BellaOnline Forums Money Frugal Living Buying a used washing machine

My old washer broke, and I was told by two handymen that it was cheaper to find a new used one than get this one fixed.

I am ok with this, since I can sell the old one to a metal recycler for cash. I also plan to remove the spin basket from it to use as a fire pit.

So i have been looking for a new used washing machine on craigslist. The lowest they seem to sell for is $50...some people are selling theirs for many hundreds and even over a thousand! yeeps!

i have promised myself to give this a high priority in the next day or two and get myself a working washing machine. There is one for $50 in a nearby town and i will drive over to check it out and hopefully take it home.

Will report on how it goes.

Anyone ever buy a used washer?

Okay, after much hand-wringing I finally settled on a used washer for $100. It's a nice big one with plenty of room for washing blankets. It was listed as $115 on the CL ad and I offered $100. The seller had no problems with that amount and he helped me load it up into my jeep.

I'm happy with this one. It is only 4 years old and the seller had both the manual and the original Sears receipt.

The ones for $50 on CL were very old ones. I don't have a problem with buying old appliances, but with my love of doing laundry i really wanted a large capacity newer one, if possible.

I really had to hold out for the right machine. A lot of people were selling their used washers for 300+, 500+, and in some cases for over a thousand dollars. i kind of don't understand that.

I had even visited a used appliances shop and the cheapest washer i could find - and an old one at that - was $175. The sale person even rudely mocked me for believing I could find one for around a hundred.

So, HA! to him. :P The moral is that if you don't find what you want in your price range immediately, to see if you can afford a little bit more, and then to be patient and stick to your guns.

Don't get sucked into buying retail and making payments...that is a whole 'nother topic.

JIlly,
My first washing machine was a used one and it lasted a long, long time. Great purchase. BTW, I love washing too! Sometimes it's theraputic for me like cleaning. :-)

Dianne, it IS therapeutic. I have all sorts of ingredients to play with for getting out stains and such - for me, doing laundry is how some people enjoy doing cooking.

I love taking out lovely clean items and hanging them up to dry in the sun. And I love how this machine is large enough for doing blankets and other large things. I can't wait to get it set up!

Yes, the older good-brand washers do tend to be solidly built and can run forever. I am really not sure why some people willingly pay over a thousand dollars for a washing machine. Can they be THAT good? For real? :p

Oh the memories, before we had a washer/dryer - I LOVED the smell of freshly washed clothes just off the clothes line.

But a machine large enough to wash a blanket, WOW!!! I love a clean comforter, but when I stick it in my washing machine, the whole thing doesn't even get wet!!! Lucky YOU!!! :-)

You're right appliances and furniture used to be a lot more sturdy.

I have heard that the Kenmore and Admiral machines last forever. Of course Whirlpool is a reliable name too.

My washing machine is in and working! I am so pleased. I can now do large blankets.

Much laundry to do tomorrow....

Hmmm. On large loads the washing machine chokes a little in the same way the old machine did. I think it's something besides the washers - my troubleshooting guide says to level the thing with little foot levels on the bottom of the unit.

maybe there was nothing actually wrong with the old washer.

investigating...