DIYbanter - warranties

DIYbanter (https://www.diybanter.com/)

- Home Repair (https://www.diybanter.com/home-repair/)

- - warranties (https://www.diybanter.com/home-repair/145092-warranties.html)

It seems that most major manufacturers are reducing warranty coverage on new
major appliances (refrigerators, ranges, washer/dryers, etc.). This
includes GE, Whirlpool, Maytag, and many others.

Not sure what previous warranties were, but I believe compressors were at
least warranted for 5 years. It is apparently 1 year for the entire
appliance now.

Evidently, higher priced appliances will not change warranty coverage.

I don't know if Kenmore (Sears) will change warranty terms on their
appliances.

It looks like a really good way to sell extended warranty contracts.

appliances have really been made cheaper, but new ones are more
efficent. they dont last as llong and parts are horrendously expensive.
then again we have become a disposable society. few want to fix
anything.

extended warranties are in general all profit for the seller.

Lowes sells its extended warranties cheap. Typically $99 for 4 addtitional
years of coverage so I've been buying my appliances there lately. Most
stores want $250 or more for same coverage.

"stevie" wrote in message ...
It seems that most major manufacturers are reducing warranty coverage on
new
major appliances (refrigerators, ranges, washer/dryers, etc.). This
includes GE, Whirlpool, Maytag, and many others.

Not sure what previous warranties were, but I believe compressors were at
least warranted for 5 years. It is apparently 1 year for the entire
appliance now.

Evidently, higher priced appliances will not change warranty coverage.

I don't know if Kenmore (Sears) will change warranty terms on their
appliances.

It looks like a really good way to sell extended warranty contracts.

Art wrote:
Lowes sells its extended warranties cheap. Typically $99 for 4
addtitional years of coverage so I've been buying my appliances there
lately. Most stores want $250 or more for same coverage.

And Lows is still making good profit from them.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

On Thu, 16 Feb 2006 20:37:42 GMT, Art wrote:

Lowes sells its extended warranties cheap. Typically $99 for 4 addtitional
years of coverage so I've been buying my appliances there lately. Most
stores want $250 or more for same coverage.

The problem with that is that most appliance failures are either during
the original warranty period or after five years.

Usually if something is going to fail within the first five years, it'll
fail in the first few months.

My Maytag dishwasher and front loader washing machine, and my Asko
dishwasher all broke after the warranty was over but before an extended
warranty from Lowes would have ended had I bought one. On expensive
appliances like a $1600 refrigerator, and a $1200 dishwasher, if some one
will sell me an additional 4 years coverage for $99 I'll take it considering
that typical repairs these days are around $300.

"AZ Nomad" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 16 Feb 2006 20:37:42 GMT, Art
wrote:

Lowes sells its extended warranties cheap. Typically $99 for 4
addtitional
years of coverage so I've been buying my appliances there lately. Most
stores want $250 or more for same coverage.

The problem with that is that most appliance failures are either during
the original warranty period or after five years.

Usually if something is going to fail within the first five years, it'll
fail in the first few months.

"3rd eye" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 16 Feb 2006 22:55:45 GMT, "Art"
wrote:

My Maytag dishwasher and front loader washing machine, and my Asko
dishwasher all broke after the warranty was over but before an extended
warranty from Lowes would have ended had I bought one. On expensive
appliances like a $1600 refrigerator, and a $1200 dishwasher, if some one
will sell me an additional 4 years coverage for $99 I'll take it
considering
that typical repairs these days are around $300.

I'm sure you've got some beautiful appliances in your home.
If you feel the need to spend $1200 on a dishwasher, $1500-$2000 on a
washer dryer, by all means get the extended warranty.

For me, I've got a maytag washer that I'd guess to be about 40 years
old. Bought it used about 25 years ago. $25.00.
It's noisy, not pretty, & doesn't have bells & whistles but does a
fine job of washing my clothes.

The little woman wanted it gone but I prevailed.
May well be the best value I've ever gotten out of a buck.

I didn't get an extended warranty on it though.

I had one of those famous never break Maytag washers. I sold it afew years
after buying it new. I didn't think it cleaned clothes worth a darn. The
rinse cycle was so short I couldn't see how it could possibly get the soap
out. I used to run it thru an additional rinse every time I used it until I
happily got rid of it. Lasting forever is not the only thing to look for in
an appliance.

"Art" wrote in message
link.net...

"3rd eye" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 16 Feb 2006 22:55:45 GMT, "Art"
wrote:

My Maytag dishwasher and front loader washing machine, and my Asko
dishwasher all broke after the warranty was over but before an extended
warranty from Lowes would have ended had I bought one. On expensive
appliances like a $1600 refrigerator, and a $1200 dishwasher, if some
one
will sell me an additional 4 years coverage for $99 I'll take it
considering
that typical repairs these days are around $300.

I'm sure you've got some beautiful appliances in your home.
If you feel the need to spend $1200 on a dishwasher, $1500-$2000 on a
washer dryer, by all means get the extended warranty.

For me, I've got a maytag washer that I'd guess to be about 40 years
old. Bought it used about 25 years ago. $25.00.
It's noisy, not pretty, & doesn't have bells & whistles but does a
fine job of washing my clothes.

The little woman wanted it gone but I prevailed.
May well be the best value I've ever gotten out of a buck.

I didn't get an extended warranty on it though.

I had one of those famous never break Maytag washers. I sold it afew
years
after buying it new. I didn't think it cleaned clothes worth a darn. The
rinse cycle was so short I couldn't see how it could possibly get the soap
out. I used to run it thru an additional rinse every time I used it until
I
happily got rid of it. Lasting forever is not the only thing to look for
in
an appliance.

When my wife and I bought our first house about 10 years ago we bought
brand new a Maytag washer and dryer set. The total for both was about $800.
We did not get an extended warranty. Neither appliance has broken down.
And both work exactly the same as when new. And the rinse cycle is not
too short, I believe it's adjustable although I hardly ever use it. (I use
the
dishwasher much more)

I think the point he was trying to make is that it takes a certain amount of
money to manufacture an appliance that works well and is reliable. But
beyond that, additional money does not make the appliance work better or
last longer. All it does is make the appliance more expensive, thus a lot
fewer people buy it. I suppose this gives the people that do buy it a
sense that they are special since they are buying a product that few other
people own. If that is worth $500 per appliance for you, well all I can
say is your helping to keep the economy going, but my grandmother (now
dead) who was very educated, knew Latin, and came from Eastern
old money, would have said that sort of thing was ostentatious, and
the $500 would have been better spend on keeping the local art museum
funded.

Ted

Your 10 year old Maytag is not one of the last forever models. They go back
at least 15 years. Perhaps you would have liked it but we didn't. At the
time everyone was raving about how Maytag washers lasted forever. Well if
you design a washing machine that barely agitates, it must be pretty easy to
make it last forever. We sold it after a couple of years and bought a
Kenmore that had a dual agitator. That stayed when we sold the last house.

We don't own any fancy stainless steel appliances. Ours are all white.

If you really want the most reliable cheap washer available now buy a Roper.
It is a low end Whirlpool. Your neighbors will hear it washing but it will
last forever. Landlords often buy them. They also buy low end GE
dishwashers that last forever. They sound like a grinder going full blast in
your kitchen.

Whatever makes you happy.

As for priorities, we spent extra on a front load washer and Asko dishwasher
to save water and we paid extra for pressure flush toilets whereas our
neighbors have to flush twice using the builder standard toilets. I suppose
the extra money could have gone to museums but our employers like to see
money coming out of our paychecks to go to the United Way so that is how we
donate all our charitable giving. I like the idea of using less water than
anyone else in our neighborhood. That is a priority for me.

By the way the Asko died and was replaced with a Maytag dishwasher that died
and then a 2 drawer model from Fisher Penkal. It uses a tiny amount of
water and a great match if there is only 2 people in the household. You can
use 1 drawer at a time.

Your grandmother sounds like my 90 year old father. He always believed in
buying the minimal to get by. I pay extra to save water and energy.

"Ted Mittelstaedt" wrote in message
...

"Art" wrote in message
link.net...

"3rd eye" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 16 Feb 2006 22:55:45 GMT, "Art"
wrote:

My Maytag dishwasher and front loader washing machine, and my Asko
dishwasher all broke after the warranty was over but before an extended
warranty from Lowes would have ended had I bought one. On expensive
appliances like a $1600 refrigerator, and a $1200 dishwasher, if some
one
will sell me an additional 4 years coverage for $99 I'll take it
considering
that typical repairs these days are around $300.

I'm sure you've got some beautiful appliances in your home.
If you feel the need to spend $1200 on a dishwasher, $1500-$2000 on a
washer dryer, by all means get the extended warranty.

For me, I've got a maytag washer that I'd guess to be about 40 years
old. Bought it used about 25 years ago. $25.00.
It's noisy, not pretty, & doesn't have bells & whistles but does a
fine job of washing my clothes.

The little woman wanted it gone but I prevailed.
May well be the best value I've ever gotten out of a buck.

I didn't get an extended warranty on it though.

I had one of those famous never break Maytag washers. I sold it afew
years
after buying it new. I didn't think it cleaned clothes worth a darn.
The
rinse cycle was so short I couldn't see how it could possibly get the
soap
out. I used to run it thru an additional rinse every time I used it
until
I
happily got rid of it. Lasting forever is not the only thing to look for
in
an appliance.

When my wife and I bought our first house about 10 years ago we bought
brand new a Maytag washer and dryer set. The total for both was about
$800.
We did not get an extended warranty. Neither appliance has broken down.
And both work exactly the same as when new. And the rinse cycle is not
too short, I believe it's adjustable although I hardly ever use it. (I
use
the
dishwasher much more)

I think the point he was trying to make is that it takes a certain amount
of
money to manufacture an appliance that works well and is reliable. But
beyond that, additional money does not make the appliance work better or
last longer. All it does is make the appliance more expensive, thus a lot
fewer people buy it. I suppose this gives the people that do buy it a
sense that they are special since they are buying a product that few other
people own. If that is worth $500 per appliance for you, well all I can
say is your helping to keep the economy going, but my grandmother (now
dead) who was very educated, knew Latin, and came from Eastern
old money, would have said that sort of thing was ostentatious, and
the $500 would have been better spend on keeping the local art museum
funded.

Ted

my maytag washer & dryer were pruchased new in 1984. still going strong,
although some minor repairs have been made to both washer & dryer.

i thought about getting new updated ones, but changed my mind.
"Art" wrote in message
.net...
Your 10 year old Maytag is not one of the last forever models. They go back
at least 15 years. Perhaps you would have liked it but we didn't. At the
time everyone was raving about how Maytag washers lasted forever. Well if
you design a washing machine that barely agitates, it must be pretty easy to
make it last forever. We sold it after a couple of years and bought a
Kenmore that had a dual agitator. That stayed when we sold the last house.

We don't own any fancy stainless steel appliances. Ours are all white.

If you really want the most reliable cheap washer available now buy a Roper.
It is a low end Whirlpool. Your neighbors will hear it washing but it will
last forever. Landlords often buy them. They also buy low end GE
dishwashers that last forever. They sound like a grinder going full blast in
your kitchen.

Whatever makes you happy.

As for priorities, we spent extra on a front load washer and Asko dishwasher
to save water and we paid extra for pressure flush toilets whereas our
neighbors have to flush twice using the builder standard toilets. I suppose
the extra money could have gone to museums but our employers like to see
money coming out of our paychecks to go to the United Way so that is how we
donate all our charitable giving. I like the idea of using less water than
anyone else in our neighborhood. That is a priority for me.

By the way the Asko died and was replaced with a Maytag dishwasher that died
and then a 2 drawer model from Fisher Penkal. It uses a tiny amount of
water and a great match if there is only 2 people in the household. You can
use 1 drawer at a time.

Your grandmother sounds like my 90 year old father. He always believed in
buying the minimal to get by. I pay extra to save water and energy.

"Ted Mittelstaedt" wrote in message
...

"Art" wrote in message
link.net...

"3rd eye" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 16 Feb 2006 22:55:45 GMT, "Art"
wrote:

My Maytag dishwasher and front loader washing machine, and my Asko
dishwasher all broke after the warranty was over but before an extended
warranty from Lowes would have ended had I bought one. On expensive
appliances like a $1600 refrigerator, and a $1200 dishwasher, if some
one
will sell me an additional 4 years coverage for $99 I'll take it
considering
that typical repairs these days are around $300.

I'm sure you've got some beautiful appliances in your home.
If you feel the need to spend $1200 on a dishwasher, $1500-$2000 on a
washer dryer, by all means get the extended warranty.

For me, I've got a maytag washer that I'd guess to be about 40 years
old. Bought it used about 25 years ago. $25.00.
It's noisy, not pretty, & doesn't have bells & whistles but does a
fine job of washing my clothes.

The little woman wanted it gone but I prevailed.
May well be the best value I've ever gotten out of a buck.

I didn't get an extended warranty on it though.

I had one of those famous never break Maytag washers. I sold it afew
years
after buying it new. I didn't think it cleaned clothes worth a darn.
The
rinse cycle was so short I couldn't see how it could possibly get the
soap
out. I used to run it thru an additional rinse every time I used it
until
I
happily got rid of it. Lasting forever is not the only thing to look for
in
an appliance.

When my wife and I bought our first house about 10 years ago we bought
brand new a Maytag washer and dryer set. The total for both was about
$800.
We did not get an extended warranty. Neither appliance has broken down.
And both work exactly the same as when new. And the rinse cycle is not
too short, I believe it's adjustable although I hardly ever use it. (I
use
the
dishwasher much more)

I think the point he was trying to make is that it takes a certain amount
of
money to manufacture an appliance that works well and is reliable. But
beyond that, additional money does not make the appliance work better or
last longer. All it does is make the appliance more expensive, thus a lot
fewer people buy it. I suppose this gives the people that do buy it a
sense that they are special since they are buying a product that few other
people own. If that is worth $500 per appliance for you, well all I can
say is your helping to keep the economy going, but my grandmother (now
dead) who was very educated, knew Latin, and came from Eastern
old money, would have said that sort of thing was ostentatious, and
the $500 would have been better spend on keeping the local art museum
funded.

Ted

One thing I always wonder about on those really old washers is the
possibility of an internal disasterous leak. There was a post here recently
of someone taking apart his 30+ year old washer and finding the internal
hoses brittle. Chlorine can really eat up rubber and plastic.

"stevie" wrote in message ...
my maytag washer & dryer were pruchased new in 1984. still going strong,
although some minor repairs have been made to both washer & dryer.

thanks-i hadn't considered that.

i have stainless hoses from the faucets, but i have never checked other
hoses except for brief look when i had front cover off.
"Art" wrote in message
link.net...
One thing I always wonder about on those really old washers is the
possibility of an internal disasterous leak. There was a post here recently
of someone taking apart his 30+ year old washer and finding the internal
hoses brittle. Chlorine can really eat up rubber and plastic.

"stevie" wrote in message ...
my maytag washer & dryer were pruchased new in 1984. still going strong,
although some minor repairs have been made to both washer & dryer.

rubber does harden with time, but the internal hoses are under little
pressure. all washers that arent in a basement should be in a pan
drained to a safe place like the basement. homes nationwide get big
damage due tp penny pinching this necessary item.

it should be excluded by insurance, no pan and emergency electric shut
off valve equals no inbsurance coverage PERIOD!

Or the homeowner has NO COVERAGE for such a disaster

It's not just appliances that are getting shorter warranties.

And yes, they can get away with this because too many people are only
looking at the price.

We bought one of hose pans and were planning on installing a drain pipe for
it but no matter what we did it caused vibration and movement of the washer
so we gave up on it. It helps control gravel under the litter box now.

wrote in message
oups.com...
rubber does harden with time, but the internal hoses are under little
pressure. all washers that arent in a basement should be in a pan
drained to a safe place like the basement. homes nationwide get big
damage due tp penny pinching this necessary item.

it should be excluded by insurance, no pan and emergency electric shut
off valve equals no inbsurance coverage PERIOD!

Or the homeowner has NO COVERAGE for such a disaster