Short answer
Rough guide: if the repair costs more than about half what a comparable new machine costs, and the appliance is past two-thirds of its expected life, replacing is usually the better call. Below that, repairing almost always wins on cost and on waste.
The two numbers that actually decide it
The first is the repair quote against the replacement cost of a comparable machine — not the cheapest machine on the floor, but one of the same class as what you have. The second is how far through its expected life the appliance is. A four-year-old washer with a failed pump is worth fixing. A fourteen-year-old washer with a failed transmission usually is not.
What makes this decision harder than it should be is that people compare a repair quote against the *advertised* price of a new machine, and then discover delivery, haul-away, installation and a new set of hoses on top.
When we tell you not to repair it
We say so when the part costs more than the machine is worth, when the failure is one that tends to be followed by another on that model, or when the appliance has reached the point where the next fault is a matter of when rather than whether.
This is the least profitable thing we do and it is the single most common reason people call us a second time. A shop that never tells you to replace something is a shop that has an incentive not to.
The case for repairing that nobody mentions
Machines built ten or fifteen years ago are frequently better made than their current equivalents at the same price point. A repaired older washer with a metal transmission can outlast a new one with a plastic gearcase. If yours is one of those, we will tell you it is worth keeping.
Still not sure how this applies to your machine? Call and ask — we would rather answer a question over the phone than have you guess. We cover Rock Island, the Quad Cities and every community within 50 miles.
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