CRAP- ADVICE NEEDED

[Bretsky]

9 years ago I bought a used Maytag Washer and Dryer for $250. Washer is going full steam; but the dryer sounds like a dead dog in going round in circles. Loud; sounds ready to die.

ANY ADVICE on where I can find a decent dryer; I'm a used kind a guy as I'd rather spend my additional money at football games, bars, and other misc entertainment.

B

[Fosco33]

Are you missing your dog? :lol:

Umm, I swear this happened to my Dad - he's a handy guy and figured that the inner barrel had lost a nut and was banging against the outter barrel (causing racket - err dead dog sounds...).

Do a quick google search... I'll talk to my Dad - if you give me more specifics on the issue, you may be able to save it for another year or two.

[HarveyWallbangers]

If it's Crap Advice you need, I'm your huckleberry.
:thank:

[MadtownPacker]

Dammit Bretsky you cheap bastard!! High powered white boy like you can go out and buy them high-end Maytag ones!

http://www.maytag.com/products/images/products/med9700sb_cob_370.jpg

[Bretsky]

Dammit Bretsky you cheap bastard!! High powered white boy like you can go out and buy them high-end Maytag ones!

http://www.maytag.com/products/images/products/med9700sb_cob_370.jpg


Crap that thing looks more expensive than the wedding rings :shock:

[Partial]

9 years ago I bought a used Maytag Washer and Dryer for $250. Washer is going full steam; but the dryer sounds like a dead dog in going round in circles. Loud; sounds ready to die.

ANY ADVICE on where I can find a decent dryer; I'm a used kind a guy as I'd rather spend my additional money at football games, bars, and other misc entertainment.

B


www.craigslist.com and don't look back. May not be in the best shape, but it'll be free or close to it. It's all local transactions and free.

[GrnBay007]

Since we're on the topic of laundry. :D I bought a new front loading wash machine/dryer set, and I love it! I heard so many good things about the front load wash machines and have found them all to be true. They use less water, less detergent and less energy.....and get the clothes noticably cleaner. And something really crazy happened that I'm still in shock over. I accidently threw a brand new red t-shirt in with a load that included lighter items and nothing came out pink! :thank:

[Bretsky]

Since we're on the topic of laundry. :D I bought a new front loading wash machine/dryer set, and I love it! I heard so many good things about the front load wash machines and have found them all to be true. They use less water, less detergent and less energy.....and get the clothes noticably cleaner. And something really crazy happened that I'm still in shock over. I accidently threw a brand new red t-shirt in with a load that included lighter items and nothing came out pink! :thank:

I honestly have no clue how much these cost; could you PM me with some ballparks ?

B

[Partial]

Steve Jobs Comments... (http://www.xent.com/FoRK-archive/2001.02/0246.html)


Design is not limited to fancy new gadgets. Our family just bought a new washing machine and dryer. We didn't have a very good one so we spent a little time looking at them. It turns out that the Americans make washers and dryers all wrong. The Europeans make them much better - but they take twice as long to do clothes! It turns out that they wash them with about a quarter as much water and your clothes end up with a lot less detergent on them. Most important, they don't trash your clothes. They use a lot less soap, a lot less water, but they come out much cleaner, much softer, and they last a lot longer.

We spent some time in our family talking about what's the trade-off we want to make. We ended up talking a lot about design, but also about the values of our family. Did we care most about getting our wash done in an hour versus an hour and a half? Or did we care most about our clothes feeling really soft and lasting longer? Did we care about using a quarter of the water? We spent about two weeks talking about this every night at the dinner table. We'd get around to that old washer-dryer discussion. And the talk was about design.

We ended up opting for these Miele appliances, made in Germany. They're too expensive, but that's just because nobody buys them in this country. They are really wonderfully made and one of the few products we've bought over the last few years that we're all really happy about. These guys really thought the process through. They did such a great job designing these washers and dryers. I got more thrill out of them than I have out of any piece of high tech in years.

This is a pretty old piece so I am not sure if this is what 007 means, but it definitely sounds like the advantages are similiar.

[chewy-bacca]

If it's Crap Advice you need, I'm your huckleberry.
:thank:

:lol: :lol:

[Scott Campbell]

9 years ago I bought a used Maytag Washer and Dryer for $250. Washer is going full steam; but the dryer sounds like a dead dog in going round in circles. Loud; sounds ready to die.

ANY ADVICE on where I can find a decent dryer; I'm a used kind a guy as I'd rather spend my additional money at football games, bars, and other misc entertainment.

B

I just went through this exersise a bit ago, but it was my washer that blew up. There are more advantages to the new front loading washers than there are to the new dryers. The dryers haven't changed that much. Moisture sensors, but that's about it.

The new washers will set you back about $1000 plus or minus $200. I might be tempted to find another used dryer until your washer blows up. That way you're not throwing away much if you decide to get a matched set at that time.

[Scott Campbell]

One more thing on the washer. I had a tech tell me not to get one of the washers that spin at 1200rpm. The extra centrifugal force really gets the water out, and your clothes will dry faster as advertised. But the extra ~200rpm really tears up the innards and affects repair rates. He's fixing a lot of them.

If you've got one already, you might consider the extended warranty.

[Freak Out]

Line dry, it saves energy and your stuff lasts longer.

[GrnBay007]

Line dry, it saves energy and your stuff lasts longer.

Clothing gets alittle stiff when it's 10 below in Wisconsin. :razz:

[Fosco33]

Here's a tip for guys who have to wear suits...

Don't get them dry cleaned all the time. The heat where's out the clothing faster (many suits have adhesives).

Use Febreeze and dryer sheets instead - hang them outside for an afternoon (sorry for those peeps in WI - it's 80+ here in SoCal today) :razz:

Get them drycleaned once every few months (depending on wear - I use one/day - and do 'the method' above every weekend. So 8 uses and two 'spring cleanings' can save you money in both dry cleaning and clothing replacement.

Trust me, you won't smell bad either :lol:

[Bretsky]

P,

Never heard of craiglist; looking at it there appears to be locations all over. Are there serious shipping charges then ? Have you dealt with them a lot in the past ?

B

[Fosco33]

P,

Never heard of craiglist; looking at it there appears to be locations all over. Are there serious shipping charges then ? Have you dealt with them a lot in the past ?

B

:shock: Man, they've been around for a long time.

I had an office next to THE original craigslist in San Fran in '02.

You can do anything there - find apartments, tickets, dates, anything.

It's a flea market of sorts - kinda like ebay in a way.

Craigslist just hosts the stuff from users on their site. You may find someone who lives near you and is moving - they'll just sell it to you and you figure out the rest.

It's the new ad section but instead of a local paper it's all over the country and online.

[Partial]

P,

Never heard of craiglist; looking at it there appears to be locations all over. Are there serious shipping charges then ? Have you dealt with them a lot in the past ?

B

MTP has used craigslist a lot. I bought a bike off their. Their generally aren't shipping charges since for the most part you just go pick up someone elses stuff. A lot of crap is on their. But, if you check religiously for a week or two, you can find someone giving away nice stuff when they are moving. You never directly deal with craigslist, you simply email the user saying you're interested and negoiate with them.

[Partial]

P,

Never heard of craiglist; looking at it there appears to be locations all over. Are there serious shipping charges then ? Have you dealt with them a lot in the past ?

B

:shock: Man, they've been around for a long time.

I had an office next to THE original craigslist in San Fran in '02.

You can do anything there - find apartments, tickets, dates, anything.

It's a flea market of sorts - kinda like ebay in a way.

Craigslist just hosts the stuff from users on their site. You may find someone who lives near you and is moving - they'll just sell it to you and you figure out the rest.

It's the new ad section but instead of a local paper it's all over the country and online.

It's not big in WI yet because the only locations are Appleton, Madison, and Milwaukee I believe.

[Freak Out]

Line dry, it saves energy and your stuff lasts longer.

Clothing gets alittle stiff when it's 10 below in Wisconsin. :razz:

As long as there is a breeze things will dry, even when it's that cold. I would imagine the humidity is very low that time of year as well.

[Guiness]

Two comments for ya Bretsky...

Haul the dryer away from the wall and pull the back off it. It's light, and it won't be hard. Don't forget to disconnect the vent first!

Once you have the back off, just look for something obvious. Could be as simple as a bad belt, which will be pretty cheap to replace. Get someont to rotate the drum by hand and listen at the back - you should be able to find the problem. You really don't need to be very mechanically adept to figure it out.

Second is wrt front loading washers - they're great! Got one a couple of years ago, and if you do any appreciable amount of washing, they're well worth it. They don't tear up clothes as badly, and will save you money on drying costs - clothes come out dryer, and spend less time in the dryer!

The Miele's are nice, but pushing $2K. Look at the Sears Kenmore/Frigidaire model (they're the same thing). On sale, should run around $800.

Stay away from the Maytag first gen front loaders (Neptune or Saturn or something?). They f@$ is up by tilting the drum back to try and make it easier to load, and it doesn't work as well.

[GrnBay007]

Second is wrt front loading washers - they're great! Got one a couple of years ago, and if you do any appreciable amount of washing, they're well worth it. They don't tear up clothes as badly, and will save you money on drying costs - clothes come out dryer, and spend less time in the dryer!

The Miele's are nice, but pushing $2K. Look at the Sears Kenmore/Frigidaire model (they're the same thing). On sale, should run around $800.

Stay away from the Maytag first gen front loaders (Neptune or Saturn or something?). They f@$ is up by tilting the drum back to try and make it easier to load, and it doesn't work as well.

I got the Frigidaire. Large capacity washer/dryer set for 1300 and a nice rebate back from the electric co. I love the wash machine.

guiness, I heard the same thing about the Neptune. Also heard people complain about them w/ a mold problem around the rubber right inside the door.

[Patler]

Line dry, it saves energy and your stuff lasts longer.

Clothing gets alittle stiff when it's 10 below in Wisconsin. :razz:

It's called "freeze drying"! :mrgreen:

[Patler]

Two comments for ya Bretsky...

Haul the dryer away from the wall and pull the back off it. It's light, and it won't be hard. Don't forget to disconnect the vent first!

Once you have the back off, just look for something obvious. Could be as simple as a bad belt, which will be pretty cheap to replace. Get someont to rotate the drum by hand and listen at the back - you should be able to find the problem. You really don't need to be very mechanically adept to figure it out.

Bretsky;

Guiness is correct, dryers are very simple mechanically. I fixed my own for years. Besides the belt, things to check when the dryer makes noise as you describe all relate to the drive mechanism:

1. Usually the drum rests on and rotates against some pads or idler wheels on more expensive models. These wear out and are very inexpensive to replace.
2. Some dryer drums have a stub shaft in the back with bushings on it that serve as a bearing. Again, inexpensive and easy to replace.
3. The front, open end of the drum may have a seal of sorts against the frame of the dryer, also inexpensive and easy to replace if worn out.
4. I had a used commercial dryer once. The drive mechanism had a spring-biased drive wheel against the drum instead of a belt. The wheel wore out of round and caused a thumping sound against the drum. A simple and cheap repair.

Its worth a shot at fixing it yourself, so long as the heating unit continues to function. The rest is simple and inexpensive. Besides, think of how you might impress Mrs. Bretsky!

[Little Whiskey]

its funny this topic was brought up. one of my clients is Whirlpool, who this past summer aquired the maytag brand. I had the same talk with one of their head engineers. I asked him what is the best washer that they sell. his answer. the roper, low end washing machine, one of the ones with out the electronic control panels. something with the old fashion dials. he said that they actually get your cloths cleaner than the new front loaders, and the ones without an agitator.
oh ya and one more thing. they make more money on the new front loader washing machine pedistal bases than they do on the actual washing machine.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

Here's a tip for guys who have to wear suits...

Don't get them dry cleaned all the time. The heat where's out the clothing faster (many suits have adhesives).

Use Febreeze and dryer sheets instead - hang them outside for an afternoon (sorry for those peeps in WI - it's 80+ here in SoCal today) :razz:

Get them drycleaned once every few months (depending on wear - I use one/day - and do 'the method' above every weekend. So 8 uses and two 'spring cleanings' can save you money in both dry cleaning and clothing replacement.

Trust me, you won't smell bad either :lol:

Unnecessary dry cleaning will shorten the life of your suit and the balance of your bank account. Get your suit cleaned only when it’s dirty. Get your suit steamed when it’s wrinkled.

You should never dry clean your suit more than twice a year. Not withstanding you've stained it. Feel free to get it pressed though.

Here is a tip. Go buy yourself a decent suit. Decent suits don't have adhesives. They are stitched not fused. The ROI of a good suit is worth it.

[GBRulz]

9 years ago I bought a used Maytag Washer and Dryer for $250. Washer is going full steam; but the dryer sounds like a dead dog in going round in circles. Loud; sounds ready to die.

ANY ADVICE on where I can find a decent dryer; I'm a used kind a guy as I'd rather spend my additional money at football games, bars, and other misc entertainment.

B


Since it's just me at home, I just bought a cheap ass dryer at Sears for $300. however, for those that have families w/ kids, every person I know that bought a high end washer and dryer set, have sworn by them. They pay themselves off with what you save in water and electricity/gas. It's an investment that you really might want to consider.

Lots of places offer excellent financing and stuff, too. and remember, the day after Thanksgiving sales aren't that far away...you can be sure to find a good deal or two.

Personally, I would stay away from buying used stuff from people. You most certainly got lucky with the set you bought 9 years ago, but what if you get stuck with something that just brings problems?

[Partial]

9 years ago I bought a used Maytag Washer and Dryer for $250. Washer is going full steam; but the dryer sounds like a dead dog in going round in circles. Loud; sounds ready to die.

ANY ADVICE on where I can find a decent dryer; I'm a used kind a guy as I'd rather spend my additional money at football games, bars, and other misc entertainment.

B


Since it's just me at home, I just bought a cheap ass dryer at Sears for $300. however, for those that have families w/ kids, every person I know that bought a high end washer and dryer set, have sworn by them. They pay themselves off with what you save in water and electricity/gas. It's an investment that you really might want to consider.

Lots of places offer excellent financing and stuff, too. and remember, the day after Thanksgiving sales aren't that far away...you can be sure to find a good deal or two.

Personally, I would stay away from buying used stuff from people. You most certainly got lucky with the set you bought 9 years ago, but what if you get stuck with something that just brings problems?

Then ya toss it out and get another used one. On craigslist they go for literally 10-20 bucks and are often times in very good condition since the people are moving and trying to get something in exchange for them.

[GBRulz]

[quote=GBRulz] On craigslist they go for literally 10-20 bucks and are often times in very good condition since the people are moving and trying to get something in exchange for them.


10-20 bucks for a good condition dryer? Um, ok. :roll:

If people are moving, they're better off selling the appliances with the house instead of the hassle of getting a whopping $10 for them.

All I'm saying is that you get what you pay for alot of the time.

[Partial]

[quote=GBRulz] On craigslist they go for literally 10-20 bucks and are often times in very good condition since the people are moving and trying to get something in exchange for them.


10-20 bucks for a good condition dryer? Um, ok. :roll:

If people are moving, they're better off selling the appliances with the house instead of the hassle of getting a whopping $10 for them.

All I'm saying is that you get what you pay for alot of the time.

Fair enough, 100 bucks gets you a nice washer and dryer set, though. Just went ahead and did the research.

I've seen them go for free, and i've seen them go for 10-20 bucks. It ultimately comes down to how motivated one is to finding a deal. I bought a 300 dollar bike on CL for 50 bucks and probably could have haggled it down to about 20.