My 1999 Whirlpool Estate heavy duty washer and dryer are doing well. Aside from an occasional cleaning and a belt replacement, they have been trouble free. They were made here in the US during the last days of when we used to actually make stuff and pay our workers a liveable wage.
And provided good benefits? A livable wage is one thing, but you can't live if that wage is spent on a private for-profit healthcare system. The US is especially bad with this and Canada is on its heels. Each time we elect a government that listens to corporations instead of the citizens, this is the issue, then those governments blame a different party for their mistakes.
Washing machines, dishwashers, blenders, etc. were actually STUPID expensive back in the day. They became cheaper around the 70’s but in the 50’s and 60’s they were incredibly expensive. There is a reason they are built with tons of metal, fridges have butter warmers, toasters are automatic, mixers weight 30 pounds, etc. it is all because they were expensive.
@@----------------------------- If you go by the 1984 Sears catalog prices, a basic 3 speed Kenmore (great brand back then) was $389.99. Inflation adjusted that's about $1176 today. Used, a few years later, you could pick one up for like $50 to $75 (1985-6-7 price).
Ben, I have been in appliance repair for a few years now and learning a lot. Your videos have been very helpful many times. I appreciate your expertise and time!
Thank you for this. I have a suggestion. You might run this machine for shop towels and really dirty clothing. See how long it actually runs before breaking - then document the broken components and what they would cost (assuming availability) to fix.
You are spot on! I have this model number, paid the regular price of ~$460 back in Aug 2021. It's getting replaced next weekend under the extended warranty. The tech just wanted to replace the stabilizer springs (I forgot what the correct name is) and his computer told him, 'nah, replace the whole thing'. Getting a whirlpool next.
My eye started twitching when I saw that bag of wires LOL. So far I've only encountered one, but I'm sure more will show up down the road. Great video!
I have repair a lot of them under warranty the one thing they don't repair is the tub bearing on the spin cycle it starts to slow down and the laundry will clump up into a ball and throw the balance code
I've bought a few of these washer/dryer sets for rentals and never had issues with them. Always found them very good. Using them for over 5 yrs, no problems
I picked up a fan (that looked new) that a neighbor threw out. Troubleshooting led me to the switch and voila! A wire came out just like in this video. Plugged it back in and I was blown away!😅
Thank you for making this video Ben. Someone needs to call out these clowns for making such a terrible appliance, and you did an excellent job explaining why it should be avoided.
My mother actually bought one of these 2 years ago. It cleans decently and still works great, but it is loud and gives you a sense of cheapness. If she makes it another 3 years, I'll tell her to be happy and get her a used whirlpool/maytag/amana set for less than this new.
I'm very fortunate in that I have a local guy selling used appliances. He's a skilled repairman, so I haven't owned a new machine in over 20 years. That said, if I need to buy a new washer I guess I'll go with Speed Queen.
The new Whirlpool washers spend more time thinking about washing then actually washing. I buy Ge washers and they hold up well no balance issues ever and they do a load of clothes in a reasonable amount of time.
36 years ago I bought a base model Kenmore direct drive washer (Whirlpool) for $188. It's still working fine. only things I've replaced were the intake valve and pump after I let it freeze. Easy and cheap to repair.
I bought this washer a few years ago as a marked down return. I don’t remember the exact price, but I was hard up, and it was the cheapest washer in any of the local stores. It still works fine after 4-5 years but I don’t think it will last like the 40 year old Maytag is replaced c
Ben, thanks for making these great videos. I bought this machine for my mom to do some simple laundry. It wouldn't add water after about 10 uses. Best buy was called and didn't even diagnose this machine just brought a new one and asked if we could dispose of the broke one (meaning leave at the curb for the bulk trash man to collect). They treat these as disposable washers. We also noticed the spin cycle does not pull out as much water as we expected. My mom has to nearly double the dry time on the dryer vs her previous 30 year old washer. I guess there is no way for you to rate a washers performance and pulling out water from a load of clothes.
You can actually. It's based on basket spin speed vs. Size. One thing I need to include is that. This is 680RPM which is pretty slow for modern toploads.
I got a $300 Magic Chef washer from Home Depot that works pretty well. Use it almost every day with cloth diapers. Looks simpler than this washer though. My options are pretty limited because I live in an RV. I'm waiting for the 120V heatpump washer/dryer combo market to mature.
I own an LG wt6105cw top load washer. It’s great. The normal cycle is for washing just one outfit NOT A LOAD OF CLOTHES. But the deep wash cycle with an extra rinse is fantastic. It lasts one hour and 15 minutes. I can add up to 12 pounds in that mode. On a very heavily soiled load of laundry I will use the heavy duty cycle with an extra rinse, that’s two hours. The clothes come out very clean. Due to lightning and power outages in my area, I have plugged the washing machine into a power strip, which is plugged into a power surge protector. When I am done using the washing machine, I always turn the power strip off. I lost a Maytag top load washer due to lightning and it fried the motherboard. I’m hoping this machine last me a long time. I paid less than $550 for it at Lowe’s last summer, 2023. I’m looking forward to your review.
Lol! I've got an ancient 2 belt Maytag. Still running great! Only thing I had to do over the years is replace, belts, a couple of hose clamps, and a lid switch
Reminds me a lot of Samsung top load Wobble I bought six years ago. I've received a lot of complaints to this model (because I made a tutorial video how to use it), it's so unreliable on so many parts. An online store randomly showed me a motherboard for this unit that has hundreds of sales. While the board is cheap, it does not to need to break so much. It's also much milder or weaker than this Insignia on cleaning clothes. To be fair, this Samsung is under $200, probably a good option in a single or two people household.
The same people who want the cheapest washer will buy a new car every 5 years. I work at an appliance parts store. Every time a customer complains about the price of a part, I say "It's cheaper than a new machine". And if they say, "I can buy a brand new one for a little more" I say, "No, you can't, but thanks for stopping by!" People should just go find clean, older used appliances. So you can save your money for that Hellcat payment 😉. Which reminds me of another point. People spend more on a month or 2 of their car note than their washer that cleans all their expensive clothes. I'd say most people put more hours on their washer and dryer than driving, but I'll leave that up to Ben to figure out. Wash on 🤘!
@groundedinsunshine3848 I sell appliances, and I rebuild washers and dryers . It's my job to care so I can sell them the right part and they don't waste their money. That's how retail works dude. I also sell them so it's within my best interest to figure out what machines are trash so I don't buy them, resell them and get a bad reputation. Why do you care if I care? Piss off.
@@gregorystatt5562 well maybe you’re just old then ..but usually people online make fun of poc for having hellcats. so that comment seemed uncalled for if you’re an appliance salesman and not a financial advisor.. hello? also, people don’t spend more time washing clothes than they do driving their car. that’s absurd.
@groundedinsunshine3848 so you've made quite the leap to assume I am a racist because I used the word Hellcat? It took me a while to even understand what poc was. I guess I'm just not quite as in touch with my racist side as you. The reason I watched this video was to help people, just like the reason Ben made the video in the first place. Why are you here? Are you a service tech? Are you a disgruntled Hellcat owner? You seem like a cute troll, but I'm married. I think you need to check your own racism. Not all white people are bad, and most people I know, including my teenage boys, are just flat out tired of the race card bs. My kids are the minority at their school. It is mostly Hispanic and poc as you would say. My son is dating a Mexican girl right now, and that's great. How about go bait someone else and leave me alone.
Hey it looks like Midea's acquisition of Electrolux fell through last year, but the two companies are working together in the Chinese market. Are you sure Frigidaire appliances are being produced by Midea?
The wire connection shouldn't have came off that easily, shows build quality issues. Good thing though that parts weren't required, $75-100 to verify all connections are good and fix the bad ones. But if it does need a control board, that's a $200 repair which like he said makes it a throwaway for people who compare that to the purchase price.
@@Mike22313 that bad connection (a high current one going to the motor) would have failed down the line, likely after the warranty was expired. That mild amount of messing around should never be knocking wires loose.
Your observations about the wiring reminded me of similar observations about the Yugo automobile in the book "The Yugo: The Rise and Fall of the Worst Car in History" that I read a few years ago. The assembly line had to cut off a connector from a harness to route the wiring through a body panel then splice the connector back onto the harness.
Buy cheap buy twice. My parents' Whirlpool-made Kenmore which has digital controls from 2009 is still going strong. It has a little bit of rust on it though. It's more likely to need replacement due to rust than failing electronics.
I think you're making more of this than what it is. The machine was price exceptionally low. It's a machine that could be sold function for several years and then thrown out without servicing. As far as the issue at hand if you didn't open it up 99.9 that issue would not have happened. I had the Avante version of this machine and it worked perfectly. I sold it and no complaints.
My mom had a 36 year old KitchenAid washer that sadly kicked the bucket last year (the clutch went through rapid spontaneous disassembly due to rust). It was extremely sad as this thing was fully mechanical with no circuit boards, and therefore no planned-obsolescence BS. She now has a Maytag that she hates because it doesn't work like the old one: all these dumb sensor checks, tub doesn't fill as deep as it should, takes way longer to run, doesn't clean as thoroughly, etc. If we're lucky it might last 10 years, but probably not. Such a shame.
I'm sure glad I bought a 2018 Speed Queen. Guaranteed to last 25 years. To get really good washing results you need to select Auto-fill for all your loads with this washer. Use top quality DETERGENTS (HE) like TIDE HE TURBO. So far the machine has been very reliable. No repairs needed after 6 years of ownership. It's a TR5 SERIES WASHER the only series available for 2018.
I'm sure these exist so that people can advertise that the house they're selling comes with a washer & dryer. (While the good set moves to the new house) Only needs to work well enough to pass a basic home inspectior.
This is a cold slap of reality for me. I am currently on the lookout for an affordable 18 cubic foot refrigerator, and the insignia brand was on my list. I have an American Whirpool unit.That's still running ( I bought the last of the ten year warranties). However , I know that its days are possibly numbered. The problem is that replacing it with the identical item is almost triple what I originally paid😢.
My advice (which is probably worthless) is to purchase a used refrigerator from someone on Facebook or whatever platform you have locally for such things. A 1990's refrigerator will outlast anything new on the market.
@knurlgnar24 Oh, I'm nursing my fridge along. Cleaning the coils twice per year and a dedicated power outlet with a really good surge protector ( I can also swap out the ice Maker.They tend to fail whenever they feel like). When my last fridge died, the technician told me that they now only last about ten years. Just before the 10 year extended warranty ran out. I had them come and do a check-up on the unit (it was fine). I'm currently playing with the houses money , but I will consider looking to get an older fridge.
I got me a Kenmore 70 Series washer, only needed agitator dogs and the retainer cup for the top of the auger. It's probably around 20 years old by now.
I bought that exact machine used from a friend who claimed the person who originally owned it only had it for about six months and wanted to sell it because they were moving. I have had the machine for about six months now. It is leaking water from the bottom. What do you think I should do? Have it repaired or buy a brand new good name washer. Please help if you can. Great and informative video by the way!
Give it to the customer pretty much for free with an agreement to be able to follow its longevity/issues to see if its parts wear out as fast as that connector did.
My mom had a Maytag washer in the early 1960's that was gas engine powered. Yes, we had an enclosed back porch, and the exhaust was plumbed outside through the wall. Just Google Maytag washer engine. People collect them.
This is common with washers and dryers today of all brands that the wire colors are mismatched. In fact for some of these washers the wires are literally all of the same color because they expect you to replace the ENTIRE wire/connector cluster if one wire fails. As to the '2-3 years before problems'... no. Insignia washers have been documented to the vast majority of the time a decade without major issues.
Looks like a big manufacturer branching out beyond their area of expertise. Midea Air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and refrigerators seem decent quality, but Washing machines? that seems like a stretch and they probably shouldn't have.
It stopped working due to the wire being pulled out of the connector when you took it apart. You can't blame that failure on the washer but who knows how long it would have lasted had you not fiddled with it.
Could have said that if you hadn't dug into the connector bag, you wouldn't have had the wire detach, but that was a bad quality connector to wire assembly that could have failed at some later date.
Your first clue that it was garbage was the “made in China” printed on the box. My 2019 Speed Queen made in USA was $870 ….five years later and several hundreds wash loads, it has given me zero problems.
Things made in China can be of very good quality so long as the manufacturer spends the money to make sure things are done correctly. Sometimes they don't, but more often than not they do. See iPhones for example. That said your Speed Queen is very hard to beat.
@@knurlgnar24 Agree with you on Speed Queen but my experiences with Chinese made goods have been horrible. My “top of the line” $439.00 Friedrich dehumidifier had compressor failure after two years (unit made in China), my “premium” $59.95 two slice Cuisinart toaster’s lever mechanism fell apart after 14 months, and yes it was also made in China.
@@MrScottie68was it a dehumidifier part of the mass recall of dehumidifiers manufactured by New Widetech? They made dehumidifiers for many brands including Friedrich.
I had washing machine impulse buy once, its an 8kg lg automatic top loader that cost me $350, 11 years later that LG is still kicking despite never been serviced. I wanted to upgrade already but my conscience doesn't let me.
Yeah i biught this a coupme years ago unfortunately. Doing the stabikizer springs now hut the agitator is making a really bad gridning noise when it turns counter clockwise. Need to see what that is and the cost to repair that now 🙄
Isn't "high efficiency top-load clothes washer" an oxymoron? I bought a Whirlpool Duet HT front-load washer and dryer pair in 2006 when front-load washers were starting to come back into vogue. Both units are still working flawlessly and haven't needed a single repair.
“High efficiency” isn’t a standard of actual efficiency, it is a marking to indicate detergent designed for use in washers that use less water. If you are looking for a water and electric efficient washer, you should see Energy Star.
any good recommendations for "counter top" ice machines? i want something that take a water-line and puts out nugget ice, something that does water as well would be nice.
Too bad we can't just go back to the designs we had in the 1960s through to the mid-to late-1990s. Mechanical timers, switches, induction motors made to spin both ways, at two speeds and transmissions that lock up on the reverse of the motor to cause the porcelain-coated wash tub to spin. Granted, they consumed 800 to 1200 Watts on the rating plate but they lasted for decades.
I thought this was a great video. However, the title was very misleading. The washer broke because you took it apart not because the parts went bad. I understand why you took it apart and I appreciate the fact that you did but I do feel it is misleading to those looking for the video to watch. A typical consumer, who would purchase this would not take it apart and open the bag’o wires.
I have an issue with washer its shakes and bounce around really bad on the spin cycle. I changed out the suspension rods and its still shaking abd bouncing around bad.
Nice video Ben, thanks for sharing it. I have a question for you. What is the best full size "Top Load" washer/dryer Stack unit available today? My wife doesn't want a front load washer, and we don't really have enough room for a side X side washer and dryer, so we need a Top Load stack washer & Dryer. Thank you in advance. We value your opinion. JT
Question have a GE washer blanket got stuck in it now the pump won’t stop pumping any information would be helpful and will be looking through your list of videos
For numerous reasons, it should be literally against the law for a company to KNOWINGLY design, engineer and produce washers to last 3 years!!! My Maytag washer is 39 years old and works perfectly!
Government regulations have destroyed the laundry sector. Even our new Speed Queen, which we are very happy with, has a max washing time of just 12 minutes on the heavy duty cycle, and you cannot just twist the dial around to add more time…everything is computer timed. And now that I’m griping, if you want the soak cycle then you have to accept an extra rinse as well! If any Speed Queen execs are reading this…WHAT were you guys thinking??
I bought an Insignia for 300. Big mistake! After a year and a half the water pump went out. They wanted 400 to fix it. I trashed it and bought a $500 Samsung which I found out later was my second mistake! 😡
I gave up bought a speed queen gave my sister my old whirlpool direct drive and at 22 years old the gear ase failed she didn’t wanna fix it i explained the nee junk and she said order the gear-case lol
My question is... why do the environmentalists totally IGNORE this?? Big honking machines that are going to break way sooner than later and end up in a landfill?
Midea can make decent appliances, they are one of the world leaders in air conditioning. They are also the manufacturing contractor for Instant Pot. But their washing machines are at best mediocre.
Fellow electronic hobbyists and EEs are laughing at the appliance guys complaining about wire color codes. 🤣 I just assume all wiring color is meaningless at this point with anything until probed or referenced by pin from the schematic. Last time I trusted wire colors I fried my JTAG programmer. That wiring "harness" is atrocious though. Not sure how the messed up a molex crimp either, that should be being done in an automated fashion. That makes me think they have have African orphans doing it somewhere.
I genuinely don't understand the connector bag. Would it not be cheaper to just have connectors on the components at the bottom, then connectors on the PCB? Or even just have one wire go from the components directly onto the pcb, which would cut down on connector costs. Seems wild
It strongly resembled a wire which had not been crimped at all. Highly unlikely the wiring harnesses would be automated. They would be made by hand "offshore."
@@bandombeviews6035 Yes, it would be. I'm guessing they had a bunch of wiring harnesses for different models that they used, and adapted them to work here in an effort to use them since they were already made and bought. In that regard, this may be cheaper if this model is not planned to be made for long
Ain't no one paying a technician to diagnose and fix a $277 washer. You just buy another one. Thank you for this review.
That’s the problem. These are all going to the landfill
@@AtomSquirrelbut all the corporations calim they are "green" and all this nonsense. CLIMATE Change..lol All fake. It's all about $$$$$$$
Disposable society.
I'd buy this washer. And "fix" it
Thing is this is a $450 washer and its not worth $277 to be honest.
My 1999 Whirlpool Estate heavy duty washer and dryer are doing well. Aside from an occasional cleaning and a belt replacement, they have been trouble free. They were made here in the US during the last days of when we used to actually make stuff and pay our workers a liveable wage.
And provided good benefits? A livable wage is one thing, but you can't live if that wage is spent on a private for-profit healthcare system. The US is especially bad with this and Canada is on its heels. Each time we elect a government that listens to corporations instead of the citizens, this is the issue, then those governments blame a different party for their mistakes.
I have this washer and have had it for almost 5 years with absolutely no issues. Love it. Do with it had a stronger agitation.
Meanwhile, our 40 year old washer needed $5 in parts five years ago and it'll go for another 40 years. We need to go back to clockwork.
Washing machines, dishwashers, blenders, etc. were actually STUPID expensive back in the day. They became cheaper around the 70’s but in the 50’s and 60’s they were incredibly expensive. There is a reason they are built with tons of metal, fridges have butter warmers, toasters are automatic, mixers weight 30 pounds, etc. it is all because they were expensive.
Tell us the price of that 40 year old washer and adjust it for inflation today.
@@----------------------------- If you go by the 1984 Sears catalog prices, a basic 3 speed Kenmore (great brand back then) was $389.99. Inflation adjusted that's about $1176 today. Used, a few years later, you could pick one up for like $50 to $75 (1985-6-7 price).
Theres no reason solid state stuff cant run forever too. It just needs to be built well, which I dont think stuff is anymore. Crapitalism
My Maytag is 39
Ben, I have been in appliance repair for a few years now and learning a lot. Your videos have been very helpful many times. I appreciate your expertise and time!
I'll stick with Speed Queen Classic!
Thank you for this.
I have a suggestion. You might run this machine for shop towels and really dirty clothing. See how long it actually runs before breaking - then document the broken components and what they would cost (assuming availability) to fix.
You are spot on! I have this model number, paid the regular price of ~$460 back in Aug 2021. It's getting replaced next weekend under the extended warranty. The tech just wanted to replace the stabilizer springs (I forgot what the correct name is) and his computer told him, 'nah, replace the whole thing'. Getting a whirlpool next.
My eye started twitching when I saw that bag of wires LOL. So far I've only encountered one, but I'm sure more will show up down the road. Great video!
Yeah...pretty bad when you need extension cords for harnesses and then those cords aren't at least the same rating as the parts harnesses to boot.
I have repair a lot of them under warranty the one thing they don't repair is the tub bearing on the spin cycle it starts to slow down and the laundry will clump up into a ball and throw the balance code
I've bought a few of these washer/dryer sets for rentals and never had issues with them. Always found them very good. Using them for over 5 yrs, no problems
I picked up a fan (that looked new) that a neighbor threw out. Troubleshooting led me to the switch and voila! A wire came out just like in this video. Plugged it back in and I was blown away!😅
Easy fixes are so satisfying...😀
Thank you for making this video Ben. Someone needs to call out these clowns for making such a terrible appliance, and you did an excellent job explaining why it should be avoided.
These in-depth reviews and breakdowns are great! Thank you!
My mother actually bought one of these 2 years ago. It cleans decently and still works great, but it is loud and gives you a sense of cheapness. If she makes it another 3 years, I'll tell her to be happy and get her a used whirlpool/maytag/amana set for less than this new.
I'm very fortunate in that I have a local guy selling used appliances. He's a skilled repairman, so I haven't owned a new machine in over 20 years. That said, if I need to buy a new washer I guess I'll go with Speed Queen.
I'll stick with my basic top loading Whirlpool
The new Whirlpool washers spend more time thinking about washing then actually washing. I buy Ge washers and they hold up well no balance issues ever and they do a load of clothes in a reasonable amount of time.
Honestly, if its between this for 2-5 years or a laundry mat, I'll still save money using this as a hold over until I could afford higher quality.
Looks like it would be useful to wash the rags in my woodshop. Keeping them out of the main machine.
36 years ago I bought a base model Kenmore direct drive washer (Whirlpool) for $188. It's still working fine. only things I've replaced were the intake valve and pump after I let it freeze. Easy and cheap to repair.
Your channel is great. Who else would ever buy that machine and review it.
I bought this washer a few years ago as a marked down return. I don’t remember the exact price, but I was hard up, and it was the cheapest washer in any of the local stores. It still works fine after 4-5 years but I don’t think it will last like the 40 year old Maytag is replaced c
Ben, thanks for making these great videos. I bought this machine for my mom to do some simple laundry. It wouldn't add water after about 10 uses. Best buy was called and didn't even diagnose this machine just brought a new one and asked if we could dispose of the broke one (meaning leave at the curb for the bulk trash man to collect). They treat these as disposable washers. We also noticed the spin cycle does not pull out as much water as we expected. My mom has to nearly double the dry time on the dryer vs her previous 30 year old washer. I guess there is no way for you to rate a washers performance and pulling out water from a load of clothes.
You can actually. It's based on basket spin speed vs. Size. One thing I need to include is that. This is 680RPM which is pretty slow for modern toploads.
I got a $300 Magic Chef washer from Home Depot that works pretty well. Use it almost every day with cloth diapers. Looks simpler than this washer though. My options are pretty limited because I live in an RV. I'm waiting for the 120V heatpump washer/dryer combo market to mature.
I own an LG wt6105cw top load washer. It’s great. The normal cycle is for washing just one outfit NOT A LOAD OF CLOTHES. But the deep wash cycle with an extra rinse is fantastic. It lasts one hour and 15 minutes. I can add up to 12 pounds in that mode. On a very heavily soiled load of laundry I will use the heavy duty cycle with an extra rinse, that’s two hours. The clothes come out very clean. Due to lightning and power outages in my area, I have plugged the washing machine into a power strip, which is plugged into a power surge protector. When I am done using the washing machine, I always turn the power strip off. I lost a Maytag top load washer due to lightning and it fried the motherboard. I’m hoping this machine last me a long time. I paid less than $550 for it at Lowe’s last summer, 2023. I’m looking forward to your review.
Excellent Engineering review! Thanks!
05:45 That record album belonged in there, Ben. It was propping the broken wire into the wiring harness connector. 😀
Good one! hehe
Lol! I've got an ancient 2 belt Maytag. Still running great! Only thing I had to do over the years is replace, belts, a couple of hose clamps, and a lid switch
My 1996 KitchAid direct drive is going strong.. replaced neutral drain and clutch for less than $75. In parts and it’s good as new.
Thanks for the review! Very useful - I'm moving soon and will need a cheap temporary washer. This one is off my list.
Nothing is not permanent than a temporary solution! 😂
Nothing is more permanent than a temporary solution! 😂
Sounds like my Maytag washer that was 3 years old. Never could keep it running. Finally dumped it off at the landfill and bought a speed queen.
This machine retails for $650 in Canada.
This is the type of machine you buy right before you sell your home.
Reminds me a lot of Samsung top load Wobble I bought six years ago. I've received a lot of complaints to this model (because I made a tutorial video how to use it), it's so unreliable on so many parts. An online store randomly showed me a motherboard for this unit that has hundreds of sales. While the board is cheap, it does not to need to break so much. It's also much milder or weaker than this Insignia on cleaning clothes. To be fair, this Samsung is under $200, probably a good option in a single or two people household.
The same people who want the cheapest washer will buy a new car every 5 years. I work at an appliance parts store. Every time a customer complains about the price of a part, I say "It's cheaper than a new machine". And if they say, "I can buy a brand new one for a little more" I say, "No, you can't, but thanks for stopping by!" People should just go find clean, older used appliances. So you can save your money for that Hellcat payment 😉. Which reminds me of another point. People spend more on a month or 2 of their car note than their washer that cleans all their expensive clothes. I'd say most people put more hours on their washer and dryer than driving, but I'll leave that up to Ben to figure out. Wash on 🤘!
Years ago, a girl I used to work with accidentally broke her turn signal lever off her steering column. So she bought a new car. 🤔
and why tf do you care how people spend their money?
@groundedinsunshine3848 I sell appliances, and I rebuild washers and dryers . It's my job to care so I can sell them the right part and they don't waste their money. That's how retail works dude. I also sell them so it's within my best interest to figure out what machines are trash so I don't buy them, resell them and get a bad reputation. Why do you care if I care? Piss off.
@@gregorystatt5562 well maybe you’re just old then ..but usually people online make fun of poc for having hellcats. so that comment seemed uncalled for if you’re an appliance salesman and not a financial advisor.. hello? also, people don’t spend more time washing clothes than they do driving their car. that’s absurd.
@groundedinsunshine3848 so you've made quite the leap to assume I am a racist because I used the word Hellcat? It took me a while to even understand what poc was. I guess I'm just not quite as in touch with my racist side as you. The reason I watched this video was to help people, just like the reason Ben made the video in the first place. Why are you here? Are you a service tech? Are you a disgruntled Hellcat owner? You seem like a cute troll, but I'm married. I think you need to check your own racism. Not all white people are bad, and most people I know, including my teenage boys, are just flat out tired of the race card bs. My kids are the minority at their school. It is mostly Hispanic and poc as you would say. My son is dating a Mexican girl right now, and that's great. How about go bait someone else and leave me alone.
Hey it looks like Midea's acquisition of Electrolux fell through last year, but the two companies are working together in the Chinese market. Are you sure Frigidaire appliances are being produced by Midea?
Their top loaders are. The other ones likely arent
I've had this model for 5 years. Still works fine, though it squeaks on heavy loads
Worked on this units. Motor and other parts can be easily replaced
Thank you for this information
Ours is giving us problems only after 1 year and we paid full price $500
I don’t know what to do with it now 😮
so. It's not broke after 5 wash, It's more like broke after you open it?
That's what I heard
The wire connection shouldn't have came off that easily, shows build quality issues. Good thing though that parts weren't required, $75-100 to verify all connections are good and fix the bad ones. But if it does need a control board, that's a $200 repair which like he said makes it a throwaway for people who compare that to the purchase price.
@@AceEverett and you should not poke your nose inside this bag. It working fine.
Ordering washers off Temu.
@@Mike22313 that bad connection (a high current one going to the motor) would have failed down the line, likely after the warranty was expired.
That mild amount of messing around should never be knocking wires loose.
Good video keep it up question is queen washer and dryer still the best or the went down hill
Your observations about the wiring reminded me of similar observations about the Yugo automobile in the book "The Yugo: The Rise and Fall of the Worst Car in History" that I read a few years ago. The assembly line had to cut off a connector from a harness to route the wiring through a body panel then splice the connector back onto the harness.
Buy cheap buy twice. My parents' Whirlpool-made Kenmore which has digital controls from 2009 is still going strong. It has a little bit of rust on it though. It's more likely to need replacement due to rust than failing electronics.
I think you're making more of this than what it is. The machine was price exceptionally low. It's a machine that could be sold function for several years and then thrown out without servicing.
As far as the issue at hand if you didn't open it up 99.9 that issue would not have happened. I had the Avante version of this machine and it worked perfectly. I sold it and no complaints.
My mom had a 36 year old KitchenAid washer that sadly kicked the bucket last year (the clutch went through rapid spontaneous disassembly due to rust). It was extremely sad as this thing was fully mechanical with no circuit boards, and therefore no planned-obsolescence BS. She now has a Maytag that she hates because it doesn't work like the old one: all these dumb sensor checks, tub doesn't fill as deep as it should, takes way longer to run, doesn't clean as thoroughly, etc. If we're lucky it might last 10 years, but probably not. Such a shame.
I'm sure glad I bought a 2018 Speed Queen. Guaranteed to last 25 years. To get really good washing results you need to select Auto-fill for all your loads with this washer. Use top quality DETERGENTS (HE) like TIDE HE TURBO. So far the machine has been very reliable. No repairs needed after 6 years of ownership. It's a TR5 SERIES WASHER the only series available for 2018.
At $250, if it were to breakdown, it's basically less expensive to replace than repair.
I'm sure these exist so that people can advertise that the house they're selling comes with a washer & dryer. (While the good set moves to the new house) Only needs to work well enough to pass a basic home inspectior.
Love midea’s windie ac
My 1987 maytag quit working in 2018. I DIY fixed it a couple of times. I hope its replacement ( whirlpool) lasts 1/3 as long.
Good enough to get your clothes clean? What more should a washer do?
This is a cold slap of reality for me. I am currently on the lookout for an affordable 18 cubic foot refrigerator, and the insignia brand was on my list. I have an American
Whirpool unit.That's still running ( I bought the last of the ten year warranties). However , I know that its days are possibly numbered. The problem is that replacing it with the identical item is almost triple what I originally paid😢.
My advice (which is probably worthless) is to purchase a used refrigerator from someone on Facebook or whatever platform you have locally for such things. A 1990's refrigerator will outlast anything new on the market.
@knurlgnar24 Oh, I'm nursing my fridge along. Cleaning the coils twice per year and a dedicated power outlet with a really good surge protector ( I can also swap out the ice Maker.They tend to fail whenever they feel like).
When my last fridge died, the technician told me that they now only last about ten years. Just before the 10 year extended warranty ran out. I had them come and do a check-up on the unit (it was fine). I'm currently playing with the houses money , but I will consider looking to get an older fridge.
I got me a Kenmore 70 Series washer, only needed agitator dogs and the retainer cup for the top of the auger. It's probably around 20 years old by now.
I bought that exact machine used from a friend who claimed the person who originally owned it only had it for about six months and wanted to sell it because they were moving. I have had the machine for about six months now. It is leaking water from the bottom. What do you think I should do? Have it repaired or buy a brand new good name washer. Please help if you can. Great and informative video by the way!
The thing that really gets me is the agitator. If your going to design a single piece agitator, DO NOT put an auger on it
Excellent video.
Thanks Ben
Give it to the customer pretty much for free with an agreement to be able to follow its longevity/issues to see if its parts wear out as fast as that connector did.
Ultra reliable as well as ultra safe and smart buy is “speed Queen”. Cost more but last 3 to 4 times longer than anyone else.
Honestly, a wringer washer in this day and age is a better buy.
I'll bet most people watching TH-cam videos these days have never even seen a wringer washer much less used one! :o)
Make certain to buy one of the good Maytags with a kick start, 2 stroke gas engine. The electric ones are over rated.
@@wargamingrefugee9065 -- I remember playing with a 4-stroke washing machine engine when I was a kid.
My mom had a Maytag washer in the early 1960's that was gas engine powered. Yes, we had an enclosed back porch, and the exhaust was plumbed outside through the wall. Just Google Maytag washer engine. People collect them.
I have one I need to get rid of if you are interested, it is a Voss machine - works well
I’ve had this machine for 5 years
That wire sack is actually inspired from semi-automatic washing machines they all have that
I LUV your website❣️
I still have a Kenmore washer and dryer I bought in 1985. Still works great. Never had a problem.
This is common with washers and dryers today of all brands that the wire colors are mismatched.
In fact for some of these washers the wires are literally all of the same color because they expect you to replace the ENTIRE wire/connector cluster if one wire fails.
As to the '2-3 years before problems'... no.
Insignia washers have been documented to the vast majority of the time a decade without major issues.
Looks like a big manufacturer branching out beyond their area of expertise. Midea Air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and refrigerators seem decent quality, but Washing machines? that seems like a stretch and they probably shouldn't have.
I agree, Midea makes decent AC units. I cannot understand why people pay 4x the cash for other brands when most brands are just rebranded Midea units.
Great video. Thank you for sharing
Seems like a decent deal. I wish I would've caught it.
Awesome video !!!
I think these washers are also Frigidaire branded as well
It stopped working due to the wire being pulled out of the connector when you took it apart. You can't blame that failure on the washer but who knows how long it would have lasted had you not fiddled with it.
Could have said that if you hadn't dug into the connector bag, you wouldn't have had the wire detach, but that was a bad quality connector to wire assembly that could have failed at some later date.
My upstairs neighbor bought one of these last year and it still functions.
Until it leaks all over Your Ceiling!!! sucker
Your first clue that it was garbage was the “made in China” printed on the box. My 2019 Speed Queen made in USA was $870 ….five years later and several hundreds wash loads, it has given me zero problems.
It's not always that Chinese stuff is always bad, but when it was made, developed and priced to be Chinese garbage.... yeah. What a mess.
Things made in China can be of very good quality so long as the manufacturer spends the money to make sure things are done correctly. Sometimes they don't, but more often than not they do. See iPhones for example. That said your Speed Queen is very hard to beat.
"Got an S-class Mercedes in 2019 and it hasn't broken down once in all my use! Idk why anyone would consider a Kia Forte!"
@@knurlgnar24 Agree with you on Speed Queen but my experiences with Chinese made goods have been horrible. My “top of the line” $439.00 Friedrich dehumidifier had compressor failure after two years (unit made in China), my “premium” $59.95 two slice Cuisinart toaster’s lever mechanism fell apart after 14 months, and yes it was also made in China.
@@MrScottie68was it a dehumidifier part of the mass recall of dehumidifiers manufactured by New Widetech? They made dehumidifiers for many brands including Friedrich.
I would never buy anything with the "Insignia" label.
Edit: Insignia = problems. Waste of money and build very cheap.
I had washing machine impulse buy once, its an 8kg lg automatic top loader that cost me $350, 11 years later that LG is still kicking despite never been serviced. I wanted to upgrade already but my conscience doesn't let me.
Yeah i biught this a coupme years ago unfortunately. Doing the stabikizer springs now hut the agitator is making a really bad gridning noise when it turns counter clockwise. Need to see what that is and the cost to repair that now 🙄
So any ideas on what it could be, lmk!
My washer is about a year old it's a may tag braves xl mct the lid will not lock so it will not go through cycle
Isn't "high efficiency top-load clothes washer" an oxymoron? I bought a Whirlpool Duet HT front-load washer and dryer pair in 2006 when front-load washers were starting to come back into vogue. Both units are still working flawlessly and haven't needed a single repair.
“High efficiency” isn’t a standard of actual efficiency, it is a marking to indicate detergent designed for use in washers that use less water. If you are looking for a water and electric efficient washer, you should see Energy Star.
any good recommendations for "counter top" ice machines? i want something that take a water-line and puts out nugget ice, something that does water as well would be nice.
Too bad we can't just go back to the designs we had in the 1960s through to the mid-to late-1990s. Mechanical timers, switches, induction motors made to spin both ways, at two speeds and transmissions that lock up on the reverse of the motor to cause the porcelain-coated wash tub to spin. Granted, they consumed 800 to 1200 Watts on the rating plate but they lasted for decades.
I thought this was a great video. However, the title was very misleading. The washer broke because you took it apart not because the parts went bad. I understand why you took it apart and I appreciate the fact that you did but I do feel it is misleading to those looking for the video to watch. A typical consumer, who would purchase this would not take it apart and open the bag’o wires.
I understand. I may change the title to it to be more transparent
I have an issue with washer its shakes and bounce around really bad on the spin cycle. I changed out the suspension rods and its still shaking abd bouncing around bad.
Not to fill past 2/3ds of the way ? Well, that's some mess right there alone.
Nice video Ben, thanks for sharing it.
I have a question for you. What is the best full size "Top Load" washer/dryer Stack unit available today?
My wife doesn't want a front load washer, and we don't really have enough room for a side X side washer and dryer, so we need a Top Load stack washer & Dryer.
Thank you in advance. We value your opinion.
JT
Whirlpool but they aren't that great. All modern laundry centers are awful
@@bensappliancesandjunk
Thank you, I appreciate your time.
JT
Thank you
Question have a GE washer blanket got stuck in it now the pump won’t stop pumping any information would be helpful and will be looking through your list of videos
That wire bag is totally unacceptable!!!
For numerous reasons, it should be literally against the law for a company to KNOWINGLY design, engineer and produce washers to last 3 years!!!
My Maytag washer is 39 years old and works perfectly!
The mango is the king of fruits.
Agitation the agitators. Aren't strong enough to wash the clothes. I ended up getting a speed Queen top loader. It does a good job
Such issues demand product recalls
Government regulations have destroyed the laundry sector. Even our new Speed Queen, which we are very happy with, has a max washing time of just 12 minutes on the heavy duty cycle, and you cannot just twist the dial around to add more time…everything is computer timed. And now that I’m griping, if you want the soak cycle then you have to accept an extra rinse as well! If any Speed Queen execs are reading this…WHAT were you guys thinking??
thanks
I bought an Insignia for 300. Big mistake! After a year and a half the water pump went out. They wanted 400 to fix it. I trashed it and bought a $500 Samsung which I found out later was my second mistake! 😡
I've never owned anything from Samsung that was any good.
Why are front loader washers more expensive? This type should be less and Don't they save on water. Uhh??
The construction is more expensive for a front load vs a top load. It's not a conspiracy it just costs more to make that type of washer.
I gave up bought a speed queen gave my sister my old whirlpool direct drive and at 22 years old the gear ase failed she didn’t wanna fix it i explained the nee junk and she said order the gear-case lol
Do “pods” ruin dishwashers and washing machines?
I always use them, run a cleaner pod every 3-4 months, i use my dishwasher about oce a week.
My question is... why do the environmentalists totally IGNORE this?? Big honking machines that are going to break way sooner than later and end up in a landfill?
I'll continue washing my clothes down by the creek.
Sweet! I have a van down by the river. Maybe I'll see you there at some point.
So sad its bad quality I love the Midea inverter AC so much
Midea ACs tend to be way better - I think this is just a thing with their washers
@@bensappliancesandjunk Great video's thanks
@@bensappliancesandjunk I agree fully. Midea AC units aren't top tier but they are pretty decent and a great value.
Midea can make decent appliances, they are one of the world leaders in air conditioning. They are also the manufacturing contractor for Instant Pot. But their washing machines are at best mediocre.
Fellow electronic hobbyists and EEs are laughing at the appliance guys complaining about wire color codes. 🤣 I just assume all wiring color is meaningless at this point with anything until probed or referenced by pin from the schematic. Last time I trusted wire colors I fried my JTAG programmer. That wiring "harness" is atrocious though. Not sure how the messed up a molex crimp either, that should be being done in an automated fashion. That makes me think they have have African orphans doing it somewhere.
Times have moved on in terms of cheap labour. It’ll be either China or India.
Automation mfg to them is a little guy in sandals plugging in each wire by hand for $5.00/day.
I genuinely don't understand the connector bag. Would it not be cheaper to just have connectors on the components at the bottom, then connectors on the PCB? Or even just have one wire go from the components directly onto the pcb, which would cut down on connector costs. Seems wild
It strongly resembled a wire which had not been crimped at all. Highly unlikely the wiring harnesses would be automated. They would be made by hand "offshore."
@@bandombeviews6035 Yes, it would be. I'm guessing they had a bunch of wiring harnesses for different models that they used, and adapted them to work here in an effort to use them since they were already made and bought. In that regard, this may be cheaper if this model is not planned to be made for long