OT: Appliance Brands

[MittRomney]

Looking to buy a stove, dishwasher, refrigerator, etc

My main concern is reliability. Bells and whistles are not a priority. Anybody with insight /opinions?

I understand all brands are not what they used to be as far as reliability goes.

Saw a few reviews that say stay away from the Korean brands samsung and particularly LG due to expensive parts. I did see a few good reviews on Samsung, so not sure. Didn't see any good reviews for LG.

Kenmore is crap.
GE?
Whirlpool (good ratings on fridge)?
Kitchen aid?
Frigidair?
Maytag?
Others?

Not in the market for Viking, subzero, Thermidor, etc

 

[starkvegasdawg]

Looking to buy a stove, dishwasher, refrigerator, etc

My main concern is reliability. Bells and whistles are not a priority. Anybody with insight /opinions?

I understand all brands are not what they used to be as far as reliability goes.

Saw a few reviews that say stay away from the Korean brands samsung and particularly LG due to expensive parts. I did see a few good reviews on Samsung, so not sure. Didn't see any good reviews for LG.

Kenmore is crap.
GE?
Whirlpool (good ratings on fridge)?
Kitchen aid?
Frigidair?
Maytag?
Others?

Not in the market for Viking, subzero, Thermidor, etc

In my experience it is hard to go wrong with maytag or kitchen aid.

I used to work at viking and you can save your money. While not doing customer service work I was in that department. I remember the mgr at the time saying that over 40% of the appliances manufactured would have a service call within a year of purchase. Since I worked there I had a huge employee discount. I had a range, vent good, and dishwasher. I only had to have the range worked on once but the dishwasher and blower motor for the hood were made by other companies for viking.

The stories I could tell you. Let's just say I left a month before they laid off a quarter of their word force and told my boss on the way out if something did not change the company would be closed or bought out in ten years. It was bought out in four.

 

[jxndawg]

When I bought my first house 10+ years ago I bought Whirlpool everything b/c, in general, Consumer Reports rated all their appliances as reliable, and most of them performed well. I'm in my second house now, and still have Whirlpool everything, and have yet to have any major appliance need a repair.

 

[woozman]

Looking to buy a stove, dishwasher, refrigerator, etc

My main concern is reliability. Bells and whistles are not a priority. Anybody with insight /opinions?

I understand all brands are not what they used to be as far as reliability goes.

Saw a few reviews that say stay away from the Korean brands samsung and particularly LG due to expensive parts. I did see a few good reviews on Samsung, so not sure. Didn't see any good reviews for LG.

Kenmore is crap.
GE?
Whirlpool (good ratings on fridge)?
Kitchen aid?
Frigidair?
Maytag?
Others?

Not in the market for Viking, subzero, Thermidor, etc

Based on my recent shopping for a dishwasher, I would recommend that you check out the Bosch brand. It was a little more expensive that some of the other brands, but i chose it because it just seemed to be better made. My in-laws replaced every kitchen appliance about a year ago and went with Bosch for everything and they love them...

 

[RocketDawg]

We remodeled the kitchen about 6 years ago, and got GE microwave, GE Profile refrigerator (French doors with freezer underneath), KitchenAid dishwasher and stove. Have had zero problems with any of them. Also have a Maytag high efficiency top-loading washer ... it sounds a little strange but has been very reliable. The dryer is also Maytag.

 

[was21]

Check out the most recent issue of Consumer Reports at the library that covers these appliances

 

[Wicked Pissah]

When I bought my first house 10+ years ago I bought Whirlpool everything b/c, in general, Consumer Reports rated all their appliances as reliable, and most of them performed well. I'm in my second house now, and still have Whirlpool everything, and have yet to have any major appliance need a repair.

I just bought all whirlpool and Im happy. Great reviews too

 

[Digging dog]

I just bought all whirlpool and Im happy. Great reviews too

I'm still nuking food in a Whirlpool microwave that was put in my house when it was built in 87. Also oven is WP and original to the house. I'm second owner of the house. Pretty much all appliances in my house are WP except the solid surface cooktop which is GE. Replaced a heating element in the oven a few years back other than that pretty problem free.

 

[BiloxiDawg]

I just went Kenmore Elite throughout my house...

I have always had a great experience when purchasing from Sears, especially with service after the sale. Sears is one of the few "big box" stores that have in-house repair technicians. Lowe's and Home Depot just do not compete in that dept.

Kenmore is built by Whirlpool, but they do offer a few special features that cannot be found on other standard Whirlpool appliances. Also, during Black Friday, Sears had unbelievable deals on their brand of appliances. I saved nearly $3,500 off retail. </SPAN>

Looking to buy a stove, dishwasher, refrigerator, etc

My main concern is reliability. Bells and whistles are not a priority. Anybody with insight /opinions?

I understand all brands are not what they used to be as far as reliability goes.

Saw a few reviews that say stay away from the Korean brands samsung and particularly LG due to expensive parts. I did see a few good reviews on Samsung, so not sure. Didn't see any good reviews for LG.

Kenmore is crap.
GE?
Whirlpool (good ratings on fridge)?
Kitchen aid?
Frigidair?
Maytag?
Others?

Not in the market for Viking, subzero, Thermidor, etc

 

[Daddy Rabbit Dawg]

Whirlpool is the way to go for everything.

 

[Dawgtini]

And you can always negotiate price on appliances, especially at Sears and local shops.

 

[SwampDawg]

After the Great Hurricane we replaced all our appliances with Maytag. That was eight years ago, but the microwave, dishwasher and clothes dryer are slowly crapping out. First this doesn't work, then that doesn't work.

 

[dickiedawg]

Poke around this forum. There are some really helpful, knowledgable folks. Consumer reports can be helpful too of course. Ditto what someone said about Bosch dw. Mine is a little small, but you can barely tell it's running from a noise perspective. A lot of the newer ones have 3 racks, too, I don't know how much capacity that adds.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/appl/

 

[bulldogbaja]

Seriously?
I have never had a single good experience purchasing anything from Sears in any town. Nor have I ever heard anyone else say that they have. I figured that was why they were basically bankrupt.
However, I am glad that you had a good experience

 

[BiloxiDawg]

You really only have 3 appliance manufacturers: GE, Whirlpool and Electrolux.

There really are only 3 common appliance manufacturers, unless you go high end.

GE builds GE and Hotpoint.

Whirlpool builds Whirlpool, Kenmore, Maytag, KitchenAid, Amana, Jenn-Air.

Electrolux builds Electrolux and Frigidaire.

 

[BiloxiDawg]

I have had nothing but good luck with my Kenmore and Craftsman items...

Our Biloxi Store has always been top notch with great customer service. We have always purchased our appliances, tools, and many of our electronics there. We use their auto center a good bit too for oil changes and such.

I returned some rusted Craftsman tools after Katrina... they replaced them with NO QUESTIONS ASKED! My engine on my 3 year old lawnmower was running rough, they replaced the motor with NO QUESTIONS ASKED and no money out of my pocket! I cannot complain one bit with Sears...

 

[DirtyDog]

Like the other poster said, most brands are made by the same big 3 manufacturers. Some just have more durable parts or more bells and whistles. I have GE Profile equipment and it typically lasts about 12 years. I have also heard that Whirlpool has reliable equipment. However, to stay competitive, most manufacturers are now buying cheaper parts, plastic instead of metal, etc. Look at durability rather than the bells and whistles. Most people don't fully use all the features anyway.

 

[whosyourdawgy]

I bought Frigidaire Gallery series for cooktop, double oven, microwave, and dishwasher. Haven't had an issue in 3 1/2 years and look really nice. I bought a Samsung French Door fridge. Got the stainless steel look so fingerprints wouldn't be an issue. Absolutely love it

Best advice I will give you is this. Pick what you want from Cowboy Maliney, Best Buy or wherever and get a quote total for it all. Then go to number1direct.com and price out those same models. You can also call in and get an actual job quote from them for all of the appliances and that was even cheaper for me. They deliver straight to your door. I saved about 1500 bucks doing this over Cowboy Maloney quote.

 

[Mulligan.sixpack]

GE SUX!

Looking to buy a stove, dishwasher, refrigerator, etc

My main concern is reliability. Bells and whistles are not a priority. Anybody with insight /opinions?

I understand all brands are not what they used to be as far as reliability goes.

Saw a few reviews that say stay away from the Korean brands samsung and particularly LG due to expensive parts. I did see a few good reviews on Samsung, so not sure. Didn't see any good reviews for LG.

Kenmore is crap.
GE?
Whirlpool (good ratings on fridge)?
Kitchen aid?
Frigidair?
Maytag?
Others?

Not in the market for Viking, subzero, Thermidor, etc

When I built my house in 2007, we used GE Profile throughout including washer and dryer. Not a week goes by without my wife complaining about one of the appliances being a POS. I am giving you warning now, if you go with GE, you have made a mistake. I have already replaced the dishwasher with an Electrolux. The 1st thing I asked for was the quietest one they had (after the GE sounded like an airplane taking off, I had had enough). I cant even tell if it is on when standing next to it. Cant tell you how many times I have opened it not knowing it is on. I could name everything wrong with each one but it would make this post look like a book. Just take my advice. Stay away from GE!

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

Second staying away from GE. Also avoid the reviews websites like Consumer Reports - they give terrible advice.

We got a GE Profile (their mid-tier brand) range and the front panel is screwed up. Off button doesn't work but 25% of the time. We can turn the oven off using the lock, but it was pretty damn scary the first time the oven wouldn't turn off.

I have a Kitchen Aid dishwasher and love it. Definitely go with a stainless steel tub washer.

I have an Amana bottom-freezer refrigerator that's lasted 10 years. Other than one time when the thing just shut down (and ruined all of our food) for no apparent reason (and it still works), it's been fine. I still have no idea what happened.

If you're in the market for a new washing machine that actually works, get the Maytag Centennial. It's the traditional style top-loader with an agitator. It's cheap too. The only drawback is that it takes over 50 minutes to wash a load. But we never have problems with clothes not getting clean, unlike friends of ours with front loading washers that cost 2-3 times more.

 

[patdog]

Just the opposite. Their appliances and outdoor equipment are the only thing that kept them from going bankrupt 25 years ago.

 

[Sutterkane]

Sears is awful at price negotiation. You ask them for the lowest price they can give you since they "won't be undersold as a big boy" and they give you the price on the shelf. If you tell them you went elsewhere and it was cheaper, THEN they will lower their price. The other problem with buying appliances(kenmore) at sears is that you always have to go back to sears for repairs or parts and can't go to other shops.

 

[Sutterkane]

Samsung everything. Get your stuff at Lowe's too, they always seem to have the best prices and installation is tax free (although most places do that). If you bundle multiple appliances they'll take more money off. I shopped around at 7 different stores when I went appliance shopping for my new house...Lowe's was my second visit, and I told each visit that I was going everywhere to compare prices. The sales guy at Lowe's gave me a card with prices on a washer and dryer that simply were not even close to matched anywhere else. He told me I'd be back to buy from him and I sure as **** did. Took 20% off the fridge too since I was buying that to go with it.

I always buy my appliances at Lowe's now. I'll never go anywhere else.

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

Double Oven gas range. It's freaking awesome. I've probably used the big oven twice. I use the small top one all the time. I think mine's an LG, and it's gas. I love it. Works great so far. I re-did my kitchen earlier this year, and I got half my **** from Amazon. Even fridge. I shopped elsewhere but they had better prices, faster, and free, delivery. But I mixed brands. I think my fridge is a frigidair, it's fine, was pretty cheap but looks good. Also awesome, under the counter microwave. I got a Sharp. They're expensive, but awesome and free up counter space. I think my wine fridge is a GE. They're all stainless, and so far no one has noticed they're different brands. I also got my vent hood on Amazon.

 

[The Peeper]

A little insight into Lowes. Unless things have changed in the last 2 yrs or so

their appliance people and cabinet people are the only commissioned people in the store. The more they sell it for, the more they make (and most other store associates hate their guts cause they are the only guys in the store making any $$). Its like buying a car, go in @ the end of the month and hope that the guy has had a down month and is hungry and willing to negotiate. The downside to Lowes is their "warranty" providers if you have a problem aren't always who you would normally hope to work with. You can't just call anybody to do warranty work but that may not matter to you.

 

[Jacknut1]

I'll 3rd the "say no" to GE. We remodeled our kitchen a few years ago and put

Frigidaire Gallery refrig, gas stove, microwave, and dishwasher in. They've been ok. I had to put a new motor in the diswasher back in the summer and it's noisy as hell, too. Don't skimp on a good dishwasher and don't get GE is my advice.

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

Amazon was cheaper, and faster than Lowe's or Home Depot

they even brought appliances in the house, unboxed them and made sure they worked. They did not install, though I was using a contractor anyway.

 

[Predestined]

RUN FROM KITCHENAID!!!

My experience with them was horrible. Bought all new KA appliances when I built my house in 07.

Dishwasher? The touchpad for commands shorted after a few years. The start button was one of the shorts. The fix is over half the cost of a new one.

To be fair, this may be a problem with all touchpads. Very aggravating.

Fridge? Awesome stainless steel bottom freezer model. Compressor died shortly after warranty expired.

ice machine? Right after warranty expired, it died. The techinican said its a problem they have when you use KITCHENAID ICE MACHINE CLEANERS! Fix cost was almost that of a new one.

Our bottom convection oven has never worked as well as the top, but we live with that. At least it still works.

Thoroughly dissatisfied with them - maybe I just had a bad run, but will never buy their products again.

 

[coach66]

We did too, been pleased overall.

nm

 

[patdog]

Just say no to the extended warranty. Period. It's a very bad deal for the customer. The warranty provider and the store make out like bandits on those things.

 

[maroonmadman]

I'll vouch for Bosch dishwashers. I bought one this past summer. It was a discontinued model and cost about $550, stainless steel version about $100 more. It's uber quiet, you have to be right next to it to hear it run and it does a great job on cleaning the dishes. My sister has one as well that is 10 yrs old and has given her 0 trouble and still works great. Worth a few extra $$ to buy one of these.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

+1 on the double oven. I have a similar Maytag and the top one preheats in less than 5 minutes and I've never had to cook two BIG things at once, so it works perfect without taking up the wall space of a traditional double oven.

 

[WayboDawg]

Nice kitchen Optimus Prime. Hope me and my wife can afford a setup that nice someday.

 

[Sutterkane]

Bosch is very nice, but I chose Samsung over them for my dishwasher. I didn't like the idea of getting into my dishwasher and having to clean out something every 6 months. I'd rather the dishwasher just take care of that for me on a clean cycle. Either way, it's quite worth it to get either brand's quieter versions. Dishwashers are loud as 17.

 

[Sutterkane]

I'm particularly fond of the bar lights. Install them yourself or did the builder do that/already there when you bought it?

 

[BiscuitEater]

Biloxi ...

Whirlpool builds Whirlpool, Kenmore, Maytag, KitchenAid, Amana, Jenn-Air.

is 'on target' and Whirlpool is the largest appliance manufacturer in the world BUT not 'all' Kenmore (Sears & KMart) are made by Whirlpool. You need to look at the model numbers to find out 'who' they are made by.

GE, Panasonic, Sanyo, LG, Bosch, Electrolux, and Mabe Mexico ... all make Kenmore appliances besides Whirlpool.

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

If inclined, just get a home warranty

$400 or so and it covers all appliances and all sorts of other ****. I know some hate them, but mine have paid for themselves many times over.

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

Ha, check what it looked like before. The fridge was where the wine fridge and second cabinet area is now. It was terrible. I got those bar lights at Lowe's I think, for like $50 each, pretty cheap considering. Contractor installed them. Before the remodel I always thought granite was expensive, but it was the damn cabinets that were half the total cost. I will say little things like pull out trash cans are much more convenient than I expected.

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

Thanks, if y'all's was as ugly as mine was, you'd be able to afford it... I mean everything was from 1952, original to the house. The inside of the sinks were pink, and even the stovetop.

 

[Dawgsnsaints]

Yeti stoves are da bomb...and... you get a sticker you can put on your front door.