Is there a decent washing machine (TL/FL) available from Home Depot for under $1k?

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db130

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Hello!

I believe most if not all of my previous posts on AW are regarding fixing up old washing machines. I've only owned 2nd-hand washing machines all of my life.

Anyways.. I've been tasked with finding a *new* replacement washing machine for a family member. Not only does it have to be a new washer, they would also like a new dryer, as they claim their old dryer (a whirlpool-made Kenmore with the lint filter up top that I bought new for them about 30 years ago) is no longer adequately drying clothes.

I may opt to investigate their dryer in person at some point, but regardless, they are pretty set on a new washer. The washer and the dryer does not have to be a matching set, but Home Depot is offering an extra $150 off on a matching set.

Is there a decent front loader for under $1k at Home Depot? We'd also consider a top loader.
 
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They have the Electrolux ELFW7537AW or the LG WM4000HBA both for about $875. We have the LG in the 5 cubic foot version and it works great. I'd have gone with the Electrolux personally if it had been priced better when we bought the set last year.

We had an LG front load washer at our last house and I loved it, and the new one we bought last year has worked great. Handles dog blankets, great, and can wash a set of queen sheets, and a king size cotton blanket in the same load with zero issues.
 
A great deal and a great machine would be a whirlpool WFW 4720 RW, you should only be about $750, I installed two of these this past week it’s a lot of washer for the money and anybody will work on a whirlpool.

I would not recommend any top load washer at this time for most people.

Our top recommendation for a new washer is a Speed Queen front load machine but it’s over $2000 so that’s probably out of here budget.

It may be worth taking a look at the 30 year-old dryer, how much use has it had if it’s only been a few loads a week it should be easily fixable. It may just need the exhaust system cleaned.

I recommended Electrolux machine is not a bad machine, but their service is terrible. Make sure there’s a good service or nearby, same possible problem for LG if you buy an LG make sure somebody around wants to work on it

A GE front loader again like the Electrolux has not been as durable. Their parts are cheaper however they only made in China if that’s a factor to you.

John L
 
A great deal and a great machine would be a whirlpool WFW 4720 RW, you should only be about $750, I installed two of these this past week it’s a lot of washer for the money and anybody will work on a whirlpool.

I would not recommend any top load washer at this time for most people.

Our top recommendation for a new washer is a Speed Queen front load machine but it’s over $2000 so that’s probably out of your budget.

It may be worth taking a look at the 30 year-old dryer, how much use has it had if it’s only been a few loads a week it should be easily fixable. It may just need the exhaust system cleaned.

The recommended Electrolux machine is not a bad machine, but their service is terrible. Make sure there’s a good service company nearby, same possible problem for LG if you buy an LG make sure somebody around wants to work on it.

A GE front loader again like the Electrolux has not been as durable. Their parts are cheaper however they only made in China if that’s a factor to you.

John
 
A 4.5 cubic ft. Samsung front load washer with a steam cycle is $750 plus pedestal optional. Good luck with ours since July 2019. Assembly is done in North Carolina.
 
combo52 said:
A great deal and a great machine would be a whirlpool WFW 4720 RW, you should only be about $750, I installed two of these this past week it’s a lot of washer for the money and anybody will work on a whirlpool.

It may be worth taking a look at the 30 year-old dryer, how much use has it had if it’s only been a few loads a week it should be easily fixable. It may just need the exhaust system cleaned.

John
Click to expand...

I appreciate everyone's responses so far. On a 4th of July weekend, no less!

I'd definitely like to look at that dryer before I replace it. For one thing, I know how to fix it, and I even replaced the belt/idler pulley/rollers back in 2018. Other than maybe one thermal fuse and one high temp thermostat, it has needed minimal repairs.

I was trying to tell them that by not buying a matching dryer, they could buy a better washer.
 
I got a Speed Queen TC5. Delivered, installed, free hose extension, and free haul away last year form the local dealer for $1150, The TR5 was offered at $1050. Both have 5 year warranty's. And THEY service what they sell, not some contractor.

I'd check out a local dealer before shopping at HD, just a better experience.
 
The dryer issue might really be only down to a vent issue.
Getting the vent cleaned is certainly a cheaper option than a new dryer - and if it's the vent, a new dryer won't perform any better anyway.


Unfortunately, Home Depot blocks any traffic from the EU.
But looking at the different online shops, there is a bunch of good FL offerings for under 1k.

Things to look for are recirculation and a heater.
So (despite finding steam offerings on washers pretty useless) any machine offering steam.

ELux isn't quite as quiet or fast an LG, but has been rated highly in cleaning time and time again. Their dryers have an edge over LG.
LG locks the heat settings on any sensor cycle, while ELux allows you to vary the heat on Auto cycles within reason, which I find very useful.

However, LGs TurboWash machines somewhat set a benchmark in performance. You get fast, thorough cleaning, a relatively simple interface (ELuxs UI is kind of overcomplicated IMO), very useful options (like up to 3 extra rinses) and you get really quiet performance with the Inverter pumps.



TLs are somewhat questionable at that price point - the big thing they've got going for themselves is pricing, really.
GE TLs aren't that great - pretty noisy. And Samsung's TLs are Samungs...

If it had to be a TL, a Whirlpool or LG could be a reasonable choice, but I really would advise to go with a FL.
 
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A water pump is one of the most troublesome parts of a washing machine and one of the parts most likely to need replacing it its lifetime, I do not see the need for a second and third water pump the LG‘s with a recirculation pump is just needless complication and it pumps the gritty Wash water out of the sump back up into the clothing constantly.

The electrolux go one better they have 3 Water Pumps Way too many problems and too much noise.

The whirlpool front load I recommended does have a heater for everybody that wants a heater.
 
In my experience of appliance and consumer products, I've come to find out that the price listed due to tier levels and features is more of a marketing gimmic than a quality standard.
In simple terms, just because something listed as being TOTL, having more features than a basic model, doesn't always make it a better investment.
People are led to believe that just because something costs more, it's a better choice.
From cars/vehicles, to appliances, to home stereos and beyond, all have become vulnerable to this pattern of hyped marketing.

Decades ago, the model lineup of something was pretty true to fact, and reputation.
But it all boils down to the manufacturing and design of something.
....And, where it was made.
 
db130 said:
Hello!

I believe most if not all of my previous posts on AW are regarding fixing up old washing machines. I've only owned 2nd-hand washing machines all of my life.

Anyways.. I've been tasked with finding a *new* replacement washing machine for a family member. Not only does it have to be a new washer, they would also like a new dryer, as they claim their old dryer (a whirlpool-made Kenmore with the lint filter up top that I bought new for them about 30 years ago) is no longer adequately drying clothes.

I may opt to investigate their dryer in person at some point, but regardless, they are pretty set on a new washer. The washer and the dryer does not have to be a matching set, but Home Depot is offering an extra $150 off on a matching set.

Is there a decent front loader for under $1k at Home Depot? We'd also consider a top loader.
Click to expand...
Can you explain the Home Depot requirement? No appliance stores in the area? Because on another post comparing GE Commercial Top Loader vs Speed Queen TC5...I would state look at those. Otherwise, Consumer Reports rates the LG top loaders best LG # WT7005CW-$875-with agitator. LG #WT7000CW- $ 890- High Efficiency-Impeller.,
 
I used to believe in the Consumer Reports ratings.
The same goes for those HiFi magazines with independent reviews of consumer stereo products.
They used to be accurate, reliable.

But these days, I don't bother with them.
I've found that they've been "bought", corrupted, by the manufacturers in order to sell their products.
The reviewer and/or magazine gets paid kickbacks to glorify a product, which I've often found is the case when some "highly touted" stuff came into my shop.
It's all about milking the public, dressing up something, - it's about money, from your pocket to theirs.
 
There are certain review outlets I would agree on are pay-per-review - something like reviewed.com in the US, or "ETM Testmagazin" here in Germany.


But CR - like Stiftung Warentest over here - is at least mostly independent.
There's a real simple way to tell that: If they have any product from main stream brands getting a sub 90% score, NOBODY bought that test.

If you just want to shill reviews you've been paid for, there is no reason to review any product by any manufacturer that does not pay you - why would you spend 1000$ on a product to make it look bad, if someone else is paying 10x that and you get the product to review for free?
And believe me - paying 10k plus one free product is NOTHING in terms of marketing budget, so there is no reason why anybody in that test wouldn't buy a good score if they could.



What you should take with a grain of salt is how they test stuff.
Many tests are just not typical usecases - and thus don't really tell you much useful information.

Most washers will handle mostly daily soils reasonably well. What they test with is some serious soiling.
Many manufacturers design cycles so that in those specific tests they score great, while some other cycles might not be well designed.
Etc. etc.
 
Re; Consumers Union reports. I don't trust them. They rate LG refrigerators high on the list too. My neighbor says hers is junk. Flimsy shelves. Going back to 1986 and the Suzuki Samurai test. They were told to do whatever it took to make it roll over. Why, and funded by? Suzuki hoped to sell 40,000 in 1985. They sold 47,000. Any higher profile vehicle has a higher center of gravity and can roll if pushed over it's limit. Maybe Jeep, etc. didn't want the competiton?
By '87 sales dropped lower. Suzuki sued and won, but the damage had been done. Scared potential buyers and by '89-'90 it was discontinued.
 
Consumer reports of Mount Vernon, New York

Is a completely 100% ethical and honest operation they are not fought out by anyone. No one ever has bribe them successfully.

They do not take samples from any manufacture every single item they test they buy in the marketplace just like you and I do.

That said I don’t always agree with their ratings because the criteria they’re looking for is not always what the consumer is looking for in my opinion.

When they’re testing appliances, for example they’re looking for performance, which is very important but sometimes there are more important things such as ease of repair, long-term reliability not just how people like them for the first half dozen years, etc.

They should get the opinion of more of the people that repair Appliances and cars for example and report on that.

I also take issue because they don’t tell you where products are made. I personally being an American preferred to buy American made products. I also like to buy union built products and again this information is lacking.

A year and a half ago when I wanted to get a new minivan I liked the Toyota sienna but I did not like the made in Japan. label on the inside of the door. I bought a union built Chrysler Pacifica instead.

There were a lot of factors in this decision, the Toyota‘s biggest advantage it got much better, gas mileage, but I couldn’t get over the goofy toy like look of the thing it didn’t have as much room inside you couldn’t get a trailer tow package on it and parts are much more expensive for the Toyota.
 
phillymatt53 said:
I used to believe in the Consumer Reports ratings.
The same goes for those HiFi magazines with independent reviews of consumer stereo products.
They used to be accurate, reliable.

But these days, I don't bother with them.
I've found that they've been "bought", corrupted, by the manufacturers in order to sell their products.
The reviewer and/or magazine gets paid kickbacks to glorify a product, which I've often found is the case when some "highly touted" stuff came into my shop.
It's all about milking the public, dressing up something, - it's about money, from your pocket to theirs.
Click to expand...
While I hate that on their on-line version..thet give links to click on where to buy the item: Amazon, Home Depot. Lowes, which gives a fishy impression. I till believe in their reviews vs "no information at all" Or to any online review which are clearly done by on-line "nobodies" who give everyone a good review. Sorry you are so jaded. My relatives like the LG Front loaders. LG os having issues with refrigerators
vacerator said:
Re; Consumers Union reports. I don't trust them. They rate LG refrigerators high on the list too. My neighbor says hers is junk. Flimsy shelves. Going back to 1986 and the Suzuki Samurai test. They were told to do whatever it took to make it roll over. Why, and funded by? Suzuki hoped to sell 40,000 in 1985. They sold 47,000. Any higher profile vehicle has a higher center of gravity and can roll if pushed over it's limit. Maybe Jeep, etc. didn't want the competiton?
By '87 sales dropped lower. Suzuki sued and won, but the damage had been done. Scared potential buyers and by '89-'90 it was discontinued.
Click to expand...
Well that is the issue...LG's new compressor are failing. No history yet on it. Unfortunately...quality and durability comments that Consumers used to put in their review are no longer being offered. They used to state, flimsy, or too plasticky. But in shortening their reviews, they now no longer addressed it. They do say, which this forum concurs, all new appliances are not meant to last...5-7 years,, is the new lifetrime vs 10-15..of previous decades.
and new invertors.
 
jrap330 said:
Can you explain the Home Depot requirement? No appliance stores in the area? Because on another post comparing GE Commercial Top Loader vs Speed Queen TC5...I would state look at those. Otherwise, Consumer Reports rates the LG top loaders best LG # WT7005CW-$875-with agitator. LG #WT7000CW- $ 890- High Efficiency-Impeller.,
Click to expand...
It's because the person is planning to pay with a Home Depot credit card, and there's a 12-month 0% apr promo.
 
combo52 said:
Consumer reports of Mount Vernon, New York

Is a completely 100% ethical and honest operation they are not fought out by anyone. No one ever has bribe them successfully.

They do not take samples from any manufacture every single item they test they buy in the marketplace just like you and I do.

That said I don’t always agree with their ratings because the criteria they’re looking for is not always what the consumer is looking for in my opinion.

When they’re testing appliances, for example they’re looking for performance, which is very important but sometimes there are more important things such as ease of repair, long-term reliability not just how people like them for the first half dozen years, etc.

They should get the opinion of more of the people that repair Appliances and cars for example and report on that.

I also take issue because they don’t tell you where products are made. I personally being an American preferred to buy American made products. I also like to buy union built products and again this information is lacking.

A year and a half ago when I wanted to get a new minivan I liked the Toyota sienna but I did not like the made in Japan. label on the inside of the door. I bought a union built Chrysler Pacifica instead.

There were a lot of factors in this decision, the Toyota‘s biggest advantage it got much better, gas mileage, but I couldn’t get over the goofy toy like look of the thing it didn’t have as much room inside you couldn’t get a trailer tow package on it and parts are much more expensive for the Toyot
Click to expand...

db130 said:
It's because the person is planning to pay with a Home Depot credit card, and there's a 12-month 0% apr promo.
Click to expand...
That was my guess...the Home Depot card.
 
vacerator said:
Re; Consumers Union reports. I don't trust them. They rate LG refrigerators high on the list too. My neighbor says hers is junk. Flimsy shelves. Going back to 1986 and the Suzuki Samurai test. They were told to do whatever it took to make it roll over. Why, and funded by? Suzuki hoped to sell 40,000 in 1985. They sold 47,000. Any higher profile vehicle has a higher center of gravity and can roll if pushed over it's limit. Maybe Jeep, etc. didn't want the competiton?
By '87 sales dropped lower. Suzuki sued and won, but the damage had been done. Scared potential buyers and by '89-'90 it was discontinued.
Click to expand...

I believe Consumer's Union and Consumer Reports were separate entities back-in-the-day. I haven't seen anything about Consumer's Union in many years. Does it still exist? Did it merge with Consumer Reports?

I had an online subscription to CR years ago. I found some aspects of their ratings and the Annual Survey to be questionable, and found errors in their details on features of some appliances. I bought a couple errors to their attention, they never corrected it. Existing print issues of course can't be directly revised, although a correction could be stated in a later issue. Online info can be immediately corrected, which they did not. I canceled the subscription with a couple months remaining, but access to immediately revoked.

Dad had a print subscription to CR for a few years toward the end of his life. I established online access to the customer account to check the remaining duration and other details. They kept sending renewal begs for at least a year after the expiration.
 
You have valid points but nothing is perfect. The Samurai was too easy to tip over.. Yes, it stinks that they do not provide, comments on the structure, durability of the appliances like they once did. Durability of anything built within last 10 years, is now questionable. As to your neighbor, if shelves were flimsy why did she buy it. More important, their compressors, invertor compressor are failing, nowhere near the 10 year warranty LG claims . My family or I have the subscription since 1977. They are not as perfect as they were once before but again., they are better than having no information at all.. They are definitely better than Review.com.
 
I like Consumer Reports for reliability data. Nowhere else are you going to get good quality, independent data on how frequently different brands break down in the first five years of operation. Of course, it's not perfect - for example, in cases where a manufacturer has reliability issues that only apply to some of the models in their line, it won't tell you which ones. Also, it can sometimes flag issues that have already been resolved by the manufacturer, and conversely, miss or downplay issues that arose more recently. But it's still a useful resource IMO.

In terms of appliance performance testing, I'm not totally sold on CR's ratings. As said above they often seem to look/test for things that are different from what I personally care about. And they won't tell you anything about different cycles on the machines other than Normal. I still appreciate they actually test products in a lab though, unlike many "review sites" - and I've found some of their non-appliance testing useful - for example, sunscreens and HVAC air filters.

jrap330 said:
Well that is the issue...LG's new compressor are failing. No history yet on it. Unfortunately...quality and durability comments that Consumers used to put in their review are no longer being offered. They used to state, flimsy, or too plasticky. But in shortening their reviews, they now no longer addressed it. They do say, which this forum concurs, all new appliances are not meant to last...5-7 years,, is the new lifetrime vs 10-15..of previous decades.
and new invertors.
Click to expand...
CR did an article 5 years ago on the LG compressor problem. They did get meaningfully more reports of compressor failures with LG than most other brands, confirming the issue is real. But not all LG fridges use this compressor, or fail within the 5 years they measure, and the other manufacturers had their share of problems with high end fridges too, thus, LG still came out as average overall for fridge reliability in their survey. https://www.consumerreports.org/mon...on-over-refrigerator-compressors-a8036944066/

I too wish they wrote more commentary on the individual appliances they test. They do have more commentary for some of the other products they review, especially cars, but for appliances they rarely give you anything besides the numerical scores which is a shame.
 
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jrap330 said:
While I hate that on their on-line version..thet give links to click on where to buy the item: Amazon, Home Depot. Lowes, which gives a fishy impression. I till believe in their reviews vs "no information at all" Or to any online review which are clearly done by on-line "nobodies" who give everyone a good review. Sorry you are so jaded. My relatives like the LG Front loaders. LG os having issues with refrigerators
Click to expand...
Jaded???
Hardly! - you don't know me.
First off, I'm not one to believe everything that I read "online".
That is for the masses that tend to be gullible.
And having face-to-face personal conversations with District Managers from large corporations, primarily in the Home Entertainment business, I've learned what their training involves and how the marketing of products works.
Some made obvious "slip of the tongue" remarks in a joking way, never thinking that I would spill the beans as a small business owner.
Remember how the famous term Snake Oil came about?

Products are glamorized in order to sell them, to generate revenue to the companies.
This glamorization takes many forms, mostly superficial, because visuals, and looks have been an important element to the human race.
Think about this for a moment....
When television was first introduced, it gained the masses attention.
People were mesmerized by that glowing box in their homes.
This then evolved into Color TV, then Portable TV, and now the masses have those tiny pocket-sized cellphones to glow in their faces everywhere.

Cost-cutting is a benefit to increase profits, but hushed up of course.
Anyone with common sense to know, knows that.

I'm not "jaded"....These are facts, real facts, :rolleyes:




 
Possibly Dadoes. I guess I should have considered the guy who has the YouTube car reviews for classics. Curious cars. He's in Naples Florida. Watch a few videos and you'll see what I mean. He tends to be biased.
 
phillymatt53 said:
Jaded???
Hardly! - you don't know me.
First off, I'm not one to believe everything that I read "online".
That is for the masses that tend to be gullible.
And having face-to-face personal conversations with District Managers from large corporations, primarily in the Home Entertainment business, I've learned what their training involves and how the marketing of products works.
Some made obvious "slip of the tongue" remarks in a joking way, never thinking that I would spill the beans as a small business owner.
Remember how the famous term Snake Oil came about?

Products are glamorized in order to sell them, to generate revenue to the companies.
This glamorization takes many forms, mostly superficial, because visuals, and looks have been an important element to the human race.
Think about this for a moment....
When television was first introduced, it gained the masses attention.
People were mesmerized by that glowing box in their homes.
This then evolved into Color TV, then Portable TV, and now the masses have those tiny pocket-sized cellphones to glow in their faces everywhere.

Cost-cutting is a benefit to increase profits, but hushed up of course.
Anyone with common sense to know, knows that.

I'm not "jaded"....These are facts, real facts, :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Ok, sorry I used that term.
 
I agree with you Jrap. Products can also be cheapened to save production costs. Otherwise the retail price goes higher, or does anyway. Example is Toro/Briggs and Stratton. Latest engine has a smaller air filter, and Toro touts no oil changes ever. You can tell this engine is lighter than the previous models. I bought a new super recycler last month. It seemed difficult to pull the cord out of the box. It started fine for 4 uses, then dead. Fresh gas too. I got a refund.
 
vacerator said:
I agree with you Jrap. Products can also be cheapened to save production costs. Otherwise the retail price goes higher, or does anyway. Example is Toro/Briggs and Stratton. Latest engine has a smaller air filter, and Toro touts no oil changes ever. You can tell this engine is lighter than the previous models. I bought a new super recycler last month. It seemed difficult to pull the cord out of the box. It started fine for 4 uses, then dead. Fresh gas too. I got a refund.
Click to expand...
I remember the days when products were assembled and held together with screws, bolts, real metal brackets, etc.
And it was fairly easy to service those products.
In my shop, stuff made since the 1980s started to be made cheaper, using those snap-in plastic supports/standoffs, holding down the PC boards and other assemblies.
That white plastic, some sort of nylon or polymer material was always a pain to deal with.
Gears and mechanical parts were also made from that stuff - gears cracking, levers bending, etc.
We at the shop called it "Milk Bottle Plastic Crap"

And as far as cost cutting of products, I've improved-modified many products that I determined were potential issues, in order to make them last and give them a long lifespan.
I've coined that type of improvment as "DE-Chinese-ing it"
 
My brother just bought an LG WM3400CW from Home Depot and has been really pleased so far. If I had to get a new washer from Home Depot, I'd go for an LG front loader preferably the WM3470CW. And if I had to go for a new dryer from Home Depot, I'd get a basic Whirlpool with the lint trap on top. I don't see why I should spend extra on a matching dryer with features I'd rarely use.
 
I'd like to thank everyone's input. I have an update!

First, I went to take a look at the dryer this evening, armed with an IR thermometer and a bunch of tools.

<cough> The dryer vent was *very* clogged

20250708_190558.jpg

The good news is that after I cleaned out that elbow and fired up that dryer with the duct disconnected, the vent temp easily reached 175 degrees when I pointed my IR thermometer on back of the dryer. I ended up spending about 30 minutes to clean out their ducts.

So... I was able to convince them that they didn't need a new dryer, and their Whirlpool-made Kenmore dryer lives to see another day!

Next, I presented the Whirlpool WFW4720RW front load washer as well as the LG WM3470CW front load washer as options (both were $698 with free delivery at Home Depot). They picked the LG.

The LG washer will replace a Kenmore Calypso washer that was purchased 2nd hand by me years ago (I can't remember exactly when).
 
db130 said:
I'd like to thank everyone's input. I have an update!

First, I went to take a look at the dryer this evening, armed with an IR thermometer and a bunch of tools.

<cough> The dryer vent was *very* clogged

View attachment 316851

The good news is that after I cleaned out that elbow and fired up that dryer with the duct disconnected, the vent temp easily reached 175 degrees when I pointed my IR thermometer on back of the dryer. I ended up spending about 30 minutes to clean out their ducts.

So... I was able to convince them that they didn't need a new dryer, and their Whirlpool-made Kenmore dryer lives to see another day!

Next, I presented the Whirlpool WFW4720RW front load washer as well as the LG WM3470CW front load washer as options (both were $698 with free delivery at Home Depot). They picked the LG.

The LG washer will replace a Kenmore Calypso washer that was purchased 2nd hand by me years ago (I can't remember exactly when).
Click to expand...
Convince them, once or twice a year to try and clean their ducts. So many public service announcements about dryer fires.
 

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