What a crappy article by Sam Kazman. This is an agenda-driven, hit piece, just designed to pile-on and promote the Tea-Bagger, "Government screws up everything it does" crap. What a crappy media we have.
The opening line.
"In 1996, top-loaders were pretty much the only type of washer around, and they were uniformly high quality. When Consumer Reports tested 18 models, 13 were "excellent" and five were "very good." By 2007, though, not one was excellent and seven out of 21 were "fair" or "poor." This month came the death knell: Consumer Reports simply dismissed all conventional top-loaders as "often mediocre or worse."Of course some or even most top loaders were rated "very good" or "excellent" in the 90s, they were all we had to compare and were the peak of the technology for the time. There were good cars in the 60s too but even the best from that time wouldn't rate very good against today's models. We've progressed, cars and washings machines are both better today. In washing machines, the current front loaders are much better than the old 1996 top loaders, they clean your clothes as well but do it more efficiently in terms of detergent, water and electricity use. They are also, generally easier on your clothes.
So top loaders don't work as well under the new efficiency rules, so what, front loaders work better.
According to EnergyStar.gov, Energy Star-rated washing machines use about 30 percent less energy and 50 percent less water than non-qualified machines. Replacing a 10-year-old washer with a new Energy Star machine, they say, can save the average person about $135 per year on utility bills. [Consumer Research]Using a newer washer with a high speed spin cycle (top or front loaders) will also cut your dryer use dramatically. When I replaced my washer, dryer use was cut about 40%. So not only am I saving money with the washer, I'm also saving even more electricity running the dryer less and the decreased use should make it last a little longer.
A couple links and some personal thoughts on today's washers: [Link 1] [Link 2]
A washing machine as an Investment?
I would argue that one of the the best under-$1000 investments today is to replace your old top loader with a new front load washing machine (or even new top loader) with a high speed spin cycle. Putting 1,000$ in the bank (at about 1%) will make you 10$ a year at today's rates. Replacing an old top loader with a high-speed spin front loader should save you 130$ or more in electricity, water and detergent savings. Savings could be even more with a large family.
Consumers Beware.
Consumers have to be careful when buying today's machines. Appliance salesmen seem to be directly related to used-car salesmen, politicians, and Wall Street journal writers. They are going to dance around the truth and some are not above lying to you to make a sale.
DO some research. You don't have to have every feature or the fastest spin cycle. A spin cycle around 700-900rpm is OK. The "Washer Stands" they want to sell you at about $150 to 200$ each seem like a rip-off to me.
Skip the dryer. Most people like to see a matching washer and dryer but you don't need a new dryer to reap the savings. Most of today's dryers are only slightly more efficient than older models. The washer is the key unit. Its high speed spin cycle gets so much water out of clothes that even an old dryer will run less, lasting longer, cutting your electricity bill all the while.
You can spend over $2,000 on a new washer and dryer but you don't have too. I bought a new washer, skipped the dryer and the stand, for only for $600 and was saving about 15$ a month on my electric bill immediately (YMMV).
I don't expect the new machine to last as long as an old 1985 top loader. they are more complicated, with more electronics and seem lighter and more cheaply made today. Of course this isn't the government's fault, it's the manufacturers, in their search for profits they cut costs to the bone making everything cheaper and lighter weight.
So government didn't ruin your old washing machine, they forced it to get better. The manufacturer did make it cheaper so it probably won't last as long, and you can't necessarily believe their advertisng, and the salesman may lie to you about features and savings to get you to buy the model he makes the most commission on, and........
wow, tell me again how the private, free-market is always better than government?
Anyway, Sam Kazman shouldn't be allowed to write any more washing machine articles.
tnb
No comments:
Post a Comment