Major Appliance Headaches

[Geico266]

Okay, I've had it with major appliances.

$950 LG Convection Stove, 2 years old = 3 convection fans replaced in one year, self clean feature caught the front of the stove on fire causing the finish discolor come off.

$700 Kenmore Dishwasher, 14 months old = Hose clamp came off getting all the electronic components wet frying the boards and flooding the kitchen and basement.

$2,000 Kenmore Front Loading Washer and Dryer, 2 years old = 2 service calls where electronic problems caused by loose pins in the connectors.

$45 Coffee makers, we go though 1 or 2 a year.


These were brand new appliances, and they are junk. I have Maytag W&D set in a college "animal house" rental that are 20 years old, get used every day, and run just fine.

Why can't we make things that last like we use to?

 

[Teller1900]

Because then you won't be buying a new one every two years and the Maytag man will be very very bored.

 

[Ted]

Why can't we make things that last like we use to?

I bought a good used appliance last year. I've been using the snot out of it and it's done me pretty well for being 40 years old.

 

[Geico266]

I bought a good used appliance last year. I've been using the snot out of it and it's done me pretty well for being 40 years old.

I would like to tie the diswasher to the belly of my plane and drop it on the Sears store.

Nice rainbow!

 

[wsuffa]

Okay, I've had it with major appliances.

$950 LG Convection Stove, 2 years old = 3 convection fans replaced in one year, self clean feature caught the front of the stove on fire causing the finish discolor come off.

$700 Kenmore Dishwasher, 14 months old = Hose clamp came off getting all the electronic components wet frying the boards and flooding the kitchen and basement.

$2,000 Kenmore Front Loading Washer and Dryer, 2 years old = 2 service calls where electronic problems caused by loose pins in the connectors.

$45 Coffee makers, we go though 1 or 2 a year.


These were brand new appliances, and they are junk. I have Maytag W&D set in a college "animal house" rental that are 20 years old, get used every day, and run just fine.

Why can't we make things that last like we use to?

Thank you for participating in the economic stimulus plan...

 

[Ted]

I would like to tie the diswasher to the belly of my plane and drop it on the Sears store.

You might want to use my instructor's helicopter for that.

Nice rainbow!

Thanks! It was one of those rare opportunities while waiting for a thunderstorm to come and sock me in in Cushing, OK. Saw the rainbow and took out the camera.

 

[astanley]

$45 Coffee makers, we go though 1 or 2 a year.

http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.frenchpress.php

$40. 12 cups. Mine is 4, 5 years old and I plan to get many years out of it. Hopefully my life, but I know it's only a matter of time before I drop it (and the largest shatterproof size is 8 cups).

Why can't we make things that last like we use to?

Personally, I think they do, you just have to go find it. Then again, I've spent hundreds of intensive research hours deciding which TV I'm going to buy. So I'm not normal, and I'm willing to invest a great deal of time seeking out the right product that will last many, many years.[1]

Cheers,

-Andrew

[1] I am willing to pay a premium for reliability. I would rather spend a normalized extra percentage in exchange for never having to worry about the product in question. That said, I'm also fully willing to ride the commodity wave for products that are going to fail at a given interval regardless of build or quality.

 

[Ted]

So I'm not normal.

I don't think that was a secret, Andrew.

 

[Geico266]

Personally, I think they do, you just have to go find it. Then again, I've spent hundreds of intensive research hours deciding which TV I'm going to buy. So I'm not normal, and I'm willing to invest a great deal of time seeking out the right product that will last many, many years.[1]

I am a faithful subsriber to Consumer Reports, we bought the ones they considered "Best Buys". Junk!

 

[Tim Abbott]

Everything is junk. I bought a wireless mouse for $30 last weekend and it sometimes takes 3 clicks to select what I want.

Tim

 

[Areeda]

I'm not sure what's wrong.

We have a Maytag washer and dryer that's coming up on 10 years and only we've bought soap, softener and water.

Dishwasher is some Swedish stainless steel thing that 15 yrs old and we have some rust on one of the racks where the plastic coating has worn out.

Amana fridge has got to be 9 yrs old.

Coffee maker is about 6 yrs old, one or two posts per day every day.

Sony TV sets will probably go to a museum when we go HD.

Oh and those press coffee makers. Mine uses a standard beaker, if it breaks check a lab supply company.

This will probably jinx everything I've ever bought, but so far so good.

Joe

 

[Geico266]

I'm not sure what's wrong.

We have a Maytag washer and dryer that's coming up on 10 years and only we've bought soap, softener and water.

Dishwasher is some Swedish stainless steel thing that 15 yrs old and we have some rust on one of the racks where the plastic coating has worn out.

Amana fridge has got to be 9 yrs old.

Coffee maker is about 6 yrs old, one or two posts per day every day.

Sony TV sets will probably go to a museum when we go HD.

Oh and those press coffee makers. Mine uses a standard beaker, if it breaks check a lab supply company.

This will probably jinx everything I've ever bought, but so far so good.

Joe

That what I'm saying, all the old stuff I have in my rentals works fine! The new stuff we have bought within the last 3 years is JUNK!

 

[Everskyward]

I'm not sure what's wrong.

We have a Maytag washer and dryer that's coming up on 10 years and only we've bought soap, softener and water.

Dishwasher is some Swedish stainless steel thing that 15 yrs old and we have some rust on one of the racks where the plastic coating has worn out.

Amana fridge has got to be 9 yrs old.

Coffee maker is about 6 yrs old, one or two posts per day every day.

Sony TV sets will probably go to a museum when we go HD.

Oh and those press coffee makers. Mine uses a standard beaker, if it breaks check a lab supply company.

This will probably jinx everything I've ever bought, but so far so good.

It's about the same story for me. I have had everything, including the house for 17 years and I haven't replaced any appliances. I only have the "average" grade ones too, no upgrades. Just offhand, the only thing I've had to replace was the well pump and the garage door springs.

 

[Steve Foley]

$45 Coffee makers, we go though 1 or 2 a year.

I used to go through a $15 coffee maker every year or so. Three years ago, I bought two for $20, and put the second one away.

The first one hasn't died yet.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Old stuff is better!
I keep sayin' that...cause I'm getting old!

 

[CrashAxe]

We made the mistake of replacing our functional dishwasher two years ago because it looked worn and dated. We replaced it with a nice, shiny, fancy Maytag with an electronic display and buttons. We are now on our fourth circuit board. The circuit board costs almost as much as the whole dishwasher. Up until now they have been on Maytag's dime, but not going forward.

Vacuums? We've gone through 9 of them in the past 20 years. It is not like the vacuum gets used all that much either. Maybe 20 minutes run time once a week or so...

I wish I would have known that new stuff was all going to be crap 20 years ago. I would have saved old appliances and bought them up. I would be selling them to other discriminating buyers getting filthy stinking rich off of my prescience.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

It is not like the vacuum gets used all that much either. Maybe 20 minutes run time once a week or so..

There's your problem! Not getting the oil temp up high enough, on a regular basis! (the cylinders on my vacuum are completely corroded!!)

 

[Areeda]

That what I'm saying, all the old stuff I have in my rentals works fine! The new stuff we have bought within the last 3 years is JUNK!

OK I get it. If it's been working repair, don't replace. At least until the US reduces both the budget and trade deficits to zero or below only problem is that I'll be dead and dust before that happens.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Where are all the junk appliances being made?

 

[Hiperbiper]

Where are all the junk appliances being made?

Everywhere.

I don't see it as where the offending appliance being junk per se' but think it's due to our current culture of having to have the latest and greatest gismo on the market...my 25 year old Hoover touted the addition of a HEADLIGHT (gasp!) as a new selling feature way back when. Even then I thought it was silly as I always have the lights on in the room I vacuum...now you have photo eyes that sense the nap height, a motor to adjust the brush contact, a sensor to tell you the bag needs changing, etc. It may look to be the best 'cause it can do more automatically and is the most expensive but in reality it's just more stuff to go wrong...
I have a 32 YO Amana side-by-side ref/freezer. I've put 2 condenser fan motors in it as well as a new compressor a few years ago. It keeps the food at the right temp, defrosts when it should and even has thru-the-door ice and water.
Contrast this with the new $.8AMU reefer/Frz we got for the Mother-in-Law 2008; defrost timer board crapped out. Ice maker ice level sensor eye died, auto light dimmer failed and had NO lights. All in the last 18 months.

As much as I love Electronics (a business of mine) the crap they put on stuff today just to say they have it and the competion doesen't ('till next month...) boggles the mind! I have the new Pioneer and JVC head units in my warehouse that have multi USB ports, SD card slots, Bluetooth, WMA Touchscreens and remote controls. All so you can play the danm music.
And the failure rates go up with each feature.

And; to keep this Avation related...
I see the same trend in airplanes...
When your G1000/900/600 super-screen croaks out of warranty what will be the cost to fix it? Who will be doing the work? Most Electronics Schools report dwindling enrollment and the Military is flying real planes less hours requiring less maintaince on Real-World cockpit systems and thus less specialists.
I can see where a Cessna 182 with a Six-Pack might be worth MORE than the same airframe with the G1000 in the future.


JMPO and YMMV

Chris (who's airplane doesn't even have a Six-Pack)

 

[SCCutler]

39-year-old Kitchen Aid dishwasher- damned thing had a water fill valve fail couple of weeks ago! Replacement part is $28.00.

Think I'll keep it.

 

[Paul Allen]

Where are all the junk appliances being made?

China

 

[Geico266]

39-year-old Kitchen Aid dishwasher- damned thing had a water fill valve fail couple of weeks ago! Replacement part is $28.00.

Think I'll keep it.

Wanna sell it? I'm in the market.

 

[George Waddington]

A local hardware store with long legs in the community has a great small engine shop. They find parts for units that are no longer supported by the manufacturer. Good people,good work and fair pricing. They have become increasingly critical of a broad range of products. Given present shop rates and price of parts, they find just about anything that lists for under two hundred dollars is better to trash than try to fix. Locally, yard sales, estate sales and such are drawing very knowledgable folks looking for old tools and appliances.

 

[Trapper John]

Wanna sell it? I'm in the market.

LOL! You could be on to something - set up a classic appliance version of the Barrett Jackson auctions!


Trapper John

 

[Trapper John]

A local hardware store with long legs in the community has a great small engine shop. They find parts for units that are no longer supported by the manufacturer. Good people,good work and fair pricing. They have become increasingly critical of a broad range of products. Given present shop rates and price of parts, they find just about anything that lists for under two hundred dollars is better to trash than try to fix. Locally, yard sales, estate sales and such are drawing very knowledgable folks looking for old tools and appliances.

Like cheapo string trimmer engines with only 1 (!) main bearing...

People around here will pay a bundle for old John Deere and Wheel Horse lawn tractors.


Trapper John

 

[d.grimm]

I have a friend that works for Whirlpool (Maytag) US built (Ohio) and they are engineered to last 7 years now. My new Maytag lasted 3 until the first major repair, a known problem. My wife liked the look of LG kitchen appliances when we remodeled the kitchen, ALL JUNK, and my KraftMaid Cabinets (Ohio) the paint is peeling after three years. Quality is a rare commodity anymore.
Dave

 

[Joe B]

Coffee maker is about 6 yrs old, one or two posts per day every day.

Your coffee maker is tied into the internet? Does it chat with that cute little boutique coffee shop down the street or go more for big hunks like Starbucks?

 

[weilke]

My folks have a washing machine that is 36 years old and still going. It has gone through dozends of belts, a set of bearings and a replacement controller (after it fell off its pedestal about 20 years ago). Last summer, the repairman who kept it running died, I'm afraid they will have a problem to get it fixed down the line.

This week, the 5 year old GE microwave range-hood combo in my current house shorted out. I don't anticpate it to be fixable.......

 

[Trapper John]

I have a friend that works for Whirlpool (Maytag) US built (Ohio) and they are engineered to last 7 years now. My new Maytag lasted 3 until the first major repair, a known problem. My wife liked the look of LG kitchen appliances when we remodeled the kitchen, ALL JUNK, and my KraftMaid Cabinets (Ohio) the paint is peeling after three years. Quality is a rare commodity anymore.
Dave

We remodeled the kitchen in our previous house. All new GE Profile appliances. Five out of five failed within the first few months. GE's on my never again list.

We also bought a Maytag laundry pair a few years ago. I don't expect the washer to last but maybe another year. Very disappointing.

Whirlpool stuff has been pretty good for us over the years. Not that they don't break, but they tend to be pretty simple so I can figure out what's wrong and fix it myself.


Trapper John