Washing machines - making modern ones effective?

[Doug Garson]

Not experiencing that with our GE "smart" machines, although they are front load. Didn't have that problem with the LG units in the old property, either. For front loaders, locking is mandatory. I suspect for a top loader there's a specific reason they are doing that.

Stick your hand inside when its on spin and I think you will know why it is locked.
Our 15 year old top loader doesn't lock but the spin stops if the door opens.

[Tom M King]

Living in a low population area like we do, there are not many choices without having to drive a long ways to get one. Lowes is about as good at getting such appliances from as Amazon is for other things. When one is getting close to end of life, we order one online from Lowes, they show up with the new one tomorrow, and haul the old one off. I don't even have to walk out to the truck to go anywhere and no laundry piles up in the meantime. I already have the old one unhooked, and if it's a drier the cord taken off.

They won't hook them up if you don't buy new hoses, or a new cord for the dryer, but I'd rather hook them up myself anyway, so they just tote them in and set them where they go, and carry the old one out.

[Jim Koepke]

they just tote them in and set them where they go, and carry the old one out.

That is a detail that blows my mind. When I was young we used hand trucks to move appliances up and down stairs and into homes. Now it looks like the delivery people use a harness and carry them in without using a wheeled dolly.

jtk

[John Terefenko]

Thanks for that info on Speed Queen, Rick. I just looked at their website.
Never thought about SQ before because I though they only made for commercial use.
Now I'm seriously considering one their top-loaders TC5 (catalog#TC5003)

Best machines on the market hands down.

[Nicholas Lawrence]

Many of my friends complain that their modern washing machines do not get loads of clothes completely wet. They also complain about the "feature" that the lid locks while the machine is running. Are there hacks to get around these inconveniences? Are there modern machines that don't have these problems?

We have a new top loading Maytag. The did does lock. I assume I could disable that if I wanted to, but I have not cared enough to figure it out.

The "clothes are not getting wet" problem may not be a problem. You can look down in the thing while it runs, and the clothes are getting wet.

Part of the "efficiency" is in the amount of water they remove in the spin cycle (which I guess makes the dryer more efficient). It spins for longer and at a higher speed than our old one did. Depending on the type of fabric and the other clothes in the load, you will get parts of the load that feel "dry" even though they need some time on the line or in the dryer to really be dry.

[Tom M King]

That is a detail that blows my mind. When I was young we used hand trucks to move appliances up and down stairs and into homes. Now it looks like the delivery people use a harness and carry them in without using a wheeled dolly.

jtk

Appliances are getting like TV's and refrigerators. They're getting closer and closer to figuring out how to make them out of nothing. Two guys easily carried in the new washer and dryer together into the rental house with those straps. Those old ones were heavy, but still worked so I had given them to someone who needed them.

We also had a new refrigerator put in the kitchen, and the old one moved out to the garage which is now a game room. The same two guys were talking and joking moving in the new refrigerator, but were popping sweat and paying attention to what they were doing moving the old one 20' out into the game room. It was empty, but I don't know how old it is.

[Bill Howatt]

We have a new top loading Maytag. The did does lock. I assume I could disable that if I wanted to, but I have not cared enough to figure it out.

The "clothes are not getting wet" problem may not be a problem. You can look down in the thing while it runs, and the clothes are getting wet.

Part of the "efficiency" is in the amount of water they remove in the spin cycle (which I guess makes the dryer more efficient). It spins for longer and at a higher speed than our old one did. Depending on the type of fabric and the other clothes in the load, you will get parts of the load that feel "dry" even though they need some time on the line or in the dryer to really be dry.

We have a 2 year-old top-load Maytag and my wife says it works as well as and likely better than the old Sears it replaced after a long life. She is happy with it and that's all that matters.

[Bill Howatt]

That is a detail that blows my mind. When I was young we used hand trucks to move appliances up and down stairs and into homes. Now it looks like the delivery people use a harness and carry them in without using a wheeled dolly.

jtk

The harness method isn't really that new at all. I had a washer and dryer taken from the basement over 45 years ago and the harness was used. I asked why not a dolly and they said it was easier particularly on stairs to use the harness, which IIRC was nothing more than a broad strap.

[Jim Becker]

I haven't owned a modern washer that requires high efficiency detergent. What happens if someone puts ordinary detergent in them by mistake?

Excessive suds...which can require quite a few clean up cycles. One feature I like about our new GE smart machines is that the washer meters the detergent automagically for whatever the cycle is and for the weight of the material to be cleaned. Fill the vessel and there's no need to measure manually for each load. It asks for a refill when needed after about, oh...20-30 loads or so.

[Frank Pratt]

That is a detail that blows my mind. When I was young we used hand trucks to move appliances up and down stairs and into homes. Now it looks like the delivery people use a harness and carry them in without using a wheeled dolly.

jtk

We got a new Bosch dishwasher recently and the guy came walking into the house with the new one on his shoulder. He took the old one out the same way.

[Bill Dufour]

For how much they cost I am surprised no one is making a washer dryer unit. They do make small ones but no heating so clothes come out slightly dampish. They had the technology and made them from about 1940-1960 then nothing.
Bill D

[Jim Koepke]

The same two guys were talking and joking moving in the new refrigerator, but were popping sweat and paying attention to what they were doing moving the old one 20' out into the game room. It was empty, but I don't know how old it is.

Old refrigerators (at least back in my day) were always heavier than when they were new. This was because over the years moisture would condense and be absorbed into the insulation.

I had a washer and dryer taken from the basement over 45 years ago and the harness was used.

This was after my folks discontinued appliance sales and repair. Though knowing my dad, at his age he wasn't likely to change his ways and start carrying appliances instead of rolling them.

jtk

[Jim Becker]

For how much they cost I am surprised no one is making a washer dryer unit. They do make small ones but no heating so clothes come out slightly dampish. They had the technology and made them from about 1940-1960 then nothing.
Bill D

They do have them and they do have heating. The issue is that many of them only have 120v power supplies and that means you can only dry about one third of a normal load while they wash just fine at full capacity. They also run "forever" for a single load, regardless of load size. My daughter had one in her apartment for about two years, but the complex pulled them out because they 1) didn't dry well and they didn't have 240v available for stacked setup and 2) the constantly broke down. GE just released a new one, but I don't know the specifications.

[Bill Dufour]

Jim,
I was not aware of any that are heated. I thought just condensing was used. I think they are not vented is the reason for no added heat. They had gas heated ones in the 1950's. They finally fixed the pilot light issues so it stayed lit even with all the water flying around. Modern dryers do not use a pilot so it should be easier to make today.
Bill D

[Jim Becker]

They do seem to generate some "heat" but it's inadequate however it's being done, unlike the one-piece stacked unit that was in my mother's apartment and an apartment I had many years ago. But those also used 240v...much more drying power. Regardless, I'm skeptical that any "all in one" is going to be very satisfying unless one does really small loads.