Momma needs a new dryer

I know, it's not sexy and there are limited hop-up opportunities available, but I need a new clothes dryer. Mine died yesterday--either the belt broke or the drive motor's daid--and since the tub has big rust spots inside that sometimes stain the clothes, the knob is broken and has to be turned with vise-grips sometimes, the body is rust-pitted and it's AVOCADO GREEN, I couldn't care less whether the fix is $10 or $100. It's outta here.

Don't even try to convince me to fix it, megasquirt it, whatever. I want the nice appliance man to take it away and leave another in its place--and need that, because Tim's in California this week and I need a dryer. (Did I ever mention that stuff in my house always breaks when he leaves?)

My question: What should I get in its place? Ideally I'd move toward a front-loading washer and dryer set someday just so I could rearrange my laundry room and get a folding counter across the top, but that's a ways off--my washer is in pretty good shape. But I would like something with the controls on the front so that can happen eventually. Other than that, no fancy stuff needed; I'd like it to dry. And be not too expensive. Help!

Margie

Whirlpool Cabrio
I 100% recommend this little baby right here. When our washer quit for the billionth time we went looking for a new set. The salesman tried to talk us into the front loaders, but I was not about to spend $400 on risers to get them off the ground to where it didn't kill my back to use them so we looked around some more. We actually found the Cabrio at Best Buy. I could not be happier with this set. The washer does not have a central agitator, it is energy star rated ( I believe it is the only top loader to qualify for energy star rating) and it is quiet. It actually sounds like it is spooling up when it spins. The drier is awesome too and both machines will hold our king size comforter with no problem. The only downside is that it is expensive, but Best Buy had a 2 year finance deal and we used that.

Maybe a used dryer from a used appliance shop to hold you over till the washer dies? That way you can buy a matching set of front loaders in a few years and not feel bad about getting rid of a newer dryer. Sometimes used shops even have a thirty day warentee.

Joey

Marjorie Suddard wrote: (Did I ever mention that stuff in my house always breaks when he leaves?)

Timing is everything!

Mr. Maytag says "Megasquirt it"

If you might want to "fill the gap" until the washer goes, check out the Habitat for Humanity clearance stores. They wind up with some very high end stuff that looks virtually new when Ms. Bigbucks remodels her kitchen and does the right thing by donating the old stuff.

Might help:

http://www.viewpoints.com/Dryers

When we moved in here 8 years ago, I went with the cheapest/most capacity washer/dryer combo. Both are GE, and still working fine.

Craigs List FTW, In my area there are (was) so many people buying front load machines that there was some pretty good deals on top loads. I picked up a 1 year old Whirlpool dryer that was like new for $80.

Both our washer and dryer are into their teen years now, and while they still work, Mrs. BDT (who might be a bit of a pessimist) is predicting their imminent demise - so we've been casually shopping.

Consumer front load washers - though all the rage right now - are louder and more trouble-prone than their traditional counterparts. For us, the sound level is important due to the proximity of the machines to our living space.

What I do know is that a working washer and dryer are essential to marital harmony and peace in the valley so if either machine croaks, I'll be buying a new set that same day.

With that in mind, our "pre-shopping" has narrowed things down this much:

Large capacity and heavy duty are good.

Complicated electronic controls are just another thing to go wrong.

White never goes out of style.

Top loaders may not be as sexy (if a washer can be...) but they are a tried and true design.

These babies last a long time, so get something you will be happy with.

Bosch FTW.

We picked up the Bosch front loader washer & dryer a few years ago when both the old washer & dryer were self-destructing and having a good experience with the Bosch dishwasher.

We have been very happy with them. I added an extra water filter to the line between the fresh water line and the inlet on the washer since our well does pick up some sediment.

They weren't the cheapest out there but we did get the upgraded model washer cheaper at a local appliance store than what the chain stores were offering. The dryer was one model down than what we originally looked at in the chain store but it was just what we needed and in stock at the local appliance store.

-Rob

My 2cents.....stay clear of Maytag.

We've had 2 different maytag appliances that ended up breaking terribly and having class action lawsuits. (Washer and Dishwasher).

the much cheaper whirlpool appliances that replaced them have been in place twice as long with zero problems.

the reason the maytag man always looks bored? he never answers his phone and if he does, refuses to help. This has been the experience with us and our neighbors.

Dryers seem to work well no matter the brand or price point. They are simple with little to go wrong except sensors if you go for the complicated ones. Bigger is better as it gives more tumble room and allows for quicker drying.

Washers on the other hand vary in quality. DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT A FRONT LOADER WASHER. They don't work well!

You will find page after page on the internet of people trying to stop the stink. Yes, stink. They make your clothes stink. The water doesn't wash the walls of the outer tub down enough to get rid of the old soap which grows mold and mildew. You have to buy a special soap type product (Affresh) and run empty loads weekly to get the smells down to a bearable level. YOU will stink worse after your bath because your towels will make you stink. For some reason towels smell worse than anything else. Your deodorant wasn't made to handle mold and mildew odors.

We have 3 front loaders in our family. 2 here in Texas and one in Cali. While they are 3 different brands all 3 have the same issue. My daughter had one and had the stink issue, but I thought it was a water problem so I bought mine. Very soon I had the same issue. My "green" daughter in Cali bought one in spite of the issues my other daughter and I were experiencing. Soon she had the same problem. She's the one that went online and found all the issues.

Front loaders have one more design flaw that promotes this problem. The door is made to seal well so water doesn't leak out which also means there is no air circulation to allow the tub to dry thoroughly between loads which further promotes mold and mildew growth. To slow the process down you must keep the door wide open between washings. Most utility rooms were built narrow so since the door opens outwards it's in the way and usually gets pushed almost closed. That isn't enough air flow to slow the process.

This last weekend I went all White Trash on the neighbors. I dug out an old top loader that I had stuck in the shop ready for a garage sale. I put it on the driveway and washed clothes out there all day long. The internet told me that I had to first get rid of the mold and mildew which means you must wash your clothes twice or 3 times in a bleach solution to kill the mold and mildew. I did that and now my clothes smell meadow fresh again. And better yet, me deodorant works again.

My front loader is going in the garage sale instead!

I agree about the disadvantages of front-loading washers, but that's all I'm going to have space for. If you have space and a choice, top-loaders ftw.

I'm thinking this looks good: Kenmore 5.8 cu. ft. dryer. Cheap--$350!! Has a sensor, fits, cheap! I just want it to dry, not order takeout or manage my finances, and my last Kenmore set lasted for almost 20 years.

Margie

carguy123 wrote: Dryers seem to work well no matter the brand or price point. They are simple with little to go wrong except sensors if you go for the complicated ones. Bigger is better as it gives more tumble room and allows for quicker drying. Washers on the other hand vary in quality. DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT A FRONT LOADER WASHER. They don't work well! You will find page after page on the internet of people trying to stop the stink. Yes, stink. They make your clothes stink. The water doesn't wash the walls of the outer tub down enough to get rid of the old soap which grows mold and mildew. You have to buy a special soap type product (Affresh) and run empty loads weekly to get the smells down to a bearable level. YOU will stink worse after your bath because your towels will make you stink. For some reason towels smell worse than anything else. Your deodorant wasn't made to handle mold and mildew odors. We have 3 front loaders in our family. 2 here in Texas and one in Cali. While they are 3 different brands all 3 have the same issue. My daughter had one and had the stink issue, but I thought it was a water problem so I bought mine. Very soon I had the same issue. My "green" daughter in Cali bought one in spite of the issues my other daughter and I were experiencing. Soon she had the same problem. She's the one that went online and found all the issues. Front loaders have one more design flaw that promotes this problem. The door is made to seal well so water doesn't leak out which also means there is no air circulation to allow the tub to dry thoroughly between loads which further promotes mold and mildew growth. To slow the process down you must keep the door wide open between washings. Most utility rooms were built narrow so since the door opens outwards it's in the way and usually gets pushed almost closed. That isn't enough air flow to slow the process. This last weekend I went all White Trash on the neighbors. I dug out an old top loader that I had stuck in the shop ready for a garage sale. I put it on the driveway and washed clothes out there all day long. The internet told me that I had to first get rid of the mold and mildew which means you must wash your clothes twice or 3 times in a bleach solution to kill the mold and mildew. I did that and now my clothes smell meadow fresh again. And better yet, me deodorant works again. My front loader is going in the garage sale instead!

Amen. We bought an expensive(!) LG matching set with front load washer at Best Buy. Everything was great initially. Not so anymore. The stink left behind is over powering! And, as CG123 noted, towels get it the worst. We've thrown away several towels after being unable to get the stink out. Boo!

my brown and green drier from 1980 died and I felt the same way. could be broken belt, could not be. but the thing itself wasn't worth tearing apart to fix. $380 later I have a high capacity GE with auto drier controls. It uses a LOT less electricity, too.

Front controls will cost you an arm and a leg. I wouldn't but if you must, consider yourself warned.

I don't understand the front-loading washer popularity. Just looking at it, it's a massive, messy failure waiting to happen.

We bought a matched pair of GE Eternas when we moved into our house. Nothing particularly fancy about them, and they were definitely toward the low end of the price range, but they've worked flawlessly for four years now. No complaints.

Marjorie Suddard wrote: I agree about the disadvantages of front-loading washers, but that's all I'm going to have space for.

????? Front loader washers take MORE space not less. You have to have room for the door to open outwards whereas top loaders the door doesn't get in the way.

We've had a Frigidaire front-loading washing machine for three years and haven't had any of the issues mentioned here. Not sure why. It could be that we only use 100% natural soap with no chemical additives (Charlie's Soap FTW), and we don't use fabric softener. I have to wonder what those chemicals do to rubber over a several-year period.

We don't own a dryer - we line-dry everything. It's amazing how new-looking our clothes have remained. That lint you take out of the dryer lint trap? That's your clothes. Figure every 10-15 loads you lose enough lint to make a shirt. That's a lot of unnecessary wear and tear on your clothes.

carguy123 wrote:

Marjorie Suddard wrote: I agree about the disadvantages of front-loading washers, but that's all I'm going to have space for.

????? Front loader washers take MORE space not less. You have to have room for the door to open outwards whereas top loaders the door doesn't get in the way.

And that door on top of a top-loader is so convenient when you have folding counter laid on it.

I have door space. Need folding space. Not folding on the floor in front of my door, sorry.

Margie

Marjorie Suddard wrote: I agree about the disadvantages of front-loading washers, but that's all I'm going to have space for. If you have space and a choice, top-loaders ftw. I'm thinking this looks good: Kenmore 5.8 cu. ft. dryer. Cheap--$350!! Has a sensor, fits, cheap! I just want it to dry, not order takeout or manage my finances, and my last Kenmore set lasted for almost 20 years. Margie

When you go to sears see if they have a similar name brand model. We looked at a dishwasher and figured out which whirlpool was the same. The only difference was the vinal coating on the baskets. The Salesman plugged the whirlpool into the price match computer and found it on sale at Best Buy. Knocked 10% off BB's price, and set us up with free delivery and install, while BB wanted $165. We ended up saving about $70 of the price of the Kenmore for the same machine.

You WILL regret it. I promise.

One more issue is that of balancing. Front loader washers spin to higher speeds that do dryers so they encounter issues there as well. Gravity works!

That means all your heavy, wet clothes want to fall to the bottom of the tub. When it spins up the washer is off balance which means it has to spin back down and start all over again & again & again. This is why it takes much longer to wash a load of clothes in a front loader. You did know it takes longer to wash a load of clothes in a front loader didn't you?

Another problem that takes up a lot of space on the internet is how to get them to stay in one spot. Mine has a dent in the front where it walked all the way across the room and into the cabinets.

I used rubber feet and now I only have to push the washer back in place a couple of times a week.

You must use special HE soap and you can't begin to use as much as indicated on the directions as that aggravates the mold issue.

Do you have a tankless hot water heater? I do. They say that if you have a traditional tanked HWH your problems will be worse than mine because the first run of water in will be cold which won't dissolve the detergent well and this too leads to greater mold and mildew issues.

Bottom line is that you buy a washing machine to clean your clothes and the front loaders don't.

Just Google Front "loader washer problems" or "front loader mold mildew" "front loader balance issues" - or any combination thereof. It will be an enlightening experience. Just be prepared to read for an hour or more.

Okay, I'll cross the front-loader bridge when I come to it. Either way the dryer's front-loader, and the $350 Kenmore looks like me.

Margie

You know of course that you are singlehandedly destroying any cred that GRM has.

What's it gonna look like with the wife of the Editor buying ANYTHING new?

And the 3 brands of front loader washers I have intimate knowledge of are LG, Maytag & Frigidaire.

Yeah, but my clothes are gonna be dried day after tomorrow, with the new one delivered, old one carried away--"Dishes are DONE, man!" And anyway, he's not here. If he wants to build me a washer out of old Spitfires and cast-off cabinets after he gets home, he's welcome to try.

Margie