Worst *New* dishwasher available?

[michaelz08]

I found this forum because the dishwasher of ill repute series came up in a google search -somehow- and I was enthralled. I poured over those threads and read every comment. Learned a lot about the history of the DW market and about companies like D&M or WCI that I’d never heard of… or would’ve had a reason to.

Just for the sake of entertainment, what is in your opinion the worst dishwasher on sale today, brand new? Let’s limit it to models that are currently manufactured, not some new-open-box unit on sale in an obscure store that was made in 1971.

And… can this please not turn into another “ALL MODERN DISHWASHERS BECAUSE OFF SMALL PUMPS THAT ALTERNATE ARMS” calamity.

I’ll start off- the BOL builder grade GE is a miserable machine. It’s so loud for all the wrong reasons, the bottom rack angled-sideways tines seem to fit nothing properly (I really tried hard), and if the design goal was “make it feel as tangibly cheap as humanly possible” then they aced it. The filter gums up in a matter of a week, it sucks at staying clean. And it cleans… OK at best. Could be worse but I’d say below average these days.

 

[cfz2882]

i used to think Frigidaire was the worse-cheap little brushed dc motor and about 100% fail rate door switch,but i do not know if they wash ok.In all the bad FD dishwashers i have junked,the PMDC motor was in decent working order though. PM "wet rotor"dishwasher pump motors seen to only last about 5-8 years in typical service:the water lubed ceramic bearings wear out and pump grinds to a halt.Do not wash potatos fresh out of the soil in a wet rotor pump dishwasher! These wet rotor pumps are often cheap and easy to replace whe they wear out- if not deeply embedded in the machine...

 

[vacerator]

The wax motors that controlled some features like dispensers and wash one level only used to be some trouble. I don't know how many models still use that, or if it has been improved.
GE and Whirlpool still make several good performing machines. Newer model deficiencies can be thinner racks. I avoid racks that are not coated with nylon. Bosch, are very well rated. As for LG and Samsung I don't know much. Average life of a daily used machine is 8 to 10 years. That is before repair costs are too frequent and costly. Pump motors, control boards, etc.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

I found this forum because the dishwasher of ill repute series came up in a google search -somehow- and I was enthralled. I poured over those threads and read every comment. Learned a lot about the history of the DW market and about companies like D&M or WCI that I’d never heard of… or would’ve had a reason to.

Just for the sake of entertainment, what is in your opinion the worst dishwasher on sale today, brand new? Let’s limit it to models that are currently manufactured, not some new-open-box unit on sale in an obscure store that was made in 1971.

And… can this please not turn into another “ALL MODERN DISHWASHERS BECAUSE OFF SMALL PUMPS THAT ALTERNATE ARMS” calamity.

I’ll start off- the BOL builder grade GE is a miserable machine. It’s so loud for all the wrong reasons, the bottom rack angled-sideways tines seem to fit nothing properly (I really tried hard), and if the design goal was “make it feel as tangibly cheap as humanly possible” then they aced it. The filter gums up in a matter of a week, it sucks at staying clean. And it cleans… OK at best. Could be worse but I’d say below average these days.

My vote goes to... Whirlpool! Puny pumps that mist your dishes and take 2-3 hours, flimsy design, and don't get me started with the stupid alternating wash arms.

 

[panasonicvac]

I've been disappointed with LG, basically pre rinsing is required or it's not going to get the dishes clean.

 

[michaelz08]

My vote goes to... Whirlpool! Puny pumps that mist your dishes and take 2-3 hours, flimsy design, and don't get me started with the stupid alternating wash arms.

My same (former, it stayed in the house) whirlpool with puny pumps and alternating wash arms cleaned my dishes well and reliably for nearly 6 years… to each their own.

 

[maytaga806]

GE, Midea, LG, Samsung, Frigidaire. I happen to have a new GE as well, my apartment complex installed it a year ago and the racks are ALREADY RUSTING. I kid you not. It really struggles to remove soils that are stuck on, as to where my almost 20 year old whirlpool portable has no problem, because of the difference in water pressure coming out of each arm from a different power plant, I mean these new dishwashers use fish tank motors compared to the larger induction motors they used to have 20+ years ago and the difference is notable in sound & cleaning performance.

But yeah, very very cheap machine terrible quality, the door is entirely plastic & feels sort of like a toy dishwasher you’d buy for your child off Amazon. If I want to do a Sani cycle or hi temp wash, the machine runs FOUR pre rinses which is totally unnecessary, and during the final pre rinse it pauses for about ten minutes I’d assume to heat the water but then it drains and refills. And another stupid thing is this, when it drains, it doesn’t drain the little amount do water it has inside in one shot down the drain, it drains a little bit, pauses, and continues draining the remainder, and I’ve heard that’s because the drain pump can overheat if it’s on for too long well here’s a novel concept why can’t they just make a damn drain pump that can drain the whole tub in one shot without overheating? And this is the case for pretty much all new dishwashers our 2019 Maytag even does this. I don’t use this dishwasher that much maybe once a week at best, if the whirlpool is full of dishes that I haven’t unloaded then I’ll start loading the GE up and use that for the next cycle and Vice versa, by the time I move they will have to replace the dishwasher again cause the racks are getting very rusted.

Before I moved here I had a GE portable and that was a really good dishwasher, but it was made by Haier and that machine was so much nicer and had better quality than this hunk of junk, surprisingly it didn’t alternate arms either like my new one does. I got it for 75$ which is a hell of a deal since it was like a thousand dollars brand new just a year or so before I got it and it had nothing wrong with it other than it was missing the wheels which I ordered, I wish this one was like thsy cause it was actually quite decent and the interior looked just like a Bosch and performed like one as it had a heater built into the pump instead of a heating element, I miss that machine.

 

[johnb300m]

I'll second what you mentioned in the OP.
The BOL builder grade GEs and Hotpoints.
Primarily for their racks.
Their layout looks terrible, and they're vinyl racks that once they knick, they rust really quickly.
They're also flimsy AF, but perform well.

I used to say Frigidaire but I've been liking them more lately.
They've quietly improved their reliability and they're always affordable with good features and decent performance.
They've gone back to the leak-proof wet rotor pumps, vs the brushed DC motors they used for several years like GE (before Haier) which would leak from the bearing after just a few years.