I have an old automatic washing machine that the transmission has gone out of and not quite sure what to do with it. I had considered giving it away since it still works it just won't spin but I am really not comfortable sticking someone with that p.o.j even for free. What would you do with it? Give it away even though it is garbage (garbage imo anyway :haha: )? Use it for something? If so what? Haul it to the shredder/crusher/scrapper/dump? I am open to all ideas and suggestions here. (btw, the reason I am not having it repaired is because I have nearly paid the repairman's kid's college tuition having it repaired time and again already :no: so it was just better to buy a new one)
Of course you could just drive out into the country and dump it beside the road like people do on our road. But, if you are an honest person, in our area there is a metal recycling plant. They buy metal and melt it down, pay you by the pound. Our old washer brought us $3, but it cost us $5 in gas to drive over there, but at least it's not sitting beside the road somewhere or in my backyard.
Make sure it isn't only a belt. Otherwise you could cut a 5 inch hole in one side then hang it about 10 feet up in a tree for a wood duck nest box.
My mom used hers for a compost bin. Although it took awhile for hers to break down (she didn't remove the tub from the machine, just hid it out way back) she lives alone. Also as the above mentioned, before tossing it, make sure its not the belt, I had mine 20 years and whenever it quit spinning dh would buy a new belt and it ran like new. Miss Ruby
I saw an article somewhere that described how you could use the case as a root cellar. Just dig a hole deep enough to set the whole case in with the lid able to open. I don't know what you would do with the guts though. Here, you can take it to the dump and scavengers would take it.
The tub makes a nice LARGE flower pot. My cousin had one on her deck & it looked good. If yours is rusty or ugly you could put it inside a decorative box. I forget how she closed the bottom hole- it was something simple but drained well. CW
Thank you for all of the replies and great ideas (sometimes my brain doesn't function properly when trying to find a use for something like that ). Pretty sure it isn't the belt because we had a new belt and bearings put in it a few weeks ago and that is when the repairman said that it was the tranny going bad in it. I don't know anything about them so I have to pretty much go on what I am told. I know it doesn't work like it is supposed to :haha: . Many thanks everyone.
We just replaced our old one after about 15 years. I salvaged the motor for use on a small grinder, the pump, timer, and hoses for possible future use, the tub went into the calf pen and is just the right size to hold about 1/2 bale of hay, really cuts down on waste. I'm still "eyeballin" the cabinet but am thinking about trying to use it for a small smoker.
Before taking it to a recycle center take off the lid. Mount it in the garage or workshop. Makes a dandy message board as you can use the erasable-type marking pens on it. For that matter you can put a metal cutting chop saw blade in a circular saw (assuming it fits of course) and cut out the sides. Use them for future projects when you need thin flat stock. As noted, salvage what you can, such as the hoses. Mark which one is hot and which cold if it isn't on the hose itself. Ken S. in WC TN
Because you're fed up with it doesn't mean that it's of no value. Perhaps there's someone out there that needs one for parts because they have his twin brother and they'd be more than happy to pick it up for parts. It was nice of you to put the repairman's kid through college, I had a truck at one time that made several mechanics wealthy.
we used to have an old metal washing tub that was our 'live well'. make sure it's weighted down or in a place where it won't wash out to 'sea', shallow lakeshore if you got one. fish stay alive in there till you pull the whole thing out and let it drain. it's not permanent, fish can jump out, but heck, i remember it was there for most of my childhood...and that thing was durable.
If you just wished to be rid of it gather all the scrap metal you have to dispose of; phone the nearest scrap yard; ask for them to tell someone from your area about what you have waiting for them. There are scrapper everywhere, a good chance you have one near you. When they appear to remove the free metal, then ask them to be on the look out for whatever you are in need of, again, there is a good chance what you need will be delivered to you in the future. I did scrap metals for a couple of years and it would surprize the different stuff you run into.
When our machine stopped spinning it was the rocker bar. It was a cheap and easy fix. I know you consulted a trained mechanic, but even those guys miss things sometimes. Otherwise, besides the above suggestions, do you have a used appliance business near you that would come get it? Maybe they would be willing to fix it and resell or, or if anything just get it out of your way. Just a thought.
