Washing Machine

I'm sure some people here have experienced this phenomenon.

We bought a none-too-cheap Whirlpool washer. As there is little choice currently available other than "energy efficient", that is what we got. No Agitator. 

After 5 or so years of ownership, we're fed up. It "senses" noisily. It bangs and bounces worse than any conventional washer either of us has ever had. It locks the door so we can't re-distribute the load to help it with the imbalance problem that it is sensing.  All we want is is a washer like we had in the past. No "Efficiency" necessary. Just shut up and do the job. 

We don't want to break the bank, but will pay for a quality product. Any recommendations for a simple, no B.S. washer?

Try to stay away fro Samsung and LG.

Too many electronic board failures.

GL

I buy used pre-electronic. Actually only 1 in the 17 years in this house. I can easily fix it myself but only had to once - hose fitting froze. 

Does Kenmore still make the non-electronic washers? The 100 series is the bare bones model that just washes clothes.

My choice was one model, and one model only of Maytag Commercial.  

See my highly detailed posting in this thread.  
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/the-least-grassroots-question-ever-what-washer-dryer/168238/page1/

Five years later, it has been great.  Its like buying a washing machine from 1995.

My guy for videos is Eugen of Lorain Furniture.  He recommended that One and Only Maytag Commercial.  I now see the model I had has been discontinued.  I looked at his videos and he has no other Maytag Commercial that he recommends.  But, I do see that on his website he offers The Maytag MVWP586GW0

I searched for reviews of that model and here is a video that recommends that Maytag and the one and only Speed Queen model.  The video also recommends a GE that I'm not familiar with.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLW1mF3F4ks&ab_channel=Mark%27sAppliance

EDIT:  I FOUND EUGENE'S REVIEW:  Its an hour and a half long!!!!  I didn't watch to see if he likes it.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxo8qa2kxnY&ab_channel=LorainFurnitureandAppliance

Ever machine we've bought dances all the time.  

I can't find a link for proof but I remember reading that Lowes was carrying Maytag Commercial...BUT...if bought through Lowes it does not come with the 5 year, in home warranty.  The Lowes unit is not any cheaper and when they upsell you the extended warrant the equal will cost more!  

I bought mine from AJ Madison.  Free delivery and the two guys brought it in and took out the old to the garage.

https://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/MVWP586GW.html  

Here's a link to the one and only Speed Queen
https://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/TC5003WN.html?queryID=07aecb4659a3466afd8ead49adfd5295

I'm still loving my speed queen commercial. No electronics, just dials. 

I heard they introduced electronics then got rid of them again because of complaints, so might be worth checking out

We've had the same problem with our basic Whirlpool. However, we balanced the machine itself and it make a world of difference. After a while the machine itself gets out of balance and it just seems to escalate from there. 
 

However, the pump is now making quite a bit of noise, so we probably will have to replace it. 

Speed queen commercial ours is four years old basically a laundry mat machine without the coin slot, no cheap but I'm sure it will last and be repairable for fifty years

We bought the only speed Queen stackable available 6 years ago. It has an apparent lifespan of 6 years before the $900 control board goes out. 

I thought speed queen got bought out and the quality has gone downhill since?

I bought a modern Maytag about 6 years ago with no agitator.  I would run a load on "Normal" and it would swirl the clothes around in a little bit of water.  Half of the clothes would be sticking up out of the water.  With some experimentation, I found that this was true of every single setting except for "Bulky Sheets".  Now, every load I run in this washer is "Bulky Sheets" and it fills the tub right up to within an inch of the top.  Way to go, morons.  If your goal was to conserve water, ya blew it! 

Next purchase will be the dumbest washer I can find.  The more tech they put in these appliances, the more useless they become. 

I bought a mid level electronic Hotpoint in 2022.......the end o f covid. I had no choice. It was the only one available for delivery in 2 weeks as most others were a 6 month wait/back ordered.  Nightmare from word the word go. Worked for 2 weeks then quit. Under warranty but it took a repairman 6 weeks to get to the house. I guess you can say it's kinda fixed but very touchy. Too much soap. Stops working. Out of balance...........takes a couple of days to work again. I no longer change load settings as that tends throw it off and it will stop working. So every thing is a medium load. So rather than do one full load I  have to do two medium loads. Efficient? Ya right. I have two more years of warranty on it then I want it gone. But what to replace it with? They are all electronic now. Repairman says buy an older used model with knobs because they are simple to fix and last forever. Wish I would have kept my previous washer and just had it repaired.

I was going to comment on our 2 letter brand front loader from 2014 (replace a water valve, but >90psi water pressure before I installed a regulator probably contributed), but I'm afraid of jinxing myself. I may ready have by just posting this😬

John Welsh said:

My guy for videos is Eugen of Lorain Furniture.  He recommended that One and Only Maytag Commercial.  I now see the model I had has been discontinued.  I looked at his videos and he has no other Maytag Commercial that he recommends.  But, I do see that on his website he offers The Maytag MVWP586GW0

I searched for reviews of that model and here is a video that recommends that Maytag and the one and only Speed Queen model.  The video also recommends a GE that I'm not familiar with.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLW1mF3F4ks&ab_channel=Mark%27sAppliance

 

EDIT:  I FOUND EUGENE'S REVIEW:  Its an hour and a half long!!!!  I didn't watch to see if he likes it.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxo8qa2kxnY&ab_channel=LorainFurnitureandAppliance

I bought the Maytag he recommended 4 years ago before it was discontinued. Very happy with it. His reviews of appliances are pretty great.

1988RedT2 said:

I bought a modern Maytag about 6 years ago with no agitator.  I would run a load on "Normal" and it would swirl the clothes around in a little bit of water.  Half of the clothes would be sticking up out of the water.  With some experimentation, I found that this was true of every single setting except for "Bulky Sheets".  Now, every load I run in this washer is "Bulky Sheets" and it fills the tub right up to within an inch of the top.  Way to go, morons.  If your goal was to conserve water, ya blew it! 

Next purchase will be the dumbest washer I can find.  The more tech they put in these appliances, the more useless they become. 

All that E36 M3 about no water, etc...  I learned it is all due to EPA regs put onto the manufacturer.  Water conservation.  For further energy conservation the washers spin more than old school units so the clothes come out drier so that they spend less time in the dryer.  

The Maytag is labeled Commercial ( and Speed Queen is also labeled commercial) to by-pass the regs.  That would be akin to a labeling a PT Cruiser as a truck to bypass EPA car rules.  

John Welsh said:

That would be akin to a labeling a PT Cruiser as a truck to bypass EPA car rules.  

Great line!

But the people that care about such things would notice on car stuff (and did along the way... cause companies tried!)

Thanks for the comments, all. 

I just watched a video on washing rags. It is indeed a strange world in which we live.

Sooo, 

Bringing this back up...

My Special Lady Friend doesn't believe the 3.2 Cubic foot capacity of the Maytag will suffice for comforters and the like. The Speed Queen's 3.2 Cubic foot capacity is even more disagreeable. 

Any thoughts?

I'm not finding much.

Allow myself to repeat myself. Comment from mtn's frustration with his Speed Queen in the Minor Rant thread:

"Yes, what Alfadriver said. Or hammer the estate sales and find an old GE Filter-Flo washer. They were in production for decades and have a cult following.

We were given a high-efficiency Samsung a few years ago, and it's been fine, but I cannot bring myself to get rid of the old GE."

I think the GE in question is a 1988 model. We got it as a trade-in to the appliance store Mrs Monohue worked at around 2005 or so and ran it up to about two years ago. In that time it started doing something funky and I put a transmission in it. Trans was discontinued, but I found an NOS unit on eBay.

The GE was loud, clunky, and used an absolute ton of water. And it was also dead reliable and good at washing things. It's sitting in the garage right now as a hedge against the aforementioned Samsung pooping the bed. 

wheelsmithy (Joe-with-an-L) said:

Sooo, 

Bringing this back up...

My Special Lady Friend doesn't believe the 3.2 Cubic foot capacity of the Maytag will suffice for comforters and the like. The Speed Queen's 3.2 Cubic foot capacity is even more disagreeable. 

Any thoughts?

I'm not finding much.

Move away from "puff filled" comforters and embrace cotton.  For the past 20 years I have slept on a king bed with cotton sheets, a cotton weave blanket above that and for the cold northern nights a cotton quilt style comforter above that.  Those king sized quilts have fit just fine in my Maytag Commercial.  

A random sample top layer and middle layer similar to what we have.   

Top quilt into the washer as its own load.  Sheets and middle blanket makes another load. 

Others have already said it, but used is the way to go.  If you're in or near a larger urban area, there are surely used appliance stores around.  Just tell them you want something without electronics, and they'll likely have dozens of '90s era machines.  Been working for 30 years, probably will work for another 30.  And they're WAY cheaper.  Like, <$200.