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Dishwasher buying advice

S

shud

Golden Member
I know some of you guys have bought houses and moved recently. So I ask for your help.

Ok, my parents' dishwasher shat out a few months ago. They are incredibly frugal and refuse to buy a new one since the old one still functions as a drying rack and they're used to washing dishes by hands since they were kids.

Well this is ridiculous, especially when dishwashers aren't that expensive anymore and it takes 45 minutes to wash dishes whenever they serve a significant meal (their old friends come over sometimes to eat). My sister and I want to get them a new one for Christmas.

Is it safe to buy a cheaper one (sunday ads have them for ~$300 for Frigidaire models)? Our house is older (1982), what is the likelihood of the hookups matching?

Any advice would be great. I would like to SOMEHOW get and install it myself optimally when neither of them is home. I could hide it out back for a few days without them noticing and near the holidays they go on several multiple hour shopping trips as well, which would make for good times to install.
 
Usually it's a better idea to go for something not too expensive but not too cheap. You don't want to purchase a dude that will die quickly, but you also probably don't need the 1000+ features that some of the most expensive models come with. I haven't seen those ~$300 models you speak of (nor do I know that much about dishwasers anyway), but spending a little more probably can't hurt.
 
Dishwashers have pretty standard hookups so installing the unit won't be a problem, just double check the height & width of the space its going into before you buy,
also with some careful shopping you should be able to get installation & removal of the old unit included in the price, I suggest Sears or Lowes as good places to shop.
As for brand selection, I'd go with Maytag even if its a few dollars more because they seem to be the best made ... next would be GE which isn't as durable but is still very easy to get parts & service for... Hotpoint is GE's economy line & Magic Chef is Maytags btw.
 
The GEs seem to be pretty reasonably priced. I need a black one though. My mom has an awesome new digital ceramic-top oven and a new fridge that are both black. I will look into Sears and Lowes, thanks.

Although I have a buddy who works for Best Buy and they apparently get 5% over cost, so I may be able to cut down on the price a considerable amount. Might I mention that my sister and I are both still in college. :/

We don't have that much money, but neither do my parents as they are paying us both through school.
 
Also, is there any way I could install this myself? All of the retail stores want about $100 for installation. It doesn't seem that it would be THAT hard.
 
Installation is a piece of cake if you're handy with tools.
You'll need to connect the electric,
drain line
hot water

I thought Maytag's quality was down recently? But, I guess it depends on the specific appliance. I'm also in the market for a dishwasher right now; and have one picked out. It just hasn't been ordered yet. Consumer reports recently rated dishwashers. Based on the reports, we're going with a Kenmore from Sears. I believe it was rated as the best buy. (I may be mistaken though) - anyways, we wanted a stainless steel front to match the other appliances. Installation is going to be a pita for me, because it's a new installation vs. replacing an existing installation. That means plumbing, electrical, cabinetry, and counter work.
 
One feature I would definitely recommend is delayed start, I can set up to a 12 hour delay on it so you can put all the dishes in it after dinner, set the cycle, and then have it actually run at 4am when everyone is sleeping so you don't have to hear it run. I didn't install mine (came w the house) but I helped a buddy put his in and it's not an impossible thing. If you're pretty handy when it comes to stuff like that you should be able to pull it off. Quick google search found the link below.

http://homerepair.about.com/od/dishwashers/a/dw_install.htm
 
Its not that hard to do, but you may run into unexpected issues.. getting rid of the old unit can end up costing more money then you expect depending on where you live though. GE makes a black unit.. I snagged one at Circuit City a few years back & got it really cheap because they were about to stop selling them.. its held up pretty well, my only regret is that I didn't spend a little more for a steel-lined unit.
If you do go with BB, stay away from brands like Samsung/LG etc... they make decent electronics but not dishwashers... stick with the American brands.
 
Originally posted by: DrPizza
Installation is a piece of cake if you're handy with tools.
You'll need to connect the electric,
drain line
hot water

I thought Maytag's quality was down recently? But, I guess it depends on the specific appliance. I'm also in the market for a dishwasher right now; and have one picked out. It just hasn't been ordered yet. Consumer reports recently rated dishwashers. Based on the reports, we're going with a Kenmore from Sears. I believe it was rated as the best buy. (I may be mistaken though) - anyways, we wanted a stainless steel front to match the other appliances. Installation is going to be a pita for me, because it's a new installation vs. replacing an existing installation. That means plumbing, electrical, cabinetry, and counter work.
Click to expand...

I don't know about Kenmore dishwashers, but the fridge we bought a couple years ago has been a bit disappointing.. features, size & price all looked really good when we got it but it just hasn't held up as expected & I wouldn't but it again. Kenmore stuff is made by several diff companies though so reliability & quality will vary from model to model.
 
Be sure when you pick one out to get one where the extra cup of soap actually latches.

Get one without a circular disk closing the extra soap. These always fail, I have seen over different 8 dishwashers where these have failed.
 
Trust me, it's been worth the money to get one with a Disposal in it... I never have to wsh the dishes before I wash the dishes anymore. LOVE IT!!!
 
Originally posted by: nissan720
Be sure when you pick one out to get one where the extra cup of soap actually latches.

Get one without a circular disk closing the extra soap. These always fail, I have seen over different 8 dishwashers where these have failed.
Click to expand...

15 years and ours is still functioning just fine (at the house I rent out.)



BTW, what's wrong with the dishwasher you have? They're so simple, I find it odd that one crapped out beyond simple repair. I've repaired mine twice - both times it was just fine plastic that made it through one filter, but not through a finer filter that I didn't know about until I took a few things apart. The second time the water pressure went down, I knew where to look. The repair took 5 minutes.
 
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