Need A Washer/Dryer - Thoughts?

[Kijona]

I'm moving soon and where I'm moving I'll need to purchase a washer and dryer. I'm considering one of the two Korean offerings: Samsung or LG; I hear mixed things about both, but overall they both seem pretty good. I'm just wondering if anyone has any specific recommendations?

My only two "must haves" are: front loader and $1000 each or less.

[Malfruen]

Can't say I can help alot, but we have a 15 odd year old washer thats still spinning clothes at warp speed. Never had a problem with it.

Can't speak for LG products I'm afraid...

[Janx101]

Righto! , flexes fingers cracks knuckles. .. lol

25 years moving people's house stuff...

Washer,  probably LG inverter DD (direct drive) in your size choice, main reason is the adjustable programs...

a lot of front loaders take a looking time to run a cycle.. up to 3 hours!
The LG 8.5kg I have (and some smaller ones), you can use time save function and quick cycle setting to get down to 30-60 mins...
Pretty quiet, not too bad to self service/repair if you need to

The Samsung ones are popular but I thought a bit less user/service/parts cost friendly.

Dryer... either LG or Samsung brand is ok but I'd recommend Westinghouse/Electrolux.... they are Solid!.. you should be able to pick up the dryer for well under 1k?... the fancier dryer with steam/water feature are popular now... but lots more dollars... you basically want a dryer! ..
If you can get one that has a shoe rack/cradle insert for in the drum that is REALLY handy... wet riding boots/shoes... low heat setting... voila! ..

Washers are fine from the Korean brands. .. but the dryers are. ... slightly flimsy,  from the ones I've handled.

If you do go Samsung washer... be careful of the bloody hard skinny plastic hose end fittings... they break easy!

I recommend also a caddy/storage drawer cabinet to sit whatever washer you get... on top of! ... lifts the machine about 18" and saves back ache plus makes load/unload easier!

Any modern front loader... the soft rubber gasket that the door seals onto.... make sure ALL items are inside machine and not trapped between door and seal... the wife's bra strap got caught in ours.... tore the gasket... 125 bucks for the part.... and near insanity to replace!... either spend extra getting the special tools for the job or get a appliance man to do it!...
Anything else like hoses/hose clamps/water inlet solenoids., you can change easy yourself!

[Kijona]

Righto! , flexes fingers cracks knuckles. .. lol

25 years moving people's house stuff...

Washer,  probably LG inverter DD (direct drive) in your size choice, main reason is the adjustable programs...

a lot of front loaders take a looking time to run a cycle.. up to 3 hours!
The LG 8.5kg I have (and some smaller ones), you can use time save function and quick cycle setting to get down to 30-60 mins...
Pretty quiet, not too bad to self service/repair if you need to

The Samsung ones are popular but I thought a bit less user/service/parts cost friendly.

Dryer... either LG or Samsung brand is ok but I'd recommend Westinghouse/Electrolux.... they are Solid!.. you should be able to pick up the dryer for well under 1k?... the fancier dryer with steam/water feature are popular now... but lots more dollars... you basically want a dryer! ..
If you can get one that has a shoe rack/cradle insert for in the drum that is REALLY handy... wet riding boots/shoes... low heat setting... voila! ..

Washers are fine from the Korean brands. .. but the dryers are. ... slightly flimsy,  from the ones I've handled.

If you do go Samsung washer... be careful of the bloody hard skinny plastic hose end fittings... they break easy!

I recommend also a caddy/storage drawer cabinet to sit whatever washer you get... on top of! ... lifts the machine about 18" and saves back ache plus makes load/unload easier!

Any modern front loader... the soft rubber gasket that the door seals onto.... make sure ALL items are inside machine and not trapped between door and seal... the wife's bra strap got caught in ours.... tore the gasket... 125 bucks for the part.... and near insanity to replace!... either spend extra getting the special tools for the job or get a appliance man to do it!...
Anything else like hoses/hose clamps/water inlet solenoids., you can change easy yourself!

I asked the same question on another forum and pretty much got a resounding "LG!!!" so I'm going to start looking at those. I appreciate all the helpful information!

The shoe rack is a nice idea, but I think the old coat hanger with shoelaces trick works just as good. Basically you tie the laces to a coat hanger and close the door with the boots/shoes inside. Works great!

[Janx101]

  .. Coat hanger !! Brilliant! 

[Janx101]

When my work joggers get soaked I have to dry them overnight... getting sick of thuTHUMP thuTHUMP for 90 mins...
Cheers!

[The Buddha]

Buy used. I dunno why people ever even buy these new.
Several 1000's and you get a piece that works for 20 yrs+ if you buy a 10 yr old one.
Cool.
Buddha.

[Kijona]

Buy used. I dunno why people ever even buy these new.
Several 1000's and you get a piece that works for 20 yrs+ if you buy a 10 yr old one.
Cool.
Buddha.

Well, for one thing, the new ones are far more efficient and effective. We had an old Maytag that my parents had before I was born, so it was 20+ years old when it finally gave out. We replaced it with a GE front-loader. Granted, the GE only lasted 5 years, and broke down at least 10 times in that amount of time. However, it worked a LOT better than that old Maytag. There was a considerable drop in both water and electricity bills. The clothes also got MUCH cleaner.

The GE was replaced with an LG and it's worked flawlessly for the last two years or so.

[The Buddha]

Yea, but I cant tell between clean clothes and OK tolerable ... or heck why lie to you ... dirty ... unless its a carb, then if its even got a smudge I'll be on it with my toothbrush.

Yea ... unless my wife says its dirty ... its clean.

I liked my kenmore 70 set more than the 90 I got a few years. Or course I now have a frigidaire ... atleast 10-12 yrs old, paid a princely 250 or so for the pair ... brilliantly negotiated by the estate close out seller ... they wanted market rate for it ... and 250 was the minimum they'd take ... brilliant people ... why just the previous day I bought a working pioneer sx 1250 for $10 ... Yea, its  $1000 amp ... that deal forever cemented me in the hall of fame among local bargain hunters ... not been topped yet by me or my fellow audio hunters ... The previous record was my 3 ESS heil's for $20 ... But the $10 1250 was a show stopper even by my standards.

Cool.
Buddha.

[pliskin]

My washer/dryer are 15+ yes old. Cost me about $15 to fix it when it broke years ago and going strong. I think they are Kenmore. My wife tourtures those poor machines.
New machines cost a lot and are all junk.

[Janx101]

Hmmmm some of the new stuff is worthy..... but at a premium price! ...

And that's an issue in a way... the general public usually wants cheap prices. .. then a discount. .. and still expects premium quality?! ...
You always get what you pay for in the end!

[The Buddha]

In a way, you can spend $1000 manufacturing a vertical washer that wont hold a candle to a $400 front loader. Why - laws of physics. Specifically gravity.

The dryers - meeeeh, those suckers dont do squat for cleaning, if you grab clothes right as the dryer stops and put em on a hanger they wont wrinkle and wont need ironing ... but otherwise dryers dont matter. Older ones may scorch a few delicate clothes though ... so your silk panties (and you know who you are ... no not the women - if we even have any still left) may be burnt up ...

Oh yea another trick - dishwasher - if you open the thing as it goes into the dry cycle and shake the living daylights out of the racks, then close it and let it finish drying and sit for an hour or so ... the dishes will be dry. Shaking get rid of the excess water in the tops of cups etc via gravity. Then heat from the dry cycle will dry it out.
Cool.
Buddha.

[yamahonkawazuki]

My washer/dryer are 15+ yes old. Cost me about $15 to fix it when it broke years ago and going strong. I think they are Kenmore. My wife tourtures those poor machines.
New machines cost a lot and are all junk.

running 15+yo kenmores. Fairly efficient i self repair, so not worried about that