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I bought Speed Queen washer and dryer last year. I don't know why I waited so long. The washer and dryer are both awesome. Sure, low tech but they get the clothes clean and dry perfectly with no hassle. Can't ask for more, expect them to out last me.
If I had the money I would get a speed queen set.
Ended up with a Whirlpool. Supposed to be slightly more efficient thanks to a modified vent design and better dampness sensor. Works well. Our old Kenmore was 15 years old but towards the end I did replace the belt and heating element so not exactly trouble free.
A Speed Queen top-loading washing machine will be what replaces our current Samsung front-loading machine when the time comes (and front-loaders are out of our lives forever). But that is a different topic.
We have an eight-year old Samsung middle-of-the-road consumer dryer, electric, about $600 new. It does fine with drying, no damp nor wet clothes when set to auto (sensor), with options for various temperatures at auto (hot for cottons, medium for knits, low for whatever and something below low which is a notch above air drying) as well as a couple of pre-programmed auto settings ("Permanent Press" and "Delicates" plus some more). It also has manual settings for both temperature and time, as well as a basic air dry for dry items which are simply wrinkled. It works for our family quite well, with six-to-eight loads a week, but nothing like large comforters or quilts.
While the matching Samsung front-loading washing machine has been mechanically solid (no excuse to dump it), the dryer has needed the heating element replaced twice. I strongly suspect the second time it was my fault for not wearing gloves when I installed the initial replacement ... the factory one lasted about five years, the first replacement (by me, no gloves) lasted about six months and the second replacement (by me) is at nearly three years and still going.
We have an LG front loader I really hate that thing. It's 12 years old now but I had to replace a lot of parts along the way (door lock, water fill valve, tilt sensor, part of the drain pump) If we can't afford a speed queen when it dumps I'm just going with the biggest top loader I can get.
Whatever you get..make sure it isn’t an Electrolux.
We bought our washer and dryer because of the washer. I wanted a front loader with a quick cycle and the washer itself is great. The dryer is another story.
When you pull the lint trap out to clean the screen there is an area that heavily collects lint that you can’t clean out unless you use a screwdriver to remove the panel. I’ve tried bottle brushes, lint lizards, etc but nothing gets it out without removing the panel.
Ours is three years old and has gone thru two motherboards and want dry bathroom rugs without them getting stuck behind one of the fins and stopping the drum from turning.
I’ve never had a dryer problem before and CR tends to focus only on washers.
Hate this thing.
Right. Everything in Europe isn't necessarily better. The only reason ventless dryers have become popular is because when you're trying to retrofit a 1700s building (or earlier) with modern utilities such as electricity and plumbed appliances, the consensus seems to be to preserve the structure at all costs, nevermind the inconvenience to the tenant. No thanks.
Fortunately, most ventless dryers in the US are niche, combination units that both wash and dry. Very limited production and always have been. As should be a unit that can take up to 3 hours before you can put in your next load. Maybe that would be ideal for a single person who likes to go out for long brunches or run their day's errands while leaving their laundry unattended.
I'll take a new construction in the US (custom, not spec, but modestly sized) over ANY historic dwelling. In my region (Southeast) you're battling both heat and humidity. The tighter the seal, the slower the outside air can creep in and undo what my heat pump worked so hard to control. Too much has changed giving modern construction an advantage over historic wood and nails.
You can still get plaster and lathe if you want, it just may take a little longer to find a contractor that will take you seriously and also do a good job.
You can still get a full masonry house, same as above, just screen your contractors and shop until you find someone that offers what you want.
I hear a lot about how lumber today isn't what it used to be. Partially true, some products like OSB weren't used decades ago when traditional plywood was the norm. Worried about today's wood being less dense and too soft? Steel beams and concrete.
There's a way to get what you want. It's just harder to find when there's so much out there we'd rather not have.
Shopping for 'condo sized' I had a very difficult time finding a set with a VENTED dryer. ironically I have to buy a European brand to get a washer and dryer set that will fit but also have a vent. A few years ago, I would have had plenty of vented options.
Right. Everything in Europe isn't necessarily better. The only reason ventless dryers have become popular is because when you're trying to retrofit a 1700s building (or earlier) with modern utilities such as electricity and plumbed appliances, the consensus seems to be to preserve the structure at all costs, nevermind the inconvenience to the tenant. No thanks.
Fortunately, most ventless dryers in the US are niche, combination units that both wash and dry. Very limited production and always have been. As should be a unit that can take up to 3 hours before you can put in your next load. Maybe that would be ideal for a single person who likes to go out for long brunches or run their day's errands while leaving their laundry unattended.
I'll take a new construction in the US (custom, not spec, but modestly sized) over ANY historic dwelling. In my region (Southeast) you're battling both heat and humidity. The tighter the seal, the slower the outside air can creep in and undo what my heat pump worked so hard to control. Too much has changed giving modern construction an advantage over historic wood and nails.
You can still get plaster and lathe if you want, it just may take a little longer to find a contractor that will take you seriously and also do a good job.
You can still get a full masonry house, same as above, just screen your contractors and shop until you find someone that offers what you want.
I hear a lot about how lumber today isn't what it used to be. Partially true, some products like OSB weren't used decades ago when traditional plywood was the norm. Worried about today's wood being less dense and too soft? Steel beams and concrete.
There's a way to get what you want. It's just harder to find when there's so much out there we'd rather not have.
Again you are just incorrect.
Plenty of homes/multi family housing built late as 1980's or even 1990's cannot accommodate vented dryers easily if at all. Hence the rising popularity of non-vented condenser or heat pump dryers.
Are they for everyone? No, but when faced with other options which include having nothing at all, non vented dryers represent a viable choice.
You can find plenty of stand alone condenser or heat pump dryers in USA, not all of them are combo/washer dryer units.
Face it, to have a vented dryer means access to outside facing wall with shortest run possible. That or using a roof vent (not always best thing), or a long vent run complete with booster fan.
More and more housewives and anyone else doing laundry doesn't want machines shoved into basements, garages and other out of way areas. Condenser dryers allow placement anywhere in home long as electrical wiring allows.
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