washers and dryers

[matadorpoeta]

update:

we looked at the kenmores and whirlpools and decided they were just too plasticky to justify the price. they look good in pictures but in reality they have a cheap look and feel.

a korean friend of mine warned me to stay away from LG appliances.

we've decided to go with the bosch wfmc 6400. like i said i've never bought a washing machine or any other major appliance before and i'm a little hesitant to pull the trigger. there are two local stores that carry this thing and neither of them has any prices on the merchandise. you tell the salesperson what you're interested in and they go look at a big black book as if they don't know the price, then they give you a quote. i feel like i'm buying a car.

i think i'll be buying from the internet instead, to avoid paying sales tax and to avoid any haggling.

phv,
i was under the impression that bosch was a german brand, but the machine i saw in the store said 'made in u.s.a.' inside. let's hope mine ends up being as reliable as yours.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Its probably assembled at one of the other manufacturers plants here in the U.S. Shipping parts and assembling here is easier than packaging an entire washing machine so that its delicate electronic components don't get all fubared in transit.

Let me know what you think - IMMSMC the Bosch is a "cold fill" washing machine, which means that it fills with cold water, and then an internal heater will heat the water to temp inside the machine itself.

(as opposed to mixing hot and cold from your water line)

This helps in a couple of ways - it saves the hot water in your water heater for showers and etc. It also provides more accurate temperature control for those of you who care about that kind of thing. It also can get the water hotter than your water heater can if you need it.

It also means that sometime in the future, you might have to replace the heating element and the wash cycle takes longer due to the heating of the water.

Other than that, you can probably expect a MSRP of about $1300 for the Bosch. I hear its a fine unit, I have no personal experience with it - but thats what I hear.

And I'd reccomend *not* buying from the internet unless its a local internet company. First of all, you will probably spend more money on shipping the thing to your house from out of state than you would on sales tax. If you find someone who is cheaper than your local store, and ships free, and has a great return policy - there is usually a catch. It's either reconditioned merchandise, or scratch & dent, or bulk stored stuff. None of which is reccomended. There is always the chance that you will get a bum unit right out of the box - most places will make *YOU* pay shipping to the nearest manufacturer reccomended service center. Shipping on a 300lb washing machine isn't cheap.
Buy local - usually they will be more than happy to help you with any problems you may have, you know they (probably) won't just up and dissapear a year after you order your appliance ( a problem with many online e-tailers) And sales tax is deductable from your itemized return. Save your reciepts.

Again - I hope this helped.

 

[j]

This is why you make friends with your friendly local general contractor. Get a builder price, pay the tax, have it delivered (typically included in the price), done and done.

BTW, a lot of our 'high end' customers go with Bosch appliances. They are very good, from what I hear.

 

[matadorpoeta]

just to update, i ordered the bosch nexxt series 6400 a couple of days ago. it is to be delivered next wednesday. this thing set me back $1600 including delivery, installation, and removal of the old washer. j, i could find any contractors who knew what i was talking about when i asked about a special price. i bought from my local store and got a 5 year extended warranty which covers all parts and labor. i'm happy with the purchase, so thank you to everyone who chimed in with advice. next, the refridgerator.... Â Â

 

[tiecollector]

Bumping this thread as I'm in the market for a new front load washer/dryer.

I would love to buy an American made Whirlpool but the reviews I've read aren't so hot. I read that parts were difficult to get from the company even under warranty, it is very loud and takes a very long time to cycle, though it does use less water.

For moving parts the German stuff can't be beat and I was leaning towards the Miele, which is quite pricey. However, Bosch and LG are still under consideration and have gotten pretty good reviews.

What do you all have?

 

[bingusa]

i bought a set of siemens washer and dryer when they were first intro'ed in US. they were made in USA. i was under the impression that they were from the same joint venture that builds both siemens and bosch (they look and config the same except diff logos)

in short, wash quality and drying quality has been good. BUT the build material is bad. the surface of both washer and dryer have had cracks. i always thought they were made of some kind of metal, but apperantly just plastic. i will not buy this brand again.

at that time when i shopped around, it seems that many of kitchenaid and kenmore were made in germany because i was puzzled why so.

i would suggest just go to costco to buy a set of whirlwool fron loading ones. costco's return/exchange policies are great in case you encounter any problems.