Need help buying a new Washer and Dryer

[mykidsmom]

I guess this is the right place to post this question since it is related to around the house and of course I will be washing my two kids clothes in it, so I hope all you BBB experts can help me.

I want a new washer/gas dryer. I want it to be a top loading washer. I dont want the bottom of the line or the top of the line either but do want to have some extras like extra delicate cycle and different heat settings on the dryer,fluff cycle, etc.

Tell me if I want the new ones w/o the adjitator or should I not spend the extra $$ for that feature. My budget is around $1000-$1200 or less.

Any recommendations??
Thanks!

[deannanb]

I just checked out Consumer Reports for you....
Their top recommendation for Top-Loading Models
is Whirlpool Cabrio HE - WTW6600S
It is $1000.

Kenmore (Sears) Elite - Oasis HE 2708 - $1000

Whirlpool Cabrio - WTW6200S - $700

For Dryers.... they didn't list gas specifically, simply said they worked about the same as electric.

GE Profile Harmony DPGT750EC - $800

Kenmore (Sears) Elite - 6785 - $570

LG - DLE5977 - $850


Hope this helps some.

[Tondi G]

we have a GE set and my mom has a new Whirlpool set we bought her from Costco at Christmas! She thinks they are great too!

I've heard nothing but good things about Whirlpool and Costco seems to have good prices on them!

here is a nice looking washer

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11168279&whse=BC&topnav=&browse=

and their dryers

http://www.costco.com/Common/Category.aspx?ec=&pos=2&whse=BC&topnav=&cat=4553&eCat=BC|103|4546|4553

[dules]

I had my heart set on the Cabrio or the equivalent Kenmore because of the space you get when there's no agitator. However I read a bunch of reviews online (google the models) and lots of people complained about their clothes getting wrecked due to being overly spun (they called it a mushroom effect).

I started doing a bit more research and on the Gardenweb laundry forums (ths.gardenweb.com/forums) the Bosch front loaders came highly recommended.

I got the Bosch 500 front loader (to replace my less than 3 year old Maytag that cost $600 new and had a $480-ish repair bill) and love it. It's super quiet, uses 9 gallons per load (vs 40+ in my Maytag), and has gotten things very nicely clean. An added bonus is that now my middle of the road Maytag gas dryer, that *never* used to dry anything on Delicate, now dries every single load on that setting.

Sorry, I know you wanted a top loader, but thought I'd share. I also looked at Fisher & Paykel top loaders and they seemed very nice. I would have chosen one if I had not been swayed by the Bosch.

Good luck!

Mary

[fattytuna]

I'm in the same boat as OP. We just moved and the new house does not come with W/D because the previous owners has a dry cleaning business. Our old place has a set of 19-yr-old Maytag that came with the house when we bought it and we are not taking them with us even though they work just fine. I'm not picky about W/D, but DH actually doesn't mind if we get a decent set this time because he thinks it's okay to spend some money on a one-time purchase that should last for 20 years. Well, my take is that they really don't make things like they used to and I really don't think these newer machines with last for 20 years. They have more and more electronically controlled parts and they all cost more to repair.

I've been on GardenWeb and the more I read the more overwhelmed I get. The basics I'm getting is that both FL's and the new TL's tend to create more wrinkles during the wash because they are spun to the point of almost dry. There is also a balancing issue, like if you were to wash one big item you might have to rebalance the load after the wash starts, as opposed to two equal-size items then they are balanced. Then again it depends on how you do your laundry. In the Cabrio ad on the Whirlpool website, they have a woman just dump a basketful of laundry into the tub of the washer, which is not how I do my laundry (Even if it were agitator-less, I would still put my laundry in piece by piece). It is also very important that the FL's be well leveled during installation - or people have encountered vibration problems. And some people say you should leave the washer door open to avoid possible mold issues. There is a learning curve if you are like me and have never used one of these newer machines and are only used to the conventional TL's - wash time will be longer but drying time will be shorter so most people find that it hasn't really changed their overall laundry habits. They do say make sure you read the manual thoroughly and follow the instructions. Then there are little things like if you like to lift the washer cover and throw in extra pieces of laundry after the wash starts, TL's you won't have a problem with but for FL's you need to stop the wash and wait.

May I ask, Mary, where did you purchase the Bosch and is it the Nexxt series? I've only been to Lowe's to check out the Whirlpool Duet; Whirlpool Cabrio, and the Bosch Nexxt. Seems like Lowe's carry the most brand selection. I know there's a Kenmore equivalent of the Cabrio but I heard the 5-yr extended warrenty at Sears is a lot more than Lowe's.

[dules]

Katherine, we got the NEXXT 500 series washer at a local mom and pop. Lowe's had the best price, so I printed out their pricing and brought it to the mom and pop who matched it, delivered free and took away the old broken machine. We did buy the extended warranty, which was $99.

It is so quiet that you can actually stand in front of it and have a normal-volume conversation. Love it!

Mary

[fattytuna]

Thanks for the info, Mary. The Nexxt 500 is the one I've been considering getting. Well, until I saw the giant tub inside the Cabrio, then I got wishy-washy again. Ha ha.

I never thought of price-matching at local mom and pop shops - I'd love to give those stores the business if that's the case.

[LBW]

I *just* ordered the Nexxt 500 washer and the Nexxt 100 dryer. So, it's great to see positive feedback! We get our set next week, and I can't wait!

FYI - We went with the 100 series dryer because it's the exact same dryer, except for two features that were unimportant to me. It has a metal door instead of glass and it does not have an LED display. It saved us more than $100.

[Lucia]

We just got a Fischer and Paykel Ecosmart washing machine and we LOVE it. It was highly rated for effeciency and effectiveness. It really does a great job of cleaning and the clothes come out almost dry so I have really been able to cut down on dryer time.