Dear all:
Yes, I'm in the market to shop for these THREE machines: dryer, washer, and dishwasher. For home improvement+repair gurus out there, could you please give me some advices/suggestions about which brand and model# that I should get, for the best Cost/Performance (C/P) value?? Thanks!
Start with a trip to the library for Consumer Reports. To summarize what they seem to say: Kenmore stuff is pretty good, and the top of the line in any brand will likely cause you more problems than midrange stuff.
Thanks all! :)
I don't know if they still make them anymore, the basic appliances with electromechanical controls. If ever I have to replace my washer, dryer, dishwasher or range-stove I will avoid all the newfangled LCD digital control stuff. If ever anything goes wrong, and here we are looking as really heavy duty high vibration appliances working in hostile environments (heat) , the electronics stuff looks like a costly replacement part. My 20 year plus Kenmore appliances I had been able to fix all the problems that ever arose so far.
I wonder just how many owners really use the multiple settings digital controls provide. I have an older basic microwave oven. It is set permanently at medium power. The timer switch, a dial type, is set between 2 to 8 minutes depending on what I want to warm up. That's all I will ever need. Same thing with the abovementioned appliances. I use a very limited range of settings.
-------------------------------------
I need to second the opinion that you need to stay away from washer, driers, and dishwashers with digital control and thin film push buttons. The heat, humidity, vibration and jabbing fingernails will cause a malfunction in two to three years in most cases. The replacement costs for the digital thin film keyboard and controller (most repairmen will push to replace both) can easily top $250 for a dishwasher.
Meanwhile the simple twist dial on a washer or drier will last decades.
Stay away from digital if you want longevity...
And you are not responding to a homeowners hub thread. The thread is from a usenet newsgroup - alt.home.repair. Maybe you could find out what usenet is.
Homeowners' hub is a parasite that steals our work. It doesn't even attribute the source.
If you don't want to figure out usenet, I suggest using google-groups.
I used to take the above as an article of faith. But no more.
Like it or not, "electronic" stuff now lasts as long or longer than electromechanical stuff.
One reason is that the product warrentees cover the period in which electronics usually exhibit the most problems. If the POS lasts a year the odds are even (if it is used frequently) that it will last 10 to 20 years (or at least the "electronics" will.)
If, 3 or 4 years out you do have a unit with bad electronics, consider it as a message from above saying: REPLACE ME!
In regard to "stacked" machines: if you need them because of space problems then you need them. I have a set in a condo and they are about as well made (yes, I had problems which I fixed myself) as the equivalent side by side.
A "problem" with clothes washers and dryers is that the dryers seem to last a heck of a lot longer than the washers. If looks don't matter to you then what the heck: replace individual units as they fail or become more trouble than they are worth. The "built as a unit" stacks are pretty good for my money. Given the width they same to have a slightly small capacity than the side by side but they do save space and are still less expensive than a front loading washer alone.
If you have the money, then stacked front loading washer & dryer are the way to go. I had that combo but, as said, the washer had a lot more problems than the dryer. Still it lasted some 17 years.
Brands don't matter much anymore. Most US factories are closed so most brands are made in one of a handful of factories. The top of the line tends to be made in Europe or Korea.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.