I've asked this question on some appliance related forums, but they don't seem to be as well traveled as this one, so here goes:

My parents purchased new washer & dryer recently and gave us their old ones. We've done laundry at their house lately, and from what we can tell the units work great. (They're about 10 years old.)

When we moved the washer, we noticed a little moisture on the floor beneath it. After getting the unit to our home, we called a repair guy in to take a look at it. He estimates about $350 for the repair (a leaking tub seal). Well, I can buy a brand new Whirlpool at Costco for $350, but I've read an awful lot of negative comments on new Whirlpools.

We just need a machine that will last us up to 5 years, until we're ready for a big fancy front loader. So, do I repair a tried and true Maytag which might need more repairs due to it's age, or purchase a brand new Whirlpool for the same price?

Any suggestions?

 

Can you repair it yourself? Maybe order the tub seal through the repair person who gave you the estimate? Save on the labor at least. My step-father has repaired my parents' old Kenmore many a time to save on the cost of a direct replacement.

 

www.craigslist.com for your area and you will find one today. You can also get rid of the leaking one, on the free section.

or make an attempt at the fix, fail, and get the "P"'s to get you that new front loader, and there has to be a matching dryer.

 

Unless you are mechanically incompetent like some, you can fix your washing machine yourself for peanuts. Google up the instructions for your model online, and do whatever it says to do. You can get new parts for just about anything.

My last two washing machines have been fixer uppers. The first was a Maytag that dripped a little bit sometimes, paid a hundred dollars for it. Turns out the little softener injector tube on the front had come loose inside, no parts required. Thing worked like a charm for years before I gave it away.

The last one took a little more work. Paid $50 for it. Quickly discovered that it needed to be disassembled for a cleaning. It was a huge pain. The tub had some rust scale in it which would not come out through the drain. I had to dismount the agitator from the spindle and clean all the rust debris out by hand from the tub. It took hours and it was disgusting in there. In the meantime I discovered why washing machines stink after so many years.... all that washing just transfers the crap from the clothes to the machine. It took hours of scraping, disinfecting, reassembling and cleaning to save this thing but does work like new now.

 

Thanks for the feedback so far. I've considered doing it myself. I can buy the seal kit for about $60 on the internet, then another $40 if I replace the hub bearing as recommended. I've found some good documentation on the internet, and it looks like a tough job that requires a "spanner wrench," something not in my arsenal of tools. (Another $20 from what I've found.)

The Mrs. doesn't really like it when I start fooling around with things, but perhaps I'll try it anyway. I'd rather save the extra $250 it would cost to have somebody else do it. And my time is dirt cheap right now.

 

Do the job outside in reach of a garden hose. The inside will be filthy and you will want to hose it down real good. I would tear it down before deciding what special tools to buy, never buy a tool until you are sure you need one. I went deep into my Kenmore without any special tools, just the standard stuff. Getting the agitator off the spindle can be difficult, but it will come off. On an old machine it will really be stuck on there.

 

I pulled the front panel off the washer today and ran a couple of loads. As far as I can see, it's dry as a bone in there. (But VERY dirty.) However, there is a very slow drip coming from the hose at the connector. I wonder if the moisture on the floor was from this very slow drip. Was the repair guy just blowing smoke up my kazoo?

Anyhow, I'm going to keep an eye on it. It looks fairly simple inside, so any repairs that come down the line I'm going to tackle myself. One of these days I'll pull it apart for a cleaning, but for now it's working fine. And if it's not broke..... you know how it goes.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

I bought a new Ammana in 2002. In 2007, it began leaking, and I replaced the drain hose. The next load, the motor began to squeal, then smoked the belt.

I didn't trust it after the burning electrical smell, and replaced it with a new Whirlpool.

I would repair it until it doesn't make sense. You may be able to find a repaired used wahser, if you trust the person who repaired it. My step-duaghter and her husband just got a nice used dryer for $100. The guy fixes and sells them, and told them he would give them their money back if it quit in the next month.

BTW..FWIW...My neighbor works in appliances at Lowes, and told me that Whirlpool has the fewest complaints.

Is a front loader worth the expense?

 

A friend just gave up on their front-loader, sold it on Craig's List. The unit could not withstand the sheer duty cycles required to keep up with three rambunctious kids (ages 2-6). They got their replacement, agitator-less, top load and are quite pleased as they can fit two of their normal loads in at once, and the clothes still come out clean.

 

He could've been. They usually just go off what you tell them, and they'll put their basic assumption to work(ie most bang for their buck). He'll sell you parts, put it in, and "fix" the real leak in the process. Think what that small drip does over time, it could very well be the source of your problems!!!!!