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I hate today's washing machines

Late Boomer said:
Enzymes that break down organic matter work at temperatures up to 40C. You don't need too much water either.

A modern machine would use little of lukewarm water in the first cycle for enzymes to break down organic matter; enzymes break down themselves at temperatures above 40C. Then if you chose hot wash, the machine would drain and replace the water, heat it up and use hot cycle for whitening.

Most American top-loaders don't (or did not 20 years ago, I don't follow the current developments) have built-in heaters. Useless.

We dry clothes outside: large items on a cloth line, small items on a folding rack. California sun is hot and free, and it slows down the impending global collapse from the planet's warming.
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We only wash in cold water.
 
electronjohn said:
Speed Queens are essentially laundromat units without the coin box:) Rugged for sure. When our ancient Maytag gave up the ghost, I WISH I could've replaced it with a Speed Queen...but finances dictated the cheapest Amana Menards had. It's been trouble-free for about 5 years now. The ancient Maytag dryer still soldiers on with only the replacement of the heating element and the drum drive belt.
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There is not much to go wrong with a drier. Heating element and belt.

Our last house we bought a gas drier. The only thing to replace in it was the belt. But the house we hope to move to only has a propane tank, so we will stick with the electric drier. Besides, electricity is cheaper than gas.
 
I’ve been patiently waiting for someone just to come out and say what we’ve all been thinking and know in our heart of hearts and mind of minds:

Like amps and DACs—ALL washers are the SAME. It’s just soap and water and a little rub. Easier to understand than ones and zeros. Speed Queen, Whirlpool, Miele, Samsung, LG, gas, electric, propane, steam, turbine, squirrel, tube, solid state, hard-water, soft-water, or rock-muscle-and-washboard down-by-the-creek. Doesn’t matter if you spend $20 or $20K.

New topic.
 
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Bushikan said:
I’ve been patiently waiting for someone just to come out and say what we’ve all been thinking and know in our heart of hearts and mind of minds:

Like amps and DACs—ALL washers are the SAME. It’s just soap and water and a little rub. Easier to understand than ones and zeros. Speed Queen, Whirlpool, Miele, Samsung, LG, gas, electric, propane, steam, turbine, squirrel, tube, solid state, hard-water, soft-water, or rock-muscle-and-washboard down-by-the-creek. Doesn’t matter if you spend $20 or $20K.

New topic.
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Nope.
 
Bushikan said:
I’ve been patiently waiting for someone just to come out and say what we’ve all been thinking and know in our heart of hearts and mind of minds:

Like amps and DACs—ALL washers are the SAME. It’s just soap and water and a little rub. Easier to understand than ones and zeros. Speed Queen, Whirlpool, Miele, Samsung, LG, gas, electric, propane, steam, turbine, squirrel, tube, solid state, hard-water, soft-water, or rock-muscle-and-washboard down-by-the-creek. Doesn’t matter if you spend $20 or $20K.

New topic.
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Sure all use soap and water to wash clothes, but not all appliances are built the same. Some are disposable. Some are easy to repair, and some are built to last.
 
ToxicTele said:
Purchased an LG washer and dryer about 5 years ago. Dryer is amazing but the washer, in particular the water fill is garbage. Put a normal size load in and the water doesn't even cover the clothes. Workaround is to start the machine and let it partially fill with water, shut it off and wait about 10 minutes then start again. The extra water weight tells the machine that it has a heavier load. It's a hassle but it does clean our britches.
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My LG washer has a "WATER PLUS" setting, which I use only when doing a load including towels AND bathmat. Otherwise it seems to work fine with all load sizes. It scared me at first with introducing the water in partial stages, it seemed like that first partial fill couldn't be doing anything, but it apparently does - the clothes do get clean.

Temperature settings include COLD and TAP COLD. TAP COLD means the temperature as supplied. COLD means heated to a minimum temperature for good solution and rinsing of the detergent. I use COLD (at least for the rinse), but I suspect the heater never turns on with the temperature of our "cold" water here in southern Arizona.
 
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A number of years ago I bought an LG front loader based on some good things I had heard about them. This was when HE washers were somewhat new and not ubiquitous like today. It leaked. It was swapped with same model. That also leaked. Got a Maytag HE top loader. We wore that out after 14 years. Yes, they used to last a bit longer but I'm satisfied with that lifespan.
 
For anyone wanting more wash water in a front loader, just pre-wet some of the dirty clothes in the tub before putting them in the washer.

The machines use motor drive current and acceleration data in the first few rotations, to determine the wash size. Wet laundry simulates a larger load. Larger loads, more water...
 
I've read that modern front loaders don't use as much water because they push the water through the clothes rather than push the clothes through the water like the top loaders do.
Sounds plausible but then again it could be a marketing claim.
 
motorstereo said:
I've read that modern front loaders don't use as much water because they push the water through the clothes rather than push the clothes through the water like the top loaders do.
Sounds plausible but then again it could be a marketing claim.
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Front-loaders pick up and drop clothes in the water instead of simply stirring it in the water. So, they use less water while washing more efficiently.
 
mrehorst said:
I have a GE machine with a heat pump that washes and dries. I've been using it for a bit over a year now, doing maybe 1 or 2 loads per week. So far it's been reliable. Dirty clothes go in, and a couple hours later clean, dry clothes come out. It's relatively quiet, and so far, no stink. We'll see if it lasts...

I generally prefer to buy Asian or European machines as they seem to last longer than American made stuff, but the GE machine is sized for American households, or maybe I should say larger, less frequent loads, than similar type Euro machines. If I had bought a Miele or Bosch, I'd have to run it almost every day.
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Speed queen is a great American brand heavy duty old school build quality !
 
I had a Whirlpool Duet front loader back in 2000 or so. It had the fatal spider arm failure which was not reparable since the tub needed to be replaced as well. The spider held the wash drum in place and it basically disintegrated after maybe 7 years. Of course we had several loads to wash so I bought an LG direct drive which we've been using without problems since. I'd say it's been a good machine.
 
I went to Lowes and bought the cheapest washing machine they have & cheapest matching dryer.
No frills, simple. and basic - nothing breaks - runs forever. Had it for over 10 years now. Runs fine (knock on wood).

My brother taught me that one - buy the cheapest.
 
motorstereo said:
I've read that modern front loaders don't use as much water because they push the water through the clothes rather than push the clothes through the water like the top loaders do.
Sounds plausible but then again it could be a marketing claim.
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A correct description of what they do, but whether the two actions are equally effective is a separate question. My front loader does a good job as far as I can tell.
 
September 1995, bought a GE washing machine and matching dryer. Both moved to the hill country of Texas for several years, then to NOLA after Katrina, then to Mississippi for another year, and finally back home where they first started.

The washing machine has had the rubber "shocks" at the top of the tub replaced, and the spring clip that holds the belt pulley to the motor, became dislodged. I bent that back in shape, reinstalled, and it's been good to go.

The dryer has had elements replaced one time, still going strong.
 
bluesky said:
I went to Lowes and bought the cheapest washing machine they have & cheapest matching dryer.
No frills, simple. and basic - nothing breaks - runs forever. Had it for over 10 years now. Runs fine (knock on wood).

My brother taught me that one - buy the cheapest.
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I think it's more accurate to say the simplest model from a high-quality manufacturer. Which doesn't mean the cheapest on the market.
 
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