Recommended brands of refrigerators?

[Dorian]

Pardon me folks, I didn't know how to post and wound up posting my question in another thread. Thanks Jerry for the response. I've since broadened my search for refrigerators. Now, in addition to the GE freezer-on-top, 24.6 cu. ft "Profile Arcata" refrigerator, I am considering both Maytag and Amana brands. Reading postings in this group and others I have found Maytag to have generally the best reviews. I need as much refrigerator capacity as possible; quiet operation (well insulated) and lower cost are the two additional most important items. (The fewer bells-and-whistles, the better) The Maytag and Amana are freezer-on-bottom refrigerators; not my favorite, but the capacity is good and the price fairly reasonable. Both of these are 25 cu. ft. with almost 18 cu. ft. of refrigerator space. Price ranges from a little over $1000 to $1250.00. Thanks, Dorian

I am looking for a top freezer refrigerator with the maximum capacity for the refrigerator at the lowest cost. I don't need any of the bells-and-whistles which seem to come, inevitably, with the larger sized, better quality refrigerators. The largest refrigerator I would find with the conventional top freezer style is the GE Profile Arctica refrigerator with a capacity of 24.6 Cu. Ft. It is model number: PTS25LHSWW. However, in reading posts to this group about GE refrigerators I have seen a lot of criticism of the quality of GE products. Does anyone know anything about this model? Or are all GE refrigerators of poor quality these days? And if so, what company, if any, has well made refrigerators? Thank you for your help. Dorian

Reply

From: jerry [e-mail] - view profile Date: Tues, Dec 19 2006 3:12 pm Email: jerry [e-mail]

Dorian wrote:

Or are all GE refrigerators of poor quality these days? And if so, > what company, if any, has well made refrigerators? Thank you for your > help. Dorian

Don't know much about top-freezer models. We just bought a GE Profile side-by-side to replace a _6 year old_ Amana that died on Thanksgiving day, compressor. I'm kinda down on Amanas right now. Prior to the compressor failure, we had lost the auger motor, and we were on the 4th

icemaker unit. Meanwhile the 20-some year old GE in the garage just keeps chugging along, one of the reasons we decided to go with a GE to replace the Amana.

Jerry

[Nobody You'd Know]

I have a Maytag side by side, and would never own another. It has required service about 6 times in 6 years. The Sears repair guy says that, of all the brands they service, Maytag is the worst.

FWIW, I owned a Sears Coldspot prior to the Maytag; and it did not require a single service call in 25 years.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Kitchen Aid, Whirlpool are a couple of the best. GE is mid range. Amana used to be, but I'm not so sure today.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Amana makes top-freezer models. Perhaps you should visit their web site.

I've got a bottom freezer model that's fantastic. No ice maker, no water dispenser, just the basic unit. Unless you go into your freezer more often than your refrigerator, I'm not sure why you'd want the freezer on top.

Looks like my model's been replaced with a newer one, but this is pretty close. Notice that it's got a door on the freezer, not a drawer. They make both versions.

[Doug Miller]

I've always had very good service from Whirlpool and Kenmore refrigerators. (Kenmore is made by Whirlpool, so that's not much of a surprise.)

Before you spend big bucks on a new bottom-freezer model, see if you can rent one, or buy a used one for a hundred bucks. Use it for a month. Then see if you're still interested in getting one. The previous owners of our house left one of those behind -- my wife and I both hated it. We have a side-by-side now, and it's great.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Did your bottom freezer model have a drawer or a door?

As far as the side by side models, you can find an equal number of people who hate the things because they're so narrow.

[Todd H.]

FYI, there are also Kenmore-branded fridges made by Frigidaire these days.

In the side by side realm at least, it's easy to avoid them if you choose the kenmores with water filters accessible from teh front though--those are made by whirlpool.

-- Todd H.

[jerry_maple]

As long as we're talking about Sears, I should mention their pricing.

When we bought our GE Profile on Thanksgiving weekend, we looked at Sears first, then Best Buy. The EXACT same model was priced $400 more at Sears, the one at Sears was on "sale", $200 off, yeah right.

And if you're interested in extended warranties (we hardly ever buy them), the warranty at Sears cost nearly twice as much as the one at Best Buy.

Sears offered free delivery via mail-in rebate OR 12 month 0% financing. Best Buy offered free delivery (no rebate involved) AND 18 month 0% financing. Kinda made our decision a no-brainer.

Jerry

[Doug Miller]

Door. I've never seen one with a drawer, but I think I'd not dislike that nearly so much -- just the same, I'll stick with the side-by-side.

That's probably why they make so many different styles.

[Doug Miller]

Yeah, we ran into the same thing when buying a washer and dryer a few years ago: we found a Whirlpool set at Circuit City that was several hundred dollars cheaper than the *identical* equipment at Sears that happened to have the Kenmore brand on it instead of Whirlpool.

Extended warranties are almost always a bad deal regardless of where you buy them.

[Godof7s]

Some advice for you.

Cut the "pardon me folks blah blah blah" stuff.

Get to the point.

And, no I w> Pardon me folks, I didn't know how to post and wound up posting my

[Godof7s]

Some advice for you.

Cut the "pardon me folks blah blah blah" stuff.

Get to the point.

And, no I won't give you my invaluable info on refrigers.

I can't get passed your phony manners.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

SOME are made by Whirlpool. Some are made by Frigidaire and they are not as good, IMO. There is a web site that tells you the manufacturer based on the part number.

[jerry_maple]

This wasn't a re-branded GE on the floor at Sears, this was the identical same GE model.

Jerry

[Dorian]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm going to take a look at Kitchen Aid and Whirlpool and visit Best Buys - I hadn't thought of them. As for brands, there has been tremendous consolidation in the refrigerator business in recent years. I can't remember what brands are owned by who but I was astonished to find how many brands are owned now by single companies. My impression is that refrigerators have lost in reliability over the years while gaining in features. I can do without the latter, personally. Dorian

[JoeSpareBedroom]

You really should open the yellow pages and find one or two small locally owned stores which have their own service department. Many of these stores are part of a large buying consortium, so their prices are often just as low as the big chains. And, if you ever need service, they'll actually remember who you are.