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Thread: Refrigerator Brands?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Refrigerator Brands?

    Came home from vacation and found the refrigerator was dead. It is 9 years old, is (was) noisy, and the seals are rotting out; so I guess it is time.
    We have found a Whirlpool, Maytag, and Frigidaire that look identical for the same price.
    Is there any difference between them, or just choose the one that can be put in faster?

    (I know Whirlpool owns Maytag, but thing Frigidaire is different...)

  2. #2
    I'm a Frigidaire retiree. They are owned by Electrolux of Sweden now. I buy Frigidaires but there's not a lot of difference. Get the one that has the features your wife likes.
    Mike Null

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  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Wade Lippman View Post
    Came home from vacation and found the refrigerator was dead. It is 9 years old, is (was) noisy, and the seals are rotting out; so I guess it is time.
    We have found a Whirlpool, Maytag, and Frigidaire that look identical for the same price.
    Is there any difference between them, or just choose the one that can be put in faster?

    (I know Whirlpool owns Maytag, but thing Frigidaire is different...)
    They're all terrible. All of them. A few years ago I had a Frigidaire, and the door handle would fall off every six weeks like clockwork. I kept extras in a storage room. I have a Samsung now, and while it hasn't burst into flames yet, the ice maker needed to be replaced after 13 months. Thankfully I had a 5 year extended warranty (IMO that's mandatory for these things.)

    If you had an older refrigerator and you liked it, I would definitely repair it rather than replace it, it's fun to learn how to do these things.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Elmodel, Ga.
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    798
    I'm with Doug. I replaced a 30 year old Kenmore with a Frigidaire and had nothing but trouble with the ice makers and electronics on it. 5 ice makers and 4 control boards in 2 years. The bad part is they know they are selling you junk and want you to buy their extended warranty. Problem is the cost. They wanted me to pay 1
    $161 a year for the extended warranty. Total rip off. An employee of Frigidaire told me they make them that way to stay in business. He said if the appliances lasted like they use to, they couldn't keep the factory open because no one would need new appliances. BTW, the Kenmore, I gave to my daughter is still running and is now 34 yeas old.
    I did buy a Maytag washer/dryer combo that is 5 yeas old and has worked flawlessly if that is any consolation.
    My Dad always told me "Can't Never Could".

    SWE

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Longmont, CO
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    we have been getting used sub-zeros for less than it costs for a cheapo at the BORG. 10 years old and will last another 15 or 20. we have had to have one fixed, but total cost was still less than a new samsung or whatever.

    Kitchenaid stuff is good for new. also whirlpool made i think? Whirlpool has some of the best, simple appliances.

    https://blog.yaleappliance.com/bid/8...pliance-brands

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Adam Herman View Post
    we have been getting used sub-zeros for less than it costs for a cheapo at the BORG. 10 years old and will last another 15 or 20. we have had to have one fixed, but total cost was still less than a new samsung or whatever.

    Kitchenaid stuff is good for new. also whirlpool made i think? Whirlpool has some of the best, simple appliances.

    https://blog.yaleappliance.com/bid/8...pliance-brands
    yaleappliance is a good source for researching this stuff. They do a huge amount of repairs in the Boston area. The first thing I would ask a retailer is whether they service their own products, if they don't then they probably have no idea of how reliable they are.

    FWIW, my 5-year extended warranty from JCPenney for my Samsung was US$241 total. The first ice maker replacement would have been US$700 billed, so I came out ahead right away, just from the cost of the repair part itself.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Moscow, ID
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    428
    I have a Frigidaire Gallery Professional in my kitchen that I got when I built the house in 2003. Other than the fan failing about 7 years ago, it's been a great performer with no issues. I pulled it out after about 10 years to clean the coils, but they weren't even that dusty. No problems with the ice maker or the door seals.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Upstate NY
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    The display started flashing occasionally this morning. Then more often and longer. When the flashed reached 5 seconds, the compressor would come on for a second. Then 5, 10, and now it is running normally.

    My wife doesn't care; she just wants a new one. As you all have said; the news ones have just gotten worse. But obviously this isn't something we can bet new food on!

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Wade Lippman View Post
    But obviously this isn't something we can bet new food on!
    I have three big Coleman coolers on hand for when the fridge stops working, and ice is cheap. That will tide us over. :^)

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
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    We had a terrible experience with a Whirlpool. It turned out that we were an early adopter of a brand new model. I guess WP did their final testing on their customers because we had nothing but trouble for a year. Finally, I went back to Home Depot and talked to the manager. I had records of all the service calls but I must look honest because he gave us a full refund on the spot.

    Kudos to Home Depot!!!!!

    Because they were so nice, we bought a GE from Home Depot and it's been fine. There was on problem that was caused during installation. The installer must have nicked a hose with his utility knife. It didn't cause a problem until recently when someone pushed the fridge back another inch and flexed the hose. Fortunately, we have the extended warranty and the guy came out and fixed it. While he was at it, he also upgraded the firmware.

    My one recommendation is to buy the extended service warranty. These things are so complicated now that an extended warranty is, in my view, well worth it.

    Sorry, the days of buying a fridge and expecting it to last 30 years are gone.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    fayetteville Arkansas
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    We had a Kenmore for the last 6 or 7 years. Ice is an important function for our family but we could never keep the ice maker operating. Ice chute always clogged. Had a couple service calls to repair electronics. We gave up last year and bought a new LG. It has been wonderful compared to that Kenmore. Never had a problem with the LG making or dispensing ice or anything else so far. It has a Linear Compressor which is a little different than other brands. I know they all wear out and need service but I would like to get a few good years out of them before repairs start.

  12. #12
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    May 2005
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    SE South Dakota
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    Quote Originally Posted by Doug Dawson View Post
    They're all terrible. All of them. A few years ago I had a Frigidaire, and the door handle would fall off every six weeks like clockwork. I kept extras in a storage room. I have a Samsung now, and while it hasn't burst into flames yet, the ice maker needed to be replaced after 13 months. Thankfully I had a 5 year extended warranty (IMO that's mandatory for these things.)

    If you had an older refrigerator and you liked it, I would definitely repair it rather than replace it, it's fun to learn how to do these things.
    I too am in this camp. It seems as if you buy a $400 fridge or a $3000 fridge the warranty is...........drum roll....1 year!!!
    I just bought a new fridge 1 month ago as the old one lost it's freezer.
    The new one is working fine, I can hear it gurgling when it's on.

    Bruce
    Epilog TT 35W, 2 LMI SE225CV's
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  13. #13
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    Feb 2014
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    Refrigerators are getting like TV's. They're getting closer, and closer to figuring out how to make them out of nothing. I was impressed by the two guys carrying in our latest one, with arm straps, until I pulled it out myself and saw how lightweight it is.

  14. #14
    We have two side by sides, both around six years old now. One is a Fridgidaire, and other is a GE. Both had had issues with ice maker, while under warranty. Fridg. had issue with ice door not closing completely, allowing frost to build up, while GE needed to have a larger water inlet valve installed under sink. GE takes three times as long to make a bin of ice as does Fridg. GE runs quite, and has pull out shelves. But GE did cost $300 more.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
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    Lewiston, Idaho
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    We have had a Samsung for over 4 years now. The ice maker developed a problem during the 1st year. The guy came out to repair it. He reseated the connections and it began working. Then he ordered a replacement and had it shipped to our home. I have the replacement stashed in my office. Knock on wood, I haven't needed it yet.

    While in the US Navy stationed at NAS Meridian, I worked part time on the loading dock and warehouse for Sears in Meridian, MS. The refrigerator returns and service calls we saw then in the mid-1970s were often the ice makers.

    Our last Kenmore I bought locally and it lasted 23 years. Since then, the Sears store has closed. The Sears appliance store came back for 2-3 years. I bought the Samsung through the Sears store only because the local HD couldn't deliver one in less than 16 days. There was one in a HD warehouse in Spokane 100 miles away but this store had to go through Portland, OR warehouse and with the Thanksgiving holiday coming up they couldn't deliver it for 16 days. We had 12 people coming for Thanksgiving dinner and my wife needed this refrigerator. Sears delivered it 3 days later and 2 days before Thanksgiving much to my wife's appreciation!
    Last edited by Ken Fitzgerald; 04-10-2019 at 10:33 PM.
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

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