Shoutout to that old Maytag washer I found in a basement in Cleveland...

I used to think the whole 'they don't build 'em like they used to' thing was just old guys complaining, but after fixing that 1987 Maytag with a used rubber belt I found at a flea market for 3 bucks, I'm starting to think maybe they were onto something... anyone else run into a model from that era that just won't quit?

3 comments

3 Comments

leo_black761mo ago

Old Maytags are tanks for sure, but I gotta push back a little here. The reason those old machines last is because they're simple - no circuit boards, no sensors, just a motor and a timer. But they also use way more water and electricity than anything made in the last 15 years. You can get a basic new washer for four or five hundred bucks that'll pay for itself in utility savings inside of three years. And the new ones actually get your clothes clean with less detergent. So yeah, the old ones last, but they're also costing you money every single time you run a load.

ward.kim1mo ago

Old machines might waste water and energy, but they also keep perfectly good washers out of the landfill, and that reuse factor is something nobody ever puts a price tag on.

dixon.james1mo ago

Honestly, I get the whole keep it out of the landfill thing, but my math brain can't stop thinking about that water bill every time I run a load. Tbh, my old washer probably uses more water per cycle than I do in a week of showers, which is saying a lot considering how long I stand there thinking about life choices. Ngl, the real joke is me being an accountant but still fighting my own calculator over whether to keep the dinosaur or trade it in for something that doesn't sound like a jet engine.