Thread Number: 21214
Disposable appliances |
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Post# 334893 , Reply# 1   3/11/2009 at 12:13 (5,496 days old) by iheartmaytag (Wichita, Kansas)   |   | |
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I know some will disagree with me, but in my opinion and only my opinion. Some of Whirl-crap is the epitiomy of Disposable. I had the same experience with the Whirl-crap "Cool line". When I am standing in water up to my ankles for the second time in two weeks, it is not a nice thing to say to me "It's not our problem that you got a lemon." The new Maytags were delivered three days later. Unfortunately, Maytag is now part of Whirlpool. After blasting them just now. I will say that in my searching the Whirlpool Duet appears to be the best choice I have found so far. I am still praying over my Dependable Care Maytag, hoping that it will last at least another year before I have to replace it. |
Post# 334895 , Reply# 2   3/11/2009 at 12:34 (5,496 days old) by thomasortega (El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles de Porciúncula)   |   | |
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If you think this whirlpool is crap, you should see the Brazillian Whirlpools (Brastemp and Consul) they started to sell almost 10 years ago. The design is amazingly beautiful, but a can of soda is more resistant. |
Post# 334942 , Reply# 4   3/11/2009 at 17:31 (5,496 days old) by xraytech (Rural southwest Pennsylvania )   |   | |
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That sounds how our 2nd POS Frigidaire made Kenmore dishwasher was. Almost 2 months old, wouldn't drain and then flooded the kitchen, not to mention the lack luster performance. It was rebuilt on warranty and then again right before the two year extended warranty expired then about 6 months later the motor went and we replaced it with another Kenmore. This is Dishwasher #3 in almost 6 years. And we have had the same problems with the first one, the new one is 4 months old and no problem yet.
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Post# 335116 , Reply# 8   3/12/2009 at 14:30 (5,495 days old) by autowasherfreak ()   |   | |
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So far (knocking on wood) I have had excellent luck with my Frigidaire Gallery set. |
Post# 335198 , Reply# 9   3/12/2009 at 20:21 (5,495 days old) by paulg (My sweet home... Chicago)   |   | |
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My newer-vintage 2005 Speed Queen TL pair are still going fine in their fourth year. God bless them. Used almost every day. Basic, basic design. Can't beat simplicity. I SO agree with the notion that I will NOT buy anything new unless it'll last 5-7 years or more. I truly believe the bargains are at the resale shop. My 1954 Crosley refrigerator still runs. Now THAT'S VALUE! |
Post# 335205 , Reply# 11   3/12/2009 at 21:21 (5,495 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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One reason front loaders lost market share to top loading washing machines is the ease of design and repair of the later. H-Axis washing machines, by nature of their design must cope with forces top loaders do not. Supporting ten or more pounds of wet laundry for several cycles, even with moderate use is going to require some strong support systems. Commercial front loaders can run several thousand dollars for even the smallest units. However bearings and other parts are easily replaced. One can find Wascomats ten or twenty years old still chugging away with few if any major repairs. Problem for many laundry appliance makers is that consumers on both sides of the pond tend to view such purchases less and less as "major" and more of a "consumer" good. No one wants to pay the price (adjusted for inflation), a built like a tank vintage washer would cost today. Worse for American manufacturers the US government is pushing front loaders as a way for saving water, just when consumers aren't interested in spending major money. Worse many do not like front loaders to begin with and would balk in greater numbers if they had to pay say what a MOL or TOL Miele or V-Zug costs. Personally think we all should be outraged that some major appliances barely make it past four years. Even as late as the 1970's or 1980's any make of appliance that didn't give value for money would have been throttled. Also a bulk of appliance sales were done by local small independent shops. Such places valued their customers and by and large would go out of their way to keep them happy. If Mr. Average American came in and started beefing that the washer sold to his wife not four years ago was dying and worse needed a major repair, you can bet he got satisfaction. L. |
Post# 335540 , Reply# 13   3/15/2009 at 03:43 (5,492 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Post# 335742 , Reply# 15   3/15/2009 at 22:03 (5,492 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)   |   | |
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...manufacturers and consumers are to blame in equal portion for the deterioration of quality. Consumers, because most want all the 'bells and whistles' but don't want to pay 'too much' for them... ...and manufacturers because they want consumers to buy their goods which have to have enough 'goodies' and be priced at a point where people will buy them - lots of them - which often means slightly cheaper than the opposition. To do this something has had to give and quality is often the first to go. They still get built to 'look' like the better quality, older machines, but when you dig deeper it would appear that it (quality) is not there. When we replaced my mothers ASEA late last year I stumbled across a site operated by the Reserve Bank of Australia - an inflation calculator. When I run the cost of things through, it tells me what the equivalent money is at any year point up to 2008 that I nominate. eg. 1968 Simpson Fluid Drive approx $200.00 became $1134 in 1989 1989 Asea Cylinda 12000 $1250 became $2142 in 2008. BUT in 2008, mum was not prepared to spend over $2000 on buying a washing machine even though historically, this is the same money that was spent in 1968 and 1989... ...so what has she lost out on? Probably the 20 odd years of service she had from each of the other 2 machines. If she gets 5-8 years out of the bigger capacity, more programme replacement (which cost $800), then she should consider herself owed nothing. So before we start lamenting the lack of quality, maybe we should also look at how much we are (or are NOT) paying or prepared to pay for said appliance. The Bank of England operates a similar site (www.bankofengland.co.uk/education...) in 1985 GBP300 = 681 in 2008!... ....as does the US Federal Reserve (www.usinflationcalculator.com/...) $200 in 1968 = $1247 in 2008... CLICK HERE TO GO TO ronhic's LINK |
Post# 335747 , Reply# 16   3/15/2009 at 22:34 (5,492 days old) by launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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We've touched on that topic on and off here in the group. If one were to adjust a top of the line Maytag, Frigidare (GM,not WCI), or such washing machine from say 1970's or even 1980's for today's money, a $400 washer would easily reach over one grand, USD. Problem is, and many appliance makers saw this coming ages ago, persons tend not to hold onto appliances (at least in the United States)the way they used to. People move house often and their appliances usually stay with the old house. Divorces, and other causes of change of address also mean people move about more and aren't willing to pay to shift major appliances. On the one had, plastics and such have made building washing machines cheaper, as metal parts have been replaced. OTHO those newer plastic parts often do not last, so the unit must be junked as it is "too costly" to repair. |
Post# 335749 , Reply# 17   3/15/2009 at 22:41 (5,492 days old) by pulsator (Saint Joseph, MI)   |   | |
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I sooooo very often get people asking me what washer they should buy, they only have 2 requirements most of the time... 1) It has to be built to last like an old Maytag 2) It has to be under $400!!! I find myself quite often just burst out laughing at them! They just don't seem to be able to understand that appliances are not made the way they used to be! |
Post# 335763 , Reply# 18   3/16/2009 at 00:07 (5,492 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)   |   | |
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I brought home a Whirlpool-made direct-drive TOL Maytag washer last week that is a little more than a year old. The balance ring had come loose from the stainless steel basket, rubbed on the the tub top cover, wearing a hole in the ring. The water got away and now the machine won't balance properly in spin. The owner said her repair-dunce told her she was facing a $200+ repair bill and it would be wise to just go buy a new washer. He recommended a Whirlpool. And she did just that. I ordered the new balance ring for $24. |
Post# 335773 , Reply# 19   3/16/2009 at 02:57 (5,491 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)   |   | |
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...you are correct about the use of plastics and lighter weight materials to make products less expensive. We saw a huge change here in the late 1970's where Malleys, Simpson, Hoover et.al. went from 'Maytag' (or close to it) quality and weight, to something close to aluminium foil and cling film. Simpson Delta anyone? The balance of Australian designed machines (now made O/S!) being Simpson and Electrolux Top Loaders, do appear to have gained some strength and solidity back from what I have seen in the shops, but most of our friends have gone Front Load - there are incentives and we are on water restrictions. When it comes to changing appliances, Australians don't tend to leave them behind. That would be the exception rather than the rule. Most would update if it is either too small a capacity (growing family), have been advised it is not economical to repair or are generally unhappy with the product. Still, if we decided to spend the same money as our parents did, we would get better quality...Miele anyone? |
Post# 335921 , Reply# 22   3/17/2009 at 00:08 (5,491 days old) by twinniefan (Sydney Australia)   |   | |
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Hi guys have to agree with you about quality in some ways however a few days ago my alleged premium brand dvd player,(Sony.),totally packed it in after just 15 months, 3 months outside warranty well a $99.00 dvd player is not worth getting repaired anyway,so I bought a new one last wednesday, a $55.00 Daewoo (Korean made.)and it seems to actually have better features than the Sony, so premium brands are not always the best choice. Miele are of course the exception in washers, but really how many average families can afford to or even more so want to pay big dollars for a Miele?, I would suggest probably not too many. I feel it comes back to this the average consumer wants Miele type quality but are only prepared to pay Samsung type prices. Cheers. Steve. |
Post# 335947 , Reply# 23   3/17/2009 at 03:24 (5,490 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)   |   | |
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...perceived quality. My comment wasn't to say that they didn't wash or indeed last, but more that they (80's machines in Oz) lacked the solidity of construction of their forebears. There is a big difference between perceived and actual quality be it in construction or performance. I know that they can last. My cousin has my grandmothers Delta 10 (I think it is an 'S') and while she hates it for how rough she finds it, she hasn't complained about the fact it still goes and hasn't let her (or our grandmother when she had it) down. I wasn't trying to deride the fact that many of the appliances worked and continue to do so, more that they lacked the the same perceived quality of what went before... |