Susan,

I'll tell you what our appliance guy told us when our 10 year old washer was on "life support"--he told us to replace it with a Roper(made by Whirlpool) from Lowes--a basic mechanical machine for ~$450 and to avoid computerized machines at all costs! (He also repairs computers.)

Instead we opted to go to a local appliance store and bought the best looking used washer for ~$150. We decided that we could buy three before we spent the amount for a new Roper (which Lowes has to order--they don't keep them in stock so we could not look before we bought.) We've had it 2 years with no trouble and it is about 20 years old. I want a machine to clean my clothes--nothing else. My old machine was new in 2004--a small front loader that was repaired 2-3 times before we replaced it. I do miss the delay start option but little else--the new-old one has a large capacity and a short wash cycle.

Our 80 year old house came with a Roper fridge from the 90's which we have had to repair once in 12 years. It is a basic fridge--no fancy ice makers or water in the door but our food is cold and it does it's job.

Craig's list is another great place to find used appliances of varying ages/conditions for much less than new.