Can anyone here explain (with a straighT face!!!)...why washing machines that were $400- TO $600 tops ARE NOW IN red AND FRONT LOADED!!! ( ..AND BACK loaded TOO PROLLY!!!) FER $1,200 TO $2,400......IS OUR crap THAT more dirty TO REMOVE,,,,,OR OUR dollars THAT MORE EASY TO remove FROM OUR DIRTY POCKETS........
Here's my theory:
Thirty years ago, all washers were top loading and looked much the same as a top-loader of today. Only difference was that they were built well and could be expected to last 15 or even 20 years. They cost around $400.
Even after thirty years of inflation, today's basic top loader also costs around $400. In that time, have the manufacturers found some new space-age technology to lower costs? Have they outfitted their factories with teams of robots to eliminate labour costs? Hell no - they've just replaced all the sturdy metal mechanical parts with ones made of cheap plastic.
So, if a well-made, quality washer cost $400 in the seventies, with inflation I'd expect a well-made, quality washer to cost at least $1,200 today. Given that the new front-loaders are a much more sophisticated design than the old top-loaders, I expect those to cost even more.
When it comes time to replace our eight-year-old Kenmore (which will be pretty soon, judging by the horrible noises it makes and the fact that I've already had to "fix" it with a few well-placed zipties), I'll have no qualms about spending $1,500 on a new front-loader (probably a Samsung, from the little bit of research I've done so far).