If I only have you for 3 seconds, remember this: Buy a top-loading, Whirlpool made, washing machine. Yes, I said top loading. This is the advice I tell my closest friends and family. It’s been the conclusion of my experience of buying and selling close to two thousand appliances these past two years. If you need more proof, go to any used appliance store and see what kind of washers they sell, and also which brands they carry.
I’ve also scrapped a few hundred washing machines, many that were given to me for free. The vast majority of these were non-Whirlpool brands. Over time you begin to see some pretty consistent patterns.
How do you know if it’s a top-loading Whirlpool washing machine?
If you can drop your clothes straight down from above the washing machine, and they land inside the washer, then it’s a top-loader machine. Whirlpool makes washing machines under the following brands;
Kenmore (top loading only)
Whirlpool
Roper
Estate
Inglis
Kirkland
Kitchen Aid
Why purchase top loading washing machines?
1. They are the most reliable and least likely to break down. Appliances are like cars. No matter how good the car is, there is always going to be maintenance that needs to be done. The more you use them, the more maintenance will be needed. That said, all cars are not created equal. Some need to have their transmission replaced far sooner than others. It’s wise to know which cars tend to need the least amount of maintenance and the least expensive repairs. The same goes for washing machines.
2. They are the easiest and cheapest to fix. They have a very simple, functional design that makes it possible for regular homeowners to do some of the repairs themselves. Front loaders are 4-5 times more expensive to repair when, not if, they need maintenance. Also, front loaders tend to be a nightmare to work on.
3. They wash clothes better than front-loaders. Front loader washing machines use less water, which is great as long as your clothes aren’t dirty. Washing machines don’t use magic to clean clothes, they use water. The dirtier the clothes, the more water that is going to be needed to clean them.
4. They wash clothes faster. Conventional top load washers usually take about 30 minutes to complete a load, where front loaders can take two to three times that long.
5. They are cheaper to purchase. Most front loaders are anywhere from two to four times the cost of a regular top loading machine new, and I would say that holds up for used machines as well.
Why purchase only Whirlpool made top loading washers?
1. They have been making them since 1949. Kenmore’s brand name is largely associated with quality because of Whirlpool. Whirlpool has been making Kenmore washers, as well as the other brands I listed, for more than 20 years.
2. Whirlpool made washers are easier to repair than other brands. They have a very simple, functional design that makes it possible for even regular homeowners to do many of the repairs themselves. Most of the other brands are much more expensive to fix and are more prone to breaking down. For this reason, most used appliance stores don’t sell other brands, mostly because of the likelihood of them breaking again within the six month warranty period.
How much should you pay for one?
You can expect to pay anywhere from $50-$200 for a used Whirlpool washer. $100-$150 is the average price. I wouldn’t recommend paying more than $200 for one, no matter how new the seller claims it is. People always claim their washer is newer than it actually is.
How do you inspect the washing machine prior to purchase?
In a nutshell, you want to see as many things working as possible. Usually it is difficult to hook water back up to the washer, but you can test out the spin cycle anywhere there is power or an extension cord. Make sure it spins pretty fast once it gets going and stops within a few seconds of when you lift the lid while it’s spinning.
Check the lid switch. When shutting the lid, make sure you hear a crisp clicking sound, which is the lid switch. No clicking sound means the lid switch is broken.
Listen for weird sounds. Any really abnormal sounds or violent vibrations are indicators that something is amiss.
Check the agitator in the middle. If you twist it back clockwise a little, then forward counter clock wise, you should feel the agitator “dogs” catch and cause the agitator to twist.
Watch out for rust inside the drum where the clothes sit. If the person left clothes wet sitting in the drum a lot, it can cause rust at times to form. This will stain your clothes and you want to avoid buying the washer in this case.
Dents and scratches are fine.
Ideally, the washer is still plugged in and being used at the person’s house. This is the safest situation. It means that it probably works fine and isn’t leaking. It also means that you can turn on the washer and run it through part of a cycle to make sure there are no weird things going on with it. Always ask the previous owner if they ever had any issues with it. Let them talk.
There is always some risk when buying a washing machine (even new ones). If you get any weird feelings, or you aren’t comfortable with something, walk away. Often times that intuition will be right. I’ve always regretted not going with my gut. Remember, always try to buy from the type of person you would have wanted to own the item before you.
How to transport the washing machine
Be careful when you’re moving a washing machine, as it’s easy to bend or mess up the feet on the bottom. Use a hand truck when possible. They weigh about 200 lbs. Also, don’t put any weight on, or pull on the control panel. They are held on by just a few plastic clips and they will break off pretty easily. It’s best to keep them upright, but if you need to slide it in a van, or SUV on it’s side, that’s ok too. It’s best to keep the drain hose side up so the little reserve of water won’t leak all over your car or van. It’s ok if they are moved in the rain, water isn’t going to hurt the outside of a washing machine.
If I missed anything, or you have further questions or comments, I would love to hear from you. If there is a common question that keeps coming up, I will add it to the post.
Notes: Front loading washing machines can be great for certain situations. They do use less water and less electricity, which is a big plus. If you buy a front loader, I recommend only LG and Whirlpool Duet brands. They seem to have the least amount of problems. Stay away from the Kenmore Elite front loaders as Whirlpool did not make those for Kenmore.
Also, How to Buy a Used Dryer
For those of you new to the site, read How I Earn My Living Buying and Selling Appliances on Craigslist.
February 25, 2013 at 6:49 am
Thanks for the great info! I’m sure a lot of appliance salesmen at stores selling new stuff wouldn’t know all this. I know someone who bought a front loader because the dryer could stack on top of it. When they sold their house a couple of years later they said “We’ll never buy another front loader. It has been nothing but headaches.”
February 25, 2013 at 8:40 am
Yeah, it’s crazy how often I hear that. I really do feel bad when I hear how much people have spent on the front loaders, only to run into lots of problems and really expensive repairs.
February 25, 2013 at 11:39 am
It’s a bit easier than you think to hook the water up to a washing machine if it has already been replaced with a new washer by the seller. Bring a long garden hose with you. The threads are the same.
February 25, 2013 at 12:02 pm
I agree. We even bring extension cords with us to test them out.
February 25, 2013 at 12:27 pm
the LG frontloaders get really good ratings, but still, for “normal” folk, it works out to save money in the long run and get a $100 top loader that will last forever
February 25, 2013 at 2:57 pm
This is fantastic!
I was always front-load biased, however I see (and agree with) your point with this…
- What are your thoughts on how well top load vs front load washers treat clothes? I’ve heard from a few places that front loaders are gentler on clothes than top loaders are.
- With top loaders, what are the 2 or 3 most common parts that need to be replaced? Approximate cost and how difficult they are to change?
February 25, 2013 at 6:33 pm
I think some top load washers that don’t have multiple agitation settings can be a little rough on delicate clothing. So if someone get’s a really basic washer and needs to wash a really delicate piece of clothing, there might be an increased chance of it being damaged.
Agitator dogs (99 cents), lid switch ($5 shipped on ebay) and coupler ($7 or so). All three repairs are pretty easy.
February 25, 2013 at 7:22 pm
We are getting a house with a well/septic system, and someone told us to get FL because of the reduced water usage. Is this really a concern, or is getting a TL ok?
February 25, 2013 at 11:02 pm
Are you able to talk with the previous owners? I would say try and talk with them. My guess is it will depend on how many loads of laundry you are planning on doing a day. In many areas you can even run the grey water right into your yard, bushes, flower beds etc if you want to keep it out of your septic or sewer.
February 25, 2013 at 8:12 pm
I agree that top loaders are the way to go. We recently moved to Australia from Texas and sold our top loader and bought a front loader here from a friend. The shortest cycle (cold water, delicate) is 1:07 and the longest (hot water, cotton/sturdy) is 2:57! Unbelievable. I miss my cheap, basic, Kenmore top loader every single day. Front loaders just don’t seem to clean as well. My mother had her basic Kenmore for over 20 years and just recently had to replace it and got the same version again.
February 26, 2013 at 12:21 am
I would definitely not recommend transporting a washing machine on its side because of the springs that hold the tank, we did this once and the springs got stretched out and was a mess when the spin cycle would come on, it would kick the sides of the washing machine.
February 26, 2013 at 10:23 am
Setting a washer on it’s side shouldn’t permanently stretch the springs. We’ve never seen that happen. We have seen the (glide plate?) shift out of center in about 1 washer out of 100. It’s very rare, but has happened. It’s pretty quick and easy to center the plate again. Because of how rare this occurs, I don’t feel it necessary to recommend that everyone go out and rent a truck or trailer to transport a washing machine.
I suspect the springs were already stretched out and needing to be replaced before you moved it. Thanks for the comment!
February 26, 2013 at 7:17 am
I was going to ask “What’s the most common problem you see with broken washing machines you repair?”, but you already answered that.
Thanks for the informative post. Living in a small city condo, I’m a bit biased towards front-loaders because of the stackability. But, still nice to hear from you.
Do you see a marked difference between the number of front loaders vs. top loaders available for sale on Craigslist?
February 26, 2013 at 9:56 am
There are a lot more top loaders on Craigslist, and the average price reflects this.
February 27, 2013 at 8:10 pm
Ryan,
Thank you so much for the wealth of information you are giving back to the community, I am very appreciative of all your advice. I have been buying and reselling on CL part time for some time now but want to tap into the appliances category because electronics is a massive headache (lots of stolen phones, rat races, flakes, etc.). It would honestly be a life changer if I had some advice as to how I can begin buying and reselling in the “appliances” category, just as your are doing yourself. My main barrier is not knowing what prices to buy in to, how do I determine the actual value of an appliance before I negotiate a deal for it? Any advice would be so deeply appreciated.
Respectfully,
Roman
March 1, 2013 at 10:36 pm
The best thing you can do is look at how much everyone else is trying to sell that appliance for in your area. Then check out Priceonomics.com and see what it goes for across the country. If you keep buying and selling dishwashers, for example, soon you will know exactly how much each type and style of dishwasher will sell for and how long it will take to sell.
February 28, 2013 at 5:09 pm
This is a great article. I hope this is not too cheeky, you could help me out. I bought a top loading Whirlpool new about 5 yrs ago and it is now leaking from somewhere underneath during the fill cycles. It’s not from the hoses or anywhere visible looking down the back from the top, I peeled the back panel and looked down in there, no visible leaking anywhere so it must be down below the tub somewhere. It’s not leaking over the edge of the tub either.
Do you know what the likely source is?
Thanks
February 28, 2013 at 6:04 pm
It’s the pump, almost for sure. The pump is located down toward the ground, right in the middle of the front of the washer. You can purchase the pump on ebay for $10 shipped.
Here’s a video of how to replace it. It’s easy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwV71h86Gxw
Hope that helps
February 28, 2013 at 11:47 pm
Thanks loads, I figured it must be the pump. I can take it from here.
They don’t make them like they used to, our old Whirlpool must have been 24 yrs old before it broke down, this one 5 or maybe 6!
March 1, 2013 at 9:38 am
Yeah, the general build quality of all appliances has dropped off significantly over the years. I acquired a washer and dryer from a lady that had been using them for 50 years. Now, they are making most appliances knowing they are going to need repair and maintenance within 2-3 years even, especially certain dishwashers. When this happens, they know that it takes almost nothing to cause consumers to run out and buy a new machine. Planned obsolescence.
March 4, 2013 at 6:42 pm
I finished the repair and am doing a load now with no leaks. Took 1/2 hour total due to the tight location and a total of $9.73 for the part delivered via Amazon Prime. The new part looks like it is improved to eliminate the seam it was leaking from.
What I didn’t understand originally is why would it leak only during the fill cycle if it’s leaking from the pump which presumably is used only to evacuate the waste water? Oh well.
Thanks again, that was very satisfying, I didn’t want to be the dumb ass that calls a serviceman, I know better but so many things have been breaking in my life lately it’s hard to keep up!
March 4, 2013 at 9:34 pm
How old is too old when buying a washer/dryer? We have a tiny apt and have to get a unitized set, and most of the ones on Craigslist from dealers are 8-15 years old, $400-$500. It seems strange to buy something 10 years old for that much, but that’s what they all are. Should I have pretty low expectations for a 10-year-old Whirlpool/Kenmore set?
March 5, 2013 at 9:16 pm
If you are buying the washer/dryer stacked combo, there is a smaller supply of them and they run about $1,100 or more new. This causes the used price to stay pretty high. You might occasionally find one for $200-$300 but I would say $400 is average for those. Frigidaire made those stacked sets for Kenmore. I’m not a huge fan of those, but you don’t have a lot of options. If the dealer went through it, 8-10 years old is fine, I wouldn’t be worried about the age. Hope that helps.
March 5, 2013 at 10:37 pm
Would you say most of your inventory usually consists of products that needed small repairs before reselling? As opposed to just finding good deals to buy in and resell without doing any repairs.
Best,
Roman
March 6, 2013 at 5:38 pm
It’s totally mixed. They all need cleaning. Machines that need small repairs are more profitable, and people sell them for much less, so I have been targeting those that need repairs more often. For someone that doesn’t know how to do any repairs, and just wants to clean and resell, that’s how I started and I did just fine! Over time however, it becomes obvious that the more value you are able to add to these machines, the more money you will make.
March 19, 2013 at 3:51 pm
Do you spend a lot of time trying to talk the seller down on price. I have noticed the prices seem to be pretty much the same when looking at craigslist so I assume the only way to put profit in it is to talk the seller down.
March 22, 2013 at 8:55 pm
I don’t anymore. I’m in a big market and will sometimes shoot out lower offers but there are enough good deals that I don’t need to spend much time low-balling people. The really good deals get snagged somewhat quickly, so you need to keep checking the listings to snag them. I will write a post soon about everything I bought in a day and how much I paid for it/sold each for.