Should I pick up this Kenmore set? (advice for newbie)

[bvf]

another opinion

I just looked at the identical set and the man used them in a rental for 15 years ad they are still working..they are plastic but photo well…I was thinking of buying them just for the fun of it…could this be that one out of three products are good to keep up moral amonstg buyers…..now I'm thinking i may pass on these also.. but in a way they look kind of vintage ..i thought at first they were early 80s…mk in arizona

 

[jeb]

Direct drive

I think I should put in my 2 cents worth. I have a direct drive whirlpool that I have had for 15 yrs and never had the problems listed. I raised 2 kids with this machine and can honestly say I have never had any clothing ruined by it. I also work at 2 museums and washed lace curtain from the Victorian room and ruff, heavy wool homespun from the log cabin without a problem. I never had problems with lint or rinsing. If I used bleach,I would selected the optional second rinse but otherwise every thing seemed fine. Right now I am washing several table clothes that were used at an outdoor even this weekend where we let kids churn butter and cooked over an open fire. The table clothes were covered in greasy butter and black in some places were the iron pots were set on them. After a 30 minute soak in borax and laundry soap, then run through the normal cycle all came out clean and fine (if maybe a little twisted). The filter seemed to get rid of soot and small bits of food left on them, but (as the saying goes), " individual results may vary ". Jeff

 

[rp2813]

BOL vs BOL

The Maytag washer in reply 15 may be BOL, but it offers more options and cycle choices than the BOL Kenmore.   It doesn't appear that you can even select water temperature or load size on the Kenmore.

 

At $30 for the set, those Maytags are a real steal.  The Kenmores, OTOH, seem overpriced for their age.

 

Too bad you missed out on that first Maytag you posted.  It's by far the best of the bunch for build quality, provides more options than the other two, long stroke agitation, and speed selection for wash and spin.

 

The $30 Maytags would be my next choice if they're in proper working order. 

 

Regardless of which set you end up with, people here can provide help for both makes if anything needs fixing.

 

[sears9000]

May I offer some advice?

First welcome to A.W.ORG. It is true that the Kenmore set is bottom of the line set. Now the lower end of Kenmore/Whirlpool washers usually don't have a lint filter in them at all. But the dryer does have one, so it should catch the lint for you. Although I'm partial to Kenmore because that's what I grew up with, the 2nd Maytag set would be a good choice. They were built very well, and they have a manual lint filter in the agitator that you clean. you should have many years of good service with them. Here's my advice for all washers new or old, front or top loading. 1. A friendly reminder, don't overload the machine. The clothes need to be able to move around the tub so they won't bind up near the agitator which could damage your clothes, not get clean as they should be, and could cause the soap to not rinse completely out. Plus this could damage the machine. 2. Be generous with the water if possible. I.E, if you have a medium load, set it to large. As I said, the more the clothes can move around, the cleaner they will be. 3. Cut back a little bit on your soap. Especially with sensitive skin like my wife and I have, it helps. You need just enough to clean your clothes. Besides, to much soap could cause your machine to not perform as it should.
Amy, I'm not telling you what to do, I just want to give you some good advice to help you. Oh yes, when you get your machine, I would suggest that you fill it with hot water, pour in a cup of bleach, and run it on a complete cycle to kill any germs that might be there. I wish you the best in getting a laundry set, and may you enjoy them.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

Actually...

I disagree. It's all about the design and functionality of the whirlpool family of direct drives. The key is having the right water level, temp, and speed combinations as well as the detergent and additives. I have had good luck with direct drives even when using the "shredder" speed. The high-speed agitation will surely cause a whirlpool in the tub which is what I look for. The Maytag direct drives do a good job. I just wish they'd fill up with more water. They're the ones in my college dorm which are free of charge, and have a mechanical timer along with load size and fabric selections which go by temperature.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

At least

the Maytags were direct drive from 2007-2010.