Doc wrote:
I'm probably going to have to get another washing machine since my ancient
Hotpoint has munched a seal and lubricant is leaking out.

A local appliance shop has a number of refurb'd top loader washers of
various brands - Roper, Maytag, Kenmore, Kitchenaide, Whirlpool, RCA, GE.
The ones they had on display ranged from decent in appearance to virtually
new looking. Supposedly they've all been gone through. Probably ranging from
5 - 20 years old. Those that had model names visible were Kitchenaide Quiet
Care, Superba. Kenmore Quiet Pak Plus. Whirlpool Ultimate Care Heavy Duty.

What's a good older brand or line within a brand that's known for tough,
dependable construction and also being repair friendly? Any to definitely
avoid? Any features that I should look for? I tend to go for simple, on the
theory that there's less to go wrong.

Thanks for all input.

I've had no problems with Kenmore Heavy Duty models; in fact the pair I
had that were 11 years old were going strong when I gave them to a
young/needy couple. I fell for the lure of high energy efficiency in a
Kenmore He3 pair (plus no payments/interest for a year...which I paid
off beforehand of course). But I'm figuring Whirlpool heavy duty
models would be fine, too. Best bet is if you can find some young guy
or couple who didn't have kids, bought a house and decided to sell the
w/d that came with the house (new of course) because they wanted to
"upgrade". Check Craiglist in your area, you might see a pair like
that.