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profhoff.
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October 31, 2011 at 12:14 PM #19247October 31, 2011 at 12:29 PM #731726
all
ParticipantI got an LG similar to DLG2241W carried by Sears a couple of years ago. It had good reviews and we had no problems with it.
Wait until Black Friday and make sure you check Fry’s. I got mine at about 50% of the original price (which was about the same at Sears and Fry’s) and Sears would not match it.
Fry’s usually publishes their Black Friday ad on Thursday evening. They run 3-day sale Friday-Sunday with different specials every day.
October 31, 2011 at 12:35 PM #731728briansd1
GuestI would say get the most simple model that matches your washer.
There’s not much technology that goes into a dryer.
A matched pair looks better.
October 31, 2011 at 1:01 PM #731734eavesdropper
Participant[quote=captcha]I got an LG similar to DLG2241W carried by Sears a couple of years ago. It had good reviews and we had no problems with it.
Wait until Black Friday and make sure you check Fry’s. I got mine at about 50% of the original price (which was about the same at Sears and Fry’s) and Sears would not match it.
Fry’s usually publishes their Black Friday ad on Thursday evening. They run 3-day sale Friday-Sunday with different specials every day.[/quote]
Unfortunately, I’m sure I’ll need one this week. And we don’t have Fry’s here in DC. But I’m surprised that Sears wouldn’t match the price….
Also, I have wondered about the reliability of the LG appliances. Here in DC, Lowe’s often advertises them at very good prices. Does your laundry get heavy “family-level” use, or less? In my case, it’s primarily just my husband and I.
However, my teenage daughter is supposed to do her own laundry. Her lack of interest combined with complete laundry-related illiteracy poses a potentially serious threat to our equipment during the 4 times a year she actually breaks down and does her laundry. Like when she tries to stuff 30 pairs of heavy jeans into the washing machine with 3 cups (not “capfuls”) of detergent, and “forgets” to change the water-level from medium to extra-large. Fun for all!!
October 31, 2011 at 1:04 PM #731736Participant[quote=briansd1]I would say get the most simple model that matches your washer.
There’s not much technology that goes into a dryer.
A matched pair looks better.[/quote]
Yeah, but what do I do when the washer goes down in another 18 months??
I wouldn’t have this problem if I lived in close proximity to a river with some good-sized smooth rocks near the shore….
October 31, 2011 at 1:12 PM #731741SK in CV
Participant[quote=eavesdropper]
However, my teenage daughter is supposed to do her own laundry. Her lack of interest combined with complete laundry-related illiteracy poses a potentially serious threat to our equipment during the 4 times a year she actually breaks down and does her laundry. Like when she tries to stuff 30 pairs of heavy jeans into the washing machine with 3 cups (not “capfuls”) of detergent, and “forgets” to change the water-level from medium to extra-large. Fun for all!![/quote]I just quoted that paragraph because I thought it was funny in a been there, done that sort of way. (and it wasn’t me trying to stuff the 30 pair of jeans into the washing machine. I’m a guy. I own 2 pair of wearable jeans at any one time.)
But on the bigger question. Seriously. $1,700? For that kinda money it really ought to do something better than just blow hot air. Even if it only does it like…i dunno, once a week. If it did, I might have to check which height is better.
October 31, 2011 at 1:14 PM #731743jstoesz
ParticipantI have a 15 year old washer and 20+ year old drier (they both have fake wood veneer on them). I bought them used a while back, so I do not know their life cycle too much. I have fixed both on a couple occasions. Recently my washer went out, and I had to replace the whole water pump assembly. Repair took a few hours plus another in parts hunting and driving. It cost me like 50 bucks total, and that was a major repair.
Point is, the older units are easily fixed for cheap. If it is truly beyond repair, get something cheap and uncomplicated, I have maytags which I have liked. But the old ones are fixable, have parts readily available, and are likely better quality.
New efficient washers don’t wash clothes for crap. How much water do I save if I have to run my washer twice? From my experience, new driers take twice as long and dry half as well.
October 31, 2011 at 2:45 PM #731765UCGal
ParticipantI would go with the 4800X.
But I buy appliances for function, maintenance, and cost. Whether a dryer looks good doesn’t matter to me – it’s not in my entertaining space.And my washer is an old school top loader… Which is super reliable, albeit less efficient with the water.
The only advice I have is to get the largest capacity one you can – it will dry everything faster because there’s more air flow when you’re running a full load.
October 31, 2011 at 3:10 PM #731767profhoff
ParticipantLG gets poor marks on kitchen appliances so I would research this brand carefully. Whirlpool gets very high marks. The more electronics you have on board, the more expensive repairs are going to be, so keep it simple. Good looks are fun, but sometimes add considerably to the price, eg colors, stainless, etc. We have the pedestals on our Whirlpool W/D and they are terrific for storage, so I think that’s a bonus.
October 31, 2011 at 3:11 PM #731769Participant[quote=eavesdropper]
Also, I have wondered about the reliability of the LG appliances. Here in DC, Lowe’s often advertises them at very good prices. Does your laundry get heavy “family-level” use, or less? In my case, it’s primarily just my husband and I.
[/quote]We might be in top 1% of households with regards to the washer & dryer usage. Both are LG. So is our TV.
My impression is that LG has to give you more for the money due to the bad reputation they earned a decade+ ago, similar to Hyundai. We are satisfied with our LG’s and Hyundai.
Our Sony devices (digital camera, laptop and surround) and our Toyota were all more expensive ‘top of the cheap line’ products and crappy enough that I decided not to purchase anything pushed by them until the end of the decade.
I’m not Korean and it’s not my patriotic duty to push LG & Samsung.
October 31, 2011 at 3:16 PM #731770Guest[quote=UCGal]
And my washer is an old school top loader… Which is super reliable, albeit less efficient with the water.
[/quote]I think that tumble washing is easier on the clothes than agitator washing.
A front load washer dries better. You save water during the wash plus you save on drying time.
October 31, 2011 at 3:31 PM #731774Hobie
Participant[quote=eavesdropper]
What say ye: should I go with #3 (leaving more $$$ for chocolate, cheap booze, vibrator batteries and other essentials)[/quote]Like the priorities 😉 Not sure if it has been discussed, but get a natural gas unit. Cheaper to run.
We ‘had’ to have one of the now older feature rich units ( maytag ) and the only function that is ever used is the auto sense dry mode. Works fine and is used daily!
On a different note, be sure to keep the outside vent pipe clean of lint. Fire hazard.
October 31, 2011 at 9:46 PM #731812
svelteParticipant[quote=eavesdropper]
Yeah, but what do I do when the washer goes down in another 18 months??
[/quote]Our current set is 4 yrs old with no problems so far – front loading, but pretty simple other than that.
I agree with brian, get as simple a unit as you can get away with…minimizes the number of things that can go wrong.
Our w/d usually last a decade or more. Only reason we had to buy 4 years ago is we sold our last w/d pair with the house.
October 31, 2011 at 11:59 PM #731824outtamojo
ParticipantNot sure I agree w/ simple as possible – my sister in law was about to throw out their dryer cause it wouldn’t dry well enough and it gave off a smell of something burning. The thing had a diagnostic mode and told me all I needed to do was clean out the lint and replace a thermostat.
November 1, 2011 at 4:59 AM #731826Participant[quote=Hobie][quote=eavesdropper]
What say ye: should I go with #3 (leaving more $$$ for chocolate, cheap booze, vibrator batteries and other essentials)[/quote]Like the priorities 😉 Not sure if it has been discussed, but get a natural gas unit. Cheaper to run. [/quote]
I was wondering about that. I’m definitely a natural gas proponent when it comes to cooking stoves and furnaces. But my experience with gas dryers has not been as positive: more expensive and it takes longer to dry the clothes. But it’s been almost 20 years since I’ve had a gas dryer. Have they improved in this regard?
[quote=Hobie] We ‘had’ to have one of the now older feature rich units ( maytag ) and the only function that is ever used is the auto sense dry mode. Works fine and is used daily! [/quote]
Exactly my point. Both of the dryers I use currently are “cheap models” (GE & Whirlpool), and they both have the auto-sense function, as does the $400 model I’m looking at now (in fact, I found it at another retailer for $357 last night). As far as I can tell, in terms of FUNCTION (aside from the steam dry option), these models are on even footing: same number of cycle choices, same temperature choices, same capacities.
And while I think the steam-dry function is nifty, it’s not worth an extra $400 (#2) much less $1100. Nor is the “Cycle Status” button (if I don’t care enough to remove my clothes from the dryer at the end of a cycle, am I really going to care about what’s happening DURING the cycle?) or the ability to choose volume control (“Soft” and “Loud”) on my Cycle Completion Alarm.
I think I’m just finding it difficult to believe that there can be that much of a price differential in the absence of a significant upgrade in function. Hey, I’m willing to pay more, but I want something in return that’s a lot more impressive than “Laundry Apps”.
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