Appliance question

[k4kyv]

No, I am not talking about a slopbucket transceiver.  I am talking about a kitchen appliance.

My Kitchenaid diswasher just bit the dust.  Like the wonderful one-hoss shay, about three major components have failed within the past few months. The  straw that broke the camel's back was the motor seal, and it started leaking water round the motor shaft. The motor is still good and the tank hasn't sprung a leak, but the seal is very expensive and some of the parts,  gaskets, special gauging tools needed to repair it, and the rusted out top rack are "discontinued", so even if I could get all the stuff I need to fix it right, the parts alone would run over $250.  Since all the other stuff in it is 20 years old, who knows when and what will crap out next.

I went on-line and looked over some of the reviews and articles concerning dishwashers.  To summarise, the websites indicated either (1)that all makes and models are pieces of crap, likely to fail within 5 years, while (2) others touted the magic wonder of every make and model on the market and how much better and more energy efficient to-day's appliances are.

I am just looking for a plain-jane brick shithouse dishwasher that will do the basic job of excellently cleaning dishes without having to pre-rinse, last at least a decade before it falls apart, and something that I can fix myself when it does fail.  I babied my old one along for over 20 years, doing my own repair work, before the company was bought out and essential repair parts were "discontinued" and the remaining ones available priced 10 times what they are worth.  I am not interested in all the high-tech gimmickry (feature creep) that will be more likely to malfunction in the near future, than to serve a useful purpose.

Just wonder if anyone can recommend anything?  Kitchenaid has been bought out by Whirlpool.  The web site reviews give Whirlpool and G-E pretty poor ratings, Kenmore not any better and Frigidaire even worse. LG's and Bosch's customer service are said to suck big time.  Is everything on the market these days really that bad?

I have too much other stuff to do to spend time hand washing dishes, but I don't want to waste a bunch of time and money purchasing and installing a p.o.s. appliance and have to repeat the whole process a couple of years from now.  But from what I  see so far, that is about all that's available these days.  I am not looking for the  cheapest thing available.  I'd rather spend more bux for something with quality and durability, but I wonder if such a thing exists any more.  Certainly somebody still makes a quality product.

[W4EWH]

I had a KitchenAide that did a great job for years: it was from a summer camp, and I got it used. After ~10 years, it broke a plastic part that wasn't made anymore. My wife bought a replacement unit made by Wirlpool which has been a POS from day one.

Frankly, I don't think any of the "consumer grade" models are worth a penny: the manufacturers have been in a race-to-the-bottom ever since the Eighties, when they were taken over by MBA's who think focus groups are all anyone needs to predict buyer behavior. They've been cashing in the reputations of the brand names that the public used to trust, on the theory that everything can be sold with advertising and that consumers are sheep who deserve to be sheared.

I suggest you find a model which is rated for use in a restaurant: there are lists available from your state health department. You'll pay a lot more, but it will work a lot better: when you get to the top-shelf, commercial equipment, you'll get good reliability.

Do not sign up for any of the maintenance deals sold by retailers; they're worthless. If you get a maintenance contract, find out what the restaurateurs in your area recommend, and get what they got, or do without.

FWIW. YMMV.

Bill, W1AC

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Isn't this what the XYL is for?   

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Wife does the washing and I do the drying. It's been that way since day one. We view it as quality time spent together. Sort of fun and frolic in the kitchen. We had a dishwasher 30 some years ago. We stored our bowling balls in it and then finally threw it out.

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Dishwashers aren't green too.

[WQ9E]

My wife bought a new Bosch last year; probably chose the brand because I am happy with the Bosch power tools I own.

As to the dishwasher, it is quiet and takes about 2 hours for a standard wash cycle which is twice as long as the KitchenAid it replaced.  Part of its "greeness" is that it not only has no heated dry cycle it doesn't even have forced air drying.  So if you want dry dishes, you have to open the door at the end of the cycle.  Other weirdness, although it stops it never really shuts off so the its display and mode indicators stay on until you press the off switch.  That part is probably not a big deal since they are LED but it just seems wrong.  Can you tell I am not enamored with it yet???  It does seem to clean the dishes OK.

I rarely use the dishwasher.  I had my usual banana, strawberry, yogurt and instant breakfast shake and fixed daughter Anna her sausage, grits, and over easy eggs.  Manually washing the dishes involved takes about 2 or 3 minutes which isn't much more than the time just to load the dishwasher.   At least the Bosch doesn't seem to create any noticeable RFI but I wouldn't bet on it lasting nearly as long as its predecessor.

Rodger WQ9E

[W3SLK]

Well, I bought a GE Triton about 5 years ago when I moved into my house. The only issue that I had was it started making an exceptionally loud noise. I did a little research on it and found that a ty-wrap around the upper basket tubing was all that was required. Its been working great since then. It may be slightly louder than others but it doesn't bother me when I'm in the living room.

[K3ZS]

I just got rid of our Maytag dishwasher that was 2 years old.     There was nothing wrong with it except it did not wash the dishes.    It ran for hours just recycling dirty water.    We also had a Maytag energy star refrigerator that crapped out after a few expensive repair bills.    This brand is not what it used to be.    Both the washer and refrigerator were "energy star" rated.  It seems that any appliance rated with this just doesn't work.    Replaced the refrigerator with a non energy saving Frigidaraire.   It has been working fine.     After my wifes complaining we ditched the dishwasher and got a non-energy saving Whirlpool.    It is a stand alone portable,  which I build in with under the unit fittings.   It wasn't cheap, about $700, but it was rated good by user surveys.   My wife is very happy with the way it cleans, in about half the time as the Maytag.   I have no idea how it will last but not having the wife bitching about the dishwasher is a godsend.     My main criteria now for an appliance is that it not be energy star rated.   They save energy by not doing what they should.

[ka3zlr]

Well we always pre-rinse out of habit and we bought ours at lowes an had it paid off before the interest even started on the lowes account I was very proud of my wife seeing that through. it's a Maytag it does the job fare enough and if it lasts five years i'll be surprised.


73
Jack.

[K3ZS]

They told me at Lowes that Maytag was bought out and the quality has improved over a few years ago.    It is still hard though to go with a brand that you have been burned on.   My 30 year old Maytag clothes washer and dryer are still going strong.     I don't think brands mean too much anymore.    YOu never know who really made it and who owns the company from year to year.    I usually go to Amazon and read peoples reviews for a specific model of whatever I am interested in.    If I had done that a few years ago I would have found out that the specific model of Panasonic TV CRT went bad just over a year after the warranty was over, as was reported by many people.

[WA1GFZ]

I have a SS kitchenaide and XYL loves it. It replaced a maytag hunk of crap that sounded like it was turning a pile of rocks. I got it on sale at Sears. I think I paid around $650 for it. I think we have had it for around 6 years.

[k4kyv]

I had a KitchenAide that did a great job for years: it was from a summer camp, and I got it used. After ~10 years, it broke a plastic part that wasn't made anymore.

That's usually what does in my appliances.  They "discontinue" making some essential part just about the time the machine is old enough to need a replacement.  I could have kept my old Kitchen-aid going for another 10 years if I could get replacement parts, since the motor is still good and the tank hadn't started leaking.  I think this business of "discontinued" parts is a deliberate tactic of planned obsolescence.

I read up on some customer reviews of various brands of dishwashers, and one  complaint was that the cheap models with plastic tank can be a fire hazard.  Something goes awry and the heater comes on with no water inside, or the motor overheats, and the tank melts.  Some reported that theirs even melted some of their plastic dishes along with the tank, and a couple reported that the plastic actually caught fire.

I got rid of our old Maytag clothes washer when the motor burnt out and the chassis was almost rusted through.  It was one of those with the big counterweight under the rotating tank and had a scroteful gear box.  I had kept it going for over 25 years. We replaced it with a Kenmore.  The new one works, but I cringe whenever I hear it running; it seems so flimsy that I feel like something strains to just below the breaking point as soon as the agitator starts rotating.

From what I gather, like plastic radios, most machines and parts are now made in Asia.
 

[ka3zlr]

I don't know exactly what to say Don to me you look at one you look at them all so we went for the sale.

73
Jack.

[WA1GFZ]

I just replaced the kenmore washing machine I bought in 1977 with another one. The shifter crapped out and the gear box was wasted.
Maytag was once a nice machine but the bean counters destroyed the company. I hear the line was sold and they should improve. 
I also avoided the plastic tub since there is a large heating element and there is no water around it in the dry cycle. SS is very nice.

[Ed/KB1HYS]

We've had a whirlpool "Gold" DW for about 10yrs now.  seems to be ok. Does the dishes alright. The dry cycle is a joke (they are never dry even though the dishes are too hot to handle right after a cycle.  It doesn't quiet get the water hot enough by itself, so I run the tap for a bit to pre heat the water since I usually rinse the dishes first it's no big deal.

The clothes washer worked FB. for about 14yrs. The top rusted out at the hinges though and the XYL bought a cheap 2nd hand one from a friend. POS. I don't know the age, but the hinge points already have rusty stains. The pump does not fully empty the drump, seems like it can't pump the water up to the stand pipe & out so some always remains. The old one had a pump that did the same thing fine.

[W3SLK]

I thought Whirlpool bought out Maytag. I never quite cared for Whirlpool.

[W1RKW]

I was going to suggest that INR remove my username from the AMFone user list because I might go off the deep end on this subject and as some of you know how much I detest plastic but I composed myself.  So I'm still here.

Don, I know what you're going through.  Out of all the kitchen appliances I think the dishwasher is the one appliance that gets put through the ringer the most and has to take a licking all the time. 

All the kitchen appliances are are SS Frigidaires. I didn't want them but Liz didn't want to spend a boat load of money which was fine with me but in the end they look pretty good in the kitchen.  Of all the appliances, the dishwasher is the biggest POS and when we picked out the app's one of my requirements for the dishwasher was that it not be solid state but have a mechanical timer instead.  For the most part I'm happy with the dishwasher because it runs, washes good, it's quiet and not electronic. The caveat it it's nothing but plastic.  It's 6 years old and last year I dropped $200 for a new set of racks, latch mechanism, soap dispenser, filter, and steam vent seal because these parts take a lot of abuse. They aren't built to be tough. In additon, the tub is plastic which leads into my next bug-a-boo.

I had to remove it from underneath the counter to make repairs to the door spring. When it was installed the installer did such a poor job I ended up redoing. The tub being plastic is very flexible so setting up the 4 legs is very important.  I didn't know this when I put it back underneath the counter and secured it.  The door wouldn't close. It didn't take much to misalign the door because of the flexibility of the tub. I was ready to pull it out and beat the crap out of it with the truck. But I fixed it up.  It's been a year.  It's still cleans well and is quiet.  I 'm still leary of buying an appliance that is electronically controlled unless it has some sort of power protection on it. I think the controllers are susceptible to damage when you least expect it.  Knock on wood the m-wave is working OK fine.

[WA1GFZ]

I will not own a microwave TX on the kitchen counter

[W2PFY]

My dog cleans all the dishes here. Then when he's done I just wipe them down with a rag with ammonia on it and we're good to go to the next meal. He doesn't do so well with frying pans with burnt grease embedded into the Teflon.  

I think if you go to a restaurant supply company you may find a very good used one Don.

[W1RKW]

I will not own a microwave TX on the kitchen counter

Our m-wave is above the oven and hardly used but that's another story in and of itself.  The friggin thing emits enough random noise that it will trigger a Sears garage door opener when the right remote code is attained.  Imagine coming home from work to find your garage wide open to the public or being awakened in the middle of the night by a garage door opening by itself. 

[WB2YGF]

Never had a dishwasher.  I do the dinner dishes.  

I have extended warranties on the Maytag fridge and the fancy Maytag electronic double oven stove.  Neither has given me a bit of trouble yet in 5 years.  

The fancy but crappy top-o-the-line Sears dehumidifier I keep under warranty and take it into the shop once a year for a new blower motor.  

The fancy electronic front load gas dryer is under extended warranty too.  I had the guy in once but it turned out to be a clogged vent that was tripping it out.  No charge for the coming out.

[flintstone mop]

Don
Just make sure whatever "appliance" you buy that it can thoroughly clean radio parts.
I think you are planning to buy another appliance for the shack. ha!

Just kidding
Fred

[Ed-VA3ES]

I just bought new Maytags in October - Maytag Commercials, the same ones used in laundromats.   They are a heavy-duty design, and warranted for 5 years.  The emblem reads "Maytag - Commercial".   Cost the same as a high-end pair of Maytags or Kenmores  (about $1000. each +/-).  My buddy has one he acquired back in 1967, and it's still chugging along.   They are plain-Jane machines, no frills, but  I don't need frills, just a good washing machine (and a dryer too). The old  machines I had were Moffatt. Had 'em both since 1977, until the gearbox in the washer crapped out, and it wouldn't do the rinse cycle.  Hauled both off to the scrapper where we got $20.00 for them.

So far, with the light loads I impose on my new Maytags, they ought to last forever.

I just replaced the kenmore washing machine I bought in 1977 with another one. The shifter crapped out and the gear box was wasted.
Maytag was once a nice machine but the bean counters destroyed the company. I hear the line was sold and they should improve. 
I also avoided the plastic tub since there is a large heating element and there is no water around it in the dry cycle. SS is very nice.

[WB2YGF]

Commercial grade is great.  I have a 20 year old Carrier window unit that still blows ice cold.  It has oulasted all the other air conditioners in the house which typically last about 4 years.

[flintstone mop]

Never had a dishwasher.  I do the dinner dishes.  

I have extended warranties on the Maytag fridge and the fancy Maytag electronic double oven stove.  Neither has given me a bit of trouble yet in 5 years.  

As long as you maintain the warranty there will never be any trouble from your appliance.
Fred