New Washing Machine - Non-computerized?

December 12, 2024 10:22 AM

My appliances w/ electronic panels(washer, stove, microwave) have failed recently, likely due to power surges from my incompetent power company. Is it worth trying to find a washer that doesn't use an electronic panel?

I have to have the panel upgraded for heat pump(s), my next ask.me, so am looking into a surge suppressor, but electronic panels seem to be such a point of failure.

Also, will all new top load washers have lint traps? It doesn't get mentioned. I always leave 1 tissue in 1 pocket, every forking load.

Current plan is to buy the LG model that Consumer reports recommends. Comments welcome on this plan. Borked washer is super annoying, worse than borked oven.

posted by theora55 to Shopping (10 answers total)

I would very much be surprised if a currently manufactured, mechanically controlled washer or dryer (do these even exist?) had even close to the longevity of older models. My strong suspicion is that you would just be trading one failure mode for another.
posted by Dr. Twist at 10:32 AM on December 12

Speed Queen might meet the brief?
posted by enfa at 10:34 AM on December 12

I bought a GE unit that's fully electromechanical (it's all timers and relays) for this exact reason; some places (like Home Depot) allow you to search by control type. These tend to be top-loading, however. More generally, the Yale Appliance Blog updates regularly with repair rates for various brands of appliances.
posted by aramaic at 10:35 AM on December 12

I had a related AskMe question, more or less, two years ago, and can answer emphatically, yes.

After having repeated issues with two digital-encrusted consumer grade ones in places we'd lived, we ended up shelling out some extra for this commercial grade GE washer, which has no digital display and all real button / dial controls.

After two years of regular, heavy use (two teens and a semi-feral, gross dog) it is still going strong. My only caveats are that:

A) While it does have a lint trap, it functions just OK (I routinely leave papers in my shirt pockets as well).

B) It doesn't weigh a lot, so if you're putting it in a place with an uneven floor, take the time to shim and level it securely. Otherwise it will move around during the spin cycle with heavy loads.
posted by ryanshepard at 11:10 AM on December 12

Nthing Speed Queen; they are expensive but should last a lifetime. We have both washer and dryer with manual controls and have never looked back. Washing machine does not have a lint trap but the dryer collects all the forgotten tissues in a lint trap. Our only complaint is that the dryer does not have an end of cycle signal but that is a small price to pay for no repairs and no fancy controls to go bad.
posted by serendipityrules at 12:20 PM on December 12

I bought a Maytag Classic Washer (top-loader) about 3 years ago and it has performed beautifully. It has an option for deep fill wash which I always use. It's panel is all analog knobs, but it may have some kind of electronics under the hood since it tries to vary the water level apparently based on the weight of the load. Selecting the deep fill wash stops that nonsense. I bought mine from Lowe's
posted by statusquoante at 1:13 PM on December 12

We bought our Amana washer and dryer set over seven years ago and they're still going strong. They were relatively inexpensive as well.
posted by indexy at 1:35 PM on December 12

You may want to consider purchasing and installing a Whole House Surge Protector: https://www.se.com/us/en/product-range/61968-surgelogic-surgebreaker-plus/#overview
posted by skwm at 2:06 PM on December 12

plus one on speed queen. best washer I ever owned.
posted by evilmonk at 7:46 PM on December 12

Our harvest gold Speed Queen dryer came with our house when we bought it in 1998. It has a bookplate sort of sticker on the back, inscribed by the previous owner: "Purchased 4-5-70 from Bon Marche Northgate." Works perfectly.
posted by kiblinger at 10:19 PM on December 12