smmellott Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 My washer just died and I thought I would replace both with a high efficiency front load washer and dryer set. I can't figure out which is the best though. There is the Kenmore set for $580, a Samsung HE set for $1000 at Sears. A Whirlpool Duet for $998 at Lowes. I think these are all of the HE front loaders. Which do you think is the best deal and which is the most reliable and best units, in your opinion? Are they basically comparable? What would you buy? I have heard good things about the Samsung. The cheap kenmore set seemed to get a decent rating too. Not sure about the Whirlpool Duet set. As near as I can tell they are comparable. Am I missing something? I am really excited about getting a good washer/dryer and want to get the best value! Also, what are the chances if I get to the stores when they open (but not waiting a long time to open) of getting these different ones, would you say? Which one would I stand the best chances of getting? I was thinking of going to Sears because at least there I would have a second choice also. Thanks! Susie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smmellott Posted November 17, 2009 Author Share Posted November 17, 2009 I see there are also some others like the Maytags ($1198) at Home Depot (and the LGs but I've heard they aren't as good?) and the kenmore oasis HE3 set for $850 and kenmore elite HE3t for $1000. Decisions, decisions!!! Susie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chr05angel Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 im in the same boat... the Maytag set for 1198 is supposed to be awesome form HD.. the Kenmore elite is similar but ratings weren't that good but its only 849 no delivery though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2000SE Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 I’m set on the Kenmore HE3T; you should go to store and compare them there (like I did). I also liked the Maytag but the difference is two hundred dollars which can be used on something else. Just remember that you will end up paying about $500 on top of the advertised price once you factor in tax, delivery, haul away, set-up, stack kit, extended warranty and if you need a gas dryer (price are usually for electric dryers). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smmellott Posted November 17, 2009 Author Share Posted November 17, 2009 The he3t kenmore and Maytag looks good but I wonder if getting a washer with the steam feature that costs more is worth it. As nearly as I can tell, it basically is just supposed to get clothes a little cleaner and more sanitary but the others are supposed to work very well too, without the steam. And I don't think any of them come with a steam feature on the dryer, which I have heard is good for freshening and de-wrinkling dry-clean only items, which actually does seem like a worthwhile feature, to me (just got some drapes drycleaned that were just a little dusty and wrinkled and it was about $100). Does anyone know more about steam washers and steam dryers? Susie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindaw Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 My washer just died and I thought I would replace both with a high efficiency front load washer and dryer set. I can't figure out which is the best though. There is the Kenmore set for $580, a Samsung HE set for $1000 at Sears. A Whirlpool Duet for $998 at Lowes. I think these are all of the HE front loaders. Which do you think is the best deal and which is the most reliable and best units, in your opinion? Are they basically comparable? What would you buy? I have heard good things about the Samsung. The cheap kenmore set seemed to get a decent rating too. Not sure about the Whirlpool Duet set. As near as I can tell they are comparable. Am I missing something? I am really excited about getting a good washer/dryer and want to get the best value! Also, what are the chances if I get to the stores when they open (but not waiting a long time to open) of getting these different ones, would you say? Which one would I stand the best chances of getting? I was thinking of going to Sears because at least there I would have a second choice also. Thanks!SusieLast year I purchased the Samsung washer/dryer that Sears had. I believe it was the weekend before Thanksgiving and they were $800 or $899 for the set (I think Lowe's had them too). I have been very happy with the set. The washer is large enough to wash my king size comforters that I used to have to take to the public laundromat to wash! I liked going with Sears because I used my card and got 12 months interest free (Lowe's did the same thing), but I also got the Sears service agreement so I could get a free check-up, which I just did, and then I have canceled that agreement for a full refund. Don't forget to look for your utility rebates on these. I got $75 from our Electric company and $105 from our Gas company. Good hunting and good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zukekitty Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 I see there are also some others like the Maytags ($1198) at Home Depot (and the LGs but I've heard they aren't as good?) and the kenmore oasis HE3 set for $850 and kenmore elite HE3t for $1000. Decisions, decisions!!! SusieWe bought an LG from Lowes about a year ago after we got tired of fixing our Whirlpool Calypso. I love it! No problems, huge capacity, and plenty of settings. The model we bought was one of the highest rated by consumer reports. It was also not quite as deep as most other machines which was important because of it being right where a door opens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wx4svr Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 These are the ones we have... Not under a grand... but without a doubt the coolest washer/dryer ever! It has a LOT of buttons!! :) WasherDryer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffaloguy Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Home Depot has an LG set for $800 on Black Friday (down from $1200) - HE/front loading. I actually bought these about 10 days ago now and love them! They are super quiet, the washer uses a ton less water and they fit a whole bunch of stuff! Plus Home Depot offers free delivery, setup and haul away of your old stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krissy72 Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I have the Kenmore front loading washer and Dryer. I love love love them. One of the best purchases I have ever made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike60 Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I work in the appliance service field, the ONLY brand to consider is Whirlpool (which is also Sears and Maytag) Stay away from the LG and Samsung's, pure junk. Good for my business though but there is no way I would reccomend them. Whirlpool is also American owned and made here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmintelsgt Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Samsung was rated the top by consumer reports last year (we looked but didn't buy one then) - so I don't how they can be a "piece of junk". Whatever - everyone has their own opinion. The reviews we read on the Samsung were all very good, the only ones that were not positive were from people who didn't 1) get the right cord and blamed the dryer and 2) didn't measure the space properly so the washer didn't fit (and of course blamed the appliance) My Sears said they will only have 6 of the Samsungs available on BF so you might want to check with your store to see how many they will have and then get in line early. Remember the cord does not come with dryer and the type of cord you need depends on your home set-up not the type of dryer. (Looks like the cords run about $19 at Sears) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smmellott Posted November 18, 2009 Author Share Posted November 18, 2009 Thanks for the info about the Samsung, I am leaning heavily towards them I think (have to get the OK from my husband to spend that much instead of the cheaper Kenmore). I can't tell on these, do you know if either/both are steam also? You said to get in line, did you mean like get there a lot earlier than they open? Every time I've tried that (at least at Walmart) I could never get what I wanted, it seemed like it wasn't worth even trying. I really like everything I've heard about the Samsungs. Susie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmintelsgt Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 These are not the steam washer or dryer from what I can tell. Yes, I meant to get in line early - Sears is not Walmart so if you can get there a couple of hours early and you should have a good chance of getting the set. My Sears usually starts getting a line around 3:30/4am when they opened at 6am. I didn't see anything about a free gift card this year so the lines might not be as long as usual (in the past people would line up early for the $10 GC). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smmellott Posted November 18, 2009 Author Share Posted November 18, 2009 Is the steam feature that is supposed to sanitize dry cleanable items on the washer or the dryer (or do you need both)? Several Black Friday deals on sets have steam washer but not steam dryer. I am leaning towards the Samsung set on Black Friday but the kemore he3t set is the same price with steam washer. I have curtains that need freshening and de-wrinkling but they are dry clean only and last set I took in cost about 60 dollars to dry clean. If the HE3t washer does that, it might save me money. That would be the only reason I would look at the HE3T first, do you think it would make a difference for me in this situation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmintelsgt Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I'm not sure but I'll ask a friend who has the steam today when I get to work. Take a look at the washer/dryer size on the Kenmore - I thought it was smaller than the Samsung. In my case that is more important as I need to get more laundry done in less time. This is what I found on the dryer: Specs: 27 in x 30 in x 38 in, Neat white, Sensor Dry technology, Adjustable temperature, Normal, Delicate, Time dry, Air fluff, Heavy duty, Perm press, Wrinkle prevent, Wrinkle release Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allisonfc21 Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Samsung front loaders. I got them from BB using the coupons they sent out....the pair for $1100. They are very cool and work EXCELLENT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smmellott Posted November 19, 2009 Author Share Posted November 19, 2009 I read about these and decided to possibly get them like 1 day after the BB coupons ended and I had them too If I would have figured it out just a little sooner I would have gotten them and skipped the whole BF mad house. Oh well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtmcgirt79 Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 FYI.. Lowes has the Samsung set this week for $898.. No need to wait until BF if you definitely want that set.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smmellott Posted November 19, 2009 Author Share Posted November 19, 2009 dirtmcgirt79, thank you so much!!! I didn't know that but I called my Lowe's and they had them and I ordered right over the phone and got free delivery and haul away our old ones too! And next day delivery! And the Sears BF was 999.98 so it was 100 dollars cheaper. Now I don't have to buck the BF crowds. Also, I went to Sears this morning to look at both and the salesguy swore the kenmore HE3t didn't have steam, never did, doesn't now and that you have to get HE5t for steam. I showed him on line sears that it said steam (although they had another Elite HE3t washer that looked the same without steam) and he got the BF brochure and it said steam and he realized that it was a different model HE3t than they had on the floor which was the older model. To say he was surprised (and chagrined) is an understatement. I wonder how many people he told it definitely didn't have steam? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtmcgirt79 Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 dirtmcgirt79, thank you so much!!! I didn't know that but I called my Lowe's and they had them and I ordered right over the phone and got free delivery and haul away our old ones too! And next day delivery! And the Sears BF was 999.98 so it was 100 dollars cheaper. Now I don't have to buck the BF crowds. Also, I went to Sears this morning to look at both and the salesguy swore the kenmore HE3t didn't have steam, never did, doesn't now and that you have to get HE5t for steam. I showed him on line sears that it said steam (although they had another Elite HE3t washer that looked the same without steam) and he got the BF brochure and it said steam and he realized that it was a different model HE3t than they had on the floor which was the older model. To say he was surprised (and chagrined) is an understatement. I wonder how many people he told it definitely didn't have steam?No problem.. Enjoy them!! This set has been great for us since we bought them last year.. No issues whatsoever.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcarr492 Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Do the Sears stores open only one set of doors upon opening or do they open all their entrance doors to the store? Ours is located at a mall and there are 3 entrances to the store from the outside...I was planning on getting there early and standing at the appliance entrance door to be closest to the appliances. Anyone have experiences with their sears? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilac100 Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 I'm not sure about any of the machines I just wanted to tell you what's happened here. In Southern Indiana our local Whirlpool/Maytag factory is closing it's doors. They said they were going to build them at an existing factory in Mexico. They are building a new factory in Mexico. They said it was too expensive to build them here and then announced 2 weeks later a new factory. Just wanted to get that out there for anyone that follows this type of thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smmellott Posted November 20, 2009 Author Share Posted November 20, 2009 Doesn't Whirlpool make the Kenmores? The sales guy was pushing them as being made in the US. The Sears salesman (the only one on the floor), once he found out I wasn't looking to buy today, blew me off totally and wouldn't answer any questions about Black Friday or anything. He also told me the HE3t absolutely didn't have steam and he'd sold hundreds of them. So when I set him straight he got a little nicer and said that last year he arrived to work at 3am and there were about 2000 people waiting. He said that people line up and they have an employee who asks what you want and then they give you a ticket for it and I believe when they run out of tickets for a particular item, that is all there is. I got the feeling it was before they opened that they did this. Sounds like a better plan at least then everyone rushing the departments. I sure am glad I got my Samsung set today though! $100 cheaper, next day delivery and I did it all over the phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smmellott Posted November 20, 2009 Author Share Posted November 20, 2009 Oh I just remembered a question I had. Do people usually get the extended store warranty for their appliances? Lowe's said it was $159 for both for 5 years, 100% covered and serviced by the local Lowe's, not Samsung. That sounded good to me since I've read about people needing service on occasion but I didn't know. I usually don't buy an extended warranty, but I usually buy electronics that in a couple of years are out of date and can be gotten cheaper anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnhk364 Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 HD is already selling there BF washer & dryer sets for BF prices. I got the LG for $998 tonight, I chose it over the Maytag because of a few features I like more. The Maytag is $1198 in the flyer but that is for red, if you can settle for white then it is also $998 like the LG. This includes the delivery, setup, etc. They i also had already sold about 10 sets at the time i went in. Now I dont have to wait on line on BF. I also went to Lowes and looked at the Samsung for $898 but it was a lot more generic than the LG and Maytag. For the extra $100 HD is the better choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inman01 Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 love the chatter here as I am looking at HD's Maytag W/D, too. Sears has the same model for 300+ more but with their price matching plus 10% that should drive the price for the pair down from 1k down to $900.. according to Sears website I can bring in HD's web addd and they will match subtract an additional 10% anyone have any dealings with Sears price matching...any luck!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waitress07419 Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 I have the Maytag Red and I love it...for those who never owned a HE front loader here's some info-the washer uses less water and washer for a VERY long time (at least in comparison to my old washer that had to be at least 14)...the clothes are the most "wrung" I have ever felt - couldn't believe it which is why the dryer use is low - all "heavy" stuff is dry in no time. I do not have the Steam cycle but I don't feel I "lost" anything. Should you decide on the Maytag you won't be disappointed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smmellott Posted November 21, 2009 Author Share Posted November 21, 2009 I've never dealt with Sears or anyone with price matching but the only thing I believe I've heard is that for a lot of the stores who advertise this it is 10% of the difference in prices, not of the price. So if there was $100 difference you'd get an additional $10. And for the other comments - I didn't even look really much at the HD maytag and LGs. I'm not sure why now, I believe I'd heard some negative comments about LG. And I hadn't really expected to be able to get all these sets at BF prices now! But I am sure I'll be really happy with the Samsung! I have an old, mismatched top load that limps along so any of these will be 100 times better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistyinca Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 FWIW, I have a set of Maytag HE Front Loaders. I HATE HATE HATE them, and that is putting it mildly. $1800 for the set and I HATE them. They do a terrible job washing. My clothes have not been really clean since I got rid of my 20 year old agitator machine and dryer. The dryer takes FOR-FREAKIN'-EVER to dry clothes unless it is a very small load. If that wasn't bad enough, the sensor doesn't work (hasn't from day 1) and they will cut off before anything is dry. I have to set it for the auto cycle on highest heat for 59 minutes. When that is done the only way to bypass the sensor and keep it drying is to put it on a manual "rapid" dry cycle for another hour. Do not buy maytag front loaders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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