My dad wants to buy a new washing machine, and it's going to take some work to find a bargain and also what he wants. I think I will advise him to get one with a 10 year warranty on parts even if it's more expensive, because that can work out cheaper ad can give him peace of mind. I may even convince him to buy online as it can be cheaper (he's 76 and never has used the internet), but what other features would an older person need?
We have a Sharp automatic washing machine, and it costs around $400 at that time. (2009). It still is working until now, and it's a far cry from our old manual washing machine, because you just place the clothes in there and you can just forget them, and all you have to do is to hang them out to dry when the machine is done, although they are almost dry after the last spin. I highly suggest that you get an automatic washing machine, it would be totally convenient for your father.
Basically, the standard washing machine nowadays is you set it, add the soap and it does the rest. Therefore, all you have to do is if needs be to just hang clothes out to dry. Therefore, if your dad is mobile then this type of washing machine would be easy enough for him to handle and I don't believe he would need any more features than which these machines should provide. As you had suggested it would be good if you could find one which has extended warranty attached to it. I have noticed that the prices for appliances have remained stable for quite a while because of the heightened competition. I don't know if it would be better to buy online because if there is a defect on the machine, imagine the hassle your father might have to encounter to have it replaced. Buying it at the store he may be able to have it installed by the delivery personnel.
We went to a shop where he could see some models for himself and test the door handles and I took some photos. Even though the shop offered the lowest price, he has some Tesco vouchers to get £50 off, which works out better, and triple points on the balance.
I'm not a fan of high efficiency washers. It takes them forever to get done. My parents had one and it broke and was un-repairable after only 4 years. This go round I found a Speed Queen for them. It is an old style washer that has the agitator and tub full of water. It is a commercial model. I am told Speed Queen is the only ones who still make them. It works great! I am really enjoying it.
Best to ask the new owner what they'd like in a washing machine because they'd be the one to use it for life. Ask him if he'd like maintenance with his washing machine too and show him if you got a laptop bring it with you so you can share with him and ask him about it. Never exclude the new owner okay, he knows what he likes I bet in a washing machine. My Mom too is computer illiterate and I show her my little netbook screen and she is so happy about being asked like she matters and she does ...so does your dad matter. When we get their age wouldn't it be nice if everyone treated us like we mattered?
This may surprise some of you but I have to admit that we don't have a washing machine until now. My reason is the bad experience we had with the laundry shops. When we were renting an apartment, we availed of the laundry shop because we couldn't find a laundry woman. We already had plans to buy a washing machine if our budget permitted. However, we found out that our clothes, particularly the cotton shirts, were easily worn out. Even my husband's briefs had developed loose garter. We changed to another laundry shop but we got the same result. The attendant explained that the washing machine has a standard activity so they cannot guarantee that the clothes are taken care of. In other words, they are putting the blame on the washing machine. That was decades ago and until now I am sort of uncomfortable with a washing machine. We have a laundry woman who comes twice a week for our clothes. Although blankets, comforters, curtains are still sent to the laundry shop.
Well, I'd advice to get a washing machine that you just dump in all the clothes and soap and it does the job on its own. Even the rinsing of the clothes will be done for you. The washing machine we had before is different. We had to dump in the soap, the water and the clothes for washing the clothes. Then for rinsing, we'd have to dump in the water three times as well or maybe just hand rinse the clothes. I'm glad that we got the newer washing machine now. The brand we have is the Panasonic one. It has different settings for baby's clothes, delicates, whites and blankets. You can also soak the clothes for thorough stain removal. You can just dump the softener as well as it has separate compartments for the softener and the powder. Then it also has its own dryer. Granted, it doesn't dry as great but at least the clothes aren't soaking wet. If you have a clothes line, then expect that after three to four hours that the clothes will be completely dry.
My current washing machine is a Kenmore made by Sears. I've had it since 2003. It's never broken down or even had a tune up. With two kids, our machine gets used a lot. Front loading models are great, except they require bending down low to load and empty. Perhaps your father would prefer a top loading model. I think they are also less expensive. As my mother always says, just get a basic model, there are less things on it to break down. I'm sure your dad a 76 doesn't need a fancy washing machine with all the bells and whistles. Stick with a reputable brand name wiht a good warranty.
