Are there ANY appliance brands that arent junk?

[MaryB]

Roper is Maytag's budget line, same internals, usually fewer features and fancy cycles/controllers that break

I do not buy anything Samsung anymore. Bought a sound bar set up, lasted maybe a year. A DVD player didn't last much longer. My ex was obsessed w Samsung, every appliance in her new house was Samsung. The overly fancy washing machine that she only knew how to use one setting on. I bought the cheapest washer dryer they had, Roper, its been running 8 yrs without a problem. The stove may only need an element, never have been able to get it level where a cake comes out straight.

[MaryB]

KISS principle with appliance, keep it simple stupid! Less garbage and useless features the more reliable they are. I have a Kenmore stacked washer and dryer. I bought it in 2004 from a guy who bought it for his mother. 1 month after he bought it she went in the nursing home and it sat for 10 years before I bought it. Thing is still going strong but it has the old mechanical timers and contacts so not much to break!

[Geezer in NH]

Lightning strike killing stuff is covered by insurance on your house.

Don't blame it on the appliances.

Logger knocked a tree across the lines to my neighbor and it took out the fridge freezer washer machine and dryer that was running as it took out the neutral and shot large voltage past the transformer.

That was on the electric company and the loggers insurance company.

[kmrra]

it really doesn't make any difference in which brand you do get , there is not but a couple of manufactures that make all the appliances , maybe 3 , they all pretty much come from the same place.

[jmort]

^^^
Wrong Speed Queen

[mold maker]

Ins has a deductible that covers the value of a USED appliance. The addition to your premium covers the balance they Pay. Three times lightning or a surge from downed lines have given me grief just under the deductible.
New ins will be involved before the next event. I just got their $910. premium notice. NOT

[Boaz]

Funny this topic is up . Came home from church and our 5 year old Sears side by side refrigerator had gone out , water all over the floor (freezer thawed out) . Loaded up over a hundred pounds of meat or whatever in trash bags . I ain't happy . It would hum every few min , compressor is shot and not kicking in .

[Tackleberry41]

It might have been the lightening. Tho the oven came on for a bit. The element was red, it was getting hot. It quit after a few minutes. The timer etc still works, my son had his xbox on, its fine so is the TV, my computer. Being used, and a normal deductible. Im not going to bother calling my insurance company.

Contemplating going with gas. My neighbors stove went out, it was about same age as mine, he went with gas. I didnt know there was a gas line at the street.

[GhostHawk]

Brother Boaz sorry to hear about your troubles sir. Been through the same myself last year. Power cord got unplugged somehow. 1000$ worth of food in the garbage easy.

[MaryB]

I use one of these to monitor freezer temps https://www.amazon.com/Ambient-Weath...mometer+remote works very well, 1 battery change a year is it. Right now my meat chest freezer is -21, veggie/leftover freezer is at -15. Display sits on my desk where I can see it.

[jim147]

Funny this topic is up . Came home from church and our 5 year old Sears side by side refrigerator had gone out , water all over the floor (freezer thawed out) . Loaded up over a hundred pounds of meat or whatever in trash bags . I ain't happy . It would hum every few min , compressor is shot and not kicking in .

The start relay on the compressor was a very common problem on those. I always have a couple in my tool bag. Might look up your problem online they are easy to change if that is all it is.

[10-x]

IMHO,most " big box stores" sell whatever is cheaper to mfg, thus they make $$$. There is a small appliance store in JAX that sells top quality appliances at prices $40-100 $$$ more than big box, remember, you get what you pay for. Owner works the floor and has various appliances with the top or back off and a similar one from the big box stores. No compairson. He also warranties his motors for 10 years! Ask big box store what their motor warranty is.

[Lloyd Smale]

when I'm looking for washers dryers fridge or freezer I usually buy a name brand, but not a high end name and a mid priced model in there lineup. there all throw away anymore. My buddy called last night because his freezer quit working. He said he looked in the local phone book and theres not appliance repair people anymore. At least not within 60 miles and if he called one of them they wanted a 150 bucks just to show up at the door. He asked me if I knew of anyone. I couldn't help him. Its about like finding a tv repair man. They've gone the way of the dinosaur. I told him to pull the back off and look for a reset button and if that didn't fix it hed be better off tossing it and buying a new one for 300 bucks then paying a 150 bucks for a service call and parts on top of that. Add to that the new one probably would use less electricity and pay for itself in a couple years anyway. Add to that too that if he had a part replaced on the old thing whats to say something else isn't about to give up the ghost on it. My guess on it is its like tvs or any other electronics. One of two manufactures make all the circuit boards and big parts and these manufactures buy them and just assemble them and slap there name on it.

[6bg6ga]

Keep one thing in mind. They are designed to generally make it thru the warranty period and that's about it. There is no "one Brand" that is better than the others. Amana makes a variety of different units under different names and their still the same basic Amana brand. I'm not even going to venture into what the best brand is because there simply arent any.

I will recommend one stay away from the "SEARS" brand. Sears has you by the short hairs when you purchase anything from them that isn't tools. Everything made for Sears is special. Its changed just enough that you have to go to Sears to get their parts. Any other brand you can generally purchase a replacement part pretty quick. Sears appliances generally will mean its a two week wait for parts.

Purchased a small riding mower ( used Craftsman) for the wife to mow the back yard. The simple process of purchasing a belt got very complicated. went to Sears they should have a belt, right? Nope, they don't stock any parts for machines that are 3 years or older per the manager of the store. They can order one. Two-three weeks out. Turns out it takes a Murray belt and well no one stocks them either.

Had the best luck with a Maytag washer and dryer that we bought in 77 and was still running in 99 when we sold the house and left the washer and dryer. Anything made today well just flip a coin brand won't matter much.

[CastingFool]

Being a handyman of sorts, I don't like to pay someone to fix something I can do myself (not always successful, but more often than not) I have fixed refrigerators, washers, vacuum cleaners, etc. What I do is look up the model number on Searspartsdirect, as someone already mentioned. I find the part number, and the price. then search online for that part number, with a lower price. Seems like a lot of aftermarket companies use the manufacturers p/ns on their replacement parts. By reading the description, you can determine if it's an aftermarket part or oem. Some problems are simply due to poor design or maybe some other component, other than electrical is causing the problem.

[Petrol & Powder]

MaryB has the right idea - Simple is Better.

There really aren't as many companies that make appliances as it would appear. Many are just rebranded and sold under another name.

I went through a refrigerator, range, dishwasher and water heater within 18 months of buying my current house.I knew the water heater and dishwasher were bad before I closed but the range and refrigerator were surprises. (Yeah !!! I get to spend more money)
I fix all of my own appliances and you have to be able to know when to repair and when to replace.
Warrantees are a WASTE of money. Unless they will come out on Christmas day (when it's bound to break) and fix it for free before noon, I don't care what the warrantee claims.


Been through four washing machines over the last 27 years. Some of those have been used washers and some new. All of them required repair except for the last one that was a lightly used Maytag front loader.

If you're a mechanical type guy, look at how the devices are made. Not from the shinny front consumer side but from the back/interior working side. If you're not a mechanical guy, find the guys that work on them and ask them which ones they would buy.
I think you'll find that they agree with MaryB; Simple = Good.

[Petrol & Powder]

In our cabin I have a USA made Brown LP gas range from Lehman's. Just two of us and needs are modest so it does the job.

https://www.lehmans.com/product/brown-gas-ranges/ranges

There's a LOT to be said for simple and a gas range is about as simple as they get.

[dragon813gt]

There's a LOT to be said for simple and a gas range is about as simple as they get.

Not anymore. Standing pilots are gone. Range will still work in a power outage. But the stove will not. I looked far and wide for one that had no electronics on it. But they don't exist anymore.

[10-x]

Guess we are very fortunate, appliance repair business 1/8 mile away, nice guy and reasonable. Easy to repair much on a dryer, some parts on washers. Wife had to have one of those new fangled washers with no agitator, now she dosent like it, to bad, I told her simple is better.
The small appliance store in JAX mentioned in other post has top off 2 washing machines, 1 big box, the other ones he sells, keep in mind they are Same mfg. Bigbox one has rubber bands, yea, holding the 4 corner post together, cheesy motor and pump. His has stamped steel inner top plate screwed to the 4 corner post, heavy duty pump and as mentioned 10 year motor warrantee. IIRC his is $60-$70 more.

[Boaz]

Funny this topic is up . Came home from church and our 5 year old Sears side by side refrigerator had gone out , water all over the floor (freezer thawed out) . Loaded up over a hundred pounds of meat or whatever in trash bags . I ain't happy . It would hum every few min , compressor is shot and not kicking in .

Had an appliance guy check the frig out ....compressor locked up . I looked at the 'warranty' from Sears . 5 year warranty and its 5 months over , would cost a $700.00-$800.00 to install a new compressor . You could buy a new refrigerator like it for a couple of hundred more than the cost of repair .

Found a clean looking Whirlpool for $250.00 delivered , set up and haul off the junk -KENMORE- , I just went used . I can buy a $250.00 , used and can come ahead even if it lasts no more than 3 years .