Looking for used kitchen aid washer

[tomdawg]

My Grandmother is having trouble with these new washers these days! She got rid of her 1988 Whirlpool direct drive washer in 2006- it was still working but wanted something new. She ended up buying the agitator version of the Whirlpool cabrio, it died in 6 years, bought a Whirlpool duet- which she actually liked and thought it cleaned very well. She sold the house with the washer and dryer and moved to another house which has the Maytag bravos (F&P design)
it’s so loud when it spins they can’t talk to each other.
She commented she just wants a washer that uses water and cleans her clothes. My Grandmother is a clean freak/takes really good care of her stuff. I’ve been looking on Facebook market place for a kitchen aid washer. I’m having trouble figuring out the years. I’ll try and post in order, newest to oldest. The reason I thought I finding a kitchen aid. They use a slower speed and think it would last longer as it doesn’t have a ‘high speed’ plus I love the turn over with the larger fins at the bottom.
My grandparents are in their mid 80s I don’t think they have too much life left and something like an older DD would be sufficient for them. She does Maybe 3 loads a week.

Is there one series better than the other? I’ve looked at kenmore, but they all look beat up!

 

[repairguy]

Whirlpool built kitchenaid laundry from 1986-2006 and they were all good machines. I picked up a Roper washer from the curb and replaced the drive coupling. My grandparents used it from 2008-2017 when grandpa passed without a repair.

 

[DADoES]

 
<blockquote>The reason I thought I finding a kitchen aid. They use a slower speed and think it would last longer as it doesn’t have a ‘high speed’ ...</blockquote> That's not a point of concern regards to longevity.  All KA models run high motor speed for drain, and high-speed spin on the Regular/Heavy cycle.  Some that have stepped-spin run high for the last two mins of final spin on Perm Press.  Very early models for a couple years didn't have the oversized agitator and reduced-speed agitation profile, and some lower-end models in later years (such as Pic #5) also may not have it.

 

[ryner1988]

The loud spin in the Bravos with the F&P design is probably a bad bearing(s). I remember someone on here, believe it may have been John L, stated that the bearings tended to go bad quickly on these machines. That being said I liked them, quieter (when operating properly) and IMO better performers than the VMW bravos that followed.

 

[DADoES]

 
Bearings in F&P-native machines seem to last longer.  My GWL08 ran for 22 years on the original bearings, until the control board went bad, and it was once flooded.  IWL12 is 19 years, it was taken out of daily-usage some years ago but is run occasionally (sheets two days ago).  Two AquaSmarts are 14 and 16 years, both original bearings.

A 2005 GWL11 that was given to me had the bearings go bad in 2022, the only one thus far.