Buying a clothes washer

I just googled twin tubs in that country.

They are so cheap it hardly matters if you buy a pup that needs replacing in a year or so.

My wife insisted I buy an automatic so I did, but I still use my 8 year old twin tub.

Cheap to buy, cheap to use - and washes perfectly.

I do my own repairs because there's not much to go wrong and, when it does, a demi-trained monkey with a screwdriver can fix it.

I would never buy a twin tub! 

To the OP what area of the country are you in?

We are in Las Terrenas and we bought our modern Samsung washer and dryer from a vendor here. So, they are available. The issue is finding someone that can install these things properly. Venting the dryer is generally a puzzle locals don't understand.

@crabelramble, many places sell LG, Samsung, Whirlpool which should be easy.

If you go with the other type yes that can be challenging.

I bought Samsung type from Price Smart

BTW-a little off topic but helpful info.

Wanted to share some other helpful hints and recommendations that worked for me.

1. I purchase all my major appliances with my home country credit card. I accept Charge in Dominican Pesos  (banks normally give a better conversion rate) the accepting charge in dollars)

2. I have always registered the major appliances with thier brand ie; LG, Whirlpool, Samsung warranty policy website.

3. If a repair is needed and under warranty, I use the number and process established under that brand process and procedure.

(LG and Samsung is out of Panama and English Support) and they have certified vendors in the DR to do the repair which falls under thier guarantee.

4. Beware and depends on you household water source, and if you don't or the complex has a water filter system you may encounter a lot of SALT in your water. This is hell on various name brand washers and other appliances that use water. Highly recommend having a water filter treatment in your house if it is not provided by the complex. Most high-rise complex have a building filter system

    I would never buy a twin tub!     

    -@planner

I tend to look at pure practicality.

The twin tub does what it is supposed to do

It was cheap to buy

It's very cheap to run as it uses very little electricity and far less water than an automatic.

When it goes wrong, parts cost almost nothing and it's exceptionally easy to work on. Anyone with basic skills and problem solving abilities can fix one.

If something too big goes wrong, replacing it is cheap.

Washing is almost as easy as using an automatic

No it's not actually. It's much more time consuming.  Expats are not overly interested in spending hours a week doing laundry!  Not everyone is interested in what is "cheapest".  My time has value and spending hours a week doing laundry isn't on my list!

Newer machines are energy efficient and more water efficient as well. For those with the upfront capital it's more efficient than old style machines.

    No it's not actually. It's much more time consuming.  Expats are not overly interested in spending hours a week doing laundry!  Not everyone is interested in what is "cheapest".  My time has value and spending hours a week doing laundry isn't on my list!
Newer machines are energy efficient and more water efficient as well. For those with the upfront capital it's more efficient than old style machines.

    -@planner

An interesting point of view.

My old machine is far more energy and water efficient than the best, most expensive, new automatic.

My washing time is:

loading  - a couple of minutes

20 minutes of doing whatever I have planned while it washes

A few minutes for a manual rinse and loading the dryer

5 minutes relaxing or working while it spins.

5 minutes to hang the clothes for drying

Do you think a more expensive to buy and run, less reliable, less efficient, harder to repair automatic machine washes better?

Money an issue? Only because I dislike wasting it.

This is why my banks give me priory cards and sit me in a TV equipped private lounge when most have to queue up.

My contention is people are fooled by advertising  into paying far more than they need in order to keep manufacturers' profits high.

Expat or local - Which is better - Money in the bank and the free coffee whilst you wait for the bank staff to come to you, or a washing machine that does the same job, but costs more.

A simple household appliance it might well be, but it's also an attitude to life.

We've had twin-tub, semi-automatic, and the Samsung that Rocky mentioned above. The Samsung uses less electricity and less water, and because it can handle larger loads, I'm spending much less time on laundry!

Huh, I never realiized that “Pretentious Ass” was sprlled F- r-e-d 

Well Fred your opinion seems to be in the minority. Maybe go back to your forum where you actually live!  You often make remarks about a place you do not live and likely have never been to! 

    Well Fred your opinion seems to be in the minority. Maybe go back to your forum where you actually live!  You often make remarks about a place you do not live and likely have never been to! 
   

    -@planner

Does anyone live in a washing machine?

I use a front load Samsung washer and dryer. Love it and no issues. It's also an inverter and less electricity for the washer, and the dryer is by propane. Perfect for me.

Ahhhhh Fred you made me laugh this morning!

I've got a GE Stacker that has around 15 years on it without a problem. 

Well, not quite true.  It stopped working once, but I searched for it on Youtube and discovered it had a control card that could be reset, along with simple instructions on how to do it.

Took about 2 minutes and I was up and running again.

Whatever appliance you have/buy, if you have a problem, search for it on Youtube. I do a ton of DIY stuff, and YT is the most important tool in my toolbox.

Thanks for all the info. We're in La Vega.

My wife has back issues. She had an old Nedoca automatic top loader that finally died. Her back issues act up now that she has to use an almost-dead twin-tub semi-auto.

I guess a new Samsung model top loader is the best buy for the amount we can afford. Its digital inverter motor has a 10-year warranty, which minimizes the risk with that one part. It's probably the best we can do.

I wish we could get a water treatment setup because the local water is chock full of minerals. Sadly, that's not in the cards for now.

FWIW, I think only a commercial laundry needs to stay awake at night worrying about the energy used by their washing machines. From what I can find, the most you'll use per load with a terribly inefficient washer, washing with cold water, is 1 KWh. If you run a full load daily, you'd spend $0.26 x 30 loads per month. That's $7.80 USD per month.

@crabelramble recommend when or if purchase sign up via the warranty procedure online. I also only deal with the authorized warranty vendors for repair , etc. That is provided by the appropriate customer support. Normally Samsung for the DR is out of Panama with English support. All that information should be provided in the product and warranty packets. Good luck !

@planneragreed !

@crabelramble I understand back issues! We have a Samsung Front-load washer and Whirlpool gas dryer. We had a concrete platform built to place them both on. It's about 15 inches high and puts the doors at waist height. No bending necessary! We had Samsungs with Samsung platform/drawer things in the US, but those were really expensive here. The concrete platform was cheap!