Thoughts at large

[coracle]

Whenever I have to make an important product/service purchase today; I like to do two things; 1) I locate it on Amazon, or similar on the Web, and see what bad reviews it gets. 2) I call their Customer Service 2/3 times and check what language they speak.

[Honky Tonk]

Whenever I have to make an important product/service purchase today; I like to do two things; 1) I locate it on Amazon, or similar on the Web, and see what bad reviews it gets. 2) I call their Customer Service 2/3 times and check what language they speak.

I've been doing all that, including reading Consumer's Reports. [[Ok, I haven't made the service call screenings) I was all set, then one of my acquaintances tells a story about his same highly rated refrigerator I was considering, and all the problems he's had with it. You have to take these reviews with a grain of salt. You could LOVE what you're reviewing for all the wrong reasons. [[eg., it matches my kitty's fur color PERFECTLY!) Whenever I run into people that have gone what I'm going through, I ask about their experience.

[coracle]

I must admit I do read all the reviews, but being a sceptic I don’t believe any of them; so in the end I take a blind stab at it and buy the one my wife tells me to buy.

It’s worked pretty well so far, and if it does go wrong I can blame her. Fortunately she’s never wrong so I NEVER have to buy the Extended Warranty.

[Richard]

Whirlpool owns matag and builds a pretty good unit,forget about LG anymore and the rest are all pretty much made by the same company just different badges.

If you get a bare bones model,all the better,if you get one with all the bells and whistles get the extended warranty,because it will keep you in a new fridge for along time swapping them out because very few cannot,will not fix them.

Service techs get zero factory support and most of the time the factory techs cannot fix them.

They throw all this technology in them and never test it,if they sell 100 units and have to replace 35 they still make money.

There is really no such thing as energy efficiency in the new verses the old,the only difference is the insulation.

The vintage ones do not have a self defrost,the new ones do,it uses an element much like your oven to defrost,that is what sucks the power.

If you touch your plug in and it feels hot after running for awhile it is because your compressor is dragging,which makes it use more power.

A good quality compressor made in America is $350 plus,but it will last as long as 20 years,all the new fridges use Chinese compressors that I can buy in bulk for $25 per compressor. Lucky if one gets a year out of them.

I service commercial refrigeration,a made in America True brand freezer is like $3500 new and will last 20 plus years,the market is being flooded with imported stuff that lasts 6 months if lucky but for $800.

The kicker is True uses a thermostat and a timer to control the defrost,change them both $160 in parts.

The imported ones use 2 combined computer boards to do the same thing that are $350 per board and they must be changed as a pair so $700 plus labor.

So it is more savings money wise to throw it away and buy a new one when it breaks.

That is how they are building refrigerators,washers n dryers and dish washers.

If you pay $500 or $5000 it does not matter they are not designed to be repaired efficiently.

Waring makes a commercial waffle maker,it is over $400 and comes with a 1 year free replacement after that year throw it away,because they make no replacement parts for it.

Every appliance small and large is now being built with what they call a useful lifespan,they do short production runs then change all the parts just a little bit and do not offer replacements.

Remember when you used to buy printers and the supplied ink cartridges only had a little ink in them,that’s what they are doing with everything else,they put short brushes in the electric motors so they wear out fast and do not offer replacement brushes.

So you just have to make it break before the warranty runs out and swap it out for a new one every year.

The best thing one can do is buy no frills,basic,ice and water is okay,anybody can fix it,same with washers and dryers.

If somebody wants all the bells and whistles they just have to prepare themselves in thier mind that it is no longer like the old days when you could buy something and expect to get a few years out of it,it’s a 40% defect nightmare,if you are in that 40% you will be wishing for the days when they delivered a block of ice to keep your food cool.

Try spending $10,000 on a Sub Zero fridge you will be crying right along side of those who spent $2000.

Paying more does not always equate to better quality.

[Richard]

I've been doing all that, including reading Consumer's Reports. [[Ok, I haven't made the service call screenings) I was all set, then one of my acquaintances tells a story about his same highly rated refrigerator I was considering, and all the problems he's had with it. You have to take these reviews with a grain of salt. You could LOVE what you're reviewing for all the wrong reasons. [[eg., it matches my kitty's fur color PERFECTLY!) Whenever I run into people that have gone what I'm going through, I ask about their experience.

That is one of those work from home jobs,people get paid to post reviews.

I tried posting a bad review on a big box store site and they sent me an email saying that they do not except negative reviews and I should contact the company if I had problems.

It kinda defeats the purpose.

Find a service tech and give them a 6 pack of beer for appliances,they will be more then happy to tell you what to stay away from.

[Honky Tonk]

I must admit I do read all the reviews, but being a sceptic I don’t believe any of them; so in the end I take a blind stab at it and buy the one my wife tells me to buy.

It’s worked pretty well so far, and if it does go wrong I can blame her. Fortunately she’s never wrong so I NEVER have to buy the Extended Warranty.

Smart man. Always have the last word in your house...


"yes dear..."

[Zacha341]

Just a basic [[freezer on top) Frigidare, medium size Energy Star model. Does not make ice, but quieter and not the big energy drain my old one was. Purchased it from Lowes.

https://www.energystar.gov/products

Good Morning Zacha341, I'm in the same boat and currently looking to replace my circa 70s fridge with a more energy efficient one. Can I ask what make and model you chose? I don't need anything fancy that'll notify a phone app when ice is ready. Thanx.

[Honky Tonk]

Just a basic [[freezer on top) Frigidare, medium size Energy Star model. Does not make ice, but quieter and not the big energy drain my old one was. Purchased it from Lowes.

https://www.energystar.gov/products

Thanx Zach341, I'll check out your link. My criteria is that its 19 or so cubic feet, energy efficient, dead quiet, reliable, and has the freezer drawer on the bottom. I'm tired of finding science experiments from last year on the back of the shelf. No digital read out, ice makers, water cooler, or adjustable LED mood lighting required. [[I know, I'm not much fun)

[Zacha341]

^^^ Yeah my next one will be freezer below too!

[Carolyn.F]

"I know you think you understand what you thought I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant." -- Robert McCloskey

[jackie5275]

I used to work in the credit department at a JC Penney back in the olden days when there was a dedicated counter/cash register area for customers to pay on their JCP charge accounts. I was often on the receiving end of listening to customers telling me about their current financial situations and/or their financial life story. I observed over the years that people do this particularly to bank/credit union tellers. For example, "I got some extra money in my check this week because I worked some overtime." "I have to get a couple rolls of quarters to pass out on Halloween." "I wanted to take money from my vacation account. It's my xx wedding anniversary, and we're going to Disneyland, taking my son & his kids too." It's these kinds of things I overhear in the teller line or window that make me think "Why are these folks telling all these personal details to the teller?" So many people are geeked up on maintaining their privacy, but the teller window is the one place where they tell details of their lives and how money is interwoven into these details.

[Bigb23]

After 20 + years on the internet, for the first time, I followed a couple of links to a site that had an Isis terrorist beheading of a Taliban soldier. [[Win Win?)

They are animals. and deleted that site immediately, that was the worst thing I've EVER seen in my life.

Don't go there.

[Bong-Man]

My cable provider [[AT & T) notified their subscribers yesterday that they dropped the NFL Network two weeks before the draft. I'll be giving them my response and reward for that action this Fall before the season starts.

[Zacha341]

The cable scene is so ridiculous. All of these channel groupings and packages and sub-packages and it not much better on the streaming side. Just a bit cheaper.

I've not had cable via Xfinity or ATT in decades... and yet my streaming rates are increasing... Netflix about to go up for example!!

[Bigb23]

I'm going to cancel my Netflix on Sunday before the rates go up, and keep Amazon Prime.

Then today I found out they added a third season of Versailles, so I have to binge 10 hours of that this weekend! The rest of Netflix is 90% crap, at least to my demographic. [[old, pissy, and set in my ways).

[Bigb23]

I've alway's thought of myself as an 80% guy- yeah I could do that, if I had a garage or basement shop. But I see things on youtube that are a whole different level. My hat is off to the backyard hold my beer 1.0
As compared to a true shop rat, who can build things.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q

Post some photos.

[Zacha341]

Yes, it's nuts. No one stream seems to quite do it! I stream/ subscribe to many [[including Hulu, Netflix, Ammy, and Smithsonian)... I might as well go back to cable as the cost is rising [[well not that high, but still)......

Ditching Hulu soon.

I'm going to cancel my Netflix on Sunday before the rates go up, and keep Amazon Prime...

[rb336]

Is Richard really the re-appearance of ccbatson?

[Richard]

Is Richard really the re-appearance of ccbatson?

When you start becoming obsessed with an anonymous poster on the Internet you might want to re evaluate your thought patterns.

Or I should say semi anonymous because unlike you I do not have to hide behind a fake persona.

Just a thought.

[jcole]

Is Richard really the re-appearance of ccbatson?

That would depend on what kind of porn he prefers, I guess...

[Richard]

^ so the forum has a recommended preference in porn choices to view?

[Honky Tonk]

Don't mess with the Easter Bunny!

https://bgr.com/2019/04/23/easter-bu...stagram-video/

[Carolyn.F]

[ATTACH]every bunny was kung fu fighting[/ATTACH] source: snorgtees.com

[Honky Tonk]

____________

[Richard]

That bunny is heading for the stew pot,his viral video brought him to court today with three other states waiting in line with past warrants,seems like he has a habit of getting into altercations.