Kenmore appliances- not what they used to be. (washer, pool, Lowes)
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Within past few months I've purchased:
Kenmore Laundry Center (washer/dryer)
Kenmore refrigerator (side by side)
Frigidaire Gallery microwave hood
Frigidaire range
I've had 3 service calls already on two of these...guess which ones?
Kenmore.
My refrigerator has this vibration noise when the condiser is on- wakes me up at night.
The washer squeaks
The dryer roars on the revolution...as in pulses
I just keep calling them back out...time and time again.
It can happen to any appliance. We bought a new Frigidaire Gallery stove and had to have a service call because one of the burners was defective. It happens. I also have a Kenmore Fridge with no issues and LG w/d that are non problematic (knock on wood).
Few modern appliances (products) are "what they used to be", and although it is fair to blame the manufacturer, we as consumers share part of the blame.
As long as consumers demand the "lowest price" as the determinate factor of a purchase versus a healthy balance between price and quality, we will "get what we pay for".
I like old appliances. They were built to last, are serviceable, and in many cases are nearly or equally as efficient. But it is also important to note that a lot of old appliances were not inexpensive. So many people bought them on payment plans or as part of their utility service, such as natural gas stoves, etc.
To build equally as durable gear today would have us likely paying thousands for appliances we now pay hundreds for.
I can't recall the exact figures, but an early 1950s Chambers stove was something like $500, which according to the "inflation calculator":
"What cost $500 in 1955 would cost $3977.26 in 2008."
So part of the problem is that we do have a disposable society, but that has also been driven by the public being convinced that price is everything. It is somewhat circular. Once(if ever) as consumers we realize that there is a healthy balance between quality and economy we may again find more consumer goods built to last, as long as we're willing to pay for it.
Until then, the manufacturers are simply going to give us what we want.... flashy features, but at the lowest price, which will means cheaply built construction.
Isn't that the truth. I laughed my butt off when we went to a party and this guy was telling us about his mega-expensive gourmet espresso machine made in some euro-country, blah, blah.. then I noticed they had a 'fashionable' GE Lowes special fridge and stove..
He paid more for a coffee machine than his fridge and stove.
Same thing like people paying 3x as much for 'the look' of quality (ie stainless) when it's the same darned thing as the white one sitting right next to it.
It's laughable, really.
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