Is this a decent washer?

[ryner1988]

Hi all,

So this washer came up on a used appliance store near me today (link below) and I'm strongly considering purchasing it. As many know, I've had concerns about my Maytag washer possibly dying soon, and I'm trying to take the advice I've been given by many and get something else before that actually happens and my wife and I are stuck with literally nothing. I feel like this machine might be the answer. It's still a mechanical design as far as I know, but looks a heck of a lot newer than my 1984 machine. If my research is correct, it was manufactured in 2004, which would be a 20-year difference. Plus, it comes from an actual appliance shop, meaning it's been cleaned/tested at minimum.

I'm just wondering a few things, since I can't see the pictures. Is this machine a three-speed, or two speed design? Is it the type with just the regular straight agitator, or is this the duel-action version? Does this machine come with an extra rinse switch, or is that built into the heavy duty cycle? And finally, are direct drive machines still serviced regularly? By which I mean, could I purchase it with confidence that it could be repaired by a service tech if something were to go wrong?

Here is the link to the machine.

https://www.cityapplianceindy.com/p...6200kq1/501?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false

Thanks,

Ryne

 

[smartdrive1100]

These machines are great, as many have said on this site.

They wash really well, people do have an issue with them agitating being too fast and being too rough with the clothes but I can’t say if it’s true because I haven’t had one.

Very easy to repair, I’m confident that anyone with basic repairing skills could repair it.

 

[DADoES]

 
Model LSB6200KQ1 is 2001 market-model year (letter K in 8th position).

Serial CR1114182 is manufacture date during 11th week (March 8 to 12) of 2004.

It has a dual-action auger agitator.

It has a two-speed motor.  High agitation is approximately 180 strokes-per-minute.  Low agitate is approximately 120 strokes-per-minute.  High spin is 640 RPM.  Low spin is 425 RPM.

The four controls from left to right across the console are Load Size, Temperature, Extra Rinse and End-of-Cycle signal combined into one knob, and timer.

Four water level choices:  Small, Medium, Large, Super Plus.

Four temperature choices:  Hot/Cold, Warm/Cold, Cold/Cold, Warm/Warm.

Four combined Extra Rinse & End-of-Cycle choices:  both Off, rinse On signal Off, rinse Off signal On, both On.

Agitate and spin speed are controlled by the timer cycle.  All cycles support the extra rinse option.

Normal cycle provides maximum 17 mins wash time, labeled as Super soil.  15 mins is Heavy soil.  9 mins Regular soil.  6 mins Light soil.  Agitation runs at high speed until the last 3-ish minutes switches to low.  Rinse agitation is high.  Spins are high.

Casual/Permanent Press cycle provides maximum 8 mins Regular soil wash time.  6 mins is labeled as Light.  The wash period has a speed shift from high agitation to low at 3-ish mins time.  It has a partial-drain cool down before the first spin.  Spins are Low.

Delicates cycle is maximum 5 mins wash time, low speed agitate and spin.

Hand Washables cycle is maximum 5 mins wash time, intermittent agitation and soak at low speed.  Low spin.

Note:  The console photo is not from the sale linked above.  It's an LSB6200KQ1 I found on another sale.

 

[ryner1988]

@dadoes

Thank you for this very informative reply. The washer sounds very similar to the one my family had while I was growing up. If I remember right, it replaced a GE filter flow when I was in middle school. I think ours was very slightly more BOL than this one though, as it had only one cycle with extra rinse capability, which I believe was labeled as heavy, built into the timer, no separate extra rinse switch. The only other difference that I can think of was that ours had three water levels--small, medium, and super plus. There was no large setting.

The only thing I don't like about this washers is that nearly all of them have a plastic cover over the timer dial that spins somewhat when you touch it. On many other timer-based models, such as older GE and Maytag, the pointer is clearly tactile, or can be made so by putting a piece of tape or some other raised bump over it, and so I can easily match the dial to the cycle I want by touch. With these, though, the pointer is hidden under the spinning cover so I have to be really careful not to touch the cover too much, or I'll lose my place. I've always wondered if those plastic covers can just be removed therefore giving me unimpeded access to the pointer.

 

[DADoES]

 
All direct-drive timers have the slipping, protective dial cover.  It may be removable, although I've not tried.  The purpose of it presumably is to prevent switching the motor between clockwise and counterclockwise direction without first coasting to a stop, as would happen by turning the dial skirt directly across agitate and spin-drain functions without first pushing the knob in to Off position.

It appears that this timer is the type that requires releasing a latch tab on the backside of the timer mechanism to remove the knob and dial.  The knob doesn't unscrew.