OT: Refrigerators

"Michael "Dog3" Lonergan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

http://i5.tinypic.com/123tmjc.jpg

Yes! Two nights ago. :-)

Michael 'Dog3' Lonergan said:

Went to Best Buy last night to look at some fridges they had on sale. Saw
one I kind of liked but it's special order and it will take 2 weeks to get
it. That's the only place I've looked so far. I ran out of time last
night. I showed Steven the pics and specs when he got home and I don't
think he was all that impressed but I like it and I always win 😉 Well, not
always.

I don't know what Steven likes, but a friend of mine bought this drool
bringer recently;

http://www.gladiatorgw.com/list.asp?catID=5

Major envy.

Greg Zywicki

Dee Randall said:

"Pixmaker" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

FWIW, I haven't had that much luck at Best Buy. Their service under
warranty is the
factory-contracted local service outfit and, regardless of the appliance,
I've not been pleased with
their after-sale service. If a fridge goes out, it may take a week to
schedule a service call. Then,
the parts are often not in stock so there's another few days. I just can't
live with that.

I was sauntering around a couple of weeks ago in Best Buy and wandered into
the appliance department. Things 'looked' overpriced to me. A tin-ney oven
vent $3,549? Geez!
Dee Dee

In my periodic visits to Best Buy, I've yet to see anything I would
consider a "good buy" much less a "best buy". Not sure what their
marketing angle is, they seem to put all their revenue into flashy
advertising instead of competitive pricing.

Pete C.

On Fri, 09 Jun 2006 17:23:00 GMT, "Pete C." <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Ack! I truly hate top freezer models. Why the hell should I have to
stoop down every time I need something from the most frequently accessed
section? Why should I have to stand on tiptoes to find something in the
back of the freezer?

Well..if you are like me, who has a hard time stooping down (hip
replacement and severe arthritis in the other hip) a top freezer can
be a boon. Although I am short..but it is easier for me to stand on
tiptoes than to stoop.

Christine

George said:

Pixmaker said:

FWIW, I haven't had that much luck at Best Buy. Their service under warranty is the
factory-contracted local service outfit and, regardless of the appliance, I've not been pleased with
their after-sale service. If a fridge goes out, it may take a week to schedule a service call. Then,
the parts are often not in stock so there's another few days. I just can't live with that.

Imagine that scenario during the holidays!

Thats why we buy from a local family owned appliance store and avoid big
box places. There are two in this area that are competitive and offer
excellent service.

A friend is having a battle with a big box place now. They bought a
front load washer from best buy. It was supposed to include delivery and
setup. They simply dropped off the box and took off. My friend was
working out of town and his wife had to make multiple calls to get them
to set it up. A few days later my friends found black gooey stuff on
their clothes. They also use some national service outfit which wouldn't
schedule a specific appointment and insisted someone would have to wait
home all day. The guy came a week later and said it was probably a
gasket but he would have to charge $170 because he wasn't authorized to
change it under warranty.

Contrast that with the way a local appliance store handled a problem. I
bought appliances for a rental apartment. They scheduled the delivery
for a certain time and were there at that time. Everything was set up
and all debris was removed. The tenant moved in and a few weeks later
called and said the fridge was not cooling properly. I called the local
appliance store and they gave a four hour window and asked for my
cellphone to give me a 30 minute heads up when their guy would arrive so
I wouldn't have to wait. The guy called when he was leaving his last
call and we both got to the apartment at the same time. He quickly
determined what was wrong and repaired it.

Quoted message said:

Recently bought a fridge (not an emergency buy) and found the best deal at Sears. Just wait a few
weeks for a sale. I don't have a Sears credit card but, I opened an account for a card and got a
$200 discount on top of the sale price. Then simply paid the whole bill when it arrived. (I don't
use the card for routine purchases.) The bottom line is that I wound up paying about the same as I
would at a big discounter and I get better service.

When I dug into the matter, I found a "decoder" on the net that shows how to determine the actual
manufacturer of an appliance from the Sears (Kenmore) model number. Usually, the lower-priced stuff
is made by Frigidaire or Electrolux and the better stuff by Whirlpool and similar manufacturers. Of
course, you can also pay $2000 for a high-end, exotic fridge if you have the urge. So far, I've been
able to ignore that urge <G>.

Also, I found that the appliances made and labelled for Sears often have small and better-designed
accessories that appeal to me. For example, the fridges and dishwashers (two recent purchases) had
nicely-designed racks and storage shelves that weren't available on the manufacturer's model. YMMV

Pixmaker in FLL
===========================
It's not the heat, it's the humidity!
===========================
(Think the humidity's bad?
You should watch us vote!)
===========================

I've also found the local "contractors" type places to be better than
the big box places. I got a nice Maytag stack washer / dryer from one
and the price with tax and delivery / setup was $200 less than the
sticker price on the exact same unit at Lowe's. Haven't had a problem
with it so I can't say anything about service, but I suspect they would
be just as good with that.

Pete C.

"George" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Thats why we buy from a local family owned appliance store and avoid big
box places. There are two in this area that are competitive and offer
excellent service.

I got seriously lucky with the place I buy from. One time, long
ago and far away, I was in search of a Sylvania television. This
was the only place that sold that brand, at least nearby. Talk
about a hole in the wall, they had reburbished tvs piled in the
corner, just a bunch of junk. What on earth am I doing here?

Guy pulled out a book, I picked out the tv I wanted, they delivered
when I wanted and set it up ... I was sold. Good prices great
service, I always go there for my appliances now. They have no
more used tvs, now they have high end stoves and stereos etc,
and they still have the great prices and service.

I looked them up online just as a curiosity to see if other people
had problems with them. I found them alright ... listed as the best
appliance store in my county in a newspaper poll.

Guess I should thank Sylvania, I never would have found them
otherwise.

nancy

JoeSpareBedroom said:

Michael 'Dog3' Lonergan said:

Went to Best Buy last night to look at some fridges they had on sale.

Michael, it would be advantageous for you to open your yellow pages, find a
few locally owned dealers that also offer repair service, and consult with
one or more on this purchase. About 15 years ago, these dealers had a choice
of either finding a way to compete, or facing extinction. The result was the
formation of nationwide buying groups, similar to Ace & Tru Valu hardware.
When I shopped for new appliances 2 years ago, I checked a couple of big
discounters, but as usual, ended up with a local independent whose prices
were within a few percent of the big chains, and in the case of my
refrigerator, actually cheaper.

This is important because if you need repairs, the big discounters are not
involved, other than recommending someone unconnected with their company.

I think where to buy appliances depends a lot on where one lives.
Typical small town mom/pop appliance stores are a [censored] shoot, there's
an even chance they can be responsible or not (that's my experience).
When I lived on Lung Guyland I swore by P.C.Richards, but they are by
no stretch of the imagination a small operation, they operated many
large stores in the tri-state region, their prices and service were
beyond excellent. But now that I live in a rural area there are only a
very few small privately owned appliance stores nearby, none of which I
liked their atmosphere or their prices, or selection... everything
seems to require special ordering. I don't really like the big box
emporiums either (no service). But I do like shopping for appliances
at Sears, excellent prices, beyond excellent service. Sears maintains
their own service centers, they service what they sell and in a no
nonsense, no questions asked manner. I bought my new Maytag dishwasher
from Sears, it was delivered on time, it was installed and installed
properly, all new connection parts (hoses/fittings) were included,
tested through all it's cycles, the old one hauled away, well worth the
$30 delivery/installation charge. The installer arrived in a Sears
truck, wore a Sears uniform, was very professional and extremely
pleasant, a middle aged fellow who did appliance service for Sears for
more than 30 years, he obviously knew what he was doing... not some
pimply faced kid with attitude.

I think it really depends where one lives what kind of treatment you're
going to receive. Service is a people business and people are all
individuals, with service it's all luck of the draw. If you are
fortunate enough to find a store that treats you right then stay with
them, even price is not so much a consideration compared with service.
After all, none of the appliance retailers produces the product... no
matter which you choose they will swear is great.

I also think with some people regardless what they buy or from where
they seem to always have problems... not all people treat products
equally, many are very abusive... no fridge will last very long when
it's constantly opened and left open excessively. Some folks just seem
to break everything they touch, I've known people can't friggin' flush
a toilet lest their [censored] gets stuck... nine times out of ten those are
called tenants... I don't invite renters to my home.

Sheldon

Sheldon said:

Btw, Kitchenaid doesn't manufacture fridges (or any other major
appliances), they place their name on someone elses. I bought a
Kitchenaid clothes drier, I wouldn't buy a Kitchenaid major appliance
again (parts and service are hard to come by). I bought my GE Profile
fridge the same time I bought the matching stove... it's the nicest
fridge I've ever owned. My second fridge is the one the last people
used, I moved it to the basement, a 17 cu ft Whirlpool Deluxe, not very
deluxe, just wire shelves... it is very handy.

I believe since Maytag was bought out by Whirlpool, the following major
appliance brands are all made under the same umbrella: Maytag,
Whirlpool, Jenn-Air, and Kitchenaid.

N.

Christine Dabney said:

On Fri, 09 Jun 2006 17:23:00 GMT, "Pete C." <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Ack! I truly hate top freezer models. Why the hell should I have to
stoop down every time I need something from the most frequently accessed
section? Why should I have to stand on tiptoes to find something in the
back of the freezer?

Well..if you are like me, who has a hard time stooping down (hip
replacement and severe arthritis in the other hip) a top freezer can
be a boon. Although I am short..but it is easier for me to stand on
tiptoes than to stoop.

Christine

Ok, I must be missing something here. If you have conditions that
prevent you from stooping, how can a top freezer possibly help unless
you are like 3'2" tall? I'm 6' tall and have to bend significantly to
get anything out of a top freezer model.

Pete C.

George said:

Pixmaker said:

FWIW, I haven't had that much luck at Best Buy. Their service under warranty is the
factory-contracted local service outfit and, regardless of the appliance, I've not been pleased with
their after-sale service. If a fridge goes out, it may take a week to schedule a service call. Then,
the parts are often not in stock so there's another few days. I just can't live with that.

Imagine that scenario during the holidays!

Thats why we buy from a local family owned appliance store and avoid big
box places. There are two in this area that are competitive and offer
excellent service.

Buying from local vendors is always preferable, if one can afford it.
I suppose I could afford it if that were the only game in town - but it
isn't. And they aren't at all competitive. (There is one local-owned
appliance store here, and it is GE all the way.) Until there is some
competition on the local-owned level, I'll continue to shop where I can
save a couple hundred dollars on a dishwasher or fridge.

(Oh, yeah, I forgot that Lowe's charges $40 total for one or for a
truckload of appliances, delivered at the same time, and that includes
hauling away the old ones. And then there was a $40 rebate on
delivery, so it was free.)

N.

Pete C. said:

Quoted message said:

Ack! I truly hate top freezer models. Why the hell should I have to
stoop down every time I need something from the most frequently accessed
section? Why should I have to stand on tiptoes to find something in the
back of the freezer?

That's a no-brainer... you're an obese dwarf with a painfully prolapsed
anus.

Sheldon

Sheldon said:

Pete C. said:

Quoted message said:

Ack! I truly hate top freezer models. Why the hell should I have to
stoop down every time I need something from the most frequently accessed
section? Why should I have to stand on tiptoes to find something in the
back of the freezer?

That's a no-brainer... you're an obese dwarf with a painfully prolapsed
anus.

Sheldon

If that were the case then a top freezer model would be better. Perhaps
that's why you like them...

Pete C.

On Fri, 09 Jun 2006 18:36:13 GMT, "Pete C." <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Well..if you are like me, who has a hard time stooping down (hip
replacement and severe arthritis in the other hip) a top freezer can
be a boon. Although I am short..but it is easier for me to stand on
tiptoes than to stoop.

Christine

Ok, I must be missing something here. If you have conditions that
prevent you from stooping, how can a top freezer possibly help unless
you are like 3'2" tall? I'm 6' tall and have to bend significantly to
get anything out of a top freezer model.

Pete C.

I am 5 feet tall..exactly. And a top freezer is exactly the right
height for me to find and get things from it.

Christine

Christine Dabney said:

I am 5 feet tall..exactly. And a top freezer is exactly the right
height for me to find and get things from it.

Christine

LOL, No wonder you work NICU!! You had to find a patient population that
you were bigger than!? Can you imagine struggling with that 6 foot 3
inch 290 pound drunk?! We'd be sending out the cavalry to pull you out
from under him.

On Fri, 09 Jun 2006 16:27:07 -0400, Goomba38 <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Christine Dabney said:

I am 5 feet tall..exactly. And a top freezer is exactly the right
height for me to find and get things from it.

Christine

LOL, No wonder you work NICU!! You had to find a patient population that
you were bigger than!? Can you imagine struggling with that 6 foot 3
inch 290 pound drunk?! We'd be sending out the cavalry to pull you out
from under him.

I didn't mention that I am pretty wide too..but that doesn't help
much. 😉

No thanks, I will stick to my babies...especially my premies...

Christine

Christine Dabney said:

No thanks, I will stick to my babies...especially my premies...

Christine

Ah.. I envy you the size of your patient population, as well as the ease
of the diaper changes.
Seriously..I admire what you do. I dread thinking about the medication
doses in that size population. I always hate all that decimal work, lol.

Christine Dabney said:

On Fri, 09 Jun 2006 18:36:13 GMT, "Pete C." <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Well..if you are like me, who has a hard time stooping down (hip
replacement and severe arthritis in the other hip) a top freezer can
be a boon. Although I am short..but it is easier for me to stand on
tiptoes than to stoop.

Christine

Ok, I must be missing something here. If you have conditions that
prevent you from stooping, how can a top freezer possibly help unless
you are like 3'2" tall? I'm 6' tall and have to bend significantly to
get anything out of a top freezer model.

Pete C.

I am 5 feet tall..exactly. And a top freezer is exactly the right
height for me to find and get things from it.

Christine

But you have to bend for the far more frequently (at least for anyone
who doesn't live on frozen prepared [censored]) accessed refrigerator section.
I don't know about you, but I access the refrigerator section at least
20:1 over the freezer section.

Pete C.

On Fri, 09 Jun 2006 20:51:16 GMT, "Pete C." <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

But you have to bend for the far more frequently (at least for anyone
who doesn't live on frozen prepared [censored]) accessed refrigerator section.
I don't know about you, but I access the refrigerator section at least
20:1 over the freezer section.

Well..this works for me, having the freezer section on top.

Everybody's situation is different,and obviously you like it on the
bottom. Whatever.

Christine

On Fri, 09 Jun 2006 16:45:29 -0400, Goomba38 <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Christine Dabney said:

No thanks, I will stick to my babies...especially my premies...

Christine

Ah.. I envy you the size of your patient population, as well as the ease
of the diaper changes.
Seriously..I admire what you do. I dread thinking about the medication
doses in that size population. I always hate all that decimal work, lol.

I don't even know adult medication dosages any more. And it really is
simple figuring out the doses...a calculator is your friend. 😉

I couldn't do the adult diaper changes..much less making beds. I tend
to gag when I have to change adult diapers,not to mention gagging
along with them when they are vomiting. All those excretory
functions, and what not, I can tolerate much more in a baby.

Christine, who is making a famous Georgian dish for tomorrow's
cook-in, and probably is doing too much stuff.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Michael \'Dog3\' Lonergan said:

The major issue I've got is planning around gutting and redoing the
kitchen. I don't want to plan the kitchen around the appliances. *sigh*,
I guess it will all work out.

Michael

OT? How about rec.food.equipment. Talk to a qualified kitchen planner
at one of the big box stores or at a specialty place. You'd be
surprised at what they might come up with. We remodeled the kitchen 13
years ago and none of the appliances are where they were before then.
We didn't do any structural changes and it was done in a week. By one
guy. Two, if you count the [censored] who laid the floor.

--
-Barb
<http://jamlady.eboard.com> Updated 5/29/2006, What They Did For Love
"If it's not worth doing to excess, it's not worth doing at all."