In the market for a washer, dryer and fridge. Where do I start?

[yanilat]

Hi everybody,

We are in the market for a new washer, dryer and fridge.
After researching and reviewing , one thing is for sure, things are not built to last

Brand names that are legendary are now being bought over, and not made like before.

So my strategy is to find a great appliance repair shop before getting the units.

I would love to know what my fellow DIS has and what do they like and dislike about their features, suggestions on online reviews and a trusted store.

Not sure :
Washer - Between front loading or top loading
Fridge - between top freezer or bottom freezer.
Dryer - Does it have to be matching with the washer?

Sure :
Washer - basic function (hot , cold, warm water), load size, soak , delicate
Fridge - no side by side, no water and ice dispenser, nothing fancy
Dryer - basic function , delicate, no wrinkles ( is it possible to ?),

thanks everybody..

 

[luvmarypoppins]

We just got a new refrigerator too. I wanted the same as you,
no side by side as our space is limited
no water or ice because I heard they are a hassle and get frozen, clogged etc.

We got a Whirlpool refrig. from Lowes with the freezer on the bottom. We all love it.

The only thing our ds dont particularly like is getting ice, they have to bend down now instead since the freezer is one the bottom.

Overall we are happy with it, got it in July.

 

[secretpantssam]

haha, I'm in the market for the same 3 things! I'd better keep an eye on this post!

 

[IUTBAM]

I had always been a Kenmore fan, but when we moved after 8 years in 2004, I needed a new washer/dryer, and decided to try Lowe's (since we had moved to a small town, and there wasn't much there). I bought a top of the line Whirlpool Gold set, and had NOTHING but problems with it. After several months, they finally had to come and pick it up (I got my money back), and I headed straight to Sears! Kenmore all the way for me...I've never had a problem with any of their appliances. Our current home had just been remodeled before we bought it with top of the line GE Profile Stainless steel appliances...the built in microwave has broken twice, I hate the fridge, and the dishwasher is so poorly made (the wheels on the bottom rack will NOT stay on), I'm about ready to replace it with a Kenmore.

 

[horseshowmom]

I had always been a Kenmore fan, but when we moved after 8 years in 2004, I needed a new washer/dryer, and decided to try Lowe's (since we had moved to a small town, and there wasn't much there). I bought a top of the line Whirlpool Gold set, and had NOTHING but problems with it. After several months, they finally had to come and pick it up (I got my money back), and I headed straight to Sears! Kenmore all the way for me...I've never had a problem with any of their appliances. Our current home had just been remodeled before we bought it with top of the line GE Profile Stainless steel appliances...the built in microwave has broken twice, I hate the fridge, and the dishwasher is so poorly made (the wheels on the bottom rack will NOT stay on), I'm about ready to replace it with a Kenmore.

I had a very similar situation except it was a top of the line Maytag. It took 2 weeks for them to find somebody to work on it. It was never fixed after being worked on twice. They left out the soundproofing when they tried to fix it (never put it back in), and my dog barked at it everytime it went into a spin cycle.

I finally gave up and went back to Sears. Every appliance that I own has come from them, and I've had almost no problem with any of them. My Kenmore W/D has been doing great for several years now.

 

[bettymae1121]

The only new appliance I've bought is a GE front loader washer. I bought it last March and no problems so far, in fact I love it!

It has all the usual settings plus "speed wash" which does a load in 36 minutes. It also has pre-wash and extra rinse. You can adjust the spin speed for delicate clothes. It also has a sanitize feature for extra icky things that you want to make sure are clean. It has an "active wear" setting which is good for synthetic materials used in sports uniforms or workout clothes. And probably a few other things I'm forgetting.

I got a floor model from Sears for less than half off ($350 instead of $800) so it was a good deal. And I haven't had any issues with it at all, and it gets our clothes clean.

I feel you don't need a matching dryer, if you just want a bare-bones basic model there is no need to get a fancy one. I have a pretty basic one and it does fine. In fact I'll use it as my "iron". If I have an item that is already dry but wrinkled, I'll put in the dry item(s) along with a damp clean towel and run it for about 10-20 minutes, everything comes out wrinkle free!

 

[starry_solo]

Sears - that's where my family has gotten its fridges, washers, and dryers from for the past 20+ years.

If there is a Sears outlet nearby, you can usually get good deals for light damage (like a dent in the back/side that's going to be covered by the wall).

 

[jwfla422]

We're "done" with Sears. We got our front loading washer and dryer from there which I love (LGs btw) and have had them 3 yrs. Originally ordered Kenmores and read terrible things about them so we changed to the LGs. Their service stinks. Can't tell you how many times they blew off our appt. to come out to install the dryer vent and balance the dryer on top of the washer (we had them stacked). For some reason this was NOT the responsibility of the delivery guys. It took weeks and several cancellations THEY MADE after we waited around all day and in some cases we had to call to find out they weren't going to show up. I know they deal with subcontractors but they were terribly unreliable.

We remodeled our kitchen 2 yrs ago. Purchased a stainless steel Amana refrigerator (french door) from Home Depot. Very happy with it. Also purchased a Bosch dishwasher, Samsung cook top range and microwave from Lowes. Love them all. Both Home Depot and Lowe's delivery/service guys were great and RELIABLE and THEY installed everything.

Sorry Sears, haven't even mentioned the issues we had with an elliptical trainer we purchased at Sears with an extended service contract. It was a lemon and what a pain to get a new one (took 2 yrs of multiple servicing and of course the same unreliable appts that had to be rescheduled several times, never again Sears...

 

[Fjobe]

We replaced our washer, dryer,and dishwasher in November of 2007. We had $2000 to spend. DH and I went to Best Buy and picked out our 3 items that we really wanted which came to around $2500. They actually discounted off the prices on the items to fit within our $2000 price range. I was so excited! Both the washer and dryer are LG. I must say, this is my 2nd front loader and I think I'll get a top loader next time - just my personal preference.

In May 2009, our house was struck by lightening, and we had to replace our refrigerator. We went back to Best Buy because of our luck the first time. Once again, we had a great experience. I did research before we went and found the best deal in our area on the fridge we wanted. I just told them that price and they lowered their price down to that amount. Best Buy also has a rewards card (it is not connected to a credit card or anything unless you get their Reward Credit Card), so you also get to use those points for something in the store (although I seem to remember some restrictions on the reward certificate). We went with an LG freezer on bottom this time. I did a lot of research, and at the time, it was by far the cheapest fridge for the space it has and we needed that because of our family size.

So, overall, I recommend Best Buy and LG. I cannot give you my account on Best Buy service calls, because we haven't had a reason to call them out.

 

[horseshowmom]

I had a recent experience with Sears repair. We bought a dishwasher and had something electrical in the front panel go bad. I scheduled the appointment and then got an automated verification call the day before. They were on time and kept me apprised of what was going on (called me about a hour before they got here to let me know where they were and when they expected to arrive). I did have to wait a week for the part to arrive and the return appointment. Overall, I was very satisfied.

 

[buzz5985]

Price your local appliance store. I have Maytag washer/dryer, dishwasher, stove, microwave and Fridge. Since I was buying all my appliances I was able to get contractor prices. Actually ended up being cheaper than Home Depot or Lowes, for a better quality product. Have had all for 7 years and no problems so far.

I would recommend the water filtration/ice maker feature. The water's taste is excellent and never a problem with the ice maker. I didn't want it but DH (a plumber) talked me into it and I am so happy he did. BUT we live in the NE and don't have the hard water problems of the south.

Janis

 

[kaytieeldr]

Before anything, I'd start with Consumer Reports and Good Housekeeping. If you can't get the ratings online, hit up your library.

 

[ceecee]

We checked all the ratings last year prior to the Black Friday sales and found LG and Samsung had the best ratings for front load washers and dryer. I am satisified with them, they work great. The front loading I'm not a fan of! I wipe it out and air dry for a day and it still smells like mildew if I shut the door. I also used to like to stop the washer and let things soak but I can't do it with the front load.

 

[AnjieNet]

One thing I've discovered with appliances is, the more bells and whistles, the more there is to go wrong. We got a front load washer and dryer (LG I think) when they were first becoming popular, had all the lovely push buttons instead of the dials, etc. Had nothing but trouble with it. The buttons stopped working to change types of loads, the unit wouldn't come on and had to be reset on the back of the machine (very difficult to get to!), and it smelled to high heaven. Don't know if it didn't air correctly or what. We ended up getting our money back from Lowes for both washer and dryer, went to Sears and bought a basic GE washer and dryer for half the price with the turn knobs. Have had them for 12 years without a single problem and the wash and dry our clothes perfectly. Lesson learned! Now have GE side-by-side fridge and dishwasher as well from Sears.

 

[lisaross]

i always start with Consumer Guide!