Posted on 05/05/2018 9:35:16 AM PDT by LouAvul
Am contemplating replacing my Kitchenaid refrigerator. We bought Kitchenaid in 2012 and it went out in 2014. Kitchenaid deemed it not repairable and replaced it. Now the replacement refrigerator is malfunctioning and we're going to be looking at another replacement.
It seems most appliances are made by Whirlpool, including Kitchenaid. And most appliances made by Whirlpool have bad reviews.
What brand do Freepers recommend?
My Samsung side by side seems ok. Those 3 door models are a pain and way overpriced if you want a built in icemaker.
if you tell me what kind of fridge you want, i will be glad to access my consumerreports subscription online and give you their top ones.
i use them for big purchases and have usually had good success.
Get the largest GE side by side that you can afford. Do NOT get one with a bottom freezer drawer. They’re a real pain getting ice out of the ice maker, and freezer capacity is diminished and accessibility to frozen items limited due to the shape of the bottom storage drawer. Side by sides provide the best accessibility to frozen items due to multi level shelving.
I have Samsung. Before that I also had Kitchenaid which gave a lot of problems.
I’ve had a Whirlpool for 10 years. Side-by-side, icemaker, ice and water in the door, cooling zones in the drawers: all the things that break often, and I haven’t had a single problem yet. The Sigma quality on all name brands is high enough that all early failures are just random events on the bathtub curve.
Reviews are anecdotal and one must remember that few people write a review about a 10 year old fridge that has NOT broken yet, so reviews have be taken in context.
Just stay away from Whirlpool. My brand new Whirlpool Refrigerator has been repaired six times in less then a year. And today I noticed that the sealing ring at the bottom of my new Whirlpool dishwasher is melting and will have to be repaired.
Am keeping an eye on the stove and microwave, they are new too.:-(
Do your refrig have an icemaker?
My GE has been running 20 years. But I also vacuum the condenser coils at least once a year.
Anything without a computer in it. Even if you have to go get a refurbished 20 year old Kenmore. The same goes for washing machines and dryers.
Our 5 year old GE Profile french door / bottom freezer has been pretty good except the ice maker refuses to reliably switch between cubes and crushed ice. But GE sold its appliances division to Chinese manufacturer Haier in 2016, so all bets may be off.
A long letter to Scott Pruitt at EPA to bring back real freon that lasts more than 5 years.
Also give me a price “no more than $x” so I don’t show you stuff that is out of budget.
“My Samsung side by side seems ok. Those 3 door models are a pain and way overpriced if you want a built in icemaker.”
Our DIL bought a 3 door Samsung with an Ice maker, and it is a PIA with a big loss of shelf space with the icemaker.
I’ve got a Kenmore that my mom bought around 45 years ago, it still works fine. Kenmore now? No way.
It all depends on your needs — but as a general rule, I’d say avoid the ones with electronic bells and whistles. You pay for those goodies and they may not last long. Also, spend like the fridge itself will malfunction shortly after the warranty expires.
I just went through the ordeal of buying a washer. Tried to get something not too “smart” but even the basic models seem to be built to make decisions for people. :(
LOL. One of mine just died and since they want money to ‘drain the freon’, I did a bit of disassembly myself instead, and will soon have it in small enough pieces to dump with the trash. Seems a bit morbid, but I limit my dissections to inannimate objects...nothing living (or having lived), as opposed to Planned Parenthood, for example.
By the way, our main unit is a KitchenAid side-by-side. Very, very quiet. I did have to replace the condenser fan after 10 years (about $50, easy to buy on-line), but otherwise very nice!
Frigidaires last forever.
THEY called me once....seems the doors were prone to scratching.....and replaced the door free of charge.
I had not even complained.
Go to Home Depot / Lowes Websites and look for the Customer reviews on the various models. That should help you narrow the decision down.
I like our LG
10yrs and still going strong.
LG
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