Just venting again! Earlier this week I was complaining about parts availability for my LG washer. That ended up OK - hose replaced, leak cured.
What would posess a microwave manufacturer to use itty-bitty little buttons on their control panel?
Back around May, bought a Sharp over-the-range microwave from Best Buy. It was a closeout, smokin' deal, about $100. At the time, I wasn't even seeing no-name over-the-range microwaves for that price.
This is one of those models where most of the controls are hidden behind the flap of the door when it is closed. Nice, uncluttered look with the door closed. The only buttons that are exposed when the door is closed are: start, stop/clear, fan, and light. Those are the aforementioned itty-bitty buttons, about the size of a jellybean, if not a little smaller. When I was looking at it in the store, I thought they looked kind of delicate, but the bargain price won me over. I guess there was a reason why Best Buy was closing them out.
3 months later, and the Start button, the one that gets used the most, takes about 15 to 20 pushes to work. Guess my initial impression about the durability of those itty-bitty switches was right.Had a guy out fixing the washing machine yesterday, asked him about the microwave. First thing he said was that his shop stopped doing warranty work for Sharp a while back, problems getting paid slowly if at all. Second thing he said was that yeah, they replace a LOT of those itty-bitty buttons, they just don't last. Bad design choice, I guess.
That said, I did manage to find a shop that will do Sharp warranty work. They're coming Monday to replace the button panel. Hmmm, 3 months for one set of buttons - maybe I can get 1 or 2 more replacements before the warranty expires.
Jerry