1982! Really? Yup!

We've been going through boxes of files in the basement and we found the paperwork to our Maytag washer. We bought that thing in 1982! Geez, that washer is 34 years old! And still going strong! Oh, we've had the repair weenie come in from time to time to replace parts and such, but that's about it. I think he's come in three times to work on the washer. 

Rick says we probably should get a new washer, just to cut down on the amount of water usage, if nothing else. But I hate to get a new washer if there's nothing wrong with the old one. Yet.

So that got us to thinking about our other appliances. Our dryer is considerably newer than the washer, although it's old, too; we had had a dryer fire quite a few years ago and had to replace it. We're probably due for a new water heater, too; our old one is about ten years old now, although we do clean it out every two years. The kitchen appliances are fairly new, except for the stove, which we just had repaired earlier this summer.

How old is your oldest appliance?

The fridge and oven came with the mobile home in 1996 so for now they still work. you don't want a new washer. we got a front loader and we are NOT happy with it. we will go back to an old maytag anyday.

The stove is oldest. It is from 2000.

I had a Maytag washer in dryer in my last apartment--actually with my parents. They were old, and worked awesome!! I loved them. 

This place came with all it's appliances, including washer and dryer.. I was a fool not to insist that we take our own.. I currently have a front loader..I hate it with a passion.. says extra large capacity--baloney!!!

I cannot wash a quilt in it.. no way!! and the loads are so tiny.. I wish it would break down so I could get a new one. 

One of my neighbors just had her washer break. It was a kenmore, circa 1999...they replaced it with a New Maytag top loader!! She loves it! She said it is huge. I think I may ask her if I can use it for my quilt. 

To get back to topic. I think the new Maytags are not as good as the old ones. 

Maytag was sold to Whirlpool. They also own the Kenmore line (Sears)..

I have a Whirlpool dryer that is 20 years old.  I replaced the washer that I got with it 8 or 9 years ago.  It still worked but it had started leaking.  I moved it and mopped under it every time I did laundry for about a year before I gave up and replaced it.

They just don't make 'em like they used to! It's so true though. We have an old TV. It must be at least 15 years old. We both refuse to get a new one because a) this one still works just fine and b) everyone who buys a new TV has to buy another one within 2 years.
Pam, I think you should stick to your old Maytag for as long as it lasts.

My parents had a refrigerator that lasted 40 years without a single repair. (which is amazing really, because these things run 24/7 - but that sucker was built!) (in the 50's). It only ever got retired finally because of not being self-defrosting. (If any of you remember chiseling ice blocks while your food goes bad on the table, and you have a puddle under foot, and whats that weird smell?? yea....defrosting the fridge!!

Anyway, so it got replaced with a nice "frost free" model finally, but of course THAT required repair every three years.

I bought a VCR in 1986 that took more use and abuse for years than it was ever intended for, and it still works now! And never had to be repaired.
But when I bought a DVD player in 2007, by 2008 I had to throw it away (and it cost $300, I was NOT happy.) And this began a complete reversal of everything I had learned to rely on about how to buy something that will last. My father had always told me if you buy the cheap one it wont last, but the expensive one - though it will cost much more - you'll still have it in 20 years. And he'd always been right..until the 2000's. I went from a "good" ($330) DVR which lasted only ten months, to a $70 DVR which lasted only 7 months, to a $40 DVR which I keep a spare ready to replace it when it goes. So I've entirely accepted that the rule now is "Buy the cheap one, you'll lose less when it almost immediately turns out to be a dirty trick, quality-wise".

So I've become quite the cynic, because everything I buy is hollow junk now.

I even got a 30-pack of CD's recently that had only 29 in it, and when I asked, I was told
a "30-pack" is only SUPPOSED TO have 29.
*Fred Flintstone swear*.
There's NO limit for those people.

Please do not get a new appliance if the old one is still working. The deliberately make things to fall apart. To great more jobs. Let's face it. the old appliances my parents had , lasted 35 to 40 years. You ask any appliance repairman today and they will tell you will be lucky to get 10 years out of it.  So your constantly buying new large appliances. I should know. I've had to replace every large appliance in my house. GRRR. 

I don't like the old washers with beater bars in the middle. But I don't like front-loaders either. I like the new ones with no beater bars but top-loading. So I don't want an old washer. And the old refrigerators use so much electricity.

All of mine are about 10 years old, except the water heater tank which is about 6 years old.

My newest appliance is a Speed Queen washer we purchased about two years ago. It is a basic washer with an agitator and dials, not digital. I love it. The next newest is the dryer bought about seven years ago. and a freezer bought about 3 years ago. Everything else was purchased when we built the house in 2002.

I wouldn't buy a new appliance unless the old one has quit. I did that with my freezer. It was old, one to defrost and it had been in my possession since the 70's. It was still working. I just got tired of defrosting and thought it might be subject to quit. The freezer we bought came from Sears. Within a week or two after the one year warranty had expired, the freon had leaked out. We managed to get it repaired, but the repairman said they don't build them to last on purpose. Don't call me again if it quits.:lol3: The one I got rid of is probably somewhere still running.

I WISH we could have just gotten an older style washer!  it was hard to find one that did what I want because they are all energy saving now.  

We bought our house brand new and sold all our old appliances with the old place.  So almost everything is the same age.  The house was empty for about 6 months before we bought it I think; so they were installed in 2008 but not used till 2009.  We have some small appliances that we got when we got married; like the bread machine. But I hardly use it.  

When we do decide to get a new washer, it's not going to be one of those high-efficiency things. I think I'd be interested in a Speed Queen, like what @blueyedgirl5946  bought. I don't think I'd like the HE ones.

The Maytag we have now takes about 25 minutes, give or take, to run a load of laundry. I can often get two loads of laundry at least washed while I'm on the treadmill in the morning. They say the new HE washers take forever to do one load. I couldn't handle it.....I'm all about getting the chores done. Quickly. Like right now.

I would much rather have a regular top load machine, I have a front loader now.  They are hard to find though.  There is no place around here that sells Speed Queen outright.  There is a rent to own place that has them and that is it.  I think GE still makes one.

I go to the Laundromat. We have hard water. It's like beating our clothes on the rocks. The Laundry Room has high powered front loaders that run with filtered/softened water.

I hate the HE model we have. It doesn't fill with enough water and if you add water it spins it so then I think the clothes don't get as clean. I will buy an older 1990s washer when this one craps the bed. The motor and parts are fairly simple. The new HE models are expensive to fix. Our dryer bought in 2007 stopped working. Got a new motor. new circuit board-2 of them! $650 later. next time we will crap can it and buy an old style drum.

yes I can wash a quilt in it but like I said- it doesn't fill with enough water. So also a load of regular laundry takes 45 to 1 hour. and we do an extra rinse cycle. The place we rent next week has an old fashioned agitator top loading washer and we love that washer. my whites come out white and any stains come out much better with this machine. I can't stand new things.

I know the front loader that I have doesn't get clothes as clean as an old fashioned machine with an agitator.  I don't have one of the real high priced ones with all the extra bells and whistles but I don't think that is why.  I think it's the way the machines are designed.

Oh, yeah, I found that my HE top-loader doesn't normally use enough water to get the clothes properly clean, so I was dissatisfied with it at first (I didn't choose it; it came with the house). After a bit of experimenting, now I choose the soak option, and it works great. Idk if front-loaders have a soak option, but if they do, give it a try.

And, yeah, running a load takes forever :/. With the soak option, over an hour. But I do like that my clothes last longer and don't fade as much because there's no agitator.

Winchester said:

 
When we do decide to get a new washer, it's not going to be one of those high-efficiency things. I think I'd be interested in a Speed Queen, like what @blueyedgirl5946  bought. I don't think I'd like the HE ones.

The Maytag we have now takes about 25 minutes, give or take, to run a load of laundry. I can often get two loads of laundry at least washed while I'm on the treadmill in the morning. They say the new HE washers take forever to do one load. I couldn't handle it.....I'm all about getting the chores done. Quickly. Like right now.

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Denice said:

 
I know the front loader that I have doesn't get clothes as clean as an old fashioned machine with an agitator.  I don't have one of the real high priced ones with all the extra bells and whistles but I don't think that is why.  I think it's the way the machines are designed.

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I rent my apartment. It came with all the appliances. I had an old top loader which finally decided to leak! The management decided to replace it with a new front loader. I absolutely hate it!! 

As I stated before, I cannot fit a quilt in it. A thin blanket is about all that can fit in.. It takes forever to wash a load of laundry.. forget it if you are trying to wash some towels.. only about 2 bath towels and maybe 4 kitchen towels~

I do not think it cleans well either. I use Tide, so I know it should clean well. 

I also have to bend down really low or kneel in order to use it. 

When you open the door, the detergent comes running out. On the instructions, it states to put the laundry in AFTER you put in the detergent.. Crazy!!

I have to keep a towel on the floor to collect the run off. 

And the plastic rim around the door collects water which does not dry.. If you are not careful about wiping it down or letting it air dry, the gasket can form bacteria and stink..

It is not worth it.. and it is an extra large drum.. no way!!

I found out a lot of people complained about it, and they 'broke', so a lot of tenants got a different make.. a top loader.. My friend just got a new Maytag top loader.. and she loves it... 

I wish mine would break.. I really do... but I have good luck with appliances. I do take care of them.. sigh...

get a hammer and bust the seal around the door  or disconnect the circuit board..