I'm looking at a entry level GE Washer at the Borg to replace a broken 18+ year old Maytag. The part(s) for the Maytag that I need are expensive and the machine is old. This washer is for 2 people only. 1, sometimes 2 loads a week tops. Anyone have any pro's or con's ????
Thanks...........
Brian..........
There is no mix up a sander can't fix up !!! (Al Bundy)
year old Maytag.
old. This washer is for 2
Interesting article in link. Although Kenmore has no mfg facilities....GE and Whirlpool have OEM agreements w/Sears.
I have a 18 year old Maytag and it works great. I want to replace both dryer and washer this spring for aesthetic reasons....Maytag has me sold.
Most repair persons I know would *not* recommend many GE home appliances, their washer especially due to a fairly high rate a failure of expensive components (transmission) in their newer design washer. I don't know if they've corrected the deficiencies in the currently available models but GE's replacement parts costs are among the highest in the industry.
If your old Maytag machine is still in decent shape (not rusting, etc.) must technicians would often recommend repairing ti, even at a cost close to what you can probably buy a new GE washer for.
Since you say you're only doing 1-2 loads a week, I myself wouldn't be too concerned about water savings which you might get with a new model. But if you really just want a new washer, a Whirlpool (or Whirlpool built rebranded with a different name - see the following link) would likely be recommended by most appliance service technicians for ease of service and reasonable replacement parts costs.
JMO
The Appliance Purchase : Who makes what?
- Appliance411.com
GE repair parts are quite expensive. The folks at my parts house call them "Generally Expensive".
Hi,
Some consumer opinions.....
The newer regular line of GE washers have been improved since the first ones that they came out with!
jeff.
Appliance Repair Aid
Not talking about GE specifically, but in general...
I have seen quality and crappy products come from the *same* company. With some companies, the crappy products are the least expensive and the quality products cost more. i.e. You get what you pay for.
BUT with some companies, the extreme most expensive models of their products seem to be designed to break more often! (For example some high end luxury cars are forever in the shop having this, that, or the other thing being repaired.) Their thinking may be that people who can afford to buy at the high end can also afford more frequent repairs, so they design little non-essential things to break.
In general I have had good luck with products which are kind of in the middle price range wise. Not the cheapest and not the most expensive. I avoid extra features which are not really needed and would be one more thing to break.
Some companies sell "consumer grade" products as well as "commercial grade" products. The consumer grade products are crap and the commercial grade products are quality well designed products. For example you may have noticed that businesses and hotels have high quality door locks and their cleaning people use durable looking vacuum cleaners not seen at any retail stores. These are commercial grade products. They are made to stand up to constant use. (consumer products are designed for less frequent use.)
So if you want a really good washer, get a commercial grade model like those used in Laundromats, except without the coin option. Also ask a repairman which of these commercial grade washers is the best. Look in Yellow Pages for washing machines - Commercial/Industrial.
GE appliances were never any good after Reagan stopped selling them. The new model GE washer is supposed to be simpler and blah blah blah. Find someone that gets beyond warranty much before needing a repair. The timer motor ($125-150) is a common early failure item. I will admit they are easy to work on.
We recently moved to a house that has a ~10 year old GE washer and dryer set leaving our 20 year old Maytag set in our old home. We are not impressed with this GE set. The washer is noisy and consumes a lot of water. I wish I could give you the model but I can't find it. The drier is inferior to our old Maytag drier in performance. That may be partly due to the fact that it is electric while our old Maytag was natural gas. Someday I will probably replace this GE set with either a Maytag set or a foreign set (water conservation is very important here).
You can find tips for locating the model and serial number on your appliances in the 'Repair Parts section of my site linked below. BTW. If you post the serial number as well, someone can probably tell you their actual age.
Dan O.
- Appliance411.com
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