Anyone else prefer basic dials over touchscreens?

I replaced a high-tech Samsung washer two years ago after the motherboard fried from a minor power surge. The repair cost was almost as much as a new unit. I ended up hunting down a refurbished Speed Queen TC5 with the mechanical knobs. It doesn't have a "delicate sensor" or a Wi-Fi connection, but it actualy fills the tub with water and finishes a heavy load in 30 minutes.

You aren't just being nostalgic about the build quality. My old Hobart-built KitchenAid dishwasher had a heating element you coud practically cook a steak on, and the racks were coated in thick vinyl that never chipped. Modern units use these thin plastic spray arms and tiny filters that you have to clean out by hand every week just to keep the smell away. I’d take a loud motor that lasts twenty years over a "whisper quiet" machine that leaks from a cheap rubber seal after thirty-six months.

I acutally went the opposite direction and replaced my old agitator machine with a high-efficiency Miele front-loader. While I get the appeal of those heavy-duty mechanical dials, people forget how much those old machines beat the absolute life out of your clothes. My modern unit uses sensors to adjust the tumble pattern, and my work shirts actually last much longer now without the collars and cuffs fraying from a central agitator.

The efficiency isn't just a marketing gimmick, either. My utility bill dropped noticeably becuase the machine isn't just drowning the laundry in forty gallons of water. Plus, the high-speed spin cycle on these newer models gets so much moisture out that my dryer only has to run for about 20 minutes on a medium heat setting. Sure, there is more software involved, but I’d rather have a machine that treats my expensive fabrics gently than a tank that shreds them. Sometimes the simplicity we miss was just us being used to appliances that were loud, inefficient, and rough on our belongings. I don't think it's cutting corners; it's just a diferent priority for how we live now.

I get the frustration with plastic latches, but have you ruled out the role of safety regulations and energy standards in these design shifts? Those old Hobart units were tanks, but they also used massive amounts of water and electricity. Manufacturers might be using lighter materials not just to cut corners, but to hit the strict efficiency ratings required today. Also, coud the 'glitchy' touch panels be more about consumers demanding a flush, easy-to-clean surface rather than a conspiracy to make things break? I wonder if the 'flimsiness' we feel is acutally just better-engineered tension that doesn't require heavy steel to function.

That's a lot to think about, and I honestly don't know much about how these machines actually work under the hood. Does having more sensors and boards mean that a regular person can't even try to fix them anymore? I'm worried that if I go with a 'smart' model, I'll be stuck paying for a service call every time a tiny sensor gets dusty. Are there any brands left that a beginner could actually maintain themselves, or are those days over?

Quick update—looking into that Speed Queen suggestion realy helped, and those mechanical knobs are exactly what I’m after. I’m still stuck on the energy efficiency point someone raised, though. I want reliability, but I don't want a massive utility bill. For those of you who went back to simpler, heavy-duty machines, have you noticed a big jump in your water or electric costs?