Evaluate how well a Clothes Dryer meets your needs and compares to competing products
If you've completed step one you've identified what you need in a clothes dryer and you've learned about the different features of clothes dryers. While you were doing your research, you probably started the process of determining which features - and thus which type of clothes dryers - will best meet your needs. Now you are going to continue that process, but in greater detail.
In this step you will
evaluate the clothes dryers available on the market to determine how well they meet your personal needs and establish, by a process of elimination, an initial short-list of contenders. Then you will compare these short-listed clothes dryers to find out which ones stand out from the competition.
Evaluate how well a Clothes Dryer meets your needs
Your priority at this point in your evaluation is to find the available clothes dryers in the market that best meet your needs. You can save a lot of time during this activity by quickly eliminating any clothes dryers that are unsuitable because they don't meet your key requirements. For example, if you have a limited budget for this purchase then you can ignore any clothes dryers that clearly exceed your price limit.
When you choose a clothes dryer, you have two main types to choose from, electric or gas. Electric dryers are the most common and are initially less expensive than a gas dryer, and operate on 240 volts of electricity. Depending on your local energy rates, an electric dryer could be less cost effective than a gas dryer. A gas dryer requires a gas line running to your laundry room and the initial cost of these dryers is higher, however the cost savings will add up over the life of the dryer.
Tip: Determine if you have a gas line in your laundry room before shopping for a clothes dryer.
The most important choice that you will make when choosing a clothes dryer will be the capacity of the machine. If you are a single person, you may be able to use a compact dryer with no problem at all. For those with families or large drying requirements, choose a machine with a larger tub; something between 6 and 7.5 cubic feet is generally suitable.
Tip: If you intend to machine-dry every load you wash, choose a dryer capacity that is approximately double that of your washer. The clothes need room to flop around in order to dry properly.
Proper drying of clothing will extend the life of your garments, so you may want to consider a machine with settings to suit your wardrobe. If you have basic drying needs, choose a machine with at least three settings including a timed drying setting, cottons, and permanent press.
If you are looking for more features in your machine, you can find top end dryers with as many as twenty different settings. These include settings for delicates, wools and knits, bulky items and other specialty settings. You can also program some machines for delayed start times, or wrinkle reduction which involves repeated tumbling of your garments to avoid wrinkling.
Tip: The wrinkle reduction feature will eat into energy savings if it is left to run for too long.
If you live in an apartment building, or just value peace and quiet, you will want to look for a model that emphasizes quiet performance. Look for a machine that has extra insulation in both the door as well as the shell. A reinforced frame will also significantly reduce the operating noise.
Safety is always a consideration for any appliance in the home. If you have children it will be especially important to choose a machine that has an automatic door lock that will keep the door safely secured when the machine is operating. Another safety feature is the lint filter. You will be able to choose between a top loaded lint filter, front mounted, or a lint filter that is located in the drum of the machine. It is important to have easy access to the filter, as a build up of lint can be a fire hazard.
Tip: If you have trouble remembering to empty your lint filter, choose a clothes dryer that has a reminder feature built in.
Extra features that are nice to have in a clothes dryer are an internal light to locate missing socks, a signal that alerts you to the cycle completion and a dryer rack that sits inside the dryer drum for drying bulky items such as canvas shoes and sweaters. In top end models you can purchase a dryer and washer combination that uses a sensor to time the dry cycle to the wash load resulting in no lag times. For a busy family, this is an important time saving option.
When you were considering your requirements in a clothes dryer it's likely that you singled out certain factors such as capacity, energy efficiency, quality and cost as being of major significance. As with so many other products, the more features offered, the higher the price.
Buyz123 has created a checklist containing examples of major features; you can work from this checklist when evaluating how well various clothes dryers meet your personal needs:
Features Checklist
Type
- Gas - Initially more expensive; more energy efficient
- Electric - 120 volts or 240 volts (most common)
Capacity
- Small - 3.7 cubic feet
- Average - 5.9 to 6.5 cubic feet
- Large - 7 cubic feet and greater
Kilograms/Pounds:
- Small - 8 lbs or less (4 kg or less)
- Average - 8lbs to 15 lbs (4 to 7 kg)
- Large - 15lbs or more (7kg or more)
Controls
- LCD Touch Screen
- Dial
- Push button
- One touch programmable
Temperature Settings
- From 2 to12 settings - Cotton, Permanent Press, Delicates, Extra low, Extra heat
- Highest setting - 90 degrees Celsius
- Air Fluff/Delicates - 51 degrees Celsius
Cycles
- From 3 to 20 settings - Wrinkle reducer, Shrink Guard, Bulky, Knits, Damp Dry, Tumble
- Timed Drying - 20 min to 120 min
Noise Reduction
- Insulation - Door and Basin
- Reinforced Frame
Energy Efficiency
- Australia - Energy Label Star System,1 to 6 stars where 6 is most efficient; Energy Consumption in kilowatts per hour (kWh) per year
- US - Energy Star System; not applicable to dryers
- UK/EU - A-G Scale where A is most efficient; Energy Consumption in kilowatts per hour (kWh)
Moisture Detection
- Thermostat
- Timer
- Moisture Sensor
- Automatic shut off
Size
- 24” deep (60 cm) - Compact models
- 27” deep (69 cm) - Average
- 29” deep (74 cm) - Large capacity models
Warranty
- Labour - Up to 2 years
- Motor - 1 to 3 years
- Drum - 1 to 5 years
Drum
- Stainless steel
- Powder coated paint
- Porcelain with double plastic
Installation
- Under Counter
- Hidden
- Stackable
- Side by side
- Pedestal
Extra Features
- Drum light
- Drying rack
- Delayed start
- Child lockout
- Signal finish
There are a lot of features listed here, and some of them may not be relevant to your particular requirements. So, work your way through the list and assess how each of these features impact on your clothes dryer needs. You can then create a personalized checklist of the features you really require in a clothes dryer.
Once you have finished evaluating the clothes dryers available for sale in the light of your personal needs and arrived at a short-list of 'possibles' you are ready to progress to the next stage. This involves comparing the clothes dryers one-on-one in order to find those that really stand out from the others.
Evaluate how well a Clothes Dryer compares with competing Clothes Dryers
Comparing the items on your interim short-list, one to another, is an important part of the purchasing process - we all want to buy the best product we possibly can. So once you have established a short-list of clothes dryers that meet your needs it is time to evaluate how well they compare in fine detail. This way you can assemble a select list of clothes dryers that stand out from the crowd.
Questions to ask yourself:
Which clothes dryers on my short-list have all the features I want ?
Which of the clothes dryers has the best warranty?
Which of my short-listed clothes dryers has the most solid construction?
Which clothes dryer is the easiest to use?
Which clothes dryer seems of the highest quality?
Which short-listed clothes dryer has the highest energy efficiency rating?
Which clothes dryers have the best safety features?
By answering these simple questions, you are actually eliminating clothes dryers that aren't absolutely right for you. This is an excellent time - if you haven't done so already - to evaluate how well your short listed products measure up in two areas: Physical Quality and Warranty Conditions.
Physical Quality
Regardless of the method you use when purchasing the clothes dryer, you need to find an opportunity to examine the product to evaluate how well it is made, and to check that it is truly suitable for you and your purpose. This is the time to examine the quality of the materials, and how well the item is put together. It's also important to examine the item from the perspective of ease of use. How easily is the lint filter removed for cleaning and maintenance? Are the controls easy to use?
Make sure the item will fit into your kitchen or laundry physically - some items look great on paper, but unexpected problems will show up when you finally get your hands on them.
Physical Inspection Checklist:
- Materials - quality, appearance
- Assembly - all parts held together securely, good quality fittings
- Solidly constructed - stable, no loose components
- Proper fit of removable parts - easy to remove and replace, fit snugly
- Controls - visible, easy to use, accessible, clearly labelled
- Size - appropriate for surroundings and purpose
- Appearance - well finished, appropriate color, neat fittings etc
- Easy and intuitive to use
Warranty Conditions
Similar products may be available with significantly different terms and conditions, and you want to get the best deal you can. Parts and labor are often covered under separate warranties, for different time periods; sometimes there can be a significant difference in the warranty offered with one model compared to that offered with the next model up. It is particularly important to investigate any conditions that might void a warranty, such as if you install the dryer using different fittings than recommended.
Warranty Checklist:
- Duration - check the specifics
- Parts, Labour, Mechanical, Electrical
- Exactly what is covered
- Exactly what is excluded
- Conditions or actions that may void the warranty
Once you've worked through the Evaluation step you will have a final short-list of clothes dryers that meet your needs and stand out from competing products on the market. It's time then to move on to the third and final step: Purchase.
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