the_dylan•1mo agoMost Upvoted

My washing machine died mid-cycle last Tuesday

I was doing my usual weekly load when the machine just stopped and wouldn't restart. Called a repair guy who said the motor was shot and the fix would cost about $400. Ended up finding a used one on Facebook Marketplace for $150 that same afternoon. Has anyone else had luck going used instead of buying new?

4 comments

4 Comments

piper9121mo ago

Honestly, $400 for a motor replacement sounds about right if you're going with a newer machine, but I've seen plenty of people score deals on used ones that last another 5 years. I got a used Samsung from a guy selling his old rental property stuff for $100 two years ago, and it's been running fine with zero issues. The trick is to test it with a small load of towels or something before you hand over cash, just to make sure it spins and drains properly. My buddy skipped that step and ended up with a machine that only ran on the delicate cycle, so definitely take the extra 10 minutes.

the_max5d ago

Respectfully, I gotta disagree a bit here. That $100 Samsung might run fine for you but those rental property machines get beat to hell by tenants who don't care about them and that's a gamble I wouldn't take. Plus Samsung washers have a known issue with the control boards that can fail after a few years and that's not a cheap fix either. I'd rather put that $400 into a repair on a machine I already know the history of than roll the dice on something that might die in six months when I need it most. Sometimes paying a bit more upfront saves you a headache later when you're standing in a puddle of water at 10pm on a Sunday.

elliotadams5d ago

That $100 gamble could cost you way more in repairs or a flood later on.

sam171mo ago

Hold up @piper912 makes a solid point about testing a used machine before buying. I'd add that you should check the serial number too. If it's from a batch with known issues, you can look that up online real quick. Did you run into any trouble with the seller when you asked to test it? Some folks get weird about that.