oldviolin wrote: 
Or the old catalog-only Sears operations where you had to order anything you wanted. Ain't this place a geographical oddity! Two weeks from everywhere!

 ScottFromWyoming wrote: 
Yep. Of course I was talking about the 'new and improved Sears'. There is a lot to be said for the way things were once done. I miss old hardware stores too. Home Deepblow and Blowes just barely make the cut.

 oldviolin wrote: 
There used to be a Sears-owned parts house out in the crappy part of Richmond, California. It was primarily for Sears repairmen, who are/were independent contractors, but if you knew about the place you could go there and get whatever. The lobby/front desk area was about 10' square, and they didn't have a phone order... you could call and see if they had it but the rigamarole (who are you with etc) was too much (by design), so you had to go there, ask for the part. They always had it. Always wholesale or lower. I think I spent $3 one time on a belt and new inlet filter for a 1960s era Speed Queen. And they were super friendly and helpful but busy too.

Long gone, of course. 

 islander wrote: 
Sounds like a Sears operation. Can't stand that business model. My guys are a small business, maybe 50 years old. Good knowledgeable guys.
They have helped me out of a bind or two and I try to show appreciation with patronage.

 oldviolin wrote: 
We have a parts place that is good, but they are across town. The local guys are part of an appliance store and they price their parts so that the new stuff is enticing. They also stock almost nothing, so you have to wait a week or more to get the parts unless you want to pay for expedited shipping.

 islander wrote: 
Know them well though I try to support a local parts house when I can.

 oldviolin wrote: 
At least http://www.appliancepartspros.com/ loves me. 

 oldviolin wrote: 
Hmm. The washer drum itself does 1200, I think, but the belt runs from the 1" diameter post in the motor to about a 12" wheel on the drum, so some engineer's going to have to get mathy with that. 14400 or so? But yeah.

 ScottFromWyoming wrote: 
I don't know what the top RPM number is for those things, but the motor would make an excellent prime mover for one of those battling robots that was on the telly a few years ago...

 islander wrote: 
The disposable 'white goods' industry despises people like you, but do not despair! Be of good Cheer...

 oldviolin wrote: 
That's the very same model I had apart yesterday.

 oldviolin wrote: 
Alas, I've kept my old front loader working for 15 years, I must not be rich.  I do have clean duds though.

 ScottFromWyoming wrote: 
Oh it was just a joke. I know rich people don't work on their own washing machines.
Anyhow I got one of these as a partial credit for some work. I might have $40 in it. Hope to get about $250, so hey...
I believe it was at least a $1200 machine when new.

 haresfur wrote: 
I'm sure that's true.
 
I was a little surprised... I took the thing apart hoping that was the problem... then saw a little anthill of black dust on the floor of the machine.  

 islander wrote: 

 haresfur wrote: 
It's not always about performance, sometimes it's the luxury premium you get with the German product. 

 ScottFromWyoming wrote: 
I'm sure your German-engineered brushes performed much better, even if they didn't last longer. 

 oldviolin wrote: 
Hmm. If it's any consolation, the set was something like $250 used a few years ago. 

 ScottFromWyoming wrote: 
So, rich people problems aren't problems after all?

Bad news: Brushes for common motors down at the hardware store are about $4 each, but the pair for our Bosch washing machine were $50
Good news: That was the problem.