Dishwasher

[smithfarms pure kona]

TIA.

Have to go get a new dishwasher tomorrow at Lowe's. I could look into these archives but this group writes more than all my others put together, I think:). Anyone have a fast answer on just a regular dishwasher? (If that wasn't bad enough, our Television sound went off too and only comes back on after 20 minutes, but I think I can figure that one out at COSTCO) I have only bought 2 dishwashers in my whole life and this last one lasted 18 years!

Do you go for price or maker or what else should I think about? TIA!

Just a fast answer if you have a minute and I'd be ever so grateful.

Many thank yous.

aloha, Thunder smithfarms.com Farmers of 100% Kona Coffee & other Great Stuff

[RichK]

----- Original Message ----- From: "smithfarms pure kona"

If you go by price, be prepared to buy another dozen, before you rest for good. None last as long, as they used to. The mfg have figured out how to make them fail and month after the warranty runs out. Sometimes sooner.

From all the indications even the good brands, like Mytag are crap now. Don't know if you are desparate, or extremely style sensitive, but you can get a used one, which may outlast the brand new one.

Also look here:

Pick something with min electronics, if possible. It will last longer. Mechanical timer would be best yet.

Rich

[tbasc]

RichK is on the right track. The fewer bells & whistles the less there is to fail. We had a Sears that lasted a long time, then a fancy GE that makes me glad we have a service contract. The circuit board, flapper valves, and solinoid have all failed. TB

[Ken]

As the others have said, there are dishwashers loaded with options that most people never use. Find one that has only what you intend to use and it will be a wise decision. Even if all the electronics and valves work, rust will eventually get the unit.

[Itsme]

Buy both at Costco?

I just bought a mid-high end Maytag and it works great.

I worked in the industry for a while and although Maytag may not be as energy efficient as a Bosch or Miele or that other high end stuff...it would take a lotta washing to make up that price premium.

The Maytag cleans like a MF and thats what matters.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Why Lowes? In most cases, your local dealer can match their prices and give you much better service. Most dealer belong to buyer co-ops and can give very competitive prices. Last time I looked at Lowes, by local dealer beat their price and gave me faster delivery. YMMV, but it is worth checking out. When I bought a washing machine, it was delivered in two hours.

In general, the higher price units are better made and have more features. The cheaper brands have plastic liners, the better brands have stainless steel liners. Even the cheaper units will wash dishes very well though, and most fancy models have more cycles than you will ever use.

Cheap brands are Frigidaire, Hotpoint Better brands are Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag.

FWIW, we are very happy with our KA

[smithfarms pure kona]

SNIPPED

Thank you Rich and pals, So Much. I will do as you say and see what works. Thanks for the CR link. (I should just pay to be a member but I am too Scot's.).

Thank you so much. Ever want to know about good Kona Coffee, I can help without bias. And flash hot water heaters and catchment systems etc.

With aloha,

Thunder

smithfarms.com Farmers of 100% Kona Coffee & other Great Stuff

[louie]

We JUST ran our new LG for the first time the other day so I can't say anything about reliability, but it has to be the quietest dishwasher I've ever encountered! Gets everything clean too. Like I said, no idea on reliability, but no complaints so far. Had a Kitchenaid in our previous home and it ran trouble free for the three and a half years we lived there. It was a tad noisier, but still relatively quiet. I agree with the others on features, get what you need no more. If you're into efficiency, make sure it has an "energy save" option to turn off the heated dry.

[smithfarms pure kona]

Thank you every body. I tried to read about dishwashers as much as I could but I do not have a high end type income, which a lot of the writings were about.

I have gotten so much information from you all:) and thank you! I never thought of going to my local dealer but it is a good idea. I just didn't want to over spend and (wrongly) assumed Lowe's was cheaper. I'll check around and be able to make a much better choice because of your input.

with aloha, Thunder smithfarms.com Farmers of 100% Kona Coffee & other Great Stuff

[smithfarms pure kona]

stuff...it would

FYI, I went to COSTCO yesterday and our COSTCO does not sell dishwashers. Lots of iceboxes, flat screen TVs, wine cooler box things etc. but no dishwashers. With our small population, less than

100,00 residents on our side of the island, we have COSTCO which has been here the longest - 10 years, and more recently Home Depot and the most recent Lowe's--I think they figured out how to sell different things. For example, COSTCO used to sell house paint but I noticed once HD and Lowe's came, COSTCO stopped selling paint. Lowe's does sell dishwashers, and I have yet to check the local small store, but will.

aloha, Thunder smithfarms.com Farmers of 100% Kona Coffee & other Great Stuff

[trader4]

I'd definitely check out the ratings from Consumer Reports that are available online. I disagree with the advice to go with a unit with a mechanical timer. These are the cheapest units, they look like crap, and I doubt you will find that they are any more reliable.

One thing I would look for is a flat panel design that is easy to keep clean. I personally would avoid units that have hidden controls that are located on the top door edge. That seems like a very bad place for a touchpad, as it gets hit with steam, water occasionally.

A lot of it comes down to personal preference. Stainless interior looks a lot nicer, and it's sold as being unstainable, while plastic supposidly can pick up stains from tomatoe sauce, etc. However, I've had both and the plastic one didn't get stained.

I would't pay extra for a lot of cycle features you will never use. More important is how well it loads, how easy it is to remove the upper tray to fit really big things in, etc. Some units have an upper tray that you can lower if you want increased room up top. I think a couple of Maytags had this feature worked out really nice, where you could do it quickly from just grasping the side handles. But again, how much you would actually use it is questionable. I think noise is an issue that is very important and again CR has those ratings.