Before you buy anything, I would wait for our resident Calypso expert, dadoes, to respond to your post. He has figured out how to get excellent results from his and maybe he'll have some suggestions. I don't have recent first-hand experience with the Calypso, but from what I've heard from others, most washability issues with this machine are caused by improper use.

My 2 suggestions for a used machine are the Whirlpool direct drive and Maytag Dependable Care (belt drive). My basis for these suggestions is:

-They're reliable

-They were manufactured for decades

-They were very popular

-Thus, parts are still available

-They are relatively easy to repair and most repairmen know them well

Since Whirlpool and Maytag have have sold many different washer designs it's difficult to post instructions for a complete layperson on how to identify these. I'll start with this. Maytag Dependable Cares have model numbers starting with "A" or "LA". Whirlpool direct drives were sold under the Whirlpool, KitchenAid, and Kenmore brand names primarily (others, to a lesser degree). Any traditional agitator top loaders from those brands say from the late 80s or later should be good. These were made until 2012 I believe, but if you want to get a true hot wash you will want to look at models from before 2007 since that's when the energy regulations went into place that limited hot wash temps. For Whirlpool direct drives you will find the date of manufacture in the serial number, you can google how to read Whirlpool serial numbers as it's been posted in many places online.

Thank you I will wait to hear from dadoes. I've been reading about the Calypso pieces and think the dryer may need a circuit board. As for the washer I never use fabric softener, have used Tide he since I purchased the set, but admit that since I've been having problems with whites I've used 20 Mule Team Borax to try to boost cleaning.

Thanks for your recommendations. Very nice of you to take the time to explain if I end up looking for a new used pair.

Buy used Speed Queens. You may also want to check out the older Maytags....

>Buy used Speed Queens. You may also want to check out the older Maytags....

Disagree. SQ is the best top loader today, but when you go used your options open up much more. I do like the wash action, but they can be a pain to work on and although they are well made, they can be quite expensive to repair, and that is something you need to take into account since there will be no warranty. In my opinion Whirlpool and Maytag had better mechanical designs. Some people claim that the Whirlpool direct drives shred clothes but I can only conclude that that is due to user error because of the multiple versions of this machine I had before I converted to front loaders, they all cleaned superbly and none of my clothes were damaged.

This post was edited by hvtech42 on Wed, Dec 10, 14 at 9:09

The Maytag design you're referring to can be identified by the porcelain tub, right? I think all the other Maytag-branded TL washers sourced from other companies they bought out use plastic or stainless steel.

How are 1995-earlier GE washers regarded? (i.e. before the big plastic tubs). They seem to last a long time, and they're cheap on the used market.

Raytheon-era Amanas (about 1998 and earlier) also use the Speed Queen design. Later Amanas sometimes used a design evolved from this for several years thereafter, with a wider tub opening, but with some cheaper mechanical bits. They still work well in my experience, but yes tough to repair. Like the SQ, these are easier than most on clothes thanks to a slow-moving but wide-arc 210 degree agitator twist.

Very hard to find now, but if you see a General Motors-era Frigidaire, buy it. These have agitators that vaguely resemble the Philco you posted - they move up and down rather than twisting sideways - and clean and spin very well. But they were discontinued in 1980, after which Frigidaire became a White Consolidated brand and became junk thereafter, at least for top-loaders.

Pre-1995 GE (Filter Flo) are well regarded. And I agree that the GM Frigidaires are great. I would own any of those washing machines, but the reason I recommend Whirlpool/Maytag is because they were discontinued more recently. The last Dependable Care rolled off the line in 2006, and Whirlpool discontinued the direct drive for general residential use in 2012, though it is still made in a limited capacity for commercial applications and stack units. The more recently discontinued models are more likely to turn up anyway, and parts are easier to find.

Maytag "Norgetag" washers (model starts with MAV, HAV, PAV) could be another one to consider. They aren't quite up to the level of the Dependable Care in terms of build quality/durability but they do clean well, and are pretty reliable.

Washers to avoid are the "Amanatag" (Maytag model starts with SAV, Amana model starts with NAV). These were complete junk and didn't hold up at all, one of the many things that contributed to Maytag's downfall. I would avoid anything made after 1995 by GE, they cleaned quite well but didn't last. And I'd also steer clear of any Frigidaire top loader made after 1980.

I'm not a fan of direct-drive Whirlpools, despite their excellent reliablity, ease of repair, and ubiquity (most Kenmores were made by Whirlpool as well). Unlike the "real" Maytags, Speed Queen, or older Amanas, the agitator can't twist very far in either direction, and tries to make up for it by twisting back and forth very quickly. I had one for a few years and it clearly inflicted more wear on clothes and bed linens (sometimes to the point of tearing them) than with other washers I've used before or since. The one I had would only stay on fast agitate for about two minutes, after which it would slow down to a more typical speed. But because of its minimal agitator twist - about 90 degrees rather than 180-210 degrees in the Maytag, Amana, and SQ - the clothes didn't circulate well, especially larger and heavier items, so they didn't clean as well as other brands. The tub also doesn't spin during the drain cycles, so the layer of soap scum (or whatever it is) that often floats atop the water during the wash cycle gets redeposited on your clothes. Both the Maytag and SQ/Amana spin during the drain phase.

Speed Queen seems to be the last manufacturer that used solid, non-perforated tubs in their top-load washers - I think well into the 1980s for commercial units as over a dozen such machines are still in use in the laundry room at the condo where I used to live not long ago. These would drain over the top ledge, and adding some water just before the spinout began would cause the layer of dirt floating on the top to overflow, falling over the edge, after which the tub would go into spin allowing centrifugal force to drain the remaining water over the top sidewall as well. I assume modern water usage guidelines have nixed this design as I don't know of any recent washer, including front loaders, that use non-perforated tubs.

All things considered, I'd probably look for a higher-end Maytag first - these were in production for several decades with only minor changes, they're easy to find, parts are mostly still available, and they're easy on clothes, clean well, and are reliable. I also like the older GEs with the smaller porcelain tub (easy to spot by their chamfered door lids - corners cut off rather than square). One question I have about the GE - did all of them use the filter baskets or only higher-end machines? The local used-appliance store typically has about 5 of these for sale at any given time, but many are missing the filters.

If buying used, any Speed Queen washer or dryer after 2004 is excellent IMHO, and most of the parts are still active on the current machine. And although they did not sell as many to home markets as Maytag, WP, GE, Electrolux (Fridgidaire), they have tens of thousands in commercial laundries and apartments throughout the U.S. And Canada, and hence their parts are widely available now and will be for years to come to service those markets.

Although I use FLW now, my old TLW and dryer are still running fine from 2004 in my Moms house since 2006. Never an issue on either and that TLW has a truly hot wash.

Laundryvet