Kitchen Large Electric Appliances - Topload Whirlpool Washer - Bad Motor or drive

Model LSR 8233 EQ1 (Direct drive) Washer seems to have seized up. Drained tub and ck'd pump. Its OK. Filled washer and tried again. This time it filled with water, agitated for a few seconds and then stopped, but motor hums. I now can't budge the agitator. BTW - My wife first noted the problem while doing a heavier then normal load (!) - after the breaker tripped- she thinks the motor had stopped and it was humming before the breaker tripped.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

UPDATE: I took the pump off and removed the motor. I can now move the agitator by hand. The motor shaft does seems very stiff, even binds every 3 or 4 revoultions - I assume it should move pretty freely. Anyone have educacyed guess what a motor would cost?

Everything points to a new motor.....

The last time I priced a motor for a washer, it came out to exceed half the cost of new washer. I wasn't willing to invest that kind of money into a ten year old washer. I went for a new one.

Thanks. I re-read my own post and bought a washer. :cool: