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At a Glance
I was with my folks over the weekend, and their washer is clearly on its last legs. After 16+ years, it’s time for a new one. Yet, the dryer is going strong.
It always seems to be the case. The washer dies, yet the dryer soldiers on.
Unfortunately, you may still have to buy both when stacking the drying, unless the new one will use the same stacking kit.
In this article, you will learn we will look at the fail rates of both gas and electric dryers.
Then we will match them up to their washer so you can find the most reliable pair.
Reliable Dryers At A Glance:
The three best electric dryers are:
- GE 2.28%
- LG 5.66%
- Whirlpool 6.93%
The three best gas dryers are:
- GE 2.67%
- LG 5.66%
- Samsung 6.19%
How We Calculate Appliance Reliability
Front Load Washers And Dryers at Yale Appliance in Hanover
Our appliance reliability formula is simple. We look at service calls and divide them by sales within 12 months.
We try to correct customer education calls with techs over the phone. However, if we have to dispatch a truck to your home, it counts as a service call.
We track the first year only because we provide a free warranty service. After that, it's hard to know if people use us (or know too).
Read More: Most Reliable, Least Serviced Appliance Brands
Most Reliable Full-Size Clothes Dryers For 2020
Full-size electric dryers January 2020 to September 2020
| Service Qty | Shipped Qty | Service Ratio | |
| Speed Queen | 17 | 61 | 27.87% |
| Maytag | 39 | 307 | 12.70% |
| Amana | 5 | 52 | 9.62% |
| Samsung | 56 | 739 | 7.58% |
| Whirlpool | 17 | 245 | 6.93% |
| LG | 54 | 880 | 6.13% |
| GE | 14 | 613 | 2.28% |
| Grand Total | 202 | 2901 | 6.96% |
Full-Size Gas Dryer Reliability Cleaned From January 2020 to September 2020
| Service Qty | Shipped Qty | Service Ratio | |
| Maytag | 18 | 126 | 14.29% |
| Whirlpool | 9 | 71 | 12.68% |
| Speed Queen | 5 | 40 | 12.50% |
| Samsung | 7 | 113 | 6.19% |
| LG | 15 | 265 | 5.66% |
| GE | 5 | 187 | 2.67% |
| Grand Total | 59 | 802 | 7.35% |
Gas and electric dryers are statistically the same in reliability.
If these numbers seem low, we do not sell every brand. In our last survey, it was 9.6% for electric and 15% for gas.
One manufacturer had a defect with their lint screens. It was 100% fail. We are no longer representing that brand.
Wonder if they fixed the problem? Somehow I doubt it.
What Are The Most Dependable Laundry Pairs?
The most reliable laundry pairs to consider are:
- GE Appliances - 6.22%
- Whirlpool - 6.77%
- LG - 7.53%
- Samsung - 6.65%
- Maytag - 24.21%
Below are our washer stats from January 2020 to September 2020.
Front Load Washer Reliability From January 2020 to September 2020
| Service Qty | Shipped Qty | Service Ratio | |
| Speed Queen | 6 | 7 | 85.71% |
| Maytag | 104 | 232 | 44.83% |
| LG | 107 | 1192 | 8.98% |
| GE | 54 | 973 | 5.55% |
| Samsung | 28 | 515 | 5.44% |
| Whirlpool | 15 | 289 | 5.19% |
| Grand Total | 314 | 3208 | 9.78% |
If you're considering a washer and dryer pair, here are the best laundry pairs to consider for 2020 based on our washer and dryer stats.
Read More: Most Reliable Front Load Washers
GE Appliances Steam Laundry Pair - $1,889
1173 Laundry Units Sold | 73 Laundry Units Serviced - 6.22%
GE GFW650SSNWW | GE GFD65GSSNWW
- GE Appliances GFW650SSNWW - 4.8 Cu. Ft. Smart Front Load Washer
- GE Appliances GFD65GSSNWW - 7.8 Cu. Ft. Smart Front Load Gas Dryer
GE Steam Laundry Upgrade Pair - $1,979
1173 Laundry Units Sold | 73 Laundry Units Serviced - 6.22%
GE GFW850SSNWW | GE GFD85ESSNWW
- GE Appliances GFW850SSNWW - GE Appliances 5.0 Cu. Ft. Front Load Washer
- GE Appliances GFD85ESSNWW - GE Appliances 7.8 Cu. Ft. Electric Dryer
Whirlpool Premium Front-Load Laundry Pair - $2,899
605 Laundry Units Sold | 41 Laundry Units Serviced - 6.77%
Whirlpool WFW9620HW | Whirlpool WGD9620HW
- Whirlpool WFW9620HW - Whirlpool(R) 5.0 cu. ft. Smart Front Load Washer with Load & Go(TM) XL Plus Dispenser - White
- Whirlpool WGD9620HW - Whirlpool(R) 7.4 cu. ft. Smart Front Load Gas Dryer - White
LG Premium Front-Load Laundry Pair - $1,989
2337 Laundry Units Sold | 176 Laundry Units Serviced - 7.53%
LG Electronics WM3900HWA | LG Electronics DLEX3900W
- LG Electronics WM3900HWA - 27 Inch Front Load Washer
- LG Electronics DLEX3900W - 27 Electric Steam Dryer White
Gas $2,079
- LG Electronics WM3900HWA - 27 Inch Front Load Washer
- LG Electronics DLGX3901W - Front Load Gas Dryer
Samsung Steam Front-Load Laundry Pair - $1,899
1367 Laundry Units Sold | 91 Laundry Units Serviced - 6.65%
Samsung WF45R6300AW | Samsung DVE45R6300W
- Samsung WF45R6300AW - WF6300 4.5 cu. ft. Smart Front Load Washer with SuperSpeed
- Samsung DVE45R6300W - DV6300 7.5 cu. ft. Smart Electric Dryer with Steam Sanitize+
Maytag Maxima Front-Load Laundry Pair - $2,499
665 Laundry Units Sold | 161 Laundry Units Serviced - 24.21%
Maytag MED8630HW | Maytag MHW8630HW
- Maytag MED8630HW - Maytag(R) Front-Load Electric Dryer with Extra Power and Advanced Moisture Sensing with industry-exclusive extra moisture sensor - 7.3 cu. ft. - Chrome Shadow
- Maytag MHW8630HW - 5.0 cu. ft. Front Load Washer
Gas - $2,599
- Maytag MGD8630HW - Maytag(R) Front-Load Gas Dryer with Extra Power and Advanced Moisture Sensing with industry-exclusive extra moisture sensor - 7.3 cu. ft. - Chrome Shadow
- Maytag MHW8630HW - 5.0 cu. ft. Front Load Washer
For front load washer and dryer pairs, GE is the best followed by Whirlpool, Samsung, and LG. Maytag and Whirlpool are the same machines.
However, Maytag has its auto dispenser on the top, which is susceptible to mold and future service calls. You should not have a problem if you maintain it.
GE and Whirlpool have theirs in the front where it has not been an issue.
For a top load, basic Whirlpool or Maytag is fine. Even a Frigidaire top load set is OK (we do not sell Frigidaire appliances).
Should You Buy An Extended Warranty?
Maybe. First, don’t bother to buy an extended warranty from any store without a service department. Most of these contracts are third party companies without techs.
You will spend money just to become aggravated.
Let's assume you are buying your washer dryer from a store with service, so you actually will have a repairman show up when needed.
Washers and dryers are reliable, so there is less of a need to buy a warranty extension.
However, they are some of the most technical and expensive to fix.
It is less expensive to give you a new washer than spend the time, parts, and manpower fixing a front-load motor.
Also, with COVID-19 affecting the supply chain, many parts, including dryer repair kits, are unavailable.
An extended warranty will protect you from that in the short term as well.
There is an argument either way. Treat it like any insurance.
Read more: Are Appliance Extended Warranties Worth It?
What To Know Before Buying A Dryer
Samsung Front Load Laundry at Yale Appliance in Hanover
Samsung/LG both have exploded in popularity, but their service has struggled to keep up, especially Samsung.
Be sure you know who can fix your appliance before you buy it.
We service what we sell and will log more than 38,000 service calls this year with 32 techs.
Many service companies don’t fix the Korean brands well, so be careful.
All these products are way lower than the average rate of repair for an appliance at 13.4%.
If there isn't adequate service or products available on a brand, then opt for another manufacturer.
The reliability numbers and features are close enough where better product service should be the deciding factor.
Additional Resources
Have more questions about laundry? Get the Yale Dryer Buying Guide with features, specs, and capacities of all the major brands. Well over 800,000 people have read a Yale Guide.
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A Note About Pricing
Pricing on this blog is for reference only and may include time sensitive rebates. We make every attempt to provide accurate pricing at time of publishing. Please call the stores for most accurate price.