I'd like to add my two cents to the washer thread as I've been in the
appliance service business for over twenty years. In the US, Frigidaire
(formally White Westinghouse) was the only one who made horizontal axis
washers. The Sears machines are Frigidaire built. Their older models
were decent,although hard to work on and parts are pricey. Their newer
ones with the DC motor were troublesome, hard to diagnose and they had
to stop producing them. They have just been reintroduced with
"improvements". In general, Frigidaire products are poorly designed and
built, don't hold up, their service and support is terrible, and they
try to take advantage of their small independant servicers like me. I
don't recommend them to my customers. I also have the same feeling
about Sears. Their service is terrible, they screw up the designs of
the manufacturers they source from, and their attitude leaves alot to be
desired. I also don't recommend them.
I'm excited to hear about Maytag's new machine. In general, Maytag
produces much better quality machines, and they are a much better
company to deal with and work for. I feel it would be worth the extra
money for a better built machine. Although on new designs, it usually
takes several years out in the field to work all the bugs out. Since I
live in western Colorado, we don't usually see inovative new products
until several years down the road.
I've been hoping some manufacturers would take the initiative on
producing horizontal axis washers and inovative dryer designs for a long
time. I keep hearing they are working on them, and then they are not.
Mostly I hear that in the US they won't sell because people here won't
buy less convenient to use appliances. This goes for refrigerators
especially. We need a national educational campaign on the benifits of
using more efficient machines, that makes the sacrifice of a little
convenience seem worth it.
In the desire for more efficient products we need to balance who and
what we are supporting with our dollars. There are companies that don't
give a hoot about the environment and are just looking to cash in. This
is a question for all, is it better to buy a more green product from a
company that has a bad record on other fronts? Will this encourage more
efficient appliances, or will it also encourage doing business in the
same old way?
Barry Goldberg
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