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pegandken

Brand reliability - LG vs. Whirlpool washers

pegandken
10 years ago

I've got it narrowed down to the Whirlpool WFW88HEAW and the LG WM3470HVA washers for replacing my old HE3 Kenmore. After reading a lot of user comments it seems that both these machines are pretty good at cleaning clothes but I just can't decide which particular brand will last the longest?? Of course everyone wants a new washer that will last more than just a few years and not be in need of constant repair... maybe I'm dreaming?? Thanks for your time.

Comments (21)

  • georgect
    10 years ago

    My two cents.
    I'd go with Whirlpool over LG any day.
    I read on the boards horrible customer service and service times with LG.

  • pegandken
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Many thanks for your honest reviews. I was kind of leaning towards the whirlpool also. Take care.

  • greatgollymolly
    10 years ago

    Don't buy LG, they are junk. Why do you want to switch from your Kenmore? I made that mistake twice and am sorry for doing so. Next time I'm back with Kenmore. I recommend an extended warranty with anything new you buy today.

  • mrb627
    10 years ago

    Kenmore is mostly LG built nowadays, Molly. They are to be avoided now too, in my book!

    MRB

  • pegandken
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    You're absolutely correct about the Kenmore as I've heard there are basically a number of different manufacturers that make the Kenmore brand. I still have my old Kenmore HE3 washer and have never had a problem with it and I would have without a doubt gotten another Kenmore to replace it but it just sounds like the new "Kenmore's" are just not that reliable anymore.

  • shaggnasty
    10 years ago

    One of the bearings in our 5 yr/old Duet went out at the end of last year. It was going to be so expensive to fix that it make more sense to just replace it.

  • mara_2008
    10 years ago

    I have a fantastic Kenmore d/w which was built by Whirlpool. It is far and away the best d/w I've ever owned. I don't know if Whirlpool makes any Kenmore washers or not. If LG makes them all, I would definitely go with Whirlpool. JMHO

  • cheryl444
    10 years ago

    My family moved into a new house last summer, and how I miss the LG washer and dryer we bought for our old home! Our new house has a stacking Whirlpool set (http://www.abt.com/product/56065/Whirlpool-WFW9151YW.html) that, according to some receipts I found, was purchased just 1 1/2 years ago. Can't stand it. The washer is small, already rusty inside, it gets socks caught in the front gasket part, it wads sheets up, and every now and then I find a black mark on some clothing that is impossible to get out. The dryer will not fully dry a comforter without restarting the thing several times at the end.

    The LG set we got is something like this: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/4-0-cu-ft-12-cycle-high-efficiency-steam-front-loading-washer/3600388.p?id=1218417706440&skuId=3600388&st=lg%20washer&cp=1&lp=11, and we got it at Best Buy. Love it. Has lots of settings; I especially liked the efficiency 20-min cycle that washed clothes perfectly fine. And you barely had to put any detergent into the thing. And the dryer worked great without wadding anything up (same with the washer).

    I'm surprised to hear people complain about LG. I'm looking to replace the Whirlpool set and was thinking about going with LG again.

    Cheryl

  • Pipersville_Carol
    10 years ago

    I'm surprised to hear the complaints about LG, too. We like our new LGs so much I find myself doing "recreational" laundry (almost). One of the reasons we went with LG was the excellent warranty. After we bought them, I found out that several friends and family members also had LGs (some purchased 10+ years ago) and were happy with them. Even the basic models we bought have loads of settings that have ended up being really useful. These machines replace Askos that were very problematic.

  • hvtech42
    10 years ago

    My LG frontload set (2650) has been great. No problems yet, but it's only been 2 years so I can't really give a personal experience on long term reliability. I bought it because of its high rating in Consumer Reports at the time, and the fact that it has one of the lowest bearing failure rates in the industry (according to a repairman friend). That said, Whirlpool is made in the USA which will be important to some. There will be good and bad reviews of everything, buy based on features, price, and performance.

  • fishymom
    10 years ago

    I agree that there is good and bad with all manufacturers. The problems that I have heard about with LG appliances in general, I was looking mainly at refrigerators, is that if there is a problem, it is difficult to get parts in a timely manner. After reading about these problems online, I called 3 authorized repair places before making a decision and all 3 said the same thing, it takes them longer to get the LG parts. .

  • mark40511
    10 years ago

    My Whirlpool Duet will be 9 years old Next month (April)..........

    It has been *mostly* trouble free, there were a couple of issues the very first year......all remaining years have been trouble free pretty much.

    I do know my particular Duet was built in Germany........I hear some of the Duet's now are made in Mexico, some are made in the US too.......I don't think they are made in Germany anymore (could be wrong on that).

    But I would go with Whirlpool over LG any day too......

    Even though something could go wrong with any washer, I think it's less likely with Whirlpool and even more LESS likely with Speed Queen. But Speed Queens are expensive.....and lack some features like a heater......

    The thing I hate about extended warranties is the waiting.....

    If something goes wrong, even if you have the warranty, you may have to go to the laundromat for a few weeks........techs first visit to diagnose............then "order" the part because they never have it with them".........then schedule to come back to install the part...........then, perhaps that was a wrong diagnosis........the new part didn't help..........We will have to order another part and try that"...........This kind of things happens! I hate to be negative........But some of experiences of others I've read makes me so paranoid. I hope my duet keeps chugging along.

  • erinsean
    10 years ago

    The Whirlpool FL I bought a year and a half ago is made in the U.S. and is direct drive (not belt driven). Our appliance dealer said Whirlpool was made in Mexico up until 2 years ago, and are now made in the U.S. My son has an LG and it is direct drive also....he has had no problems and neither have we. I mention direct drive because our washer is so quiet....no dancing around and it is on the 1st floor (over floating laminate floor) of our house. Our belt-driven FL danced around and sounded like a jet taking off when it was on spin cycle.

  • ronaka
    10 years ago

    The Consumer Reports reliability survey rates the LG front load at a frequency of repair of 6%. Whirlpool is double at 12%. We just bought a LG WM3470HVA, and have had it for a month now. Works very well. No regrets.

  • snowbean
    10 years ago

    Id like to add that I exchanged my whirlpool and LG for a GE which I've had for 2 yrs now zero issues. I like the speed wash cycle too.

  • HU-220226323
    3 years ago

    I had my last LG front loader washer and dryer for 12 years and never had a proble. Still worked fine.... I sold my house and they wanted the washer and dryer so I left it. Purchased a GE top loader and absolutely HATE it! Problems after only 8 months and GE does not stand behind its products at all! Am now selling the GE and running to buy another LG front loader set ASAP!

  • salonva
    3 years ago

    I know this is an old revived thread, but fwiw I have a Whirlpool front loader for about 2 years and it's been problem free. Before that, in our old house I had replaced the old Kenmore which died after about 15 years ( pretty respectable) with a similar Whirlpool. We were there for about another 3 or 4 years problem free. I do hear good things about LG but I am happy with Whirlpool.


    Whenever appliance brands come up, I find the only one that seems to widely cautioned about is Samsung. Yes I know some are fine, but it's the parts that seem to be the issue and if you need parts, that's a problem.

    Happy with Whirlpool.

  • littlegreeny
    3 years ago

    I'd skip buying Whirlpool-made front load washers for the time being as they were recently redesigned and they are still working out the bugs. There have been issues with their control boards, leaks and balancing.


    LG is your best choice when it comes to front loaders. They are tried and true, reliable machines that clean and rinse very effectively.

  • HU-870126492
    3 years ago

    We own an LG WM5000HVA Washer. Something breaks every 6 months or so. Really unreliable.

  • HU-575347668
    2 years ago

    I bought a Samsung washer of WF45N5300A three years ago but it stop working recently. I spent $89 to hire a technician to repair it, unfortunately, I was told it's motherboard was dead and nowhere couldn't find it for replacement right now. It's a very bad experience!