new washing machine and dryer
 

OK, Just bought a new washer and dryer. Gulp. anyway, I have been worrying myself silly that my 20 something old washer and dryer would just quit one of these days. Heard about the appliance shortage, winter's coming. Don't want to have to luge everything to a laundromat and don't want to have to hang clothes to dry outside, even if the fires finally go out, snow is coming. Called around, seems stores either have no washers but have dryers or no washers but have the dryers. I did want a top loader and was lucky to find a store that had some of those. Umm...what size...what price. Anyway, I ended up getting one of those top loaders without an agitator but a fairly good sized one at 4.8 cubic feet. They had a larger one but I could not reach the bottom. This one I can barely reach the bottom of the drum and will have to spin it to reach the far side. It is dark grey! The bigger one was white and as was the much smaller one they had with the agitator. They said if they had to order one it would hopefully only take 4-6 months to get one. So I got the grey one. No matching dyer...actually no dryer of the same brand and only one small one of another brand that wasn't gas, but he did call their supplier and they had one that they could put on the next truck! So hopefully, they will arrive in a few weeks. umm...better start saving now for the new stove....yikes...all my appliances are 20 some years old except the frig which I got last year. I read somewhere that quilters like the top loaders better than the front loaders....they did have plenty of front loaders it looked like.

That's interesting . . . I bought a new washer a few months ago and Lowe's had plenty to choose from. Washers and dryers. I got one that has a removable agitator. Not that I'll probably remove it. lol

I like the top loaders better. It seems that you need to leave the door open on the new machines (especially the front loaders) to keep them from smelling bad and I have my washer and dryer in a hallway so it would be inconvenient to have the door open. Plus, I'm just not sold on the front loaders. They seem to have a lot of problems. I got the top loader with the feature that allows you to put extra water in which I think would be helpful if you are washing something that might fade onto the surrounding fabrics.

Washing Machines
 

Interesting take on washing machines. I have a Maytag front loader and love it. Actually, this is my 2nd set of Maytag washers and dryers. Had one of the first Neptune series and it lasted for years before it finally gave out. Have had the second set of Maytag front loaders for about 14 years and they are still going strong. I love the fact that the washer uses less water than a top-loading machine; especially important now that my state is in a severe drought. Anyhow, just wanted to give a shout-out for my Maytag machines. If and when it comes time for replacement, I will again purchase top of the line Maytag front-loading washer and matching dryer.

The Maytag appliances in our last house, all new when we moved in, lasted about ten years and broke. Washing machine first then the dryer then the cook stove then the dishwasher. Repairman said Maytag has gone down in quality big time. Now we buy the cheapest and replace. So far the new cheaper ones have outlasted the more expensive ones we had before.

My most recent larger appliance I purchased was a dishwasher and it took months for me to get one looking several times a week. I'm a simple gal and don't need a large washer or dryer or dishwasher for just 2 people. Finding larger things was easier as many of the big box stores had them. I hope I don't need a washer or dryer for many years to come.

Our appliances were all replaced when we remodeled the kitchen/bathroom/laundry 3 years ago.

My sister-in-law was having some problems with her refrigerator, so wanted to replace before it quit completely. It took several months for the model she wanted to come in. That was last year.

A friend has been trying to replace a freezer since spring. She has been told on 3 occasions that it is in the warehouse/will be on the truck/is shipping from Lowe's, Home Depot, and another more local vendor. Home Depot and Lowe's called a couple of days before the expected arrival to tell her it wasn't coming. The local vendor did not - she took half the day off, which meant closing her business, cleaned the freezer out and THEN found out they weren't coming.

What are people who do not have one that is on it's last legs, but working, doing? People who have built a new home, or moved into a home that doesn't have one, or the people who have had damage from the floods throughout the southern and northeastern states?

If probably depends on where you are. Appliances are readily available here. There's some what else choice, but not by much. I was able to find a nice washer that had the features I wanted at the Lowe's 2 miles from my house on the northwest side of Houston, TX

My neighbor waited months for living room furniture and new kitchen appliances so I decided to replace my laundry set (Speed Queen) before they give out, then I might be in trouble. My set is 10 years old and I’m told they have some resale value yet. I shopped a new appliance store in town & they have plenty on hand. Salesman said they get a truckload every week. They are family owned and open 6 days, not 7. I like that and wish more stores would do that.

I have an LG washer & dryer which we bought about 4 years ago. I love my dryer but not so much the washer. The washer doesn't have an agitator (which I didn't even notice when purchasing it) and it's a high efficiency washer which means that the water is measured out according to the weight of the clothes. I personally think it needs more water in it when washing small loads & have to "bucket" over water to it if I want more than it puts in. It does have a very large tub but it is "deep" & I have to tip toe to reach the bottom of the tub to get my clothes out.
I really prefer the "old fashioned" washers & dryers where you could select the washing/drying modes with just the spin of a dial.
Now, as you can see, I don't deal well with a lot of changes in my life. https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/wink.png

I was lucky last year to be able to buy a freezer. I was going out to shop so seldom, I needed to be able to stock up when I did go out. I couldn't seem to purchase one online, but I called the local Lowe's and found out they had some in the store. I was able to order and pay for it on the phone, and it was delivered quickly. I might have bought another model if there had been more to choose from, but I'm happy with this one.

I much prefer a top load washer with an agitator. I want to be able to control how much water it's using, especially when pre-washing quilts or quilting fabric. And I want to be able to open the lid after it's running and pop in the sock that dropped on the floor. I don't think any of the people designing the current machines have washed a real load of laundry in their lives.

I got a new washer/dryer about 4 years ago. It is a top loader with an agitator, HE, but, I can lift the lid while it is filling and washing, but not spinning, and does have the feature to add more water. I have been satisfied with it. It has a few presoak settings so I soak my quilts to make sure the Elmers Washable School glue I use to baste is all out. My cousin and my friend each got the Speed Queen. very happy with it, but, cousin had to have a new drain put in because the machine was so powerful what they had was not adequate. Friend's husband figured out a workaround for the drain issue. Has to do with a towel wedged in, watching it in case it falls out and water goes everywhere. This isn't a deterrent to them, just something to watch out for. We are low dirt producers, being retired, don't garden, work on equipment, do our own lawn work, etc. Just putter around the house, go for a walk, etc. so the machine seems perfectly fine to get things clean. I also discovered soap sheets - they are small rectangles that go into the washer instead of a liquid, pod, or powder, and really for me do a good job. They are only available on amazon (many different types/varieties/manufacturers) or from the company itself. I am not against using Amazon, so order from there. Takes up so much less room and easier to deal with.

My top loader has no agitator and fills by weight. I by pass all of that and use the Deep Fill option every time. It gets full to the top with water. The Bulky/bedsheets option fills to the top too. DH dismantled the lid lock, it' electric so just unplugged it from the controls

Lowes and Home Depot have a lot on the showroom floor but very few in the warehouse. The smaller appliance stores here see to have the best stock but are more expensive and charge higher delivery fee and won't take the old appliance away.

I'm fortunate that both my DH and Son are trained in most appliance repair! My washer and dryer have been fixed several times. I love my top load heavy duty washer, with agitator, and load size selection. What I'm not a fan of are my oven ranges! Unfortunately, both our home and our cabin ranges went bad at about the same time. Both had cracked/rusted gas lines. Installed new ones in late May. By the end of June, the cabin one quit working completely! No problem we thought...it's under warranty. Took 7 different calls, and until late August to get it fixed! Evidently not only is there an appliance shortage, there is a parts shortage as well!!

My last two washers and dryers have been Maytags and were/are terrific. Them and several others are made by Whirlpool.
In the USA.

Waiting on fridge
 

My daughter and son-in-law built a new home, and they made a suite for me..they ordered a full refridge (no freezer) about 8 months ago..we moved into the new home in April and they still haven't received the refridgerator, they have the one from the house they sold, in the garage...they say it maybe Dec or next year before they get the fridge..it's a bit of hassle to use a fridge in the garage..but we are use to it now...but still annoyed it is taking so long...I'm afraid we are in for a lot of changes in this world we live in now..We have 2 freezers, so are able to store things..they can't use just any fridge, they have a custom built opening for the one they ordered in the kitchen..so haven't found one that will fit..maybe one day...things may get back to normal before Covid..prayers for everyone..

All the parts are made overseas no matter if the assembly is in the US. Made in US means put together here I guess. The sewing machine dealers are really hurting because no parts for the high end machines are being shipped and the customers have their thousands plus dollars machines in for repair. My friend has been without her machine for over six months now waiting for a new sensor. . Her ten thousand dollar machine is useless and she is sewing on an old Kenmore. She said she was foolish to buy such an expensive machine to begin with. Can't even sell it and the dealer won't take it as trade in because it needs repair and no predicting when it can be repaired.

I made a stop to the LQS and Brother/Juki/BabyLock dealer this afternoon. A woman was there and was very unhappy, almost in tears. She bought a new Luminaire in May and it needs a part replaced, under warranty, but no part to replace it with. The machine will not sew. She has thousands in this machine and it's no use to her. She asked the dealer for a replacement to use until the part was available but the dealer said she couldn't lose that much money by giving her a new one to use then it would be used. The repairman came out and said he had called every place and no parts were available. I told her about my friend was in the same shape with her machine, waiting for a part. I would not even consider buying any high end computer machine at this time.

That would be so sad, Onebyone. I've heard the same stories over and over about a lot of shortages.

My husband has a car that was made in Australia in a collaboration between GM and Holden (Australian auto manufacturer) and there were shortages of body parts even before the lock down. Now, if you are in accident, it can take 6 months to get a new fender or door for the car. There are stories out there about guys who have cars under warranty that have been sitting at the dealerships for months waiting for a part to complete the work. Its awful for those people.

I have been not so patiently waiting for my carrying case for my new bernina embroidery unit....Can't even find out where it is stuck in transit. Does anyone even know?

I was talking with my Sewing Machine repairman last year about this time when a friend of mine was looking for a basic machine for her niece up in Vancouver WA and he had nothing. They were having trouble getting parts then so he used many of the older trade-ins that he repaired and sold as loaners. But people started buying those too. When I went in a couple months ago I noticed there weren't any used machines on display. He said he still can't keep them in the shop, same with vacuums. I want to upgrade my embroidery/sewing machine but think I'll wait and see how how this all pans out.

We've gotten used to having pretty much anything we want almost immediately - if not instantly. Not necessarily a good thing.

I hadn't even thought about warranties in all of this. If something is under warranty and breaks, so goes in for repair but can't be repaired for months, I'd want that warranty extended!

Here is one thing I do for my washer that is filled by weight of the clothes. I made a pouch of silicone beads. It adds weight and not bulk and my machine fills more to my liking.

YaHHH!!! Washing machine and dryer are in town and will be delivered next Tuesday Tee Hee...after reading all the comments on this board about the newer washing machines I am a bit anxious to see what I actually bought. I only asked very basic questions...don't know if the machine fills "by weight", don't know if I can set the water level, don't know much of anything....just was happy I found a top loading washing machine....will be a surprise...hope not too much of one.