I like to donate working appliances to Habitat for Humanity as well.

Make sure you can reach the bottom

Neither. LG made in Korea and parts are hard to come by if it breaks down. Samsung...we have both washer and dryer and would not recommend. Two service calls in 4 years not a comforting feeling. Always had Maytag back North and never a problem over 20 years owning last set. Bought Samsung because salesman said he owned it and was happy with them. Just my opinion.

A thought: anybody who has an appliance twenty years old or older bought them back before companies started cheaping out on the manufacturing process. My MIL had a Westinghouse front load washer and dryer bought in the '60s that was still running when she sold her house in the '90s. Our 1997 set was still running in 2007, and may still be running today; they stayed with the house. We've had three refrigerators in less time than we had our first refrigerator in 1971, which also never broke the whole time we had it, which was up until we left it in in the garage for the new owners in 1997. (Although by that time the interior plastic was fatiquing.)

So I think it would be fallacy to base a brand on someone having had one for 20 years. They just don't make 'em like they used to. I'm willing to give Speed Queen a try because people who have bought them recently seem to like them from a performance standpoint. From that standpoint, I sure don't like my Sears Elite agitator-less top-load washer. I'm all for conservation, but they just don't use. enough. water.

You didn't give any details other than the brands. I spent a day reading reviews on Lowes, Home Depot, Amazon and Best Buy. At the end of the day, I realized front loaders had more problems and top loaders had less. Top loaders without an agitator, known as high efficiency or HE, had the least about of problems. Of the two brands you named, LG and Samsung both had problems with the front loaders but the LG top loading HE machines had the least amount of problems of any. Needless to say we bought the LG Washer Dryer 5.2 washer with glass doors on the washer and dryer and we shopped around. Both machines with tax, no delivery charge, no take-away old machines charge, new hoses, total at Best Buy $1527 and I got a $100 store credit card. If you want more details, go back to page 1 and look at my post #6. Whirlpool owns Maytag, Kenmore, KitchenAid, Jenn-Aire, Amana and Roper, so it's hard sometimes to single out one brand over another. Owning something made in Korea hasn't bothered me in the past, I owned a Korean made car for five years, a Hyundai.