How to Use a Washing Machine When Bearings Are Gone

Disassemble the steel drum from the washer and use it for a backyard fire pit. The size is right for a container to hold burning wood, and with the holes in the sides of the drum the fire will have a source of incoming fresh air.

Place an ad on free classified websites offering parts from your machine for sale. Parts for an older appliance often are difficult to come by, and someone interested in fixing their machine instead of junking it might be looking for the part you have.

Strip the interior mechanism from the outer shell and use the shell for a compost maker in the backyard. Cut an access door in the shell side or front with a reciprocating saw with a metal blade and add hinges on one side and a latch on the other. The top mount opening allows you to dump kitchen and yard waste into the shell and the door opens to pull out the finished compost on the bottom.

Donate the washing machine to a high school or community college if they have a mechanical shop. The students always need equipment to work on and learn from, and even an older model appliance has a variety of applications to understanding how machines work and function.