I was very loyal to GE in the past but never again due to my experiences with their current products.

Hi
 

We have front load LG washer/dryer with drawers below but I've got to tell you my favorite washer/dryer was a stackable we had in NC....Sooo easy to transfer clothes from washer to dryer and of course left room in laundry room for sink and cabinets.....Wish I could remember the name of stackable....Welcome to TV, you also have just won the lifestyle lottery!

I go by Consumer Reports recommendations. I weigh their ratings versus price. I look at their ratings in every category as they can put too much emphasis on somethings that are trivial. Most important to me is the frequency of repair rating.

IMHO - I have had good luck with Whirlpool appliances. I had a stackable washer/dryer but prefer separate units as a stackable unit doesn't hold as much laundry.

I certainly agree that the LG dryers are great. The washer, not so much. We had one and it sucked from day one. It walked all over the laundry room, it rocked, it banged from side to side. We do have the bottom storage drawers and they are both front loaders. Makes a world of difference if you have bad back.

Obviously, I did not want another LG to replace it, so I got a Samsung and love it. When the dryer goes, I will definitely get a Samsung dryer as well.

We left our GE appliances up north. They were terrible. Bought Speed Queen. I too live by Consumer Reports but the owner reviews are very important IMO. While Speed Queen is not rated energy efficient by CR, they are American made and have a 3 year warranty on parts, 5 years on the motors and 10 years on the transmission for the washer. Stainless drums are lifetime. Towels we were using as rags and packing that we probably would have thrown out after arriving look like new.

A suggestion: Once you've arrived at a conclusion for what make/model of washer and dryer you think you'll purchase, do some internet searching looking for any kind of recurring issue(s) with them. We purchased a Maytag Bravos pair about 3 years back.......and the washer went belly up earlier this year, displaying an error code that I quickly found out was a chronic issue with this particular line of washer. Seems like it was not a matter of "if" we were ever going to have this problem but "when" would it occur! Dug up a factory service manual for the machine complements of the internet, did the diagnosis, bought the new part locally, and replaced it. Straightforward but expensive fix - though I'm sure I saved a bunch versus calling in a service tech to figure it all out. And I about fell over when the guy at the parts counter where I purchased the replacement part told me their store in Columbus had sold 47 of that particular part in the first 4 months of this year alone........and 143 of them in 2010! :shocked: Boy Howdy!

Here's the really interesting part: I knew that, like many other industries, there had been some consolidation of appliance manufacturers over the years. But the part that needed replaced (motor control board - basically, the electronic brains of the whole machine) is also used in other brand washers besides Maytag that are also manufactured by their parent company Whirlpool, namely Whirlpool (obviously), JennAir, KitchenAid, Amana, and several other brands that I don't believe are sold in the U.S. But I suspect they also manufacture under other brand names as the part I replaced was listed as being used for Sears Kenmore, Admiral, Magic Chef, Norge, and Roper washers as well.

Point is, do as much research in advance as you feel necessary to potentially avoid any of these "lemon" type of issues.

Bill :)

[QUOTE=Bill-n-Brillo;
Point is, do as much research in advance as you feel necessary to potentially avoid any of these "lemon" type of issues.

Good point Bill.

FWIW - I also go to google to look up viewer reviews for a large purchase item and see how they rate a product.

Joe :wave:

Maytag
 

Ruth and I looked at the new Maytags which are made by Whirlpool. The sales tech was very inpressed with them and LG. Its a hard decision.

Because the Maytag products are still made here in the states I am going to pay a little more and buy them.

And this time we are buying the extended warranty on both. I have been told that the new energy efficient machines are to light duty. They are quite wring out water so the dryer does not work hard and do save water. However a good old water hog Speed Queen will out last everything.

Maybe the water bill is cheaper than the service calls!