I really need advice on kitchen appliance brands. What's in a name these days?

[Boomer]

Our Maytag dishwasher is 5 years old. The latch mechanism just bit the dust. The part costs $150.00. And, yes, I know that’s a lot cheaper than a new dishwasher. And we don’t have to try to find the Maytag repairman because Mr. Boomer knows how to fix stuff. But this is about the big picture aggravation factor in the world of today’s kitchen appliances. Are these things now designed to fail?

Maytag must have designed this latch to break, sooner rather than later. The part of the latch mechanism that broke was held together by some tiny plastic nubs that broke off. What’s up with that? The latch. Used constantly. Little plastic beads under stress every time that door was opened and closed. Surely that was designed to fail. And fail it did. A hundred and fifty bucks worth.

As a kid I learned to cook on a Chambers range that had been in the kitchen for as long as I could remember and was there long after I had left the nest. My parents’ Kenmore washer and dryer, bought in 1967, lasted more than 40 years.

When Mr. B. and I were first married, somebody gave us their old dishwasher. It was a Kitchen-Aid that we rolled to the sink and hooked up to the faucet. It was 25 years old when we got it and when we moved we gave it away to someone else. It might still be out there rolling along. That made us loyal to Kitchen-Aid through three more houses, but then Kitchen-Aid dishwashers were suddenly no longer what they had always been. They just didn't seem the same. So we tried Maytag this time. Never again.

My history with kitchen appliances has been long one. And I have tried to get things that I thought would last. I realize that I can no longer expect 25 or 40 years. I am realistic about our world now. But 5 years and then the obvious design to fail starts kicking in???

I think most big appliances now are made by one company or the other. South Korea. Mexico. Cranking them out and slapping different brand names on them. It is a maze to me.

I have been noticing Electrolux everywhere lately. (I thought it was a sweeper.) Their big marketing campaign is that they have been in Europe forever. I guess that is supposed to mean something to me as a consumer, but that’s not what I care about. I just want something that is well made and will not aggravate me along the way with just plain bad engineering. Or purposely bad engineering.

Electrolux also likes to market like Saturn. The price is the price so they say. My guess is there will be some kind of deals built in somewhere. They are significantly more expensive than other appliances. Could that be part of the marketing concept, too? Or are they really that much better? (And btw, I think Electrolux and Frigidaire are now connected. Geez. No wonder I am confused.)

And you know what else I miss. I miss the little appliance store with the people who stood behind what they sold and knew their products. Now it's those big box stores full of whippersnappers who know nothing about washing machines because their moms are still doing their laundry. And all they want to do is sell you an extended warranty anyway.

Well, thanks for listening to my trials and tribulations in the world of kitchen appliances. And I really would like your opinions on what brands you like and have found to be dependable. And does anybody know anything about Electrolux? All I want is to get what I pay for. Is that even possible these days?

Dishwater Hands Boomer

[ijusluvit]

Our Maytag washer and dryer up north are going on 20 years old and are good examples of why that company enjoyed a good reputation for many years. So when we bought in TV five years ago, we were pleased that we got a Maytag washer and dryer. 2004 - that was shortly after the company was sold. As we have had to replace virtually every moving part in the washer, and have had trouble with the dryer too, our very veteran repair person has said that Maytag is now junk. My neighbors have had lots of problems with the same machines, so much so that repair trucks are a regular fixture on our streets. Our repairman up north says the same thing. He is particularly critical of Maytag because there is such a decline in quality in this decade. Other companies have slipped as well, so he now recommends buying stuff like Whirlpool, but with no frills. The low initial cost spares you the frustration of inevitable early demise, and relatively inexpensive parts spares you sticker-shock repairs in between.
All of this is a statement about the technological progress we are making in our modern world.

[PR1234]

who do you use for repairs? We just had aBC Fredericks come out today to replace our dryer belt. Took him 5 mins. and cost us $125.00!!!!

[zcaveman]

I have used Fredericks twice and am pleased with their work.

When you watch them do the job and get the bill you say I could have done that but then you would have had to order the part and figure out how to take the machine apart and put the new one in and hope you aligned everything properly. If anything went wrong you were off on another trip to get another part if you could figure out which one you needed.

Back in the day that is what I did. Took a day off of work so that I could be sure the plumbing or appliance part store was open and busted my butt doing the work.

Now I pay the guy and watch. Unless he gets there when I have a tee time. Then the wife gets to watch.

[Army Guy]

We are big readers and followers of Consumer Reports. On 99% of appliances Sears Kenmore brand gets the best marks. Right now I can not remember who makes their stuff, cause they came in up top too. Thinking it is Whirlpool. Also GE is very good. For the past several years Maytag has been near bottom with Frigedaire (sp?).

Army Guy

[GMONEY]

We have LG, very pleased with them. Espcially the Frig and washer-dryer

[batman911]

We owned a GE fridge for 26 years and finally replaced it. My monthly electric bill was noticeably lower with the new top of the line GE we purchased. However, the new top of the line GE is no where near the same quality as the previous fridge. Plastic parts that break with normal use. I have had to have it repaired 3 times in 5 years. The repairman always says "we see a lot of this type of failure". Had the same experience with a GE clothes dryer. Never again with GE!

[Julie]

Boomer,

Just when you thought we would never have anything in common... We too have a Maytag dishwasher and have had the exact door handle failure you described. Twice!!! Our diswasher is a "Maytag Quiet Series 300 model MDB-3."

The second failure is mimicking the first failure to a tee: The first notice of a problem the nubs break and the handle is flimsy. The good news is that you can still open the dishwasher if you press hard enough. Eventually the latch breaks altoghether and fails completely. Then you have to decide to either fix the problem or purchase a new dishwasher.

We are currently in the phase where the nubs have broken and we can open the dishwasher if we press the handle hard enough.

Like Mr. B, my husband saved us the labor cost on our first latch break since it was fairly easy to repair. When we went to purchase the part, the guy at the appliance repair supply house knew precisely what the problem was since he had sold numerous latch mechanisims to other Maytag dishwasher owners who were experiencing the same problem.

Unfortunately, I am unable to give you any advice on what brands are considered longer lasting. Good luck in your pursuit to find a long lasting sturdy dishwasher.

[Tweety Bird]

Our Maytag dishwasher is 5 years old. The latch mechanism just bit the dust. The part costs $150.00. And, yes, I know that’s a lot cheaper than a new dishwasher. And we don’t have to try to find the Maytag repairman because Mr. Boomer knows how to fix stuff. But this is about the big picture aggravation factor in the world of today’s kitchen appliances. Are these things now designed to fail?

Maytag must have designed this latch to break, sooner rather than later. The part of the latch mechanism that broke was held together by some tiny plastic nubs that broke off. What’s up with that? The latch. Used constantly. Little plastic beads under stress every time that door was opened and closed. Surely that was designed to fail. And fail it did. A hundred and fifty bucks worth.

As a kid I learned to cook on a Chambers range that had been in the kitchen for as long as I could remember and was there long after I had left the nest. My parents’ Kenmore washer and dryer, bought in 1967, lasted more than 40 years.

When Mr. B. and I were first married, somebody gave us their old dishwasher. It was a Kitchen-Aid that we rolled to the sink and hooked up to the faucet. It was 25 years old when we got it and when we moved we gave it away to someone else. It might still be out there rolling along. That made us loyal to Kitchen-Aid through three more houses, but then Kitchen-Aid dishwashers were suddenly no longer what they had always been. They just didn't seem the same. So we tried Maytag this time. Never again.

My history with kitchen appliances has been long one. And I have tried to get things that I thought would last. I realize that I can no longer expect 25 or 40 years. I am realistic about our world now. But 5 years and then the obvious design to fail starts kicking in???

I think most big appliances now are made by one company or the other. South Korea. Mexico. Cranking them out and slapping different brand names on them. It is a maze to me.

I have been noticing Electrolux everywhere lately. (I thought it was a sweeper.) Their big marketing campaign is that they have been in Europe forever. I guess that is supposed to mean something to me as a consumer, but that’s not what I care about. I just want something that is well made and will not aggravate me along the way with just plain bad engineering. Or purposely bad engineering.

Electrolux also likes to market like Saturn. The price is the price so they say. My guess is there will be some kind of deals built in somewhere. They are significantly more expensive than other appliances. Could that be part of the marketing concept, too? Or are they really that much better? (And btw, I think Electrolux and Frigidaire are now connected. Geez. No wonder I am confused.)

And you know what else I miss. I miss the little appliance store with the people who stood behind what they sold and knew their products. Now it's those big box stores full of whippersnappers who know nothing about washing machines because their moms are still doing their laundry. And all they want to do is sell you an extended warranty anyway.

Well, thanks for listening to my trials and tribulations in the world of kitchen appliances. And I really would like your opinions on what brands you like and have found to be dependable. And does anybody know anything about Electrolux? All I want is to get what I pay for. Is that even possible these days?

Dishwater Hands Boomer


Golly Gee...you sound like Andy Rooney! Start a show~

[Tweety Bird]

who do you use for repairs? We just had aBC Fredericks come out today to replace our dryer belt. Took him 5 mins. and cost us $125.00!!!!

That's disgusting!

[Boomer]

Boomer,

Just when you thought we would never have anything in common... We too have a Maytag dishwasher and have had the exact door handle failure you described. Twice!!! Our diswasher is a "Maytag Quiet Series 300 model MDB-3."

The second failure is mimicking the first failure to a tee: The first notice of a problem the nubs break and the handle is flimsy. The good news is that you can still open the dishwasher if you press hard enough. Eventually the latch breaks altoghether and fails completely. Then you have to decide to either fix the problem or purchase a new dishwasher.

We are currently in the phase where the nubs have broken and we can open the dishwasher if we press the handle hard enough.

Like Mr. B, my husband saved us the labor cost on our first latch break since it was fairly easy to repair. When we went to purchase the part, the guy at the appliance repair supply house knew precisely what the problem was since he had sold numerous latch mechanisims to other Maytag dishwasher owners who were experiencing the same problem.

Unfortunately, I am unable to give you any advice on what brands are considered longer lasting. Good luck in your pursuit to find a long lasting sturdy dishwasher.



Hi Julie,

That's it. Here I am in my parallel universe in Ohio with the same, exact :cus::cus::cus: dishwasher. Maytag Quiet Series 300. And you say it happened twice. :22yikes: I'm thinking mine might not get another chance.

Boomer

[DDoug]

Used to repair appliances get a Bosch dishwasher run forever and you can't hear it run even beeter Fisher Paykel ( I think the spelling is close) dish drawer you can have two seperate dishwashers in the same space as one Maytag. They also make great washers and dryers

[PR1234]

We have the 2 drawer Fisher Paykel up north and LOVE it.:thumbup:

[The Great Fumar]

I've had my last ge anything............

Fumar

[Pturner]

Hi Boomer,
I share your frustration. Many consumer products are engineered today for planned obsolescence. Even Consumer Reports now recommends replacing rather than fixing many kitchen appliances after so many years-- like eight or something. Appliances that last 40 or more years are gone with the wind.

Some really, really expensive brands are supposed to last longer. But I wonder sometimes, do I buy a cheap one that I know will only last 5 or so years, or an expensive one that might last longer? It's as if appliance manufacturers are saying, "We'll sell you a piece of junk at regular price. Or, we'll sell you one that actually works as intented and might still work five years down the road-- but we charge extra for that."
:cryin2:

[katezbox]

Boomer,

Mr. Katezbox is a former appliance sales guy. Before you think plaid sport coat - he worked for a company that did not pay commission to be sure the customer got what was best for the customer.

He can tell you all about the woes of Maytag, the DW we had that was replaced by them etc etc. His forum name is Finley - I would send him a PM.

Money, Doug and 1234 - he would agree with you on LG, Bosch and Fisher-Payku-el (sp). Here in TV we have as Asko. He so agreed with the Great One, that we sold our GE appliances provided with this house new.

k

[Army Guy]

Kate, that is funny! We got our consumer reports yesterday and this months issue has all the major kitchen appliances, and GE is in the top 3 in everything. I guess it just depends.

[784caroline]

We bought a Maytag Washer and Dryer (top load) here in TV after owning a pair up north for more than 30 years with barely a problem. Now after only 15months the washer started making the loudest sounds when agitating and we called a local appliance repair man...he said it may be the motor but advised me to call maytag for it could still be under warranty. Well I called a maytag repair guy (Orlando)and they told me it would cost $90 service call plus $15 per 15 minutes to diagonse the problem and if it was the motor it would be covered by warranty but have to be ordered...BUT we still pay all the service call, work time and travel time involved which would be close to $200. I said wait a minute....$200 to fix a 15 month machine that only cost me $399!!!! Now this machine is only been used for 15 months and its not like we wash for a family of 6 every day. The earlier discussion of planned obselence in 5 years was starting to sound good to me...I mean thats 3 1/2 years longer than I am getting!

So I wrote a letter to MAYTAG and expalined my situation and they did make arrangements for a MAYTAG repair man to come to the hosue at their expense. WHen the reapir guy showed up he told me that MAytag was having alot of problems with this particular machine (Bought from Home Depot) and that it was not the motor but the entire balancing system supporting the drum. He had to order the parts and would call us in approx 5 days to finish the repair. In the mean time we could still use the washer but it would be loud.

I give Maytag (Now Whirilpool) credit for accocomodating our concerns and cover the costs for labor and parts but most likely they did this because they knew they had problems with the particular model we bought. NOt certain I would buy another MAytag but at least we had better than expected luck in dealing with the company in asking for repairs..and I just wonder if I will ever make the 5 year mark before something else happens.

[katezbox]

Kate, that is funny! We got our consumer reports yesterday and this months issue has all the major kitchen appliances, and GE is in the top 3 in everything. I guess it just depends.

Mark,

Part of the issue with consumer reports is that the models GE makes for Home Depot are different than those thy make for dealers and they are sometimes different from those sold through contractors. They change the models so fast that you can't always get the one that CR has recommended - and the next model may be awful! Also our global economy has major companies outsourcing parts all over - and the compressor on the line tomorrow may be different from the one used today.

I think the best way to buy appliances is to talk to the repair guys like Doug. They know what is working reliably consistently time after time.

Your point about Sears before is well taken. I think Sears is a bit like TV. They don't manufacture the appliances they sell - just as TV does not self-perform construction of the houses here. But manufacturers know that to provide Sears with their private label (Kenmore) brand is a phenomenal revenue stream. So the builders TV uses makes sure the homes are well built - who would like to lose that contract? And the same happens with Kenmore... JMO.

k

[graciegirl]

Boomer.

Three years ago we renovated our kitchen in Ohio. We chose GE Profile and I love the 48" built in refrigerator, we also chose the Profile microwave that can also switch to be a convection oven. We have two built in ovens too with convection, also Profile. We have a Profile dishwasher and warming oven. I love them all. In a big cooking event they are on my team. ( I LOVE that new Ikea commercial)

[Army Guy]

Kate, I do agree. We have found alot of times it is hard to find the model they have tested, as you said, cause they change them so fast!
And you are right also one model can be great and another a true dud.
That is like yesterday we had the repairman to fix our 23 year old Kenmore Dryer. The guy told us to take both the Dryer and Washer (same age/make) to TV as it was way better then most new stuff and easier to fix!

Army Guy

[otherbruddaDarrell]

About ten years ago my mother ended up buying a restored 1939 chambers gas stove. I remember we had one growing up as well.
This thing was as heavy as a tank but nothing bought today could compare with the quality.
It had a built in griddle and deep well etc. You could turn the oven off early and it stayed hot for a long time.
She paid about $700 and it is now worth a lot more.
70 years and works great!
My mom passed away 2 years ago and my cousin wanted the stove. I know it will be used for a long time to come.
They just do not make things to last anymore unless you go to something commercial.

[tamike]

I was told by sales personel at 2 retailers that GE is going out of the appliance business. I have noticed that their quality is not as good with what we got in our TV home. LG seems to be the up and coming brand now.
Anyone with reports on LG products??

[nONIE]

No report on LG ,but my friends GE dryer caught on fire and darn near burned their house down.

[Boomer]

I started this thread two months ago when my Maytag dishwasher offended me. At that time, I had forgotten all about the fact that my Maytag clothes washer had offended me, also. It used to rip up our clothes on the "Normal" cycle. I have been avoiding that cycle for so long that I had blocked that part from my memory. (I think we might be the ones who started that ripped-up clothes look that some teenagers seem to like.)

I really appreciated all the posts here about your appliance experiences.

And I know nothing is like it used to be. (Sigh....I know I'm not.) But I sure wish somebody would make appliances to last.

But anyway, I thought I would find this old thread and let you know how things turned out.

In the end of all the reading and shopping and asking and comparing and not really being convinced that one was better than the other, we finally bought Electrolux this past weekend. Lots of bells and whistles to go wrong on those things, I know. But we kept coming back to them.

So it's appliance Christmas presents at our house this year, it looks like. These things sure aren't easy to wrap, and fitting them under the tree is really hard. :shrug:

Boomer

[golfnut]

we turned our kitchen into a golf cart garage, brand new (5 years old but never used) kitchen appliances for sale, no reasonable offer refused...GN

[villages07]

Mr Nut...OK, maybe I'm gullible....but, are you messing with us or did you really convert your kitchen to a golf cart garage???

Talk about wifey declaring "the kitchen is closed"

[l2ridehd]

I have found that most brands have several levels of quality. You can spend $300 for a GE refrigerator or $2500. Same with dishwashers. My last one I bought the Kitchen Aid highest end one. I think it was around $1400 and is now six years old. It is really great. Can hold twice what my old Maytag could, can't even hear it running, and the dishes sparkle when done. The ones you get at the discount houses are made to be sold at a price point and are a questionable quality. Buy the high end of any name brand and you are usually getting a product that will last.

[cher54461]

We had a jennair stove up north, I would never buy another one. Cost us 1400 for stove and 600 for repairs.
Our LG refrig was good no problems. Whirlpool dishwasher was also good no problems.
I will go with what is in house we just bought for now. When they go I will decide what to go with.

[golfnut]

07, just kidding.......gn

[Pturner]

I started this thread two months ago when my Maytag dishwasher offended me. At that time, I had forgotten all about the fact that my Maytag clothes washer had offended me, also. It used to rip up our clothes on the "Normal" cycle. I have been avoiding that cycle for so long that I had blocked that part from my memory. (I think we might be the ones who started that ripped-up clothes look that some teenagers seem to like.)

I really appreciated all the posts here about your appliance experiences.

And I know nothing is like it used to be. (Sigh....I know I'm not.) But I sure wish somebody would make appliances to last.

But anyway, I thought I would find this old thread and let you know how things turned out.

In the end of all the reading and shopping and asking and comparing and not really being convinced that one was better than the other, we finally bought Electrolux this past weekend. Lots of bells and whistles to go wrong on those things, I know. But we kept coming back to them.

So it's appliance Christmas presents at our house this year, it looks like. These things sure aren't easy to wrap, and fitting them under the tree is really hard. :shrug:

Boomer

Hey Boomer,
My less-than-year-old Maytag Quiet Series 400 dishwasher is starting to offend me too. Sometimes, it just won't turn on. I called Maytag and was told to unplug it for a few minutes and plug it back in. That worked, but now I have to do that every time I use it. Imagine having to reboot your dishwasher. Did Bill Gates buy Maytag?

[Boomer]

Hey Boomer,
My less-than-year-old Maytag Quiet Series 400 dishwasher is starting to offend me too. Sometimes, it just won't turn on. I called Maytag and was told to unplug it for a few minutes and plug it back in. That worked, but now I have to do that every time I use it. Imagine having to reboot your dishwasher. Did Bill Gates buy Maytag?

Ohhhhh, Pturner,

Be really careful. The door latch mechanism might be plotting against you, if there was no redesign since the 300 Series.

My offensive dishwasher, that started this whole thread -- and more, is a Maytag Quiet Series 300. My daughter Boomette has one, too, and the latch is behaving badly. Also in this thread there are other mentions of that same series of Maytag.

Bosch almost won the replacement dishwasher competition. But then the $150 latch repair somehow morphed into an, "Oh what the heck, might as well redo the kitchen."

The kitchen in our perfect-size-for-geezers ranch style house, that we downsized to 6 years ago, is a small kitchen, only 12X12. It was trapped in an older design and the space dictated by the old cabinets left room only for a too-small refrigerator.

And so, suddenly, I am picking out cabinets for Mr. Boomer to install and we find ourselves shopping for a stove and refrigerator, too. (The Amana refrigerator that is too small, but still works fine, will get a new home in the basement.)

So away we went on our appliances recon mission. (Ain't retirement grand. We could dedicate entire mornings to looking for appliances and then go out to lunch.)

Electrolux won because all the appliances hit the features we liked. And also it won on appearance, which is a personal choice I know. That French door refrigerator sure looked purdy to me. I hope it lives up to its looks.

One of the things I was after was the Electrolux stove which has two ovens in the stove with the smaller one on the bottom. It is an actual oven and not a warming drawer. I think the top temp is 400 degrees, might be 450 - it's not here yet. Because the kitchen is small, a stove like this can help a lot. No room for a wall-oven. We also have an OTR (Over-the-Range) microwave due to space limitations.

So that is how Electrolux won. All of the appliances worked together best for redoing the whole kitchen. There is also some attention to detail on the look of them that lured us into thinking maybe the insides had been given attention to detail, too. But who knows? Only time will tell on that one. And Electrolux pricing is annoying, to say the least. Marketing strategy? They do a little smoke and mirrors rebating if you can catch it just right. But that is pretty much it. For two months, I walked away from Electrolux, but kept coming back to it.

And now a little more digressing about kitchen stuff.....Somewhere here there is a thread where somebody is asking about how they can repaint those cream colored cabinets that are in a lot of the homes on the historic side of TV. Welllll, I wanted to leap into that thread and say, "STOP! Embrace your light cabinets! They are in again! Guess what I just ordered!"

We stayed on the historic side recently (which I like for a lot of reasons) and I know the cabinets. Only now the finish is called things like "Biscotti with Cocoa Glaze."

And that, for anybody who read this far, is the latest episode in the continuing saga of the broken Maytag dishwasher latch.

Boomer

[mitchbr47]

Our Maytag dishwasher is 5 years old. The latch mechanism just bit the dust. The part costs $150.00. And, yes, I know that’s a lot cheaper than a new dishwasher. And we don’t have to try to find the Maytag repairman because Mr. Boomer knows how to fix stuff. But this is about the big picture aggravation factor in the world of today’s kitchen appliances. Are these things now designed to fail?

Maytag must have designed this latch to break, sooner rather than later. The part of the latch mechanism that broke was held together by some tiny plastic nubs that broke off. What’s up with that? The latch. Used constantly. Little plastic beads under stress every time that door was opened and closed. Surely that was designed to fail. And fail it did. A hundred and fifty bucks worth.

As a kid I learned to cook on a Chambers range that had been in the kitchen for as long as I could remember and was there long after I had left the nest. My parents’ Kenmore washer and dryer, bought in 1967, lasted more than 40 years.

When Mr. B. and I were first married, somebody gave us their old dishwasher. It was a Kitchen-Aid that we rolled to the sink and hooked up to the faucet. It was 25 years old when we got it and when we moved we gave it away to someone else. It might still be out there rolling along. That made us loyal to Kitchen-Aid through three more houses, but then Kitchen-Aid dishwashers were suddenly no longer what they had always been. They just didn't seem the same. So we tried Maytag this time. Never again.

My history with kitchen appliances has been long one. And I have tried to get things that I thought would last. I realize that I can no longer expect 25 or 40 years. I am realistic about our world now. But 5 years and then the obvious design to fail starts kicking in???

I think most big appliances now are made by one company or the other. South Korea. Mexico. Cranking them out and slapping different brand names on them. It is a maze to me.

I have been noticing Electrolux everywhere lately. (I thought it was a sweeper.) Their big marketing campaign is that they have been in Europe forever. I guess that is supposed to mean something to me as a consumer, but that’s not what I care about. I just want something that is well made and will not aggravate me along the way with just plain bad engineering. Or purposely bad engineering.

Electrolux also likes to market like Saturn. The price is the price so they say. My guess is there will be some kind of deals built in somewhere. They are significantly more expensive than other appliances. Could that be part of the marketing concept, too? Or are they really that much better? (And btw, I think Electrolux and Frigidaire are now connected. Geez. No wonder I am confused.)

And you know what else I miss. I miss the little appliance store with the people who stood behind what they sold and knew their products. Now it's those big box stores full of whippersnappers who know nothing about washing machines because their moms are still doing their laundry. And all they want to do is sell you an extended warranty anyway.

Well, thanks for listening to my trials and tribulations in the world of kitchen appliances. And I really would like your opinions on what brands you like and have found to be dependable. And does anybody know anything about Electrolux? All I want is to get what I pay for. Is that even possible these days?

Dishwater Hands Boomer

We recently replaced our 20 year old Whirlpool dishwasher this past summer up north. I think we had 1 service call for the pump. After researching on the web and reading Consumer Reports we decided on a Bosch. It is extremely quiet and very energy efficient, but with a new product who knows the long term repair record. We found a good deal at Lowes this summer with free installation. The point I wanted to make was the comments made by the installer about Electrolux installations. He said that there is quite a bit of assembly out of box required. That isn't saying it is a poor product.

I think all appliances just don't last like they used to. Many are now made overseas or are foreign companies. I agree with the demise of Maytag products since they were bought out. We have 2 sets of Maytag washers and dryers from the mid 90s up north. Even though new models are more efficient, I think we'll keep them until they do need repair.
Maybe extended warranties might be feasible on these products considering their unreliability.

[Boomer]

We recently replaced our 20 year old Whirlpool dishwasher this past summer up north. I think we had 1 service call for the pump. After researching on the web and reading Consumer Reports we decided on a Bosch. It is extremely quiet and very energy efficient, but with a new product who knows the long term repair record. We found a good deal at Lowes this summer with free installation. The point I wanted to make was the comments made by the installer about Electrolux installations. He said that there is quite a bit of assembly out of box required. That isn't saying it is a poor product.

I think all appliances just don't last like they used to. Many are now made overseas or are foreign companies. I agree with the demise of Maytag products since they were bought out. We have 2 sets of Maytag washers and dryers from the mid 90s up north. Even though new models are more efficient, I think we'll keep them until they do need repair.
Maybe extended warranties might be feasible on these products considering their unreliability.

Hi Mitch,

I think you and I must have been writing in this thread and going to press at about the same time this morning. We really liked that Bosch dishwasher, too. Had we been buying just the dishwasher, that is the one we would have picked. But then the project grew and the appliances matching thing kicked in.

And the bells and whistles on the Electrolux do make us wonder. Ironically, the thing that went wrong with the Maytag was not in the electronics, it was in the latch design that was put together with little plastic beads, guaranteed to wear out.

One of the difficulties of being on the front end of the baby boom is remembering quality in appliances.

And about those extended warranties, I agree with the point you make......

Even though I am opposed to the concept and it really ticks me off to feel like I have to do it, the extended warranties entered in this time around.

Those things make me feel like I have been had, but it is just the way it is now because everybody's warranty is only one year and then you are on your own, trying to find repair.

And I have to suspect that those extended warranties, which may have started as a piece of the action, are now driving the bus and the consumer is under it.

We have never bought extended warranies before, but this time we did. I think they have contributed to the downfall in quality because everybody gets by with the short warranty now, no matter which manufacturer it is; therefore, "Why bother with building in quality?" may be a philosophy in the industry.

Also, those extended warranties are not in addition to the one-year. Those warranties absorb the one year. And so the 5-year is not 6 years. It is 5 years total. And you just have to hope your contact stays in business.

We weighed all the options and at the point of having just bought all that stuff for the whole kitchen and knowing that we trusted none of it really, we bit, for the first time ever, and bought the extended warranty. Had it been a lesser cost involved overall, we would not have bought the warranty. Of course, the evil Maytag dishwasher took 6 years to reveal the latch issue.

So I have no illusions that Electrolux will be any better than anything else. It appears to be well-designed. The fit and finish worked for us. But who knows??? We probably won't really know.....for 6 years.

Boomer

[Pturner]

Boomer, I thorougly enjoyed your kitchen saga, especially the parts about Mr. Boomer, your daughter Boomette-- too cute!--, your astute take on manufacturers substituting extended warranties for quality products-- too :censored:-- and the "Biscotti with Cocoa Glaze" marketing name for cream-colored cabinets.

Hope you get many years hassle-free enjoyment from your new Christmas kitchen.

p.s., I'll keep you posted if my Maytag latch bites the dust.:doh:

[Boomer]

Boomer, I thorougly enjoyed your kitchen saga, especially the parts about Mr. Boomer, your daughter Boomette-- too cute!--, your astute take on manufacturers substituting extended warranties for quality products-- too :censored:-- and the "Biscotti with Cocoa Glaze" marketing name for cream-colored cabinets.

Hope you get many years hassle-free enjoyment from your new Christmas kitchen.

p.s., I'll keep you posted if my Maytag latch bites the dust.:doh:

There is even more to the story of the cream colored cabinets I chose. I was trying to go as light as possible for my kitchen, but it turns out those are kinda hot right now. I had no idea I was so hip. All I wanted to do was get a lighter look. (The floor is hardwood, and I was after contrast, too.)

And also, over in a corner of one of the places we looked, I saw what sure looked like an avocado green front-load washer. It was a little lighter than avocado. The salesperson told me the color is called "Chai" and don't you just love it.......now, if only I could find somebody to give me just the right kind of shag haircut I had back then, I would be all set for fitting into the 21st Century...... I wonder what the shag haircut is called these days..... Maybe it is out there somewhere.......But I digress.....and really have to stop passing by this computer and looking in at TOTV today.

Boomer

[DougR]

We had our Amana refrigerator for 6 years and the compressor went out. Appliance repairman said it would costabout $600 parts and labor to repair....UGH! You are right-things arent made last any longer.
We purchased an LG french door freezer on the bottom 25cu.ft. that cost $1100. It better last a LONG time! There is 7 year waranty on the compressor.
I didn't know much about LG brand, so i went to Expedia and found they are the 3rd largest maker of appliance behind Whirlpool and Electrolux. LG is a South Korean company which is a merger of a Asain company called 'Lucky' and Goldstar. Remember the Goldstar electronics from the 60's and 70's? LG big into electronics, my cell phone is an LG. I guess just about everything is circuit board comuter chip electronics now.
And i agree about the friendly home-town hardware store is no longer to be found. I got this Fridge from Home Depot with free delivery and they removed the broken-down Amana for free too.