The best dryer is a simple, basic dryer, no doo-dads, bells & Whistles, etc.

I am not looking for bells and whistles, Id never use them. By features I don't mean steam or anything like that --- I just mean pedestal, front loader, vented, electric, controls on the front. All of those are needed for ergonomic reasons given the location and the pre existing washing machine.

As it so happens, not many people make machines with those features that are the right size.

I'm really looking for a brand that won't die in 3-5 years.

Speed Queen

Have you checked Fisher Paykel?

I agree with Tibbrix. I have the most heavy duty set I could get from Sears (Kenmore) and they have held up great. They are probably 12 years (or more) old; I have washed and dried huge loads (coveralls and heavy coats for outdoor construction DH), king sheet sets, blankets, etc. The dryer has all the settings I need - air fluff, permanent press, plus timed heavy duty drying.

One thing I always look for in a washer is "mini" load for when you want that special blouse or special pair of jeans that still fit :).

The set I had prior to that was Maytag - same set-up. They lasted about 20-25 years.

I have a Bosch w/d and it can be temperamental. Have you cleaned out the vent very thoroughly? Regardless of the setting it will turn itself off if it thinks there is too much lint either in the lint catcher or the vent / pipe thing.

Unfortunately, it seems there is no really wonderful line of appliances any more. I have a Miele dishwasher that was a close out model, still very pricey, that I'm disappointed with, and the ultra expensive Miele upright vacuum is just not that great either--- for the cost.

For that price difference I would get the Bosch, simply because I wouldn't trust the Miele to be incrementally better performing based on my experiences.

Years ago my mother bought a new Maytag w/d that lasted 35 years, never leaked, had the timer replaced once, produced years of clean clothes and did not cost the equivalent of an old car. Go figure.

I best knock wood but I had my former Whirlpool for 26 years and it started rattling and I could not stand the sound so I got another Whirlpool dryer.

This one cost $500 on sale at HD, and it is great! Of course, I cannot speak to longevity as I have only had it about a year but so far so good. Ours is vented outside.

Your dryer may be getting too warm because of venting issues and thinks it needs to shut down. It could be a safety feature.

Two of our 3 children have Bosch dryers (one has two at home as well as one at their coastal property) and they all love them.

The third son was so fond of our dryer, he and his wife also got Whirlpools, which have served them well for the past 10 years.

Mine has timed drying which I never use. I use automatic, always have. I set it for high, low, etc., depending on the fabric.

I am very careful about cleaning the filter and the vent hose which, if clogged with lint, can cause a house fire or circumvent proper drying.

I set mine to wrinkle-free if I am doing sheets, towels, jeans, everyday clothing, etc.

Well, I can't say enough about my Miele washing machine. I love that thing more than I care to admit. I didn't have it in the budget to get a Miele dryer at the time, and those on the appliance forum said just to get one with sensor dry. So, my dryer is a basic GE. That being said, I wouldn't hesitate one iota in getting a Miele dryer. I love all my Miele appliances (washer, dishwasher and vacuum) and hope to have them a very long time!

In our primary home we have one of the first front loading washers that Kenmore made and the accompanying dryer. They are both a very large capacity, work great, and have not had a service call in the 17 years we've owned them.

Our secondary home that we are currently leasing to a young couple has a Frigidaire front load washer and dryer that I purchased when I bought the home. It has had several service calls but it was determined that the duct is so long that it was filling with lint and causing issues. Another property of ours has a Whirlpool top load washer and dryer that is probably seven years old with no issues.

The owner of the appliance company that supplies our appliances tells me that Frigidaire/Electrolux has the best record of few service calls.

Mtn, Your post mentions constraints of size and features.
You probably cant give on size, but you could think about eliminating a feature to have more options, right?
Whirlpool, Maytag, GE, and Asko all make 24" wide dryers.

Also, before I tossed in the towel- which in this case will never dry- I would call a different appliance repair person from a different business. Sometimes a new set of eyes can diagnose the issue........
I recently went through a nightmare with my septic pump. It kept alarming- many visits were made, pump replaced, alarm replaced, it was neither. It was the fact that the buried electrical service had become damaged over the many years. They had tested power, and there was power, but it had intermittent lapses enough to trigger the alarm. The theory is that the lapses were at 3AM because that was when it was coldest and the metal contraction was at it most heightened.....

Another vote for Kenmore frontloaders - ours are 12 years old and manufactured by Whirlpool. We did have one service call on the washing machine- which was covered by the extended warranty. I seldom buy the extra warranties but this was my first front loader and I had read about problems about Maytide units that I wanted the extra security.

Personally I can't imagine what the Miele could possibly do that warrants $3000 - does it automatically fold the clothes when dry and put them away?

I don't have any good advice or recommendations, but I'll sure give you a hug of sympathy.

We bought Kenmore W&D when I was pregnant with twins - 20 years ago. I dread the thought of replacing them some day. Luckily we have a terrific appliance repair shop in town - they have worked on these several times. The last time they were out to fix something on the dryer, the repair guy said "Don't ever get rid of these - you'll never get an new one to last this long". I'm shocked at the price of washers and dryers these days - especially if they're only going to last a few years. I just can't do it.

They've seen hard use - we cloth diapered the babies for a year, so that was a load of diapers almost every day, plus regular laundry. DH loves to stuff the washer full, rather than leave a few clothes in the basket for the next load. As long as we clean the exhaust duct every couple of years, the clothes dry in a reasonable time, and I feel like our clothes come out clean (even when DH overloads the washer).

Good luck, mtn!

Here's my take: Miele, and other European, washers are overall better IMO than US counter parts, simply because front loaders that heat the water have been around for decades in Europe. In contrast, dryers are a much newer invention, so I've been told that US dryers are usually better technology.

Just checked out the equivalent of Consumer Report. In the recent test, these three dryers scored the highest:

Siemens WT47Y701 iQ800
Bosch WTY87701 (same model as Siemens)
Miele T 8857 WP

They are with heat pump system, but I'm not sure what the equivalent models are in the US. However, they are all less than 1,000.00 dollars, so not quite sure why the price difference. Size?

Just dropping in to say that Bosch says we need a new "control board", $450 installed. That is just high enough to make me think "maybe it should be scrapped" but OTOH, it is also less than half the cost of a new Bosch ... and it keeps it out of the landfill.

Plus the Miele only comes in Stainless (unless I wait a few weeks) and my washer is white, and does not have a pedestal (turns out they only make a pedestal that holds BOTH w/d). So for 3k+ I wouldn't even be 100% happy ...

Thanks for all your helpful responses, and commiseration too!

The problem with recommending XYZ brand that has served someone or their mother or whomever for 20+ years is that the XYZ brand isn't made the same way today, or likely by the same manufacturer, that it was 20 years ago. It doesn't matter what's lasted for 20+ years--you can't find a new replica of it today.

I agree with another poster about getting a second opinion on the repair of your current dryer.

If you decide to purchase new, take 15 minutes to call a dozen appliance repair companies and appliance stores and ask them to name the dryer brand that they've had to repair the most in the past 5 years. Stay away from those, and then flip a coin among the models/brands that would work in your space.

Peony4 is spot on - great advice!!!!

What's the warranty on the repair? If it doubles the time if you use a credit card, it may be worthwhile to repair it.

I also would call Bosch directly and tell them about your experience. They may offer you a discount on the repair.

Another vote for Speed Queen if you do end up buying one. They are usually on back order so expect a couple weeks delay. They last forever and worth the wait.

Finally our front loader failed beyond repair. I wanted an old fashioned machine that fills up with water!
Repairman recommended Speed Queen. I love know how much detergent I am putting in because I can lift the lid and see the suds. The dryer dries the clothing perfectly.
Mtn, I know you appreciate high end but I'm not so sure your Boshe ( or Miele) does a better job than the not so fancy.
What I might miss is the ability to wash my queen size comforter. Although my machine say commercial, so I just might try to stuff it in.

I have a Whirlpool front loading dryer with one bell and one whistle. In ten years it has never given me one iota of trouble (knock on wood). I also have an antique Whirlpool washer, top loader, That has had one repair in 20 years. I know "they don't make 'em like they used to" but I am a firm believer that the less fancy the better. Lose the "dry sense" feature, lose as many electronics as possible and enjoy dry clothes and a trouble free dryer.

Years ago we bought a new dryer which kept stopping before the clothes were dry. Repair person came and could not find anything wrong so they replaced the dryer with one that had the same problem, it did not dry the clothes. They did check the vent with a meter and it checked out fine so they were sure it was venting well. They replaced the dryer 3 times before I finally checked the vent myself. I went outside and put a shop vac to the outlet. Sure enough, once I had seriously cleaned the vent it worked perfectly.

I would have the vent cleaned before I spent any more on the machine. Apparently the sensors are more sensitive than the meters they use to check how well the vent is working.

I have the Whirlpool Duet front loaders. Purchased them in 2003 and I've never had one problem.

I have two Meile dishwashers (love!) and coveted the washer/dryers. They are just so pretty. I remember researching a few years back and found some complaints about how loudly they operate. So something to look into.

As far as getting rid of your current dryer, if you don't want to fix or trash - call a local repair/resell shop. They can pickup, fix and resell.

I've had my Kenmore washer and dryer for 15 years with not a single problem. One washes my clothes, the other dries them. I don't remember what they cost, but I'll bet the two of them combined were less than $500.

I have a Bosch dishwasher and I don't love it. I wish I had my old Kenmore back, but with a prettier face.

Whirlpool Duet Sport have been great for me, over the last 8 years (knock on wood!). I needed a smaller set, that could be stacked in the old house. They've been moved to two other houses since then and are now side by side.

I HATE my Miele dryer! I absolutely LOVE my Miele dishwasher and will never own any other kind. I have no problem with my Miele washing machine, as it is no better or worse than previous (Inglis, Whirlpool and Maytag) washers I have owned. But our Miele dryer is the biggest mistake we ever made. It is too small to fit an extra large load, (our King sized comforter and sheets won't fit in the same load) so I have to do two loads, in comparison to only one needed with my other dryers. The sensor on our Miele always seems to think the load is dry and sets off the annoying beeping to indicate the load is done. Ha! The clothing is almost always still damp, so I have to reset it for an extra 20 minutes, sometimes more than once.

When we eventually downsize and move, the Miele washer and dryer will happily be left with the house, and be replaced with American brands in our next home. But I will really, really miss our Miele dishwasher!

Mtn, I'm glad you've found the problem with yours, or at least I hope that solves it.

FWIW, I think peony nailed it with the comment about ignoring whatever somebody had 20 years ago. Things just truly are not the same. I have a mis-matched set. Long story, but our dryer is a Maytag and a good 5 years older than the washer, making it about 10 years old. I believe it is the Atlantis line, and I absolutely love that thing. Love the settings, it is quiet, and does a nice job with accurate settings for delicate-to-high heat. And a large drum. Have a Whirlpool Duet front loader washer and it's just ok. Has it's pluses and minuses and has already had one major electronic repair.