Can we talk about the shift from mechanical to electronic controls on washers?

I pulled a 15 year old Maytag out of a basement last week, all mechanical timers and switches. Then I installed a new model with a digital board and touchpad. The old one you could fix with a multimeter and a screwdriver... the new one needs a whole new $200 control panel if one chip goes bad. Some guys say the electronics are more reliable long term, others miss being able to actually repair the part. What's your take on this change?

3 comments

3 Comments

norag558d ago

Progress, right? Now we just throw the whole thing away when the screen goes blank.

fox.jesse5d ago

Yeah, the "throw the whole thing away" plan is getting way too common. I had a fancy washer's board die just out of warranty. Instead of buying the overpriced panel, I found a guy online who fixes just the bad capacitor on the board for like thirty bucks. It's been running fine for two years now. The repair is still possible, you just have to mail the part to a specialist instead of doing it yourself on the kitchen table.

julia6228d ago

Throw the whole thing away" is my usual plan, but that's because I'm bad with tools. I get the appeal of a simple fix, but I've also had those old mechanical timers just stop on me. Do the new ones at least fail less often?