One thing I've learned after years of being an appliance repair Samurai is how to pick your battles. You don't want to engage in hand-to-appliance combat with an appliance that's not worth repairing, such as with a front loading washer with a failure in either the inner basket or outer drum.
An inner basket failure is a corroded or broken drum support spider assembly, like this one:
See this page for examples and further explanation.
The most common outer tub failure is a bad drum bearing, but it can take other, more subtle forms.
"But, wise and besotted Samurai," you ask incredulously, "what is it about these particular failures that makes even you, a seasoned veteran of the Appliance Wars, slink away from these battles like a ninja in the night?"
Ahh, Grasshoppah, in the words of my venerable Master, Miyamoto Mushashi, "You must understand that there is more than one path to the top of the mountain [of Appliantology]."
The parts alone for these repairs can run well over $500 and can take several hours to repair, sometimes requiring a second man. And then there are other things that can fail in the washer at a later time: motors, motor control boards, door boots, etc. So I ask you, Grasshoppah, would you rather spend your precious time, blood, and money resurrecting a machine that has given up the will to live or would you rather spend about the same amount of money and far less time purchasing a new washing machine?
What appears to you as running away from a fight is in reality another path to the top of the mountain of Appliantology. And to get there, you must learn to, "Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye," as my Master taught.
To help you "Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye," I have assembled three videos from my various encounters with these types of catastrophic failures in front-load washers to help you discern the situation and make a wise decision. Watch and learn, Grasshoppah... | 
Create a custom theme
2
