Washing machine is dying, recommendations?

Buy a house by a running stream. Find a big rock.

The dishwasher will work in a pinch.

Stay away from Samsung appliances. My next washing machine, I’m going back to a top load. I hate front load.

R3, we are actually looking at a Samsung combo. What were your issues? Thanx

I looked at Consumer Reports and it seemed LG was pretty good. I bought this one and I love the mini-washer at the bottom.

Whirlpool. LG is trouble prone based on my experience.

Don't get a high-efficiency washer.

Get a front loader or a top loaded WITHOUT the agitator in the middle

R3 Love my new Samsung W/D pair, no agitator and absurdly massive capacity for blankets, duvets, etc. Consistently amongst the best-rated models, and competively priced.

Cremation is better than burial.

On my Samsung TL I have to use DEEP FILL every time since normal wont even wet the load. There is no agitator it uses a "pulse" system that basically sucks unless you do fill with LOTS of water

Hold a wake, maybe?

Consumer Reports might be rigged or whatever, OP, but here's January washer results. Front load washers.

If the old one is this model (with a direct drive motor), I would have it repaired. These fall into the "they don't make 'em like they used to" category.

FWIW, OP. My next door neighbor sells appliances for a living. I’ve bought all of mine through him. For washers and dryers, He recommends Whirlpool (which also includes Maytag and KitchenAid). They are mid priced. If you want to spend more (e.g. around $2k) he says a Speed Queen is a permanent work horse. He doesn’t favor Samsung or LG because both are loaded with computer chips and are difficult/impossible to repair - you can’t get parts.

Consumer Reports 2021 top-load washers. For what it's worth.

Speed queen makes the most durable models. Top loaders from Speed Queen go for decades. Samsung is a good machine as long as you don't have problems. Getting parts is extremely difficult and have been since day 1. Kitchen Aid, Amana, and Maytag are all owned by Whirlpool now so, there isn't much difference. Some of the brands have different features is all. All under the Whirlpool brand are pretty solid and easy to fix. Avoid front loaders if longevity is what you're looking for. Roper is actually pretty solid if cheap is the way you want to go. I have never taken a Roper back in 13 years, I sell all of the above.

Washing machines have really changed in the last 16 years, very few of them even have agitators any more OP. Some of them have a bad smell problem if you don't leave the door open and let it dry out.

R14 --- I wish I had one like that, that's the reason I've been egging my family to get a Speed Queen or a Maytag/Whirlpool commercial. We have the Superba Ensemble combo. Basically a dressed up version of the Whirlpool Duet. Washing machines definitely have changed. We're interested in the LG WM3600, which seems to be a lot of bang for the buck. So many washers are currently out of stock, I believe that has a lot to do with the stimulus. 2020 tore up our home appliances, using them many times more than in a usual year.

R15 --We looked at Whirlpool again, but a family member told us their Whirlpool front loader only lasted four years. We'd like to get at least ten out of our next machine, I know for sure we aren't going to get 16 again, the golden age of appliance reliability are pretty much done for. Outside of analog washers like the Speed Queen.

Your housekeeper doesn’t do your laundry? Poor, sad OP.

What R15 said - parts for Samsungs aren’t easy to get, and I’ve had repairmen say they won’t touch Samsung appliances. I’ve actually had a Whirlpool laundry pair for 10 years with no issues. My kitchen appliances are Samsung, and I’ve had multiple issues, particularly with the dishwasher. I’ve just had multiple people say the same thing about Samsung - they make good phones and TVs.

I bought a "top loading, high efficiency" Maytag at Home Depot in Fall 2019. Once the lid locks, you can't open it until it's done with the cycle. It takes FOREVER to do a load of clothes; I hate it.

I bought the least expensive Samsung front load machines at Best Buy a year ago and they've been great. I think I got 18 months no interest financing on their card and I got a free gift card that I used towards an extended warranty. They weren't that expensive and I ended up paying them off early. So far, no problems and I'd buy again.

Wondering why some folks prefer a top loader to a front loader? I had a Whirlpool front loader washer for about 20 years and the quality of the wash cycle was superb. Moved to a new home with a new LG top loader already installed. It has tons of bells and whistles, but the quality of the wash is so-so. Often, I need to repeat the entire cycle to get stuff clean, especially whites. Can't wait until this unit dies to go back to a front loader. Am I missing something here?

R24, maybe check out the manual and/or call the support line. They're very responsive (I called about instructions about what to do when I cleaned my vacuum filter incorrectly, running the water the wrong way. They explained that it was fine and that I should just do it the right way for a minute.

OP here. Thought you gals would like an update. We went ahead and picked up a really nice LG washer and dryer set, the WM4000 and it's accompanying dryer. This this is literally a Cadillac compared to our previous front loaders. It has insane intelligence and really gets clothes clean, the stoner tank I'm currently wearing feels like the day I first wore it and looks fresh as could be. My robe also washed up beautifully, even as I kept it on the floor by the door in an attempt to minimize pot smell.

Congrats, OP! It's great, right?! The little washer at the bottom is so handy!

OP did you get an extended warranty?

Where did you buy it? Is it too late to buy an extended warranty?

I’m so so sorry your washer has passed!

R27, we got just the washer and dryer, no pedestal. But we built a killer shelving system to replace our previous KitchenAid's pedestals. Attached is the complete result! R28 LG currently has a one-year warranty extension for free ($370 value on both machines). So a two year warranty included is a pretty sweet deal. Limited time offer. We ordered ours at Best Buy.

Run the cleaning cycle every 30 days. Be sure to wipe down the gasket seal on the washer door. Mold can grow there.

R31, will do. We definitely wipe the gasket after every wash. Since our old washer has gone, our already fresh-smelling home smells even better. The old dryer was a dustmaker.

I know I'm never buying another front loader. I hate cleaning them, and damn it they get disgustingly stinky and gross. The only front loader I've had that's semi-decent is a Samsung. I have several homes and each one has different washer/dryer makers. I'm planning to get inexpensive top-load washers as these stinkers all die out.

Bump

I'm cheap and buy the Roper washer. It works fine....top loader with an agitator.

My sister had a GE top loader that lasted about five years....then had to be replaced. My Roper is going strong after five years.

[quote]I have never taken a Roper back in 13 years, I sell all of the above.

Ropers are sold to cheap landlords for their rental properties.

My Kenmore Model 70 pair has been going strong since 2005. Well the washer has. The dryer still works but its heat has become much weaker.

I have a speed Queen one piece washer dryer — not the kind where the washer is also the dryer, but the kind where the dryer is atop the washer in one unit. I bought it because I needed a one piece…didn’t want a stackable…nad a one piece unit with a wanted a front loader is hard to find. I read a lot of reviews and the one that convinced me was when someone said his unit in Afghanistan had been using one for years and everyone threw their comforters and thick jackets in there and it worked fine.