Rant: Modern household appliances are of poorer quality

[MossRoad]

We are religious about running soft water to the dishwasher. The first one got plugged with lime. That's not what killed it, but it seriously lowered the wash quality. So the last 3 have all been spotless inside. No lime or calcium buildup. The new ones are also water savers, so they use less water and have to have smaller jets than the old ones to increase pressure. So another reason to only use soft water. I do have to say that our current Bosch is very quiet. Only when it fills at first can you hear any moans and groans, clicks and clacks. After that it's a nice quiet woosh. You can have a normal conversation in the kitchen with it running. The old ones sounded like a power washer inside a box of broken glass!

 

[JethroB]

Anybody price the cost of a replacement plastic vegetable crisper drawer for a refrigerator? YIKES!

Some of those refrigerator removable plastic bins from discarded ones make great storage & parts bins for the shop. See through too.

 

[tacticalturnip]

We've got a GE portable dishwasher that we've had at least a decade now, and it just keeps chugging along. It's ugly, it's basic, and it has to be connected to my kitchen sink- but it's never given us any trouble. I've been extremely impressed.

Knock on wood.

Now, washing machines, on the other hand...

 

[not2old]

I purchased a Samsung basic top freezer/fridge and it quit working 1 year and 2 weeks later so tech came out 3 times to deem it nonrepairable.

My neighbour put in all "better" quality Samsung appliances in his new house. About two or three months after the warranty expired his stove quit and he had determined that it was the printed circuit board. I warned him that they were stupid expensive and that it was going to hurt his wallet. Next day he told me it was about $400.00 but he needed to order it. A few days later he tells me the part is obsolete and Samsung offered $100.00 discount on a new stove. While my Samsung printer has worked flawlessly for years, I will never buy that brand of anything again.

 

[scaredychicken]

most are junk - cheap parts, limited warranties, disposable production mentality ... makes the Corporations the most money.
they aren't focussed on quality sales, they intend on having (forced) repeat sales

that said, our 2 BOSCH Dishwashers have been solid - 20 years and 7 yrs, both still great. and my Technics Stereo and Klipsch bookshelf speakers are also still solid after 35 years

but don't get me started on Maytag Neptune washer / dryer though (the "repair" was a spray can of fabric softener) - class action lawsuit participation was useless. My wife was in tears. We remedied that by taking turns dragging those units bouncing away behind the ATV down our country road for a Km at 40 kms/ hr. They were mangled, and then loaded and delivered to scrap metal. it was therapeutic

 

[2manyrocks]

Our Kenwood high efficiency clothes washer didn't last very long, either, before the bearings were shot. I went back to a plain GE clothes washer that lasted maybe 15 years before the timer got messed up, but parts are no longer available and used timers are something like $200. The new one is quieter, but I have no clue how long it might last.

I still have my grandmother's wash board if all else fails.

 

[Oaktree]

We had to replace our "top-quality" 5-year old LG refrigerator about 6 months ago. After numerous service calls, provided by incompetent LG's sub-contractor repairs, it finally was unrepairable. That ordeal put us out of having a refrigerator for about 2 months.
We replaced the LG with a GE, for a mere $3500. Now, within the first 6 weeks, we're on the 4th service call due to malfunctioning ice maker.

Lotsa luck finding someone who repairs appliances anymore, regardless of competence. I'm sure it's a combination of a trade no one's interested in learning anymore and the general unrepairability of modern appliances.

Icemakers are a high failure item anyway. We don't use enough to make it worth it.

 

[MossRoad]

Our Kenwood high efficiency clothes washer didn't last very long, either, before the bearings were shot. I went back to a plain GE clothes washer that lasted maybe 15 years before the timer got messed up, but parts are no longer available and used timers are something like $200. The new one is quieter, but I have no clue how long it might last.

I still have my grandmother's wash board if all else fails.

 

[Jstpssng]

Icemakers are a high failure item anyway. We don't use enough to make it worth it.

I understand that after a few years of twisting that cheap plastic they break but JeezE! they only cost a couple of bucks apiece. Plus when they break those little compartments are great for putting small nuts and bolts in when you are taking something apart.

 

[MossRoad]