Price comparison shopping is made difficult by the fact that different chains often stock unique product variants with specific feature subsets (I think they actually do this on purpose to defeat price-matching challenges) - so whilst two different stores may have what looks like the same Samsung washer at the same price, you will often find that they are not quite the same model number - and one has an advantage such as slightly higher spin speed, whereas the other has some different subtly advantageous feature such as a water-saving mode.
Without a planned approach, these subtle mismatches in spec can have you running back and forth, and eventually settling on something that in some way turns out to disappoint you.
I find it best to list out all of the features I am interested in, then pick out those features that are absolute dealbreakers, upon which I will not compromise - then start my comparison shopping from that list as a baseline - if anything fails to meet one of my essential feature criteria, it’s out of the race
Sigh. I have a 17 year old side by side that is nearing end of life – the door is rusty and the ice maker has died. But they do not make top of the line side by side refrigerators anymore. The French door refrigerators with the bottom freezer doors are “in”. And I dislike them. But worse than that, it’s clear that they are made to the absolute minimum cost point. Sliding drawers don’t have bearings, for example, so you get this really chintzy feeling plastic on plastic feel. And I don’t know if it’s the extra insulation to make them more energy efficient, but they seem to have less internal space, or maybe it’s just that it’s arranged in a dumber manner with “snack” drawers right in the middle, so you can’t put a big pot or tall object in the fridge.
And maybe it’s just me, but I don’t need my refrigerator on-line and chatting with the other appliances. That’s how you get robot rebellions
Just earlier tonight they delivered my new french door fridge to replace my 14 year old side by side. We got an “early Black Friday” deal. I’m not sure how you say you can’t put a big pot in the ones you looked at (we replaced a Whirlpool with a Whirlpool) and you can adjust the shelves to easily fit just about anything.
Both fridges were listed as the same capacity… We pulled everything out of the totally stuffed side by side and when we re-loaded it to the new one it looks empty. We still have half of the freezer drawer empty. The redesign is way more efficient.
My only complaint is the ice. You have to pull out the drawer and then the upper freezer basket and the ice is a bit of a reach at the rear. It is a nit pick but the only complaint I can come up with.
We replaced our dishwasher a year ago, after 19 years. The difference in price between models seemed to be in noise reduction. However the cheaper model we bought is so quiet compared to our old one that I can’t imagine more money making any significant difference.
There might be some features in the other ones we’d never use also.
My building maintenance man told me he expects an apartment fridge to last about two years… With 140 units, they have a standing order with a supplier to send over a truckload every month. I needed four in seven years. Stoves go even faster. They need servicing even before the drip rings need to be replaced. These are everyday brands, like Fridgidaire and Hotgpoint.
For any of these semi-major appliance purchases, I usually find the one that is in the “sweet spot.” I think I am a pretty typical customer in that I want a couple of bells and whistles that have become common, but nothing too fancy.
There always seems to be a best seller that is suited to me. Say there are six refrigerators priced $350, $600, $750, $1500, $3200, and $6000. I always end up with the $750 one.
The $350 is the base model that keeps shit cold and nothing more.
The $600 seems like the turbo version of the $350.
The $1500 seems like the turbo version of the $750.
The $3200 and definitely the $6000 look like the latest supercomputer that I would assume that in addition to cooling food, regularly performs oral sex on the user.
But when I look at the $600, it seems that I am paying for too little refrigerator and too many gadgets.
When I look at the $1500, I am paying for the right refrigerator with too many gadgets.
The $750 seems like the obviously correct choice for me. It also seems like the $750 is the one that is the main seller for the manufacturer and the one that is the most reliable, easiest to service, etc.
I’ve made up all of these numbers, but that is where I tend to land. I’ve had very good luck so far.
We recently had a repairman out to give us repair-or-replace advise on our 15-year-old dishwasher. He said we could do either, but we’d never find a new one that was built as well as our current machine. We repaired.
mmm
My rule of thumb is to get the best you can afford with the least bells and whistles. More bells and whistles = more chance it’ll fall apart.
When my 30-something old all-metal washer rusted out a few years ago, I bought a simple Kenmore agitator washer for less than $400. Works like a charm and already has its own energy savings built in as the drum and overall size is less than half the size of my old behemoth.
I replaced the dishwasher a couple of years ago with a no-frills discontinued floor model from Lowe’s. It’s a Frigidaire. Haven’t had any issues. Best $300-something I’ve spent.
My 30-something old dryer is still going strong :shrug: So is my oven and stove. They’re all Kenmores.
My next appliance replacement will probably be my fridge. Problem is that the dedicated space in the kitchen is much too small for today’s French-door-feed-the-freaking-neighborhood models. And what’s this about nobody making side-by-sides anymore?!? WHAT?!?
I buy used and refurbished. In may areas there are used appliance stores which will deliver and install, take the old one out, and even give a short warranty (often only 30 days). All for a fractiosn of new. And better stuff, as you pointed out. By “better” I mean longer lasting, tougher, but usually less complicated features.
What do you people do to your refrigerators? Or does he just buy crap? Mine lasted at least 17 years before it sprang a leak (at least because we bought it from the former owners.) And my fridge in college 45 years ago lasted 4 years for me, and more than that since I bought it from someone freshman year and sold it senior year. And that got moved into and out of storage every year.
I wonder if this guy has some kind of arrangement with the appliance store.
Our old Whirlpool is now my beer and leftovers/Costco items fridge downstairs. When we bought our new fridge I did a lot of research before we pulled the trigger on a Maytag French door bottom mount pull out freezer. Since we use a lot of ice it made sense to get one but it’s still the feature that seems to be the most problematic based on my readings. FWIW, our Whirlpool was bottom mount freezer and I still think it’s the best thing the appliance manufacturers did.
I avoided Samsung and LG mostly because my appliances doesn’t need to be IoT and all that computer processing/fancy panels is another point of failure.
Amazon and other online reviews are a good start but have to be taken with a grain of salt: manufacturers can and do post their own fluffed up reviews on publicly accessibly sites.
CR is also good, but with the amount of churn in appliances it can be tricky.
I’ll note that four years ago I bought a Samsung dishwasher based on a Consumer Report review. I pitched it out this year because it just did not work. CR no longer recommends Samsung dishwashers.
As a matter of fact, I know at least three other people who have bought Samsung dishwashers in the past four years who have also thrown them out.
On the other hand, my Samsung fridge (and those belonging to others) is performing well nearly a decade after I bought it.
I’m now at the point where I check online reviews, come up with a couple models, then start asking around in real life for people who have made purchases in the past 3-5 years of that item.
FWIW my Miele vacuum is pretty good, but I would have gone with the powerhead if I had wall-to-wall, and my Bosch dishwasher is nice, although it does gulp Jet Dry.
