HE2+ FL washer & gas dryer for $1014: deal or no deal?

17 years ago

The Maytag repairman pronounced my 19 year old washer dead at 11:10 this morning. Fearing this, I noted over the Christmas weekend a $100 off special until noon today at my nearby Sears scratch n dent emporium. So I scanned this forum, then raced there and picked out a white pair of FL HE2, the larger 3.5 washer and the gas dryer. They say the list is $1850 on the pair. So $1014 is a good deal, yes?

I want to obsess, but I want to get out from under this growing pile of laundry. I want to obsess and redesign my laundry room, but I gotta get a washer in *now*.... I've read here about the HE mildew problem - think I can handle leaving door ajar and wiping and running occasional hot bleach cycle. Laundry room is conditioned air and part of house. Is that the major HE complaint or concern?

The old Maytag was the sudsaver model with the most attractive (and never used) adjacent tub to hold and reuse water. I never did that (here 8 years). Look forward to ditching that in favor of regular sink set into counter and laundry basket storage below. Will need to run gas line to hook up new dryer (open basemnet accessable right below has gas to water heater, furnace, etc.) - seems worth it for long run to switch to gas, yes?

I can pull the trigger and get these delivered right away and the washer hooked up immediately. Deal with the laundry mountain using the old dryer. *then* figure out the laundry room renovation - really like the idea of the switch to gas and a longer counter and more usable sink. Dryer can sit in garage until needed. Good plan, yes?

Please just say yes/yes/yes/yes.

Or would you counsel me to use a laundromat while I research more, or get a stopgap washer and/or find a better deal? This is happening very fast and not at the ideal time of year for me....My preference would be to obsess more - which could be a bad thing....

I'm not seeking laundry nirvana, just a reasonable and fast solution to a growing mountain of laundry.

Thanks!!

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Comments (7)

evaperconti
17 years ago
Yes/yes/yes

That's a very good deal. I paid $1400 total including tax and delivery for my He2 W/D and thought THAT was a good deal! I leave the detergent thing open to dry out and the door open too, it takes about 1/2 hour. I haven't had any problem with mildew or smells of any kind. I use powder Tide HE and White King with liquid fabric softener. I am very, very pleased...and I've been doing at least 1 load daily, many days 2 (and now that my stepsons are here more like 3!) and have no complaints after several months of constant use.
celticmoon
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks evaperconti! Had a chance tonight to read more (I hate to pull the trigger without a little research) and feel very confident in the washer ($440).

Considering taking a pass for now on the dryer. Can only have one $100 discount, so adding the dryer at $575 is not the best part of the deal. I would also have to run a gas line up from the basement to change from electric to gas. And I might want to reconfigure the laundry room, because the units would be deeper and better adjacent than across from each other given their doors' swings. Add gas, move electric & vent, ditch the useless sudsaver tub... and that means decisions for counters, floor, cabinets, ........aaackkk!! I can't handle all that right now and don't want to be rushed. All that is major bucks when the dryer didn't even give out yet!

I just need clean socks *now*.

I think I'll just get the washer in tomorrow and take my time to plan out the laundry space and purchase a dryer later. I'll take my chances that A) I'll find a matching dryer later or B) I won't care whether they match or C) if I really care, sell the washer and start over. I'm not real matchy-matchy anyway, and I'm definitely not into being locked into replacing *both* units as soon as either one breaks to sustain matchyness. (What a racket that is, hey?)

Besides, the HE2 line is fairly new and will likely be around at the scratch and dent for a while. I could even luck into another clearance sale. So that's that. Deliver the washer, cancel the dryer. Exit crisis mode.

Agreed? Whew.

Thanks again.
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evaperconti
17 years ago
You just might be giving your dryer a bit of a longer life. The spin cycle on the He2 pulls so much water out of the clothes that they dry faster!

Beware of the highest speed spin. When I wash jeans, I need to lower it to medium speed or they will get so compressed the wrinkles won't come out in the dryer. Medium works great.
dmlove
17 years ago
evaperconti, do you actually pick the spin speed, or is the medium speed just "attached" to one of the wash cycles you use? I have the HE2T pair, but I haven't explored this option yet.
wblynch
17 years ago
Celticmoon, I wish I had half your energy! Just reading your messages is exciting. Wow!

I think you'll be fine with the new washer.

Have you seen, 'Over The Hedge'? That squirrel had energy like you.

Let us know how it turns out.
evaperconti
17 years ago
dmlove, When you selecteach cycle it will automatically preset, but you can change the settings with the buttons before you start the cycle. You have options for spin, water temp, prewash and second rinse to customize the load. For example, the Normal/Casual defaults to high spin, warm wash/cold rinse and no prewash or 2nd rinse, but I can change the spin speed to medium, the water temp to hot and add either prewash or 2nd rinse or both after I select the cycle.
celticmoon
Original Author
17 years ago
ah, wblynch, the problem may be not *enough* energy right now to deal with all that replacing both pieces would involve....latest snafu: my current dryer vent drops straight down through the floor, almost centered under the dryer. The HE2 unit must vent to side or out the back and would therefore require a new hole in the floor to the side, but whoops, there's a cabinet there. Accckkk! Too hard. For now. But I love a challenge. Just give me time.

Went back to the Sears scratch n dent and canceled the dryer. I'll roll a bit with the old. Savings aren't looking significant enough to offset the cost of running a gas line. Counted no less than 10 HE2 elctric dryers on the sales floor from $479 to $539, with more scheduled to come in. I just may pull this off for under $920 the pair - gotta love the scratch n dent emporium. Feeling lucky, so no worries on grabbing up one later. And if I'm wrong, eh, whatever. The sun will still rise if I end up with a mismatched pair - they sit on opposite sides of the 8 ft wide mudroom anyway, so no biggie.

A cancellation just moved my washer delivery up from Saturday to tomorrow. Yay!! Hope hooking the drain up to the antique sudsaver contraption doesn't freak out the delivery guys....Spent part of this pm at the coin laundromat. Mercy, that new washer can't come fast enough. Then got me some HE detergent. Bring it on!! I'm ready!!

Evaperconti, I am registering all your tips. Thank you!

HE2+ FL washer & gas dryer for $1014: deal or no deal?

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celticmoon
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HE2+ FL washer & gas dryer for $1014: deal or no deal?

Comments (7)

evaperconti

celticmoonOriginal Author

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dmlove

wblynch

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