Repairing an old appliance vs buying a new one

gellen · ‎03-14-2010

My 12 year old dryer isn't starting. It is not an electrical problem as the light goes on when the dryer door is opened, and is probably in need of a new part. I am debating whether to just buy a new one or repair the one I currently have. Money is tight at the moment as I am just retired; but am I just wasting money if I repair this older model. I can see pros and cons to both sides. What have you done in the past when you have had this situation? Thanks for your opinions.

KathyM23 · ‎11-20-2010

Labor day is coming up and appliances go on sale on Holidays. If you can wait until then, it would be a good time to buy a new dryer. Maybe you can find one on sale now.

I would not be surprised if the cost of repairing your old one is not much less than the price of a new one, especially on sale. Labor cost and new parts add up to be quite expensive. You don't need a dryer with all the frills and that is also a savings. As appliances go, dryers are one of the less expensive to buy.

SeaMaiden · ‎03-10-2010

@KathyM23 And repairing a very old dryer like yours....soon other parts will go out. Just replace it and be sure to request free haul away of the old dryer.

hopi · ‎03-09-2010

New one

dawg lover · ‎03-15-2010

You have to figure a new dryer is going to be at least $500, with taxes, delivery fees, and haul-away fees for the old dryer. What I would do is call the repair service and get an idea of what their service call fee would be, and maybe they could give you a possible price on the part/installation, if you describe the problem. Twelve years is not really that old for a dryer. If you don't have a repair company, I know that Sears advertises that they will fix appliances whether you bought it from them or not. Good luck!

Anonymous032819 · ‎03-29-2019

Do they even still make the part that you need for your 12 year old dryer?

The Sky looks different when you have someone you love up there.

CAcableGirl2 · ‎06-03-2010

@gellen You might want to double check and see if your vent is clogged. Apparently, there is a safety mechanism in dryers (some sort of fuse or similar), that will stop a dryer from working if the dryer vent is very clogged to avoid a fire.

......You look like I need a drink.....

SilleeMee · ‎05-22-2016

If it's 12yo I think you got your money's worth so just buy a new one now. Don't waste your money on repairing something that old and instead take the money and put it into a newer dryer. Look for 0% financing for easy budgeting over time.

According to Consumer Reports life expectancy for most dryers is 13 years.

Foxxee · ‎10-03-2014

This is something we all face. I would call for service, but you will probably pay around $100 for the call just to look at your dryer not including parts. It might be something minor. If not, ask the service tech to recommend a brand to buy. But, I would find out what's wrong with it, how much to repair before I made my decision. In the meantime, I'd check out brands I would buy if repair is too costly and not worth it.

I had my 22 year old commercial Maytag washer that never needed repaired serviced a few months ago for a hose leak. He told me when it died to buy Maytag's top load 2019 commercial or 2019 Speed Queen top load model washer and dryer introduced Spring 2019. Both, the most reliable. They are not sold in big box stores. Must go to a licensed appliance dealer. See elsewhere on this thread where I give links for how to find who sells them in your area.

They do not have digital controls with lots of bells and whistles that are likely to cause problems. I expect washers and dryers to last 20 years, the reason I mentioned these two brands. I do not think 12 years is old, but very few brands even then were built like they used to be.

Both brands are higher priced than most sold in big box stores, so that's a consideration. You can get a lower price if you buy the matching washer and dryer at the same time. Also, during sales, but you need a dryer, now.

FancyPhillyshopper · ‎05-02-2017

As much as I like having brand new items, my philosophy is frequently to use an item until it is completely impossible (or overwhelmingly expensive) to repair. This is especially true for items I like!

My car is past its second decade, the inherited refrigerator will not stop although it is over 30 years old, and our furniture is almost indestructible Victorian walnut.

New electronic digital appliances (versus older mechanical ones) seem to break more easily and frequently.

Sometimes there are neighborhood handymen who can fix an appliance for under $75.00.