Huge Cater-wash 18Kg Industrial Washing Machine - Bargain Or bust? | Can I Fix It?

[@colinrawlins3286]

Don't get the replacement bearings with steal shield, get the same bearings but after the number don't get suffice "Z" get them with the same number ending in 2RS that means two rubber seal not steal so will last longer. got to E spares they are great and have a vast quantity on bearings and seal to suit all types of washers. It is also suggested that as the drum has been split that a bead of silicone sealant is used to help seal the two halves if a new drum seal is not to be used.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks for the advice. I just replaced like for like but used SKF bearings, but I'll bear that in mind if I ever need to replace them in the future!

[@jlucasound]

@@BuyitFixit SKF are very good.

[@GadgetUK164]

That's great advice!

[@ThriftyToolShed]

I was very surprised to see the "Z" shielded bearings from the factory. I would have surely thought 2RS rubber sealed would have been better? I mean speed is not a factor here... I recently uploaded a video talking about this very thing working on a 58V ECHO string trimmer motor.

[@SeanBZA]

@@ThriftyToolShed ZZ bearings used because they have lower rolling loss over 2RS bearings. However I almost always, when replacing bearings that are in pairs, will strip out the inner seal, either Z or RS, and wash the factory grease out, then replace it with a synthetic grease instead, and pack the space between then so it has a coating of grease on the walls, so it is, when assembled, half grease half air. With this only the front bearing would be RS, the rear one needs to be open, to allow for expansion of the air as it heats up, as otherwise you will pop out that inner seal with time, as the air volume will be unable to escape, and when it cools off it will suck water through. Shaft clearance will allow it to equalise with the inner volume, and then with the outside through the dust seal on the rear one, but will not easily allow water through that small capillary space. This bearing set failed as the factory grease fill was either inadequate quality wise, or was too little, to reduce rolling friction, and this then allowed the bearings to run dry, and wear the inner and outer races, along with the balls. Then clearance allowed the seal to slowly start bypassing water, making rust, and making this wear rapidly increase.

[@ibewatchinu]

I thought £500 to repair sounded a bit steep at first but when you said what you spent on parts it actually seemed very reasonable. Still more fun fixing it yourself.

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes, I thought it was expensive at first, but I'm not sure if they knew the outer drum was badly damaged (I certainly didn't).

[@pileofstuff]

The amount of labour involved in getting to the parts needing replaced almost justifies the £500 repair estimate...

[@mels8966]

I wouldn't be surprised if that £500 quote was made before the bearings got that bad that it split the tub, and the owner decided to run it into the ground instead of repairing it, so kept using it until it dumped all the water on the floor. We had the manufacturer's repair service change the bearings on our previous machine when it was 13 months old, the repairman split the tub and replaced the entire rear half, didn't even bother to remove and reuse the perfectly good drum. Probably did that to save his time and bashing out bearings etc on site, not that I'm complaining since we were only changed call our and labour.

[@Ragnar8504]

@@mels8966 I've been told some domestic washing machines have the bearings moulded into the outer drum so you have to replace the whole drum if a bearing goes. Your hypothesis sounds quite reasonable and I've been thinking about doing the same if my washing machine (16 years old at the moment) ever gives me any trouble. We tried getting the shocks replaced in my gran's late-80s Siemens washing machine last year and that turned into an ordeal that stretched over several months ending up with loads of money spent on a machine that's more broken than when the repair man started. Now the front no longer quite fits, the selector knob is hard to turn and - worst of all - the tach gen inside the motor is broken. The company sent another guy who did his best to fix the machine (while spending half the time on the phone trying to babysit the other technician on one of his repairs, culminating in the comment: "I can't repair _every_ machine for you!"). He diagnosed the broken motor and promised to look for a used spare, as a new motor would cost 230 Euros. He never followed up on that promise though so we've had a broken machine sitting around for the best part of a year now. We don't need it that badly because it was only for the holiday home but still very annoying.

[@Js2060]

I love your channel. I was particularly intrigued by this one. I’m a 30 year master technician in America. Generally this would be a condemned product in the USA due to cost, but it’s nice that you are able to show people these things can be repaired with effort. Keep producing great content. You’re one of my favorite subscriptions!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you very much! Really appreciate the feedback! I just do this as a hobby (or to save money as in this case). I've always fixed stuff as it's always interested me how things work, and I find it like a puzzle / challenge to figure out what's wrong or how something comes apart 🙂

[@Js2060]

@ I also repair electronics at home and repair watches. It gives me great pleasure to know others are like me in trying to salvage products. Again, I love your content.

[@jlucasound]

@@BuyitFixit You're an accountant by day, right? 😉

[@RussellHutchison-ng1mw]

50 + years fixing machines industrial washers dryers. Good job well done 👏.

[@wz362]

Wow so lucky it's a split drum, so easy to replace bearing. Most washing machines now have sealed drums making it almost impossible to change. Currently have a 12kg Samsung machine just under a year old and drum bearing has gone, luckily its under warranty! Great video, love your channel 👍

[@PhilJennings]

If it's a sealed drum just cut it along the plastic weld joint with a multitool or jigsaw. Replace the bearings and then drill and bolt both the halves back together with a good splodge of silicon sealer between the halves. Did ours 6 months ago and been fine ever since.

[@dublindave5795]

@@PhilJennings Silicone doesn't stick to plastic very well, you should use a polyurethane sealant.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍I'd not heard of sealed drums. That should be illegal it makes repairing the machine virtually impossible as you say.

[@Law_Abiding_Citizen_ok]

The problem is as the years have gone on the manufactures have used smaller and smaller bearings and these don’t last as long, back in the 80’s when I delt with domestic appliances the bearings were much bigger🙄 and as mentioned drums are now ultra-sonically welded together you’re not supposed to changed failed bearings but buy a new drum/case assembly ££££’s

[@SeanBZA]

@@dublindave5795 Sika makes some that will stick to clean plastic really well, the instructions say that wet you can remove it with a solvent coated cloth, but after cure the only way to remove is with a grinder.

[@bootsowen]

Nicely done, When the bearings get that bad it is always a dirty job to get it apart and back together again. It was a very clean machine, didn't look too old, so I wonder why it went bad. As for the quoted repair price of £500 that you mentioned at the start, doesn't sound too bad if you count in the price of the tub front. I have seen an lg with the donut motor running with the drum completely collapsed and cut through the tub leaking out on the element and still working. Failed only because it couldn't fill as all the water was running out the front! Well done.

[@BuyitFixit]

@@bootsowen Cheers Owen 👍

[@WayneJohnsonZastil]

I suspect it would been more like 700 for repairs once found the cracked front bit broken

[@UnCoolDad]

Went bad due to poor quality bearings. Planned obsolescence.

[@mels8966]

​@@WayneJohnsonZastil My guess is the owner got that quote before it got that bad and decided they didn't want to spend that much on it. So carried on using it despite the noise it would have made, until the bearings were completely destroyed and it finally dumped water on their floor.

[@SwimCoach8]

Excellent video, thank you. Could you imagine the racket when this machine entered the spin cycle? Walking around the laundry room till the safety shut off kicked in sheeesh! We had a 20-year-old Speed Queen washer. Mostly commercial machines, only a few home use models. The bearing fix quote was around 750 dollars. I looked the repair up and decided to fix it myself. Seems Speed Queen requires a special "Speed Queen" puller to extract the rear bearings and workings. My friend has a huge auto shop and every tool known to mankind. He looked and looked. Scratched his head and noted it looked like it needed some kinda special puller. The shop where we purchased the machine actually used a company that services commercial laundromat machines. Soooooo, the 20 year old Speed Queen moved away (Recycled) in favor of a new Maytag/Whirlpool light commercial top loader. Amazing washer but my wife and I miss our heavy-duty Speed Queen.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍Yes I can imagine the noise from this would have been horrendous! I'm pretty dismayed that the original owners ran it for so long and let it get this bad. Surely they would have thought there's something not right with this? Personally I would have tried to fabricate some kind of device to pull the bearing (but that's just me). I've had to get creative quite a few times. Even if you had to weld something onto the old bearing to remove it.. 🙂

[@Ragnar8504]

@@BuyitFixit As someone else said, they might have gotten a quote and then decided to run the machine into the ground instead of having it fixed. Apart from the risk of water damage that's precisely what I might do.

[@uzlonewolf]

@@BuyitFixit If you're planning on getting rid of it anyway, why *wouldn't* you run a broken machine until it stops working?

[@iantyler4045]

I've repaired a few washing machines in my time but never to the length you went to. I enjoyed this video greatly. I thought it was a goner initially. Another item saved from landfill.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks. Not sure if I would have gone to those lengths for a standard washer (would depend on the quality of it I suppose) but because this one is really large for the UK I wanted to get it working 🙂

[@dazer123]

I know the feeling you had when you removed the top and saw the drum was bolted together and not requiring cutting it with a saw and re gluing it back together. Nice repair dude

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍I wasn't aware of those sealed drums until a few people have mentioned it. I've only worked on 2 or 3 washing machines over the years..

[@squeakmillward]

those sealed drums are obsolescense built in

[@ianfraser2009]

Most manufacturers make a welded drum so you can't get to the bearings. The £500​ for a commercial engineer sounds about right. Well done@@BuyitFixit

[@BuyitFixit]

@ianfraser2009 Thanks Ian 👍I was unaware of them being sealed drums these days until a few people mentioned it. Should be illegal as it makes repair pretty much impossible.

[@ianfraser2009]

@BuyitFixit it is a disgrace. My washing machine has a sealed Drum. To replace drum it costs over £230. Not worth spending that on a domestic washing machine that is a few years old. You saved yourself money fixing the commercial one. Well done. Have a good evening.

[@MikeB_UK]

Well done. Previous owner must have heard the bearings start to go then just decided to use it until it broke completely. My last home machine had a sealed outer drum. When it's bearings went noisy it was impossible to do anything with. Modern sealed drum units are stupid penny pinching by manufacturers with no thought about waste and landfill.

[@Ea-Nasir_Copper_Co]

This is likely a commercial unit, operated until it literally fell apart.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks Mike. That sucks. A few people have mentioned about these "sealed drums" I've not came across that before, but agree. Things like that should be made illegal as it hugely impacts the repairability of the device.

[@paultasker7788]

Hopefully right to repair will put an end to this nonsense. Having to buy a brand new machine because a bearing fails is not environmentally friendly

[@millzee60]

So was a £500 quote to do the fix you did reasonable? My guess is probably. But I’d also guess they did not know about the split drum.

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes, I think the £500 quote was reasonable due to the amount of damage I found, but I also guess they didn't realise about the drum or the spider.

[@fredwooding599]

I am very impressed. I would not have touched this with a 10-meter pole. Too many parts to forget where they came from lol

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers Fred 👍

[@theshemullet]

I've 6 kids. A washer like this bought and repaired for that price would be a dream. Well done

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you 👍

[@kdub2757]

I have done washer bearings a few times. I made an attachment for my hammer drill to remove the old bearings with little effort.

[@BuyitFixit]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@KenFullman]

This model is practically identical to one I had at home years ago. I think it was a Zanussi. It was a great machine. I've still got the motor around somewhere. (My idea was to use it on a home made belt sander in the shed).

[@BuyitFixit]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@joshspranger7041]

I have done this repair on my 10 year old LG, been working great ever since. 2 things though, 1 get a new rubber seal for the tub halves, and 2 there is a special tool to reinstall the door seal spring, makes it easy to reinstall (although it didn't look like you had too much trouble with yours). Nice to see this kind of content from you, very versatile tech!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks very much, and thanks for the tips 👍🙂

[@CallumFaulds1]

This is a proper repair. Well done! At first, I thought you could sand the inside of the drum and use epoxy but then you showed us the extent of the damage and I thought it was a write off. I'm happy you persevered through!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍 Yes it was quite a long one this, but the power of editing... 😂😂😂

[@geneard639]

That was a fun repair. I still like the old Maytags with the wringer/mangle on the side. Those things break and its an easy fix and damn little to break unless you drop it off a ten story building.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍🙂

[@Sparkie-Zeta]

All of our washing machines and dryers here in North America are that size or larger. The only time we see small units would be for a small apartment and would be hard to find but available. Great repair, many would have given up seeing the issues you found. Keep up with the great repair videos.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you very much 👍Most washers over here are only 7-9Kg. A 10Kg is large. This is pretty much 2x the size of most washers over here in the UK.

[@SarahJane148]

Well done you've got more patience then i have i wouuld of stripped it for scrap

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂Thanks 👍

[@vaalrus]

Nice. I thought I might be looking at a similar repair on a unit that was replaced because it “Started making an unbearable squealing noise”. It being neartly 15 years old, the homeowner has a robust idea of having already had their money’s worth, and values some amount of confidence in having new vs. repaired units. I brought it back to my shop to have a look at it, Just Because, and it turned out the main rubber seal had dried somewhat and was the only fault on the unit. I looked at getting a new seal, and new bearings on principle, but a touch of lube quieted the seal, and it’s been working as my own unit for a year now.

[@BuyitFixit]

Nice also 👍Well done 🙂

[@dentmastersofnymichael3316]

I did the same repair on my Samsung washer and I used lots of grease between the rubber seal and the bearing. That’s what caused the failure is water on the bearing so I put grease as an additional barrier between the rubber seal and the bearing and it never failed again.

[@BuyitFixit]

Nice 👍Thanks for sharing 🙂

[@JeffBlueEyes]

I'm so glad my washing is covered with D&G because a few years ago I had an issue with my machine making one hell of a noise I called them up and they sent an engineer out he said the problem was that the machine drum needed replacing so he ordered a new drum and replaced it at no cost to myself because they offer unlimited call outs no labour costs or costs for the parts 👍

[@BuyitFixit]

Very nice 👍

[@MikeyMack303]

Thanks for bringing us along, Mick!

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers Mikey👍

[@tchads_57]

I repaired our top load washer 3 times over a 20 year period (bearings, pump, fill sensor). Replaced it in 2021 and had to replace the pump and main control board already. Better off fixing the older equipment. 👍 Nicely done.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks👍Yes some old kit is built way better than it's modern equivalent. The kitchen aid mixer I looked at on the channel springs to mind. That was 36 years old, and it was in excellent condition. Even though it had been used by a guy who made chocolate for a living! I did a full strip down and re-build and every cog was mint condition and everything was metal. Not a plastic gear in sight! I'm sure it will last another 36 years now...

[@chrissavage5966]

Did another repair for my MOT place recently. Bit random, a paper shredder. A fairly big one and the owner had already bought a replacement at around £500. It was apparently dead, but the fault was simply the ON/OFF tactile switch had failed. I bought a selection of 200 switches for £6.50 so the parts cost for the fix was 3.25p...... Like most of us here I suspect, they guy hates the disposable society we live in these days. Probably why he ended up in the car repair business I guess. He was delighted with the fix.

[@BuyitFixit]

@@chrissavage5966 Nice one 👍Shame he had already bought a new one.

[@robertmjr7996]

Yeah, I noticed the loose screw about two years ago.😁 That's one heck of a deal, and the bonus of knowing the internals if an issue ever arises. Another repair, well done.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks Robert 👍🙂

[@dreamweaver4886]

This has probably been mentioned already in the comments. But you're lucky with that one. Most machines these days have welded sealed outer drums, not allowing you to replace the bearings.

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes a few people have mentioned that. That should be illegal imho, as it pretty much renders the machine impossible to repair.

[@dreamweaver4886]

I totally agree with you mate ​@@BuyitFixit

[@ShadowKrutshov]

Great repair! Please do more of these "household" appliances repairs. Now your wife can wash all your duvets in one go.

[@BuyitFixit]

@@ShadowKrutshov Thanks, I wasn't sure how well this one would do as I usually do a lot more smaller or complicated repairs, but the comments seem to be positive and it's had quite a few views so far 👍I'll see what comes my way... 🙂

[@michaeltempsch5282]

​@@BuyitFixitVariation is good. Living in an apartment with common/central laundry room I've not had cause to dig into washers/dryers, but always enjoy seeing/learning new stuff)

[@akhtarkh]

We need more mechanical repairs like this, please.

[@BuyitFixit]

I wasn't sure how well this video would do as I normally do more electronic type repairs. I'm busy rebuilding a hydraulic transmission on a Kubota RTV900. Perhaps I should have made a video on that. It's in 100 bits with the axle off at the moment...

[@drorhaz]

Yes, mechanics repairs. It's great! ​@BuyitFixit

[@MrHunt1701]

@@BuyitFixit PERFECT!

[@TABRO284]

and you better half thought it would just be a bad capacitor. Nice repair.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍😂😂😂😂No she knew it was "bearings" but we were both shocked to the amount of other damage that was also there.

[@brianwood5220]

I do admire you for tackling such massive machine fix. I know I replaced the bearings on a washing machine we had from new, it was about 10 years old and boy what a job I had removing the bearing from that. It took me 6 hours of pounding with a 3lb mash hammer. I needed the full following day to recover. This was back in 1997. So, very well done, Mick. I must say I was worried for you that the metal drum had gone out of round; with all that banging about. One question though. What on earth will you use an 18Kg machine for? Thanks for sharing with us.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks Brian 👍Wife thought it was a good idea as the place that had it used it for washing hose rugs.. and she has a hoses... Also good for washing quilts and other large items that won't fit in a normal washer.

[@washingandmowing15]

i have a 20kg washer in the us here, and i fill it a ton, theyre very nice for large wash days.

[@rasz]

Am I crazy in thinking I could save this cracked drum by plastic welding from the inside just so it keeps shape for reinforcing with $30 worth of epoxy/fiberglass mat from the outside?

[@BuyitFixit]

Possibly. I might have tried if the part wasn't available. Seeing as the part was available I didn't want to take the chance of having a go and it leaking everywhere

[@mels8966]

Plastic welding would work. Methyl methacrylate adhesives possibly might be a lot more durable than epoxy, because the tub is likely to be a low surface energy plastic, often polypropylene, which regular adhesives like epoxy don't adhere that strongly to.

[@bborkzilla]

I had an Electrolux washer for many years that used to rot out the drum spider due to the hard water we have here. I got pretty good at replacing the inner drum (couldn't just buy the spider) until they finally quit making the parts. I still have two drums which I've repurposed into backyard fire places.

[@BuyitFixit]

Shame. I've also repurposed a couple of old washers in the past into fire pits 🙂👍

[@overboss3152]

mike the magician ! electronicks repair, tractor repair,car repair,washing machine repair, just at end, plane repair ! i hope your wife know she had a treasure at home ! toujours un plaisir de regarder tes videos !

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂Thanks 👍🙂

[@joewhite917]

When I did the same repair on my Kenmore HE3 (Maytag Duet) I put some Black RTV before I put the seal in and put some over the drum halves.

[@BuyitFixit]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@SeanBZA]

Tip for those bearings would have been to pack the inner part of the tube with that white grease, so that there is a grease supply that will slump down, and slowly move through those dust seals to lubricate the bearings. Also would remove the inner seal before, so the grease can get in easily, as the reason those bearings fail is the hot water melting the grease, and it all migrating out. I had an AEG, replaced because it needed the exact same bearings and spider, but the cost of those alone was more than the cost of a new machine. AEG Lavamat, lasted around 25 years of use though.

[@BuyitFixit]

I did put some grease into the space between the inner and outer bearing before inserting the drum, not sure if that bit made it on the video. Wasn't white grease just normal though.

[@terrym1065]

Wow!, lots of work here, appreciate your skill and tenacity. Most people would just scrap and replace as is most often these days. Satisfaction of repairing and saving money has to be rewarding in the end. Just think, no capacitor this time...😉 Great fix video and educational as well, thanks bro. See ya next time.

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers Terry, yes it it was just a normal sized washer I probably wouldn't have bothered but because it's 2x the size of a normal UK washer it's handy for things like quilts or even "horse rugs" as this is what it was being used for before we got it.

[@Ivc406]

Hi how did they not notice the noise😂also the washing must have been covered in grease from the damage bearings good outcome my son is a domestic appliance engineer (self taught) he would have been proud repairing that washer regards from Scotland 🎥🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇬🇧⚙️🛠️

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers 👍Yes the noise must have been horrendous! I think they were using it at a farm for washing horse rugs so my wife said. I think the rust from the bearings would also have stained whatever they were washing too!

[@baztess8281]

Great fix as always. I can see why the original owner was quoted £500 to fix but a man with your (can do) attitude will always be able to save a few hundred pounds and use what otherwise would’ve been scraped. Good job 👍🏽

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍I'm not sure if the original tech would have realised at the amount of damage. I thought it was just the bearings, but I was wrong too!

[@frankmontefusco6016]

I fixed a lot washing machines with that problem commercial ones you had a tear the whole front apart separate the front to get the drum out and the bearing kit was only $30

[@BuyitFixit]

Nice 👍

[@alanmurphy4402]

Great video,spent my working life doing these in customer houses,very lucky the old middle tub seal did not leak,I always replaced it with a new one,as its prone to leaking if re-used,just saying!!

[@BuyitFixit]

@@alanmurphy4402 Thanks, and thanks for sharing. I've not done too many washing machines over the years, probably only the 2nd time I've replaced a set of bearings. A few people mentioned that the new machines have a sealed drum which is plastic welded making them almost impossible to repair 🙁🤬

[@darrenglynn597]

There is a easy way of disconnecting stuff. 1) take a photo of the device beforehand. 2) when you come round to reasembbleing it you have got it back. OK you can also do what you have done by recording it.

[@BuyitFixit]

@@darrenglynn597 Yes, because I'm recording for YT anyway it's quite useful to refer back sometimes to see how things go together. It was pretty straightforward anyway to be honest. I've done a lot more complicated stuff like stripped down my v6 engine to get to the oil cooler that was deep in the V of the engine 👍

[@canyondan]

WoW surely, they could have heard that the machine was failing and removed it from service before all that damage was done. Wisth that said you did an amazing job with this repair and saved another item from the scrap bin. Thank you sir.

[@Ea-Nasir_Copper_Co]

Most likely whoever was in charge of the restaurant or hotel or whatever didn’t spend time in the laundry room, and the people who did weren't paid to diagnose faults.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@BuyitFixit]

I think it was in use at a small farm, and they used it for washing horse rugs. Agree the noise must have been horrendous and they surely must have known something wasn't right...

[@awall1701]

WOW!!! My hat goes off to you for such an undertaking.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks very much 👍

[@paulchad511]

Good job 👏 It's good to see a washing machine with a 2 piece outer drum. So many domestic ones are now a one piece, throw away units

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍Yes I was unaware that a lot of machines now come with sealed drums! That should be illegal as it grossly affects the repairability of the machine to save a few pennies on some screws and a seal...

[@deanstalker7964]

i am a mechanical field service engineer and i can not believe how intricate a washer machine is. that was incredible well done

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you very much! Really appreciated! I'm in the middle of rebuilding a hydraulic transmission on a Kubota RTV900 utility vehicle at the moment. It took me quite a while to figure out how it works even after reading the service manual about 6 times 😂

[@noelhenderson8095]

Good job on fixing the machine if you plan on putting it in the house what I have found works really great for cleaning them throw a few dishwashing tablets in there and run it on a full cycle you will be surprised how much crap comes out

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks, and thanks for the tip! I've already put it in the utility room in the house and it's done quite a few washes since I recorded this (a few weeks back).

[@joe2mercs]

Had a Bosch with a spider that broke on the spin cycle. It had a steel inner drum and outer plastic drum. It was on spin for less than 2 minutes before is was switched off due to excessive noise. In that short time the water pump was filled with drum shavings of plastic that looked like spaghetti. When a bearing or spider breaks it is likely that the damage that you see is done on just one spin cycle. The rust stain on the back of the machine shows that water has been corroding the bearing for a little while but when a bearing finally goes the results can be dramatic.

[@BuyitFixit]

Interesting. Thank you for sharing 👍

[@Teknowash-dk]

Drum failures are very common on those large washers, i have myself a 14 kg candy combo machine that also dryes the clothes but only 9 kg at a time, samsung also makes these large machines 18 kg.

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes when I was looking for parts I did notice that Samsung also do a 18kg 👍

[@crazycarl9484]

Good dissamblly, I used to tinker with old zanussi lasted good on 30 years. Never went as far as taking drum out so hats off to ya mick Stirling work as always.

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers mate 👍

[@davidharton7202]

put a speedy seal on the shaft if they make one that size and plastic weld the tub up

[@BuyitFixit]

I managed to get a part for a whirlpool washing machine that fit, I was looking at those speedy seal things before I came across that. I had thought about welding the tub but it was quite badly damaged and was nearly worn through all the way round, and was worried about it leaking.

[@PeterGallagher-er3vh]

Well done my friend I'd give you a job in my repair shop just 2 wee things when you took the drum apart I noticed a bit of the door seal had got cut off so may need a door seal as it might starting eating socks one other thing is when this happens it usually cuts into the heater so it's good practice to change the heater but all said well done

[@BuyitFixit]

@@PeterGallagher-er3vh Thanks 👍Heater looked ok, no signs of wear or anything. There seems to be a metal sheid above it that may stop the drum fro m hitting it. I did notice the bits worn on the door seal. They seemed mainly at the top and didn't seem to affect the seals integrity so I didn't bother replacing it, although I didn't consider the possibility of it eating socks 🙂👍

[@prestonr6348]

Engineers shoild make bearing replacements 100x easier. Great video!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍It seems they have actually made it harder or if not impossible to do now. A lot of people mentioned that a lot of new machines have the drum plastic welded making it almost unrepairable 😥

[@ooheaven1459]

Great job, I love to see people working out the process as they go along. A great find from Mrs Buy it Fix it

[@BuyitFixit]

@@ooheaven1459 Thanks mate 👍🙂

[@dlggamer7014]

Good thing you used those SKF bearings, very good quality if im not wrong its the number one in the world, as for the plastic which is broken, I had the same problem with a PKM washing machine , and if you use a heating gun of 600°C and some plastic from the back of the drum plastic u can melt it and it will suffice, I fixed like this and so far no problem at all, plus those kinds of machines are at least above 2000 euro or something so idk how much u spent to make this baby work again but totally worth it for a household, if need any tips about washing machine you can contact me because I've worked with them for 7 years, electronic boards and what not I can help you find a solution of some kind

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks for sharing. Interesting idea on using the heat gun. I specifically looked for SKF as I know they are good bearing. I replaced a front wheel bearing on a land rover a year or two ago and it was a cheaper Ebay one and failed within a year!

[@jlucasound]

I have a front loader that I've had for 20 years. I love them.

[@BuyitFixit]

I'd say the majority of the washers over here are front loaders. I think the only top loader I've seen in person was an old "Twin Tub" that my mother used to own (when I was a kid). It was like two units in one box. One half for the "washing" and another part for the "spinner". I just tried to find a picture, and it was something a bit like this one: purl.slwa.wa.gov.au/slwa_b3043494_1

[@simontist]

I love how you open with it being "huge" then the first shot is it towering over a Range Rover

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂That wasn't deliberate. That's my granddaughters that got sent up for me to have a look at, but it just needs a new 12V lead acid type alarm battery fitted.

[@electronics-by-practice]

May be the over tightening off the belt causes the premature wear of the bearing , try to virefy by twisting it to 90 degree they don't use belt tensioner pulley as in car's, in old machines u can adjust the posotion of the motor to get the best belt tension .

[@BuyitFixit]

I think water ingress into the bearings was the likely cause as it was only 18 months old. There wasn't much adjustment on the belt, you could only adjust the motor about 1cm or so.

[@NickCronin-l2f]

Although it wasn't on top of the drum when you took the top off, I was expecting to see a concrete saddle weight sat on top of the drum and it did appear to have the moulded posts to secure a concrete weight. Wonder if the original tech had removed it or maybe it's just not fitted on this model. Expect an exploded parts diagram will reveal answer.

[@BuyitFixit]

Interesting. I didn't notice that. I doubt the original tech removed it though.

[@pcb1962]

Good repair, I would have fibreglassed the plastic drum part to make it more cost effective.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍I had thought of that, but wasn't sure how well it would adhere or if it would leak, so I just decided to bite the bullet and make sure it was going to be fine.

[@somethingelsehere8089]

lol at the ROHS mark on the concrete weight.

[@BuyitFixit]

I did see some markings on the weights. I googled it to try and find out who manufacturers these as my feeling is they are just re-branded. Unfortunately it didn't turn up any results.

[@SeanBZA]

@@BuyitFixit Made for that model using some plastic moulds, and fast curing concrete with fibreglass chopped strand filling, so as to have good strength and low cost.

[@BruceBoschek]

Excellent repair as always. That machine certainly had a hard life and you saved it. Thanks for another excellent video, Mick.

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers Bruce 👍I think more "abused" and it was only 18 months old!

[@BruceBoschek]

@@BuyitFixit Oh wow! I missed that. Yes, it was butchered.

[@Dinkleberg96]

As usual this man can fix everything electronics, generators, washing machines, software related stuff... When i saw on the tittle "bargain or bust" i though for myself there's no way a washing machine defeated this guy, for sure it's a fix... and i was right 😁

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂Thanks 👍Although it did highly depends on if the outer drum was available. Sometimes it's not down to "if you can repair" it's down to "if parts are available".

[@drorhaz]

​@@BuyitFixit naa.. even without parts I'm sure you was pulling out some 3D printer and make your own drum! 😂

[@acswales]

Brownie points in the Buy it Fix it household. Best kind of repair. Well done.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks very much 👍🙂

[@connahjones8178]

I think that outer drum was damaged due to the failing bearings, if you keep on top of it then hopefully you won’t need to replace that again so would be relatively cheap to repair. My dad has done many drum bearings but never that bad and dont remember him ever needing an outer drum

[@BuyitFixit]

@@connahjones8178 yes a lot more damage was caused by them not addressing the issue when it started making a noise. I bet the noise was horrendous at the end and there would have been water pi$$ing out everywhere too!

[@briansunderland2174]

Reminds me of my days in the 1960 working as a Fisher Bendix service technician both domestic and commercial launderettes

[@BuyitFixit]

🙂I hope they were fond memories 👍

[@pauldery7875]

You're a lot braver than I am on this repair. In my younger years I would've tackled it, but not now, nice job! Paul, USA!!!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks Paul👍

[@GadgetUK164]

Wow, epic amount of work to fix that one! Great job!!! In retrospect I feel like the £500 repair cost would have been fair - but, would they have replaced all the parts you did, I suspect they would have cut corners on the drum and 1 or 2 bearings.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍Yes I think the initial quote was fair due to the damage I found, but I'm not sure if they realised the extent of the damage? There was the front drum, but also the spider that they would have also needed to replace. Luckily I found that stainless ring for another washer so that was a cheaper fix, but I doubt they would have went to that trouble.

[@garywaite6963]

The bearings you've replaced are the same size as my Fischer and Paykel washing machine which is only 9kg. I don't know what the spin speed is on this model but those are piddly bearings for the likely forces involved. Apart from the size of the drum and the fact you can actually split it, it looks no different to a domestic grade machine. +1 on getting the bearings with a rubber dust cover especially if the seal you've bought, being smaller is going to allow water ingress. Water ingress is a big cause of premature failure in washing machine bearings.

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes, the same bearings are also used in other 18KG machines also. The spin speed is only 800. I did look at the specifications on the bearings and it seems they can handle quite a bit of force when I looked at the specs. The bearings / seal kit I bought were for a WFW9550WW00 but are identical sizes apart from the thickness of the seal which is 0.5MM thinner (but the shaft size, and outer diameter are the same). I doubt it would cause water ingress, but agree that water ingress would definitely cause premature bearing failure. I suspect it may have been the case here as the washing machine was only 18 months old. I think it's also "oversized" rather than "industrial" too.

[@elsaarmstrong-zp6ng]

Front loaders suffer a lot from bearing wear and failure! It’s not surprising when you consider the huge forces that the bearings must experience when the drum is full of soaking wet clothes that may be poorly balanced spinning round at 1800 rpm! Many of the continental machines are top loaders with the bearings at the bottom of the drum or a axle suspended front to back in the drum so two bearings share the loads! Acces to the drum is at the top to load cloths in/out ! It’s only disadvantage is you have to roll the machine from under the worktop to operate it! I used one on holiday and they run very quietly without any wobble from the drum! Fraser🥲🥲

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes I imagine the forces are quite substantial! I think that's why this one only has a maximum 800 rpm. I think the top loader design might be better in the respect of load forces, but most washers are either built in, or fit under counters. I've not seen too many top loaders in the UK, I think the only one I've seen in person was an old Hotpoint 9414 Twin Tub (from looking at pictures) that my mother had for years which had the washing part at one side, and the spinner in the other half next to it.

[@69dblcab]

Great work. Great video with out a bunch of waffling around or unnecessary music. Thanks for the video.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@daveevans1236]

Refitting bolts/screws into a plastic hole can easily result in damage. Easily avoided by cleanly defined references marks between the two half's prior to separation!

[@BuyitFixit]

There was a plastic locator tab at the bottom next to the heater, also the reason why I always turn the screws the opposite direction as not to cut a new thread 🙂

[@raysmancave1]

Hi Now you know what we have to go through when we are called out on an appliance repair. You are in a large space, try changing a drum in a top floor flat that has a tiny kitchen, you have loads of parts with no space to manouver. OK this is a semi commecial machine which is bigger, but some of the household machines can be harder to work on due to a tighter space inside the machine. A £500 quote the last owner received seems a touch on the high side, but this depends on the time it takes to complete the repair, We would have given a quote of £350-£400 (remember we buy spares trade price) Most households would refuse high repair costs, hopefully buy a new or reconditioned machine from us, we take the old machine away free of charge, recondition it then sell it on. But thanks for this video it shows that repair prices are high,, customers accuse us of being rip off merchants, this is hard work when you are on your own, plus the clean up job afterwards.

[@BuyitFixit]

@@raysmancave1 Glad to meet a fellow repairer, even if you do it as a living, it's still good that there's people out there helping people fix their items instead of just discarding them. At least even when they want do to that, you at least try and refurbish the old machine too. Good on you 👍

[@chriswilson7493]

I am looking for a semi industrial machine for dirty overalls, rags etc cetera, may I ask what the maximum temperature it will wash at and it's spin speed please? A lot of domestic machines won't wash at a very hot temperature which is what oily overalls need to get them clean effectively. A great repair, pity the outer drum was damaged, if not it would have been a remarkable bargain. Nevertheless ity still a cheap machine and you are now an expert on it :) Thanks for sharing this repair!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍I think it does a 95C wash, but the spin only seems to be 800 RPM, but because the drum is bigger it may well be the same as a 1600 at half the size?

[@TheMhannah100]

My guess is whoever gave the 500 estimate didn't know the damage to the spider or the tub. So it would have ended up more than the value of the machine, to have the tech do the work. Good job again.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks, yes agree. I either that or they would have just replaced the whole inner / outer drum assembly without all of the messing about. I wasn't expecting it to be so bad, but obviously the original owner just run and run. I bet it made some horrible noises!

[@TheMhannah100]

@BuyitFixit I've never seen ball bearings destroyed like that. The cage yes,but the balls? Looked like they were made out of lead...lol

[@davidquirk8097]

My last experience of doing major work on an automatic machine involved replacing the rotor shaft, bearings, front tub ( because the lugs the counterweight bolted to had broken off), the shock absorbers and the door seal (I managed to tear it removing the machine from under the worktop). The machine ran like a dream for about a month after then the programmer went tits up and I couldn't get a new one at a reasonable price so the machine had to go. I bought the machine for £50 as part of the vendor sold fixtures when I bought the house and didn't know how hard a life it had before I got it so, in spite of having spent about £120 on spares I didn't feel hard done by. The new machine is the only time I've had to spend serious money on a washing machine. Apart from £50 for the failed one I've always had other people's cast offs that either needed only a hose or something or were just scruffy looking. Not having to buy a washing machine until I was over 50 seems like a good deal!

[@BuyitFixit]

Sounds like you had a bit of a time with that one. Shame about the programmer. Were there no second hand ones on eBay or such?

[@davidquirk8097]

@BuyitFixit second hand programmers were available but both sellers wanted over £100 for units of a similar age with no guarantee that they were working. I couldn't see anything obviously blown on the my board and, at the time, I was mad busy with work so I took the easy route and had the new machine plumbed in and operational by the end of the following day. I Freecycled the corpse of the old machine to somebody local who wanted it for spares.

[@sebialex2228]

I had a whirlpool washer same issue, for me the spindle/shaft wore out, to buy a new drum with the new spindle it would have costed half price of a new washer so I ok it to metal recycling

[@BuyitFixit]

Shame, luckily I was able to get the replacement parts for that and it was still economical to repair.

[@quantumleap359]

Not inconsiderable labour, plus a little bloodshed (!) which is par for the course when working on sharp-edged laundry appliances. Good job mate! I really enjoyed your video.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you very much 👍Yes it bit me! 😂😂😂

[@mondotv4216]

You were lucky the spider wasn't broken. The diecast get's quite corroded over time and the combination of eccentric movement caused by the bad bearing and the high speed they spin at often causes the spider to just crack. As far as the tub goes I had some luck repairing mine with glue but it wasn't actually cracked - just worn through in places. If it was cracked you might still have been able to repair it with plastic staples and a heat gun while re-inforcing it with glue. Because £200 is probably more than a second hand one is worth. BTW It looks very, very similar to my (much smaller) LG - except the LG is a direct drive. I wonder if LG makes them.

[@BuyitFixit]

Interesting. They are made by some company in China (no surprise) as someone posted the model number. They are on Alibaba. I had thought about trying to repair the drum but wasn't sure how water tight it would be, and didn't want to keep having to disassemble to fix it every 5 minutes.

[@FireballXL55]

Nice one again, I assume it was used in an old peoples home or something and in a remote wash room plus ahh it's just a bit noisy. I did a Zanussi a few years back that had a screwed together tub as this and it lasted quite a while until the boss wanted a new one. This time the tub was held together differently they did not really expect anyone to replace the bearings so I just bough a new one and at £274 for a 10Kg unit I never did repair the old one.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍I think it was used on a farm to wash horse rugs, not sure what else. That's how my wife came across it as she's got horses too. I bet the noise from this was horrendous. A few people have mentioned that some newer washers have sealed drums that don't split making it virtually impossible to repair. Such practices should be made illegal imho.

[@markusallport1276]

Anytime you can save 200 on a repair it's worth it. The guys at work always want to throw away, (sad eyes) electric tools when they don't work when they need. It is such a throw away world these days. BUT! Thankfully guys like us love to repair things and save money doing it. Many times I will be asked to repair something and I do it free of charge because i enjoy the challenge of it. I saved one guy from buying a new Makita drill, hammer drill and saw because the charger was faulty. 1.89 and he was quite pleased.

[@BuyitFixit]

Nice 👍Yes I volunteer at our local repair cafe, which we help people in the area repair their stuff. I mainly do the electrical / electronic stuff, and there's other people that do sewing (fixing dresses / clothes etc) or woodwork (fixing chairs etc) or mechanical stuff too!

[@snafu2350]

V well done on the repair! BTW, did you ever get a quote for a new spider (tho I'm surprised you didn't at least jetwash the old one)? The extra capacity should be v useful on the farm for eg dog/lamb bedding, workers' clothes, duvets etc. I hope it serves you for many more years! :) One point (& especially important at high spin speeds): ensure you've balanced those counterweights as best you can (a tyre-fitter's wheel balancing rig may be required), otherwise you may well find even with levelling & the machine's auto-load-balancing tech, the concrete balancing blocks will crack at their fixing points after a few years hard use (this is also a reason to use the push-in cabletie fittings rather than a simple cabletie thru the hole: the latter is likely to be cut thru fairly quickly due to vibration, & they're easy enough to source cheaply from eg car repair shops), as well as excessive noise & a tendency to walk across a floor :)

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍No I didn't bother asking the price on the new spider as the part I bought seemed to fit and it's been working fine for a few weeks since I did the repair. Yes my wife wanted it to be able to wash things like horse rugs and also things like quilts. I'm not too sure what you meant about balancing the weights as they didn't seem to have any adjustment. The "auto balancing" I think it just rotates the drum slowly for a while to try and spread things out, although I could be wrong.

[@snafu2350]

@@BuyitFixit It's become less important, admittedly, since most modern machines have the 'auto-balance' feature which certainly helps, but this is the reason for the 'sheaf' plates used when fitting the concrete balance weights: they allow for small radial adjustments of their balance distribution, but not as much as (eg) an elliptical hole used in most other adjustable fitting types

[@andymouse]

Jeez louise, I wouldn't even start to think about thinking about repairing a washing machine ! I've changed a spark plug on my moped and mended a few punctures on bikes but thats me and heavy mechanical stuff finished. You would look at my hands and say "Neverseen a days graft in his life" Nice work and I guess the family wash just got easier !

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers Andymouse 👍I've done a fair bit of mechanical stuff over the last few years. Had the body off the LR Discovery 4 three times! Changing turbos, and EGR pipes. Then had the gearbox out of my ML350 and it turned out to be the oil cooler in the bottom of the V of the V6 engine. Now I've got our little Kubota RTV900 in about 100 bits with the axle off, and the hydraulic transmission stripped down trying to fix that 😂

[@andymouse]

@@BuyitFixit Awesome :)

[@jakeandrus690]

Excellent repair Mick! I think the repair company would have taken a bath on trying to repair it for only $500 unless they were using crappy aftermarket parts for cheap

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers mate 👍

[@vaughanellis7866]

I've had the same thing happen with a Beko-1701889128-WMB714422, In my case it just wasn't economical to repair, not when I can get hold of a new equivalent for £178.

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes, sometimes you have to weigh up the cost of replacement over the cost / time to repair. It was worth it in this case, but I've had the same issue when repairing some power tools. The cost of the parts are almost the price of purchasing a brand new tool!

[@Lightrunner.]

WooW. You are the best and lucky guy. I have had the same Problem because the drum was glued together not screwed 😵‍💫😭 Great .....👍👍

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍Yes a few people had mentioned that they are sealed drums now. This is really bad as it's harder if not impossible to repair 😢

[@ralphj4012]

Great fix. I was thinking plastic welding, but probably not strong enough or watertight. Really big, good thing your car's a convertible (0:00.

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂Thanks Ralph. Yes I had thought of Aquasure that we used to use on diving suits (might have tried that if I wasn't able to get a replacement front drum half) The convertible is the granddaughter and it was brought up to "fix" but seems it just needs a new battery.

[@ralphj4012]

@@BuyitFixit You'll never fix a granddaughter, no one has those skills. Sorry!

[@simonkenwothy5933]

I worked for RHP bearing now called NSK IN Newark Notts .

[@BuyitFixit]

@@simonkenwothy5933 Nice 👍

[@didge9402]

Great job 👍done it myself before and wish I'd used 2rs bearings, mine obviously didn't seal too well and only lasted 6 months, wash once a week now with a load that big 😂

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍Used this quite a few times now and it seems OK so far. There was more wrong with it than I was expecting. I thought it would just be the bearings but obviously the original owners let it run and run and run and run. I bet it was making some awful noises!

[@johnharrison9597]

Well impressed with your range of skills and innovation. Did you access a KZbin or other source of background information before you started the repair?

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍No, not in this case. I've repaired the odd washing machine now and again over the years but not something I do very often. I'm currently working on the hydraulic transmission on our little RTV900 utility vehicle, and got the hydraulic pumps / motors etc off and the axle. Something I've not done before either 🙂

[@Gazzyb2071]

There doesn't seem to be much you can't fix Mick, well done 👏

[@BuyitFixit]

@@Gazzyb2071 Thanks 👍yes I'll have a go at fixing pretty much anything, although my success rate with repairing sheep is rather dismal 🐑😂😂

[@ChunkySidFix]

you know what though , for what that unit costs and a how much you spent to fix it i would be well bloody chuffed about that, and you know that new bearing kit will prob outlast the machine when it eventually does die! , well done dude

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you very much! 👍

[@stevec5000]

That's a normal size for here in the US where you can pick them up all day for around $30 at thrift stores. This model looks like a copy of a Maytag. Maytag has been making front loading machines like this since the '90's.

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes, the washing machines in the UK are tiny compared to the US. I think fridges / freezers also!

[@pederb82]

Ahh, it's nice to see that the springs had plastic bushings where they are connected. 10 years or so ago it was just electrolux and their brands plus Zanussi on the Norwegian consumer market that had directly to plastic hookup for the springs. Designed to wear out in x amount of time. Just about 5 years on a average family. Of course that's because in Norway a washing machine has to last for 5 years, or they have to pay for the repair of it as it's seen as a manufacturing fault/design fault if it dont. That caused them to make them last just that long and no longer. Bosch, Miele etc was good brands, now a days even bosch does that crap and the only one left is Miele. This make me think there might be hope going to the industrial market for something made a bit better.

[@BuyitFixit]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing 👍 I think this is more "oversized" than industrial though. I think it's just a marketing gimmick 🙂

[@lucymc0191]

class repair to watch.. you have the patience of a saint ...but as always very professional in the execution of another successful repair ..

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍I'm also not bad with editing, and managed to remove the swearing etc 😂😂

[@bobsoft]

After seeing this I will be holding onto my 1980's Maytag top loader washer till I die.

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂👍

[@jayfowler4747]

That front bearing and seal seemed to go in to easy and the shaft looked in a bad way 😮 Also did u replace the center gasket, for the price its worth doing.. also tip for next time fit the springs to the drum first then use them to pick up the drum and hook it in to the cabinet....

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks for the tip. The shaft looked bad in the centre part where the bearings didn't go. I sanded it down light but that part doesn't affect the operation. No didn't replace the gasket, it does seem fine and we've used it around 20 or 30 times so far since making the video and all seems good 👍

[@jedi-mic]

You should use a good amount of ptfe Grease around the seal! preventing it' from wearing,you might get leakage in a couple years time otherwise. You can use some epoxy glue for the plastic drum but with big cracks like that you're need to use some metal strips and rivet them for bracing. I've used epoxy glue on a three inch crack and it's lasted 25 years should be alright as long as you clean it well. You should oil or Grease the large O ring as well never use it dry!

[@kareno8634]

*Thanks* so Much! Great *Teamwork,* and *Priceless Gift of Knowledge.*

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers 👍

[@bsimpson6204]

Well done fixing it but a machine in that condition should have been free not £100. Could the drum have been fixed with glassfibre or would there have been adhesion problems

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks👍It was advertised as "needs new bearings" which I thought would have not been a too expensive job. My wife and her friend went to pick it up and I only saw it when it arrived back here.. It wasn't really until I got into it when I saw how bad it was 😢