Well, that has to be frustrating! I have a Speed Queen stack, both full sized, but 10 years old. I have no idea if new models are as good, but I've been happy with mine. Again, new ones may be very different, but this one is pretty basic, with dials and knobs. Just what I wanted.

We bought an LG washer this year to replace an old Kenmore that was surprisingly good and long lasting. The LG needed part swap-outs after only 3 months. Thankfully covered under warranty. I won't buy this brand again.

Ugh--that's so disappointing, Kswl. I just purchased a separate LG washer and dryer (2 units). I originally wanted stackable, and was looking at the washtower. But the warranty pricing structure told me all I needed to know. I changed course midway through design, and no longer need stackable.

Mine won't be installed for another week or so, but I really hope it doesn't play music. My old (I forgot the brand already) sounded like an arcade game when it finished a cycle.

I did extensive research, and there is no one brand that stands out. There are a few to definitely stay away from. But the problem is when you take the advice of people who have had their appliances for 20 years and still work fine--well, that's because they were manufactured differently 20 years ago.

To Indigo's point, Speed Queens still are rated relatively well today.

eta my son is touring apartments with w/d, and they are Bosch, if that tells you anything.

“But the problem is when you take the advice of people who have had their appliances for 20 years and still work fine--well, that's because they were manufactured differently 20 years ago.”

This!!!

@Feathers11, the LGs do play music.

We have stackable LG w&d, not sure if it’s the same, but we haven’t had any problem like that. Ours is about 8 years old.

Our LG fridge, OTOH, hasn’t made ice in about 6 years. grrr.

@Feathers11, the LGs do play music.

Who in the engineering department believes that to be cute? With all of the technology, they should at least allow us to choose our own song clips to play.

First place I always go is wirecutter.

My friend loves her LG washtower. I've had good luck with an LG fridge for nine years but my neighbor's croaked after about five. Both my houses have the dreaded Samsung W/D pair purchased by previous owners. They do what I need to have done but I hate that the dryer at one house wads everything up in a ball and the detergent drawer retains about a quart of water that slops all over when you remove it. The newer set at the other house does not have these problems. I have no idea what I'll do when I have to pick out my own brand to replace them. Many years ago I chose a Kenmore branded Whirlpool Duet - worked well. I also purchaed Frigidaire at two other houses because they had the shallowest footprint which I needed for the hallway type laundry room - also worked well.. Appliances these days are a frustrating crapshoot.

I bought SpeedQueen three years ago. Unfortunately, my model was the last year of the lid lock, a feature that is super annoying. I also didn't realize that there's no option to rinse and drain only. Lastly, the dryer has never really worked quite right. I choose the sensor dry cycle and sometimes it leaves the items wet and other times it overdries them. In conclusion, I think every brand has its pros and cons. I don't even know what to recommend at this point. I'm happy you posted a review of the LG, though, because I was looking at it.

Ugh, I don’t need my washing machine to play music. This feature should have the ability to be personalized. In a perfect world, mine would say, ” Jack (insert husband’s name), laundry is complete!”

I like my Speed Queens. I have the digital in Florida and I like all the selections.

I am not as pleased with my Speed Queen in NY. After years of the model where you choose your water level, this one only had 2 choices. In retrospect I would have been happier with the digital but we thought with all the electrical panel would have to many things to go wrong,

First place I always go is wirecutter.

I used to love Wirecutter, but in the last few years I have seen a big change. Reviews seem more revenue-driven, affiliate links, etc. The reviews have a bit less depth-- there are so many of them now that they seem rushed out. And often their "top picks" are things I have owned and not liked. But I usually still look at what they have to say.

The LG washer music is loud, plays for several seconds, and is an extremely odd tune. Our Zojirushi rice cooker plays Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on startup, and signals completion with a number my husband and I have dubbed "the Bolivian marching tune," for lack of a better name. It's kind of cuter for a little rice cooker than a washing machine, IMO, but I'm not sure why that is.

I completely understand your frustration. My LG does fine with my towels but my supposedly washable bathroom rugs, which were not thick or large, always caused an error.
I finally resorted to buying the paper thin printed rugs from Dash and Albert. They warm up the room a bit and are easily cleanable but are not really rugs.

“I finally resorted to buying the paper thin printed rugs from Dash and Albert.”

Dee, that’s what I have!!

I spoke to Costco and they want to replace these with a new set of the same before they refund anything. :(

Spanish, when Wirecutter was inagurated in the NYT it was great. Now it seems merely a source of revenue. There is NO way their recommendations aren’t heavily influenced by a variety of factors other than reliability, performance and price— which IMO should be their ONLY considerations.

Usually there is a way on W/Ds to shut off the shound but it's buried somewhere within the 50 page instruction manual. According to Reddit there is a Signal button that you press for 3 seconds while the machine is on to turn off sounds but some models may use a different button. So very helpful, I know. But that does nothing for lousy operation.

I like my E-lux W/D and have had no service issues other than the one time I forgot to put the filter screen back in the dryer and it sucked in one of DH's socks and locked up the rotor. There are a zillion options on the washer including a rinse and spin which I like. The units I loved were Maytag many years ago but that ship has sailed and I don't think they are as bulletproof anymore.

Kswl, maybe you will get lucky and get a better-made pair this time around. I’m a little surprised Costco won’t let uou switch to a different pair or just refund. I do believe the quality of all appliances has gone downhill.

Like others, the difference in 8-10 years can make a big difference. We have an LG pair that is 9 years old. I chose the top loading, largest tub they made at rhe time and a matching dryer. I swore off ever buying a front loading machine after the horror of the Whirlpool we had. I couldn’t wait to get rid of that. Our dryer at that time was a Maytag and still worked great when we got rid of it.

I know top-loaders aren’t for everyone, and especially if you need a stacked pair or are short, but this one handes big heavy loads without a worry. In fact i washed my Tumble washable rugs without any issues (one a runner and the other a 2.5x3.5 throw rug, washed separately). The dryer chime can be turned off, softer or louder. Tne washer does not.

DD has a Miele pair that fits her need for a compact unit and could be stacked. The capacity is small though so she has brought her comforter and quilts to our house sometimes..

I have a GE W/D set. The dryer is ok except it's too hot on most settings. The washer is a top loader and the lid locks and spins at such a speed it moves itself across the floor. At times I think it almost could become airborne, lol. Appliance selection and satisfaction is a mystery. I'm not sure anymore where to get an honest, objective evaluation of these things.

Back to the LG song…ours guves us a little giggle every time so we keep it on. It sounds so happy when it finishes a load.