How can you find tell a good craigslist machine from a bad or is it just a shot in the dark?
You're in luck: the Appliance Samurai just published his third edition of his brand recommendations.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZBfv-shUEUJD5Y5Jl0aG87ujCznwQagYa4DTwg4BDiM/editHe's a tad snarky, but he used to be a Navy aviation electronics tech. I've been using his recommendations and troubleshooting guides for years.
You can also check Consumer Reports ratings, either at your local library or by paying for their website access. $20-$40 is a cost-effective way of researching Craigslist posts for a $500 purchase.
I appreciate that Kenmore has an extremely sucky recommendation, but we bought a used Kenmore front-loader model 417.43042300. "Kenmore" is just the label that Sears slaps on their contract-manufactured appliances, and this one was actually made by Kelvinator. (
http://fixitnow.com/wp/2005/10/08/who-made-my-kenmore/)
It was made in 2004 and we bought it used in 2006. It's been flawless-- no problems with any part of it. The clothes are spun so hard that they're nearly dry, and can easily be hung up on a line to finish drying in less than an hour. The machine has never given us any problems with drains or hoses or pumps or any of the flooding
disasters glitches of top-loaders. I know that Kenmores can be hard to get parts for, let alone repair, but this has needed neither in nearly a decade. I know that some front-loaders have earned their bad reputations. This model appears to be the exception to that trend.
If you get a washing machine that's all knobs & mechanical switches, they tend to be more rugged and easier to repair. If they have electronics boards for their membrane buttons and LED readouts, then they tend to be more fragile and expensive to repair. A surge suppressor is probably also a good idea.