We bought our washer/dryer 12 years ago; in fact, we used money we got as wedding presents to purchase them! (Boy, I remember how excited I was to not have to go to the laundry mat anymore!)

Last night, our dryer bit the dust. Is 12 years an average life? My dad has had his for 19 years. I was just wondering.

Holly

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Forgiveness is love in its most noble form. -Anonymous

Maybe you do more laundry then your dad.

I know that ours are coming up on 10 years but I'm wondering when the end will come. I do know that I will get a gas drier next time. Use less energy from what I have heard.

Enjoy shopping for your new drier!

Our first set lasted 15 years. Bought it at Sears

What went out? Could be an inexpensive part would fix it. Did it just quit heating? Could be you need to clean the exhaust line out. Your dad's machine is just old enough to be a better quality machine.
Our first set was still going strong at 14 yrs. old. Sold it with the first house. This set is 12 yrs. old with no problems yet. Appliances aren't made for long life anymore. My mom has had two dryers. The first lasted at least 30 yrs.

That's for sure! I don't even know if my dad knows HOW to do laundry! It's usually my step-mom that does it.

Holly

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Forgiveness is love in its most noble form. -Anonymous

We're not sure what happened. It just died. We pushed the button, and nothing happened. Scott tried changing the fuses, cleaning it, everything. It's a mystery.

Holly

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Forgiveness is love in its most noble form. -Anonymous

I don't think that things are made to work as long as they used to. 12 years for a dryer is a long time. I think dryers are less expensive than washers. Maybe it would be better to buy a new dryer than to have a repair person come and look at it. Maybe the start up button is gone? That is weird that it won't do anything. Maybe the wire broke off the contact button and it is a simple fix?

Sorry, not much help. Obviously, you don't want to have to go to laundramat. You need a dryer.

Our washer is on it's last spin, one of these days it's going to just give up. I have to turn the dial with my nails because it's broken, but it still works and I refuse to get a new one until it just can't work any more. It's 10 years old this month and does SO MUCH laundry, I can't complain!

I think my dryer will last a while because I line dry and then just use the dryer to fluff, so no hard job there for it. It's 10 years old too.

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!

Scott had a friend from church who is a retired repair man, and he fixed it!! (He found the problem right away, replaced the part, and we were good to go!) I'm so happy!!

It's sad that these things don't last like they used to. Mom told me tonight that she has had hers for 23 years.

Holly

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Forgiveness is love in its most noble form. -Anonymous

I agree I think 12 yrs is a good life for them these days. My first set I bought used 10yrs ago I would say they were 20yrs old or close to it when they died I have had my new washer 5 yrs & dryer we just bought it but I do about 3 loads a day & the washer I just dont know if it will last much longer I love those new great big ones those are awesome!!!

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mom of 3 greats girls

That is great news! That saved you hundreds and hundreds of dollars (if you had to buy a new one). I don't know what is worse. Being without a washer or dryer?

We bought our house in 1989. The dryer was at least 10 yeears old then. I use it all the time. I remember seeing the identical dryer on the curb about 8 years ago and was sure that mine would follow shortly. It is still running strong. I love my dryer!

Ours lasted almost 13 years but not only did they both outlive their life expectancy...they also had quite a few moves under their belt too! We bought them when we were stationed in Maine, then we moved to Alaska, then to Oregon, then back to Alaska and then 2 years into New York they both konked out within a day of each other. LOL! Talk about timing! LOL!

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"Why must you speak, when you have nothing to say." Horatio Hornblower

IMO, you guys are all very lucky. We bought our appliances in 2001 when we moved into our new house: refrigerator (Kenmore - actually Amana), washer and dryer -both Kenmore elite, whatever that means.

In 2005, we had to replace the COMPRESSOR on our frig - that's like the main guts of the frig! $450 repair! In 2004, we had to replace the HEATING ELEMENT in the dryer - again, pretty expensive.

Again, IMO, there is no concept of quality anymore, in anything. It's really disheartening. My parents had their appliances for years and years before anything EVER went wrong. I'd be amazed if any of our stuff lasted 10 years.

Suzanne

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Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant, filled with odd waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like. - Lemony Snicket

I agree no quality in anything I cant believe the junk thats made anymore not just in appliaces but everything!!! I am to the point I would rather buy stuff used because its usually better quality because its older.

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mom of 3 greats girls

My Washer and Dryer have both lasted me going on 32 yrs now THANK GOD I wouldn't know what to buy these days.

Hope I don't have too for some time yet..

I hate shopping for replacements.

My first set was bought in 1970 (electric dryer). They were used EXTREMELY hard. They were Lady Kenmore. I had the extended warrenty on them so when the washer needed the timer replaced a couple times, it was covered. I think the heating element in the dryer was replaced once.
Eventually the washer began leaking, so in 1983 I bought another set (again Lady Kenmore) and that is the set I'm using today. This set has been very used, but not nearly as hard as the first set.
I just hope and pray they last a lot longer, because the next set I'd like to have are way more costly that another set like these. I really would like to have the front loader set with the storage pedastals under them.

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Barb


My GOD Bless our Country and our Troops, and rid the World of terroists.

our dryer should last forever. lol. i dont use it very very much. I hang out everyting to dry. the washer I have had for 20+ yrs . hubby can fix about whatever goes wrong with it and so far it aint been much.

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When we sold our last house last yr, I was PO'ed that the new people WANTED the W/D/Fridge, otheriwse lower the price...

I HATED to do that, until I realized the W/D/F werent THAT good, wouldnt last THAT much longer, and we'd get new appliances from my dad (who was at Home Depot).

I hope the old W/D died on the people immediately, the jerks that they were (bad karma, I know... bad dealing with them... they'll get theirs, the liars.. I digress).

Anyhow, Like anything else...like cars... they dont last forever (though you WANT them to). Id say if you get 10 yrs from appliances, thats GREAT. Especially if you use them DAILY (our W/D <IS> daily).

Jason

We've got a Kenmore Washer & Dryer. We've had the set for 8 1/2 years, but have only used them for 6 1/2 years. We had them in a storage room for 2 years when we rented a place with a washer and dryer. They both still work great.

Mine are 12 yrs old and they've moved alot too since we were military! Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, back to Ohio, Oklahoma, and back to Ohio with several different houses here. I've been wondering myself how long they're going to last because I would NOT be able to afford to replace them anytime soon. My DBF did just replace the thermostat in the dryer vent, luckily he is a handyman and knew what was going on. I pray they last a few years longer, they're Whirlpool brand.

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Lisa B.
If only Target sold cars...

When we moved here 15 yrs ago I brought along my old GE washer and it is still going strong! I think it was 6 or more years old when we moved it here.
The dryer went out about 5 yrs ago and we went to home depot to buy another that was in their ad. I looked around and saw a Hotpoint dryer that was $100 less than the one in the ad. I bought the cheaper one. It was less than $200 and I really like it.

I hope they last a long time as I don't like anything that I buy new anymore.

They just don't make quality products anymore. First set -- Lady Kenmore 1970 serviced the washer twice & the dryer once -- survived seven babies in cloth diapers, added 4 step children to the mix in 1987, the washer & dryer finally died together in 1991. My next set (Kenmore again) only lasted 8 years, needing several repairs along the way, and the ones that I have now are on their last legs, costing more to repair than replace!! But -- it was the same with my refrigerators & freezers. First ones lasted 20-30 years, the replacements aren't even going to reach the 10 year mark.