A few of the models we discussed in the video: Hi-Sense HRB171N6: creatoriq.cc/4fSWKkj HiSense HRF266: creatoriq.cc/4fVCG0z Amana ABB2224: creatoriq.cc/4fDAOdu Amana ABB1924: creatoriq.cc/3V0mjYD LG LRDCS2603S: howl.link/0te0gyfks79b9
I have had this exact refrigerator for 8 months and so far it has been great! I was looking for a fridge that was straightforward and functional with no bells or whistles. My sister in-law had a nightmare high-end refrigerator that had issues from out of the box. Based on what she was saying about dealing with the warranty and such I went as simple as I could and so far it has really paid off. I feel great that you confirmed I lucked out and struck refrigerator gold! Thank you!
As a retired appliance repairman, I do appreciate your evaluation and it's true that it's the most simple setup. 3 months ago, we decided to replace our old Whirlpool fridge (still working after 25 years, never had an issue) with a Hisense RF2106ASE (french doors, bottom freezer, scroll compressor with inverter). We love the fact that the handles are recessed, giving us more space, Otherwise, it would interfere with the dishwasher which is in front of the refrigerator. It keeps the food fresh much, much longer than the Whirlpool. Probably because the scroll compressor runs at different speeds depending of the demand. And no noise! You can hear a very, very faint fan noise which comes from the circulating fan. The only noise we get is at defrost time, when you have some defrosting noise. As we get older (77 now...), we don't need to bend down all the time for vegetables, like the Whirlpool. We just love it!
I wish they made an updated 1970s Kenmore. I bought an old 1991 Sears Catalog literally just to look at some of the old, beautiful designs. I do really, really like this one - I have a basic maitenance & teardown video for it soon to kind of show off how basic it is.
I've had my Kenmore since 1992 and the only problem i've had is that it isn't draining OUT, but leaving water in the bottom . which I catch in a towel and replace with a dry towel every few days.
@@stevekundzala676 Same problem as the Kenmore we have. I heard it was the auto defrost spill out. Not sure what year the fridge is but it was bought this century.
I intensely dislike cleaning a refrigerator. The simplicity of this model would be a game changer. Update us on the longevity of them as times go on. Thank you for the review.
5 solid stars is my rating of Hisense. I purchased 9 months back a french door with a double drawer bottom from Lowes for about $475. Why so cheap? A bachelor does not need the trouble of an ice maker, water dispenser, extra large cubic feet, etc. Yes it does look like a Whirlpool inside and out. And yes it is twice as quiet as my 15 yr old Amanna. And yes it cools and freezes very fast; not to mention that my buddy has commented a couple of times that he never does hear it running. He said it was much more quiet than his Japanese model. Finally Amen to that wiring schematic. God save us from the over complication of goods! My hat is off to the company.
In today’s world of appliances where everything is so complicated and expensive, this is a breath of fresh air. Coming from a brand where you’d least expect it. I’ll make sure to look into this if my or another relatives fridge goes belly up.
Just bought this fridge at Lowes 5 days ago. Chose it for simplicity and price. I don't want to pay thousands of dollars for any fridge at this point in time since none are great. We paid less than $800. We were nervous about the brand name, but you've helped ease my concerns. Thank you for this review!
I have this refrigerator and I like the size. Not too big for my small house. I also like the freezer on the bottom since I open the fridge more. Two things I don't like are the shelves. I cannot configure them the way I want so I ended up not using one. The other one is the haphazard temperatures inside the refrigerator. I put lettuce, celery and other veggies in that "crisper" drawer and they froze. If I reduce the temp it wouldn't be cold enough in other areas. I've tried putting my veggies everywhere and it's hard to find a place that doesn't freeze part of them. My container of sour cream was partially frozen. I have two thermometers in it and it's crazy how uneven the cooling is.
Wow. I tried Hisense years ago when I saw their inexpensive TVs and was able to go bigger on my budget. I love them. They work until they don’t (years), and seeing there are parts I can replace (UA-cam is my friend) and continue using? Checking out what else they have
It seems to be a nice refrigerator for the money. A lot of fancy features is nice, but I would forgo a bunch of bells and whistles for reliability and simplicity. When I bought my house it came with a high end double door refrigerator which I soon discovered that its touch panel doesn't work. The price of repair would be half of what that HiSense refrigerator costs. A few years ago I purchased a HiSense TV that replaced a failed Samsung TV. I am very pleased with it and the price was excellent.
@@Warp2090 I'm unaware of any with a bottom-freezer. I did a review for the FFTR1835VW topmount refrigerator that does not have a control board earlier this year, FYI
We have 20 HiSense (bottom freezer) refrigerators in our rental properties, ZERO problems. Ended up replacing ALL Samsung refrigerators, they all failed within 6 years, 5 Samsung washing machines dead - 5 years, 35 Samsung Air Conditioners, all dead, one lasted 7 years. Apologies, nothing worse from our experience, than Samsung
Lost our 2008 Kenmore side x side a couple months ago so we went with a Whirlpool bottom freezer just because there weren't too many bottom freezer models in stock at Costco Canada and that old Kenmore was 32 and 3/4" and had a fancy hinge design that would keep the fully opened doors perfectly in line with the side of the fridge- very smart. Costco Canada sells the Hisense RB22A2FSE at 22.cft and almost went with that one but didn't gamble. Guess all appliances are a gamble. We first wet with a Frigidaire top freezer but returned it as a) the freezer door would always open due to back pressure when you closed the 'leveled' fridge (even with the freezer full of food) and b) the top shelf would slightly freeze whatever was close to the top. And that was a top rated fridge!!
Great work, Ben. I do like the simplicity of the single door, however, that is a WIDE door to load up with jugs and cans of drinks. How heavy are the hinges?
Had this fridge for 5 years now, we keep our 2 liters and other decently heavy stuff in the door, no issues so far, no sagging The plastic shelves are decently thick and stay in place pretty well.
I think these are definitely maitenance man specials. I get wholesale pricing on OEM parts and I got to tell you. THEY ARE SO CHEAP. They make everyone else look bad. The pantry drawer is $40 at retail, not wholesale!
The problem is that "simple stuff" often means *grossly* inefficient... vented dryers vs. heat pump, etc... and since you don't pay the utility bills, where's the incentive *not* to blow 6,000 watts of electric heat out of a 4 inch hole in the wall? If a tenant wants to replace all the obscenely wasteful (and often dangerous condition) landlord supplied appliances with their own, do they get to lower the rent? Cause many landlords talk about raising it if they have to replace an appliance more than once every 30 years! (That's not a joke either - I hear it constantly from landlords... "If this fridge doesn't last 30 years I'm gonna have to raise the rent, I'm not running a charity over here!") Ugh. ONE PERSON = ONE HOUSE.
Me too. The issue is that when I tell people to get them, I get so many complaints that eventually I have to make a video to "give them what they want" - a lot of reviews are like that. It's not about what I want but what people want to hear, but in a way that at least I can kind of steer them in a good direction.
@@bensappliancesandjunk I still have 2 44 years old Hotpoint/Whirlpool fridges that I'm still using with no issues since we bought our house in 2006! Don't care If we pay $50 more a year in electricity bills than buying a new fridge every 10 years! Love your channel! Cheers!
Nice clean contemporary styling, simple design, I absolutely love everything about this fridge except for the size! Very tempting though. Thank you for the work you do! I love the new studio, and appreciate all the time and effort you put into doing honest reviews! :)
I really wish they made this in a 23-26cf format. The counter depth stinks because its basically the same as my FFTR1835VW, but in a bottom-freezer format. The only other choice looks to be from Midea from what I see in the sub-1k category. I'll have to look at it sometime.
@@bensappliancesandjunk Hisense still shows a 20.9 cu. ft. option, HRB208N6BSE, but I guess they haven't realized they discontinued it yet, as retailers don't have it anymore. :(
I bought this same fridge and a hisense dishwasher from lowes about 5 years ago, very surprised at the quality so far. No big issues with either, the dishwasher has multiple settings including a “sanitize” wash that we use for glassware/baby dishes. Only thing that’s happened was one time the sprayer on the upper basket somehow unscrewed itself but it just screws right back on and hasn’t fallen off since. The food/debris basket in the bottom is also incredibly easy to clean.
Ben, i've sold a lot of these... many many dozens. I absolutely liked the layout when I first saw it a few years ago, I liked the ice where it belongs (in the freezer), and I liked that it was single evap.. however I have to say that no-cooling events have been about as frequent it seems as LG's pre-R600 linears, so I've been shying away from recommending them right off the bat lately, having replaced it in my brain-database with Samsung's 24.5 and 18cf 33" wide french doors... hoping they turn out better, and so far they have been. Fingers crossed!
I find the bottom freezer 15, 17 and 22 cu. ft. Hisense models, the Bespoke serie and the 33" samsung bottom mounts have been great options for a good quality price ratio in recent years, best warranties and parts availability too (technicians is more area dependent for sure)
Tell me if i'm wrong or up to date with this if you happen ti lnow but have you heard about LG changing all their compressors for reciprocating instead of linear? I checked the compressors SKU's on their most recent 33" / 36" wide models out on my floor and as per LG's documentation & nomenclature, they are all not linear types - linear typically started with a F in the sku and all the new ones start with B.. apparently there's still a couple of old models on the market with the F ones though, hope they're being phased out.
That I sense sounded nice. I was wondering, do you have a recommendation for a top mount freezer? That is a freezer on top like is normal? Either a Hisense or another one. The Kenmore we bought about 4 years ago is fixing to die....
Hi Ben. Love your videos sharing your maintenance experience. What's your take on Sharp french door refrigerators? Specifically the SJ-FX660W-BK. Or just Sharp refrigerators in general? R they reliable? Do they last?
Costco has a similar model that’s larger and under the Mora name but made by Hisense right on the box. I just bought it and installed it yesterday. Cash and carry, $699
I have the European version of this one which has a freezer door that swings open revealing baskets, and the ice maker. It's relatively quiet (more than the LG it replaced). I do have issues with food on the wall freezing, and temperature swings during defrost mode. Otherwise, it's fine.
I feel so nerdy saying this---but this is one of my favorite channels!! Your evaluations & advice are so straightfoward & helpful in saving money & I'm a HUGE fan of Keep It Simple Stupid!! Hey---I wonder if the temperature gradient in the fridge is caused---or exacerbated---by the glass shelves that don't allow allow mcu aircirculation, like wire shelves would do? (I don't think anyone uses wire shelves any more, but just a thought; 1 degree just isn't even worth thinking about!). Anyway---THANKS hugely for your channel. If (when!) my 208 GE gives up the ghost, I'll definitely purchase through your channel.
We have an ancient Amana here. The only issue it's had is the drain freezing and dripping out of the vents on top. One day recently it just must have thawed itself out and stopped dripping. Thing will keep ice and things cold for around 12 hours in a power outage. We've had it at least since 1990 and it just works, top freezer, bottom fridge.
@bensappliancesandjunk I was dreading having to eventually drag it out to figure out the drain issue and thaw/fix it and it just fixed itself. Maybe there's a circulation fan that decided to start working again but I'll take it.
@@bensappliancesandjunk And here I thought it was because they tried to make their own "fancy foreign-style washermachines y'all load from the fRoNt!?!?" and it didn't go quite to plan... lol. If I recall, when Whirlpool was presented with the same conundrum (how to actually design something new) they initially just has Philips make it for them in Germany right? Plenty of those are still running fine too!
Hello, thank you for all your infomation. I am looking to get column refrigerator and freezer. Do you have any recommendations? Thank you for your help.
Ok, this is my next refrigerator. I have been panicking my 13 year old Kenmore (which is still rockin' like the day I bought it) could go at anytime but I'm forever cleaning the internal fridge every six months to get rid of built off dust within the system. Oh man, these people in this area can't fix a circuit breaker. That could be a problem around here. They're just not that bright.
They put these in cabins in my town and the big issue we have is they for some odd reason will not defrost replace board all sensors still no that and they run out of r600 in like 2-3 years anyway……we believe it has something to do with the xabin cleaners leaving the door open for hours or going from empty to severely overloaded when guests check in and wirh 25 people there the door is being opens alot
My concern is the other direction. Because the parts are so cheap, does that mean that they’ll fail more? Sounds TGTBT. Although saying that, I’ve had a Hisense mini fridge for a couple of years now and it hasn’t given me any issues, so I guess that’s a no
I absolutely hate the freezer on bottom of refrigerators. We rented a house once that had one and having to dig through everything in the two bottom drawers got old really quick. When I bought a house we put our ancient KitchenAid side by side back in and love it. I will never buy another refrigerator with a freezer on the bottom.
I have an Amana fridge, freezer on bottom, 6 years old, has died for the third time, control board issues first 2 times, now its just not running, and not sure what to get, but freezer on top sounds more long lasting. Any suggestions?
New camera, new studio. I noticed that in editing but couldn't go back and solve it. That will be taken care of in future videos. I think the shutter speed was the problem. It was filmed @ 60fps and shutter was at 1/100. In this video, I was using my "old" lighting setup that have lower end LEDs that flash at 50hz. I've upgraded very, very recently to higher end ones that I don't think have the frequency/flash rate issues, but its definitely something that gave me grief in editing that'll get nailed down for future videos.
I can see finding a competent technician to repair this Hisense in a small town difficult , but if you live in a large city, it shouldn’t be a problem I think.
I think some of the problem has been that people tend to just buy a new refrigerator instead of fixing the old one, especially since fixing old refrigerators is often nearly as expensive as buying a new one. I am "old school," meaning I prefer to fix what I have rather than buy new (as long as I can find parts). In recent years, I've become frustrated that the replacement parts for older appliances are just as shoddy in workmanship as the new compressors, etc. resulting in more frequent repairs. I hope some enterprising company figures out there's actually a market for long-lasting appliances, and that if they are well made you can treat them like automobiles where you can trade in a used one for money off a new one. The "dealership" can then refurbish and re-sell the used appliances for people who don't want to shell out all the money for a new one.
I'm in talks with a few people that want to do exactly that. If they come to fruition I'll happily vouch for anyone trying to make longer lasting things
The plastic door shelves look fragile and prone to cracking. Also, the trend of having built-in LEDs instead of having a screw in bulb is annoying. I wish they would go back to the Edison lamps.
I like that you stopped taking paid sponsorships from appliance manufacturers, and you disclose that up front. While I personally wouldn't buy Hisense as my first choice... I would consider it if it's a garage fridge. That said, this looks a bit thin walled, so prob wouldn't work (I live in an area which gets pretty hot in the summer). If you have a chance in the future, doing a few videos on garage fridge or freezer might be interesting, and why (or why not), or what to look for. As for the LG slip of the lounge... I hope it's not due to that past video.
I just checked the price here in Canada and it is way cheaper than in the US. At Lowes Canada, this fridge is 799$ CANADIAN, which equals to 572$ US!!!! P.s.: if anyone is interested to buy one of these, do it NOW before Trump comes in because the import taxes will dramatically increase under his presidency. Sorry for you guys…
Hard to argue with the price or the fact that their failure rate is close to 1/10th that of the big name brands. We just ditched a 9-year old POS Samsung french door fridge that had been nothing but trouble once the warranty expired. Samsung fridges are absolute garbage.
Honestly even Samsung's worst fridge disasters seem to be related to through-the-door ice... once americans realize that they want the freezey box down low but then the ice up high... bad things happen, fridges seem to get infinitely more reliable. Samsung's newer Bespoke fridges have been rock solid for me. Probably my most respected line of fridges on the market at the moment. Whirlpoop's brazilian compressors are dying, LG still hasn't won me over on their linears, Frigidaire's entire production outfit seems to be an exercise in finding the thinest gauge of sheet metal that a magor appliance can be built from and not crumple under its own weight, and GE/Haier seems incapable of allowing anyone to do factory warranty service for them. 😢
We bought one of these simple Chinese refrigerators about 8 or 9 years ago. They went by another name then and, likewise there was an implied Whirlpool connection. The fridge functioned well until recently when the passage between the bottom freezer and the fridge started to ice up and get blocked. Letting everything thaw out, temporarily restored function but parts were required, none were available and no service company would touch it. So, we had to replace and otherwise good fridge. The big stores neither offer support nor carry parts and neither does anyone else. Don’t buy.
A few of the models we discussed in the video:
Hi-Sense HRB171N6: creatoriq.cc/4fSWKkj
HiSense HRF266: creatoriq.cc/4fVCG0z
Amana ABB2224: creatoriq.cc/4fDAOdu
Amana ABB1924: creatoriq.cc/3V0mjYD
LG LRDCS2603S: howl.link/0te0gyfks79b9
I have had this exact refrigerator for 8 months and so far it has been great! I was looking for a fridge that was straightforward and functional with no bells or whistles. My sister in-law had a nightmare high-end refrigerator that had issues from out of the box. Based on what she was saying about dealing with the warranty and such I went as simple as I could and so far it has really paid off. I feel great that you confirmed I lucked out and struck refrigerator gold!
Thank you!
Nice!
We've had this exact model for 2 years. Absolutely problem-free and is very convenient. Highly recommended!
Same here.
Hi Ben, I've followed your advice in the past and you have NEVER steered me wrong my friend, thank you for sharing your info with us!!!
As a retired appliance repairman, I do appreciate your evaluation and it's true that it's the most simple setup. 3 months ago, we decided to replace our old Whirlpool fridge (still working after 25 years, never had an issue) with a Hisense RF2106ASE (french doors, bottom freezer, scroll compressor with inverter). We love the fact that the handles are recessed, giving us more space, Otherwise, it would interfere with the dishwasher which is in front of the refrigerator. It keeps the food fresh much, much longer than the Whirlpool. Probably because the scroll compressor runs at different speeds depending of the demand. And no noise! You can hear a very, very faint fan noise which comes from the circulating fan. The only noise we get is at defrost time, when you have some defrosting noise. As we get older (77 now...), we don't need to bend down all the time for vegetables, like the Whirlpool. We just love it!
Thank you! Our 14 year old Kenmore will go out any day. We are in our 70s and very sensitive to price point more than features. Very helpful
my Kenmore is 24 years old and still running
I wish they made an updated 1970s Kenmore. I bought an old 1991 Sears Catalog literally just to look at some of the old, beautiful designs.
I do really, really like this one - I have a basic maitenance & teardown video for it soon to kind of show off how basic it is.
I've had my Kenmore since 1992 and the only problem i've had is that it isn't draining OUT, but leaving water in the bottom . which I catch in a towel and replace with a dry towel every few days.
@@stevekundzala676 Same problem as the Kenmore we have. I heard it was the auto defrost spill out. Not sure what year the fridge is but it was bought this century.
your 14 year old Kenmore might have 14 more years, not so fast!
I intensely dislike cleaning a refrigerator. The simplicity of this model would be a game changer. Update us on the longevity of them as times go on. Thank you for the review.
5 solid stars is my rating of Hisense. I purchased 9 months back a french door with a double drawer bottom from Lowes for about $475. Why so cheap? A bachelor does not need the trouble of an ice maker, water dispenser, extra large cubic feet, etc. Yes it does look like a Whirlpool inside and out. And yes it is twice as quiet as my 15 yr old Amanna. And yes it cools and freezes very fast; not to mention that my buddy has commented a couple of times that he never does hear it running. He said it was much more quiet than his Japanese model. Finally Amen to that wiring schematic. God save us from the over complication of goods! My hat is off to the company.
RIght on!
You are really cool. You make appliances interesting and fun.
I try! We take them for granted, and the more I learn the cooler they are!
In today’s world of appliances where everything is so complicated and expensive, this is a breath of fresh air. Coming from a brand where you’d least expect it. I’ll make sure to look into this if my or another relatives fridge goes belly up.
Just bought this fridge at Lowes 5 days ago. Chose it for simplicity and price. I don't want to pay thousands of dollars for any fridge at this point in time since none are great. We paid less than $800. We were nervous about the brand name, but you've helped ease my concerns. Thank you for this review!
I have this refrigerator and I like the size. Not too big for my small house. I also like the freezer on the bottom since I open the fridge more. Two things I don't like are the shelves. I cannot configure them the way I want so I ended up not using one. The other one is the haphazard temperatures inside the refrigerator. I put lettuce, celery and other veggies in that "crisper" drawer and they froze. If I reduce the temp it wouldn't be cold enough in other areas. I've tried putting my veggies everywhere and it's hard to find a place that doesn't freeze part of them. My container of sour cream was partially frozen. I have two thermometers in it and it's crazy how uneven the cooling is.
We have the same HiSense. Rock solid.
Awesome!
I have this exact unit nearly 2 years and it's never had any issues and I like it. It's quiet also, I recommend it.
Wow. I tried Hisense years ago when I saw their inexpensive TVs and was able to go bigger on my budget. I love them. They work until they don’t (years), and seeing there are parts I can replace (UA-cam is my friend) and continue using? Checking out what else they have
It seems to be a nice refrigerator for the money. A lot of fancy features is nice, but I would forgo a bunch of bells and whistles for reliability and simplicity. When I bought my house it came with a high end double door refrigerator which I soon discovered that its touch panel doesn't work. The price of repair would be half of what that HiSense refrigerator costs. A few years ago I purchased a HiSense TV that replaced a failed Samsung TV. I am very pleased with it and the price was excellent.
What kind of TV?
Thanks! I'm in the mkt for a simple fridge, NO ice dispenser. The HiSense looks good.
Its about as basic as you can get with a control board, thats for sure.
@@bensappliancesandjunk what about a computerless one so no motherboard failures?
Been i set you a message for you best counter dept french door fridge@bensappliancesandjunk
@@Warp2090 I'm unaware of any with a bottom-freezer. I did a review for the FFTR1835VW topmount refrigerator that does not have a control board earlier this year, FYI
@@bensappliancesandjunk Okay thank you
We have 20 HiSense (bottom freezer) refrigerators in our rental properties, ZERO problems.
Ended up replacing ALL Samsung refrigerators, they all failed within 6 years, 5 Samsung washing machines dead - 5 years, 35 Samsung Air Conditioners, all dead, one lasted 7 years.
Apologies, nothing worse from our experience, than Samsung
Lost our 2008 Kenmore side x side a couple months ago so we went with a Whirlpool bottom freezer just because there weren't too many bottom freezer models in stock at Costco Canada and that old Kenmore was 32 and 3/4" and had a fancy hinge design that would keep the fully opened doors perfectly in line with the side of the fridge- very smart. Costco Canada sells the Hisense RB22A2FSE at 22.cft and almost went with that one but didn't gamble. Guess all appliances are a gamble. We first wet with a Frigidaire top freezer but returned it as a) the freezer door would always open due to back pressure when you closed the 'leveled' fridge (even with the freezer full of food) and b) the top shelf would slightly freeze whatever was close to the top. And that was a top rated fridge!!
we bought one just like this in august and it is great so far
Great work, Ben. I do like the simplicity of the single door, however, that is a WIDE door to load up with jugs and cans of drinks. How heavy are the hinges?
Had this fridge for 5 years now, we keep our 2 liters and other decently heavy stuff in the door, no issues so far, no sagging
The plastic shelves are decently thick and stay in place pretty well.
I love simplistic appliances. I'm landlord for 20 years. I only buy simple stuff :p.
I think these are definitely maitenance man specials. I get wholesale pricing on OEM parts and I got to tell you. THEY ARE SO CHEAP. They make everyone else look bad. The pantry drawer is $40 at retail, not wholesale!
@@bensappliancesandjunk This is great. Since I do all my own maintenance etc..
The problem is that "simple stuff" often means *grossly* inefficient... vented dryers vs. heat pump, etc... and since you don't pay the utility bills, where's the incentive *not* to blow 6,000 watts of electric heat out of a 4 inch hole in the wall? If a tenant wants to replace all the obscenely wasteful (and often dangerous condition) landlord supplied appliances with their own, do they get to lower the rent? Cause many landlords talk about raising it if they have to replace an appliance more than once every 30 years! (That's not a joke either - I hear it constantly from landlords... "If this fridge doesn't last 30 years I'm gonna have to raise the rent, I'm not running a charity over here!") Ugh. ONE PERSON = ONE HOUSE.
@@DoktorJava You don't buy enough stuff. more the complicated the appliance more it breaks. I stop buying them after learning this lesson.
I have a similar model from Midea (also sold in Stainless by IKEA as the VÄLGRUNDAD). I've been very happy with it for about 2 years now.
I always like the freezer to be on top!
Me too. The issue is that when I tell people to get them, I get so many complaints that eventually I have to make a video to "give them what they want" - a lot of reviews are like that. It's not about what I want but what people want to hear, but in a way that at least I can kind of steer them in a good direction.
@@bensappliancesandjunk I still have 2 44 years old Hotpoint/Whirlpool fridges that I'm still using with no issues since we bought our house in 2006! Don't care If we pay $50 more a year in electricity bills than buying a new fridge every 10 years! Love your channel! Cheers!
Love these videos Ben, super helpful! Could you please consider reviewing free standing Ice makers?
I do plan on doing that!
@bensappliancesandjunk fantastic! Thank you!
Nice clean contemporary styling, simple design, I absolutely love everything about this fridge except for the size! Very tempting though.
Thank you for the work you do! I love the new studio, and appreciate all the time and effort you put into doing honest reviews! :)
I really wish they made this in a 23-26cf format. The counter depth stinks because its basically the same as my FFTR1835VW, but in a bottom-freezer format.
The only other choice looks to be from Midea from what I see in the sub-1k category. I'll have to look at it sometime.
@@bensappliancesandjunk Hisense still shows a 20.9 cu. ft. option, HRB208N6BSE, but I guess they haven't realized they discontinued it yet, as retailers don't have it anymore. :(
They make good tvs. Hopefully the rest is similar (and no lg compressors...)
Just signed up to have our company service Hisense.
? Are appliances in big box stores made with cheaper parts in them? Appreciate your knowledge....and humor...
Is there a Made in American equivalent on the market today? Love the simplicity of it.
Ben, can you do a review on the hisense dishwashers??? need to know if its worth it to buy!
If I can find one, yes. A similar brand are Mideas which are pretty decent, IMHO
I bought this same fridge and a hisense dishwasher from lowes about 5 years ago, very surprised at the quality so far.
No big issues with either, the dishwasher has multiple settings including a “sanitize” wash that we use for glassware/baby dishes.
Only thing that’s happened was one time the sprayer on the upper basket somehow unscrewed itself but it just screws right back on and hasn’t fallen off since.
The food/debris basket in the bottom is also incredibly easy to clean.
Ben, i've sold a lot of these... many many dozens. I absolutely liked the layout when I first saw it a few years ago, I liked the ice where it belongs (in the freezer), and I liked that it was single evap.. however I have to say that no-cooling events have been about as frequent it seems as LG's pre-R600 linears, so I've been shying away from recommending them right off the bat lately, having replaced it in my brain-database with Samsung's 24.5 and 18cf 33" wide french doors... hoping they turn out better, and so far they have been. Fingers crossed!
I find the bottom freezer 15, 17 and 22 cu. ft. Hisense models, the Bespoke serie and the 33" samsung bottom mounts have been great options for a good quality price ratio in recent years, best warranties and parts availability too (technicians is more area dependent for sure)
Tell me if i'm wrong or up to date with this if you happen ti lnow but have you heard about LG changing all their compressors for reciprocating instead of linear? I checked the compressors SKU's on their most recent 33" / 36" wide models out on my floor and as per LG's documentation & nomenclature, they are all not linear types - linear typically started with a F in the sku and all the new ones start with B.. apparently there's still a couple of old models on the market with the F ones though, hope they're being phased out.
That I sense sounded nice. I was wondering, do you have a recommendation for a top mount freezer? That is a freezer on top like is normal? Either a Hisense or another one. The Kenmore we bought about 4 years ago is fixing to die....
I did a video on my fftr1835 earlier this year. I like them, GEs and LGs
Hi Ben. Love your videos sharing your maintenance experience.
What's your take on Sharp french door refrigerators? Specifically the SJ-FX660W-BK. Or just Sharp refrigerators in general? R they reliable? Do they last?
Costco has a similar model that’s larger and under the Mora name but made by Hisense right on the box. I just bought it and installed it yesterday. Cash and carry, $699
Nice! I wasn't sure if Mora was hisense or Midea
I have the European version of this one which has a freezer door that swings open revealing baskets, and the ice maker.
It's relatively quiet (more than the LG it replaced).
I do have issues with food on the wall freezing, and temperature swings during defrost mode.
Otherwise, it's fine.
a very attractive fridge, i need to keep this one in mind if mine fails.
I was thinking exactly the same thing! :>)
I have the same fridge, it's a great simple fridge. Works flawlessly
Love the review. Have you ever repaired or reviewed a natural gas refrigerator? I know they are pricey but they do run during power outages.
Love your channel, Ben. Thank you for your reviews!
So you have an opinion on the 21.2cu ft Hisense counter depth model?
I think it'd be really good - as long as there's no icemaker in the fridge cabinet.
Excellent, very helpful review. Thank you!
Refreshing to see you so excited about a refrigerator! I still have not found a great fridge that will fit my 36" wide space
Be happy that you have 36 inches to work with!
I feel so nerdy saying this---but this is one of my favorite channels!! Your evaluations & advice are so straightfoward & helpful in saving money & I'm a HUGE fan of Keep It Simple Stupid!! Hey---I wonder if the temperature gradient in the fridge is caused---or exacerbated---by the glass shelves that don't allow allow mcu aircirculation, like wire shelves would do? (I don't think anyone uses wire shelves any more, but just a thought; 1 degree just isn't even worth thinking about!). Anyway---THANKS hugely for your channel. If (when!) my 208 GE gives up the ghost, I'll definitely purchase through your channel.
Thanks for all the support!
Simple is very key to me, looks like a good buy
It really is!
Bought same style fridge from a brand called Mora at Costco. I think Hisense owns them.
We have an ancient Amana here. The only issue it's had is the drain freezing and dripping out of the vents on top. One day recently it just must have thawed itself out and stopped dripping.
Thing will keep ice and things cold for around 12 hours in a power outage. We've had it at least since 1990 and it just works, top freezer, bottom fridge.
Wow, nice! The old Amana top freezers were amazing - its why Maytag just had to buy 'em out back in the 90s.
@bensappliancesandjunk I was dreading having to eventually drag it out to figure out the drain issue and thaw/fix it and it just fixed itself. Maybe there's a circulation fan that decided to start working again but I'll take it.
@@bensappliancesandjunk And here I thought it was because they tried to make their own "fancy foreign-style washermachines y'all load from the fRoNt!?!?" and it didn't go quite to plan... lol. If I recall, when Whirlpool was presented with the same conundrum (how to actually design something new) they initially just has Philips make it for them in Germany right? Plenty of those are still running fine too!
Outstanding review. Thank you sir. Well done.
Thanks for watching!
Hello, thank you for all your infomation. I am looking to get column refrigerator and freezer. Do you have any recommendations? Thank you for your help.
Ok, this is my next refrigerator. I have been panicking my 13 year old Kenmore (which is still rockin' like the day I bought it) could go at anytime but I'm forever cleaning the internal fridge every six months to get rid of built off dust within the system. Oh man, these people in this area can't fix a circuit breaker. That could be a problem around here. They're just not that bright.
Great review! Thank you
Thanks for watching!
They put these in cabins in my town and the big issue we have is they for some odd reason will not defrost replace board all sensors still no that and they run out of r600 in like 2-3 years anyway……we believe it has something to do with the xabin cleaners leaving the door open for hours or going from empty to severely overloaded when guests check in and wirh 25 people there the door is being opens alot
Can you do a review of the GWE22JYMFS.
Can you test the ice maker? My parents just bought one with the ice maker and the ice maker barely makes ice.
I want to yes
My concern is the other direction. Because the parts are so cheap, does that mean that they’ll fail more? Sounds TGTBT. Although saying that, I’ve had a Hisense mini fridge for a couple of years now and it hasn’t given me any issues, so I guess that’s a no
Can you do a video on reliable and reasonably priced US assembled refrigerators? For Myself I want to stick with US assembled as much as possible.
such a great channel. thank you!!
Do they sell a stove to go with it?
They do yes
I absolutely hate the freezer on bottom of refrigerators. We rented a house once that had one and having to dig through everything in the two bottom drawers got old really quick. When I bought a house we put our ancient KitchenAid side by side back in and love it. I will never buy another refrigerator with a freezer on the bottom.
You are almost guaranteed to need a second freezer, typically chest style, in a garage or a pantry with a freezer in this style
I have an Amana fridge, freezer on bottom, 6 years old, has died for the third time, control board issues first 2 times, now its just not running, and not sure what to get, but freezer on top sounds more long lasting. Any suggestions?
Your lights for the studio seem to flash a lot. Maybe a camera setting for the shutter speed.
New camera, new studio. I noticed that in editing but couldn't go back and solve it. That will be taken care of in future videos. I think the shutter speed was the problem. It was filmed @ 60fps and shutter was at 1/100. In this video, I was using my "old" lighting setup that have lower end LEDs that flash at 50hz. I've upgraded very, very recently to higher end ones that I don't think have the frequency/flash rate issues, but its definitely something that gave me grief in editing that'll get nailed down for future videos.
@bensappliancesandjunk awesome! Keep up the great work
I can see finding a competent technician to repair this Hisense in a small town difficult , but if you live in a large city, it shouldn’t be a problem I think.
True, it shouldn't be as difficult
always helpful
Thanks!
You're welcome!
If Ben were to go abroad with a spec sheet of a desired refrigerator design, what electronics or design feature would he include?
Like to build one, or just acquire overseas?
@@bensappliancesandjunk To build one, to your specs. What would it be?
There's a huge omission in this video. Do refrigerator magnets stick to the front or only the sides?
Thats a test I'll have to do in the future on these types for sure
Magnets will stick on all sides, had this fridge 5 years now and our kids put magnets everywhere!
@@bensappliancesandjunkjust a heads up the whole fridge is magnet friendly, had ours about 5 years now and it’s covered in my kids magnets
I think some of the problem has been that people tend to just buy a new refrigerator instead of fixing the old one, especially since fixing old refrigerators is often nearly as expensive as buying a new one. I am "old school," meaning I prefer to fix what I have rather than buy new (as long as I can find parts). In recent years, I've become frustrated that the replacement parts for older appliances are just as shoddy in workmanship as the new compressors, etc. resulting in more frequent repairs.
I hope some enterprising company figures out there's actually a market for long-lasting appliances, and that if they are well made you can treat them like automobiles where you can trade in a used one for money off a new one. The "dealership" can then refurbish and re-sell the used appliances for people who don't want to shell out all the money for a new one.
I'm in talks with a few people that want to do exactly that. If they come to fruition I'll happily vouch for anyone trying to make longer lasting things
can we get parts and tech sheets?
Yup, I had no problem pulling the tech sheet for the next video I shot with this fridge to show basic diagnosis and codes
Kenmore had a fridge with water and ice old model too freezer on top
The plastic door shelves look fragile and prone to cracking. Also, the trend of having built-in LEDs instead of having a screw in bulb is annoying. I wish they would go back to the Edison lamps.
The door shelves are a decently thick plastic, the inner shelves are glass with a metal “lip”
Never had an issue with either going on 5 years now
I like that you stopped taking paid sponsorships from appliance manufacturers, and you disclose that up front. While I personally wouldn't buy Hisense as my first choice... I would consider it if it's a garage fridge. That said, this looks a bit thin walled, so prob wouldn't work (I live in an area which gets pretty hot in the summer). If you have a chance in the future, doing a few videos on garage fridge or freezer might be interesting, and why (or why not), or what to look for. As for the LG slip of the lounge... I hope it's not due to that past video.
I just checked the price here in Canada and it is way cheaper than in the US. At Lowes Canada, this fridge is 799$ CANADIAN, which equals to 572$ US!!!! P.s.: if anyone is interested to buy one of these, do it NOW before Trump comes in because the import taxes will dramatically increase under his presidency. Sorry for you guys…
Hard to argue with the price or the fact that their failure rate is close to 1/10th that of the big name brands. We just ditched a 9-year old POS Samsung french door fridge that had been nothing but trouble once the warranty expired. Samsung fridges are absolute garbage.
Honestly even Samsung's worst fridge disasters seem to be related to through-the-door ice... once americans realize that they want the freezey box down low but then the ice up high... bad things happen, fridges seem to get infinitely more reliable. Samsung's newer Bespoke fridges have been rock solid for me. Probably my most respected line of fridges on the market at the moment. Whirlpoop's brazilian compressors are dying, LG still hasn't won me over on their linears, Frigidaire's entire production outfit seems to be an exercise in finding the thinest gauge of sheet metal that a magor appliance can be built from and not crumple under its own weight, and GE/Haier seems incapable of allowing anyone to do factory warranty service for them. 😢
We ditched a Subzero that was constantly broken for a Hisense in 2021 . No regrets, for a tenth of the price of the stupid overpriced POS Subzero.
Wow!
Hisense also make decent TVs
By just to keep it simple it will last longer. Here in South Africa we get a 60 month guarantee on Hisense . Parts is still a problem.
60 months? Nice!
We bought one of these simple Chinese refrigerators about 8 or 9 years ago. They went by another name then and, likewise there was an implied Whirlpool connection. The fridge functioned well until recently when the passage between the bottom freezer and the fridge started to ice up and get blocked. Letting everything thaw out, temporarily restored function but parts were required, none were available and no service company would touch it. So, we had to replace and otherwise good fridge. The big stores neither offer support nor carry parts and neither does anyone else. Don’t buy.
As a tall person, I hate freezer on the bottom design
The irony is I love top mount freezers, but when I tell people to buy them, all I get are complaints.
@bensappliancesandjunk I've had my $500 top mount freezer for 20 years without any problems
We purchased this exact model in white last year in October. We paid $750 and got $50 back from the electric. Company. It has worked perfectly so far.
Nice!
It's great but it doesn't make shiny balls of ice so our wives won't consider it.
Spoiler, it's almost all made in China and likely from the same handful or less of manufacturers.
That may be but none the less I make an effort to not buy Chinese anything if I can help it!!!
inverter drive makes no sense in a fridge - unnecessary complexity and repair costs!
I avoid anything Chinese at all costs
You wish. Most things are made in China. You don't just realize it. Even your iPhone You used to write your comment!