On Mon, 13 Jan 2014 08:45:41 -0600, philo* wrote:

Since it's a Maytag chances are it's not going to need any service. As a
matter of fact it is very rare that any new appliance will need service
for a very long time. Don't waste your money on a service contact...I am
sure they will try to sell you one.

I disagree with this advice. In the past Maytag was a fantastic company, it has
since been sold and it's products are no longer superior to any other.

Additionally, with the widespread adoption of digital controls and the
elimination of mechanical, analog controls, appliance failures are far more
common and far more expensive.

I would urge you to buy the simplest appliance you can possibly find, one with
mechanical controls if possible. Always purchase the appliance using a credit
card that doubles the manufacturers warranty (most AMEX and many Visa and
MasterCard) and give serious consideration to an extended warranty. You do not
have to buy them from the point of purchase, in fact you can buy them
separately, saving a great deal of money by shopping around.

In the past, I always advised against extended warranties, but with the digital
control systems being so sensitive, unreliable and obscenely expensive, I
seriously consider the extended coverage, depending upon cost.

One last thought, consider purchasing used appliances on Craigslist. I recently
purchased a legacy Maytag washer via CL for $75. It had been in a storage unit
for years and was in perfect condition. It runs great, looks great and I
suspect it will last for many years, not bad for $75.