Appliances

A

akim997

New member
A lot of people are looking for or have bought a new home recently, so I thought I'd share our recent appliance purchasing experience. 

I think that USCT shared/shares a link for discounted appliances which can be of great use/help.   

Our story was we sold our fridge/washer/dryer when we sold our last home, and were in need of new appliances.  I missed out on great 4th of July specials (which would have been too early anyways given our mid-Oct move date).  I will say that there are some sales that are not typical nominal mark-down sales where you can get great deals.  Just keep searching (you can google for slickdeals or fatwallet listings) periodically is my advice.  There were a number of sales going on at local and online retailers.  While online is great, Ive always been a bit cautious about making large purchases of large items.  I checked out more reputable places (seemingly) like aj madison and hh gregg.    I did notice in today's world, where it is so easy to shop online, and with price match policies, that prices seem to be pretty consistent.  Good to know- Lowe's has a 10% "mover" coupon where you can get an extra discount even on sale or price-matched items.  You just need to find the right salesperson who will get this done for you. 

So, we started with refrigerators.  God.  Wouldn't it be great if new homes were built where the fridge space was a little deeper so that you didnt have to pay more for less fridge (counter-depth)?  But of course not - so we have to spend more money for a tiny fridge.  Wife likes the french door fridges and that severely limits options.  TIC prices out a Kitchenaid KFCS22EVMS at around $2700 which is actually a pretty good price.  The nice thing about the kitchenaid is that it fills a fridge cutout nicely (taller than other options).  The bad thing is that they havent updated the fridge with newer technology available in other fridges (cool LED lighting yeah!)  The constant comment i received when looking was "they are good fridges but you are paying for the name".  So we expanded our serach and ended up with a choice between the Samsung RFG237AARS and the LG LFX25991ST (dont ask why, may be a Korean thing).  The Samsung is on sale at Best Buy for 2199 right now which is a great price.  You can get an extra 10 off that at Lowes.  If you want financing options you can get an additional 5% off of that at best buy with the best buy credit card (+ rewards points) so price is pretty comparable.  Samsung had reviews that said the icemaker was really loud.  The LG is newer and pricier at 2800 on sale (best buy and hg gregg had same price)  HG Gregg also has a 5% credit card discount so you can save on sales tax.  WE just did best buy for convenience.  (Best buy owns pacific sales now, so I guess we bought from pacific sales).    We bought t the LG because it was bigger (space), looked similar to the kitchenaid appliances already in the home (we didt care to match exactly), and had a lot of great features (compact ice in door, leds, etc.)  it was a bit more, but we plan on having the fridge for a long time.  Cant do the fridge at lowes because they didnt carry the lg.  So we took the 5% and rewpards points and ended up at 2600 and change before tax. 
 
from the fridge experience - most people told us not to worry about matching the fridge to the appliance.  and that kitchenaid is overrated.  LG seems to have a pretty good reputation (although koreans cant forget it was lucky/goldstar).  in the end we're happy with the purchase. 

for the washer/dryer - we used to have maytag frontloads and never had any problems.  everyone these days loves the frontload.  I guess you have to really keep the doors open and to take preventative measures to avoid mildew in the front seals, and to prevent your washer from smelling like smelly feet.  Regardless, we like frontload and went with it.  Nowadays, these machines are far too complex with upwards of 15-18 different washing cycles (really?)  I was looking for warm, cold, and delicate.  Each manufacturer has their own gimmick (Samsung - powerfoam/VRT technology; LG - direct drive reliability/ truesteam; etc.).  White appliances are always cheaper than these new color combos they have.  We went with white to save a couple hundred (who looks at your laundry room anyways?) and went with the LG washer/dryer combo that was a bit less expensive.  They have giant sized 5.1cc washers, but with a family of 4, we went with a smaller 4.3 model (they say it fits a king comforter).  Look out for deals.  Sometimes you can get free pedestals, but we were able to get a price match + 5% + rewards and spent a total of about 1700.  In addition, sometimes you can find floor models or discontinued models on clearance.  Lowe's had just sold out of samsung frontload 4.3 washer/ 7.3 dryer combo for 1500.  We unded up at 1700 so we spent about 200 more (for newer LG models but who cares).  In reading and speaking, again, we were told the LGs were supposed to be a bit more reliable (same as fridge).  Also nowadays, you can find tons of reviews on line and can often times find similar comments about a product that makes you figure there has to be some truth to what people are saying.  I noticed that washer/dryers are like golf clubs.  They always have a newer model coming out and from what I've seen/have been told, there is absolutely nothing wrong with buying "last year's model" on clearance.  We would have if we werent too late. 
 
I started shopping for appliances about 2 months before my move in date, mainly because of Memorial day sales.  What I did was to buy the appliances during the sales, and set the delivery date as far back as I can.  When the date wasn't far back enough, I just push the date back again when they call to confirm delivery a few days before.  I did this with my washer, dryer, fridge and sofa.  The one good thing was that I was able to find the fridge for a lower price a couple of weeks before my move in from Best Buy, and I called Sears for them to price match.  They didn't want to match the extra 5% I would get off for using a BB card, so I was actually able to cancel the order, since it hasn't been delivered yet.  So my advice if you're shopping for appliances for your new home is to check the cancellation policy, and just lock in the price if you see something on sale (especially this week with Labor day sales).  You can always arrange for the appliances to be delivered later, or cancel if you find a better price.

I have a Samsung fridge, and yes, when dispensing ice, it's pretty loud.  It's also pretty loud when the ice drops into the bin.  Other than that, it's been fine for us.
 
interesting u brought up the korean brands...

i was flipping through the consumer guide 2012 booklet and all the fridges had either samsung or LG as their #1 or #2 review for all the possible fridge types... they really are a up and coming brand that gave the american industry a hard right hook...

im not korean, but i personally think its awesome... its like a wake up call to keep them unions in check haha
 
Two of my buyers got LG refrigs that crapped out in less than 2 months....if you want to get a korean brand stick with Samsung. 
 
world chaos said:
interesting u brought up the korean brands...

i was flipping through the consumer guide 2012 booklet and all the fridges had either samsung or LG as their #1 or #2 review for all the possible fridge types... they really are a up and coming brand that gave the american industry a hard right hook...

im not korean, but i personally think its awesome... its like a wake up call to keep them unions in check haha
Click to expand...

Price wise, the American brands were pretty competitive to the Koreans.  I wanted some the gadgety features the Korean brand offered that the American brand did not have.  If the American brands had the features of the Korean brands, I would have gotten American, mainly due to the perception of quality.  The Whirlpool and GE fridges our family had owned in the past are all still being used in some capacity after 10, 15 years.
 
i know what u mean on appliance longevity... american brands used to work forever (this toaster my aunt has from GE is still working after 25 years haha)...

but i dunno about recent appliances... they got smart and realized if things dont break ppl dont buy... i mean the planned obsolescence is not as bad as lets say, cell phones or mp3 players... but its still there... if i have time ill scan the consumer guide pages n post them cause it rates longevity too, i didnt look too much into it, just flipped through it a bit in the bathroom and was amused the top brands were all korean lol...

haha but with that said, as superficial as it sounds, im probably going to get a kitchenaid fridge (the one with bottom freezer with water dispencer) only because it matches the rest of the IP stuffs... gonna get it wholesale and then have a plumber come n install it for me
 
I like Kitchenaid... we've had our refrigerator for 7 years and it's been working fine.

Then again... our original fridge, a white GE, has been going for 16 years (it's our garage fridge now).

We just replaced our rubber gasket on our Maytag front loader, the new one has drain holes and is made of a mold-proof material that's supposed to help with that build up. It cost about $270 to replace (well... there was a $70 trip charge so really only about $200) which is less than a $600 washer. But next time, we'll probably get an LG or Sammy. One of the biggest pluses about front load washers, you have counter space on top of it.
 
I got the GE stainless steel counter-depth refrigerator using that website I had (I guess the code no longer works for GE).  I think I paid $2,300 with tax and delivery which was at least $150-$200 cheaper than I could find it anywhere else.  Been very happy with it as it's been working like a champ.  Had to turn down the refrigerator temp cuz some of my stuff was freezing a bit.  Keeps things nice and cold, just the way I like it!  :D
 
irvinehomeowner said:
But next time, we'll probably get an LG or Sammy.
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We purchased an LG washer (WM2655HVA) and dryer (DLGX2656V ) a couple months ago and so far so good.  We purchased from Howard's (at The Marketplace) and had a great experience with them.  Make sure to look for rebates from the utility companies.  We received $285 from the water companies and $35 from the gas company.
 
zovall said:
irvinehomeowner said:
But next time, we'll probably get an LG or Sammy.
Click to expand...

We purchased an LG washer (WM2655HVA) and dryer (DLGX2656V ) a couple months ago and so far so good.  We purchased from Howard's (at The Marketplace) and had a great experience with them.  Make sure to look for rebates from the utility companies.  We received $285 from the water companies and $35 from the gas company.
Click to expand...

Seems like all the documents including the water bill need to be submitted within 60 days. You may not have enough time to submit the documents if you purchase the washer more than one month before the closing date.
 
We have a Maytag frontload washer/dryer.  Just a couple of things we do to prevent mold and funky smell.  As others have stated, you should leave the washer door open after doing a wash to dry out the seals and gaskets.  If a smell is still coming from the washer, I do an empty wash with white vinegar in the hottest setting possible.  This always gets rid of any odor.  Some ppl swear by www.charliesoap.com, but the white vinegar trick has worked for me.

We also have a Kitchenaid french door fridge.  It works fine.  No issues.  Fridges are just an insulated box with a compressor attached.  They should work great.  Wait til you guys buy a built-in.  If you think free standing cabinet depth fridges are expensive, you'll see stars when you see the prices of built-ins.  42" built-ins start around $6000 with the hi end brands well over $8k. 
 
Yeah... I don't think I would ever go built-in... esp because if I want to move, if my fridge is that expensive... I want to take it with me.

There is supposedly some cleaner now for front loads but I have heard the about the white vinegar method and I'm glad there is someone here who actually did it.
 
zovall said:
irvinehomeowner said:
But next time, we'll probably get an LG or Sammy.
Click to expand...

We purchased an LG washer (WM2655HVA) and dryer (DLGX2656V ) a couple months ago and so far so good.  We purchased from Howard's (at The Marketplace) and had a great experience with them.  Make sure to look for rebates from the utility companies.  We received $285 from the water companies and $35 from the gas company.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the rebate links!  Combined with the VIP Link price, this rebate really made the washer a steal!
 
irvine123searching said:
zovall said:
irvinehomeowner said:
But next time, we'll probably get an LG or Sammy.
Click to expand...

We purchased an LG washer (WM2655HVA) and dryer (DLGX2656V ) a couple months ago and so far so good.  We purchased from Howard's (at The Marketplace) and had a great experience with them.  Make sure to look for rebates from the utility companies.  We received $285 from the water companies and $35 from the gas company.
Click to expand...

Seems like all the documents including the water bill need to be submitted within 60 days. You may not have enough time to submit the documents if you purchase the washer more than one month before the closing date.
Click to expand...

My washer was purchased towards the end of May and delivered beginning of July.  My rebate application has been approved, and I just sent my receipt and bill.  Let's see if I actually get the money....
 
This discussion has got me thinkin...    would you purchase a kitchenaid fridge just for the sake of matching (wow, that sounds horrible)?   

my coworker just had his samsung dryer go out on him after purchasing in Apr 2011.  He purchased a $90 protection plan from Howard's and upon reading the fine print, it only covers the washer!!!  Because it's been over a hear, he now has to pay the repair bill out of pocket.  I don't know about you, but I think this is completely insane and unacceptable.  My mom and my inlaws have old-school top load dryers that are 25+ years old and still going strong!
 
by the way, if anyone is interested and doesnt mind red appliances, best buy is having a special of 15% off appliances if you buy two.  You can get the pair of red Samsung 331 series washer/gas dryer for 1474 after tax or you could take that price and go get a price match at lowes (if they have this set) and add in the 10% mover coupon. 
 
akim997 said:
This discussion has got me thinkin...    would you purchase a kitchenaid fridge just for the sake of matching (wow, that sounds horrible)?   

my coworker just had his samsung dryer go out on him after purchasing in Apr 2011.  He purchased a $90 protection plan from Howard's and upon reading the fine print, it only covers the washer!!!  Because it's been over a hear, he now has to pay the repair bill out of pocket.  I don't know about you, but I think this is completely insane and unacceptable.  My mom and my inlaws have old-school top load dryers that are 25+ years old and still going strong!
Click to expand...

Was talking to a friend over the weekend, and he was telling me about his need to buy all of his appliances from the same brand and model line so all of their handles and the color of the stainless steel would match.  I came home and looked at my cornucopia of Whirlpool/Kitchen Aid/Samsung kitchen, and came to the conclusion that he has OCD.  The handle on my Whirlpool oven definitely doesn't match the handle on my Whirlpool dishwasher.  Although when I first toured the model home, i did find it kind of odd that TIC chose to have Whirlpool oven, stovetop, dishwasher and microwave, but decided to throw in a Kitchen Aid range hood, but got over it pretty quickly.
 
akim997 said:
This discussion has got me thinkin...    would you purchase a kitchenaid fridge just for the sake of matching (wow, that sounds horrible)?   

my coworker just had his samsung dryer go out on him after purchasing in Apr 2011.  He purchased a $90 protection plan from Howard's and upon reading the fine print, it only covers the washer!!!  Because it's been over a hear, he now has to pay the repair bill out of pocket.  I don't know about you, but I think this is completely insane and unacceptable.  My mom and my inlaws have old-school top load dryers that are 25+ years old and still going strong!
Click to expand...

yeah im going for the kitchenaid fridge just to match the built in appliances haha... when ur talking about wholesale prices, it comes down to a fifty to a hundred fifty bucks difference at that point so why not?... my only criteria for the fridge was longevity, so hopefully the fridge wont crap out in the next 5-10 years...
 
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