Servicing your washer on your own is an easy do-it-yourself project. Being able to fix the washer on your own will eliminate the costs of labor and make you feel great that you have accomplished something on your own.
Find out if the washer drains at the same time as it is filling up with water. If this is so, inspect the drain hose and make sure that it is level with the top of the washer, or 38 inches. Make sure the drain hose is sitting slackly in the main drain. Check that the air gap around the hose is not sealed, or it will create a siphon.
Change the timer by disconnecting the old one. Make sure the new timer is made for the brand of washer that you own. Unhook the wires to the old timer one at a time and connect each wire to the new timer.
Find out if the agitator is cracked or broken. This could also cause the tears in your clothes. This may be able to be fixed by removing the splinters with pliers and smoothing it out with a file. If this does not work, the agitator will need to be removed and replaced.