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My washing machine is 6 years old. I found what I think is a good deal on a motor (about $50). I was just wondering if it would be a good investment to have a spare motor around.

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It's not clear what you're asking. Is the motor in the washing machine bad (needs to be replaced), or do you just want to have a spare motor on hand? Or do you just want to know if you're getting a good deal? – Tester101♦ Aug 4 '11 at 11:53

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up vote 11 down vote

Motors dont break... the brushes used to power the coils or the golden fingers used to get the power are for sure worn out and needs replacing.. This can be a difficult task sometimes and these parts could cost $50-- so by replacing the motor of an equivalent type you should expect the same life span based on the usage of the machine.

In this picture you can see the brush (inside the yellowish bracket) and the commutator (golden fingers) it touches ( here they are dirty - but in good condition) usually they would need to get cleaned on change of brush- but if they are badly worn the motor could be rendered useless as you can see- they are not replaceable on this version.

enter image description here

A nice picture showing the complete design of a coil-motor- The only things that break in here are the brushes/commutator and in rare cases the coils them self could burn if a high current flows past them. The coils never burn from just running. These motors can run forever as long as they have power to them (even if you physically stop the shaft and put 100% power they wont burn) it just generates strong electromagnetic fields.

enter image description here

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+1 Nice answer. – Tester101♦ Aug 4 '11 at 11:55
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The axle bearings/bushings can also wear out, but the commutator is much more likely to go first. On a serviceable motor the bearings are just as easily replaced as the commutator and brushes. Commutators can also be lathed and lapped to remove the wear grooves (it's a vicious cycle; a worn commutator will wear out brushes faster which wears out the commutator more which...). Most appliance repair shops will actually sell you a rebuilt electric motor (new bearings and refurbished commutator) unless they don't have any or you specifically request a new one. – KeithS Aug 5 '11 at 22:06
up vote 4 down vote

According to Murphy and his annoying law, if you buy a motor, then you'll have a solenoid go out, or the controller behind the dial will go out. I've found it's cheaper to wait for something to actually break, if you can't predict which component will break, and then decide if it's worth fixing or you're ready for a replacement.

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+1 It can even go like this: the machine breaks in an unexpected way and right at the same time you neighbor is relocating and wants to sell his machine at "cheap as dirt" price. – sharptooth Aug 4 '11 at 12:13
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By the same logic ... if you pass up a good deal on a motor then the motor will break as soon as you can no longer get the deal :-) – Stephen Aug 4 '11 at 12:51
@Stephen: dang it, you win again, Murphy! – BMitch♦ Aug 4 '11 at 13:39

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