😊 Still using my "Kenmore" washer and dryer purchased in 1995. Haven't had a single issue until this year when I had to replace the agitator dogs. $5 - did the repair myself. 😉
Those Kenmore washer machines were likely made by Whirlpool. My parents owned a Series 80 Wahing Machine and gas dryer for almost 20 years. I remember I joined my dad to Sears to pick them up back in 2001. They were Whirlpool made. The Washing machine case and lid rusted out but the motor ran strong until the very end. The dryer was sold recently in good shape and running condition.
@@engineer_alvto reduce the lid and case are so easy and free. If you see one being thrown away that’s similar ( most all in those years fit each other. I’ve done it and it turned a $80 washer into a $200. washer just by changing out the case. Only a couple screws and 2 clamps hold the case and lid together
i still have my original kenmore dryer from 1994 sold the washer after ten years it was too small should have kept it only thing i fixed on washer was dogs like yours and a piece of wire from my pocket got into drain pump but that was not washers' fault only 100 bucks for a new pump.
Similar here: I have a GE Microwave, bought in 1996, still operating although some paint is peeling in the oven interior. Also a GE Washer and Dryer bought in 1998, also still operating fine. A Kenmore sewing machine, bought in 1984, runs fine and I still have all the accessories that came with it. A Grundig Studiotone console HI-FI/SW in a Teak cabinet, bought in 1967 - running but needs some cleaning internally.
You are not ugly...you are a beautiful being who cares about people, and integrity, and good design and on behalf of everyone who cares in the good way, we appreciate you!
The sad part is Kitchen Aid was started by Hobart. I have a Kitchen Aid dishwasher from 1980. It still has Hobart’s name on it. It still works perfect today in 2022
Ben Ben Ben ohhh Ben, I don’t know how else to say this to you other than just giving it to you straight and honest like you do , but I think you need to know something about these videos you make. As I am a appliance tech myself as of about 8 yrs now , and I’m here to tell you and anyone who is reading this, because it needs to be said , and that is the fact that you seriously do a absolutely amazing job on all of these videos !!! And I mean that whole heartedly and honest as I can be , as you really know your info and you know a lot about the specifics of particular model designs and their individual “personalities” so to say , things that are in reference to the commonalities and frequent issues that the different model designs and platforms have from one to the other that only someone who works on a lot of units would ever know !!! Keep it up dude !! I like your personality, and especially the one thing that is truely very uncommon to find in the majority of people, and that is the fact that anyone and everyone that deals with you or watches your videos just knows that you are a honest and fair guy !! Not sure exactly what it is , but that’s okay because it’s just literally you and I can tell that is just how you are !!! That is a valuable character trait , don’t let this world change that about you or harden you in any way !!’ You are a pleasure to watch and I’m sure a pleasure to do business with in person!!
*singsong* Someone's got a man-crush Seriously though, as a cheap ass who likes to get as much out of appliances as possible, I totally agree man. I recently re-pump-ified my dish washing machine and really struggled finding parts. All the pumps for GE dish washers looked the same, but were specific to each model or groups of models. Do you know of any sort of part cross reference guide or something? My best guess was the difference was the electrical connections, but I'm not familiar enough with these to have much confidence in that guess. I did find a NOS but I was really getting tempted to order a look-similar unit and bust out the soldering gun and the crimp connectors.
ZLINE is a new brand out of China that copies high end US/European products. Very questionable quality, not parts available, puts your neighbors out of a job.
Ben, you stand alone when it comes to educating the consumer on appliances. No doubt that you have saved your viewers tens of thousands of dollars and that includes me. You provide an unmatched channel and I simply can’t thank you enough.
This video was long overdue. Thank you so much for doing this! The appliance manufacturers are sure not open with this information; but those of us who have worked in repair and/or parts sales have had to deal with so much lack of consumer education in this area, it's ridiculous. I've fielded so many calls from some very, *very* angry customers who ordered parts for their KitchenAid appliance, only to have it say "Whirlpool" when it arrives. And don't even get me started on Kenmore. For parts availability, I would avoid anything made by Haier (which includes GE) and anything made by LG - basically anything made in China or South Korea. The parts aren't terrible, and LG parts are often very inexpensive; but they're *very* hard to get and are discontinued much sooner than parts made in other areas of the world. Built-in obsolescence is a real thing. Why discuss parts when consumers are buying expensive appliances which should last decades? Because they won't last 10 years and you'll be lucky to get 5 years out of most of them.
I really appreciate your kind words. Like I mentioned, I had a huge number of people arguing or asking about Kitchenaid and Kenmore (mostly) and figured... Why not talk about them. Its a lot like cars. I was shocked when I pulled the door on my Hyundai Sonata apart and found Kia guts in it, but it then made sense that so many other industries/companies pull this stuff. May as well make sure people know what is what.
@@bensappliancesandjunk , well, you're doing a real public service here. This video - as so many of your others - should be required viewing for anyone wanting to buy an appliance. Keep up the amazing work!
@@TheOtherBill i thought the same thing while watching the video...we even had chevy dealers saying the only difference between the Chevy Monte Carlo and the Olds Cutlass was the emblem on the hood while he ripped it off....and said, Now they are the same ....and as a mechanic myself, ALL the parts were the same from car to car, EVERYTHING...i guess the appliance industry finally caught up
Thanks Ben! This explains the big difference In the quality of our recently defunct Kenmore, vs our older one that worked perfectly (in an unairconditioned house!) for 20+ years! Now i know what to look for. Good job.
We recently replace this kitchen aid refrigerator . It was about 4K and the repair was about 2k , the ice Machine motor went out and the middle left drawer has a separate cool Evaporator controller that water got into the seal , which this drawer it’s located below the ice/water dispenser . So we ended buying a GE refrigerator you listed from previous video from AJ Madison. Thanks for the recommendation s.
Thanks for the information. Our family owned a Whirlpool side by side that was made in 1972. This model had an Amana motor. That's what the repairman told my parents. This acquisition thing must have started in the 1970's It lasted 31 years.
I don't recall who built our Kenmore side-by-side fridge, which we purchased in 1988, but it lasted some 31 years when we replaced it with a Whirlpool side-by-side. Hope this one lasts as long!
Funny thing about that side by side. Whirlpool made their own but only up to 22 cubic feet. The bigger ones at that time were subbed out. Kinda threw a wrench in the works for a while for us having parts on the truck for them. No doubt though they were a quality unit.
Still running an '86 Maytag dryer. The matching washer gave up a couple years ago but we replaced it with a commercial variety Speedqueen and zero complaints.
I mentioned this in one of your other videos. THANK YOU for covering this, most people are clueless to the one megacorp making all these brands that have destroyed the reputations they used to have.
Yep! You and others were instrumental in me putting this video out. Sometimes I have ideas like this one, but then commenters like you help validate the idea to prove "Hey, I should make the video on that".
@@bensappliancesandjunk Don't forget about Kenmore and Westinghouse. Kenmore washers were built by whirlpool for a long time. Westinghouse is just another frigidaire.
Can you make a video on the high end brands such as Viking, sub-zero, wolf, Miele, Gaggeneu & why they are extremely expensive….does the cost really make them that much better of a product
I bought a cheap Chinese Haier compact HLP23 clothes washer in 2009. It has never had an issue and still works great today. The tension/suspension rods wore out so I fixed them with a piece of bicycle innertube rubber in the pinch point to increase friction. If anything breaks I probably won't be able to find parts ...but it doesn't break😁
Many years ago I worked in the accounts department of a very large UK retailer. I had a lot of knowledge of returns to manufacturers. Although times change I think that the quality culture of the companies is the same. This summarises my UK experiences: Whirlpool Corporation products are ok, but not great. However avoid their Indesit brand. Electrolux and all its brands are ok. They have made Lewis's own brands, but you typically get an extra two or three years of warranty. This is maybe the sweet spot between price and quality. Bosch are ok, but their basic fridges are great. Beko are not good quality, but a very basic model could serve a place if there are few moving parts. Candy was then and is now junk. Miele are utterly fantastic, but you pay for it upfront. We had incredibly few returns. I have no information on Samsung or LG. All the best everyone.
Bosch (Siemens) has had quite some problems with their fridges (rusting and breaking coolant pipes, sometimes after only a few years especially when they were moved or transported) for the last 20 years or so. They also had a few years worth of production of dishwashers that tended to go up in flames spontaneously. While their recall mostly prevented the underlying issue from resulting in a fire, in my opinion they never fixed the underlying issue so they would still have failed often - but with less deadly results. While that's only two structural flaws, I think those are indicative of cost cutting, which is unacceptable since they still sell at a premium.
Very informative video, as an appliance technician of 15 yrs now I have to say you nailed it with all the brands and sub brands that are good and bad. I have only 1 disagreement and 1 addition. I think Samsung refrigerators are better than the LG only because the linear compressor in the LG and many Kenmore tends to fail often. Trust me, I've replaced a ton of them. And as far as Bosch goes, the additional brand they now own is Thermador...keep up with the great vids 👍
My LG fridge's compressor busted just before 5 yr warranty ran out. So I got a brand new one for free. More or less doubling the life of my unit. Best case scenario in my view. But if the second compressor plunks out in the same time frame then I would only have gotten 10 yrs out of my fridge, which is not really acceptable.
As a appliance repair guy, it's funny watching people's reaction when I tell them that whirlpool built (name your brand here) appliance. It's also upsetting to me that these companies can get away with charging more money for "a name brand" simply because, meanwhile it's as cheaply made as the bottom line stuff... But hey... It keeps me employed, and I will gladly repair whatever comes my way... Great video, great information!!!
In Europe, you can find AEG (Electrolux) and Miele which are high end brands. Miele is its own brand and their products are very good. You pay a lot more but it will work for a decade or more without any trouble, be it a dishwasher or a vacuum cleaner.
A few years back I got a Kenmore front load washer which was an LG, but in their sale it was 25% cheaper than the same model from any LG dealer. It was so good that I waited till Sears had a super sale and got another one a further 10% less for my lady friend. They have both done very well. Meanwhile my Sears canister vac - recommended by Consumer Reports - is a Panasonic. CR also recommends Whirlpool dish washers and IKEAs which are in fact made by Whirlpool, but when IKEA have super sales, their dishwashers are cheaper than any equivalent Whirlpool you can find.
I got a Panasonic microwave from around 5/6years and it sems indestructible. Previously I owned a Samsung microwave that fell apart piece by piece (in his third year) until it stopped working altogether.
Most IKEA appliances in general are the lowest quality output you can get from a manufacturer. My ex-wife used to buy a lot of stuff from IKEA and the only things that lastet more than 2-3 years where the LED-bulbs/-spotlights
*Ben, thank you for drilling down on this critical issue. In pulling the loose strings and unraveling the branding scams you revealed the miscreants behind them. Saved for future reference. Thank you for the brief shout out to LA's Rooftop Koreans. Respect!*
I've worked on some of the newer GE/Haiers and I can tell you their quality control has dropped significantly. I've seen crimped evaporator tubes, screws that were kinda hanging out of the casing when they had no business being there, and dryers that were burning their wires out. I used to think Samsung was the king dookie of turd mountain, but I've never seen one of those polished turds that I thought was a fire hazard.
Great video, thanks. I stopped buying GE appliances about 30 years because their quality was going downhill & repair history were pretty bad, I switched to Whirlpool & Kitchen Aid. As a DIY guy, this appliances were extremely easy to work on & repair, and in my opinion they were engineered with the repairman in mind!!!
In my opinion GE laundry was always junk and hard to work on to boot. Having to remove the dryer tub to change a heating element was for the birds and don't even get me started on tub boots or clutches on the really old style washers. I worked for a Whirlpool dealer with a Sears beside us and a furniture store selling GE along with Maytag a few doors down. The Sears was same as ours to work on but the GE stuff was a nightmare. Furniture store went out of business about the time I started working for my appliance guy but their junk haunted me for years servicing it.
I inherited some appliances from the previous owners of my house. Kenmore (Frigidaire made) range and Whirlpool washer/dryer set. I've had to DIY repair the range and the washer and I've found both relatively easy to work on. I'm actually very impressed with the Whirlpool washer and how solid it seems to be built as it was a brand I never gave much thought to before.
Amana has a very interesting history, they made the first upright freezers you opened from the side (up to that point, all in-home freezers that weren't for commercial use were top opening only), they also made the first consumer micro-wave and the first side by side refrigerator. They were their own company till 1997 when they were bought by Goodman Manufacturing and then sold a few years later to Alliance (the makers of Speed Queen commercial washers and driers) before being sold again to Maytag (though there is some confusion on when and how Amana was sold to Maytag or even Alliance, the lineage is hard to trace correctly) who was itself (along with Amana) then acquired by Whirlpool though again, there is some mix up on what parts of Amana were bought and sold and some information clames that certain "divisions" of Amana exist as parts of other companies, it's quite confusing, it's like trying to trace who owns RCA or Atari now.
I recenly retired an Amana refrigerator purchased in the early 90s. It was great and very reliable until the end. Thing weighed a ton and we removed the doors to make it reasonable to move out.
Bosch also owns Thermador. We did a kitchen remodel a few years ago with an entire high end Thermador kitchen. The dishwasher was great. It was quiet, efficient and fast. The cooktop was average at best. The star shaped gas burners were gimmicky and really didn’t stack up to the Wolf we’d had previously. The double oven was great, although the controls were counterintuitive and the soft buttons were not easy to actuate. The worst was French Door fridge with the bottom freezer. This unit had the doors that if you give them a little push would open automatically. This became a pain in the butt if you got too close while walking by. Despite the fact that this was a massive, tall, wide unit, it had a surprisingly small storage capacity. My daughter named it “Jenga fridge,” because every time you went to take something out something would fall out somewhere else. We’ve since moved and I don’t miss the high end kitchen one bit.
Dude. You are hilarious. Have I been fixing things my whole life? Yes. Were these topics guaranteed to pull me in? Oh you betcha. But some things I watch in spite of who's presenting them, just because I'm interested and am doing dishes or something. Am I about to do some dishes? That's 3 for 3 in the yes department. But I'll be listening to you because I want to.
I have a maytag extra capacity washer purchased in 1986. The only maintenance it needed was belt replacement a couple of times. Believe me it has been used hard.
I used to like Kenmore because they used to give you a great manual with circuit diagrams and an Illustrated Parts Breakdown with part numbers. Very valuable for homeowners, especially before the internet. I also heard they would upgrade the specs of the units produced by the various corps. Thanks for a great vid.
Yes, I used to work for them in the 80's & Sears would make the Whirlpool factory re-manufacture & upgrade parts that broke too often. That was then...different world now!
Some of what you said was true but not sure about the "Upgrade" part, possibly in some cases. But they were built to their specifications for sure at least as far as with Whirlpool. Also they were bought with absolutely NO warranty from Whirlpool. They saved money by buying them that way and providing the warranty themselves.
I'm still running a baby blue Roper which is made or owned by whirlpool and an incredibly old GE dryer. Both are working like they did on day one. Wife wanted to update them and they'll continue to work for 3 more years. But that was 3 years ago and still running great.
Hey Ben! Love your channel. You’ve put together some great info here. I think most people are just trying find an appliance that will last 15-20 years, or indefinitely, like the ones from the 60s, 70s and 80s did. It’s a shame American manufacturing of appliances has deteriorated to this point. Sure they want to make money. But many of them have forgotten to take care of their customers. Thanks for the great info.
Nothing will last 15-20 years anymore. People don’t want to pay for that quality. In the 70’S yes you could buy a fridge and know it would get you 30 years. But that fridge (at least here in Canada ) cost you $1000. That was when you could buy a car for 5k and a house for 35k. Right now today that same basic fridge last you 8-10 years tops. But it still only costs you $1000. While the equivalent car cost 40k and the house well into the hundreds of thousands. For decades people have been demanding cheaper products. The manufactures have the people what they wanted. Now look where we are.
@@arcanetrigger828 of course, prices have exploded in the last 15 years. But why should quality have sunk to the low levels we see today? Probably due mostly to microprocessor use instead of mechanical controls, plus the moving of appliance manufacture to Mexico and China. If Speed Queens are being snapped up at $2000 or more per unit, t looks like there's a good market for well-made, though pricey, appliances.
My point was the price of everything has gone up but not in the appliance industry. At least not anywhere near the extent of anything else. That move to keep prices down is why quality has dropped. 15 years in the industry. I see it every day. We show people the cheap stuff explain 4-5 years at best. And we show them the good stuff (speed queen is sold as Huebsch here) and most often they ignore the 5 year warranty and better quality and opt for the cheap one instead. ($700 ish to $1500) Of course they are always mad when they break down. Lol.
I have been an appliance service company owner and tech for close to 40 years. You give good solid information....I am always happy to see your videos. Years ago Amana was owned by Raytheon...which could have been part of Alliance also. The modern mechanical SQ is a version of the old Amana...AND SQ. I never saw SQ back in the 90s...but there were LOADS of Amanas...and they were VERY GOOD. I fixed a thousand of them. People still think Maytag is the old durable machine of yesteryear. The only positives are the warranties...usually. a Maytag refrigerator...thats a Whirlpool inside gets a factory 5 or 10 year sealed system warranty...instead on one. Of course you cant get anyone from Whirlpool to repair under warranty...and I understand that their factory service is being closed. Giant step backwards.
The idea for the microwave oven came from the Raytheon test labs. A technician working with microwave equipment discovered that the chocolate bar in his pocket melted.
Wow did not expect this very valuable information Ben! I guess many of us without this knowledge had been fooled and waste our money unnecessary. Can you make a list of good budget brand/model to buy for each category?
Not only are these videos amazingly informative, they are also intriguing and entertaining to a perfect degree. Not to mention the outfit, which commands respect. Keep at it Ben!
You are such a good communicator of your content. Thanks for sharing your in depth knowledge. I love you didn't chuck grandma's refrigerator; memories reside in things. And those old timers could have bought something 40 years newer, but they were frugal and value oriented. I admire a unit so aimed at durability it is still chugging along. She and grandad didn't need more. They happily made do. I am sure they are both proud of you.
Surprised Miele didn’t make the list. Own the same Olympus vacuum for 15 years and it’s still kicking glad to see they’re becoming more common in the us
Nothing else can touch the quality of the Miele. The issue is now that the entry level appliances ( Vacuum cleaners ) are made in China ( not good ).. The German made appliances are more expensive and longer lasting.
I am currently binging your informative videos. It is the sweeetest thing when you say "my smoking hot wife" My heart just melts hearing you say that. Melts, in a good way. Not in the "my appliance is a fire hazard" way.
None of the Whirlpool washers made in Mexico are sold in the US. I work there. Sorry to disappoint you. They are for the local market. Also, no Maytag brand washers are made in Mexico. Those come exclusively from the US Maytag factory
In Europe, Whirlpool bought Indesit and Ariston and pretty much everything is Indesit. They turned Ariston (premium brand) to budget Hotpint. Some Bosch top load 40cm machines were Whirpool to. I am with you on this one, get the cheapest possible that suits your needs (unless money is no object). Thank you so much for pointing everything out, you are awesome!
A lot of the Bosch brands have their own factories. Gaggenau have their own manufacturing and assembly plants for the majority of their appliances. It’s a pretty amazing spot in southern Germany.
Sorry , but no. I own several gaggenau appliances, one of them is a Side by Side fridge, that in reality, its a rebranded Amana, made in USA. Other stuff is domino cooktop made by balay in Zaragoza, Spain…… so not Made in Germany as a standard
@@honestguy7764 interesting, all the ovens and cooktops we have had installed have all been made in Germany. Will keep an eye out on the next project to check the other appliances and see where they are made 👍
Another very informative and entertaining video about home appliances. I love the cheeky comments interspersed amongst the very detailed descriptions of products and manufacturers. That crack about Madea was a hoot! Haierlujer! 😀
It seems like Whirlpool is really the last major American appliance maker, and all other brands sold here are just subsidiaries of either Whirlpool, Haier, or Electrolux. It's also interesting that there seem to be quite a few Korean and Chinese appliance brands, but I've never seen a Japanese-made major appliance here in the US. My experience with Japanese small appliances and products in general is extremely positive, and I know that quite a few companies make and sell major appliances in Japan, such as Sharp, Panasonic, Toshiba, and Mitsubishi. I think it's a shame that they don't sell appliances in the US, because in my experience they are significantly higher quality than those from Korean and Chinese companies.
Hitachi used to be an excellent Japanese brand. I think the Japanese appliance brands have withdrawn from international markets because they couldn't compete on price with the others. They probably refused to lower their standards in the race to the bottom.
Toshiba doesn't exist outside Japan, Midea bought the rights to "Toshiba Lifestyle". Sharp sold out to Foxconn in 2016. Panasonic's US appliances are from China, particularly their microwaves.
Your videos helped me select a Speed Queen washer when our 19 year old Maytag failed the main bearing. I was up to repair it, but the main seal is no longer available... so it was orphaned. No hope of repair anymore.
When it comes to prices between Bosch and Siemens appliances, at least here in Germany, if they have the same components, they are usually sold for the same prices. You can expect slightly higher prices with their brands Neff and Constructa, which they usually market more towards furniture stores that sell integrated kitchens. If you read up on their fairly simply type number scheme (which is usually explained in their catalogues), you can easily tell which machines of the different brands have the same parts in them. There are just slight variations from brand to brand, e.g. you might find a Bosch freezer called GSN58AWDV and the same exact model is sold by Siemens as GS58NAWDV. With washing machine they sometimes do change it up a bit, for example machines with a 1400 rpm spin cycle usually start with WM14 (the 14 denoting the spin cycle) with Siemens and Bosch uses WAX28 (i.e. doubling the first two numbers of the spin cycle). Anyway, it is a fairly easy way to find out what you're getting with BSH (=Bosch Siemens Hausgeräte or Bosch Siemens Householdappliances) between their different brands if you are aware of their naming conventions.
When it comes to kitchen or laundry appliances I always go for extremely widely distributed contactor grade units. The more they make, the easier it will be to get parts. So far it's worked and I've always been able to get a part within a few days. If I had to wait much longer than that, I would just junk it out and get a new one. Life is too short to have to deal with not having a functioning major appliance for an appreciable length of time.
Thanks for the information. I've only bought two brands new: Amana fridge and Bosch washer and dryer. I only bought used throw-away appliances previously but got lucky with the new ones by doing some research. .. Cheers to you. ..
I work in the wholesale appliance market, and let us just say Whirlpool has ruined quite a few brands. Also, their b/o issues are legendary, as are their recall issues
About 30 years ago LG was branded as Goldstar in the US... ...Also, I rember my grandparents having a couple of ColdSpot refrigerators when I was growing up... Both only got replaced because they were old, not because they were broken. One was replaced around 2003, the other was in service until about 2009 Others long gone that I have seen include Zenith and Philco.
Coldspot basically falls under the Kenmore description. Sears used the Coldspot name for their fridges and air conditioners until the mid 70’s and then started branding them under the Kenmore name like the rest of their appliances. Coldspot was just a rebadged Whirlpool product.
Thanks Ben, you 100% saved us from buying disposable appliances. Our old fridge & range is 16-25 yrs old and still working (made in the US). The new set arrives in 1 week and am curious where they were made & how long they will last...
I've been lucky. My main refrigerator is about 20+ years old -- it's a GE Profile. The price wasn't too bad, because at the time the company I work for was owned by them, so we received a sort of employee discount. Also, my washer & dryer are front loading Kenmore units that are also about 20+ years old. The model numbers are 110, so they're made by Whirlpool in Germany. It's a very rare sight to see any appliances here marked "MADE IN GERMANY". The quality is certainly there. On the other side of the coin, however, about 2.5 years ago, I bought a Summit beverage refrigerator. What a pile of junk! It's a cheap Chinese unit (I thought Summit was a good brand), and has been nothing but trouble. To start with, the controls go down to 36*F, but the unit will only reach 42*F on a good day. I complained under warranty and they sent out a "repair tech" who butchered the thing and only replaced the thermostat sensor (hint -- it didn't fix the issue). He didn't even do that right because at just under 2 years old, it started beeping and displayed an E1 error (temperature sensor). After complaining to Summit about what a piece of $#!t this thing is, they sent me a new control board and thermostat sensor. While replacing the sensor I found the problem -- when the "technician" that "fixed" it replaced the temp sensor, they simply butt spliced a new one in place and somehow managed to cut through most of the wire strands, and the wire eventually broke at the splice. I repaired it correctly with silicone filled insulation displacement connectors . Then the circulating fans started to get noisy about a month later, so I had to replace both of them. A few weeks ago, the temperature started rising inside, and I noticed that opening the door would not turn off the fans or turn on the light. The front control panel had died, but the display still worked. You could not adjust the temperature, and none of the buttons worked, and the compressor just kept running 24/7 and no defrost cycles. The temperature rise was because it had started building up ice on the evaporator coil and couldn't flow air. Luckily I still had the control board they sent me when it died with the E1 error, so that fixed it. This overpriced piece of crap has broken down more times in a little over 2 years than my GE has in it's entire 20+ year life.
The biggest crossover was when GM sold off Frigidaire. They were some of the best products ever made. General Motors appliances were/are a bear to fix...bevause they seldom break. I use the analogy of working on a Peterbilt...a bear to repair but almost never breaks.
I always found working on peterbilts was the easiest of all. They have forward set axles, so everything under the hood is accessible. The entire engine can be seen by popping the hood. Pete’s and long hood kenworth trucks are the easiest trucks to work on.
Cool channel and content. Good to see someone new making appliance content. I see you've been doing it a while now. I found your channel from a UA-cam suggestion. That was probably because my phone heard me talking about how new washers are made to break. Considering I wasn't searching UA-cam for any repair videos. Subscribed
Your videos are a real resource for the consumer looking to get to the heart of who makes what and what will last. I have Hotpoint appliances but they were made before 2008. I do have a Haier window A/C unit. It seems to be made a bit more cheaply than some other brands, but it's pushing 14 years old and keeps going and going. So for a China brand, maybe they're not all that terrible.
I don't know. Had a haier washer/dryer combo. The dryer went out at 6 months and they wanted some ridiculous price for what should have been warrenty repair. The washer last two years. Didn't even bother to try having it fixed after our experience with the dryer. Not a fan.
I was in Monterrey, Mexico on business, and we drove by a HUGE factory, and I'll never forget the sign out front: it had almost EVERY appliance brand logo on it: Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Amana, etc.
Hey Ben! I must say I love the fact that I stumbled across your channel: your videos are fantastic! Have you ever thought of making some kind of a diagram of all of the appliance companies and their sub-brands? It's definitely hard for me to keep them all straight out there, and you definitely know your stuff.
When I was in the Navy in the late 70's we had a pretty huge catalog of all corporations, who they owned, and who owned them. Ithought it was an invaluable reference and remeber being very surprised at the data. I believe it was in 2 large volumes. My guess is it might be somewhere on the net or the library?
Great job tracking down all of the corporate histories. bBand that were not mentioned were Aga, Thermador, Wolf, Sub Zero and Viking not to mention the newer Z Line out of Southern California -- now all of these are very high end but would be nice to know their present state of affairs. Thanks for the info.
Ben, I've been a subscriber now for about a week and have found your videos to be very informative. I have a question for you about Hisense and Asko. My old dishwasher died about a year ago, and I ended up purchasing an Asko dishwasher. A few months afterwards, I found out that Asko was owned by Hisense. I am curious, do you know approximately when Hisense acquired Asko? BTW, I'm very happy with the Asko dishwasher. It cleans much better than the previous dishwasher that I had bought 20 years before ever did. I bought the Asko from a reputable local appliance store, and not from a big box chain store.
Sometimes you gotta cut content to make it snappy, but I know the answer on that one for sure. Its been bought out and passed around for a very long time. In 2010, it was bought out by the Slovenian Gorenje Group. In 2013, they moved the factories from Sweden to Slovenia. In 2018, HiSense bought out whatever stake they could in the Gorenje Group (Asko+Mora Moravia and a few smaller brands). It seems then its kept its factories in Slovenia, and is adding more factories around Ljubljana for the entire HiSense line. So chances are, its made in Slovenia. In the US, Hisense are basically known as "No Nonsense" brand appliances. They work pretty well and are very straightforward to fix/repair with basic cheap parts. Not every acquisition is terrible, maybe this one will be OK.
@@bensappliancesandjunk Thank you for the information. I'm in my seventies and have always associated Asko as a Swedish brand, so I was surprised last year when I learned that Hisense owned it. I appreciate your response, knowledge and information, and enjoy your videos. You also have a good sense of humor. Thanks again!
Great timing! Was just out yesterday looking for a new fridge. Looking at the bottom freezer drawer styles. Hisense and Midea (and Insignia) coming in our price range and was wondering how much "you get what you pay for" are we looking at. Looking for something with very few features (to break) and parts that are available. Have managed to keep my GE & Inglis frost free fridges along for many years (replacing timers, defrost elements and fan motors myself) - but alas the 25+ year old Inglis is struggling to cool and appears to be pining for the fjords as they say.
I'm pretty sure the washer & dryer I bought last month are the real deal. I got a Speed Queen TC5003WN and the matching DC5 dryer. I'm happy with them so far. I don't have any GE appliances except for a toaster oven, but I can tell you that a lot of them are still made in the USA at a place called Appliance Park in Louisville, Kentucky. Before Haier bought GE they were almost purchased by a European company called Electrolux so I'm not sure they were using Haier parts long before their acquisition. Also, while I know major appliances from Samsung are crap, I can't rate their TV's highly enough. I've owned/still own 4 of them, my oldest being one I bought at HH Gregg back in 2012 and its picture is still as crisp and sharp as ever.
Samsung, does make a great television, but washers and dryers are garbage. I own a set, getting rid of them. I got mines used, I usually never buy second hand, someone else's problems you inherit. I did with both pieces. It cost to much to repair, so I am buying commercial grade. It cost more, but I am older, my last set.
@@shereemorgan1430 That was my thinking in getting the Speed Queen set I bought last month. I'm 54 so they'll probably outlast me. They replaced a Whirlpool set that was still working but they were 22 years old and the only thing I ever did to them was replace the agitator dogs in the washer. I figured they'd soon start developing more problems that it was worth to keep them. The new set I got is a top loader, like my old set and the washer fills up full instead of doing that "load sensing" nonsense.
@@Rebel9668 I am in my 60's, it will definitely be my last pair. I figured there televisions are so good that the washers and dryers would be as well. I will stick to the televisions.
My local appliance shop helped me tremendously 17 years ago by recommending reliable budget friendly options. The Frigidaire dishwasher and Estate refrigerator still operate the same as when new. Both have required new seals once, and I replaced the DW pump once - not terrible DIY repairs.
Ben , What is the very most important part of this story is that fact that after people buy these foreign made appliances, they find VERY little technical support or service companies that want to fix them. So once you buy one and it breaks, you are out of luck when you try to find someone to fix them. Even when they are under warranty, they find that there are no service companies to fix them. People have waited months for their LG refrigerators with bad compressors to get fixed even though LG extended the warranty to 10 yrs ! I am an appliance servicer and I can't tell anyone what to buy now days based on exactly what your videos show. The best advice I give them is to a least buy the American brands that have been around like Whirlpool, Maytag,Frigidaire, Speed Queen as least they can get parts and most servicers will fix them.
Speed Queen absolutely. But Whirlpool/Maytag/KitchenAid can absolutely get fucked. We bought a Maytag washer and dryer, Whirlpool fridge. In 3 years the washer and fridge both required repair. In 3 years 60% of our appliances had failures. Our neighbor had their Whirlpool dishwasher's heating element melt and fail in their unit. Will never buy their products again. And will tell everyone I know to avoid. Our fridge compressor failed the week before Thanksgiving, after 3 years of ownership.
This is very true. Getting parts for Whirlpool and Frigidaire is a breeze compared to getting parts for Samsung or LG. I was in the exact same scenario with an LG fridge, it took 2 months for a technician to show up and make a warranty repair. The whole time we had to make do with a mini-fridge I bought off Facebook.
Trying to do the family tree of appliance manufactures looks very confusing 🤨. Ferreting out the 'wheat from the chaff' is nice to hear of one who know the business & technology from the inside out, TYVM Ben!
We have a Kenmore washer and dryer pair, bought 35 years ago. it's always been a reliable laundry pair. Our air conditioner is also a Kenmore. Sears closrf shop in Canada about 10 years ago. A SD loss for our family!
Yep- that was a shame. I have $20 year old Kemore brand stuff in my house. It's starting to get troublesome but I don't want to replace it because it's been so good. All I hear from others about new units is big trouble and obviously built in obsolesce. Companies know how to build good equipment but refuse to so they can rake in more $$$$.If anyone should be on these companies to improve it should the environmental groups, because this artificially creates more junk. But that cause isn't sexy enough so they never bring it up. All we can do is hope for the future and some enlightenment. P.S. John Candy was a Canadian, not an American, one of our Canadian heroes that made it big in the US.
Ben is out here doing gods work!!!! I have cx ask me all the time what’s the best brand to buy. I tell them two thing. “What ever looks nice and fits your budget. They are all about the same today.” Or that “they should buy the cheapest one and buy the badge of the brand they want off eBay and deal with it. “
@@bensappliancesandjunk have you worked on much of the new R600 crap??? I recently took a r600 class with a LG rep. He states that LG is in a R & D phase to be on track to be the best refrigeration freezer company on the market by 2030.
humm, who makes Speed Queen? I have a 12 year old plus basic washer with knobs, mechanical timer and knobs. The only thing I wish it had was the lint screen for me to clean manually - other than that happy I went old school after 2 front loaders died - one was problematic and had extended warranty and limped along for 5 years. Then bought another front loader - I had rheumatoid arthritis and pulling up on clothes hurt my wrists and shoulders that was a Maytag lasted only 2 years, had extended warranty and got my money back minus the extended warranty. Bought the Speed Queen - yup I have problems with pulling up getting my clothes out, but I swallowed my pride and asked dear hubby for help getting out the clothes now and then. So happy found your channel. Please keep up the good work.
I repair my own appliances and i see many components are very similar and the parts numbering goes across many other brands, also the parts packaging has a number of various brands that it fits, whirpool parts, sanyo parts, get the covers off these appliances and the internals come from everywhere, Mexico, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam and China, it is a global market economy, it isn't just appliances that contain global products it is everything we buy.
Thank you, you should talk about Kenmore. When we moved into the house in 1966 my parents bought Lady Kenmore washer/dryer. We had those for 15 years, then we got regular Kenmore. We had those 20 years. When the washer died my fiancé bought my mom and me the Kenmore elite. Died after one year, and couldn’t be fixed.
Appliances don’t “die” Lol A part fails and that causes it to no longer function properly. I’m curious, what was the cause of your failure? Anything can be fixed provided a part is available and you want to spend the ca$h.
@@MayhemRv I don’t remember it was 2002. Washer was one of those digital touch key pads. That’s one of the main reasons Sears went under, junk. Same problem with Dell computers. I had mine 10 years then hard drive died. So I had no problem buying another Dell. Hard drive barely lasted two years, before drive died. I live in a senior housing apartment complex now. We have Fridgedair fridge, but oven not so good. At least we have gas. Laundry room uses 5 dollar cards to run machines. Sad that Sears appliances used to be so good, Kenmore made by Whirlpool.
@@cherylelinsmith743 you missed my point. Anything can be repaired. In 33 years of being in the appliance service business I have never told a customer that something can’t be fixed. I find the cause of the problem and give them a price quote. Only recently has obtaining parts been an issue and people wont wait weeks or months for a part so they buy another new piece of crap.
@@cherylelinsmith743 Those Kenmore Elite Oasis washers were junk for sure. I picked mine based on the good experience my parents had with their Series 80 washer and dryer set so I got the top loading Elite Oasis digital washer with agitator. It looked great and had a gigantic tub you could throw anything at. And it was quiet But it always came unbalanced and would throw random codes from time to time. I could not let it wash overnight because there was a small chance it would stop mid cycle full of soaking wet clothes. And when it washed it would take over an hour for a regular load, it would also add time randomly before you even noticed it. I kept that piece of junk for less than 3 years. Then I did my research and found out both the bulletproof Series 80 and the junker Elite Oasis were made by Whirlpool. Difference was the Series 80 was based on a tried and true 1980s design while the Elite Oasis was a rebadged Whirlpool Cabrio which received poor customer reviews over its lifespan. Moral of the story: Do your homework beforehand. Quality varies even within the same manufacturer
I was working on a technical project with Siemens and actually was in a room where they were developing the motors for vacuum cleaners. Every model in the display case was a Miele.
Thanks again for this description but I’m still confused as I need a fridge but if I understand correctly, there’s none made in the USA! Also, is it necessary to pay more money for the extended warranties on each appliance? What do you think of Best Buy s Insignia brand fridge? Thanks!
Purchase the warranty, i just had to call on my 1 year old slightly used Amana washer it just puked on my hardwood floor fortunately I had the foresight to purchase a warranty
If you purchase the warranty, you're paying for the appliance to break whether it does or not. Take the chance that it doesn't break, has always been my philosophy. For what it's worth...
Insignia refrigerators are made in China under contract by Haier (GE, Hotpoint, etc). If you always so no to extended warranties you will come out ahead. After all, extended warranties are priced to be profitable for the companies that offer them. That said you might want to buy an extended warranty for certain items that have high failure rates, can be very expensive to fix, and/or fixing it yourself is beyond your capabilities. Last year I bought an LG fridge with a linear compressor (high failure rate). Supposedly it has an improved design that fixes the issues but just in case I bought the warranty package. The best part is it includes them dealing with LG who is known for terrible customer support. It was $250 so I thought it was reasonable. This year I bought a dishwasher and considering the cost of parts and that I can fix it myself I turned down the warranty.
Thanks for this video! I wanted to just add that last time I shopped for a fridge, I learned that Bosch fridges are made by someone else. I looked because Bosch dishwashers are the only appliance I have ever truly been impressed with, and was hoping they made fridges too, after going through a Samsung and an LG in the span of 3 years.
that's amazing about the Samsung and LG. In my last residence had a Miele dishwasher (bought the least expensive model ). Seven years (and then we moved) not one service call. Didn't dry though. This time I went with the Kitchen Aid, really like it. Dries better, hopefully it will be as dependable.
What we really want to know for certain is not just who makes it but is it really no different on the inside, apart from added features, as you move into the prestige brands. I know in other fields, cheaper components will have a much shorter life and using those in the lower brands is a way to cut costs within the same company. I'm talking about capacitors, switches, relays and so on, along with heat sinks which may be omitted or inadequately sized. You would know this since you see inside them so I'd love to have a bit more detail and specificity. BTW, seeing a one year warranty on every product in every price range on my last visit to a big appliance store sent a pretty bleak message that's in line with what you've been saying. Sixteen grand for a Monogram fridge and 1 year?
LG warranties their fridge compressors for 10 yrs (parts only) now. Which is strange considering their linear compressors have a bad reputation, but LG seems to be standing behind them.
Old man here. I used to prefer to buy Kenmore everything, primarily because they were sold by Sears and most Sears stores had Service Centers and would provide service whenever you had a problem pretty efficiently. But the real reason was that these Service Centers had pretty much every part for every appliance in stock and you could just go there and buy a part to fix your appliance yourself. I remember they had huge manuals you could use to find your specific appliance and there were complete assembly drawings and parts lists so you could easily find the exact part you needed. If they didn't have it on hand, (which was rare) they could get it for you in a few days. Those were the days, I guess!
I used to sell consumer electronics back in the '90s. The same thing was true of TVs, stereo equipment, VCRs, etc. I still remember the time an older guy came in and was looking at TV sets. I directed him to a Mitsubishi. That set him off, because it turned out that he was a WWII veteran and didn't want any "Jap" TV. He wanted an "American" brand, like Zenith. Never mind that at the time, Mitsubishi was one of the top TV brands, and they were mostly built in southern California. The Zenith brand TVs were made by LG, a Korean company--and built in Mexico (and were total junk).
Yeah I totally hear you. My grandpa had a life long hatred of anything Japanese. They do make some great things, and their capacitors are still legendary
Yes, My Dad fought in the Pacific and chastised us for buying Yamaha motorcycles etc. The War scared him Mentally and Physically but since I didn't walk in shoes I didn't argue with him.
South Korean viewer here. Just wanted to add some info regarding to Daewoo, Samsung, and LG as all 3 companies are based here. TL;DR: Daewoo bad. Samsung vs. LG is like Mac vs Windows, cats and dogs in Korea, at least. Both are great brands imo. 1. Never buy Daewoo. Daewoo Electronics went bankrupt in the 90s, was bought and sold twice. The quality hit rock bottom. 90s Daewoo was very reliable. We owned a '97 fridge and washing machine and they never failed on us. I don't think anybody takes this brand seriously today. They are sold cheap and built cheap. 2. I need to point out that LG and Samsung are competing brands. They never share factories. This is very wrong. Where did you get this info Ben?(15:22) Any parts manufacturer sign up with either companies sign NDAs and are ordered to never supply parts for the other company. They even have their own competing baseball teams. That's how they hate each other. LG is known as "the pioneer" in Korea. LG always develops "the firsts" - first to popularize the double door fridges, first to sell robot vacs in Korea.etc However, Samsung is the one that "perfectizes" LG's product lines by adding more features, better design, and of course, adding a price premium while they're at it. Koreans consider Samsung as a luxury brand that offers better service. Nevertheless, LG is still famous for its reliability. But LG is perceived as the underdog as they always seem to lack in the marketing dept. There's a Korean meme that laughs at LG's marketing campaign which always seems to be underappreciated by Samsung's for some reason.
Interesting fact, Electrolux now own Westinghouse, which I beleive was orignally an American brand but has been very popular in Australia for decades. Their ovens are still built in Australia. Probably the last appliance that is actually being built here. I wonder for how much longer.
Westinghouse exited the US appliance market in the mid 70’s. The trademark here ended up being owned by CBS, now Paramount. There are some small appliances and TV’s in the US that now license the Westinghouse name, but they’re just cheap garbage. Westinghouse was probably the most reliable and innovative brand/manufacturer of the mid century. My grandmother still has a full suite of kitchen appliances along with the iconic Westinghouse laundromat and clothes dryer, all purchased in the late 50’s, still running strong.
One thing I will say about anyone thinking of buying GE appliances, their warranties are very strict(not consumer friendly) at least from 2009-2014 while I was repairing these appliances. I had a customer with an appliance just 1 day out of warranty and GE would not even supply the part at no charge . Oh yeah, this experience was while I was working for an appliance company that had been a GE sales representative for about 10 years before I joined the company. Just my 2 cents, keep up the good info brother .
My ge dishwasher broke just outside the one year warranty. Called them up and they extended warranty 3 months. They we’re going to repair, then got a call from them and they are just going to refund me the money. Put that money towards a Bosch
I’m an HVAC installer, when installing certain brands, they give us multiple badges depending on which one we sold the customer. It’s a Rheem? Here’s a Rheem sticker to go over the American label. Sears was the worst for this. People were literally paying 3k more for a Kenmore sticker or plastic badge. I had a helper get caught changing the badge once, the customer swore it was us trying to swap equipment to sell his better equipment and pocket the $. Sorry buddy Sears took you for a ride not us!
When ordering appliances for my new kitchen I initially thought of buying GE, but passed on it when I learned that they were bought out by the Chinese. GE just sold its light bulb component too. When it comes to small appliances I now buy used made in the U.S. units on eBay. They last.
You missed out. I’m in Canada mind you but 15 years in the appliance service industry. When it comes to quality they are mostly the same. What matters is customer service and serviceability. In these aspects GE is number one and that hasn’t changed since Haier bought majority shares.
@@SagaSakura That's a good question! My Apple MacBook Pro is going on 10 years old and I have no plans to replace it. Still works great. I had to purchase a new IPhone 12 Max last year when I lost my IPhone 7-Plus. The 12 is garbage. Locks up constantly. Sometimes won't charge. This is the first mobile phone I've ever had that gave me problems. Where were these manufactured? I have no idea. But when I have problems with a brand I stop buying it. The major problem I had with GE was that I couldn't get the convection oven without paying another $500 for a useless air fryer in the oven. I also couldn't get the size refrigerator/top freezer I wanted in a basic model without ice maker or water dispenser. Chinese manufacturing problems crop up more often in small appliances, like toasters. They look pretty, they last 2-3 years. Plus the bottom line is that I really don't want to support a communist regime that engages in all kinds of atrocities. There are still opportunities to buy used if I can't get what I want new.
Thank you Ben! I remember that I had to replace the oven control unit on a Whirpool stove that I used to have (because a tropical lizard decided to move in and shorted it out) and ended up paying close to a hundred dollars less on a genuine FSP (Whirlpool) replacement unit that fit perfectly but wasn't branded "Whirlpool" because it was aimed at fixing Amana and other cheaper stove brands. Oh my dear! My stove doesn't carry a brand anymore! 😅
Some stores are really proud of their Whirlpool-built 'Conservator" and 'Crosley' models and price them accordingly. And remember the slogan, "KENMORE: SOLID AS SEARS"?
I remember when I use to swear by Whirlpool appliances or appliances (old Kenmores) that were made by Whirlpool. I ditched them on washing machines about 10 years ago. Unfortunately for me, after much research on dishwashers I recently purchased a Kitchenaid dishwasher as part of my kitchen remodel. It sat for a bit (3 months) waiting for remodel to start. Of course, when it was finally hooked up, it didn't work. I am not a happy camper. After this, I'm definitely done with anything in the Whirlpool line. Thanks for putting out this video.
I worked for GE Appliances and I can assure you that the majority of all GE large appliances like washers, dryers, refrigerators, ovens and stoves are made in Louisville Kentucky. Haier bought GE Appliances but kept all manufacturing of these appliances in Louisville. Haier has actually brought innovation and technology to GE.
Love it. The very same thing exists for water heaters. American Water Heaters out of TN manufactures models for MANY brands and has done so for years now.
There is nothing fake about brands. We love brands in the USA because they mean something to us. You can get a brand that stands for economy if that is what you want, and you can buy a brand that stands for luxury if that makes you feel good. Brand engineering and selling between companies is just a way of life for US companies. My suggestion is that you get what you want, but know where it is built. I do not suggest buying any machines from China or exotic brands from around the world.
@@svn5994 Do you prefer Best Foods or Hellman's mayonnaise? The two brands are the exact same product made by the same company. Do you think those brands are fake?
Best refrigerator design is a either a side by side or a French door refrigerator with an inside water dispenser and an ice maker inside the freezer drawer. Also quality long lasting refrigerators either has a tecumseh, a danfoss, or a Copeland compressor and top of the line fridges even have 2 compressors 1 for the fridge side and 1 for the freezer side. My parents once had a 1993 Kitchenaid refrigerator that is basically a rebadged Subzero. It could’ve had its defrost heater replaced but my parents replaced it. It could’ve lasted longer if it had been replaced with a noisy Electrolux that lasted less than 90 days and they warranty claimed it, got their money back, and bought a Kenmore which is an okay refrigerator. The Kitchenaid is very quiet and the coils can be cleaned without scooting the fridge/freezer because of a top access panel that makes getting to the compressors and condenser coils easy.
There really need to be a law that says that U.S., or indeed any western companies cannot be sold to China or other offshore entities that end up controlling our branding and purchasing power for our own countries.
I never thought I could spend hours watching a man talk about appliances but here I am
I appreciate it!
welcome to adulthood! LOL
You should watch technology connections 😅
TLDR?
😊 Still using my "Kenmore" washer and dryer purchased in 1995. Haven't had a single issue until this year when I had to replace the agitator dogs. $5 - did the repair myself. 😉
Those Kenmore washer machines were likely made by Whirlpool. My parents owned a Series 80 Wahing Machine and gas dryer for almost 20 years. I remember I joined my dad to Sears to pick them up back in 2001.
They were Whirlpool made. The Washing machine case and lid rusted out but the motor ran strong until the very end.
The dryer was sold recently in good shape and running condition.
@@engineer_alvto reduce the lid and case are so easy and free. If you see one being thrown away that’s similar ( most all in those years fit each other. I’ve done it and it turned a $80 washer into a $200. washer just by changing out the case. Only a couple screws and 2 clamps hold the case and lid together
The older ones like yours are the best and easiest to work on
i still have my original kenmore dryer from 1994 sold the washer after ten years it was too small should have kept it only thing i fixed on washer was dogs like yours and a piece of wire from my pocket got into drain pump but that was not washers' fault only 100 bucks for a new pump.
Similar here: I have a GE Microwave, bought in 1996, still operating although some paint is peeling in the oven interior. Also a GE Washer and Dryer bought in 1998, also still operating fine. A Kenmore sewing machine, bought in 1984, runs fine and I still have all the accessories that came with it. A Grundig Studiotone console HI-FI/SW in a Teak cabinet, bought in 1967 - running but needs some cleaning internally.
I really love this series. Brand names and the companies that own them are a topic that people dismiss way too easily. Thank you for covering it!
Maybe something about aftermarket parts, much like is done with vehicles.
My Kenmore washer and dryer, bought new by my mom, built by Whirlpool are 51 years old and work fine. I was a Sears repair guy.
You are not ugly...you are a beautiful being who cares about people, and integrity, and good design and on behalf of everyone who cares in the good way, we appreciate you!
The sad part is Kitchen Aid was started by Hobart. I have a Kitchen Aid dishwasher from 1980. It still has Hobart’s name on it. It still works perfect today in 2022
Ben Ben Ben ohhh Ben, I don’t know how else to say this to you other than just giving it to you straight and honest like you do , but I think you need to know something about these videos you make. As I am a appliance tech myself as of about 8 yrs now , and I’m here to tell you and anyone who is reading this, because it needs to be said , and that is the fact that you seriously do a absolutely amazing job on all of these videos !!! And I mean that whole heartedly and honest as I can be , as you really know your info and you know a lot about the specifics of particular model designs and their individual “personalities” so to say , things that are in reference to the commonalities and frequent issues that the different model designs and platforms have from one to the other that only someone who works on a lot of units would ever know !!! Keep it up dude !! I like your personality, and especially the one thing that is truely very uncommon to find in the majority of people, and that is the fact that anyone and everyone that deals with you or watches your videos just knows that you are a honest and fair guy !! Not sure exactly what it is , but that’s okay because it’s just literally you and I can tell that is just how you are !!! That is a valuable character trait , don’t let this world change that about you or harden you in any way !!’ You are a pleasure to watch and I’m sure a pleasure to do business with in person!!
*singsong* Someone's got a man-crush Seriously though, as a cheap ass who likes to get as much out of appliances as possible, I totally agree man. I recently re-pump-ified my dish washing machine and really struggled finding parts. All the pumps for GE dish washers looked the same, but were specific to each model or groups of models. Do you know of any sort of part cross reference guide or something? My best guess was the difference was the electrical connections, but I'm not familiar enough with these to have much confidence in that guess. I did find a NOS but I was really getting tempted to order a look-similar unit and bust out the soldering gun and the crimp connectors.
💯 agree 🔥🔥🔥🔥
ZLINE is a new brand out of China that copies high end US/European products. Very questionable quality, not parts available, puts your neighbors out of a job.
That could have all been one sentence.
Ben, you stand alone when it comes to educating the consumer on appliances. No doubt that you have saved your viewers tens of thousands of dollars and that includes me. You provide an unmatched channel and I simply can’t thank you enough.
This video was long overdue. Thank you so much for doing this! The appliance manufacturers are sure not open with this information; but those of us who have worked in repair and/or parts sales have had to deal with so much lack of consumer education in this area, it's ridiculous. I've fielded so many calls from some very, *very* angry customers who ordered parts for their KitchenAid appliance, only to have it say "Whirlpool" when it arrives. And don't even get me started on Kenmore. For parts availability, I would avoid anything made by Haier (which includes GE) and anything made by LG - basically anything made in China or South Korea. The parts aren't terrible, and LG parts are often very inexpensive; but they're *very* hard to get and are discontinued much sooner than parts made in other areas of the world. Built-in obsolescence is a real thing. Why discuss parts when consumers are buying expensive appliances which should last decades? Because they won't last 10 years and you'll be lucky to get 5 years out of most of them.
I really appreciate your kind words. Like I mentioned, I had a huge number of people arguing or asking about Kitchenaid and Kenmore (mostly) and figured... Why not talk about them. Its a lot like cars. I was shocked when I pulled the door on my Hyundai Sonata apart and found Kia guts in it, but it then made sense that so many other industries/companies pull this stuff. May as well make sure people know what is what.
@@bensappliancesandjunk , well, you're doing a real public service here. This video - as so many of your others - should be required viewing for anyone wanting to buy an appliance. Keep up the amazing work!
This reminds me of the huge controversy in the 70's when it was publicized that people were paying Oldsmobile prices for a car with a Chevy engine.
@@bensappliancesandjunk What was Whirlpool's laundry luxury brand?
@@TheOtherBill i thought the same thing while watching the video...we even had chevy dealers saying the only difference between the Chevy Monte Carlo and the Olds Cutlass was the emblem on the hood while he ripped it off....and said, Now they are the same ....and as a mechanic myself, ALL the parts were the same from car to car, EVERYTHING...i guess the appliance industry finally caught up
Thanks Ben! This explains the big difference In the quality of our recently defunct Kenmore, vs our older one that worked perfectly (in an unairconditioned house!) for 20+ years! Now i know what to look for. Good job.
Thanks for the reminder that only five companies literally own everything in the world. I bet if you go far enough Disney owns all of it.
More like nestle
Black rock or Berkshire
Huh?
u mean the nwo devil worshipers pedofiles
Disney, the true enemy of the people.
We recently replace this kitchen aid refrigerator . It was about 4K and the repair was about 2k , the ice Machine motor went out and the middle left drawer has a separate cool Evaporator controller that water got into the seal , which this drawer it’s located below the ice/water dispenser . So we ended buying a GE refrigerator you listed from previous video from AJ Madison. Thanks for the recommendation s.
Thanks for the information. Our family owned a Whirlpool side by side that was made in 1972. This model had an Amana motor. That's what the repairman told my parents. This acquisition thing must have started in the 1970's It lasted 31 years.
I don't recall who built our Kenmore side-by-side fridge, which we purchased in 1988, but it lasted some 31 years when we replaced it with a Whirlpool side-by-side. Hope this one lasts as long!
@@gcfifthgear it will not
Funny thing about that side by side. Whirlpool made their own but only up to 22 cubic feet. The bigger ones at that time were subbed out. Kinda threw a wrench in the works for a while for us having parts on the truck for them. No doubt though they were a quality unit.
Still running an '86 Maytag dryer. The matching washer gave up a couple years ago but we replaced it with a commercial variety Speedqueen and zero complaints.
Wow you did a great job covering all the companies, i’m sure a lot of consumers out there should appreciate this!
Maytag is just another fancy whirlpool in sheep's clothing.
I mentioned this in one of your other videos. THANK YOU for covering this, most people are clueless to the one megacorp making all these brands that have destroyed the reputations they used to have.
Yep! You and others were instrumental in me putting this video out. Sometimes I have ideas like this one, but then commenters like you help validate the idea to prove "Hey, I should make the video on that".
@@bensappliancesandjunk Don't forget about Kenmore and Westinghouse. Kenmore washers were built by whirlpool for a long time. Westinghouse is just another frigidaire.
Can you make a video on the high end brands such as Viking, sub-zero, wolf, Miele, Gaggeneu & why they are extremely expensive….does the cost really make them that much better of a product
I bought a cheap Chinese Haier compact HLP23 clothes washer in 2009. It has never had an issue and still works great today. The tension/suspension rods wore out so I fixed them with a piece of bicycle innertube rubber in the pinch point to increase friction. If anything breaks I probably won't be able to find parts ...but it doesn't break😁
I replaced my struts on my Samsung washer twice now. $35 on Amazon!
Many years ago I worked in the accounts department of a very large UK retailer. I had a lot of knowledge of returns to manufacturers. Although times change I think that the quality culture of the companies is the same.
This summarises my UK experiences:
Whirlpool Corporation products are ok, but not great. However avoid their Indesit brand.
Electrolux and all its brands are ok. They have made Lewis's own brands, but you typically get an extra two or three years of warranty. This is maybe the sweet spot between price and quality.
Bosch are ok, but their basic fridges are great.
Beko are not good quality, but a very basic model could serve a place if there are few moving parts.
Candy was then and is now junk.
Miele are utterly fantastic, but you pay for it upfront. We had incredibly few returns.
I have no information on Samsung or LG.
All the best everyone.
Bosch (Siemens) has had quite some problems with their fridges (rusting and breaking coolant pipes, sometimes after only a few years especially when they were moved or transported) for the last 20 years or so. They also had a few years worth of production of dishwashers that tended to go up in flames spontaneously. While their recall mostly prevented the underlying issue from resulting in a fire, in my opinion they never fixed the underlying issue so they would still have failed often - but with less deadly results. While that's only two structural flaws, I think those are indicative of cost cutting, which is unacceptable since they still sell at a premium.
@@mjouwbuis Really good to know. Thanks.
You do a great job presenting. Love your dry sense of humor as well as your valuable expertise.
Very informative video, as an appliance technician of 15 yrs now I have to say you nailed it with all the brands and sub brands that are good and bad. I have only 1 disagreement and 1 addition. I think Samsung refrigerators are better than the LG only because the linear compressor in the LG and many Kenmore tends to fail often. Trust me, I've replaced a ton of them. And as far as Bosch goes, the additional brand they now own is Thermador...keep up with the great vids 👍
My LG fridge's compressor busted just before 5 yr warranty ran out. So I got a brand new one for free. More or less doubling the life of my unit. Best case scenario in my view.
But if the second compressor plunks out in the same time frame then I would only have gotten 10 yrs out of my fridge, which is not really acceptable.
As a appliance repair guy, it's funny watching people's reaction when I tell them that whirlpool built (name your brand here) appliance. It's also upsetting to me that these companies can get away with charging more money for "a name brand" simply because, meanwhile it's as cheaply made as the bottom line stuff...
But hey... It keeps me employed, and I will gladly repair whatever comes my way...
Great video, great information!!!
In Europe, you can find AEG (Electrolux) and Miele which are high end brands. Miele is its own brand and their products are very good. You pay a lot more but it will work for a decade or more without any trouble, be it a dishwasher or a vacuum cleaner.
**DISH CLEANER** OR **VACUUM WASHER!;**
Miele is in North American as well but not as common.
Frigidaire I think is owned by Electrolux
A few years back I got a Kenmore front load washer which was an LG, but in their sale it was 25% cheaper than the same model from any LG dealer. It was so good that I waited till Sears had a super sale and got another one a further 10% less for my lady friend. They have both done very well. Meanwhile my Sears canister vac - recommended by Consumer Reports - is a Panasonic. CR also recommends Whirlpool dish washers and IKEAs which are in fact made by Whirlpool, but when IKEA have super sales, their dishwashers are cheaper than any equivalent Whirlpool you can find.
and now Panasonic does not make Kenmore vacs anymore.
I got a Panasonic microwave from around 5/6years and it sems indestructible. Previously I owned a Samsung microwave that fell apart piece by piece (in his third year) until it stopped working altogether.
@@souljastation5463 Agree. My Panasonic uwave is 20+ years and going strong.
Kenmore never built anything ever!!from the beginning
Most IKEA appliances in general are the lowest quality output you can get from a manufacturer. My ex-wife used to buy a lot of stuff from IKEA and the only things that lastet more than 2-3 years where the LED-bulbs/-spotlights
*Ben, thank you for drilling down on this critical issue. In pulling the loose strings and unraveling the branding scams you revealed the miscreants behind them. Saved for future reference. Thank you for the brief shout out to LA's Rooftop Koreans. Respect!*
I've worked on some of the newer GE/Haiers and I can tell you their quality control has dropped significantly. I've seen crimped evaporator tubes, screws that were kinda hanging out of the casing when they had no business being there, and dryers that were burning their wires out. I used to think Samsung was the king dookie of turd mountain, but I've never seen one of those polished turds that I thought was a fire hazard.
Great video, thanks. I stopped buying GE appliances about 30 years because their quality was going downhill & repair history were pretty bad, I switched to Whirlpool & Kitchen Aid. As a DIY guy, this appliances were extremely easy to work on & repair, and in my opinion they were engineered with the repairman in mind!!!
In my opinion GE laundry was always junk and hard to work on to boot. Having to remove the dryer tub to change a heating element was for the birds and don't even get me started on tub boots or clutches on the really old style washers. I worked for a Whirlpool dealer with a Sears beside us and a furniture store selling GE along with Maytag a few doors down. The Sears was same as ours to work on but the GE stuff was a nightmare. Furniture store went out of business about the time I started working for my appliance guy but their junk haunted me for years servicing it.
I inherited some appliances from the previous owners of my house. Kenmore (Frigidaire made) range and Whirlpool washer/dryer set.
I've had to DIY repair the range and the washer and I've found both relatively easy to work on. I'm actually very impressed with the Whirlpool washer and how solid it seems to be built as it was a brand I never gave much thought to before.
Amana has a very interesting history, they made the first upright freezers you opened from the side (up to that point, all in-home freezers that weren't for commercial use were top opening only), they also made the first consumer micro-wave and the first side by side refrigerator. They were their own company till 1997 when they were bought by Goodman Manufacturing and then sold a few years later to Alliance (the makers of Speed Queen commercial washers and driers) before being sold again to Maytag (though there is some confusion on when and how Amana was sold to Maytag or even Alliance, the lineage is hard to trace correctly) who was itself (along with Amana) then acquired by Whirlpool though again, there is some mix up on what parts of Amana were bought and sold and some information clames that certain "divisions" of Amana exist as parts of other companies, it's quite confusing, it's like trying to trace who owns RCA or Atari now.
Amana made excellent window air conditioners too. We had one that lasted 23 yrs.
Amana was also owned by Raytheon for a long while, at least until the 90s.
I recenly retired an Amana refrigerator purchased in the early 90s. It was great and very reliable until the end. Thing weighed a ton and we removed the doors to make it reasonable to move out.
Amana Radar range
Goodman now owned by daikin still makes ammana ac units.
Bosch also owns Thermador. We did a kitchen remodel a few years ago with an entire high end Thermador kitchen. The dishwasher was great. It was quiet, efficient and fast. The cooktop was average at best. The star shaped gas burners were gimmicky and really didn’t stack up to the Wolf we’d had previously. The double oven was great, although the controls were counterintuitive and the soft buttons were not easy to actuate. The worst was French Door fridge with the bottom freezer. This unit had the doors that if you give them a little push would open automatically. This became a pain in the butt if you got too close while walking by. Despite the fact that this was a massive, tall, wide unit, it had a surprisingly small storage capacity. My daughter named it “Jenga fridge,” because every time you went to take something out something would fall out somewhere else. We’ve since moved and I don’t miss the high end kitchen one bit.
Dude. You are hilarious. Have I been fixing things my whole life? Yes. Were these topics guaranteed to pull me in? Oh you betcha. But some things I watch in spite of who's presenting them, just because I'm interested and am doing dishes or something. Am I about to do some dishes? That's 3 for 3 in the yes department. But I'll be listening to you because I want to.
I have a maytag extra capacity washer purchased in 1986. The only maintenance it needed was belt replacement a couple of times. Believe me it has been used hard.
I used to like Kenmore because they used to give you a great manual with circuit diagrams and an Illustrated Parts Breakdown with part numbers. Very valuable for homeowners, especially before the internet. I also heard they would upgrade the specs of the units produced by the various corps. Thanks for a great vid.
Yes, I used to work for them in the 80's & Sears would make the Whirlpool factory re-manufacture & upgrade parts that broke too often. That was then...different world now!
Some of what you said was true but not sure about the "Upgrade" part, possibly in some cases. But they were built to their specifications for sure at least as far as with Whirlpool. Also they were bought with absolutely NO warranty from Whirlpool. They saved money by buying them that way and providing the warranty themselves.
I'm still running a baby blue Roper which is made or owned by whirlpool and an incredibly old GE dryer. Both are working like they did on day one. Wife wanted to update them and they'll continue to work for 3 more years. But that was 3 years ago and still running great.
Hey Ben! Love your channel. You’ve put together some great info here. I think most people are just trying find an appliance that will last 15-20 years, or indefinitely, like the ones from the 60s, 70s and 80s did. It’s a shame American manufacturing of appliances has deteriorated to this point. Sure they want to make money. But many of them have forgotten to take care of their customers. Thanks for the great info.
Nothing will last 15-20 years anymore. People don’t want to pay for that quality.
In the 70’S yes you could buy a fridge and know it would get you 30 years. But that fridge (at least here in Canada ) cost you $1000. That was when you could buy a car for 5k and a house for 35k.
Right now today that same basic fridge last you 8-10 years tops. But it still only costs you $1000. While the equivalent car cost 40k and the house well into the hundreds of thousands.
For decades people have been demanding cheaper products. The manufactures have the people what they wanted. Now look where we are.
@@arcanetrigger828 of course, prices have exploded in the last 15 years. But why should quality have sunk to the low levels we see today? Probably due mostly to microprocessor use instead of mechanical controls, plus the moving of appliance manufacture to Mexico and China. If Speed Queens are being snapped up at $2000 or more per unit, t looks like there's a good market for well-made, though pricey, appliances.
My point was the price of everything has gone up but not in the appliance industry. At least not anywhere near the extent of anything else. That move to keep prices down is why quality has dropped.
15 years in the industry. I see it every day. We show people the cheap stuff explain 4-5 years at best. And we show them the good stuff (speed queen is sold as Huebsch here) and most often they ignore the 5 year warranty and better quality and opt for the cheap one instead. ($700 ish to $1500)
Of course they are always mad when they break down. Lol.
@@johnlandacre767 The more I watch these videos the more convinced I am putting out 2600 for a speed queen washer and dryer might be well worth it.
Love this guy. Just a man who is passionate about appliances. So wholesome.
I have been an appliance service company owner and tech for close to 40 years. You give good solid information....I am always happy to see your videos. Years ago Amana was owned by Raytheon...which could have been part of Alliance also. The modern mechanical SQ is a version of the old Amana...AND SQ. I never saw SQ back in the 90s...but there were LOADS of Amanas...and they were VERY GOOD. I fixed a thousand of them. People still think Maytag is the old durable machine of yesteryear. The only positives are the warranties...usually. a Maytag refrigerator...thats a Whirlpool inside gets a factory 5 or 10 year sealed system warranty...instead on one. Of course you cant get anyone from Whirlpool to repair under warranty...and I understand that their factory service is being closed. Giant step backwards.
The idea for the microwave oven came from the Raytheon test labs. A technician working with microwave equipment discovered that the chocolate bar in his pocket melted.
Wow did not expect this very valuable information Ben! I guess many of us without this knowledge had been fooled and waste our money unnecessary. Can you make a list of good budget brand/model to buy for each category?
Not only are these videos amazingly informative, they are also intriguing and entertaining to a perfect degree. Not to mention the outfit, which commands respect. Keep at it Ben!
You are such a good communicator of your content. Thanks for sharing your in depth knowledge. I love you didn't chuck grandma's refrigerator; memories reside in things. And those old timers could have bought something 40 years newer, but they were frugal and value oriented. I admire a unit so aimed at durability it is still chugging along. She and grandad didn't need more. They happily made do. I am sure they are both proud of you.
Surprised Miele didn’t make the list. Own the same Olympus vacuum for 15 years and it’s still kicking glad to see they’re becoming more common in the us
On my second Miele vacuum...Love it. First one lasted over 15 years.
Nothing else can touch the quality of the Miele. The issue is now that the entry level appliances ( Vacuum cleaners ) are made in China ( not good ).. The German made appliances are more expensive and longer lasting.
My first Miele vacuum lasted about 20 years. On my second, I love it.
I am currently binging your informative videos.
It is the sweeetest thing when you say "my smoking hot wife"
My heart just melts hearing you say that. Melts, in a good way.
Not in the "my appliance is a fire hazard" way.
None of the Whirlpool washers made in Mexico are sold in the US. I work there. Sorry to disappoint you. They are for the local market. Also, no Maytag brand washers are made in Mexico. Those come exclusively from the US Maytag factory
I thought it was kind of strange that he mentioned that knowing one of my po had made in Springfield Ohio on it.
Do not try to protect your interests. You are full of shit
Where does Whirlpool make the appliances they used to make in the Evansville factory they shut down?
Whirlpool dishwashers are made in Findlay, OH! But that's all I know.
Worked there for 13 years and washers were made in Clyde Ohio and dryers in Marion Ohio. I don't think that has changed, but I've been away a while.
In Europe, Whirlpool bought Indesit and Ariston and pretty much everything is Indesit. They turned Ariston (premium brand) to budget Hotpint. Some Bosch top load 40cm machines were Whirpool to.
I am with you on this one, get the cheapest possible that suits your needs (unless money is no object).
Thank you so much for pointing everything out, you are awesome!
A lot of the Bosch brands have their own factories. Gaggenau have their own manufacturing and assembly plants for the majority of their appliances. It’s a pretty amazing spot in southern Germany.
Sorry , but no. I own several gaggenau appliances, one of them is a Side by Side fridge, that in reality, its a rebranded Amana, made in USA. Other stuff is domino cooktop made by balay in Zaragoza, Spain…… so not Made in Germany as a standard
@@honestguy7764 interesting, all the ovens and cooktops we have had installed have all been made in Germany. Will keep an eye out on the next project to check the other appliances and see where they are made 👍
The US don't get quality products. They are used to overpriced shit.
Another very informative and entertaining video about home appliances. I love the cheeky comments interspersed amongst the very detailed descriptions of products and manufacturers. That crack about Madea was a hoot! Haierlujer! 😀
It seems like Whirlpool is really the last major American appliance maker, and all other brands sold here are just subsidiaries of either Whirlpool, Haier, or Electrolux.
It's also interesting that there seem to be quite a few Korean and Chinese appliance brands, but I've never seen a Japanese-made major appliance here in the US. My experience with Japanese small appliances and products in general is extremely positive, and I know that quite a few companies make and sell major appliances in Japan, such as Sharp, Panasonic, Toshiba, and Mitsubishi. I think it's a shame that they don't sell appliances in the US, because in my experience they are significantly higher quality than those from Korean and Chinese companies.
Yes Japanese is superior to all of the junk from china👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎
Hitachi used to be an excellent Japanese brand. I think the Japanese appliance brands have withdrawn from international markets because they couldn't compete on price with the others. They probably refused to lower their standards in the race to the bottom.
Just like Toyotas
Toshiba doesn't exist outside Japan, Midea bought the rights to "Toshiba Lifestyle". Sharp sold out to Foxconn in 2016. Panasonic's US appliances are from China, particularly their microwaves.
Sub-Zero is an American company
Your videos helped me select a Speed Queen washer when our 19 year old Maytag failed the main bearing. I was up to repair it, but the main seal is no longer available... so it was orphaned. No hope of repair anymore.
When it comes to prices between Bosch and Siemens appliances, at least here in Germany, if they have the same components, they are usually sold for the same prices. You can expect slightly higher prices with their brands Neff and Constructa, which they usually market more towards furniture stores that sell integrated kitchens.
If you read up on their fairly simply type number scheme (which is usually explained in their catalogues), you can easily tell which machines of the different brands have the same parts in them. There are just slight variations from brand to brand, e.g. you might find a Bosch freezer called GSN58AWDV and the same exact model is sold by Siemens as GS58NAWDV. With washing machine they sometimes do change it up a bit, for example machines with a 1400 rpm spin cycle usually start with WM14 (the 14 denoting the spin cycle) with Siemens and Bosch uses WAX28 (i.e. doubling the first two numbers of the spin cycle).
Anyway, it is a fairly easy way to find out what you're getting with BSH (=Bosch Siemens Hausgeräte or Bosch Siemens Householdappliances) between their different brands if you are aware of their naming conventions.
WOW! That was an eye opener. Great information in this video and some funny references. I wish John Candy was still with us. He really was a funny guy
When it comes to kitchen or laundry appliances I always go for extremely widely distributed contactor grade units. The more they make, the easier it will be to get parts. So far it's worked and I've always been able to get a part within a few days. If I had to wait much longer than that, I would just junk it out and get a new one. Life is too short to have to deal with not having a functioning major appliance for an appreciable length of time.
Thanks for the information. I've only bought two brands new: Amana fridge and Bosch washer and dryer. I only bought used throw-away appliances previously but got lucky with the new ones by doing some research. .. Cheers to you. ..
I work in the wholesale appliance market, and let us just say Whirlpool has ruined quite a few brands. Also, their b/o issues are legendary, as are their recall issues
Enjoyed watching this video clip. It is a well researched presentation. Thanks and good luck.
About 30 years ago LG was branded as Goldstar in the US...
...Also, I rember my grandparents having a couple of ColdSpot refrigerators when I was growing up... Both only got replaced because they were old, not because they were broken. One was replaced around 2003, the other was in service until about 2009
Others long gone that I have seen include Zenith and Philco.
LG is the merger between Lucky Chemicals (Lak-Hui) and Goldstar, thats how you get Lucky-Goldstar (LG).
Coldspot basically falls under the Kenmore description. Sears used the Coldspot name for their fridges and air conditioners until the mid 70’s and then started branding them under the Kenmore name like the rest of their appliances. Coldspot was just a rebadged Whirlpool product.
I liked zenith
I really love your videos! They’re very accessible, and you break things down in a way that’s understandable
After 3 Kitchenaid dishwashers being disappointing, I went with Maytag. Sure hope it is more reliable!
Thanks Ben, you 100% saved us from buying disposable appliances. Our old fridge & range is 16-25 yrs old and still working (made in the US). The new set arrives in 1 week and am curious where they were made & how long they will last...
I've been lucky. My main refrigerator is about 20+ years old -- it's a GE Profile. The price wasn't too bad, because at the time the company I work for was owned by them, so we received a sort of employee discount. Also, my washer & dryer are front loading Kenmore units that are also about 20+ years old. The model numbers are 110, so they're made by Whirlpool in Germany. It's a very rare sight to see any appliances here marked "MADE IN GERMANY". The quality is certainly there. On the other side of the coin, however, about 2.5 years ago, I bought a Summit beverage refrigerator. What a pile of junk! It's a cheap Chinese unit (I thought Summit was a good brand), and has been nothing but trouble. To start with, the controls go down to 36*F, but the unit will only reach 42*F on a good day. I complained under warranty and they sent out a "repair tech" who butchered the thing and only replaced the thermostat sensor (hint -- it didn't fix the issue). He didn't even do that right because at just under 2 years old, it started beeping and displayed an E1 error (temperature sensor). After complaining to Summit about what a piece of $#!t this thing is, they sent me a new control board and thermostat sensor. While replacing the sensor I found the problem -- when the "technician" that "fixed" it replaced the temp sensor, they simply butt spliced a new one in place and somehow managed to cut through most of the wire strands, and the wire eventually broke at the splice. I repaired it correctly with silicone filled insulation displacement connectors . Then the circulating fans started to get noisy about a month later, so I had to replace both of them. A few weeks ago, the temperature started rising inside, and I noticed that opening the door would not turn off the fans or turn on the light. The front control panel had died, but the display still worked. You could not adjust the temperature, and none of the buttons worked, and the compressor just kept running 24/7 and no defrost cycles. The temperature rise was because it had started building up ice on the evaporator coil and couldn't flow air. Luckily I still had the control board they sent me when it died with the E1 error, so that fixed it. This overpriced piece of crap has broken down more times in a little over 2 years than my GE has in it's entire 20+ year life.
I come for the info and I stay for the comedy. Uncle Buck..priceless 😂
The biggest crossover was when GM sold off Frigidaire. They were some of the best products ever made. General Motors appliances were/are a bear to fix...bevause they seldom break. I use the analogy of working on a Peterbilt...a bear to repair but almost never breaks.
Peterbilts break. Trust me. If they make trucks, sure enough an idiot will find his or her way behind the wheel.
I always found working on peterbilts was the easiest of all. They have forward set axles, so everything under the hood is accessible. The entire engine can be seen by popping the hood. Pete’s and long hood kenworth trucks are the easiest trucks to work on.
@@Seveneleven44 I was talking about taking the engine apart
I'm pretty sure if GM kept making appliances, they would just get Daewoo to build them. Same as their cars.
@@dgurevich1 these days I think you are 100percent correct
Cool channel and content. Good to see someone new making appliance content.
I see you've been doing it a while now. I found your channel from a UA-cam suggestion. That was probably because my phone heard me talking about how new washers are made to break. Considering I wasn't searching UA-cam for any repair videos.
Subscribed
Your videos are a real resource for the consumer looking to get to the heart of who makes what and what will last. I have Hotpoint appliances but they were made before 2008. I do have a Haier window A/C unit. It seems to be made a bit more cheaply than some other brands, but it's pushing 14 years old and keeps going and going. So for a China brand, maybe they're not all that terrible.
I don't know. Had a haier washer/dryer combo. The dryer went out at 6 months and they wanted some ridiculous price for what should have been warrenty repair. The washer last two years. Didn't even bother to try having it fixed after our experience with the dryer. Not a fan.
Same with me. I have a 海尔 (Haier) air conditioner that is from 2014. The seals are broken, but otherwise, it still works pretty well.
I was in Monterrey, Mexico on business, and we drove by a HUGE factory, and I'll never forget the sign out front: it had almost EVERY appliance brand logo on it: Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Amana, etc.
probably the Cartel is involved too.
Hey Ben! I must say I love the fact that I stumbled across your channel: your videos are fantastic! Have you ever thought of making some kind of a diagram of all of the appliance companies and their sub-brands? It's definitely hard for me to keep them all straight out there, and you definitely know your stuff.
When I was in the Navy in the late 70's we had a pretty huge catalog of all corporations, who they owned, and who owned them. Ithought it was an invaluable reference and remeber being very surprised at the data. I believe it was in 2 large volumes. My guess is it might be somewhere on the net or the library?
Great job tracking down all of the corporate histories. bBand that were not mentioned were Aga, Thermador, Wolf, Sub Zero and Viking not to mention the newer Z Line out of Southern California -- now all of these are very high end but would be nice to know their present state of affairs. Thanks for the info.
Ben, I've been a subscriber now for about a week and have found your videos to be very informative. I have a question for you about Hisense and Asko. My old dishwasher died about a year ago, and I ended up purchasing an Asko dishwasher. A few months afterwards, I found out that Asko was owned by Hisense. I am curious, do you know approximately when Hisense acquired Asko?
BTW, I'm very happy with the Asko dishwasher. It cleans much better than the previous dishwasher that I had bought 20 years before ever did. I bought the Asko from a reputable local appliance store, and not from a big box chain store.
Sometimes you gotta cut content to make it snappy, but I know the answer on that one for sure. Its been bought out and passed around for a very long time. In 2010, it was bought out by the Slovenian Gorenje Group. In 2013, they moved the factories from Sweden to Slovenia. In 2018, HiSense bought out whatever stake they could in the Gorenje Group (Asko+Mora Moravia and a few smaller brands). It seems then its kept its factories in Slovenia, and is adding more factories around Ljubljana for the entire HiSense line.
So chances are, its made in Slovenia. In the US, Hisense are basically known as "No Nonsense" brand appliances. They work pretty well and are very straightforward to fix/repair with basic cheap parts. Not every acquisition is terrible, maybe this one will be OK.
@@bensappliancesandjunk Thank you for the information. I'm in my seventies and have always associated Asko as a Swedish brand, so I was surprised last year when I learned that Hisense owned it. I appreciate your response, knowledge and information, and enjoy your videos. You also have a good sense of humor. Thanks again!
Great timing! Was just out yesterday looking for a new fridge. Looking at the bottom freezer drawer styles. Hisense and Midea (and Insignia) coming in our price range and was wondering how much "you get what you pay for" are we looking at.
Looking for something with very few features (to break) and parts that are available. Have managed to keep my GE & Inglis frost free fridges along for many years (replacing timers, defrost elements and fan motors myself) - but alas the 25+ year old Inglis is struggling to cool and appears to be pining for the fjords as they say.
I'm pretty sure the washer & dryer I bought last month are the real deal. I got a Speed Queen TC5003WN and the matching DC5 dryer. I'm happy with them so far. I don't have any GE appliances except for a toaster oven, but I can tell you that a lot of them are still made in the USA at a place called Appliance Park in Louisville, Kentucky. Before Haier bought GE they were almost purchased by a European company called Electrolux so I'm not sure they were using Haier parts long before their acquisition. Also, while I know major appliances from Samsung are crap, I can't rate their TV's highly enough. I've owned/still own 4 of them, my oldest being one I bought at HH Gregg back in 2012 and its picture is still as crisp and sharp as ever.
Samsung, does make a great television, but washers and dryers are garbage. I own a set, getting rid of them. I got mines used, I usually never buy second hand, someone else's problems you inherit. I did with both pieces. It cost to much to repair, so I am buying commercial grade. It cost more, but I am older, my last set.
@@shereemorgan1430 That was my thinking in getting the Speed Queen set I bought last month. I'm 54 so they'll probably outlast me. They replaced a Whirlpool set that was still working but they were 22 years old and the only thing I ever did to them was replace the agitator dogs in the washer. I figured they'd soon start developing more problems that it was worth to keep them. The new set I got is a top loader, like my old set and the washer fills up full instead of doing that "load sensing" nonsense.
@@Rebel9668 I am in my 60's, it will definitely be my last pair. I figured there televisions are so good that the washers and dryers would be as well. I will stick to the televisions.
Speed queen rocks! If my laundry machines die I'd replace with mechanical control speed queens.
All the best GE appliances were made in their Bridgeport Conn. factory...
My local appliance shop helped me tremendously 17 years ago by recommending reliable budget friendly options. The Frigidaire dishwasher and Estate refrigerator still operate the same as when new. Both have required new seals once, and I replaced the DW pump once - not terrible DIY repairs.
Ben , What is the very most important part of this story is that fact that after people buy these foreign made appliances, they find VERY little technical support or service companies that want to fix them.
So once you buy one and it breaks, you are out of luck when you try to find someone to fix them. Even when they are under warranty, they find that there are no service companies to fix them. People have waited months for their LG refrigerators with bad compressors to get fixed even though LG extended the warranty to 10 yrs !
I am an appliance servicer and I can't tell anyone what to buy now days based on exactly what your videos show.
The best advice I give them is to a least buy the American brands that have been around like Whirlpool, Maytag,Frigidaire, Speed Queen as least they can get parts and most servicers will fix them.
Speed Queen absolutely. But Whirlpool/Maytag/KitchenAid can absolutely get fucked. We bought a Maytag washer and dryer, Whirlpool fridge. In 3 years the washer and fridge both required repair.
In 3 years 60% of our appliances had failures. Our neighbor had their Whirlpool dishwasher's heating element melt and fail in their unit.
Will never buy their products again. And will tell everyone I know to avoid. Our fridge compressor failed the week before Thanksgiving, after 3 years of ownership.
Go buy yourself a Speed Queen and be done with it!
This is very true.
Getting parts for Whirlpool and Frigidaire is a breeze compared to getting parts for Samsung or LG.
I was in the exact same scenario with an LG fridge, it took 2 months for a technician to show up and make a warranty repair. The whole time we had to make do with a mini-fridge I bought off Facebook.
Trying to do the family tree of appliance manufactures looks very confusing 🤨. Ferreting out the 'wheat from the chaff' is nice to hear of one who know the business & technology from the inside out, TYVM Ben!
We have a Kenmore washer and dryer pair, bought 35 years ago. it's always been a reliable laundry pair. Our air conditioner is also a Kenmore. Sears closrf shop in Canada about 10 years ago. A SD loss for our family!
Yep- that was a shame. I have $20 year old Kemore brand stuff in my house. It's starting to get troublesome but I don't want to replace it because it's been so good. All I hear from others about new units is big trouble and obviously built in obsolesce. Companies know how to build good equipment but refuse to so they can rake in more $$$$.If anyone should be on these companies to improve it should the environmental groups, because this artificially creates more junk. But that cause isn't sexy enough so they never bring it up. All we can do is hope for the future and some enlightenment. P.S. John Candy was a Canadian, not an American, one of our Canadian heroes that made it big in the US.
Wow. I'm going to need a cheat sheet next time I buy an appliance, that's for sure.
Ben is out here doing gods work!!!! I have cx ask me all the time what’s the best brand to buy. I tell them two thing. “What ever looks nice and fits your budget. They are all about the same today.” Or that “they should buy the cheapest one and buy the badge of the brand they want off eBay and deal with it. “
Hopefully I can do more of these "CX Information" videos so techs can blame and point to me to back stuff up, so they don't have to take the heat, lol
@@bensappliancesandjunk have you worked on much of the new R600 crap???
I recently took a r600 class with a LG rep. He states that LG is in a R & D phase to be on track to be the best refrigeration freezer company on the market by 2030.
@@bensappliancesandjunk surely I would pass the blame to someone else 🤔🤫🤥😁😆🤣😂
humm, who makes Speed Queen? I have a 12 year old plus basic washer with knobs, mechanical timer and knobs. The only thing I wish it had was the lint screen for me to clean manually - other than that happy I went old school after 2 front loaders died - one was problematic and had extended warranty and limped along for 5 years. Then bought another front loader - I had rheumatoid arthritis and pulling up on clothes hurt my wrists and shoulders that was a Maytag lasted only 2 years, had extended warranty and got my money back minus the extended warranty. Bought the Speed Queen - yup I have problems with pulling up getting my clothes out, but I swallowed my pride and asked dear hubby for help getting out the clothes now and then.
So happy found your channel. Please keep up the good work.
Speed Queen is owned by a company that makes commercial-grade washers/dryers-as in hotels and coin-op laundrys.
I repair my own appliances and i see many components are very similar and the parts numbering goes across many other brands, also the parts packaging has a number of various brands that it fits, whirpool parts, sanyo parts, get the covers off these appliances and the internals come from everywhere, Mexico, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam and China, it is a global market economy, it isn't just appliances that contain global products it is everything we buy.
Thank you, you should talk about Kenmore. When we moved into the house in 1966 my parents bought Lady Kenmore washer/dryer. We had those for 15 years, then we got regular Kenmore. We had those 20 years. When the washer died my fiancé bought my mom and me the Kenmore elite. Died after one year, and couldn’t be fixed.
Appliances don’t “die” Lol A part fails and that causes it to no longer function properly. I’m curious, what was the cause of your failure? Anything can be fixed provided a part is available and you want to spend the ca$h.
@@MayhemRv I don’t remember it was 2002. Washer was one of those digital touch key pads. That’s one of the main reasons Sears went under, junk. Same problem with Dell computers. I had mine 10 years then hard drive died. So I had no problem buying another Dell. Hard drive barely lasted two years, before drive died. I live in a senior housing apartment complex now. We have Fridgedair fridge, but oven not so good. At least we have gas. Laundry room uses 5 dollar cards to run machines. Sad that Sears appliances used to be so good, Kenmore made by Whirlpool.
@@cherylelinsmith743 you missed my point. Anything can be repaired. In 33 years of being in the appliance service business I have never told a customer that something can’t be fixed. I find the cause of the problem and give them a price quote. Only recently has obtaining parts been an issue and people wont wait weeks or months for a part so they buy another new piece of crap.
@@cherylelinsmith743 Those Kenmore Elite Oasis washers were junk for sure.
I picked mine based on the good experience my parents had with their Series 80 washer and dryer set so I got the top loading Elite Oasis digital washer with agitator.
It looked great and had a gigantic tub you could throw anything at. And it was quiet But it always came unbalanced and would throw random codes from time to time. I could not let it wash overnight because there was a small chance it would stop mid cycle full of soaking wet clothes. And when it washed it would take over an hour for a regular load, it would also add time randomly before you even noticed it.
I kept that piece of junk for less than 3 years.
Then I did my research and found out both the bulletproof Series 80 and the junker Elite Oasis were made by Whirlpool. Difference was the Series 80 was based on a tried and true 1980s design while the Elite Oasis was a rebadged Whirlpool Cabrio which received poor customer reviews over its lifespan.
Moral of the story: Do your homework beforehand. Quality varies even within the same manufacturer
I was working on a technical project with Siemens and actually was in a room where they were developing the motors for vacuum cleaners. Every model in the display case was a Miele.
You just scored super points with your wife!
I hope so!
Thank you for posting that video, it is very interesting and eye opening!!!
Also I love your iconic "Maytag style" very attention caching!!!
Thanks again for this description but I’m still confused as I need a fridge but if I understand correctly, there’s none made in the USA! Also, is it necessary to pay more money for the extended warranties on each appliance? What do you think of Best Buy s Insignia brand fridge? Thanks!
Purchase the warranty, i just had to call on my 1 year old slightly used Amana washer it just puked on my hardwood floor fortunately I had the foresight to purchase a warranty
If you purchase the warranty, you're paying for the appliance to break whether it does or not. Take the chance that it doesn't break, has always been my philosophy. For what it's worth...
Insignia refrigerators are made in China under contract by Haier (GE, Hotpoint, etc). If you always so no to extended warranties you will come out ahead. After all, extended warranties are priced to be profitable for the companies that offer them. That said you might want to buy an extended warranty for certain items that have high failure rates, can be very expensive to fix, and/or fixing it yourself is beyond your capabilities. Last year I bought an LG fridge with a linear compressor (high failure rate). Supposedly it has an improved design that fixes the issues but just in case I bought the warranty package. The best part is it includes them dealing with LG who is known for terrible customer support. It was $250 so I thought it was reasonable. This year I bought a dishwasher and considering the cost of parts and that I can fix it myself I turned down the warranty.
Thanks for this video! I wanted to just add that last time I shopped for a fridge, I learned that Bosch fridges are made by someone else. I looked because Bosch dishwashers are the only appliance I have ever truly been impressed with, and was hoping they made fridges too, after going through a Samsung and an LG in the span of 3 years.
that's amazing about the Samsung and LG. In my last residence had a Miele dishwasher (bought the least expensive model
). Seven years (and then we moved) not one service call. Didn't dry though. This time I went with the Kitchen Aid, really like it. Dries better, hopefully it will be as dependable.
Bosch is made by BSH, which is a subsidiary of Bosch.
What we really want to know for certain is not just who makes it but is it really no different on the inside, apart from added features, as you move into the prestige brands. I know in other fields, cheaper components will have a much shorter life and using those in the lower brands is a way to cut costs within the same company. I'm talking about capacitors, switches, relays and so on, along with heat sinks which may be omitted or inadequately sized. You would know this since you see inside them so I'd love to have a bit more detail and specificity. BTW, seeing a one year warranty on every product in every price range on my last visit to a big appliance store sent a pretty bleak message that's in line with what you've been saying. Sixteen grand for a Monogram fridge and 1 year?
I have to bite these topics off one chunk at a time, and that'll be for a future video too that I will schedule for certain.
@@bensappliancesandjunk Sounds good!
Totally agree that length of warranty is an excellent proxy measurement for quality.
LG warranties their fridge compressors for 10 yrs (parts only) now. Which is strange considering their linear compressors have a bad reputation, but LG seems to be standing behind them.
@@Free-g8r For sure that is strange. I wonder if they make it up on the labor charge.
Old man here. I used to prefer to buy Kenmore everything, primarily because they were sold by Sears and most Sears stores had Service Centers and would provide service whenever you had a problem pretty efficiently. But the real reason was that these Service Centers had pretty much every part for every appliance in stock and you could just go there and buy a part to fix your appliance yourself. I remember they had huge manuals you could use to find your specific appliance and there were complete assembly drawings and parts lists so you could easily find the exact part you needed. If they didn't have it on hand, (which was rare) they could get it for you in a few days. Those were the days, I guess!
I used to sell consumer electronics back in the '90s. The same thing was true of TVs, stereo equipment, VCRs, etc. I still remember the time an older guy came in and was looking at TV sets. I directed him to a Mitsubishi. That set him off, because it turned out that he was a WWII veteran and didn't want any "Jap" TV. He wanted an "American" brand, like Zenith. Never mind that at the time, Mitsubishi was one of the top TV brands, and they were mostly built in southern California. The Zenith brand TVs were made by LG, a Korean company--and built in Mexico (and were total junk).
Yeah I totally hear you. My grandpa had a life long hatred of anything Japanese. They do make some great things, and their capacitors are still legendary
Yes, My Dad fought in the Pacific and chastised us for buying Yamaha motorcycles etc.
The War scared him Mentally and Physically but since I didn't walk in shoes I didn't argue with him.
Could have sold hm a Curtis Mathes, designed and built in the USA.
Great info. Please consider adding a summary at the end, quickly listing the top best of the list.. thanks
South Korean viewer here. Just wanted to add some info regarding to Daewoo, Samsung, and LG as all 3 companies are based here.
TL;DR: Daewoo bad. Samsung vs. LG is like Mac vs Windows, cats and dogs in Korea, at least. Both are great brands imo.
1. Never buy Daewoo. Daewoo Electronics went bankrupt in the 90s, was bought and sold twice. The quality hit rock bottom. 90s Daewoo was very reliable. We owned a '97 fridge and washing machine and they never failed on us. I don't think anybody takes this brand seriously today. They are sold cheap and built cheap.
2. I need to point out that LG and Samsung are competing brands. They never share factories. This is very wrong. Where did you get this info Ben?(15:22) Any parts manufacturer sign up with either companies sign NDAs and are ordered to never supply parts for the other company. They even have their own competing baseball teams. That's how they hate each other.
LG is known as "the pioneer" in Korea. LG always develops "the firsts" - first to popularize the double door fridges, first to sell robot vacs in Korea.etc
However, Samsung is the one that "perfectizes" LG's product lines by adding more features, better design, and of course, adding a price premium while they're at it.
Koreans consider Samsung as a luxury brand that offers better service. Nevertheless, LG is still famous for its reliability. But LG is perceived as the underdog as they always seem to lack in the marketing dept. There's a Korean meme that laughs at LG's marketing campaign which always seems to be underappreciated by Samsung's for some reason.
Fantastic info! Answers a lot of questions about why a lot of appliances only last a few years nowadays.
Interesting fact, Electrolux now own Westinghouse, which I beleive was orignally an American brand but has been very popular in Australia for decades. Their ovens are still built in Australia. Probably the last appliance that is actually being built here. I wonder for how much longer.
Yes. I have a Westinghouse made in Ohio in my shop from 1953.
Westinghouse exited the US appliance market in the mid 70’s. The trademark here ended up being owned by CBS, now Paramount. There are some small appliances and TV’s in the US that now license the Westinghouse name, but they’re just cheap garbage. Westinghouse was probably the most reliable and innovative brand/manufacturer of the mid century. My grandmother still has a full suite of kitchen appliances along with the iconic Westinghouse laundromat and clothes dryer, all purchased in the late 50’s, still running strong.
One thing I will say about anyone thinking of buying GE appliances, their warranties are very strict(not consumer friendly) at least from 2009-2014 while I was repairing these appliances. I had a customer with an appliance just 1 day out of warranty and GE would not even supply the part at no charge . Oh yeah, this experience was while I was
working for an appliance company that had been a GE sales representative for about 10 years before I joined the company.
Just my 2 cents, keep up the good info brother .
My ge dishwasher broke just outside the one year warranty. Called them up and they extended warranty 3 months. They we’re going to repair, then got a call from them and they are just going to refund me the money. Put that money towards a Bosch
I’m an HVAC installer, when installing certain brands, they give us multiple badges depending on which one we sold the customer. It’s a Rheem? Here’s a Rheem sticker to go over the American label. Sears was the worst for this. People were literally paying 3k more for a Kenmore sticker or plastic badge. I had a helper get caught changing the badge once, the customer swore it was us trying to swap equipment to sell his better equipment and pocket the $. Sorry buddy Sears took you for a ride not us!
I have an Asko from the days when it was made in Sweden. It's 25 years old and still works like a champ!
When ordering appliances for my new kitchen I initially thought of buying GE, but passed on it when I learned that they were bought out by the Chinese. GE just sold its light bulb component too. When it comes to small appliances I now buy used made in the U.S. units on eBay. They last.
did you post this with your phone made in china or computer made in china?
You missed out. I’m in Canada mind you but 15 years in the appliance service industry. When it comes to quality they are mostly the same. What matters is customer service and serviceability. In these aspects GE is number one and that hasn’t changed since Haier bought majority shares.
@@SagaSakura That's a good question! My Apple MacBook Pro is going on 10 years old and I have no plans to replace it. Still works great. I had to purchase a new IPhone 12 Max last year when I lost my IPhone 7-Plus. The 12 is garbage. Locks up constantly. Sometimes won't charge. This is the first mobile phone I've ever had that gave me problems. Where were these manufactured? I have no idea. But when I have problems with a brand I stop buying it. The major problem I had with GE was that I couldn't get the convection oven without paying another $500 for a useless air fryer in the oven. I also couldn't get the size refrigerator/top freezer I wanted in a basic model without ice maker or water dispenser. Chinese manufacturing problems crop up more often in small appliances, like toasters. They look pretty, they last 2-3 years. Plus the bottom line is that I really don't want to support a communist regime that engages in all kinds of atrocities. There are still opportunities to buy used if I can't get what I want new.
Thank you Ben! I remember that I had to replace the oven control unit on a Whirpool stove that I used to have (because a tropical lizard decided to move in and shorted it out) and ended up paying close to a hundred dollars less on a genuine FSP (Whirlpool) replacement unit that fit perfectly but wasn't branded "Whirlpool" because it was aimed at fixing Amana and other cheaper stove brands. Oh my dear! My stove doesn't carry a brand anymore! 😅
Some stores are really proud of their Whirlpool-built 'Conservator" and 'Crosley' models and price them accordingly. And remember the slogan, "KENMORE: SOLID AS SEARS"?
I remember when I use to swear by Whirlpool appliances or appliances (old Kenmores) that were made by Whirlpool. I ditched them on washing machines about 10 years ago. Unfortunately for me, after much research on dishwashers I recently purchased a Kitchenaid dishwasher as part of my kitchen remodel. It sat for a bit (3 months) waiting for remodel to start. Of course, when it was finally hooked up, it didn't work. I am not a happy camper. After this, I'm definitely done with anything in the Whirlpool line. Thanks for putting out this video.
I bought a kitchen aide dishwasher last year and love it. Sorry you had such a bad experience.
I worked for GE Appliances and I can assure you that the majority of all GE large appliances like washers, dryers, refrigerators, ovens and stoves are made in Louisville Kentucky. Haier bought GE Appliances but kept all manufacturing of these appliances in Louisville. Haier has actually brought innovation and technology to GE.
Love it. The very same thing exists for water heaters. American Water Heaters out of TN manufactures models for MANY brands and has done so for years now.
There is nothing fake about brands. We love brands in the USA because they mean something to us. You can get a brand that stands for economy if that is what you want, and you can buy a brand that stands for luxury if that makes you feel good. Brand engineering and selling between companies is just a way of life for US companies. My suggestion is that you get what you want, but know where it is built. I do not suggest buying any machines from China or exotic brands from around the world.
sure if that is the perspective you have, most of us try to equate brands with quality rather than just economy and luxury
Nothing fake about brands. LOL keep pretending that is the truth.
@@svn5994 Do you prefer Best Foods or Hellman's mayonnaise? The two brands are the exact same product made by the same company. Do you think those brands are fake?
Best refrigerator design is a either a side by side or a French door refrigerator with an inside water dispenser and an ice maker inside the freezer drawer. Also quality long lasting refrigerators either has a tecumseh, a danfoss, or a Copeland compressor and top of the line fridges even have 2 compressors 1 for the fridge side and 1 for the freezer side. My parents once had a 1993 Kitchenaid refrigerator that is basically a rebadged Subzero. It could’ve had its defrost heater replaced but my parents replaced it. It could’ve lasted longer if it had been replaced with a noisy Electrolux that lasted less than 90 days and they warranty claimed it, got their money back, and bought a Kenmore which is an okay refrigerator. The Kitchenaid is very quiet and the coils can be cleaned without scooting the fridge/freezer because of a top access panel that makes getting to the compressors and condenser coils easy.
There really need to be a law that says that U.S., or indeed any western companies cannot be sold to China or other offshore entities that end up controlling our branding and purchasing power for our own countries.
LOL!