Appliance Buying Rant

When my wife and I got married in '94 I bought a lightly used Kenmore washer and dryer. She never liked the dryer so it was replaced in a few years. The washer on the other hand we still have and use. I have been into it three times in the 29 years we've owned it. I've replace the water pump, flexible drive cushion, vibration isolation mounts, door switch, agitator ratchet dogs, timer and patched the outer tub. It has been relegated to work cloths duty since the acquisition of it's replacement. The replacement everyday washer is a Maytag Commercial top loader purchased in 2019. So far it's been bulletproof though noisy. I did remove the cabinet and line it with sound deadening sheeting which helped immensely. Me being 74 I hope it will outlast me. :)
Slow-poke...we too have a Bosch dishwasher that's super quiet and hasn't require any attention in 11 years.
 

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My parents had the same refrigerator, washer and dryer for as long as I can remember. My mom only replaced them because she wanted something new. Easily had them for 30 years I'd say. Meanwhile, I bought a whirlpool washer and dryer in 2002, and repaired both of them many times before they finally died permanently last year. At least they're made to be easily repaired (unlike our cars). I bought an electric range (radiant) that same year but can't remember the brand now. It only lasted about 15 years before the $600 control board failed. Found a used Gas range to replace that.
 
Oh yeah I have a Whirlpool washer and dryer that are decades old and still working- The washer was here when I bought the place in '89.
The dryer is gas and was moved a few times. Each time it was moved the carbon "harp" igniter would break and need to be replaced. No big deal
The washer leaked a little for a while and then stopped leaking a few years ago; self-healing! ?
I doubt any new Whirlpool stuff would last as long- I'll take the reliability over gee-whiz digital features any day
Did I mention my 1950s Royal JetFlow millivolt gas wall heater? Totally self-contained, works even in a power failure
 
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With “modern“ appliances, expect a 5 year lifespan, tops.

Its a result of 50% cheap components and 50% “planned obsolescence”.

If you get more than 5 years without trouble, consider yourself lucky.

Heck, I’ve got a samsung induction top stove that was about 3 months out of warranty and I had to replace the main board. Seems they used the cheapest switching relays they could find and after a year and a bit of switching on/off to control the oven, the contacts welded together and fried the whole board. 300 bucks later, I had it fixed. But a year and a bit from a $3000+ stove? Unacceptable.

The days of things like a fridge or stove lasting 20-30 years are gone….
 
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great white said:
With “modern“ appliances, expect a 5 year lifespan, tops.

Its a result of 50% cheap components and 50% “planned obsolescence”.

If you get more than 5 years without trouble, consider yourself lucky.

The days of things like a fridge or stove lasting 20-30 years are gone….
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Sad but true.
 
I just remembered another appliance problem my parents had. They have a gas stove that threw an error code indicating the oven burner wasn’t lighting. I don’t recall what the fix was, but it happened again while we were visiting over Christmas and they had to use a neighbors oven to cook dinner. Anyways, my dad said they had a hard time finding someone that would work on a gas stove, just about all the local companies would only work on electric stoves. Is anyone else running into that? We have electric since we don’t have gas lines in my area, so that came as a surprise.
 
We bought a new washer and dryer after moving back to the states a few years ago. I bought Samsung for good luck, Korean designed and China made. When the belt tensioner and support rollers in the dryer totally carpped out after 4 years, I decided to fix it myself. My research showed that one repair kit was available, and it fit all dryers universally. Yeah, right, I thought- the only universal repair I know of is a tire patch kit. I ordered it, and after unwrapping the whole machine taking every single screw and bracket apart to get to the repair, sure as eggs is eggs, the parts fit and worked. How can this be? Perhaps every new washer and dryer is made off the same set of plans in one location on the planet. The brand name game in today's capital-optimized economy is a boondoggle! The illusion of choice is what they sell in this production-homogenized world. It's like shopping for a cheap widget on Amazon- different names, different prices, different sellers, same frigging product.
 
pontiac428 said:
different names, different prices, different sellers, same frigging product.
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Absolutely. Looking back I’m so sad I let my x force me into getting rid of a ‘59 model Maytag washer. That thing was a beast and was what the Maytag mystique was built on. And totally easy to work on. We had it for 15 yrs and I never had to actually buy a parts for it. The one guy who serviced all Maytag from the Bay Area to Bakersfield gave me a 1/4” key for the flywheel and told me how to properly install it, which wasn’t in installed right and why the one failed. And when the pump started leaking and was just some lint under the seal. Cleaned it, lubed it, good to go. Ultimately a 15min job. Would be a different world if everything was like that.
 
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