Happy 19th Birthday to my Whirlpool Duet Front Load Washer

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mark_wpduet

mark_wpduet

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 29, 2008
Messages
2,642
Location
Lexington KY
Can't believe it keeps going.

There's absolutely nothing that incidates to me that anything is degrading in terms of the way it sounds when washing/draining/spinning... It sounds the same now as it did on day one...

As much as I've loved it over the years part of me wants to try something new...but the other part of me is afraid that I won't like anything else as well so I will keep it and take care of it as I have until something happens

If it died today... my next Front load would be an LG with Turbo wash or a Speed Queen Front load.

mark_wpduet-2024040110131007882_1.jpg

mark_wpduet-2024040110131007882_2.jpg
 
Congratulations

We have lots of customers that have this machine still going strong and next year you can post in the vintage forum for its anniversary.

Appliances today are so much better built and have much better materials in general so there’s no reason that many won’t last 30 and 40 years, all you ever hear about the ones that die early but that’s always been the case all the way back into the 50s and 60s a lot of washers and dryers didn’t even last 10 years. Nothing really has changed.

John
 
Mark, congratulations. I love my LG and the ability for me to be in control of achieving higher hot water wash temps. But I miss my Duet.
 
Congratulations Mark! Your Duet looks like brand new because of the excellent care you’ve given it. I made the statement yesterday in the thread about the POD that the last good domestic FL’s were the White-Westinghouse, Frigidaire and Maytag Neptune FL’s.

I forgot completely about the Whirlpool Duet’s which were also excellent FL’s, which your experience certainly is testimony to. Of course the Speed Queen FL’s are very prized by many, and I’m sure they are good too, but their price is prohibitive for many buyers.

I still believe that domestic and foreign appliance companies are losing out on many buyers that would buy FL’s if they still built and sold 3.5 cf models that would fit into the confined space of the dedicated laundry closets in homes that were built in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. I’m one of those prospective buyers that the larger 4.5 and smaller 2.4 cf models just don’t work for, the 4.5 cf ones won’t fit into these closets and the 2.4 cf models aren’t big enough to meet my all around laundry needs. You would think that some bean counter would get a clue and bring back the 3.5 cf FL’s.

Eddie
 
Eddie, you cited the exact reason why Dave and I left our Duet pair (identical to Mark's) when we moved.  They were too huge for the new laundry area.  We both loved that full-featured, self-cleaning washer.  It removed stains that the '97 Spamana TL never could. 

 

I like the Neptune stackers with analog controls that came with the current house, but the extra capacity of that Duet washer would come in handy for the king size comforter, which needs to be crammed into the Neptune.  I treat the Neptune well and it performs fine as it closes in on 20 years old in a couple of months, but I will always have a soft spot for the Duets from this period.

 

Mark, congratulations!  It's a keeper for sure, and I hope you get another 19 years out of it!
 
2003 whirlpool duet pair

Worked on this pair today the dryer needed a solder joint fixed on the main power board the couple that bought this pair said it was the first Repair they had on either unit, gas dryer.

Hi Eddie, a 2.4 ft.³ front load washer is the same as a 5 ft.³ top load washer that you have now, 24 inch washers hold a lot more than you think and a lot more than your current washer.

combo52-2024040117254102145_1.jpg
 
We had a set before up at our last cabin. According to Airbnb where it's being used as a rental cabin now, they still have that set! Or at least when the pictures were last updated which would've been a couple years ago, it was still there. I wish we could've bought two Duets at the same time. We bought two front loaders at the same time from our local RC Willey store back in 2004, one was of course the Duet but the other was a Maytag Neptune. One was going to go up to the cabin that we had just built and the other was going to replace our GE top loader at home which we did brought up to the cabin as a second set. Eventually we chose to put the Duet at the cabin and kept the Neptune at home because from what I was told, the Neptune had more features. I think we would've had the Duet today if we had it at home instead. And I also think the Neptune would've still been working at the cabin if we took it up there instead. So this year would've been the 20th anniversary for ours. I've used a grey supposedly a top of the line model before when I was living at a ranch years ago, it's still to this day the best washer I've ever used! If I could have any set that's still being made today, I'd easily pick one of these two Duets. Or have both if I get a house that's built for two sets, though I'd like to have a top loader for one of the sets just like up at our cabin.

panasonicvac-2024040117062004177_2.jpg

panasonicvac-2024040117062004177_1.png
 
Hi John, my current TL is 3.5 cf capacity and really holds a lot, a full laundry basket full or a kingsize comforter or bedspread.

I recently took a look at the GE 2.4 cf FL’s and I can’t see how it would hold what my current washer does. The basket looks very small. I know with an FL that you can pack it right up to the top, but not tightly. I just don’t think this washer would work for us. But thanks for the feedback.

Eddie
 
I think these Duet's are 3.8 cubic feet? I could be wrong... anyway, at that time these were very large... but it comparison to what's out there now these are much smaller... This is why I wouldn't be upset at the SQ 3.5 cu... that would be really close to the size I have now... and that can still wash a LOT of laundry..

I think my favorite thing about this duet is the way it rinses... after wash/drain/spin it slows down as it fills with rinse water, continuing to slowly spin and the water gets more and more sloshy as it fills.. then once it's satisfied with the amount of rinse water it tumbles for a bit.. then drains that/ spins again, does the same thing...I feel like it's really good at rinsing...

I think a lot of the reason for the longevity aside from me taking care of it is that it's on concrete.. My single story house is on a concrete slab

I do turn the water off when done doing laundry... because the hoses have never been changed. I've gotten used to it and don't mind. Better than having a flood.

I've never EVER used liquid detergent in this... Not that I wouldn't...just powder is easier to deal with.. I wish Costco still made Kirkland powder. I really liked that..
 
I thought Kirkland was still making powdered detergent? I think the last time I was at Costco, there were still on the shelves. And that's the soap I used for that grey Duet, love that kind!
 
It's not on the shelves here... Only that Kirkland liquid.. unless they moved it but I don't think so..

I've heard it's made by the same company that makes Persil
 
The way it fills for the rinses is my favorite. I was a little disappointed when I saw that my later version would slow down before the fill and only distribute and fill for a short while before stopping.

These early Duets were 3.5 cu.ft. from what I recall.
 

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