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Could you link to that Reddit discussion? I’d like to get a new washer for my mom. Edit: Probably this one: https://www.reddit.com/r/laundry/comments/1jco8a1/

Could you link to that Reddit discussion? I’d like to get a new washer for my mom. Edit: Probably this one: https://www.reddit.com/r/laundry/comments/1jco8a1/recommendations_for_a_washing_machine_that/ https://www.reddit.com/r/laundry/comments/1jco8a1/recommenda... . Speed Queen, Whirlpool, LG, and other brands are recommended. Reading the reviews after you’ve purchased something is always painful! Have you heard of Consumer Reports? They at least used to be pretty reliable.

CoastalCoder 1y ago
I've used Consumer Reports I'm that past, and found that their ratings poorly matched my experience. I don't doubt their integrity, but I no longer use them.
- cratermoon 1y ago
  CU has a bit of a weird scale. It seems to go for the intersection of good and cheap, which doesn't typically mean high quality. The best rated stuff is typically mid-range, lower cost-of-ownership, but nothing special.
  - wildzzz 1y ago
    They try to find what is going to cost the least amount of money for both now and in the future, likely within the warranty period. Mid-range and low cost of ownership is exactly what many people want. Consumer Reports' market isn't tech evangelists looking for washing machines with AI in them, they are normal users looking to replace an appliance in the least painful way possible. When you have a surprise expense like an appliance, you likely just want to spend as little as possible. Someone paying for consumer reports probably has enough money to afford paying a little more upfront for a mid-range model. If they wanted the cheapest model, they wouldn't be looking at reviews, they'd just buy the cheapest. If they were in the market for luxury models, they'd just go buy a matching set from a luxury brand, money isn't much of an issue so who cares how well it performs over time?
- zbrozek 1y ago
  Your experience matches mine. I also found that their coverage of products was simply too thin to be meaningful for me.
phendrenad2 1y ago
I spent some time today reading Reddit reviews and complaints about appliances, even the top-tier brands (LG, Samsung) seem to have frequent complaints. I'm also in the market for a new washing machine, so I'll probably just buy one of those and take my chances. Speed Queen is apparently really reliable and efficient, but is probably too loud for me.
- chneu 1y ago
  It's almost as if people don't know how to wash their clothes. If a machine is working for the vast majority of people then it isn't usually the machine. Washing machines fall under the same umbrella as dishwashers for me. They work amazingly well but there will always be a decent chunk of people who claim they just never get dishes clean. It has nothing to do with the dishwasher. It has to do with how people use them incorrectly.
  - phendrenad2 1y ago
    shrug That's one possible explanation, but I think there's simplest explanation is that a lot of people are just not that picky about how "clean" is "clean".
    - chneu 1y ago
      I don't really buy that. It sounds more like "i'm picky about a washing machine" has become a personality trait, or a sunk cost, so there's no abandoning it at this point. Probably gonna find a decent washing machine, then 2 months later another issue crops up. "It doesn't tumble quite right, ugh my clothes aren't clean". It reminds me of old people who say "They don't make x like they used to. Can't buy a good one anymore!" Again, if the vast majority of people are finding the machine to be adequate, then it's probably not the machine. It's probably the people who are struggling with it have unreasonable expectations. Domestic chores are also rife with people who do things for no reason other than "i was taught this way". This means their expectations are, often, unreasonable. I'm not saying that's applicable here, but it's definitely something to consider in these areas. Lots of people do wild stuff with their clothes/dishes/cleaning and don't realize it until someone points it out to them.

CoastalCoder 1y ago

I've used Consumer Reports I'm that past, and found that their ratings poorly matched my experience. I don't doubt their integrity, but I no longer use them.

cratermoon 1y ago
CU has a bit of a weird scale. It seems to go for the intersection of good and cheap, which doesn't typically mean high quality. The best rated stuff is typically mid-range, lower cost-of-ownership, but nothing special.
- wildzzz 1y ago
  They try to find what is going to cost the least amount of money for both now and in the future, likely within the warranty period. Mid-range and low cost of ownership is exactly what many people want. Consumer Reports' market isn't tech evangelists looking for washing machines with AI in them, they are normal users looking to replace an appliance in the least painful way possible. When you have a surprise expense like an appliance, you likely just want to spend as little as possible. Someone paying for consumer reports probably has enough money to afford paying a little more upfront for a mid-range model. If they wanted the cheapest model, they wouldn't be looking at reviews, they'd just buy the cheapest. If they were in the market for luxury models, they'd just go buy a matching set from a luxury brand, money isn't much of an issue so who cares how well it performs over time?
zbrozek 1y ago
Your experience matches mine. I also found that their coverage of products was simply too thin to be meaningful for me.

phendrenad2 1y ago

I spent some time today reading Reddit reviews and complaints about appliances, even the top-tier brands (LG, Samsung) seem to have frequent complaints. I'm also in the market for a new washing machine, so I'll probably just buy one of those and take my chances. Speed Queen is apparently really reliable and efficient, but is probably too loud for me.

chneu 1y ago
It's almost as if people don't know how to wash their clothes. If a machine is working for the vast majority of people then it isn't usually the machine. Washing machines fall under the same umbrella as dishwashers for me. They work amazingly well but there will always be a decent chunk of people who claim they just never get dishes clean. It has nothing to do with the dishwasher. It has to do with how people use them incorrectly.
- phendrenad2 1y ago
  shrug That's one possible explanation, but I think there's simplest explanation is that a lot of people are just not that picky about how "clean" is "clean".
  - chneu 1y ago
    I don't really buy that. It sounds more like "i'm picky about a washing machine" has become a personality trait, or a sunk cost, so there's no abandoning it at this point. Probably gonna find a decent washing machine, then 2 months later another issue crops up. "It doesn't tumble quite right, ugh my clothes aren't clean". It reminds me of old people who say "They don't make x like they used to. Can't buy a good one anymore!" Again, if the vast majority of people are finding the machine to be adequate, then it's probably not the machine. It's probably the people who are struggling with it have unreasonable expectations. Domestic chores are also rife with people who do things for no reason other than "i was taught this way". This means their expectations are, often, unreasonable. I'm not saying that's applicable here, but it's definitely something to consider in these areas. Lots of people do wild stuff with their clothes/dishes/cleaning and don't realize it until someone points it out to them.