OT: Appliance parts scams?

[JohnMartin]

Have a Maytag clothes washer, a bit over 40 years old. Has been very dependable, maybe one new belt in that time. It just began leaking - still works fine, but you have to mop up after every use.

Had a Maytag authorized repairman in yesterday. Not a dealer man, repair only. Looks like the seal at the bottom of the tub may be the problem. He looked up the part, and it is no longer available. I looked on the net, and some sources said that the part was no longer available, while others said it was. Part 6-2095720, fits Whirlpool and others. Looked at a couple of videos on replacing the seal, and while it's not a simple job I can handle it.

Stopped in today at an appliance parts store. They said the same thing the repair guy said - part no longer available. When I asked about the listings on the internet, they said that those are scams. You order the part, they ship it, it turns out to be the wrong part, and they won't take it back. Sounds a bit strange to me.

Anyone run into this?

 

[Terry Keeley]

Whenever I want something "unobtainium" and I find it somewhere that might be a bit sketchy I order it with Visa only, they've been very good at chargebacks for me.

If I can only pay by PayPal, Western Union, Bitcoin or by sending gold bullion to an address in Nigeria I pass.

 

[GregSY]

Not sure with a 40 year old machine, but I order parts all the time for appliances and have never had an issue.

I'll often identify the part number then see who has it....a lot of time Amazon has it and it's easy and dependable to order that way. Or Ebay sometimes. Then, there are times I'll order from places like Repair Clinic or PartsDirect or some other vendor.

 

[sfriedberg]

I haven't run into the scam issue, but I've had this happen several times: Finally hunt down a place that lists the part with a price, and it turns out it's truly not been available for years, and they take more than a week to figure that out. (And if you come back to that site years later, odds are they will still be listing the part with the same price.)

 

[boslab]

If it’s a tub seal( just like a drum seal on a front loader ) it’s just buy the seal by the metre or yard and splice, I did that on a LG and a Samsung, no problem with leaking.
I’m assuming round rubber o ring material, if it’s 40 then it’s unlikely to be anything fancier.
Mark

 

[akajun]

They’re right
I had to buy a new washer after my 40 yo Maytag died. The tub seal I replaced twice over the years, last time not available
Plus t the bottom of the tub was starting to rust
Break down and buy a speed queen
10y warranty

 

[standardparts]

Am lucky to live near an independent appliance parts shop. Small place, and even though there has been two or three owners they all have been pretty savvy providing a part, and usually at about 25% of the original brand name part.
So....give this place a try...been using them for years...oh yeah...the website is barebones. I'm if he can source the part he will figure a way to get it to you.

Kenosha Appliance Parts

 

[GregSY]

I have a Speed Queen...never again will I buy a consumer grade machine. It's well built and hauls ass....a load is 20 minutes, or 30 if you select the heavy soil option.

Maytag also makes a good commercial grade machine and is a little cheaper.

The hard part, for me, is accepting a washing machine that doesn't sense my laundry's needs an automatically adjust itself based on what someone thinks is best for the environment. It also doesn't sense my feelings, heart rate, or know how many steps I've taken in a given day. It also only comes in one color - white - which is the color of the oppressors.

 

[Limy Sami]

The hard part, for me, is accepting a washing machine that doesn't sense my laundry's needs an automatically adjust itself based on what someone thinks is best for the environment. It also doesn't sense my feelings, heart rate, or know how many steps I've taken in a given day. It also only comes in one color - white - which is the color of the oppressors.

I feel the same, a plain ''hey asshole, do you want clean clothes or not? - yes or no'' sounds rather appealling

 

[SteveF]

Looks like a couple of eBay sellers have it. One located in Georgia with 10K feedback so I would order it and expect to be OK.

 

[James H Clark]

JohnMartin: John, like Akajun says, Speed Queen makes washers and dryers that are just as nice as the old Maytags and just as well built. We had Maytags for many years , but they finally gave up th ghost. We happened on to the Speed Queens and found that they are built for laundo-mats. They don't have electronics, just sturdy electric controls. No electronics. Good luck.
JC

 

[EPAIII]

Yes, YES, YES to buying with a credit card on the internet. Always do it that way. ALWAYS!

And PayPal purchases can be funded with your credit card. I use PayPal when necessary and just make sure that a credit card and NOT the bank account that they insist you have with them, is the source of the funds for the purchase. This is an option when you authorize the PayPal purchase and you can make it your permanent preference with PayPal.

And beware, DEBIT cards are NOT credit cards. They are like writing a check or handing the other party cash. They are instantly funded from YOUR bank account and do not function with the same consumer protection rules as credit cards. Always use a credit card for internet purchases. And for as many other purchases as possible. I get back at least $400 or $500 each and every year in points on my credit cards - which I always convert to $$$$$.

Whenever I want something "unobtainium" and I find it somewhere that might be a bit sketchy I order it with Visa only, they've been very good at chargebacks for me.

If I can only pay by PayPal, Western Union, Bitcoin or by sending gold bullion to an address in Nigeria I pass.

 

[GregSY]

As much as I dislike electronics in many applications, the Speed Queens made today do have a small circuit board in them for the on/off function and I suspect the timer functions. That's still way less than most machines. And they sure don't have anything inverter fed.

The local appliance store has a display of the Speed Queen guts and next to it is the Maytag (commercial) guts. Both are stout, but the Speed Queen is definitely heavier-duty. That said, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Maytag either. Both mechanisms are made from a very strange material that resembles what they used to call 'metal', back before it became obvious the best gears are made of plastic.

 

[Terry Keeley]

As much as I dislike electronics in many applications, the Speed Queens made today do have a small circuit board in them for the on/off function and I suspect the timer functions. That's still way less than most machines. And they sure don't have anything inverter fed.

The local appliance store has a display of the Speed Queen guts and next to it is the Maytag (commercial) guts. Both are stout, but the Speed Queen is definitely heavier-duty. That said, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Maytag either. Both mechanisms are made from a very strange material that resembles what they used to call 'metal', back before it became obvious the best gears are made of plastic.

Yup, had to replace our washer & dryer a while back, wanted Speed Queen but they're called "Huebsch" up here, same units but something to do with licensing.

Whatever, they're basic and solid.

 

[PackardV8]

Google is the internet whore of the universe. They will sell your eyeballs to anyone who will pay for them. You can write a precise search, including the part number, and the first ten companies Google puts in front of you don't have the part, never had the part, never will have the part. They just paid Google to have their name at the top of any search you do. Maybe, after you are suckered into their site you might buy something else.

The irony is, when Google was first founded, the corporate motto was "Don't do evil." But soon they found out how profitable ultimate evil was and now every day they're trying harder to be the evilest sombitch.

jack vines

 

[James H Clark]

Have a Maytag clothes washer, a bit over 40 years old. Has been very dependable, maybe one new belt in that time. It just began leaking - still works fine, but you have to mop up after every use.

Had a Maytag authorized repairman in yesterday. Not a dealer man, repair only. Looks like the seal at the bottom of the tub may be the problem. He looked up the part, and it is no longer available. I looked on the net, and some sources said that the part was no longer available, while others said it was. Part 6-2095720, fits Whirlpool and others. Looked at a couple of videos on replacing the seal, and while it's not a simple job I can handle it.

Stopped in today at an appliance parts store. They said the same thing the repair guy said - part no longer available. When I asked about the listings on the internet, they said that those are scams. You order the part, they ship it, it turns out to be the wrong part, and they won't take it back. Sounds a bit strange to me.

Anyone run into this?

John, I do apologize about the small bit of electronics. Thanks to GregSY and Terry Keeley for the corrections.
JC

 

[deltap]

You might try getting exact dimensions and then looking for a generic seal by dimensions rather than a part number. CR(Chicago Rawhide) now owned by SKF bearings lists thousands of seals. What type of seal is it?

 

[Superbowl]

The problem with Speed Queen is they cost more than twice as much as a similar basic washer. Even if they last twice as long you can't come out ahead at home. If you run a business where you wash multiple loads every day then they make sense.

 

[GregSY]

They do cost 2X, or more than a Home Depot machine. But....I suspect they will last 5X or 6X longer...and they perform much better. How? They do a load waaay faster because they're not spending all their time 'saving' water' or running through 43 different cycles. They have wash, rinse and spin cycles and that's it.

They also are far more useful as - like old machines - the drum fills with water. That means you can wash all sorts of stuff that doesn't wash well with meager amounts of water. Nothing washes and rinse like a good volume of water.

Last...they are made of simple parts which can be repaired or replaced easily if they break. A modern machine had many parts that are un-fixable and/or cost more to replace than the machine is worth. They're also much more difficult to diagnose.

 

[JohnMartin]

Thanks to all for your suggestions.

The seal is a pretty complicated piece that would not be available at a bearing supply house. It is definitely on its way out as I could see grease slung out on the walls of the cabinet. But when I started tearing into the machine - which first required removing the door to the room and its stops so that the dryer could be moved out so that the washer could be moved over for access - it turned out that the leak was coming not from the seal but from the top of the tub.

The seal did turn out to be available through eBay. The seller - the guy in Atlanta - confirmed that it would fit my washer. Why Maytag and the local parts guy said it was no longer available I still don’t understand. Maybe Maytag figures that the 40 plus years I have gotten out of that washer is time enough and just wants to sell me a new one. But the local parts guy? Of course, there is a possibility that he is connected to the appliance sales place next door….

It turned out that the molded hose that fills the tub was cracked. It’s an odd shaped piece that has to fit between the tub and the top cover, and it appears to truly be “no longer available”. Anywhere. But, not wanting to admit defeat, we glopped on a whole bunch of silicone sealant and moved everything back into place. So far, so good.

When it finally goes, the Speed Queen will be my choice.

Thanks again for all the help.