Sorry. It shoud of been "Top" instead of "Front"!

There's a lot of threads on these machines and it'd be worth your time to read through them. There's lots of debate about it. Some highlights: The Oasis/Cabrio/Bravos are all sibling machines, similar designs and some say they're built in the same plant so in reality you'll get virtually the same machine. There's some different features but you need to decide what's important to you. Some feel a heater is imperitive and there's a heater available on Oasis and Bravos. AFAIK, Cabrio doesn't have the heater version yet. There's debate about how well the washplate works. It seems to make a big difference in how you load the clothes. Some have had the washplate version and traded it for the agitator version. Do you really need that kind of capacity? If you truly fill that size, most any consumer dryer is going to be smallish since the guideline is to double the capacity of the washer for the dryer. Even the Oasis/Cabrio/Bravos dryer is only about 7 cu ft IIRC. I'd definitely get a larger dryer if it were me.

My washing machine repair person while looking for parts for another job saw my identical machine at a second hand and parts store. They were askiing $295 for it and I told him to offer $225 and the store accepted my offer. The model is around 18 years old. I am so happy and he installed it and it runs like new. He charged me $75 for delivery and $100 for installing it and $50 for removal of my old washer. I am in business again. I tip him an additional $50 for fine customer service. He was happy. I am happy! Save alot of money!

I am glad I did not buy the Maytag Bravo Commercial pair!

Thanks for your replies.

harry_wild ~

I'm so glad that your repair man was able to find you a replacement washer that you like and understand. What brand was the 18 year-old washer?

I would think that your repair man would be happy. Did he get paid for coming out to look at the washer that was broken down? Right now it looks like (on the one transaction) he made $275 over and above your cost ($225) of the older replacement. I do think that his delivery fee, "cart-away" fee and installlation fee seem excessive. The fact that you tipped him $50 on top of the $225 must have made him very happy. This brought your total cost to $500 for a washer that is nearly 2 decades in age.

I see that the Maytag Bravos model you referrenced is retailing between $1142-1199 on average. I wonder if you would have been able to get this machine on sale somewhere? I sure understand not wanting to spend that kind of money but is the older replacement a Maytag from when they were a great machine? Paying a total of $500 for a washer that old concerns me. Did this repair man give you a years warranty?

Just wondering and really not trying to rain on your parade if you are happy.

Robyn

Hi Robyn,

Sorry to say that the service call was an additional $90. He said at the time that fix it would run around $350 and I told him that I would have to think about it. A day or so; he called and said that he found my Maytag while he was looking for parts for another machine he was servicing. I guess; after some years have past; some manufacturers no longer have parts for some of their machines anymore. Oh my washer is a Maytag model LAT8234AAE.

I was set to buy an all new units - with stream and everything; but after talking with him on it; he convinced me to go with a more basic machine. He said that the new technology in the washers; very few people can repair them because there are no schematics that the manufacturers publish. When they do publish them; it is on CD ROM and have errors in them. Plus, alot of the machines designs have big flaws in them. Parts are hard to come by - slow to get too since have to be ordered by SKU number? in many cases which are not in the schematic only the part number. Also, warranty repairs are hard to find services for because the manufacturers take their time in paying the service repairs and the rate is under cut too.

I know when to stay out of trouble and this happens to be one of the situations where I did not want to have the repair person appear every few months to try to fix my washer and/or dryer. I rather have a machine that I have used for 18 years that is dependable and if it does need repair; people can be called on to easy fix it with a high degree of knowledge behind them to do it.

I too am glad you found something you're happy with. It's difficult sometimes to decide whether to repair, buy new, buy used or what. My confusion is that you could repair your old one for $350. Not sure if he'd credit the initial service call against that (many times they will). But the replacement was $225 + $75(delivery)+$100 install (wow! $100 to plug it in and connect two hoses? I assume they weren't even new hoses.)+ $50 disposal (another wow, that's normally included in delivery.) = $450 (not sure if you would have still tipped him so I didn't include it) for a used one of unknown condition. I think I would have opted to save the at least $100 and repair the old one at that rate and have a known machine with whatever ailment repaired. Although I probably would have just bought a new Inglis/Roper/Whirlpool or a Fisher & Paykal.

Again, glad you're happy. IIRC that is one of the old "dependable care" line of Maytags so it should be a solid machine if you can get parts for it. My sister's had trouble with the agitator springs since hers was new and they got weaker and weaker so it doesn't agitate right. She can't find the parts to fix it so it's kind of a limp along with it. Otherwise it's been pretty solid.

I ran into a similar dilemma with my old Maytag dryer. I don't recall what the service call was, it was expensive because it was a rush, ($175 IIRC?) or it could have been $75 had it not been the rush. Then the repair on it would have been in the hundreds. $200-$250 or so. Wish I would have just scrapped it and bought a new one which I wound up doing anyway for about $350 IIRC, delivered, installed and old one removed. Bought a Frigidaire dryer. Terrible dryer, undersized for my washer, but it did last a lot of years limping along. The good thing was that I didn't want to repair it - didn't want the thing in my house! Then it literally fell apart. I bought a new huge Whirlpool and couldn't be happier. Quieter, faster drying, much larger capacity, cost $300 and with any kind of luck it should last me for as long as I care about one.

cynic,

I guess I did not really add up the total cost but was in the mode to get the laundry operation back in operation. In hindsight; I might of maybe purchase a new conventional non HE washer. I guess that the service guy had a lot of weight in the direction of my decision. But if the washer last 10 years; it will be worth the money.

I seem to have more faith in the old washer even if it is used; then the new washers being sold. It seems that every year; they make the machine even more less dependable and costly to repair. It's the opposite of the electronics; where every year; it just gets better, smaller and faster.

In summary; it a toss of the coin. I wish I could say that buying new would give me 10 years of dependable service but I am not convince. I hate to say it; but it like the domestic automobile.

Good points. And I do agree. Hope it serves you dependably for a long, long time.

Just a note to say, I did not even pay $1K for my Maytag Bravos washer. It was on sale for $850 during the "May Days", plus I got store and manufacturer rebates.

The Maytag Bravos that I was going to go with is their "commercial". It is suppose to use commercial parts in it and be built close to the real commercial washer and dryers like Speed Queen. I don't know if Maytag still offers a commercial line of W/D anymore. I have not seen them since the late 80s. I think it just a marketing spin myself.

I have read that Speed Queen washers are not built like they were in the past, that their parts are not as durable. It seems a repairman said that, at another site. I don't know if any of them are built like they used to be.

Well maybe not; but the general opinion is it better in dependability and maintenance then the other consumer brands out there. Of course if you had the money; go with commercial grade washers and dryers like the landrymats and big institutional cleaners.