Any Whirlpool Duet washer owners out there?

[Kyle Kraft]

My Duet washer, which will be celebrating its 4th birthday on 4.23.08 has a major problem. The bearings supporting the basket in the tub have failed and the front bearing has worn down the shaft on the basket.

After searching on line it appears that the bearings and shaft seal are not available separately, but are included in the rear tub assembly ($251.00).

The warranty claims the "Stainless steel basket" ($222.00) is guaranteed for life, but the shaft/spider is bolted to it...probably not included in the warranty.

The front boot ($85.00) has an unrelated tear in it and needs replacing.

I have to replace the vent hose ($?) that I damaged during cleaning.

Now for the abbreviated rant. Shouldn't a $1000.00 washer last more than 4 years?

What do you think? Repair or scrap it and buy a brand new top-loader for 3 or 4 hundred dollars?

I'm leaning toward the new top loader. Anything not made by Whirlpool or any of its acquisitions.

Recommendations happily accepted.

[Belinda Barfield]

Kyle,

Can't help you with your problem, but glad to read your post. I need a new washer and dryer and had considered the Duet. I agree totally that your $1000 bucks ought to get you more than four years. I'm not a huge fan of Fridgedair (sp?) but almost 12 years ago I bought a washer and dryer manufactured by them. Both washer and dryer have an annoying squeak but are still going strong. My main complaint with them is that they are both loud. Good luck with your search.

[Joe Pelonio]

We have the Calypso set that was about that same price range and after 6 years the only problem has been a replacement heating element for the dryer that I did myself, part about $70. Meanwhile the reviews and complaints all over the internet say that it should have died years ago. I'm beginning to think that lemons in appliances are more common than cars, and it's probably a good idea to avoid buying a completely new model the first year it comes out.

I'm inclined to advise the less expensive new machine. Maytag top loaders start at about $400.

[Randy Denby]

Crap......I just looked and our washer/drier is a Whirlpool Duet. And its about 4 yrs old :(

[Jeffrey Makiel]

I don't know what to recommend. I can only tell you what I don't recommend from experience: Whirlpool, Kenmore, Maytag and GE.

I guess that leaves either European stuff or the ol' washboard. It truly is a race to the bottom.

Good Luck...Jeff :)

[Kyle Kraft]

Randy,
I saw a review on e-pinions dot com from a guy in Canada whose Duet washer died 3 months prior to its 4th birthday. It sounded like a transcript of my experience.

Right now I'm thinking of a $50 Criagslist or Kalamazoo Gazette special. At that price I can buy a "new to me" one every year and be money ahead.

I can also buy a U.S. made washboard from a place in Ohio for $20.

[Rob Bodenschatz]

Ugh. We bought our Duets three weeks after you bought yours. No issues yet but you have me worried.

[Dennis Peacock]

Wow...don't get me started on this topic.....I can tell you that Maytag isn't what it used to be and many are having their machines made "elsewhere" and quality of components are always at high risk.

With 4 kids in our home...we've been through 3 sets of washers and dryers..

[Mike Null]

I have a 12 year old Frigidaire front loading washer and stacking dryer. No service calls on either so far. They are built in Webster City, Iowa for whatever that's worth.

[Tom Henry]

Are they the Cabrio Models???? We have the top load model...:(

[Mike Henderson]

Whirlpool makes a bunch of brands - Maytag and Kitchen Aid perhaps the best known, but look here (http://www.whirlpool.com/custserv/other_sites.jsp) for the whole list.

No personal experience with Whirlpool products. I have a water heater with their name on it but it's made by someone else - they just provide the brand and Lowes sells it.

Mike

[Al Willits]

Chances are you believe the salesman when he said if you can get the clothes in it, it'll wash them.

Actually the Duet is one of the better front loaders out there.
Sounds like yours had some rough use.

Over loading is taking rear bearings out on all of the front loaders.

I'd stay away from the Maytag top loader unless you make sure its a two drive belt version, that is the Maytag your folks used for many years, the single belt version is a by far cheaper made unit, you'd be better buying a direct drive Whirlpool if that's the case.

Kyle, I think I toss this one as it sounds pretty beat up, and go look for another washer, labor and parts are going to kill ya, and it seems the washer has had so rough times.

Al

[Gene Jordan]

My experience with the front loading Maytag Neptune has been terrible. I was on a first name basis with the repairman he visited so much. He
finally determined that it was not fixable ( after three mixing valves, timer, two solid state circuit boards and various problems with speed and cycle duration)
and petitioned Maytag for a replacement washer. This washer has been relatively trouble free with exception of a musty smell inside.

My previous top loader washer and dryer was Maytag (no trouble), but I suppose that was during the era when the Maytag repairman was the loneliest man in town.

[Chuck Saunders]

After 12 years I replaced my Maytag toploader with a Neptune. Neptune worked great for 5 years until the controller would not lock the door for spin, replaced with a Duet. The Duet has worked great so far. I was in the parts house getting a new drum for my Maytag dryer (cut nails that get in between the drum and the back will eventually cause wear). Mentioned the problems with the Neptune. The counter man pointed to an exploded diagram poster of the Neptune and showed me what the problem parts were. I asked if they had had a lot of problems with the Neptune. His response - "Do you see any exploded diagrams for any other washers in here?" There was only the one of the Neptune. The dryer only lasted 20 years.

[Al Willits]

Older Neptune washers had a class action lawsuit against them, prob over now but if you have one might be worth it to check.

Not sure if I can post the web site so just google neptune lawsuit and it should take you there.
Supposely they have fixed the prob but I'd stay away from Neptunes for now.

Al

[Art Mulder]

Can't help you with your problem, but glad to read your post. I need a new washer and dryer and had considered the Duet.

Good luck with your search, Belinda! We recently bought an LG pair. (here is the thread (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=75219) where I worked through our own search process.) we're happy with them.

One thing to watch out for -- find out how many different labels (kenmore, whirlpool, etc) are really just all made by the same company. It is surprising how many labels are really the same company, which makes you wonder just how different is their engineering and reliability.

LG is a separate company, so all their engineering/design is their own. In our case, we have 4 young kids, so we needed BIG capacity, reasonably fast cycles, energy efficiency (we do one load basically every morning, and two loads a couple times each week.) and this may sound silly, but the beefy hinge design of the LG units was a selling feature to us also. In the show room the salesguy actually picked up (tilted) the machine by lifting the door. Not that we're going to do that, but with 4 kids, I know the machine is not going to get treated gently, so every bit helps.


Wow...don't get me started on this topic.....I can tell you that Maytag isn't what it used to be and many are having their machines made "elsewhere" and quality of components are always at high risk.

Yup, exactly what we heard when researching.

[Stan Tilley]

I hate getting this kind of information - it's the same as finding out your favorite food causes cancer. We have a Duet washer and dryer combo, about 3 years old. No problem so far with the washer, though the dryer did need a new control board.:(

[Belinda Barfield]

Good luck with your search, Belinda! We recently bought an LG pair. (here is the thread (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=75219) where I worked through our own search process.) we're happy with them.

Thanks for the link Art. I've also looked at a couple of LG models. What I really want is the model with the steam/dry clean feature as well, but I don't have enough space in my laundry closet. I don't really need anything heavy duty since there are just the two of us, and I do a lot of small loads since "his and hers" don't get washed together. I'll probably end up with stacker units. Here's my plan. Right now the laudry closet is beside the kitchen (I live in a condo). If I get the stacker units, Honey can take down a wall, move the refrigerator to the spot now occupied by the washer, add upper and lower cabinets, and replace the granite countertops. Needless to say, he's hoping the current units last forever!

[Chuck Saunders]

Older Neptune washers had a class action lawsuit against them, prob over now but if you have one might be worth it to check.

Not sure if I can post the web site so just google neptune lawsuit and it should take you there.
Supposely they have fixed the prob but I'd stay away from Neptunes for now.

Al

My Neptune lasted just long enough that i was entitled to a t-shirt or something of that value.

[Al Willits]

imho stay away from LG, duet is the best front loader going so far, if I bought a front loader it would be it.

fwiw I work on a techincal help line for the company I work for, we have over 375 techs doing HVAC and appliance repair, we do warrt work for LG, we did warrt work for Whirlpool till they bought maytag and got there service dept, and we do warrt work for about 15 other manufacturs.

Kenmore is the major seller who doesn't make anything, and just adds their nameplate to someone else's product.
Most others that make for several brand nanes will say so on the model/serial number tag or in the manual, like "KitchenAid, a product of Whilpool corp".
most..not all. :)

Don't make your decision on what one person's experience has been.

just a thought...

Al

[Eric Franklin]

I have a duet set that is around 4 years old. I've never had any problems. Just make sure to leave duet washers door open when not in use so you don't get mold on the gasket for the door.

[Kyle Kraft]

Here are some of the warning signs...
More vibration than usual.
Brown splatter on the floor under the machine. This is a slurry consisting of rust colored particles originating from the bearing and shaft.
Play in the basket. Open the door and grab the lip of the basket at the bottom and see if there is any upward travel before moving the entire tub in the suspension system.

Al, search the net for whirlpool duet bearing and aside from my thread you'll see there are many instances of this occurrence. My family is similar to Belindas only with 3 kids and we do lots of laundry. If the unit is overloaded it won't get clothes clean so we never overloaded it after learning this fact.

For those of you who are in love with your Duet, I hope your courtship is a long and happy one. My love affair has ended in a broken heart and the loss of faith in yet another American company. Now you know why I bought a Honda (automobile).

[Art Mulder]

My love affair has ended in a broken heart and the loss of faith in yet another American company.

Kyle, check out LG. I bought it because (a) we like tumble washers, having had a euro- tumble washer for 10+ years. (b) My B-I-Law and S-I-Law have one, and rave about it. (c) it had lots of great reviews (d) had a very good experience with the salesman at HD - an older gentleman with 20+ years in appliance sales/repair.

[Al Willits]

"""""""""
Al, search the net for whirlpool duet bearing and aside from my thread you'll see there are many instances of this occurrence. My family is similar to Belindas only with 3 kids and we do lots of laundry. If the unit is overloaded it won't get clothes clean so we never overloaded it after learning this fact.
"""""

fwiw I work for a large company that repairs washers amoung a host of other things and by far the duet is not the leading machine for breakdowns, so I'd be tempted to say the number of web posts might have something to do with the number of units out there, whirlpool sells a lot of washing machines.

Remember I said it "sounds like" your washer had some rough use, there are few bearing failures from faulty parts but there are a few.

We're finding you can not load these units at max rated loads, not for long anyway.

Al

[Matt Meiser]

We had a Maytag Performa dryer that was a total loss at 4 years. My parents had a small fleet of Kenmore (made by Whirlpool) appliances that were total losses at 4-7 years. Their stove was the worst--it tried to burn their house down twice. The first time the heating element exploded and threw molten metal out on the floor and the second insulation fell inside the oven and came in contact with a heating element through a failed weld (OK, that probably wouldn't have started a fire--just made a sooty mess.) Sounds like your Whirlpool experience is more typical than not to me. In general these expensive, must-have items in our homes are becoming junk. Whilpool seems to be at the leading edge of their industry.

Also, Kyle, I read a summary of a test of new top load washers recently. The gist was that the new ones don't wash your clothes due to federally-mandated reduced water usage. IIRC, some actually got the clothes dirtier by spreading dirt from the dirtier clothes to the cleaner ones. To get a washer that actually works you have to buy a front-loader.

[Dave Verstraete]

The Duet line was originally being made by Whirpool in Germany and exported to the US. I wonder if that is still the case.

[Kyle Kraft]

Update

I picked up a pre-takeover Maytag pair last night from a very generous individual who gave me a great deal on them. Top loader and gas dryer about 7yrs old.

I haven't given up on the old Duet...I am still trying to find the individual parts separately from the exhorbitant assemblies.