Appliances; Our war stories, & longest lasting!

jeff kushner

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We were just chatting about this on another discussion and it hit me that we all have had to "come to terms" with an appliance at some point in our lives. The frosting on this cake is that many members are "experienced"(old as dirt) so we have more good than bad stories.

Here's the bar for the longest lasting appliance. A few years ago I replaced my;

46 year old, Harvest Gold fridge- 46years is the bar. It worked fine, but as I loaded 300 worth of steak into the freezer it dawned on me that I can replace it when it breaks, lose of food & mess or I could be proactive and eliminate that "saga" from my future. I got a rebate from BGE who picked it up from my rear deck and I bought the new one from my friends at Appliance Connection in KY I think.....best price on the 'net for me. They get a shameless plug for excellent pricing(&tax"friendly"). I even tried them for furniture but their program compensated and it wasn't a value.

My house came with New Old Stock 4 burner gas stove & a new, cheap mechanical DW and a mechanical new Maytag washer/elect dryer set and that old fridge, installed with the building of the home in the 60's! A few years later I received two brand new GE replacements(sketchy , don't ask). Beautiful, classy looking DW, gas stove with all the bells and whistles. I forget but the series had a name to impress you with. LOL

Thank God I didn't pay for them....both broken and replaced w/ my originals within a year. I have a huge storage space behind my basement so I'm happy that I kept the old ones.


Ok guys.........vent!
 

Yvonne G

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I had a microwave that we bought when the carousel feature was first introduced by Sharp. I think it was sometime in the '60s. It had been working just fine lo these many years, but when I broke my wrist and my daughter had to come over and take care of the animals, she worried that because it was so old it might be leaking dangerous rays, so she bought me a new one. Let's say 1965 to 2022 - almost 60 years of use and still going strong. The one they bought me last Christmas has already shed some of the protective paint coating on the floor of the appliance, showing the bare metal underneath. So far it's not arcing so I'm still using it, but I'm real tempted to get my old one out of the garage and set it back up.
 

wellington

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I never really had many years into appliances. We owned a 3 flat and when an appliance would need replacing, mostly dishwashers, I would put mine in the apartment and I would get the new one.
I have a very old washer/dryer now that came with the house, no longer have the 3 flat. They are old, but don't know how old. My appliance repair guy just told me to keep fixing them, as the new ones will never last as long.
 

Cathie G

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That's the same problem with Joe's microwaves. He nukes joecannos. All kinds of hot sauce and hot peppers etc. I don't know how he eats it and lives. The problem is even though I clean it, eventually whatever they use to cover the inside won't hold up. I end up just buying him a new small microwave every year. I've been told I could get a free replacement. The problem is I know what he does and won't go there. I don't have time for all the haggling over it. So once a year I stick the old one out back and someone takes it to recycle.
 

jeff kushner

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A Microwave from the 60's is likely to set off the Nuclear threat warning sensors now placed in every city. Maybe keep that thing under a lead panel in the garage Y! I used microwaves when I worked in restaurants in the early 70's. They were expensive and fragile......

60 some years is truly impressive for a microwave, that's actually being used!
 

ZEROPILOT

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The name Tecumseh has been around in retail for a long time. It was once associated with products of reasonably high quality.
DO NOT BUY A REFRIGERATOR with a Tecumseh compressor. It will expire before your fresh milk does.
To HELL with brand names. I just look for a FUJI compressor first. Then I compare other features. Except if I see SAMSUNG. It's an immediate no. The only SAMSUNG I'll buy is a phone.
Appliances used to all last a lifetime. Now they're made like crap and you're lucky to get 5 years out of them.
I've never used my dishwasher. I don't understand why anyone would half a$$ wash a plate then put it in the dishwasher.
Just wash the plate. Period.
I buy the simplest designed clothes washers with the highest quality components. And the least expensive dryers with the best designed drum/drive system. Less to break.
With just a little knowledge from a little research, you CAN find Appliances that are top notch without a super premium price tag.
My stove is gas.
On a side note that some might find amuzing:
My TWIN FUJI compressor powered. Super high quality refrigerator is as loud as a microwave. Drops ice into its hopper so noisily that you can hear it two rooms away and manages to drop a single ice cube onto the floor at least once a day. Usually at night. So you step into a cold puddle of water when you go to the fridge for some cold water at night half asleep.
 

TammyJ

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Wow. I don't want to come over to all you guys as if I were a stone broke old Third World hag...BUT.
 

TammyJ

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I totally agree with Zeropilot about the dishwasher! Really, you may as well wash it yourself and save electricity, I think. But if I had reliable piped water where I live in the wild, I would definitely like to have a washing machine 😄! I wash most clothes by hand outdoors and hang out to dry, then it may or may not rain. I take large heavy stuff to the laundromat in town when necessary. I have a small gas stove. Microwaves just don't last any time with us, apparently due to electric surges. I have a nine year old Frigidaire and it's struggling along...have to get a gasket... Yvonne, how is yours doing now? I remember you had an issue some time ago.
 

Cathie G

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I totally agree with Zeropilot about the dishwasher! Really, you may as well wash it yourself and save electricity, I think. But if I had reliable piped water where I live in the wild, I would definitely like to have a washing machine 😄! I wash most clothes by hand outdoors and hang out to dry, then it may or may not rain. I take large heavy stuff to the laundromat in town when necessary. I have a small gas stove. Microwaves just don't last any time with us, apparently due to electric surges. I have a nine year old Frigidaire and it's struggling along...have to get a gasket... Yvonne, how is yours doing now? I remember you had an issue some time ago.
My favorite washing machine is a wringer washer. It gets clothes cleaner in less water. I wish I was young enough to still do my clothes that way and hang them out for an extra rainwater rinse. I used to time my laundry for that. I like washing my dishes by hand and don't even own a dishwasher and won't. I get a nice soak for my nails and don't have to pay a beauty salon . I have clean nails DAILY.😉. My biggest problem with the new gas ranges is the oven has to have electricity to light. That part always goes bad 😭 especially when you need it. I have a son though that loves to refurbish old stuff like that. Retro may be soon.🤗
 

Yvonne G

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I totally agree with Zeropilot about the dishwasher! Really, you may as well wash it yourself and save electricity, I think. But if I had reliable piped water where I live in the wild, I would definitely like to have a washing machine 😄! I wash most clothes by hand outdoors and hang out to dry, then it may or may not rain. I take large heavy stuff to the laundromat in town when necessary. I have a small gas stove. Microwaves just don't last any time with us, apparently due to electric surges. I have a nine year old Frigidaire and it's struggling along...have to get a gasket... Yvonne, how is yours doing now? I remember you had an issue some time ago.
You mean my fridge? It's about 25 years old. I just had the door gasket replaced.

A few years ago a grateful person who had to give up her tortoise donated $500 to the rescue. I used that to buy a new fridge. This one has no freezer, just a great big fridge that only holds tortoise food. So there are two refrigerators in my kitchen, one for people and one for tortoises.
 

ZEROPILOT

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I totally agree with Zeropilot about the dishwasher! Really, you may as well wash it yourself and save electricity, I think. But if I had reliable piped water where I live in the wild, I would definitely like to have a washing machine 😄! I wash most clothes by hand outdoors and hang out to dry, then it may or may not rain. I take large heavy stuff to the laundromat in town when necessary. I have a small gas stove. Microwaves just don't last any time with us, apparently due to electric surges. I have a nine year old Frigidaire and it's struggling along...have to get a gasket... Yvonne, how is yours doing now? I remember you had an issue some time ago.
My dishwasher is used for storage.
There are a few kitchen appliances in there and a bottle of good Champagne that we got as a wedding gift that we were intending to re gift at some point. But I think we both forgot that it was in there.
It's stored sideways. Steady cool temperature. It should be good to go.
 

ZEROPILOT

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You mean my fridge? It's about 25 years old. I just had the door gasket replaced.

A few years ago a grateful person who had to give up her tortoise donated $500 to the rescue. I used that to buy a new fridge. This one has no freezer, just a great big fridge that only holds tortoise food. So there are two refrigerators in my kitchen, one for people and one for tortoises.
I'd forgotten about your door gasket quest
 

ZEROPILOT

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I totally agree with Zeropilot about the dishwasher! Really, you may as well wash it yourself and save electricity, I think. But if I had reliable piped water where I live in the wild, I would definitely like to have a washing machine 😄! I wash most clothes by hand outdoors and hang out to dry, then it may or may not rain. I take large heavy stuff to the laundromat in town when necessary. I have a small gas stove. Microwaves just don't last any time with us, apparently due to electric surges. I have a nine year old Frigidaire and it's struggling along...have to get a gasket... Yvonne, how is yours doing now? I remember you had an issue some time ago.
I imagine it rains a lot over there. Like it does here.
The last time I hung out clothes to dry was after the last hurricane wiped out the power for 2 weeks.
My work jeans dried so stiff that I could barely get them on.
There must be a method to that. Because my mother used to line dry our clothes and they were always nice
 

jeff kushner

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See guys, now you know why I keep returning to Jamaica to get grounded....Tammy reminds us here in the States, everything is relative to basic running h2o and stable electricity.

My lead guy that retired a year or so ago, bought a Kitchen set w/ camera on the fridge, spent a bumload on it too. 8mos later I hear him on the phone with the warranty folks. Come on, really? THAT's what folks are selling?

A year or so ago Kerry had a Bosch DW/ dual door-dual level...and though dead quiet, it wasn't convenient for her. My son gets a free GE $900 DW(another appliance nightmare) and gives it to Kerry. I'm a plumber, ok? Crap....all crap, frame crap, pump crap, hoses crap, solenoid valve crap...and they sell that for 900 bucks? Every component is the cheapest thing on the market with an actual QC dept behind it but it was a sharp looking machine when installed and that's where the effort & dollars went, the cover and panel.

That fridge I bought is a Whirlpool 27?CF french door monster, a third large than my old one. I didn't need it but I bought it for the next owner....wives love big French-door fridge...LOL I hope it works till I leave!

The new mantra everywhere seems to be.....
"Remember, it's more important how something looks, then how it actually performs."

When I donated appliance $$ to my adult daughter's new/old condo after hubby crashed/burned, she bought the new "White Glass" stuff, at the expense of size. When I asked her why, she said "cause it looks nice". ok, honesty, I like that...but geez? LOL
 
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