Our 18 year old Maytag was making an awful noise. I attempt diy on anything. My possible mis-diagnosis was a bearing. The kit came and I could see it was the wrong one so I returned it. The fact that the schematic of the tranny listed dozens of parts and being 18, we just got new W&D. The dryer is nuclear, however, I hate the washer. Cycles take forever! Despite being 18, whishing we had just had it repaired!
You-all hate your new Maytag/Whirlpool washer?
- Thread starter emrtmakesshiteup
- Start date
Must be the same model we have. Takes 15 minutes to go through all it's gyrations before it begins to wash. Just sits there 2-3 minutes between cycles.
Just sell the house as is and move to a new one. With a new washer and dryer
It's your only option.
It's your only option.
Not sure if your Maytag was built after they were acquired by Whirlpool (guessing perhaps yours is a re-badged Whirlpool as opposed to a legacy Maytag... Whirlpool trashed nearly all of the old Maytag washers/dryers/fridges/dishwashers as it was all pretty much crap), but Whirlpool top-loaders are built like an Army tank and are readily serviceable by any DIY’r, and, unlike the newer gimmicky/sexy/moldy front-loaders parts, are very common and relatively inexpensive for the old battle-ax top load Whirlpools...
Every seven years or so I need to replace the nylon “dogs” in the agitator... you’ll know those are the culprit when the agitator seems to be “stripped” of its gears, binds/won’t rotate normally.... also the machine won’t complete the rinse cycle (last 8” of water won’t drain from the tub)... it’s a $6 fix and takes 10min. .... I’ve also replaced the rubber transmission bushing many years ago when i failed to correct an unbalanced load... that was a $16 part, it’s designed to fail before the much more expensive driveline is ruined...
alas I can’t remember who it is but there was a poster here on BWI that helped engineer the newer front-load Whirlpools... he had some interesting things to say... including why we should think twice before buying Korean appliances (loved that story)...
Every seven years or so I need to replace the nylon “dogs” in the agitator... you’ll know those are the culprit when the agitator seems to be “stripped” of its gears, binds/won’t rotate normally.... also the machine won’t complete the rinse cycle (last 8” of water won’t drain from the tub)... it’s a $6 fix and takes 10min. .... I’ve also replaced the rubber transmission bushing many years ago when i failed to correct an unbalanced load... that was a $16 part, it’s designed to fail before the much more expensive driveline is ruined...
alas I can’t remember who it is but there was a poster here on BWI that helped engineer the newer front-load Whirlpools... he had some interesting things to say... including why we should think twice before buying Korean appliances (loved that story)...
Bought a Maytag last fall. A week in, couldn't stand it for many of the same reasons mentioned, and returned/exchanged it for an "old school" Speed Queen that we're quite happy with it so far. We were told SQ's are made and operate very similar to the way they were 20/30 years ago and that seems to be the case. They just wash clothes....which is really all we wanted
Sometimes its hard to adjust to a new tranny
Not to mention a “Speed Queen”
It's a tradeoff. Front load washers just take longer. They use less water, they use less detergent, they clean better and they are more gentle with clothes -- but they take longer.
We have Bosch front load machines and "quick wash" takes about 35 minutes. On "power wash" it's an hour. And the energy efficient dryer isn't fast either.
But they really get clothes and bedding clean and they definitely save us money on water and electricity.
If you want the traditional top load, Speed Queen is the best option IMHO.
Speed Queen's business is largely to supply laundromats but you can buy them at independent appliance stores (not Home Depot).
They are pricey because they're built with commercial components, but they should last 20 years. You can still buy Speed Queens with traditional mechanical innards (no circuit board that has to be replaced every 2 years).
We have Bosch front load machines and "quick wash" takes about 35 minutes. On "power wash" it's an hour. And the energy efficient dryer isn't fast either.
But they really get clothes and bedding clean and they definitely save us money on water and electricity.
If you want the traditional top load, Speed Queen is the best option IMHO.
Speed Queen's business is largely to supply laundromats but you can buy them at independent appliance stores (not Home Depot).
They are pricey because they're built with commercial components, but they should last 20 years. You can still buy Speed Queens with traditional mechanical innards (no circuit board that has to be replaced every 2 years).
We had our house built less than four years ago and had all brand new “high efficiency” appliances like the Maytag washer. High efficiency simply means they don’t work very well. Our high efficiency dishwasher basically air dries the dishes, our high efficiency refrigerator basically keeps things just cold enough to avoid spoilage, and our high efficiency washer and dryer makes washing your clothes against a rock in a stream and hanging it on a clothesline seem fast. Let’s save the environment and keep our bills down by using appliances that don’t work for sh!t.
Yep, and since these new appliances aren’t as durable you will end up replacing it sooner, which of course is bad for the environment. Kind of like the low water volume toilets that you have to flush so many times to serve their intended purpose that you end up using more water than you would with a less efficient model. Liberalism at its finest.
Speed Queen is commercial-grade stuff, built like an old Mercedes... personally I just can’t justify the 2x outlay vs. a tried-n-true bulletproof Whirlpool top-loader, no diff as far as operating costs...
my ‘Pool is 20+ years old and I plan to be buried in it ... matching dryer had been given a new motor (by me - $100) and a thermal fuse ($12) over the last 20yrs .... I can only imagine how many appliances end up in landfills when they can be fixed with little effort/coin ... all the money I save goes toward sexy outfits for my wife
No issue with the Maytag washer but the Maytag dryer on the other hand... Dryer door wont stay shut..replaced the latch and same issue persists. pops open after running for a couple minutes .Have to use duct tape to hold door shut. Had it since January. Service company came and said they need to replace the same latch i just replaced. Good grief...
I'd blame the crappy appliance life on capitalism. Maybe not blame, but planned obsolescence is the way these companies increase profit. Sure they could build a quality unit, but why build something that lasts 20 years when they can build a cheap one that lasts ~7 max and sell basically 2 more units in the lifespan of a previous model.
Check out this documentary when you have an hour as it compares the long lives of appliances built in the soviet era as opposed to the planned obsolescence model.
Really makes the case for the fact that if you want companies to grow you can't have them building units that are such good quality that people will only buy a unit once every 20-30 years.
This month marks 24 years for our Maytag washer and dryer. One small repair to the dryer about 20 years ago but not one thing ever done to the washer. And that includes moving at least a dozen times is those 24 years. Wouldn't even think twice about going Maytag again if Maytag was still Maytag. But we've already decided that when these go, we're going the Speed Queen route.
I understand your pain. A couple weeks ago my 15 year old Kenmore quit spinning the clothing. I figured it was time for a new washer. My wife and I began shopping immediately and quickly learned that these new washers take forever to wash a load of clothing due to water level sensing technology. You know, environmentally friendly appliances. Who has all day to hang around the house just to get the washing done? I ended up googling and ordering a part for Betsy. She is now fixed and spins the clothes almost dry. These new machines may save you a gallon of water but they utilize additional coal to generate the electricity to keep machine running longer, almost 2x as long per load.
Don't laugh... I have a Frigadaire washer that is over 30 years and still going strong. As a person with a dirty occupation, I wash clothes most everyday. Only thing that I hate is that there is NO fabric softener
I have a set of Maytags made in 1975. 43 years later and still going strong.
I have a Kenmore front load washer and dryer, and i can't WAIT for them to go out so I can go back to a top load. In my opinion, front load washers don't get things very clean compared to the tried and true top load agitator. There are a few times it won't power up, so I need to unplug it for like 5 minutes and it'll come back on. And I've had to replace the door seal. That's it though. almost 10 years old.
My gripe about top-loaders is that there’s no doubt the agitator beats the living snot out of the fabrics... have very few phoxx to give about water usage as I am a 3-wood from one of the Great Lakes.... keep doin my best to lower the lake level
Daughter bought a go to hell washer and dryer set. Repairman told her they love the go to hell ones, they keep them in business. Told her that the simple old fashion machines with no electronics lasted the longest. Daughter moved, part of the deal was that all of the appliances stayed. Daughter bought old time no electronics washer and dryer for the new house...
Traded our aging whirlpool washer and dryer for LG. ugh. Takes too long and does not get the clothing clean.
went on vacation ... had a stackable set up ... it was better than the expensive LG.
went on vacation ... had a stackable set up ... it was better than the expensive LG.
What's with all you folks who sit and wait for your wash to finish? I couldn't tell you how long my wash takes because I throw it in and go do something else. I come back later and throw it in the dryer. Laundry is possibly the easiest chore there is. It's not something you do when you're tight on time. You throw it in in-between errands, or while you're watching a game.
My wife hates it. Pissed that she allowed the salesman to convince her to buy it. Doesn't add enough water, streaks on clothes, takes forever. Good luck if you have a lot of laundry to do. I hate it too. Wife nags me about it all the time. Like I know how to get it working to her satisfaction. LOL
Looked at replacing our older Kenmoor (Whirlpool) a while back when the timer mechanism crapped out for the main cycle. When we found out that there were not agitators in the high efficiency models, that they just (try and ) blow the water/soap through the clothes, we decided to just repair our older washer. Part are readily available, and just about any repair is explained in a youtube video as well. Replaced the cycle timer, and then not too long ago replaced the level control. Easy fixes.
But if our washer did crap out, we would be buying a Speed Queen. They are highly recommended standard washing machines with traditional agitators. I have heard nothing good about expensive front loader washers and dryers (too expensive, costly repairs, .....)
The hardest things to fix are those that are not broke (standard agitator washers) ....
But if our washer did crap out, we would be buying a Speed Queen. They are highly recommended standard washing machines with traditional agitators. I have heard nothing good about expensive front loader washers and dryers (too expensive, costly repairs, .....)
The hardest things to fix are those that are not broke (standard agitator washers) ....
My washer--no idea what make--has a timer on it and when you choose the mix of attributes you want this load to be washed with, it tells you how many minutes til it is done. No idea if it is comparatively fast or slow, but I can tell you I never have given a thought until today to how fast the washer is.
The dryer also has a built in timer that senses how long it will take to dry. Seems like it takes about 40 minutes for a load of blue jeans and Tshirts to dry.
This thread is a first for me. Never gave a damn how long it took before
I had a similar thing happen with our Panasonic microwave. Crapped out a couple days after the warranty expired. Less that a week. Got nothing from them--and we'll never buy a Panasonic ever again.
Flipside, the wife had a cheap Coleman poncho that tore. Called them and they sent out a new one that was better than the one we'd bought, at no charge. We'll buy Coleman again.
Agreed, I've fixed my oven, fridge, dishwasher and furnace all using YouTube (or other online resources). I even learned how to do my brake pads/rotars, wow is that a money saver. It's so easy, who knew?
Funny story with the dishwasher. When you closed the door it would not stay latched. I took it apart and examined it, looked ok, but still wouldn't latch. So I went online and found a new latch and replaced it. The problem persisted. I was like, WTF?!?! So I start looking more closely. It turns out one of my kids put a small plastic cup in the back middle of the top rack in such a way that it was wedged in there and sticking out past the back of the rack just enough to keep it from closing all the way. It was just enough resistance to make the latch pop back out when you closed the door. $40 lesson learned
Front load washers do have issues that you’ll never see on top loaders because the tribal knowledge history just doesn’t exist yet.
The mold issue is the worst. Other than adding a forced air drying cycle to the units I don’t know how to 100% fix that in machine design. If the owner will leave the door open when not using the unit it would help but that’s not gonna happen.
What front loaders and agaitatorless top load machines do best is clean and handle the clothes more gently besides saving water.
Electronic controls are getting better but the mechanical controls will probably outlast them 5:1.
The time estimates on the washers and dryers are nice but drying is mostly a guess and really dependent on the load. The sensor in the dryer drum is a contact moisture type and it signals the processor based on the number of hits it receives. The algorithm is constantly being improved but sometimes you’ll see the numbers fall and then go back up.
As a industry vet, I’d never buy foreign units because of reliability and operating quality issues. And I’ll never buy a washer with an agitator. The electronic controlls are almost necessary in the higher end/volume units so I’ll have to go there.
I’m lucky to have a 2006 Whirlpool Duet front load washer at home and have never had an issue. My daughter is amazed at how well it maintains the ‘looks new’ aspect in her clothes. But she does complain how it turns everything inside out.
My dryer matches the washer and is solid. Should be as I led the manufacturing introduction on that model. But really, the front load matched pair uses mostly old drying technology that has incrementally improved over the last seventy years. Front load washers have to gain some history on that.
Good to hear folks are fixing their machines. I love to tinker on stuff but fortunately laundry hasn’t needed it.
Good luck to all.
And please, don’t fall for the Korean crap in the marketplace today. You be so sorry.
The mold issue is the worst. Other than adding a forced air drying cycle to the units I don’t know how to 100% fix that in machine design. If the owner will leave the door open when not using the unit it would help but that’s not gonna happen.
What front loaders and agaitatorless top load machines do best is clean and handle the clothes more gently besides saving water.
Electronic controls are getting better but the mechanical controls will probably outlast them 5:1.
The time estimates on the washers and dryers are nice but drying is mostly a guess and really dependent on the load. The sensor in the dryer drum is a contact moisture type and it signals the processor based on the number of hits it receives. The algorithm is constantly being improved but sometimes you’ll see the numbers fall and then go back up.
As a industry vet, I’d never buy foreign units because of reliability and operating quality issues. And I’ll never buy a washer with an agitator. The electronic controlls are almost necessary in the higher end/volume units so I’ll have to go there.
I’m lucky to have a 2006 Whirlpool Duet front load washer at home and have never had an issue. My daughter is amazed at how well it maintains the ‘looks new’ aspect in her clothes. But she does complain how it turns everything inside out.
My dryer matches the washer and is solid. Should be as I led the manufacturing introduction on that model. But really, the front load matched pair uses mostly old drying technology that has incrementally improved over the last seventy years. Front load washers have to gain some history on that.
Good to hear folks are fixing their machines. I love to tinker on stuff but fortunately laundry hasn’t needed it.
Good luck to all.
And please, don’t fall for the Korean crap in the marketplace today. You be so sorry.
BTW I would be wary about keeping a very old dryer (more than 15-20 years) because of the fire hazard.
My close relative almost had their house burn down. Very scary.
Traditional dryers are just a steel cylinder spinning on a pad of felt. They don't actually have bearings. Well if the felt pad wears out, you can have steel spinning on steel and the whole thing gets very hot.
Newer drivers have overheat sensors and will shut themselves off but older dryers are too primitive -- as long as the motor still works and the belt hasn't melted, the dryer will keep spinning and get hot enough to combust laundry.
In my sister's house the dryer lit some laundry that was sitting on top of it -- created a ton of smoke but fortunately the fire didn't spread.
My close relative almost had their house burn down. Very scary.
Traditional dryers are just a steel cylinder spinning on a pad of felt. They don't actually have bearings. Well if the felt pad wears out, you can have steel spinning on steel and the whole thing gets very hot.
Newer drivers have overheat sensors and will shut themselves off but older dryers are too primitive -- as long as the motor still works and the belt hasn't melted, the dryer will keep spinning and get hot enough to combust laundry.
In my sister's house the dryer lit some laundry that was sitting on top of it -- created a ton of smoke but fortunately the fire didn't spread.
Basic premise for me: Why pay someone that barely made it through high school to perform repairs that are not rocket science - when you were smart enough to get a PSU engineering degree and work in the technical field? It's a nice luxury to let someone else do the work, but a significant money saver to do it yourself, especially a job like brake pads & rotors.... Especially when there is youtube to get you started.
