In a classic one-two punch of home-ownership frustration, our washer died right after the big plumbing debacle we described yesterday. We had hoped it would be a simple, inexpensive fix, but the appliance gods apparently disagreed.
The repair technician inspected the machine and pointed out extensive corrosion, rusted bolts and a broken belt. He said, “I could attempt to band-aid this for $200, but I don’t think it would run for very long — honestly, I wouldn’t put another dollar into this machine.” Coming from someone who would have been collecting that money, his honesty was striking and convincing.
Soon we found ourselves dipping into the emergency fund just days after writing a plumbing check. We considered buying a secondhand machine from a thrift store or classifieds, but decided a single investment in a reliable model would be less stressful than another temporary fix. After browsing a few online appliance outlets and checking big-box stores, we headed out to see units in person.
We were actually looking forward to upgrading the laundry set someday — our old washer had probably lasted over twenty years. Still, we hadn’t expected to start this hunt immediately after the plumbing hassle.
When we moved in, we dreamed about “mac daddy appliances” for the kitchen and laundry: pretty, reliable machines loaded with features. Reality, with a pile of laundry looming, felt a little less glamorous. Luckily, John’s parents let us use their laundry room so we could catch up while we researched and compared models. We made the most of that goodwill and managed to stay current on laundry without any disasters.
We developed a new appliance mantra: don’t just chase the cheapest deal. This time we wanted to research thoroughly, be open to paying a bit more, and choose features we would actually use. Our last washer/dryer purchase was an excellent deal — nearly 50% off — but the heavily discounted models lacked small conveniences we missed later, like a digital display showing time remaining. That kind of detail mattered enough that we would pay extra this time.
After lots of discussion and comparison shopping, we narrowed our priorities:
- Top-loading washer. We preferred not bending over so much, and we wanted to avoid the mildew maintenance that front-loaders require. High-efficiency top-loaders now offer comparable capacity, spin speed and water savings.
- Whirlpool or Maytag. Both brands are manufactured by the same company and had served us well before. From reviews and personal recommendations, these brands tend to be reliable and affordable to repair compared with some competitors.
- The ability to silence the buzzer. Our current dryer has an annoyingly loud end-of-cycle alarm we can’t disable, which would wake a napping child, so being able to turn off or quiet the buzzer was important.
- A digital display. We wanted a time-remaining countdown so we could plan around cycles.
- A dryer with steam. This feature sounded useful for refreshing garments and smoothing wrinkles without a full wash.
Our search led us to a Whirlpool pair that matched many of our preferences and had strong reviews. We focused our shopping at Home Depot and Lowe’s because they typically had better prices and promotions than other local vendors. Both stores were running stackable discounts, offered free delivery and haul-away, and applied additional store-card discounts. After comparing nearly identical Whirlpool and Maytag models, a slightly less expensive Home Depot model caught our eye: a small reduction in washer capacity and a simpler dryer front, but a significantly lower combined price and excellent customer reviews.
Home Depot had the model in stock and was offering the full set of promotions. Lowe’s would have needed to special order it and could only apply one discount. We decided to buy from the store that had the unit available, gave us a good impression at checkout and honored the combination of discounts.
It felt good not to settle for the cheapest option out of panic. Taking time to list priorities, read reviews and compare features helped us choose a set we expect to enjoy for years. The machines are scheduled for delivery later today, and we’ll share an update after we’ve used them for a while.
We also plan to address the floor under the new units — there are small scraps of old carpet hiding underneath the current machines. Hopefully removing those will reveal nothing worse than a little mess to clean up. Fingers crossed there’s no hidden disaster waiting under there.
Psst — None of the links previously mentioned are affiliate links. Also, your hair looks pretty and I like your smile.