Our Dryer has been weak for years, and our washing machine is finally starting to go. The main bearing is on its way out, and now the door switch is starting to act up. I think I'm done trying to patch it along, squeezing life out of it. They're both the old style, super basic washer and dryer, and the wife wants something a little nicer.
We are leaning towards a stackable washer/dryer, as that will open up some space in our laundry room, and I can install shelves.
Anything I should be looking out for, and or avoiding? Does anybody have any really good experiences with any brands and/or models?
We had a Samsung front loader that lasted over 20 years with no repairs before replacing a couple years back. Not sure what they're like now. I know I wouldn't touch their dishwashers.
We replaced our set with an Electrolux. Not sure if stackable. So far been good, and was recommended by the salesman at a local shop (mom and pop owned) as simple and reliable. About two years and they've been good. That's about all I have to offer.
Coast Appliances in Winnipeg is going out of business. Their last day is June 28. They have a single washing machine available - brand new for $177.99
https://www.coastappliances.ca/collections/laundry/products/whirlpool-4-6-cu-ft-top-load-washer-in-white-wtw4105sw
I'm tempted to just buy it, and leave the dryer for now. I would save about $2k by doing this, over replacing both the washer and dryer with something more modern and stackable.
I'll probably drive over there on Saturday, and just see if they still have it in stock, or not. If they don't it won't be a wasted trip. They've got an LG stack kit on sale for $6.99, vs the $69.99 that they go for usually. We'll probably go with LG units should this washer not be in stock any more.
I'd be buying this washer & not worry for 20yrs
https://speedqueen.com/products/top-load-washers/tc5003wn/
CDN version https://ca.huebsch.com/products/home-products/top-load-washers/tc5/
Quote from: GreatBigAbyss on Jun 25, 2026, 03:01 PMCoast Appliances in Winnipeg is going out of business. Their last day is June 28. They have a single washing machine available - brand new for $177.99
https://www.coastappliances.ca/collections/laundry/products/whirlpool-4-6-cu-ft-top-load-washer-in-white-wtw4105sw
I'm tempted to just buy it, and leave the dryer for now. I would save about $2k by doing this, over replacing both the washer and dryer with something more modern and stackable.
I'll probably drive over there on Saturday, and just see if they still have it in stock, or not. If they don't it won't be a wasted trip. They've got an LG stack kit on sale for $6.99, vs the $69.99 that they go for usually. We'll probably go with LG units should this washer not be in stock any more.
For that price I would have snapped one up. I'm guessing they'll be gone in no time.
Quote from: Bridgecity on Jun 25, 2026, 02:32 PMWe had a Samsung front loader that lasted over 20 years with no repairs before replacing a couple years back. Not sure what they're like now. I know I wouldn't touch their dishwashers.
We replaced our set with an Electrolux. Not sure if stackable. So far been good, and was recommended by the salesman at a local shop (mom and pop owned) as simple and reliable. About two years and they've been good. That's about all I have to offer.
Holy %$#^ you should buy a lotto ticket. We had all Samsung appliances in our Alberta house and had 100% fail rate. The washer/Drier were the worst, followed by the oven, dishwasher, and fridge. To the fridges credit it didn't 100% fail like the others, just the icemaker pickled out. The warranty sure saved us. Our BC house is rocking its original Maytag washer from 1972, we had to replace the drier a few year back when the element went and we couldn't find an economical replacement (all from the US).
Sorry, can't offer any appliance advice except to be very careful of Samsung. They are the Hyundai/Kia of the appliance world...lots of bells and whistles with very questionable quality/reliability.
^ Same can be said for LG. We actually had good luck with a Samsung stove, got it as a hand-me-down when we bought our first place, it was probably 10 years old when we got it and we got another 8 years out of it before I dropped one of those above the range microwaves right through the cook top ;D
Here's a good one. We have a WhirlPool fridge...Came with the house. Really nice unit, extra deep, tons of features, dual ice makers, fancy meat and veg drawers with their own digital temp settings, etc. It's about 6-7 years old, and when new it was $3800USD.
A few months ago the freezer got warm, wasted a bunch of food. I tore it apart and found a faulty thermistor causing the defrost to not run, so it iced up and stopped cooling. Thermistor is part of the evaporator fan harness, so I replace the whole fan, harness, etc. Fine, whatever, fixed, just a big PITA.
Couple weekends ago we notice that the fridge part is warm...so I figured my Amazon evaporator fan had failed and pull the freezer area apart to check. Nope, it's fine. Apparently this thing has a second separate evap unit for the fridge section. So, pull the entire fridge section apart to access that evaporator to find a totally dead evap fan.
Now, a replacement part was like 4 days away, and we couldn't operate without a fridge for 4 days, so I found one of these 'octopus fans' laying around the and rigged it to work as an evaporator fan. Used two of those lithium cell phone battery backup things and swap them out every 12 hours or so to keep the fan running constantly. It worked! fridge sat at 3C for those 4 days until the parts came in and I was able to properly fix it.
We probably lost a good $500-700 worth of food across the two failures though, which is really irritating. Mrs.Firm wants to buy a new fridge so it doesn't happen again, but a comparable is still like $3500, and you know it'll be junk just like this one in 3-5 years.
My temporary evap fan:
(https://i.imgur.com/RSYbWIs.jpeg)
My Samsung washer/dryer is over 10 years old.
Washer is direct drive. No idea if that helps.
Dryer is gas. No idea if that helps.
Quote from: Firm on Jun 26, 2026, 12:14 AMHere's a good one. We have a WhirlPool fridge...Came with the house. Really nice unit, extra deep, tons of features, dual ice makers, fancy meat and veg drawers with their own digital temp settings, etc. It's about 6-7 years old, and when new it was $3800USD.
A few months ago the freezer got warm, wasted a bunch of food. I tore it apart and found a faulty thermistor causing the defrost to not run, so it iced up and stopped cooling. Thermistor is part of the evaporator fan harness, so I replace the whole fan, harness, etc. Fine, whatever, fixed, just a big PITA.
Couple weekends ago we notice that the fridge part is warm...so I figured my Amazon evaporator fan had failed and pull the freezer area apart to check. Nope, it's fine. Apparently this thing has a second separate evap unit for the fridge section. So, pull the entire fridge section apart to access that evaporator to find a totally dead evap fan.
Now, a replacement part was like 4 days away, and we couldn't operate without a fridge for 4 days, so I found one of these 'octopus fans' laying around the and rigged it to work as an evaporator fan. Used two of those lithium cell phone battery backup things and swap them out every 12 hours or so to keep the fan running constantly. It worked! fridge sat at 3C for those 4 days until the parts came in and I was able to properly fix it.
We probably lost a good $500-700 worth of food across the two failures though, which is really irritating. Mrs.Firm wants to buy a new fridge so it doesn't happen again, but a comparable is still like $3500, and you know it'll be junk just like this one in 3-5 years.
My temporary evap fan:
Wow, that's some impressive ingenuity Firm. MacGyver'd that to a tee, haha.
Quote from: Revelations on Jun 25, 2026, 11:45 PMQuote from: Bridgecity on Jun 25, 2026, 02:32 PMWe had a Samsung front loader that lasted over 20 years with no repairs before replacing a couple years back. Not sure what they're like now. I know I wouldn't touch their dishwashers.
We replaced our set with an Electrolux. Not sure if stackable. So far been good, and was recommended by the salesman at a local shop (mom and pop owned) as simple and reliable. About two years and they've been good. That's about all I have to offer.
Holy %$#^ you should buy a lotto ticket. We had all Samsung appliances in our Alberta house and had 100% fail rate. The washer/Drier were the worst, followed by the oven, dishwasher, and fridge. To the fridges credit it didn't 100% fail like the others, just the icemaker pickled out. The warranty sure saved us. Our BC house is rocking its original Maytag washer from 1972, we had to replace the drier a few year back when the element went and we couldn't find an economical replacement (all from the US).
Sorry, can't offer any appliance advice except to be very careful of Samsung. They are the Hyundai/Kia of the appliance world...lots of bells and whistles with very questionable quality/reliability.
That's my impression of Samsung appliances also Rev. Maybe we got lucky with the washer. It was 20 years old so perhaps they were built different back then. I mentioned a Samsung dishwasher. Bought one about 10 years ago. Brand new it couldn't wash a plate clean. Tried different detergents, repairman swapped out pump/motor/control board and still no better. I finally just uninstalled it and dropped it off at appliance store and told them I'm getting a refund.
When we moved into our new build in 2006 we got 100% new appliances, selling the once-new KitchenAid stuff to our buyers.
The laundry units are front-load Frigidaire Gallery, now sold today under the parent co name (Electrolux). They are now 20 y.o. and still workin' away. Dryer is natural gas, pretty rare around here.
When the washer sprung a leak last year, we almost pulled the trigger on a new Electolux set, but newer machines are deeper and won't fit without a full bathroom reno (toilet has to be moved...).
So I found the leak (rubber piece between water inlet and tub), ordered oem replacement and swapped it. But we know we will have to swap them sooner than later.
For the kiddo moving to her condo, we read the tests and everything, and in the end today's LG products appear to be reliable (unlike Samsung's) and besides, current owners built a new kitchen around a legacy fridge with odd dimensions. The only decent unit that would fit is a 28" bottom freezer LG. Along with the tv, she's getting a full LG ecosystem - I think she will be able to monitor the dryer on her tv screen!
Edit - we remodeled our kitchen in 2022 and went with Bosch machines, all running great. Kiddo is getting to keep the new Bosch dishwasher that's already installed in the condo - that will be the only non-LG piece.
I would stay far away from Samsung. We got a package when we moved in to our house with all the appliances and washer and dryer. The washer caused a flood, the dryer wouldn't balance itself, the fridge caught fire, the stove wiped out its display 3 times, and the dishwasher would eat its own plastics and wipe out the discharge pump. You couldn't give me a Samsung appliance at this point.
Quote from: Fobroader on Jun 26, 2026, 01:56 PMI would stay far away from Samsung. We got a package when we moved in to our house with all the appliances and washer and dryer. The washer caused a flood, the dryer wouldn't balance itself, the fridge caught fire, the stove wiped out its display 3 times, and the dishwasher would eat its own plastics and wipe out the discharge pump. You couldn't give me a Samsung appliance at this point.
A guy who wouldn't touch a Hyundai product with a 10' pole got himself a full Samsung kit? :P
Quote from: Blueprint on Jun 26, 2026, 04:40 PMQuote from: Fobroader on Jun 26, 2026, 01:56 PMI would stay far away from Samsung. We got a package when we moved in to our house with all the appliances and washer and dryer. The washer caused a flood, the dryer wouldn't balance itself, the fridge caught fire, the stove wiped out its display 3 times, and the dishwasher would eat its own plastics and wipe out the discharge pump. You couldn't give me a Samsung appliance at this point.
A guy who wouldn't touch a Hyundai product with a 10' pole got himself a full Samsung kit? :P
This was 2009.....today I would not buy the Kyundai with a spin cycle.
I went by Coast on my lunch today, hoping to score a deal on a new washer, but no go! It was long gone, they just didn't update their website.
^^^ Interesting video. I generally hate that format - just a bunch of clips, and what I can assume is an AI voiceover.
However, the information is interesting.
The washer I've picked out is indeed and LG front load washer with the direct drive motor, which is the specific combination the video says is good. So, yay?
It's this one: WM3470CW.
Quote from: GreatBigAbyss on Jun 27, 2026, 10:36 AM^^^ Interesting video. I generally hate that format - just a bunch of clips, and what I can assume is an AI voiceover.
However, the information is interesting.
The washer I've picked out is indeed and LG front load washer with the direct drive motor, which is the specific combination the video says is good. So, yay?
It's this one: WM3470CW.
So many crappy AI youtube videos and channels, at least some have decent information though. I'm trying to spec out a washer dryer set for the cottage build.
Heh, so the washer actually fully packed up today. I suspect the door switch is faulty. We were in the middle of a load, too, so I'll have to drain the machine, and take the clothes to a Laundromat to finish.
I could probably fix the door switch, but honestly, I've been keeping these things limping along for the past twelve years, and its time. The bearing going is what seals the deal, and its one of those stupid integrated ones, so not really repairable by me.
The new LG set gets delivered on Wednesday, two days before we leave for Calgary for a week.
Quote from: GreatBigAbyss on Jun 27, 2026, 10:36 AM^^^ Interesting video. I generally hate that format - just a bunch of clips, and what I can assume is an AI voiceover.
However, the information is interesting.
The washer I've picked out is indeed and LG front load washer with the direct drive motor, which is the specific combination the video says is good. So, yay?
It's this one: WM3470CW.
I don't think the warranties are the same across the board even within the same manufacturer.
I have the Samsung with direct drive and the warranty on it is 10 years.
Both our washer and dryer have the steam function, which I wasn't sold on initially. It's extremely handy, particularly on the dryer. The "refresh" and "wrinkle remove" functions work very well. We generally only use the "sanitize" steam function on the washer for IQs scrubs.
Anyone else use steam?
Oh..I also watched a documentary of sorts by a cleaning expert who said anything longer than a 30 minute cycle is a waste of time as it doesn't get the clothes measurably cleaner.
We've also been testing out the new-ish Swash detergent with good effect. It uses a laughably small amount of detergent from a unique squeeze bottle that doses the correct amount with a single squeeze...80 loads per bottle.
^ We use the steam function on our Electrolux dryer fairly regularly. It is a really nice feature to have, however the thought of a another water connection just makes me think of another point of possible leakage.
Laundromats are stupid expensive. It cost me about $35 to do a few loads of laundry in preparation for the week.
Quote from: GreatBigAbyss on Jun 29, 2026, 10:43 AMLaundromats are stupid expensive. It cost me about $35 to do a few loads of laundry in preparation for the week.
Holy crap!
Quote from: GreatBigAbyss on Jun 29, 2026, 10:43 AMLaundromats are stupid expensive. It cost me about $35 to do a few loads of laundry in preparation for the week.
Holy crap, I haven't used a laundromat in 25 years or so, that seems unsustainable, I mean you can damn near buy a cheap pair of used machines in a few trips like that.
^^Yeah, but what if you don't have space for them, and you're rental isn't plumbed for them.
Some people are just... stuck.
Quote from: GreatBigAbyss on Jun 29, 2026, 02:59 PM^^Yeah, but what if you don't have space for them, and you're rental isn't plumbed for them.
Some people are just... stuck.
I always forget that's a thing. Any friends that downsized to an apartment have in suite laundry.
Quote from: Fobroader on Jun 29, 2026, 03:11 PMQuote from: GreatBigAbyss on Jun 29, 2026, 02:59 PM^^Yeah, but what if you don't have space for them, and you're rental isn't plumbed for them.
Some people are just... stuck.
I always forget that's a thing. Any friends that downsized to an apartment have in suite laundry.
Quote from: GreatBigAbyss on Jun 29, 2026, 02:59 PM^^Yeah, but what if you don't have space for them, and you're rental isn't plumbed for them.
Some people are just... stuck.
They make portable washers that hook up to a regular sink faucet connection..and they work well. Tiny footprint, too.
For drying you can hang..or hang above a dehumidifier. We use this method for our delicates/wool. The dehumidifier actually has a clothes drying function. The exhaust blows up towards the clothes while the moisture is pulled out. Dries shockingly fast.