Matching the Reliability of Matching Washers and Dryers
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Matching washer and dryer pairs continue to be popular, with more than half of laundry-appliance shoppers who buy the machines together. But they aren't cheap. "At $2,000 to $3,000 a pop for a new pair, this is not a trivial expense for most people," posted a reader online.
The reader nailed it. Most of us aren't rich, and buying a matching laundry pair requires a serious swipe of the credit card. A matched set does look good, but Consumer Reports tests have found that you can wind up with a washer that does a great job getting laundry clean, and a dryer that's tough on fabrics. Brand reliability matters too–just how long will the washer last before it breaks and needs repairs, and what about the dryer?
Consumer Reports' exclusive brand reliability information helps answer those questions. We asked more than 67,000 subscribers about their experiences with new washing machines bought between 2009 and 2016, and more than 57,000 subscribers about their new dryers. One thing to keep in mind: the washing machine should drive your buying decision since it has the tougher job and is a more complex machine than a dryer.
Front-Loaders and Matching Dryers
For front-loading washers, estimated brand breakage rates vary from 14 to 25 percent by the fifth year of ownership. LG is tops in reliability, but not meaningfully better than most of its competitors. Frigidaire, on the other hand, is more prone to breaking than any other brand, so much so that we can't recommend Frigidaire front-loaders for now. The chart in our washing machine ratings shows the reliability for eight brands.
Among electric dryers, which outsell gas dryers by far, no one brand stands out as the most or least reliable, but the lower breakage rates reported for LG make this brand meaningfully better than Frigidaire, GE, Electrolux, and Samsung. For more details as well as info on gas dryers, see the brand reliability charts in the dryer ratings.
Sets to consider: LG, is one brand to look at, including the $1,350 LG WM3670HWA front-loader and the LG DLEX3370W electric dryer. But given how close the estimated breakage rates are for some front-loader brands, look at the others too, including sets Kenmore and Maytag. You'll find full descriptions in The Best Matching Washers and Dryers.
Agitator Top-Loaders and Matching Dryers
Estimated brand breakage rates for agitator top-loaders range from 10 to 18 percent by the fifth year of ownership. Speed Queen stands out as a reliable brand, with an estimated 10 percent breakage rate by the fifth year of ownership.
Among electric dryers, the estimated breakage rate for Speed Queen is 8 percent by the fifth year of ownership, compared with 6 percent for LG. This brand appears at the top of our estimates and is meaningfully better than the brands at the bottom—Frigidaire, GE, Electrolux, and Samsung. When you look at the reliability charts in our washer ratings, note that differences of less than 6 points between brands aren’t meaningful.
Sets to consider: You can start by looking at Speed Queen, if price isn't a problem. The Speed Queen AWNE92SP113TW01 washer and the Speed Queen ADEE9BGS173TW01 electric dryer we tested costs about $2,500 for the pair. They aren't the best in our tests, but the washer is very good at cleaning and gentle on fabrics, and the dryer does a very good job too.
HE Top-Loaders and Matching Dryers
High-efficiency top-loaders, also known as HE washers, have estimated breakage rates of 14 to 23 percent by the fifth year of ownership. LG is tops in reliability, although its rate is not meaningfully lower than most other brands. But at 23 percent, Samsung is less reliable than most other HE top-loader brands in our survey, so much so that we do not recommend them at this time.
Sets to consider: You have a number of brands to choose from, including LG and Maytag, with sets such as the $1,600 LG WT1701CV washer and the LG DLEY1701V dryer, along with the $2,035 Maytag Bravos MVWB855DW washer and the Maytag Bravos MEDB855DW dryer.
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