Murph Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 A little over 20 years ago I bought one of the last Maytag washers built in Herrin Illinois. It was a Commercial duty HD agitator top load and cost $ 499.00. It lasted 20 years without a problem. Last month, when it developed a problem I decided to replace it due to it's age, and probably everything on it was about worn out. We went to Lowes and the wife doesn't like the front load High Efficiency machines due to them being so low to the ground, so we bought a top load High Efficiency Whirlpool. No agitator. These thing suck. Every third load comes out sopping wet. The spin cycle is a joke. I have 30 days to have it replaced, no questions asked, so she goes back to Lowes. The sales-person says, "Yea, those top loaders do that, if anything wonders over the holes on the bottom they don't drain correctly." So, add $373.00 to the $500.00 and about $900.00 later they install the new front loader yesterday. Samsung. This thing starts a little dance, but then spins like a freakin' jet engine taking off. On medium...... I didn't think the first load was that big, but perhaps the trick to high efficiency is doing more, smaller loads. Which seems stupid.... If I had to do it all over again I would have paid BIG MONEY to have the old Maytag COMPLETELY rebuilt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarsAnn Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 I had a Maytag Neptune front loader that I really liked, but the bearings went out and would have cost $300.00 to repair ourselves or $900.00 to have it repaired. This one had a drum that tipped up on an angle and was easy to load. I purchased the new Maytag from Lowes to replace it. I like the washer, except it is harder to load as the drum sits vertically. I would get the stand, except I still have the Neptune dryer and it sits lower. It works too well to replace it just yet. When it goes, I will get the matching dryer and the stands. BTW I can really cram a lot of stuff in the new washer and it works fine. No dancing, but it does sound like a jet engine spooling up and down. GuitarsAnn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btoth76 Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Hello! Remove the G-Force, and add conventional tuners. :D Cheers... Bence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyMoon Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 H.E top loaders have to be loaded as if there was an agitator..evenly dispersed around the outside of the drum or it won't spin dry properly...most people think that you can just dump the clothes in like a front load but you will get issues if you do......front loaders bouncing around is always a balance issue...unless you forget to take the shipping bolts out like one guy did then ..eeeekkkk!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted February 3, 2015 Author Share Posted February 3, 2015 ......front loaders bouncing around is always a balance issue... How the heck do you balance it, when it keeps shuffling the stuff around? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Maytag was bought by Whirlpool, about the time the Maytag repair man took early retirement. The front load Neptune line by Samsung was designed by Maytag Engineers. I also have a Maytag top load washer (15-20 years old), and I recently had an issue where clothes were wet coming out. I had an independent repair man fix the problem for $160 part and labor. He said it was a problem with a small part of the transmission. The Maytag wikipedia entry is an interesting read: Maytag Wiki Seems Maytag has fallen victim to the modern business model of cost reductions (even if it means moving production to areas of cheaper labor) while sacrificing quality to improve margins. MBAs are the bane to modern production. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Gibson Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 When we bought the Atomic Ranch in 2012 there was (is) a 1969 Kenmore downstairs. I've had to do a couple things to it; I replaced the water switch (very common fix) and also the solenoids that kick it into it's various phases. This particular kenmore was made by Whirlpool so the parts are easily found, cheaply bought, and for the most part easily replaced. Meanwhile I had bought my daughter a new washer for my 'old' house (which she occupies and someday I may even get rent or a payment for) and it is the weirdest POS thing. We thought it had breathed it's last a few months back and I found a used Maytag for $75. Turned out to be just a clogged inlet screen so I kept the Maytag and put it in my cellar. Now if either of them go Tango Uniform we have a replacement on hand. Ten minute pit stop and we're up and running again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted February 3, 2015 Author Share Posted February 3, 2015 I still wanna know how to balance a front loader? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Murph... Good luck on the washing machine... Sheesh. I've no idea. One problem with all of them nowadays is that they're inherently supposed to be very structurally stable and engineered to keep running. Yet... as noted above, that imperative is being countered by hopes of low cost manufacture and an attempt at being a washing machine version of a throw-away flat screen television compared to a big old all-tube version that could be repaired and last until the owner got jealous of the neighbors' bigger one. BTW, mine/ours is on the blink not because of any major mechanical problem, but because it won't spin and drain the water because the little "safety device" that forces you to close the lid on a top loader is a little broken piece of plastic. @#$%@#$%@# My lady wife is working to find the @#$%@#$% part. Then again, it's still pretty new, 2003 - but will they have the little plastic piece or... Hmmmm. maybe I could figure how to bypass the #$%@#$% thing entirely. (Then if a 10-year-old mentality burglar breaks into the house and gets caught in the #%@#$ thing, I s'pose he'd sue us. What a world." m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L8_4thesh0w Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 I had that same problem milo. I ordered a kit with various miscellaneous parts which was supposed to include the one we needed. It didn't. I ended up doing a little whittling and it worked just fine with that little piece of wood. On a similar note, we had Ford Tempo that kept having transaxle trouble. Turned out there was a small cap held closed by a spring where this tiny gear made of nylon kept wearing out. It didn't require any tools to change it and it only cost a few bucks but it had to be ordered, so I started getting 2 at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 and I've got the advantage in that my wife manages a little motel and - functionally we have that laundry setup too. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Milod, on my aforementioned 1969 Kenmore, the door switch fried (with a violent outburst). I bypassed it entirely. Now it will run all the time with the lid open if I were to let it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 H.E top loaders have to be loaded as if there was an agitator..evenly dispersed around the outside of the drum or it won't spin dry properly...most people think that you can just dump the clothes in like a front load but you will get issues if you do......front loaders bouncing around is always a balance issue...unless you forget to take the shipping bolts out like one guy did then ..eeeekkkk!! This happened to our front loader we got for our cottage. I thought the whole house was going to shake into the lake! Murph, the drum essentially floats but try to make it as level as possible (use a level to adjust the legs). Not sure it'll help much. First check that it can move around. If not then the shipping bolts are still locked in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Murph... Good luck on the washing machine... Sheesh. I've no idea. One problem with all of them nowadays is that they're inherently supposed to be very structurally stable and engineered to keep running. Yet... as noted above, that imperative is being countered by hopes of low cost manufacture and an attempt at being a washing machine version of a throw-away flat screen television compared to a big old all-tube version that could be repaired and last until the owner got jealous of the neighbors' bigger one. BTW, mine/ours is on the blink not because of any major mechanical problem, but because it won't spin and drain the water because the little "safety device" that forces you to close the lid on a top loader is a little broken piece of plastic. @#$%@#$%@# My lady wife is working to find the @#$%@#$% part. Then again, it's still pretty new, 2003 - but will they have the little plastic piece or... Hmmmm. maybe I could figure how to bypass the #$%@#$% thing entirely. (Then if a 10-year-old mentality burglar breaks into the house and gets caught in the #%@#$ thing, I s'pose he'd sue us. What a world." m I wonder if companies take pride the way they used to in longevity. I think "quality" is measured in customer satisfaction after having just bought and used a thing, whether it seems better than what was just replaced. As a business model, longevity is a detriment, not an advantage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 ... Hmmmm. maybe I could figure how to bypass the #$%@#$% thing entirely. (Then if a 10-year-old mentality burglar breaks into the house and gets caught in the #%@#$ thing, I s'pose he'd sue us. What a world." m Milod, on my aforementioned 1969 Kenmore, the door switch fried (with a violent outburst). I bypassed it entirely. Now it will run all the time with the lid open if I were to let it. Actually, that's better because the occasional animal that gets in has a better chance? Disclaimer: Not directed at any persons, real or imagined. Not intended as advice or instructions or suggestions on how to wash clothes, or animals. Author of this post assumes no responsibility for and from actions resulting from the use of this content, intended or unintended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skilsaw Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 I picked up a used washer and dryer for cheap in 1981. My wife was into cloth diapers for the kids so those units got a workout. Passed them on, still working, to Goodwill in 1991. The replacements haven't been trouble free. They don't make them like they use to. What's this got to do with guitars? Appliance companies could learn a thing or two from the guitar industry. Maybe if somebody made a 2015 vintage 1965 washer it would be a big seller. Ladies (and gentlemen in an equal opportunity world) could discuss their year and model and compare their whites. My great home owner fear is my hot water tank. If that baby goes, it will ruin my condo, and the condos below me. An owner on the ground floor had one go and it flooded them, and the neighbours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Maybe if somebody made a 2015 vintage 1965 washer it would be a big seller. Never happen. A 1965 washer uses too much water by today's standards. There would be panic in the streets. I definitely AGREE with you, but it doesn't fit with today's "let's use less resources even though we end up with appliances that don't work and fill up the landfill instead of making something that LASTS" paradigm. "Fill up the landfill, Scott? Haven't you heard of recycling? Aren't you on the recycling bandwagon?" Hmmm, let's use electricity and fossil fuels recycling so we can reclaim a percentage of the material out of a product that would still be around if it had any acceptable level of quality. Makes sense to me. About 8 feet from me, on my kitchen counter, is a new Keurig coffee maker, and beside it is a circa 1970 electric percolator. The electric coffee pot still works fine after 45+ years and will likely keep on going. I would love to see the pile of plastic bodied automatic drip coffee pots that I personally have used up (and thrown out) since the early 80s. Pretty huge stack of junk compared to one well made coffee pot, made in USA with real metal and bakelite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Those front loaders supposedly bite the bag. The soap scumb won't entirely rinse out of the machine and it's just a matter of time before mildew sets in inside the washer. I'd better shutup though before my washer kicks the bucket. :unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted February 4, 2015 Author Share Posted February 4, 2015 I would love to see the pile of plastic bodied automatic drip coffee pots that I personally have used up (and thrown out) since the early 80s. Yep. Although I have a Bunn now that's going on 3 years..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted February 4, 2015 Author Share Posted February 4, 2015 Those front loaders supposedly bite the bag. The soap scumb won't entirely rinse out of the machine and it's just a matter of time before mildew sets in inside the washer. I'd better shutup though before my washer kicks the bucket. :unsure: Yep. You're cursed now.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Murph... 3 cheers to the Bunn commercial. We got one about 1990. I still enjoy its production every morning. Ain't cheap, but given the lack of longevity of even expensive home units, they're a lot less expensive to own. As for the washer switch... Ain't had time to open the top, but I'm strongly considering a bypass for it. to me it's kinda an example of "safety equipment" that makes stuff about half worthless. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brytam Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 When we got married, I bought us a Kenmore washer & dryer. 32 years later, it was time to say goodbye. They had been a great pair! Had to do some minor repairs on both but they kept kicking, even through a move to another city. I was quite proud of the the old pair as many just sit them on the roadside for garbage pickup when really it is a minor repair. The funny thing is, when I bought a Samsung front loader pair with the risers, they agreed to take the old pair away for us. I told the guys who delivered the Samsung that we had the Kenmore set for 32 years. They laughed & said, "Well, you'll never get close to that out of anything made these days!" Sad, as back then, it was quality & durability. Today, it more technology than durability. I did notice that when the spin cycle started on the new washer, I was afraid it was going into orbit! Never seen anything spin like that before! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 I've got a solution for you Murph. Fill up the trunk of your car with soap and put your laundry in there. Take the car out to an empty parking lot and start doing donuts on the IL ice. After you've finished your "spin" cycle, put them under the hood for a good drying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Californiaman Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 A little over 20 years ago I bought one of the last Maytag washers built in Herrin Illinois. It was a Commercial duty HD agitator top load and cost $ 499.00. It lasted 20 years without a problem. Last month, when it developed a problem I decided to replace it due to it's age, and probably everything on it was about worn out. We went to Lowes and the wife doesn't like the front load High Efficiency machines due to them being so low to the ground, so we bought a top load High Efficiency Whirlpool. No agitator. These thing suck. Every third load comes out sopping wet. The spin cycle is a joke. I have 30 days to have it replaced, no questions asked, so she goes back to Lowes. The sales-person says, "Yea, those top loaders do that, if anything wonders over the holes on the bottom they don't drain correctly." So, add $373.00 to the $500.00 and about $900.00 later they install the new front loader yesterday. Samsung. This thing starts a little dance, but then spins like a freakin' jet engine taking off. On medium...... I didn't think the first load was that big, but perhaps the trick to high efficiency is doing more, smaller loads. Which seems stupid.... If I had to do it all over again I would have paid BIG MONEY to have the old Maytag COMPLETELY rebuilt. Ha! I just bought a used/reconditioned Whirl Pool Super Capacity with an agitator and a matching Super Capacity dryer. It rocks. Totally blows away the last high efficiency piece of crap that we were using for the last three years. Hey it came with the old house and we sold it to someone in need. But truthfully, that washer sucked compared to the top-load we've got now. My clothes come out better smelling, better looking, and certainly much cleaner. Don't waste your time with the new crap. Here's something else I learned. The new dryers electronic components are not warrantied like the old models. Reason being, they burn up. Why do they overheat and burn up? Hot air rises. Go figure. If you want something that'll do a great job, buy a reconditioned washer and dryer without all of the fancy electronics. That's all. Carry on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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