On Sat, 05 Apr 2014 18:42:33 -0400, Nil
wrote:

My 25-year-old Hotpoint dryer is getting flaky. I have to run it two or
three times to dry a load of wet clothes. I cleaned out the vent pipe
and got quite a lot of lint out, but it still doesn't dry very well.
I'm guessing either the heating element is partially dead or the
thermostat is bad or both. I haven't opened up the machine to test the
parts yet. A new heating element seems to cost about $100.

I'm wondering if modern dryers are better, more efficient, and more

I've been told that electric heaters are 100% efficient. Minus I
guess if the cabinet is hot. My electric dryer is 35 years old, only
dries for one person, but it's doing well. Original belt and
everything else.

reliable these days than they were in the late '80s/early '90s. Do you
think it's worth sinking $100 into such an old appliance, or would it
be better to cut my losses and put the money toward a new one?

Don't forget possibly clogged output hose, output hose connection at the
outside house wall, output path within the dryer, and lint filter.