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Through our 56 years of marriage Connie only bought GE appliances and in recent years their Profile line. I have to admit all the washers, dryers, dishwashers, ovens and refrigerators have served us well.
These products are made in the US and the prices show it. Our new fridge was $4,149, the dishwasher $829 and the stove $3,289. Not with all the bells and whistles possible either. You can get a fridge with a Keurig coffee system in the door. We passed on that.
Add up those prices and it is more than my first three new cars combined – purchased in the 1960s of course.
The value of excess cash flow and/or a contingency fund are quite apparent these days. I maintain that such funds are just as important in retirement – perhaps more so – than while working.
On occasion, living frugally in retirement is not an option😩
Always check for good deals, especially Early Black Fridays, at Temu.com. 🤣🤣🤣
If you have the time to wait.
Having known a person with detailed working knowledge of the scrap and rework rate at a well known U.S. based appliance parts maker, it comes as no surprise to see the repair rates and costs of every aspect of appliances continue to skyrocket. Worse, it just seems to be acceptable and part of the, “that’s how we’ve always done it” mentality.
Replacement parts are just as expensive. I paid $25.00 for a rubber shaft seal for my 30 year old dishwasher a decade ago. Our GE refrigerator is from 1986 and works without any issues because a backup awaits in the basement just in case…
Wow – benefits of living elsewhere with generally smaller houses. Just checked and a 60/40 stacked European fridge freezer seems to start at around £200 which is roughly the pricepoint I remember.
I agree its wise to have some cash stashed for unpredictable but inevitable expenses like these, whether still working or retired.
I just say – damn the ice cube makers – haha
Before we got the new one our water and ice didn’t work. That was a royal pain.
Our GE range from 2000 is still working.
All the side-by-side fridges are from Whirlpool. We replaced it about 5 years ago after the previous one lasted for 20+ years.
If I had to buy today, this $1000 fridge would be just fine.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Whirlpool-24-6-cu-ft-Side-by-Side-Refrigerator-with-Ice-Maker-Fingerprint-Resistant-Stainless-Steel/1000422565.
If I had to buy a range, this $629 would be my choice.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/GE-30-in-Free-Standing-Electric-Range-Stainless-Steel/5014901139
Although I worked in IT over 35 years, I prefer simple appliances. We buy a cheap mid-range appliances.
After 25 years our GE range broke.
I bought a new one. See the link above.
The official price was $600. I opened a Lowe’s credit card and the price went to $500.
We have been using it over a week and it’s great
Can I spend another $1000 on a range and get little in return? Sure, but why?
BTW, after 2 months I will close the CC. This way I will get another $100 discount next time I will open another one
Mr Perry. The issue you refer to about the GE fridge is well known. Search YouTube for how to fix it. Mine started this &3$:) shortly after it was purchased 8+ years back. BLUF: solution involved making sure the external drain under the fridge back is not clogged with goop and 2 removing the back freezer panel installing a small loop of 10ga copper wire gently around the heater element and allowing it to descend into the drain tube to melt any accumulation of ice during daily defrost cycle. Also the fridge MUST be level to facilitate that ice melt drainage from the condensing coils inside that freezer panel. Start by making sure it’s level. Took me about 2 hours total to fix it including emptying the freezer and fridge bc of weight.
G.
Thanks for your comment G,
I spent a few hours this afternoon mucking out the drain tube so the tube was pristine as well as a thorough cleaning of accumulated dust of the external coils and drainage area. Thus far, after about five hours, everything is working as expected.
I did not read your post until after the work was done and I did not add the copper wire to the drain. That will be in my backup plan if further problems. Hopefully my efforts will result in a longer life for the fridge that is equal to or exceeds my own.
I did watch a few YouTube videos which were informative and likely kept me from making poor decisions in the cleaning process. The defrost cycle seems to be about every 24 hours and if we have no water on the floor after that period I think a success has been achieved.
Best,
Bill
I had a problematic GE dishwasher and replaced it with a Kitchen Aid. My sister has the same mode. Very quiet, and do a great job. I highly recommend the brand.
This certainly reinforces the idea of keeping a healthy disaster fund.
Our last condo had a 80s vintage Sub Zero built in fridge. I got tired of repairing it and replaced it. There were no non-built in options, so we bit the bullet for a new Sub Zero for $11k. OUCH. Then we sold the condo a year later.
Watching movies these days, we often see our fridge in the kitchens of the rich and famous. All we can do is laugh.
Consumer Reports has rated Sub-Zero as one of the worst appliance selections for many years. Add the very high price, and it’s a huge no.
Appliances, electronics, and vehicles are where you can find great choices for great prices.
We bought the condo from a bank for a ridiculously low price, but it did need some fixing up. The kitchen was huge, and should have been totally remodeled. Instead we opted to save money by sprucing up the cabinets and replacing the huge counter tops with quartz. Years later came that damn fridge.
Remodeling the entire kitchen to begin with, using lessor, but still nice materials and a regular fridge would have cost a bit more, but would have been a better choice. Still, we ended up with a very nice capital gain when we sold the place.
I would NEVER recommend a built in fridge to anyone building a new home or remodeling a kitchen. Like a Rolex watch, they are more about status than utility.
We have our original Maytag washer and dryer from over 30 years ago. I’ve replaced lots of parts (motor, idler pulley, belts, control knob, exhaust impeller (twice)) but at least they’ve been both serviceable and easy to work on. Those days are gone. You’ll be lucky to get 5 years out of any of the new junk that’s being sold and then you just throw it out because they’re virtually impossible for DIY repairs and a service call will cost you over 50% of buying new if you’re lucky. Unfortunately, the last time I looked online for parts for our Maytags, 90% of them were “discontinued and no longer available” so I think it’s Costco for replacements at next failure.
When we were remodeling our kitchen a few years back, we were considering building a microwave into either the cabinets or the island. The appliance guy talked us out of it. He said all microwaves are made by one or two Chinese companies and the various brands just “badge” them w their names. They’re all junk. His advice was to make an open cubby or shelf under the cabinetry w an outlet and buy an $89 microwave from Best Buy. That way, when it inevitably fails in a few years, you unplug it, throw it out, and buy another $89 unit. If it’s built in, you have an expensive complicated replacement and maybe some finish carpentry to boot. Great advice!
I personally believe the best washers and dryers are the simplest and least expensive. We’ve gone high tech in the past and now have very basic ones that work great.
They don’t make appliances like they use too. Basically they are like disposable razors. We bought our GE Dryer in 1985 and it is still going strong. I only replaced a belt ($15) and a gasket. ($7) Still have the 1985 Washing machine. (Only replaced the agitator cogs) A few years back we replaced our original range (which was working great) because we wanted a modern upgrade. Wished we kept the original, we went through two ranges since.
I had to replace my 1989 washing machine once, but my 1989 dryer was still going strong, with no repairs, when I sold the house in 2022. Don’t remember whether it was GE or Whirlpool. The range hood and garbage disposal were also original. The cooktop still worked but one of lights quit working and I couldn’t replace it.
Costco has appliances that are very good for a fraction of what you paid. I have bought my appliances from them with good results.
While many GE appliances are made (or at least assembled) in America, the GE appliance division was sold to the Chinese company Haier in 2016. The CCRC we moved into has non-profile GE appliances despite being an upscale expensive facility. We replaced the range with a GE Profile induction range and will soon replace the poor performing GE dishwasher that received a rating in the 40s from Consumer Reports with a Bosch (which is also made in America). The side-by-side GE meets our needs but the water filter costs $55 and needs to be replaced more frequently than expected which I’m sure added a few dollars to the annual increase in our monthly fees.
If you happen to have a public water utility or a terrific well water supply and you’re happy with the taste, etc., you may be able to purchase a bypass plug for the filter and go without one. Strange but they never seem to advertise these. Learned about them from the parts guy in the appliance store service dept. Filters for our fridge just went up $10. What a gimmick. “Just do what the little light on the fridge tells you to do.”
I wonder if you have had any problem with the GE side-by-side fridge defrost cycle drain being clogged? Just a recent problem I have had and I am looking for any words of wisdom or comfort.
The place we bought our Bosch fridge from, told us to buy the filters from Amazon. They are about half price and seem to work well.
My dad worked for GE (Aircraft Engine Division) for 42 years and I can’t tell you many times we heard about that terrible day that GE sold the Appliance Division and how it was all junk after that. (And don’t even ask about what he thought about Jack Welch.) :0
I flew CG helicopters with GE engines and never had a problem in about 4,000 hours. Not one engine malfunction. GE makes the best jet engines, by far.
My dad would be happy to hear. He worked in quality control in the factory for many years. He always credited Gerhard Neumann, who ran the Aircraft Engine Group for many years and was a legend in the aviation industry for GE’s success. His biography, “Herman the German” is worth reading if you’re into aviation history. Cheap paperback on Amazon. He had an amazing life.
This is the same issue as the Mercedes. If you can afford it, and want it, buy it and don’t complain. My CCRC apartment came with a side-by-side GE refrigerator. It’s not a Profile (whatever that is) but it has more options than I use and you could buy it today for $1,400. That’s a sale price, but normal is $2,000, less than half yours. And at that price the stove should do the cooking for you.
Don’t you think it depends on the size you need and the space it needs to fit into?
Since I don’t know your kitchen I can hardly answer that. My main point was that you can obviously afford these items, you apparently want them, so why the angst? If you are trying to convince me you are frugal you already failed.
We are talking about getting a new refrigerator but haven’t pulled the plug yet. We were also shocked at the prices. Even the plain top freezer ones are close to $2k now. Chris
My GE gas clothes dryer has an issue. Apparently, there is a minor crack in the drum. Over time this will damage the nylon gliders that the drum slides on. I’ll probably take it apart and either braze the crack or use a high grade “JB Weld” epoxy. My spouse doesn’t want me to do this. She has a trip scheduled regarding her mother’s care, so I told her I’ll do it then. As a compromise I could hire a pro for $125 to dismantle it.
I can do this, or replace.
Replacing the gliders is a very simple task. YouTube has plenty of video instructions.
Yep, and at the nearby parts store the gliders are about $3 each. The repair of the drum is more difficult. I’m inclined to use epoxy, but that will require some filing and sanding. Most difficult is taking it apart. I always tag the wires and connectors with colored tape.
Just the thought of trying to do something like that sends shivers up my spine.
I have an expensive, German-made fridge. At the price I paid, I expected it to stop me from putting the kettle in the damned thing rather than the jug of milk!
The only neat thing ours does is senses the size of the glass you are filling with water and automatically stops the water based on the ounces. I didn’t even know it did that.
My 5 year old, $1500 fridge does that also. Our son has a fridge that’s connected to the internet. Hard pass on that!
Now that’s cool.