line) which then flooded the entire laundry room with soapy water. Yep, fun times!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, Suzi! Hope things get better… and congrats on the little one on the way!
xo
s
Richard says
Le yipes. Heeheehee. Totally stealing. Totes.
Lani says
I absolutely love the whirlpool! We crossed our fingers and put the washer and dryer on layaway at Sears during the Black Friday madness – two whole months before closing on our house! (Glad that worked out! Lol)
Jenn says
I realize you get a whole lot of comments so I don’t mean to pile one more on…. But, I just had to say thank you for publishing this post! My washer is on it’s very last leg and this has certainly helped with my (and the hubs) decision. Thank you for doing all that leg work and sharing the info :)
YoungHouseLove says
Of course!
xo
s
katalina says
I have always loved kenmore washer and dryers. The only problem I had was as I mentioned earlier I think not having the vent cleaned blew out my dryer so definitely clean the vent before installing a new one! Mt dryer vent is at many 90 degree angles on the ceiling which is bad for clogs!
Angela-Rose says
We have the same set but our washer’s lid doesn’t have the window. We’ve had them for just over 3 years & I’ve been really happy with them (great capacity top load washer thanks to the no-agitator design…also gentler on clothes). My only complaint would be with the dryer. In the past year my husband has had to pull the front of the dryer completely off, to put the belt back on, at least 4 times. Apparently it’s pretty common with this model :( It’s an easy fix, once the front is off, but it’s a pain to open it up especially since there’s always a load in there. If you’re running a load and you hear a change in the sound (they run pretty quietly) & then a rattling noise…it’ll be the belt so save yourself the $ of a repairman and have John do it! ;) Sorry for the essay! Your hair looks great, too, and you’re positively glowing!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Angela-Rose! Will watch out for that!
xo
s
Catherine says
So sorry your washer broke! Our LG front loader is very old and on its last leg. We had to have it repaired and professionally cleaned when our second baby was about six weeks old, and that was terrible timing. Now, I use a combination of OxiClean, Affresh tabs, BioKleen’s Bac-Out, and HE detergent to keep it fresh. Our clothes and towels still smell funny sometimes, so I definitely think I’ll go with a top loader when we buy a new one soon. Thank you for doing all the research for us!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no, that stinks Catherine! Literally.
xo
s
Liz b says
Just out of curiosity did you happen to research if they worked well to clean cloth diapers & are you planning on cloth diapering baby #2?? I only ask because we didn’t research and my new washer doesn’t wash them well ???????? so now I’m not sure I want to go through all the hassle to cloth since I essentially have to take some extra steps…
Ps I’m due around the same time with my second and my daughter is a few months older than Clara
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, we’re planning to cloth diaper again and did some googling to hear good things, but were still a little nervous. Since putting up this post we have heard from many people with the exact same model who have loved it for their cloth diapers, so that has been awesome to hear! Can’t wait to try it out in a few months (you know, when we have dirty diapers, haha!).
xo
s
Brooke @ Putter Home says
Not to upstage your 20 yr old washer, but my uncle had to replace his last year after lightening hit their house. One of the appliances to go was their washer. Which was a hand-me-down from my parents and was a hand me down to them…making that machine about 35 years old. Holy crapoly. Now THAT was a machine.
YoungHouseLove says
Wow!!
xo
s
James Mason says
Great post Guys, i just wish that we had of purchased one of the models with the controls and settings at the rear of the machine rather than on the face, its prime button pushing territory for our 2 year old daughter! That said though it comes down to the style of the laundry and the under bench finish works best for us, and im sure Alana will grow out of the button pushing (fingers grossed).
Janet says
Several people have written to replace the hoses and I want to add that you should replace them with braided stainless steel covered hoses. I use Clorox (chlorine bleach) filled to the “Max Fill” line on the machine for the clean washer cycle. I have never used affresh and even didn’t use the free sample. My user manual gave bleach as an option. The bulky cycle uses lots of water, maybe better for a load of diapers.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Janet!
xo
s
Bonnie says
Just wanted to say thanks from all of us at the Whirlpool/Maytag washing machine factory in Clyde, Ohio. We hope that you love your machine as much as we appreciate you for buying our product.
As a side note, your dryer was also born/ manufactured at the Whirlpool/ Maytag factory in Marion, Ohio.
Thanks again and happy laundry!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Bonnie!
xo
s
Liddia says
I read your post on Friday. Today (Sunday) I went to put a load into the dryer and it started, made a weird noise and then quit. So, thanks for doing the leg work for me! Husband and I are about to head out to Home Depot to get a new dryer. ours is nearly 20 years old so we figure we should just save the money of getting a repair guy here!
My husband was concerned that you had been paid to push the Maytags but I assured him John and Sherry are stand up folks and don’t do that! Thanks for being so amazing!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no, sorry Liddia! But happy dryer hunting!
xo
s
Kelly says
Glad you bought new. Four years ago my soon to be husband I I bought a washer on craigslist- worst idea ever! Washer never drained. After 2 repairmen say it was just broke we finally bought a brand new washer- top loader similiar to yours and we love it. Come to find out the guy we bought them from owns some type of crappy business selling old appliances and he later admitted he knew it was broken from the get go. So while we were figuring this mess all out we went to the laundrymat. When my undies fell out of the basket on the way into the laundrymat and I found myself chasing them across the parking lot…oh man!
YoungHouseLove says
Boo! That sounds like such a headache! How wrong to sell them knowing they were broken!
xo
s
Dani says
I notice the most RANDOM things while reading your posts. Today: American clothes dryers look way different to the ones we have in Australia! I’m so intrigued. You have flappy doors at the top, what the?
:lol:
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny! We hear yours are usually in the front, right? More modern ones can be either on the front (called front loaders) or on the top (called top loaders).
xo
s
Dani says
Our washing machines can be either front or top loaders, but our dryers always have a round door front and centre (so a lot of the time they’re mounted at eye level on the wall, not directly on the ground) like so: http://www.thegoodguys.com.au/buyonline/Laundry/Dryers
Never seen them with square doors like the ones you posted lol.
YoungHouseLove says
They’re all so cute!
xo
s
Janice says
Yikes! When it rains it pours! We’ve moved toward the more research/willingness to pay more phase of appliance buying too! But that’s mostly because in our last home and this one we had some awful appliances and we’ve saved our pennies and felt like we deserved something nicer. In our last home we had a washer and dryer in much the same shape as your old ones so when I found out there were none with this house I begged my husband to let me look into new ones! Luckily, he was sick of hearing me complain about them and let me! Then when we moved here we had a stove and fridge from way way back in the day! Like you couldn’t even get parts if you wanted to fix them! My dad who was an appliance repairman for 25 years laughed at me when I asked if he could fix them so they worked just slightly better! So glad we’ve slowly acquired some nice appliances that work right and will for a long time!
Josh says
If you are ever in this kind of a bind again, a few additional tips that can save you a bundle.
1. Buy discounted giftcards online. I know you are getting 5% off using the credit card, but you can usually find cards discounted at around 10%. much better route to go. Plus you could buy those discounted giftcards with some credit card that gives you another perk, miles, or whatever you preference is. double whammy.
2. buy it online. now that you don’t need the override to get the 5% off at home depot because you are using giftcards, you are set. When i bought our washer, the online price was exactly the same with all of their sales promos as in store. Reason to buy online. Cashback sites! There are a lot out there. Home depot and lowes are usually giving around 2-4% back. But sometimes they do double promos. I bought ours when I got 6% lowes cashback. Basically saved me my tax.
3. you can buy that discounted giftcard from certain online places WITH the cashback site, double whammy.
A little bit of extra work, but in the end I saved about another $50 just buying a mid range washer. on a high end probably another 75-100
YoungHouseLove says
Smart!
xo
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Julie Kinnear says
Good job here! I was buying a new washer a year ago in September and was going through exactly the same kind of research. It was, however, worth the effort, I chose a top-loader with drying more or less just like you and I am happy with my choice. Let’s both hope we don’t have to buy it any time soon!
Katy says
We spent a fortune (for us) on our front loader. The belts went bad after about 3 years. We had 2 repair men out to fix it, both gave an estimate of $800, and both informed us all belts go bad after 2-4 years with a front loader. Best of all, they are more expensive to fix then they are worth (see above). It would be great if that was common knowledge.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, that stinks!
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Elaine R says
I just got a brand new washer and dryer set for Christmas. My parents got them and surprised me and at first I was a little leery because I thought I always wanted the luxury of front loading and they are top loading but I LOVE them. I used to work as a CNA and did a lifetime of laundry in the few years I worked there. I also hated the bending and I remember always doing the clean cycle. They never seemed to hold enough laundry either. My new top loader doesn’t have an agitator and it can hold a CRAZY amount of laundry. It also plays a cute little jingle when it’s done so now I think, “ooh! The laundry is done. YAY!” instead of the dreaded buzzer, “Ugh… It’s done… maybe I’ll just let it sit down there for a couple days.” ;-) Hope you enjoy!
Sara says
We buckled down and bought the same washer/dryer set when we moved into our house 2 years ago. They have held up fabulously under the strain of clothes from a family of 5. My one gripe has been that the HE washer get a funky smell to them and you still have to run a cleaner through them periodically. Not a big deal, but the smell of the cleaner filled the whole house and gassed out our youngest from his bedroom next to the laundry. I’ve since started rotating the cleaner with homemade cleaner that gets rid of the funk without fumigating our kids.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip! Will look out for that!
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erin says
It’s posts like these where I can NOT believe you guys won’t take free products – those companies would’ve for sure sent you a free set. I totally respect it, I just can’t imagine not caving in situations like this! Good for you both!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Erin!
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Bridget says
I’m wondering when you were shopping around did you by chance contact the washing machine repairman to ask what he repairs the most? Very curious.
PS I could not agree with you more about a top loader.
YoungHouseLove says
We chatted with the repairman about washers that had issues in general and he said he has a lot of customers complaining about front loaders and the mildew thing (smell, stains, etc) and also mentioned that some washers have very expensive parts that are much more expensive to fix (we both can’t remember what he listed but we think it was LG and Samsung – although he said many of them run very well and don’t need parts for a while).
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Karen says
Question: If you bought a new washer/dryer in 2011, why not bring them with you to the new house? I live a condo, so these kinds of things interest me a lot for the future day I get a house!
YoungHouseLove says
I think it’s just one of those regional things, but nobody tends to move with them here – they “convey” with the house. But it’s not like you leave your new appliances without getting anything in return for them – it’s just factored into the listing price (sellers can command a higher asking price by saying “new top of the line appliances” which obviously add a lot of appeal/value). We hear in some other areas everyone takes them with them though, so it’s one of those location-dependent things!
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Cadie says
I have the exact same washer and dryer that we bought last year. I like them but don’t love them. The washer really rips up clothes (I’ve watched a whole cycle through the window on top and it’s incredible how rough that little agitator is). The hot water never gets as hot as my old washer did. I almost always have to use the bulky setting because otherwise the clothes are just damp. How can you get clothes clean without submerging them in water? The sensor on the dryer is a little finicky and sometimes finishes when only half the load is dry. Overall, they do okay but really I would rather have my old non-HE set any day!! I can’t wait to hear what you think of them. Love your blog Sherry and John!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Cadie!
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Hilary says
Is the only difference between the 700 and 725 washer models the glass window?
YoungHouseLove says
I think so, and there’s a tiny capacity difference I think, like point something…
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