new appliances

[BrianL]

I don't get it, either. We bought our washer and dryer in 2020 and went for about the dumbest ones we could find while still being energy efficient and having a delicate/hand wash mode. The dryer buzzes when it's done. If I'm far away from the dryer I don't need to know when it finishes because I can't do anything about it.

Right? Why don't they get to work on one that will fold the clothes and put them away for you? Now THAT would be useful!

 

[gmi3804]

That's what I don't understand. Why does everything need to be "smart" in some way? Why do you need to communicate with your dryer? Mine has like three settings and a timer. That's it. Even my new car, which while it does have some nice, useful computerized fetures, a good 75% of that stuff I will never use or is just unnecessary. It's really crazy.

Speed Queen washers are consistently ranked as the best in the industry. All steel construction (no plastic inside). Most of their pieces are all analog. They come with a 20 year unlimited guarantee.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

Boy, I hope my fridge isn't about to go. It's a Kenmore made by LG and it's 13 years old. It replaced a Montgomery Ward fridge made by Fridgidaire. We elected to replace it when it was 27 years old. It still was keeping stuff cold, but it was starting to make funny noises when the compressor kicked on.

I hope your fridge isn't about to go also. Our 12 year old that just kicked it was LG. When the guys came and pulled the old one out, everyone could hear the motor or compressor or something grinding. It definitely would have been a costly repair. We had absolutely no warning that anything was about to go bad. Fine one day, completely not cooling the next. Historically we've been pretty happy with LG appliances, but our new one is GE. It seems to run slightly louder, which annoys me. Oh well, maybe something's wrong and it will die on the earlier side.

 

[lovesmurfs]

Okay. So I was a "why do I need an app for my washer or dryer?" As I said above, we just replaced our 30-year old Kenmore washer/dryer with a Maytag. They're in the basement, and I often didn't hear the beep when the dryer finished. I found that it's really great to get notifications upstairs when the washer and dryer start and finish. Never thought I'd want bells/whistles, but it's really helped us remember the stuff in them -- much more efficient.

 

[tvguy]

I hope your fridge isn't about to go also. Our 12 year old that just kicked it was LG. When the guys came and pulled the old one out, everyone could hear the motor or compressor or something grinding. It definitely would have been a costly repair. We had absolutely no warning that anything was about to go bad. Fine one day, completely not cooling the next. Historically we've been pretty happy with LG appliances, but our new one is GE. It seems to run slightly louder, which annoys me. Oh well, maybe something's wrong and it will die on the earlier side.

I've had three repairs, all related to the ice maker. Complete replacement twice, and a water valve once. All covered by the included Sears service plan at no cost. It was so strange, Sears had the Kenmore (made by LG) right next to the identical LG model on the showroom floor. The Kenmore was on sale for $200 less, and they had a promotion that included the 10 year service plan for free.
A friend just in the past two weeks had the compressor and coils replaced on his 3 year old LG fridge. Cost him nothing but it was down for a month. Parts only took a few days to get, but then everyone in the company who LG contracts with here for warranty work got covid, so it took a month to get someone out to install the parts.

 

[Genie+]

We have a Bosch dishwasher (from previous owners) that I know started to be made in 2002 and discontinued in 2007. I've had repairman out for other things and they've said the parts aren't made for it anymore. Although it still runs well, I don't want to turn it on and have a problem, especially a water problem. We plan on buying on new one this Fall. Same brand. When I look online, they all seem to be in stock. Looking to buy another Bosch.

We had a Bosch from that time period, iirc 2005. Back then it was $800 marked down to $300 at Lowe’s due to a very small dent at the bottom which we fixed. I LOVED that dishwasher!

We moved it twice and still had it last Oct. It wasn’t going through the cycles properly and I’d have to over ride sometimes to get it to finish.

So we decided to buy an LG combo - new dishwasher, refrigerator and microwave. Well, the refrigerator still hasn’t gotten under 40f inside. Even after 2 housecalls where there thermometer showed 37f. I bought 4 thermometers and they all say the say the same thing consistently 41f. The microwave is LOUD. The dishwaser doesn’t clean the dishes well, even with the best detergent and cycle possible. Right now I have another new dishwasher sitting in my dining room waiting for DH to install. It’s a BOSCH again DH bought at Home Depot on 40% plus 40% off sale. It looks really nice and I’m very confident it will better than than the wimpy LG.

 

[tvguy]

We had a Bosch from that time period, iirc 2005. Back then it was $800 marked down to $300 at Lowe’s due to a very small dent at the bottom which we fixed. I LOVED that dishwasher!

We moved it twice and still had it last Oct. It wasn’t going through the cycles properly and I’d have to over ride sometimes to get it to finish.

So we decided to buy an LG combo - new dishwasher, refrigerator and microwave. Well, the refrigerator still hasn’t gotten under 40f inside. Even after 2 housecalls where there thermometer showed 37f. I bought 4 thermometers and they all say the say the same thing consistently 41f. The microwave is LOUD. The dishwaser doesn’t clean the dishes well, even with the best detergent and cycle possible. Right now I have another new dishwasher sitting in my dining room waiting for DH to install. It’s a BOSCH again DH bought at Home Depot on 40% plus 40% off sale. It looks really nice and I’m very confident it will better than than the wimpy LG.

We had a Bosch dishwasher and it was remarkably more quiet than the Maytag it replaced. But when it needed repairs, the parts just weren't available. When we remodeled our remodeling contractor sent us to a specialty appliance store where they had every model of dishwasher they sold set up so you could hear them run. Salesman said even the least expensive model they sold was quiet, and you don't need a stainless steel tub because even the plastic tubs are warranted for life, and they had never had one fail. What you pay for are features. If you just want to wash dishes, a $400 model is going to be quiet, work well and be reliable. And these days, with labor and parts prices, not sure I would repair a dishwasher anymore, I'd just buy a new one.

 

[Moliphino]

Okay. So I was a "why do I need an app for my washer or dryer?" As I said above, we just replaced our 30-year old Kenmore washer/dryer with a Maytag. They're in the basement, and I often didn't hear the beep when the dryer finished. I found that it's really great to get notifications upstairs when the washer and dryer start and finish. Never thought I'd want bells/whistles, but it's really helped us remember the stuff in them -- much more efficient.

It probably varies by brand/model, but the beep on mine is LOUD. I have it on low volume and I can hear it from the other side of the house.

 

[tvguy]

It probably varies by brand/model, but the beep on mine is LOUD. I have it on low volume and I can hear it from the other side of the house.

We had an LG washer and dryer and our issue is they use the same sound to alert you to the end of the cycle. No reason to rush to check the laundry if the washer is done, but the dryer is still going. We don't have an option to change the volume.

 

[Miffy]

Our Whirlpool dishwasher--don't know how old it is since it came with the house we bought 2 years ago--broke several months ago and we finally got someone to come and fix it. After it was "fixed" it worked for abut a week and then it broke again and did the exact same thing it did before--leaks onto the floor. So we're back to no dishwasher.

DH hadn't wanted to fix it, since he thought we should just save the money ("repair" cost $118) for the new dishwasher.

Our fridge, also a Whirlpool, broke about a year ago. We did have it fixed, and it was, indeed, fixed. Much cheaper than purchasing a new fridge. It just needed a new chip. Fortunately, the repair guy had this exact chip in his truck.

 

[Genie+]

We had a Bosch dishwasher and it was remarkably more quiet than the Maytag it replaced. But when it needed repairs, the parts just weren't available. When we remodeled our remodeling contractor sent us to a specialty appliance store where they had every model of dishwasher they sold set up so you could hear them run. Salesman said even the least expensive model they sold was quiet, and you don't need a stainless steel tub because even the plastic tubs are warranted for life, and they had never had one fail. What you pay for are features. If you just want to wash dishes, a $400 model is going to be quiet, work well and be reliable. And these days, with labor and parts prices, not sure I would repair a dishwasher anymore, I'd just buy a new one.

Part of what we loved about the Bosch was it ran daily for almost 20yrs. What a champ! No issues until the end. It had a macerator and stainless inside. Still looked brand new inside after 2 decades of use and outside was fine too. I prefer steel because I’m sensitive to plastics trapping odors. The LG was quiet but did not clean well. With the Bosch my cutting boards came out spotless, the LG leaves them dirty. Horrible. I was adjusting but DH found food left behind on dishes here and there and was oh no - he went and got another Bosch. This one was $1100 but $400 on the HD sale.

 

[Moliphino]

We had an LG washer and dryer and our issue is they use the same sound to alert you to the end of the cycle. No reason to rush to check the laundry if the washer is done, but the dryer is still going. We don't have an option to change the volume.

I don't think my washer even makes a noise. The dryer can be off, low, or high and it's just a buzzer sort of noise.
My mom has a fancier set and it has all sorts of different noises and songs for different things.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

I've had three repairs, all related to the ice maker. Complete replacement twice, and a water valve once. All covered by the included Sears service plan at no cost. It was so strange, Sears had the Kenmore (made by LG) right next to the identical LG model on the showroom floor. The Kenmore was on sale for $200 less, and they had a promotion that included the 10 year service plan for free.
A friend just in the past two weeks had the compressor and coils replaced on his 3 year old LG fridge. Cost him nothing but it was down for a month. Parts only took a few days to get, but then everyone in the company who LG contracts with here for warranty work got covid, so it took a month to get someone out to install the parts.

We've intentionally bought fridges without the ice/water in the door. From reading reviews and just anecdotally talking to others, that always seems to have issues. Have a friend that's had 3 repairs on theirs, and we saw one that had failed in a vacation house we were renting. We don't have an issue opening the freezer and grabbing the ice, and we have whole house water filtering, so no issues with water right out of the tap either.

I can't imagine a month with no fridge!!! It kind of would be nice to have a little garage fridge (we already have a freezer out there) for drinks, and to keep a small amount of food in case this happens again and we're out of a regular fridge for longer than 24 hours, but I hate to think of using more energy to run yet another appliance we really don't need.

 

[tvguy]

We've intentionally bought fridges without the ice/water in the door. From reading reviews and just anecdotally talking to others, that always seems to have issues. Have a friend that's had 3 repairs on theirs, and we saw one that had failed in a vacation house we were renting. We don't have an issue opening the freezer and grabbing the ice, and we have whole house water filtering, so no issues with water right out of the tap either.

I can't imagine a month with no fridge!!! It kind of would be nice to have a little garage fridge (we already have a freezer out there) for drinks, and to keep a small amount of food in case this happens again and we're out of a regular fridge for longer than 24 hours, but I hate to think of using more energy to run yet another appliance we really don't need.

We had the same ice maker issue with our previous fridge. I think we will be in the same boat as you, no more ice maker, or water in the door.

 

[Genie+]

The icemaker is one of few great things with our new LG appliances. It has ice, water, crushed ice and inside makes big ice balls Really nice for cocktails. Just hope issues don’t develop. Our last water/icemaker lasted fine.

 

[Moliphino]

The icemaker is one of few great things with our new LG appliances. It has ice, water, crushed ice and inside makes big ice balls Really nice for cocktails. Just hope issues don’t develop. Our last water/icemaker lasted fine.

We don't have crushed ice from our fridge now and I hate it. The fridge came with the house and it's running fine, though, so we're not in a hurry to replace it.
My parents' fridge has the icemaker in the door with crushed ice. It's a KitchenAid from 1998 that's never had a single issue in 25 years.

 

[Genie+]

We don't have crushed ice from our fridge now and I hate it. The fridge came with the house and it's running fine, though, so we're not in a hurry to replace it.
My parents' fridge has the icemaker in the door with crushed ice. It's a KitchenAid from 1998 that's never had a single issue in 25 years.

It always warms my heart hearing about appliances (and cars too lol) that serve faithfully for decades.

 

[gmi3804]

LG and Samsung make really junky appliances. I wish more people would read reviews by reputable raters before making their appliance purchases. Refrigerators are notoriously poorly made, especially the ones with the ice/water in the door. The more bells and whistles, the more they break. It's staggering how many fall victim to the "bright and shiny" syndrome and get seduced by what's new and flashy.

On a personal opinion note, the "french door" refrigerator trend can't end soon enough as far as I'm concerned. Whoever decided that two thin doors that make it hard to access the interior of a refrigerator was a good idea?

 

[Simba's Mom]

I just need it to dry the clothes...I don't want it to be able to sign up for online dating!

LOL! Don't give the manufacturers any ideas or that will be next!
We just had to replace our 17 yo washing machine last year. The one I had had 2 or 3 washing levels you could push the button to select-big, little, and average. But now I don't have to think with this one-it spends several minutes starting and stopping at the beginning of a load, while it "senses" the size of the load. That's so I no longer have to figure out if it's a big load or little load.

 

[tinkerbellandpeterpan]

On a personal opinion note, the "french door" refrigerator trend can't end soon enough as far as I'm concerned. Whoever decided that two thin doors that make it hard to access the interior of a refrigerator was a good idea?

So funny how people have different preferences. I much prefer the one door. It just functions better for me and DH. And it is definitely much easier to get bulky items, and trays or platters in and out. I hate the double doors. I'm not a bells a whistle person though and don't need the water/ice maker etc. or anything too new and fancy.

The other thing I find is that because I am so short (5' on a good day) that the freezer on the bottom works better for me even though it's not necessarily my preference. And I think the worst invention in the universe is the side by side. Those kinds fit nothing.

We rent so are generally stuck with the fridge that comes with the place so we have had to deal with a wide variety of styles and have determined what works best for us even if that isn't always our option at the time.