Washers/Dryers

[AG_PhamD]

Hello All,

This was the most appropriate area I figured I could find.

I’m in the market for 2 washing machines and 2 dryers (must be stackable due to space constraints). Budget is around $4000. I own a small part of a residential psych program. We currently Kenmore/Whirlpool washer/dryer “laundry centers” (stacked, single unit machines). They were probably the cheapest appliances my partner could find and never were great to begin with, with your average load taking 3-4hrs. After 7-8 years of age, basically running 12+ hrs a day to accommodate ~20-28 patients + facility needs (bedding, dish clothes, etc), and numerous repairs, these things aren’t worth fixing anymore.

Anyone have any positive or negative experiences with any particular brands?

The other option is to go the commercial route. These machines would cost more like $8000 total, which is more than we’d like to spend but might be worth it in the long run. Alternatively they can be rented for about $200/month total with no cost to use and free repairs… but it’s a 10yr contract which ends up being way more than purchasing outright (granted you don’t get basically an unlimited warranty buying outright). Or rent for free and charge our patients (as well as the company) for use via digital payment system… and we get some percent of the profit- something I don’t care about as I’m not running a laundromat. Our monthly fee to patients (private pay, no insurance) is already 5-figures so charging for laundry machines seems silly, even though most other programs that cost far more.

My grandmother had the same washing machine for like 30 years. I guess they don’t make things like they used to…

Thanks for any input!

 

[DT]

No question, for your use case, I'd go commercial with a service contract (not rent, just have maintenance/service covered).

 

[ronntaylor]

Like @DT said, I'd go commercial. We've had nothing but trouble with new machines in the last few years. The old Kenmore lasted for nearly 15 years. The new German machine (can't remember the brand name) was acting up within months. The digital reader said two minutes remaining. Come back five minutes and it now reads ten minutes. Come back 10+ minutes later and it says five minutes. You wait staring at the machine and the time remaining goes up and down at regular intervals. Too finicky and unreliable. And to top it off, my FIL got a "discount" so we wound up with no warranty.

I am looking forward to our next house within the next decade. I will be buying commercial based on the best tech at that time.

 

[Herdfan]

My grandmother had the same washing machine for like 30 years. I guess they don’t make things like they used to…

Probably a Speed Queen.

When my daughter moved into her apartment at college, we went shopping for a new W/D. She found an old set of Maytag for $200 on FB Marketplace. They look like crap, but after hauling them up the stairs, they are much better built than anything today.

 

[tobefirst]

I'll third the commercial recommendation and also echo @Herdfan's guess of a Speed Queen. I've heard nothing but great things about them. I'm definitely not buying another Samsung appliance. Our 6 year old dryer has already been repaired twice and will always overdry clothes if you use its automatic settings.

 

[Clix Pix]

Both the neighbor across the hall from me in our condo community and I have the same (stacked) Maytag washer/dryer sets, since the people who had owned her unit before she did and I had moved in at the same time -- October 1994 -- and in both cases we put in new appliances, replacing what the builder had originally installed back in 1984. All these years later those Maytags are still going strong, and I'm hoping that they continue to do so as the years pass!

 

[DT]

FWIW, our LG washer/dryer have been outstanding, really cool cherry metallic red, nice and quiet, the clothes come out great, low power, has some neat features like monitors/analyzes the loads for correct heat, water use and whatnot.

Got them in 2009, with only one DIY repair, had to replace the display board on the dryer a few years ago, ~$125 from AppliancePartPros, that's pretty good value for 12-13 years considering the pretty continuous use.

I remember they were on a super good sale, the extended warranty was almost free for 5 years, and it was way back when Bing was doing promos, like you had to surf certain pages, don't recall the details other than we got a rebate after several weeks of like another $300-400 making them a steal.

 

[AG_PhamD]

The Speed Queen commercial stacked washer/dryer x2 are about $3700. They come with a 5 year warranty and many vendors offer extended warranties on top of that for $200-300.

Whirlpool makes a commercial unit for about $2800/each, but the warranty is 90 day labor/2 year parts which seems a little weak. Extended warranties are available though.

The problem is finding them in stock right now.

I’d rather spend ~$8000 than lease for 10 years at the cost of close to $17,000- not worth it.

The question is do we instead spend ~$1600x2 ($3200) for consumer grade with 5 year extended warranties, assume we get 5 years of use, at which point we replace them. That’s still cheaper than the Speed Queens over a 10 year period, however I’m sure repairs will be more likely and more of a hassle when they occur.

 

[ronntaylor]

The Speed Queen commercial stacked washer/dryer x2 are about $3700. They come with a 5 year warranty and many vendors offer extended warranties on top of that for $200-300.

Whirlpool makes a commercial unit for about $2800/each, but the warranty is 90 day labor/2 year parts which seems a little weak. Extended warranties are available though.

The problem is finding them in stock right now.

I’d rather spend ~$8000 than lease for 10 years at the cost of close to $17,000- not worth it.

The question is do we instead spend ~$1600x2 ($3200) for consumer grade with 5 year extended warranties, assume we get 5 years of use, at which point we replace them. That’s still cheaper than the Speed Queens over a 10 year period, however I’m sure repairs will be more likely and more of a hassle when they occur.

Check with your credit card provider. Some will double your warranty automatically.

 

[Thomas Veil]

I'll third the commercial recommendation and also echo @Herdfan's guess of a Speed Queen. I've heard nothing but great things about them. I'm definitely not buying another Samsung appliance. Our 6 year old dryer has already been repaired twice and will always overdry clothes if you use its automatic settings.

Can’t address washers/dryers, but when we bought our GE fridge at one of the smaller appliance dealers, the salesman was quite frank: no non-commercial appliance is expected to last more than ten years anymore. He specifically mentioned Samsung as being a brand to avoid. And it wasn’t because of markup—the GE and the Samsung were priced about the same.

 

[DT]

Well FMA. Is there a DIY repair thread

 

[AG_PhamD]

Well FMA. Is there a DIY repair thread

Maybe there should be a home improvement thread or better yet section, as this site is quite the hodgepodge of topics as it is.

My company is old enough now that everything that was new when we opened or upgraded early on is now aging to the point where things are breaking down one after another and/or need replacement.

The most recent issue to crop up now is the heating element in the oven has failed for the second time in 5-6 years. The replacement part is $650… which is basically the cost of a new, cheap stove that would probably be more reliable than this commercial thing that cost $4000+. And that $650 doesn’t include probably $300+ in labor if we hire a technician.