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I think this is a good post and a good perspective to take, but its worth pointing out you bought an expensive washing machine, though if its more reliable, the

by uxp100 9y ago

I think this is a good post and a good perspective to take, but its worth pointing out you bought an expensive washing machine, though if its more reliable, then that's probably the better purchase. On good days I do like my house hobby. I mainly bought a house because I kept having to move every year, renting flats in houses where they decided they wanted to sell, or move in themselves, etc. So now only the bank and the state can kick me out, and not relatively more capricious property owners.

VLM 9y ago
Not so, I bought the cheapest washing machine I could get. I dropped about $1200 cash on a speed queen that'll last me maybe 20 years. Joe 6 pack finances a new LG every three years at 29.99% credit card interest for $600 and thinks I'm getting ripped off. Its just like the situation with hiking boots, I can only afford the $250 boots that last many years, I'm not rich enough to afford the $100 boots that only last one year before falling apart. I can't afford to spend $100, I have to spend $250. Richer people than I, can buy themselves the $100 boots. Also at some big box stores I've seen some masterful post sale salesmanship. New washer hoses cost $19 on the shelf but as part of the installation package they'll prevent your basement from being flooded for only $50 installed by our professionals (usually lower quality hoses too). Installation "only" costs $99 but you need the new hoses for $50 and fuel prices went up a decade ago so we still have our temporary $19.99 fuel surcharge on our deliveries. Oh you want the old washer hauled away, thats only $50 and they totally take care of the problem for you. Technically according to google search you can buy a box containing a LG top loader thats normally $770 for a mere $650, but unless you have time, skills, and a large vehicle that box of machinery won't wash any clothes for $650, add something like $220 worth of installation... Oh and thats 18 months financing but it only has a one year guarantee for parts and labor, which is comical... for a mere $150 you can get a five year guarantee which is about a quarter the lifespan of my speed queen, if and only if you also purchase installation services. Suddenly that "cheap" $650 washer is going to hit the credit card for over a kilobuck and its only going to last five years at best while providing plenty of repair work headaches. So figure twenty years of clothes washing costs $1200 with a speed queen or over $4000 with LG products... I'm not wealthy enough to buy $650 washers I can only afford the $1200 washers.
- rout39574 9y ago
  This is Terry Pratchett's "Boots theory of wealth", placed in the mouth of Sam Vimes. Rock on.
- uxp100 9y ago
  The cheap washers are not $650, that's still an expensive washer. The cheapest new washers are more like $350. And probably not any less reliable that the $650 washer, just less neat buttons, no glass top. Yeah, probably less reliable than the speed queen. Hoses are quite the racket. Because of where I put the washer, I had to get extra long ones.
  - zeveb 9y ago
    > Yeah, probably less reliable than the speed queen. Sadly, according to an article HN sadly killed[0], the Speed Queen is no longer particularly good: https://thewirecutter.com/blog/speed-queen-washer/ https://thewirecutter.com/blog/speed-queen-washer/ [0]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16576899 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16576899
- _nalply 9y ago
  If you can't estimate the quality of things, buy the cheapest you get. Because nobody hinders someone selling you crap for double the price.
  - jamaicahest 9y ago
    In this day and age, with trustworthy online review sites like Consumer Reports, I find it is fairly easy to find quality products at a price somewhere in the middle.
- tothepixel 9y ago
  A+ post.
- hvidgaard 9y ago
  Or you can buy a Bosch for $400 on sale. One of the not fancy models and it'll last you 10 years easily. It's also serviceable if you need to repair it - not to the degree of a Speed Queen, but totally doable. It's also significantly cheaper to run compared to a Speed Queen. With that in mind you can probably buy 3 of them (including delivery) for the same price of a Speed Queen over a 20 year period.

by uxp100 9y ago

VLM 9y ago

Not so, I bought the cheapest washing machine I could get. I dropped about $1200 cash on a speed queen that'll last me maybe 20 years. Joe 6 pack finances a new LG every three years at 29.99% credit card interest for $600 and thinks I'm getting ripped off. Its just like the situation with hiking boots, I can only afford the $250 boots that last many years, I'm not rich enough to afford the $100 boots that only last one year before falling apart. I can't afford to spend $100, I have to spend $250. Richer people than I, can buy themselves the $100 boots. Also at some big box stores I've seen some masterful post sale salesmanship. New washer hoses cost $19 on the shelf but as part of the installation package they'll prevent your basement from being flooded for only $50 installed by our professionals (usually lower quality hoses too). Installation "only" costs $99 but you need the new hoses for $50 and fuel prices went up a decade ago so we still have our temporary $19.99 fuel surcharge on our deliveries. Oh you want the old washer hauled away, thats only $50 and they totally take care of the problem for you. Technically according to google search you can buy a box containing a LG top loader thats normally $770 for a mere $650, but unless you have time, skills, and a large vehicle that box of machinery won't wash any clothes for $650, add something like $220 worth of installation... Oh and thats 18 months financing but it only has a one year guarantee for parts and labor, which is comical... for a mere $150 you can get a five year guarantee which is about a quarter the lifespan of my speed queen, if and only if you also purchase installation services. Suddenly that "cheap" $650 washer is going to hit the credit card for over a kilobuck and its only going to last five years at best while providing plenty of repair work headaches. So figure twenty years of clothes washing costs $1200 with a speed queen or over $4000 with LG products... I'm not wealthy enough to buy $650 washers I can only afford the $1200 washers.

rout39574 9y ago
This is Terry Pratchett's "Boots theory of wealth", placed in the mouth of Sam Vimes. Rock on.
uxp100 9y ago
The cheap washers are not $650, that's still an expensive washer. The cheapest new washers are more like $350. And probably not any less reliable that the $650 washer, just less neat buttons, no glass top. Yeah, probably less reliable than the speed queen. Hoses are quite the racket. Because of where I put the washer, I had to get extra long ones.
- zeveb 9y ago
  > Yeah, probably less reliable than the speed queen. Sadly, according to an article HN sadly killed[0], the Speed Queen is no longer particularly good: https://thewirecutter.com/blog/speed-queen-washer/ https://thewirecutter.com/blog/speed-queen-washer/ [0]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16576899 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16576899
_nalply 9y ago
If you can't estimate the quality of things, buy the cheapest you get. Because nobody hinders someone selling you crap for double the price.
- jamaicahest 9y ago
  In this day and age, with trustworthy online review sites like Consumer Reports, I find it is fairly easy to find quality products at a price somewhere in the middle.
tothepixel 9y ago
A+ post.
hvidgaard 9y ago
Or you can buy a Bosch for $400 on sale. One of the not fancy models and it'll last you 10 years easily. It's also serviceable if you need to repair it - not to the degree of a Speed Queen, but totally doable. It's also significantly cheaper to run compared to a Speed Queen. With that in mind you can probably buy 3 of them (including delivery) for the same price of a Speed Queen over a 20 year period.