If you’re in a position to do so, I advise you to also replace the dryer. At 19 years, it’s had a very good run.

Edited to ask: Why is 39” too tall for your platform? Is there a countertop over your w & d?

You would need to actually look at a model but what I found was that there was a variety in the height of the actual tub which unless the controls are on top or hard to see to me would be more important than overall height unless you have a shelf above that you do not want to move.

You have a LOT of options. I purchased an old top-of-the-line Kenmore, top loading set for $150, at the ARC. I put them in a rental 4 years ago. No problems.

I also got a FREE Maytag gas dryer, because they purchased a set when the washer gave out. It lasted 5 years before it needed a $15 part. That was 10 years ago.

On the other hand....ya can't take it with you. $$$

For myself....I'd buy a new set...of my choice. As much as I like bargain shopping...I spend money when It's for MY convenience. It's very important to me to have a working washer and dryer.

No...I've never used the steam option, but I wanted the bigger machine and that option just came with it. ☺ Most dryer hook ups don't have water piped in, or a splitter. Something extra to install.

FYI - we finally had to replace our washer this week. If buying new, there is a shortage of appliances. The model we wanted wouldn’t be available until mid December. After contacting several stores, I was able to find a different model (higher priced) in a warehouse 250 miles away. It will be delivered tomorrow.

A 6” tall wooden platform isn’t very tall, but could a carpenter make the platforms shorter for you? I would ditch the platform and get the new washer you want and go ahead and purchase a matching dryer. You won’t be sorry.

i have only used the steam feature a couple of times when I wash our pillows. Couldn’t tell a difference. I guess there could be other reasons.

I am 5’9” and when I had a front loader I didn’t use a platform and it didn’t bother me at all. I guess I’m used to it.

We bought a basic level Samsung front loader for our second home not quite 2 years ago from one of the national retail chains and paid a bit more for delivery and installation. We wanted something inexpensive as it was intended for only part-time use. It doesn't have the features we like that the washer in our main house has (like greater choices of temps and an on-board water heater) but it also cost 2/3rds less.

We're happy with it. It washes very well and it's pretty quiet. I personally prefer foreign product brands, it's just my preference (or bias). The Samsung was a good choice for us and I feel we got good value for money.

You didn’t mention a top loader at all, but there are machines now that are just like the front loaders in that they no longer have an agitator and they work very well (my mother loved hers). If you got a top loader instead would you be able to remove the platform?

lukki, I would expect that as a major difference for a given size load, a top loader would use more water than a front loader. In a top loader, the laundry needs to be submerged. In a front loader, it doesn't and isn't, the water passes through it was it tumbles. I don't know with certainty.

And I strongly dislike my top loader Maytag without an agitator - clothes - pants, sheets, long sleeve shirts all come like they've been in a twisting contest - it's a royal pain in the tush, plus it I was two inches shorter - I'd be falling into it trying to get things out of the bottom of the drum.

I would go to Ferguson and give them your requirements. They are very good at this sort of thing. And yes, they do deliver and install. Washers are easy to install if you can do basic plumbing.

Chessey I have heard that as well, but not all of them are like that and there are front loaders with that issue too, including mine.

Six years ago, I bought a 2-3 year old used Bosch front load washer from a woman who was bothered that her dryer didn’t match. I’m still using it. Bosch had discontinued full-size washers or I would have bought a new one. An independent appliance store may have used appliances.

I tried using my GE top loader, it has no agitator....it twisted the clothes and left little rings, from the design on the stainless steel drum on ALL my black clothes. Changing detergent didn't help. "No" detergent & same results. But, the renters like it.

I also have a Samsung front loader set, that I'm currently using. Best washer I've ever owned! One of the biggest made...because I hate how small front loaders are. I want to be able to wash 6 pairs of jeans at one time. I "do" leave the door open for 24 hours after each use. I'm not worried about how much water a machine uses. A top loader with an agitator is still a good design.

I'm pretty sure I know what happened to your current washer. The "spider mechanism" that holds the drum is made from cheap cast aluminum and it slowly dissolves over time to the point where one of the arms of the spider breaks. Thereafter when it spins it is much more likely to become unbalanced when it spins because it is broken, and trigger the unbalanced load circuit, slowing or stopping the spin cycle.

I had this happen recently with the Frigidaire Gallery front load washing machine in the tackroom of the barn. In investigating a replacement it seems that no company manufactures a 36" tall front loading washing machine, except for the skinnier than normal Bosch units.

Despite the fact that the Frigidaire Gallery has (or at least once had) a "lifetime warranty" on the Stainless steel drum, they steadfastly refuse to honor that warranty when the problem is the support arm corroding and failing.

Abt has 18 that are < 36", can search by measurements. All appliances for last 2 homes from Abt, very happy with their sales & service.

Thank you all for considering my multiple factors. The KT shines again!

Bob -- Yep. My Frigidaires are the Gallery line. When I bought the set in 2001 the washer was about $300. I figured I could replace it three times for the then-price of a 'loaded' machine. We're just two adults; I'm not "Washing for America " here. I did replace the washer in 2007 -- another house/dog sitter wrecked the original. (Our last Westie was a ridiculously expensive rescue.)

Considering everyone's input, I think the time has come to DO as I planned and replace both units -- if I can find machines. Abt is our longtime go-to for appliances, but I see a lot of 'no stock and none in sight' messages online there.

I can put 38" high units on my existing platform and still have 15" between the tops and the wall cabinets (originally hung higher than normal). More space would be 'better', and the tops will now be above the top of the also raised laundry tub, but this will do.

Now to find that new set and prepare the checking account for a jolt.

mdln -- Thanks, but I do need something with a bit more capacity.

Nicole, I’m glad you like your Samsungs. I was going to get them originally because I love our Samsung Refridge but I hate my Samsung stove so much that I went with Electrolux instead. They were highly recommended over on the laundry forum and I’ve been really happy with them. The drum is also very large which is great and I find that the twisting is really dependent on how I’ve loaded it. Takes a learning curve I guess.

I used to buy used all the time. I got good deals back in the day. Now I Have a Top loader - Whirlpool HE machine and I do not like it. Sometimes it will not fill with hardly any water and I have it on the deep water setting. My last washer was a Sanyo front loader and I liked it much better.

I was going to get them [Samsungs] originally because I love our Samsung Refridge but I hate my Samsung stove so much that I went with Electrolux instead. They were highly recommended over on the laundry forum and I’ve been really happy with them.

I LOVE my Electrolux washing machine. My only “complaint” is that the tub light isn’t able to be turned on during the wash program!

FWIW, I have a 2008 Frigidaire Gallery front loader and have several friends with Frigidaire Gallery and plain Frigidaire front loaders from the 2005-2011 era. At one time or another, all of us have had an incident with symptoms of loads not getting spun adequately. Although each could have been the result of the dreaded broken support spider., each instead turned out to be inexpensive and easy fixes. For my FG-FL, it was just a worn door strike ($8 part). One friend had to replace a drum support strut ($32 for a pair.) A third had a worn drive belt (the replacement was only $38, IIRC but it took us awhile --- including watching a couple Youtube videos --- to figure that out.). The problem on the one I fixed most recently turned out to be stuff clogging the drain pump's coin trap;. No parts needed. The washer was spinning but the clog kept the containment tub from draining quick enough. No parts needed and took just a few minutes to do the job. (On the 2007-2011 Gallery front loaders, the pump and drain trap are behind a kick plate at the front of the washer; the plate comes off by removing two screws.)

These were all DIY jobs. if you lack the ability, , interest or time to do it yourselves, the economics change radically. You may well decide to just buy new and get a matching dryer. If whoever brings in your new set does not handle used laundry equipment, they likely will turn the old units over to somebody who does. It has been a while since I checked, but aren't there numbers of reputable used laundry sellers in the Chicago area? IIRC, som of them specialize in reconditioning older models.

Also, the mid & late 2000s Frigidaire Gallery front loaders seem to have their fans --- as I discovered from the automaticwasher .org site. Chicago is big enough that you may be able to sell the old units yourselves via Craigslist and etc.

As for what to buy, my own recent research turned up nothing in the mid-sized, mid-capacity line like the old Frigidaire FLs. Standard front load models have grown considerably. Everything is taller, deeper (front to back) with drums that are at least 40% to 50% larger. Even compact washers are larger. The latest iteration of the Asko brand (now owned by the Serbian/Czech Gorneje group (which seems to have become a subsidiary of HiSense, the Chinese electronics conglemerate ) has a 2.8 cu. ft. capacity model, although it is very expensive and user reviews here have been mixed on reliability. Electrolux (which owns Frigidaire) has a 2.4 cu. ft. capacity compact, EFLS210tiw, which seems to be well thought of and reportedly does a good job washing loads as large as king-sized down comforters. It also seems to be as speedy as the old Frigidiare Gallery models. It also tends to turn up on holiday discount sales and might be priced down around $800 over the upcoming Columbus Day/Native Day. GE has a couple of 2.4 cu- ft. capacity front load compact washers, as well, but I found substantial questions about actual capacity, build quality, product support and longevity. Same thing with Samsung's compact front loader.

Personally, I'd be inclined to keep the existing dryer. That's partly because I've got my laundry room out of the way and don't care if the washer and dryer match (mine do not), but YMMV. I'd also be inclined to keep a good functioning older dryer because vented gas and electric dryers haven't changed much in decades and are mostly such simple machines that it will be easy to keep the old ones going for decades with minimal maintenance.

Newer dryers have newer and more capable sensors and electronics and can operate more efficiently. Older dryers do tend to have lint buildups that without a capable, professional servicing can adversely affect performance.

Gorenje is a Slovenian company, not Czech or Serbian. It was indeed purchased by Hisense a few years ago .

jwvideo -- Wow, thanks for all that useful information! My present washer would need a new gasket (if that's the term for the rubbery thing around the door). Mine is now staining my laundry. And...the controls are starting to turn themselves on and off. I think that's a sign of an electronics problem. This washer is 3.5 cu ft. I want something at least that size.

There are services that repair/swap failed control boards, even if a new part is NLA. FixYourBoard.com and CorecentricSolutions.com are a couple I know. There are others. Check the listings at their websites for which boards they handle, or call/email for info.

I used FixYourBoard in 2011 for my parents' Whirlpool wall oven. They had a 2yr guarantee on the work at the time, don't know if that's still the case. The board hasn't failed again thus far.

Well, Frigidaire calls the "rubbery thing around the door" a "door boot seal." It is a readily available part and there are numbers of on-line videos that show how to replace it.

But, frankly, with the electronics going, I probably would not bother. All the electronics in the mid-2000 Frigidaire Gallery models are on a board assembly and that board was listed as NLA ("no longer available") when I checked last spring. (At least, it was NLA at the parts sites I normally check.) Fortunately for me, my washer's problem turned out to be a worn door strike rather than a problem with the board.

As for finding a new washer with "at least" the capacity of your Frigidaire Gallery, you won't have any trouble.

For one thing, our old Frigidaires' drum capacities were measured at 3.5 cu. ft under the pre-2011 standards. That would be about 3.1 cu. ft, under the current standards. Maybe closer than you might have expected when compared with current compact washers, eh?

Anything in the line of standard sized front loaders today is going to be a lot larger. When I researched this last spring, the only currently available residential front load model with a 3.5 cu. ft. drum capacity was the Speed Queen FF7 model. I found a couple of the least expensive Electrolux front loaders rated at 4.3 to 4.4 cu. ft. but everything else on the market was at least 4.5 cu. ft. That seems to the minimum size for a standard residential front loader these days for all brands currently available in the North American market and that's why they so much are taller and deeper than our old Frigidaire Gallery models. Heck, the likes of GE, Samsung and LG are now offering some models with capacities rated at over 5 and almost 6 cu. ft.

I bought a Electrolux front loader washer and dryer 9 yrs ago and absolutely love them. So far so good. The drums are huge and I can really get a lot of clothes in them. I've never had machines wash as well as these machines.

I am 71 so have gone through a lot of washers and dryers in my time. Both machines have a steam feature which I absolutely love. If I leave clothes in the dryer overnight, I run the 15 minute steam and the clothes come out like ironed. No wrinkles.

I use the steam mostly in the dryer. I have used the feature in the washer when I leave clothes in there too long and want to make sure they smell fresh.

Jane

That’s my favorite feature too Jane. Both the washer & dryer have it and I never thought I’d use it as much as I do.

I'm going to start over, asking specifically about buying a new set.

Sorry Chisue, I guess we got off topic. (But Electrolux can do that to you!!!)