New Electric Clothes Dryer, which one?

It's time for a new Electric Clothes Dryer.  On my current model the "start-button" is held on with tape.  It is a GE Model DNSB514EB0CC.

To fix the broken plastic piece requires full replacement of the Electronic Board which is $181 for the replacement board.  

I am wondering if I just just bite it and replace this entire unit which came with the house when we bought it 6 years ago.  My guess is that the unit is over 20 years old.  

What is a good bet in an Electric Dryer purchase?  

Edit: I searched through some home records and found the Dryer's Owner's Manual and it is dated as Installed 11-26-02  which make it 15.5 years old.  

Buy it once. 

https://www.amazon.com/Speed-Queen-DR3000WE-Electric-Capacity/dp/B00SM8YT2M

I bought new Samsung appliances on sale at Lowes when I bought my house last year, been very happy with them.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Samsung-4-5-cu-ft-High-Efficiency-Top-Load-Washer-White-ENERGY-STAR/1000210051

That washer and the matching dryer.

Following along because my electric dryer is from 1980. 

I gotta say I love my speed queen washer, so I might have to get the matching dryer. 

z31maniac said:

I bought new Samsung appliances on sale at Lowes when I bought my house last year, been very happy with them.

 

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Samsung-4-5-cu-ft-High-Efficiency-Top-Load-Washer-White-ENERGY-STAR/1000210051

 

That washer and the matching dryer.

Just came here to say buy ANYTHING but Samsung.  My dryer has been an absolute POS that eats sensors, heating elements, a belt, and a couple other things in the 6 years I've had it.  It's actually helped me become a competent appliance repair tech because I have to fix it so often.  I even keep spare parts on hand for when (not if) it fails again.  (which will most likely be at some really inconvenient time)

We currently have a set of LGs with all the fancy electronics and stuff. They've been pretty reliable, but when they die, our next (and hopefully final) ones will be Speed Queens.

We have a Whirlpool front loader set that is 8 years old and has run flawlessly.  They get some laundry done, too.  I forget the series name - something with a D, I think.

So, $800 gets me a Speed Queen which will likely last 15 yrs.   $53.33 per year.

Or, $500 for Samsung and 10 years. $50 per year.  

Then, $181 for new replacement board might get me 3.5 years. $51.71 per year.  I also found a used board via Amazon for $99.  If that lasted 2 years I would be good!    I think I might go with the used board.  

Actually, the tape covering the Start Button seems to be working well also.  We are two weeks into that method and could likely get more years out of just the tape and a re-tape is cheap.  

John Welsh said:

So, $800 gets me a Speed Queen which will likely last 15 yrs.   $53.33 per year.

Or, $500 for Samsung and 10 years. $50 per year.  

Then, $181 for new replacement board might get me 3.5 years. $51.71 per year.  I also found a used board via Amazon for $99.  If that lasted 2 years I would be good!    I think I might go with the used board.  

 

On the Samsung... Based on what rufeldt and the service guy that I had out told me, I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole. 

As for the replacement board, that is probably what I would do--if you don't find it aggrevating, go ahead. 

For the speed queen, I think you are greatly underestimating its useful life. And shop around. We got ours almost 50% off on closeout.

In reply to mtn :

I’ve told SWMBO the next washer/dryer we get WILL be a Speed Queen, regardless of whether she likes it or not, since I’m the guy who has to keep it working. 

Sure this thread was bumped by a canoe, but the real question is how is the tape holding up 3+ years later?

logdog (Forum Supporter) said:

Sure this thread was bumped by a canoe, but the real question is how is the tape holding up 3+ years later?

All is good and still running on the first application of tape!

Our washer crapped out after 20 years and I had already replaced the transmission once, so we bought a new washer and dryer, Speed Queen. Did that based on reputation and some input from a repairman  who is a friend of a friend. I figure the Speed Queen stuff has a longer life expectancy than I do at my age.

We bought Consumer Reports top-rated Maytag back when we bought our house in 2004. They have no real "electronics" inside.

The washer (front load) has had the pump, the shocks, and the rear-drum/bearing replaced.

The drier has had four heating elements so far.

Other than that, they keep working.  I'm tempted to go Speed Queen when I've finally had enough.

We sold a house last year and had to buy when everything was out of stock- so we ended up with the top of the line LG's. I've gotta be honest- I love the steam dryer freshen setting. 
I don't get the speed queen hype. 

So, Im still running my 2002 Dryer that has an internal piece of tape holding the on-switch together.  But, when we went shopping for a Speed Queen washing machine, I learned that SQ had cheapened out some models and ended up with a Maytag Commercial Washer.  

All details are in this thread.

I've been using a very generic Kenmore (white labeled Whirlpool) for about 20 years. It's a basic, no frills model with a mechanical timer, and it just plain works. I replaced the belts and bearings a couple years ago with a cheap rebuild kit a few years ago, but other than that, it hasn't needed much.

Do you have a gas line you could plumb to the dryer? It's much less expensive to operate a gas dryer than an electric.

Roper, Whirlpool, Maytag, and Speed Queen are all made by Whirlpool and as far as I can tell are all good.

In reply to DeadSkunk (Warren) :

Jay Leno does a bit on his father in his golden years buying new storm windows with a lifetime warranty.  

I have one of these.  Its at least 15 years old and its surprisingly energy efficient.

The way the market is going now, just get what is available.  Dryers last a long time.  If you have to repair one, it is wasting your time.   It must operate like an appliance, just quietly do the job all the time.

I don't like working on appliances anymore!

I have my own preference!

Datsun310Guy said:

In reply to DeadSkunk (Warren) :

Jay Leno does a bit on his father in his golden years buying new storm windows with a lifetime warranty.  

An ex-girlfriends mother was shopping furniture.  The sales person said something about, "this one has a lifetime warranty" to which she answered, "I don't want that one then; he'll never let me get rid of it!"

John Welsh said:Edit: I searched through some home records and found the Dryer's Owner's Manual and it is dated as Installed 11-26-02  which make it 15.5 years old.  

That sucker is just broken in by now.  Replace the board, maybe the electric coils and a part or two down the road, and you'll be way ahead.  When it comes to appliances, newer is not better.  You will pay a lot and sacrifice longevity, convenience, and flexibility.  

Not to sound like an old fart, which I admittedly am, but New Appliances = Crap.

We had to buy one this year. Worn out to the point the drum was just flopping around inside, ruining clothes. So old parts not really available.

Bought a Maytag 'commercial'. The reason I chose it was it still has a rotary knob; no circuit board to fail. Wife doesn't care about a bunch of 'features'; just wants it to dry clothes without tearing holes in them.

We have Speed Queen, ten years in now. A washer in the washer failed and the timer on the dryer failed. Not trouble free but it's easy to fix and the info is easily available for what you want to fix