When it comes to major appliances like clothes dryers, they should be sturdy and dependable. Dryers made decades ago were built to last. Even when they need to be repaired, they are so easy to work on that almost anyone can do it.
However, there comes a time when it makes sense to replace instead of repair, which led one of our testers at HouseholdMe to make the jump from an almost 30-year-old Kenmore dryer to a brand new GE dryer that she’s dubbed “the game-changer.” Here she is to share with you the reasons why she loves the GE 7.2 Cu. Ft. Capacity Electric Dryer.
The GE GTD42EASJWW Electric Dryer
For about a decade, I’ve owned an electric Kenmore clothes dryer that was manufactured in the 1980s. Purchased used, the dryer has served my household faithfully. When it needed repairs, I did them myself with YouTube as my guide. It was old, but it got the job done.
As a married mother of three children, laundry is practically a daily chore. On a Sunday night, I’m up late washing my kids’ clothes for school the next morning. After their run through the washing machine, I toss the clothes in the Kenmore, choose a cycle and press the start button. And nothing! The dryer wouldn’t start. After some troubleshooting, I determined that another part needed to be replaced.
Off I head to the only place in my rural town where I can dry my clothes at 10 p.m. – my mother’s house. While I waited for my laundry to dry, I decided it was time to stop putting money into parts for a 30-year-old dryer and time to plunk down some cash on a new one.
Kenmore was at the top of my brands list because of how long my old dryer lasted, but when I saw the GE GTD42EASJWW Electric Dryer, I was sold. The dryer had a price tag I could afford. The drum is made of metal, not ceramic, and the surprisingly spacious interior is illuminated by an interior light. There is no fancy microprocessor that requires a fat wallet and expert knowledge to repair. Plus, the lint trap is easy to reach and clean.
The Interior Drum
Since there are five people in my house, I first considered the dryer’s capacity. The GE GTD42EASJWW offers 7.2 cubic feet of space, which is in the average-to-high range for residential dryer capacities. With this much room, I can fit a king-size comforter in the dryer as you can see in the picture.
No more fishing in the dark for an errant sock. The dryer has an interior light, which is a premium feature not often found in budget-friendly dryers.
The drum is constructed from aluminum alloy. Manufacturers use one of three materials for dryer drums. Ceramic drums are cost-effective but chip over time. Stainless-steel versions are the gold-standard – They withstand a lot of use and abuse, but they drive up the dryer’s retail price. Aluminum alloy drums are the happy medium. These drums resist corrosion, and they’re cheaper than stainless steel.
The Lint Trap
If you’ve ever owned a dryer with a top-placed lint trap, you know how much of pain it is to keep the trap clean. The GE 7.2 Cu. Ft.’s lint trap is located in the door frame. This type of lint trap is much easier to clean, making clogs less likely to occur.
You have four options in terms of venting the dryer. In my house, the vent comes out of the roof. If the dryer exhaust configuration in your home is the same as mine, this is the dryer for you because it can be vented up to 120 feet.
The Control Panel
Before I describe all the cycle options, I must tell you how great the controls look and feel. The controls are basic round knobs. While they’re white like the GE dryer’s housing, each knob is accented with a high-polished silver ring that adds a little pizzazz to the dryer’s appearance. The knobs turn firmly too, so I doubt they’ll pop off or come loose.
There are four knobs and one push-to-start button on the raised panel. The leftmost knob allows you to toggle the extended tumble feature, which is handy for keeping clothes wrinkle-free if you can’t get them folded and hung right away.
Next, there is the temperature knob. You can select the heat-free air fluff, the low-heat delicates, the medium-heat casuals or the regular-heat cottons. The cycle selector offers more and less dry for delicates, casuals, and cottons. Plus, it has an 80-minute timed-dry cycle.
While it may seem silly, the rightmost knob is my favorite. My old dryer made a ridiculously loud end-of-signal buzz that could not be turned off. However, the GE 7.2 Cu. Ft. Electric Dryer’s signal knob allows you to either turn off that heart-attack-inducing buzz or lower its volume. If you want to do laundry while your baby is napping, you’ll love the signal knob as much as I do.
Related Post: What Size Dryer Do I Need to Buy?
The Exterior Features
The door on the dryer has a recessed handle at the top left corner. Therefore, the door swings open to the right. If this doesn’t work for your laundry room setup, good news. The door is reversible. You can also adjust the peg legs on the bottom of the dryer to accommodate floor slants and keep the dryer stable.
My laundry room is more like a laundry closet. This means I can’t put a hulking, oversized washer and dryer in there. Luckily, the GE GTD42EASJWW is slim. It measures 27 inches in width, which is 2 inches smaller than my old Kenmore dryer. As far as depth and height go, the GE measures 29.5 inches and 44 inches, respectively.
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• What Size Dryer Do I Need to Buy?
Final Thoughts
With its metal drum and interior light, the GE GTD42EASJWW Electric Dryer is a few steps above basic. The chrome accents give the dryer a high-end look. It’s dependable; it’s a space-saver, and its 7.2-cubic-foot capacity meets the demands of a large family. Plus, the dryer is super-quiet when it runs a load – no squeaking, no shaking, no buzzing (unless you turn on that function).
I’ve owned the GE dryer for three months, and the dryer has proven itself time and time again. Take last week as an example. I accidentally left my daughter’s coat in the washing machine and didn’t realize it was still wet until the next morning while she was getting ready for school.
It was below freezing outside, so she definitely needed her jacket. With my old dryer, this situation would have made her late for school. With the GE 7.2 Cu. Ft., that coat was dry in 20 minutes, and we made it to school with time to spare! If that’s not a testament to this dryer’s value, I don’t know what is.
- GE 7. 2 cuft Top Load Electric Dryer Wt
- Model Number: GTD42EASJWW
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Last Update: 2024-04-25 | Affiliate links/Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
