Our washing machine has died. Or probably more accurately, we are in the process of putting it out of its (actually our) misery. While I was teaching embroidery club at the Bernina shop yesterday, my Sweetie decided to wash a load of dirty jeans. For the fourth time in less than a year, with no rhyme or reason to its scheduling, our washer decided not to stop filling on the rinse cycle. While I enjoy having a clean floor, this has gotten to the point of ridiculousness; the carpet in the hall and adjoining bedroom are not faring well under these watery assaults. Enough.
So, today Dan and I went washer shopping. Oh. My. My brain is spinning and I told Dan maybe I'd just buy a washboard and call it good. Energy efficient. New soap. Old soap. High suds, low suds. Front loading, top loading. Agitator, no agitator. Do we want to buy a dryer too, so they match? Maytag, Kenmore, Whirlpool, GE, LG, Bosch. Arrggghh!
We actually left Sears saying we'd buy a top loading, no agitator Maytag Brava set. Looked good, good price. Then I came home, went on line and started reading reviews. Many bad, some good. I became uneasy. We decided to go to two local appliance dealers this afternoon and after leaving the last one, I'm thinking I'm going to just buy a basic Speed Queen top loader with a smaller agitator. They are made in America (!!) and are totally warranted for three years. The reviews are excellent and the model is similar to the washers I've been using all my life. The Maytag has some very interesting features, but it's all computerized and probably won't last much longer than five years. The sales people at all the stores admitted as much about these new models. Mercy me!!
So. I just called up my darlin' daughter and hashed this all out with her. As we talked, it became crystal clear to me that the Speed Queen is the way for me to go. As Ann said, I'm goin' retro.
I'd post a picture of the soon to be gone old washer, but it's surrounded by piles of towels Dan used to mop up the floor along with the stacks of boxes he had to take out of the storage closet to mop up in there. Oh yeah, and the fan is running non stop to help dry the carpet in the closet of the adjoining bedroom...again.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
The Speed Queen's have great reviews! But... before you buy it, you cannot beat a good front loader for water usage AND more importantly, cleaning power! Maytag's have a pretty bad rep these last 10 years or so. I had a Neptune and it was HORRID.
ReplyDeleteI have a Bosch Nexxt 800 and it is totally, totally awesome.
Good luck, Chris. I'm sure you're reading lots of reviews on every model. All I'll say is make sure it washes the clothes...LOL
ReplyDeleteYou have to make the best decision for you, that's for sure. Mine is a front-loading Frigidaire, 10+ years, and I love it! After years of the agitator on my GE eating my clothes and walking the floor, I love the gentle action of my front-loader and the low water/soap usage. We had to replace something once -- I think it was the pump, and Mike did it himself. (We removed $6.86 it.)
ReplyDeleteBut -- things change and you no longer know what you think you know. I would not care to advise anyone. I'd love to replace the bottom-of-the-line dishwasher in this modular home with something better. I figured out how to keep it from running dry and now I won't let anyone else turn it on.
Thanks, everyone. I was hoping I would wake up this morning and have the answer, but alas, I didn't. We went back to Sears and looked around and now we are thinking of a Kenmore Oasis set, similar to the Maytag one. We're off to a wedding in a little bit, so we'll ponder later. Stay tuned for further updates from "The Indecisive One". That would be me. :-)
ReplyDeleteWell, if the Kenmore is similar to a Maytag, is it a Maytag? It might be good to know the manufacturer.
ReplyDeleteThese "life decisions" are hard to make, aren't they? I mean, for instance, it's not like buying a new sewing machine, which you might love to up and do just any time. Once you decide on your washing machine, you don't want to buy another one for a good long time.
Well, here's the interesting part. Apparently after Maytag made the disasterous Neptune (see CJ's poor luck with that), they were never able to come out from under it and Whirlpool bought them out. So, Kenmores and Maytags are now made by Whirlpool. Monopoly anyone?? Anyway, the Kenmore has more features than the Maytag, and I'm hoping (at this point, check back tomorrow!) that Kenmore has more stringent requirements for their manufacturers. We'll go back in on Monday and talk. Good thing my laundry was pretty caught up!
ReplyDeleteOh, my. I feel your pain. Cleaning up flooded floors is awful. But I agree with your shopping pain too. I HATE shopping for new - just about anything. There are so many choices and now we have to research everything online and with salespeople, then close our eyes & just pick something. Aaaaargh!! I do hope you love your new Speed Queen. That sure is a name from the past, LOL.
ReplyDelete