No! If the machine is fully functional and does not have mold/mildew issues, keep it!

18 years is a long time.

what do you mean "no one will want to move it out of the basement"?

are you basing buying a new set because of the issues w/moving the old ones

My Whirlpool is 25 years old and still working

Washer and dryer

I'm a "repair don't replace" person so I'll say that upfront.

Many many repair people have told me to continue to repair my appliances rather than replace. The electronics on the newer ones are made with a finite life of only a few years and may not last any longer than the remaining life of the ones you have.

My Maytag harvest gold dryer from 1973 still works fine. And so do my 1996 kitchen appliances.

A current issue is the scarcity of appliances.

My repairman says keep the old ones, they’re worth repairing, unlike the new ones. Mine are mismatched, the washer likes to find its comfy spot, they’re paid for and work very well. Why replace???

Just know you won't get the same quality with a new set. Definitely not 18 years. Not long ago we had to replace a Whirlpool washer that lasted exactly 4 1/2 years.

An 18-yo Duet is the original design (washer built in Germany). WP has completely changed the design at least two or three times since then, and probably some minor changes between the majors. There *are* many parts that have gone NLA.

Personally, I'd keep running the machines out of curiosity as to how long they'll go until something major fails that can't be fixed. But you have to weigh the convenience, inconvenience, etc. to your own situation.

The dryer is less risk for unrepairable failure ... majority of mechanical and electrical parts that aren't model-specific (belt, drum rollers, heating element, thermostats) should be available. The control board/panel probably are not. Washer and dryer pairs are not required to be a matching set to be functional.

I recently repaired my neighbor's 20yo Maytag dryer (belt, drum rollers), it should go another 10 to 20 years if the control panel holds up.

Thank you!

I really appreciate everyone’s thoughts!

don't know where you live, but to repair my 15 year old maytag washer would have been over 250$ (service call plus any labor/parts.)

I found a brand new washer on sale at Lowes for $400! That was a no brainer. and the new one doesn't have the agitator in the middle, so I can do bigger loads.

You can wait until it crashes, but in the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for those special sales they have at the big box stores. You can pick up a floor model or end of the season model for 1/4 the regular price.

I, too, have an old house and found it very advantageous to build a basement laundry room and move the laundry area from the first floor.

I'll second what Dadoes said about keeping both your current dryer and washer as long as they are doing a satisfactory job for you. Particularly the dryer. I just overhauled my 20 y.o. Whirlpool Gold top-filter electric dryer -- belts, rollers, felt bearing strips, etc. Turns out that Whirlpool is still selling versions of the unit I bought back at the turn of the century and they still work pretty much as well. Near as I could tell, the only parts now listed as NLA ("no longer available" including substitutes) were a temperature switch/timer and several wiring harness connectors. Those don't seem very likely to break any time soon. so I see no reason to buy a new dryer even f I have to buy a new washer. Tucked away down in the basement, who is going to know my washer and dryer won't have matching appearances?

As for your MiL saying "that no one will want to move our old set out of the basement if we need to buy a new set to replace it,..." --- I'm not sure I understand her concern. Is your MiL maybe, concerned that there also will be future problems getting new washers delivered into your particular basement? That might be your MiL's concern as new washers, particularly front loaders, have grown larger over the last decade and some won't fit down old-house basement stairs and/or through narrow old doorways.

In the rural area where I live, even the likes of Lowe's and Home Depot will deliver new washers and dryers for free. That is so even when it means taking them down into most basements. They do charge a $20 to $25 fee for removing the old appliances and taking them away, but if new units can be brought in, the old ones can and will be hauled out. There are limits to this, of course --- the delivery folks have to be able to navigate the new appliances down the basement steps and through the old house doorways. (In very old houses, the stairs and/or doorways may be so narrow that the some appliance retailers have crews who will actually disassemble the appliances to bring them in and re-assemble them in the laundry room.)

My duet washing machine lasted 13 years, the dry might have l

*lasted longer. Get rid of them, you got good use.

Thank you! I really appreciate everyone’s input!

MY bosch W/D is 13 yrs old does at least one and usually 2 loads a day and not one repair in all that time so IMO get a new set for a nice new laundry room . As for removing the old set that is easily handles.

Thank you!

My mom has units that are 18yrs old and her last repairman told her to never get rid of them until they're dead-dead. He said today's machines are garbage in comparison. I would try and relocate them downstairs.

Lots to consider.

- We had a repairman come in to fix our washer and it was going to cost more to repair than buy a refurbished one and it lasted 10 years. Just mentioning, as there is this alternative when one of the machines fails you.

- When you purchase new machines, most companies will remove the old one, may charge a small fee but not always.

- Consider electricity and water consumption in your decision.

- Do your machines meet your needs - cycle options, bulk washing (we have a Maytag large capacity so can wash large and heavy comforters, blankets. Being able to add more into them also helps reduce number of loads.

My first thought was all the old stories about refrigerators that ran for decades, but once unplugged and moved, they never worked again. But I digress...

We had to replace a 22-ish y/o refrigerator a couple of years ago because the part was NLA.

Why not keep them and have two laundry setups? Finding parts for an 18-year old washer might be a problem but if it's running fine, then see how long it will go. It is likely built better then the newer stuff in the market. Furthermore, you will have the new laundry space available for a new washer when the time comes.

And IMO treat yourself to a new dryer in the new space. I replaced a perfectly functioning 16 y/o Whirlpool dryer when we got a new washer ten years ago and the new dryer is far better one than the old one. I was really glad I splurged on that. I love this new dryer!

This is all so very helpful — thank you!

Aside from the cost of moving your existing machines downstairs, there's zero risk in keeping them. If/when they ultimately break down, you can replace them at that time. I believe that older appliances were better designed and lasted longer than the stuff made today (with the possible exception of Speed Queen). Both my fridge and AC are 30 years old and still going strong, whereas every new appliance I've bought seems to break down after 8-10 years.

Next, I would point out that every washing machine made today is designed to conform to California's water and energy mandates. This may a plus to some people, but to me it's a huge negative. You may use less water and electricity, but it takes 2-3 times as long to do a load of laundry and it won't rinse anywhere near as well as the old machines that used a lot of water and allowed warm water rinses. I'm not aware of any machine on the market today that will do a warm water rinse. My water comes from a well that's over 200 ft. deep, and the cold water is very cold and doesn't rinse well at all. I need to run my clothes through a separate warm water cycle to get all of the detergent out.

So in my opinion, I would suggest holding on to your old machine for as long as possible.

If we could get our 23 cu ft freezer up and down basement stairs, someone could manage a washer and dryer ;0) We did have to take the door off the freezer and door off the basement stairway, but it can be done.

Having said that, the last Maytag washer I bought is noticeably heavier than any I've owned previously. It would be a two man job, or a man and one very strong woman (not me).

I've wished 100 times I'd kept the older maytags I sold with my house. In some brands (possibly even all of them now?), you just won't find the quality in new that was built into the older appliances.

I really appreciate all the comments — so helpful!

I had a similar set. Back then Whirlpool made the Kenmore set that was essentially the same. Loved them and wish I could have new ones exactly like them (I've moved). I would guess that the the new ones have less durability and more plastic parts. Ask some repair shops about yours and whether they still have parts available.

When my set was delivered, there were red plastic chunky spacers/pieces that I was told to keep in case they had to be moved (maybe springs?). These protected the machines from damage when they were tipped and turned. You might want to look into this if you consider keeping and moving them.

"'I've wished 100 times I'd kept the older maytags I sold with my house. In some brands (possibly even all of them now?), you just won't find the quality in new that was built into the older appliances."

So true! My siblings each have Maytags that are 32+ years old and still going.

Holly, some good advice if you do decide to buy a new set. Someone once advised me not to shop for any certain brand. Instead, shop for features and price that suit you. There are negative reviews for every single brand out there. Nothing you buy today is the quality it used to be.

Have lived with washer only, no dryer, for 12 years. Just replaced the first one, which was second hand and off brand, with a 2nd hand Maytag without the agitator. $275 and the old one hauled away for free. Learning to live lower on the consuming ladder is not a bad thing.

Love it!

"My mother-in-law says that no one will want to move our old set out of the basement if we need to buy a new set to replace it"

Home Depot will remove an existing washer for $25 with the purchase of a new one.

Move the old ones. If they work, great. If you break them badly by moving them, buy new ones.

Our Whirlpool washer and dryer were 24 years old when we replaced them, still working fine, although I did replace a bearing and heating element in the dryer about 10 years ago. Only reason we replaced them is I got to feeling really bad when my wife would be talking appliances with others and always said she can't get a new washer or dryer because I can always fix them. They worked but were no longer in their glory! So, 1-1/2 years ago we gifted them to a family member and replaced with a top of the line Electrolux washer/dryer set. Only downside was the price!

I saw an ad in the local nextdoor marketplace. Someone bought a home in one of our upscale neighborhoods and bought a brand new Washer and Dryer, so they were selling the Speed Queen set for $100.00 that came with the house.

Knowing that my Amana washer and dryer were built in 1995 and are close to the end of their useful life, I jumped on buying a used set by Speed Queen that was built prior to their redesign disaster. The old Maytag, Speed Queen and Amana w/d were work horses.

Whirlpool bought out Maytag, Amana, Jenn-Air, and KitchenAid and the quality is not what it once was. Newer machines just don't have the longevity of the old machines and the efficiency standards have reduced the cleaning quality.

I expect I will get another 20 years from the used Speed Queens.

Whirlpool bought KitchenAid in 1986 so that's not something new. WP bought Maytag (and its family-brands) in 2006, at which point KitchenAid laundry was discontinued.

I agree with keeping the old set. We started our married life with my parents’ well used old machines - they lasted for years! Older machines are generally smaller - I would check the size/installation specifications for machines that could potentially replace them and use those measurements to design your laundry room (especially if you are putting shelving or cabinets around them) - maybe even go a little bigger than the new machines need. That way you are not stuck redesigning when you need new machines that are likely larger than what you have now.

Oh my gosh Jennifer Hogan, I think i know where you live. LOL. I saw those Speed Queens on Nextdoor and would have bought them had we been in town. We only come down every other week or so. :)

Thank you for the helpful suggestions!!