Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

venture

graphicguy said:

Thanks again, everyone.

Imid....I know that the Whirlpool factory/design center is up near Dayton. But, didn't know how much they're actually making there, given the massive consolidation a few years ago.

Lowes is now on my "must stop by" list.

When I rebuilt our kitchen last year, we went to Lowes and Home Depot looking for dishwasher, refrigerator, and stove. I asked a salesperson at both places which brand they have the least amount of complaints about. They both said Whirlpool.

Maybe I bumped into the worlds 2 biggest knuckleheads...I don't know.

suydam

Depends on which big box stores are in your area. I’ve had good luck here with Home Depot and Best Buy. The local store here can’t match their prices. In Ohio, we had a great family owned appliance store so I always bought local. Check installation and delivery prices too because they vary a lot.
I would not buy an appliance online personally. Just me though.

stickguy

I first got either a whirlpool or Maytag (can’t remember which). Had to return it for the LG. It was absurdly loud. In this case, the online reviews complaining about that were right. I assumed it was people just being ultra picky. But it wasn’t.

jmonroe

dino001 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Why would you want a refrigerator that tells your weight or the weather?

I want one that tells me I'm awesome every time I open the door. :laughing:

Then get one that turns the light off and covers the mirror when you open the door.

jmonroe

jwm40517

We had a Samsung a few years ago that was really noisy, had to turn volume up on TV when it ran. Finally gave it to daughter to be a garage refrig. Still works but reminds us of why we gave it away every time we walk by it.

isellhondas

graphicguy said:

OK.....I need some advice from the peanut gallery about an appliance, as I know how you guys love that topic almost as much as you do car topics.

More specifically, trying to decide what to do about a refrigerator.

Background....I bought a fancy Samsung French Door fridge with water and ice availability through the door about 6-7 years ago. IIRC, it wasn't cheap...I think it retailed just shy of $3K.

Fast forward to the last 12 months. First, the ice maker takes a dive....to the tune of about $250. Next, some sort of issue with the water dispenser, which causes it to make jack hammer sounds cost another $200 to fix. Now, there's a groan emanating from it. $75 just for a repair guy to take a look, before the cost to fix it.

Question #1.....is this something that will act like a Maserati and be a constant source of wallet emptying behavior until I get rid of it for scrap? Or, will one final fix keep it running for another 10 years, or so? I'm used to my refrigerators lasting decades with no more than a peep or complaint. That ain't one of them.

Question #2.....if I decide (based on your recommendations) to just get a new one, Samsung will not be on my list. Plus, being an empty nester, not sure I need a fridge with ice and filtered water through the door. Moreover, I am NOT going to spend $3K again, as that netted me headaches. So, what brand(s) do you guys like, or had success with?

I know GE is now owned by Haier. But, their plant in KY has been updated and their appliances are made in the good old U.S of A. Shouldn't be a parts issue, given they're just one state away from me.

Samsung makes great phones and TVs....appliances...not so much! But, I have an LG washer and dryer pair. They've been bullet proof. So, I'm open to LG. I think they make appliances for Sears/Kenmore (which are heading straight into the annals of Chapter 7). Not sure if that makes any difference.

I know the "others" under the Whirlpool brands (Maytag, Kitchen-Aid, Jena-Air, Amana, etc) are more or less about the same. I know they had a big design and manufacturing area near Dayton, OH. I think during the consolidation of brands, some of that manufacturing capacity was shipped overseas...not sure of that, though. Moreover, not sure it matters.

Then there are the "others"....Fisher-Paykel and Bosch.....EU brands. Haven't heard anything bad about them. And, from what I understand, for Bosch at least, they make some mighty fine dishwashers.

Minimum needs......33" wide, 70" tall, don't care if it's counter depth or not. I don't need French Doors. Fridge on top, freezer on bottom would work just fine (as they seem to be less expensive). Ice maker. Filtered water would be nice (as I use it in my coffee maker and to cook with), but not a "must have".

Lots of questions.......need some answers as I'm betting my current fridge is going to spew fluids at the most inopportune time.

For years we have used an independent appliance guy who is very well thought of. All of his work comes from repeat and referral customers. The last time he was out here I told him that we were thinking about biting the bullet and replacing all of our litchen appliances and the next time one causes trouble, this will happen.

He was quick to say, DO NOT BUY SAMSUNG! He said they are constant trouble, hard to get parts for and that the circuit boards fail constantly. He also said parts are expensive.

Other than that, he said " The others are all about the same". This is NOT 1960 when an O' Keefee and Merritt stove lasted forever or the Philco freezer your parents bought is still working.

Having said this just before my guy gave me that wonderful advise guess what our son outfitted his new house with? You guessed it....Samsung! no, I didn't say anything.

On the other hand our five year old Samsung TV has been flawless! I hear the televisions are fine!

stickguy

We love our new Samsung range. They are really cheap now too. I hope to be out of this house long before it could cause me trouble.

oldfarmer50

dino001 said:

oldfarmer50 said:

Why would you want a refrigerator that tells your weight or the weather?

I want one that tells me I'm awesome every time I open the door. :laughing:

We tell you that every day...for free.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

Just watched SpaceX Falcon Heavy take off. After take off I went outside and could see the rocket flame to the South East. Quite a sight, and I came in and watched the rocket boosters land.

The Tesla they put in space could be up there for billions of years.

True but the cosmic rays will do a number on the paint. I can just see the aliens finding it floating in space a billion years from now:

Ork: "nice little sports car"

Mork: "yeah but the transport charge makes it unaffordable"

Great gas mileage though.....millions of miles on one tankful of gas.

stickguy

Charge. That baby doesn’t even have a gas tank.

suydam

Funny. Our Samsung is very quiet. Neighbor has one too. It was the only one that met our needs because very few make counter depth ones.

driver100

GG, dump the Samsung. Their refrigerators are known for being problematic and Samsung ignores your complaints. They don't have a proper service network either. Samsung make great products, not refrigerators though...I don't know if I would trust their dishwashers, washers and dryers....great TVs though. If the condeser goes you might as well buy a new fridge.

Most other brands are fine. Our Florida fridge is Whirlpool which is not a great make...but it has worked fine for 16 years. That is about the max these things will last. It has an ice maker and water dispenser, but those shouldn't be problematic....they aren't that complicated. I like a side by side.....but, not good if you like to freeze large pizzas.

One friend bout a $30000 Zero fridge and his fridge breaks down all the time, and it costs a fortune to repair. You can get a good fridge for under $1500, probably closer to $1100. I don't think a more expensive fridge will do much more.

driver100

graphicguy said:

Just thought of a couple more questions.

Anyone buy these things on line?

There's a company called AJ Maddison that sells on line. Seems like they carry just about every brand.

Brand Smart, which used to be associated with Sears (maybe they still are). There are a couple of other ones out there, too. They all tout delivery and "low prices".

Experiences?

One that will pick up your old fridge.

stickguy

Our Samsung washer dryer have been fine so far. Think about 4 years now? Hard to remember. They likely stay too if we move though. I don’t think they travel well. I need to find a buyer that has nothing so I can package everything I don’t want into the deal!

driver100

Speaking of fridges....why don't they put a light in the freezer compartment too?

stickguy

They do. My LG has one

driver100

I had an experience at CVS....reminds me of our friend Andre.
My wife bought a few items on Monday, when she got home the $12 eye liner wasn't in the bag, but was on the receipt.
She phoned and said her husband would pick it up Wednesday, and gave them my name. Lady said it would be in a bag, by the cash register.
I go in today with the receipt. First young lady knows nothing....she calls the one in charge of cash. She says, oh, I saw that, it is in a bag marked customer will pick up but it doesn't say it was paid for.
I nicely explained it was paid for, I have the receipt, and why would it be in a bag with my name on it if THEIR clerk hadn't forgot to put it in the bag.
She reluctantly handed it to me.....fortunately for her or the manager would have got a real earful.

And why wouldn't the lady on the phone write on the bag.....item was paid for and will be picked up by --------?

driver100

stickguy said:

They do. My LG has one

Geez, I am going to dump our Frigidair and get a new LG with a light in the freezer compartment......in case I need to find something to defrost in the middle of the night, or if I need an ice cream fix .

jmonroe

driver100 said:

Speaking of fridges....why don't they put a light in the freezer compartment too?

I never heard of a modern era one that doesn't have one but you have to replace it when it burns out.

jmonroe

imidazol97

driver100 said:

Speaking of fridges....why don't they put a light in the freezer compartment too?

My Whirlpool side-by-side has two in the freezer department. Three in the other side.

ab348

imidazol97 said:

driver100 said:

Speaking of fridges....why don't they put a light in the freezer compartment too?

My Whirlpool side-by-side has two in the freezer department. Three in the other side.

They must be real dim bulbs if they require that many.

ab348

Speaking of things kitchen-related, over the last few days I have been repainting mine. Going from a deep reddish color called Rust that has been there for 15 years to a more muted light green, BM Guilford Green which was their color of the year a couple of years ago. Surprised how well it covers the dark paint, only a few spots will need a second coat, and while I was a bit worried about that choice, I really like the color. One wall remains, the one that the fridge is against which I have saved for last. Then trim painting around the doors and windows. Lots of taping and prep compared to the actual time putting on the paint.

Once it is done I am likely to get new countertops, probably quartz, and a tile backsplash which I do not have. The biggest problem I've had is with a couple of cabinet doors I had to remove which did not want to go back on in the same way. They have those "European" Blum hinges which are supposed to be great but I seem to have a mental block with them. Some were as easy as can be while others fought me.

jmonroe

ab348 said:

Speaking of things kitchen-related, over the last few days I have been repainting mine. Going from a deep reddish color called Rust that has been there for 15 years to a more muted light green, BM Guilford Green which was their color of the year a couple of years ago. Surprised how well it covers the dark paint, only a few spots will need a second coat, and while I was a bit worried about that choice, I really like the color. One wall remains, the one that the fridge is against which I have saved for last. Then trim painting around the doors and windows. Lots of taping and prep compared to the actual time putting on the paint.

Once it is done I am likely to get new countertops, probably quartz, and a tile backsplash which I do not have. The biggest problem I've has is with a couple of cabinet doors I had to remove which did not want to go back on in the same way. They have those "European" Blum hinges which are supposed to be great but I seem to have a mental block with them. Some were as easy as can be while others fought me.

I don't want to insult you but are you sure you are putting the doors back onto the same cabinets they were removed from?

jmonroe

ab348

jmonroe said:

I don't want to insult you but are you sure you are putting the doors back onto the same cabinets they were removed from?

No insult but they are all different so they can only go in one place.

I have 2 different styles of those hinges. One is I presume a newer variety that has a little release lever at the inner end while others have a slot there where a screw holds the door in place. One one of the former, I could not get the catch to, uh, catch. Still not sure why. After about 30 minutes of wrestling with it, I finally got it to work, dunno why. That one was tough because it was a large heavy door up near the ceiling. On one of the screw-type, I put the door back on and it hit the adjoining door. Baffled as to why that occurred. Again, lots of wrestling and still not sure what happened when it finally decided to work. On that one I had to adjust the adjoining door a bit as well as pretty much start from scratch with the one I took off. I think that hinge was haunted.

driver100

I must admit....I made an error, I think it is the 1st one for the year...possibly since 2016. Our Whirlpool fridge does have a light in the freezer. Since when did they start doing that? Then again, I never ever open the freezer when it is dark out so I guess I never knew.

jmonroe

driver100 said:

I must admit....I made an error, I think it is the 1st one for the year...possibly since 2016. Our Whirlpool fridge does have a light in the freezer. Since when did they start doing that? Then again, I never ever open the freezer when it is dark out so I guess I never knew.

jmonroe

explorerx4

We replaced all out GE appliances with LG about 3 years ago.
Don't really like the fridge style that much, French doors with freezer below, replaced a side by side, but it sure is 'purty'.
One of our friends who has Viking or some other brand of top of the line appliances(totally justified - everything she makes looks great and tastes great), opened the doors and said 'Oh Myyy!' then just stared into it for a bit.

driver100

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

I must admit....I made an error, I think it is the 1st one for the year...possibly since 2016. Our Whirlpool fridge does have a light in the freezer. Since when did they start doing that? Then again, I never ever open the freezer when it is dark out so I guess I never knew.

jmonroe

Some of us don't get up for midnight snacks!

jmonroe

driver100 said:

jmonroe said:

driver100 said:

I must admit....I made an error, I think it is the 1st one for the year...possibly since 2016. Our Whirlpool fridge does have a light in the freezer. Since when did they start doing that? Then again, I never ever open the freezer when it is dark out so I guess I never knew.

jmonroe

Some of us don't get up for midnight snacks!

Most of us know our freezers have lights.

jmonroe

isellhondas

stickguy said:

Our Samsung washer dryer have been fine so far. Think about 4 years now? Hard to remember. They likely stay too if we move though. I don’t think they travel well. I need to find a buyer that has nothing so I can package everything I don’t want into the deal!

If the buyer has "nothing" they won't be able to afford your house!

Mr_Shiftright

driver100 said:

Just watched SpaceX Falcon Heavy take off. After take off I went outside and could see the rocket flame to the South East. Quite a sight, and I came in and watched the rocket boosters land.

The Tesla they put in space could be up there for billions of years.

Probably not. There's a good chance it will burn up while heading into the sun, and even a smaller chance it will leave the solar system. It's in a heliocentric orbit. It could even crash back into earth actually, but of course wouldn't do any harm--it'd burn up.

Mr_Shiftright

imidazol97 said:

jmonroe said:

The Tesla they put in space could be up there for billions of years.

Our (US) tax money at work.

Unless it's in some kind of sealed and protected capsule within the rocket, it would pretty quickly be destroyed by heat & cold, and I guess even radiation at some level.

stickguy

oh, the buyer just needs money. But not appliances.

tbirdmarco

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xNgN_W4irdY

tbirdmarco

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=h3Ffe2171b4

oldfarmer50

driver100 said:

I must admit....I made an error, I think it is the 1st one for the year...possibly since 2016. Our Whirlpool fridge does have a light in the freezer. Since when did they start doing that? Then again, I never ever open the freezer when it is dark out so I guess I never knew.

I thought I was wrong once but it turned out I was mistaken.

stickguy

Pat Goss. Used to watch him all the time on Motorweek a while back. Hardly ever see that show now though.

driver100

oldfarmer50 said:

driver100 said:

I must admit....I made an error, I think it is the 1st one for the year...possibly since 2016. Our Whirlpool fridge does have a light in the freezer. Since when did they start doing that? Then again, I never ever open the freezer when it is dark out so I guess I never knew.

I thought I was wrong once but it turned out I was mistaken.

That is too funny.....wish I thought of that!

driver100

Mr_Shiftright said:

imidazol97 said:

jmonroe said:

The Tesla they put in space could be up there for billions of years.

Our (US) tax money at work.

Unless it's in some kind of sealed and protected capsule within the rocket, it would pretty quickly be destroyed by heat & cold, and I guess even radiation at some level.

In brief:

But experts nonetheless predicted smooth sailing for the cherry red convertible and the spacesuit-wearing mannequin, Starman, positioned behind the wheel. Even in the asteroid belt, it seems the car is unlikely to encounter anything beyond ultraviolet radiation, cosmic rays and other highly charged particles, and the occasional micrometeroid.

Exposure to all of this "would be unhealthy for humans but will only very slowly degrade the Roadster and its rider," Dr. Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California, told NBC News MACH in an email. "Indeed, this car is surely destined to rack up billions of miles before disaster hits — if it does."

Shostak said disaster could come in the form of a collision with Earth or Mars or possibly an asteroid. But he estimated that the spacefaring Roadster "has less chance of a collision each year than all the Roadsters plying the highways of Earth put together."

FULL STORY

explorerx4

Kind of a different topic.
Want to start one of my kids investing, nut nothing crazy.
They are old enough to do what they want with any money I send them.
Thinking Vanguard Wellington. $500 initial investment plus another $100 to use toward $50 a month investment on a recurring basis.
If they show me they are set up for that, I'll give them another $500 to cover the rest of the year.
Then I can give them enough to cover the annual investment every year.

stickguy

good plan. Make sure they are putting money into an IRA (or 401(k) if they have one). Or with the IRA, you could fund that to start too.

andres3

ab348 said:

I would avoid Samsung refrigerators, I have heard a lot of horror stories.

I've had a LG front-load washer/dryer pair for about 7-8 years. Like them and they work well. The only issue is that the display panel on the washer went a bit wonky a year or two back. Doesn't affect how it works so I didn't bother getting it fixed. Don't know about their refrigerators.

Kenmore brand can be any one of a number of manufacturers these days. I have a Kenmore refrigerator and it is made by Electrolux/Frigidaire. OK though I've had some issues with the plastic hardware (shelf rails, etc) inside the compartment breaking. I've had a couple of pre-Haier GE appliances (dishwasher, range) for over 15 years with no issues. I would be tempted to put them at the top of my list. Fisher & Paykel are very expensive (Australian IIRC) and I have heard mixed reviews though they are nicely styled.

Refrigerators are weird these days. Used to be easy to get 20-30 years out of one in th epast, now 10 years seems the max. Simpler is probably better as I suspect it is the options like icemakers and water dispensers that tend to fail.

I thought most people just carried on with refrigerators for years with non-working ice and water dispensers. They are known problem areas. If you want an ice-maker, buy an ice maker, like a hotels. They are about 2,000 but make a lot of ice!

Regarding fridges and appliances, I think Kenmore still does a good job of subbing out to decent manufacturers, but Sears is circling the drain for sure. How good is a warranty without a bailout?

driver100

explorerx4 said:

Kind of a different topic.
Want to start one of my kids investing, nut nothing crazy.
They are old enough to do what they want with any money I send them.
Thinking Vanguard Wellington. $500 initial investment plus another $100 to use toward $50 a month investment on a recurring basis.
If they show me they are set up for that, I'll give them another $500 to cover the rest of the year.
Then I can give them enough to cover the annual investment every year.

Very generous and a great way to hopefully make them save responsibly into the future. May also help them appreciate the concept of capitalism and how it can work for them.

I would add though, they should know or be taught what it means to own stocks....they are owning companies that make a profit and they will share profits of successful companies. It isn't a casino. I am simplifying, but, important to understand the concept.

abacomike

Boy, the IRS electronically deposited my tax refund yesterday.  That’s fast!  I electronically filed 8 days ago.  My return was simple - standard deduction. 

abacomike

Going to the MB service department this morning.  They are replacing the right wiper arm.  They said it shouldn’t take more than an hour.  The windshield washer fluid is deposited on the windshield through outlets in the wiper arm so as to eliminate the spray nozzle and more efficiently wash the windshield.  Problem is that it isn’t working the way it was designed to operate.  

There is a heating element in the wiper arm as well to prevent icing in northern climates.  Nice feature when it’s working properly.

driver100

stickguy said:

good plan. Make sure they are putting money into an IRA (or 401(k) if they have one). Or with the IRA, you could fund that to start too.

Stick and Ex, I was reading an article about how little Canadians save for retirement. A large percentage have saved nothing. But, even worse, much worse in the US. I found this statement shocking;

"According to the Economic Policy Institute, almost half of U.S. families have no savings at all, the median amount is US$5,000 and the median for U.S. families with savings is just US$60,000"

So yes, starting a retirement plan is a great idea.

imidazol97

driver100 said:

I must admit....I made an error, I think it is the 1st one for the year...possibly since 2016. Our Whirlpool fridge does have a light in the freezer. Since when did they start doing that? Then again, I never ever open the freezer when it is dark out so I guess I never knew.

LOL.

We all learn something new every day. Thanks for sharing...

imidazol97

abacomike said:

Going to the MB service department this morning.  They are replacing the right wiper arm.  They said it shouldn’t take more than an hour.  The windshield washer fluid is deposited on the windshield through outlets in the wiper arm so as to eliminate the spray nozzle and more efficiently wash the windshield.  Problem is that it isn’t working the way it was designed to operate.  

There is a heating element in the wiper arm as well to prevent icing in northern climates.  Nice feature when it’s working properly.

Be sure to turn on that heater in the wiper arm when it's below 50 deg F there in FL.

It's 13 here this morning. Hopefully the last of the colder mornings as the sun marches north of the Tropic of Capricorn.

driver100

imidazol97 said:

abacomike said:

Going to the MB service department this morning.  They are replacing the right wiper arm.  They said it shouldn’t take more than an hour.  The windshield washer fluid is deposited on the windshield through outlets in the wiper arm so as to eliminate the spray nozzle and more efficiently wash the windshield.  Problem is that it isn’t working the way it was designed to operate.  

There is a heating element in the wiper arm as well to prevent icing in northern climates.  Nice feature when it’s working properly.

Be sure to turn on that heater in the wiper arm when it's below 50 deg F there in FL.

It's 13 here this morning. Hopefully the last of the colder mornings as the sun marches north of the Tropic of Capricorn.

Yeh, I hope he gets it fixed before the first snowfall.

fintail

I filed my taxes weekend before last, too - had all of the stuff I needed from work and Vanguard. Refund arrived yesterday, nice. Not a huge one as I try to minimize the interest-free loan, but it's something.

abacomike said:

Boy, the IRS electronically deposited my tax refund yesterday.  That’s fast!  I electronically filed 8 days ago.  My return was simple - standard deduction.