Repair the Washer -- or replace it??

[LiLPrincess]

I have an 8 year old Maytag that is flooding the floor. In every other way, the machine has been great.

A service call alone is $70. I figure that I'll easily spend $200 to repair it. So I'm trying to decide whether to fix the machine, or spend $400 - $500 and replace it.

I have been told that I cannot have a front loader because my house does not sit on a slab foundation -- those are out of my budget anyway

What brand of top loader would you recommend?

 

[Andrea from PA]

I love my Sears Kenmore HE front loader! I know you said it is out of your budget, but I highly recommend an HE -- Can you look into the top loader HEs?

I don't think your foundation has anything to do with the type of washer -- They have come a long way with the front loaders.

We definitely do less wash as it fits more & we have seen some improvements on the electric bill, but not super significant. For me the pluses are less washes and saving on the detergent!

 

[branv]

That depends on if you really just want that new spiffy washer and are hoping deep down we'll say "absolutely get a new one!" If that's the case, go ahead and do it

Personally, I'd just get the repair. I say this b/c we bought our washer in 1996. It had to be repaired in 2003 for $200, and I too agonized over whether to repair it or scrap it. We had the repair and four years later it's still going strong. While I love the new machines and all it's bells and whistles, it just seems like they don't last as long b/c of all the electronics, etc. It will be hard for me to give up my behemoth when it finally dies simply b/c it feels like it's old school quality you don't see as much anymore.

 

[4Seasons]

First off, get the model # and go to www.repairclinic.com, go into their "repair guru" and find the symptoms. It will tell you what kinds of things could be wrong, then you can look up the part and see how much it would cost to fix. Their prices are very reasonable, they ship quickly and they have a good return policy.
You can go to the Maytag website and download the owner's manual, they usually have an "exploded view" of the machine where you see each piece and part it has. This will give you A) a name for the piece, and sometimes a part #, and B) an idea of how easy or difficult it will be to attempt fixing.
We own several rental properties and always do our own repairs. This site has been a HUGE money saver!
Secondly, as far as a front load machine goes, I don't know why the foundation type would make any difference. We have a house with a crawl space and have had both types of washing machines (we have a front load now and I it).

I would go the frugal route first though and try to fix as long as it's not a substantial amount of money.

 

[Andrea from PA]

Thanks! I never heard of repair clinic. I will certainly tuck this site away.

 

[CTdiznymom]

Repair clinic is great. Saved us a few $$ when my dryer belt died. It's worth a try. There are very few parts to your washer. It is probably the water pump that is leaking. Have you checked your hoses?

 

[jenk99]

Just wanted to agree with the above posters who suggested Repair Clinic!

We saved over a hundred dollars (or several hundreds if we bought new) on repair costs for our washer this summer. With the simple directions and $14 part, we fixed our washer in less than an hour. I couldn't believe it myself. It was so exciting--huge frugal victory!!

 

[miraclemommy]

I totally agree with the above posters. Repair Clinic is great. Last summer my heating element went out on my dryer and I got the parts and directions from repair clinic and this summer the belt went out on my washer and I got it from repair clinic. It saved tons of money. They ship really fast and if for some reason you get the wrong part or something you don't need they gladly except returns for a year. Love them.

Jennifer

 

[mickeyfan2]

I have been told that I cannot have a front loader because my house does not sit on a slab foundation -- those are out of my budget anyway

The slab foundation is not true for a front loader. If you can find the money (12 months same as cash credit card from Lowes for Home Depot), then that is the way to go.

 

[Tarheel Tink]

This past weekend my washer flooded the floor; I told DH we needed to call a repairman but he just walked up to the washer, looked behind it, glanced at me and put the drain hose back where it was supposed to be, LOL! Apparently a towel-challenged load had rocked it around a bit and the drain hose slipped out of the drain.

 

[powellrj]

my washer broke over the summer and since I wasn't working, I didn't want to buy a new one and the part alone to fix it was $150 not including the service call. I got a really nice used one for the $150 plus they delivered it and gave me $20 for my old washer!

I know sometimes people don't like used appliances, but it was really a budget saver for me this summer.

 

[DisneyDawnNH]

Another thumbs up for Repairclinic.com - we just used them to replace the main control board on my 2 year old Kenmore HE front loader. It saved us about $200 over the quote from Sears. I recommend you research any new washer purchase on epinions.com or other similar sites. I was shocked to learn that my 2yr old $1K HE washing machine is a giant piece of crap! I also just learned of a class action suit against Sears for these machines and added my name to the list of over 2000 people . Good Luck!

 

[LiLPrincess]

Thanks for the replies everyone!! I emailed the Repair Clinic link to several friends today.

I ended up calling a repairman. Over the phone I told him what the washing machine was doing and asked if he had an idea how much it might cost to repair. He said they are getting a lot of calls about leaks on my model of machine and was fairly certain he knew what it was. He told me it would run $250 - $300. Called another guy, and got the same story.

I wish I knew someone that could repair appliances. Maybe I need to take a class at our local tech school

After work I went to an appliance center that has a scratch and dent room. I found a Whirlpool for $300. There's a small scratch on the side, but it won't be noticable when it's pushed up against the dryer. The identical model on the floor without a scratch was $429.

I bought the scratched one and it's being delivered tomorrow.