interesting effect on Frigidaire pricing
In Southern California, most water agencies offer rebates for HE washers. When I bought my Frigidaire 2140 in early 2006, the water rebate was $100 (and there was a $35 gas rebate as well). Today, the rebate has increased to $135, but with two caveats:
1. In most cases you must make a "reservation" for a rebate prior to buying the new washer. This is ok if you are planning to replace an old model and can wait for a reservation, but not ok if a machine dies and you have to buy all of a sudden. When I bought in 2006, I just completed the rebate form and mailed it in with copies of the purchase receipt and a recent water bill.
2. The qualifying WF (water factor) has been made more stringent. NONE of the Frigidaire models even qualify. The Electrolux models do.
(WF must be 4.0 or lower; the 2140 barely misses at 4.12)
When I was at the Universal Appliance website, I noted that prices on the 2140 were down to $500 and the 2940 was about $560---because the 2940 was a CR Best Buy for three years running, the retailers rarely budged much on the price, until now.
I wonder if being booted off the rebate model list was a factor, in that people looking at the 2140 and 2940 are entry-level sort of buyers who might otherwise not buy a FL if the rebates didn't chop $135-170 off the washer price. Now, CA buyers won't get a water rebate, though a $35 gas rebate is still offered because these models are Energy Star-rated.
Another factor may be that Frigidaires are all 3.5 cu feet. This was close to the top (3.8 being the largest sold in 2006) when they were introduced, but now they are on the losing end of the "capacity war". 3.5 is now an "also ran" size.
One thing I will say for them: for customers who have to stack their machines, or place them in a closet with little clearance from the door (some laundry rooms have clearance issues as well), the 27 x 27-28 footprint is really appreciated. Yes, you can stack Electrolux machines or Duets, but the top of the stack will be 6'6"-6'8" off the floor. I spoke to an appliance store owner who had to take back a stacked pair of Electrolux machines because the 5'2" owner couldn't reach the controls on the dryer.
The same appliance store owner said that Frigidaire plans to continue manufacture of their 27 x 27-8 x 36 washers (i.e. same 3.5 capacity) for some time to come. They recognize there is a market niche for their particular size of products: people who are at entry-level on price (i.e. 2140 or 2940) and people with special application needs: stacked configuration, closet installation, laundry rooms with tight clearances.
I have a friend who bought new Maytag Epics to replace her former Neptunes, which finally died. The inward-opening laundry door clears the deeper Epics with only half an inch to spare, and fortunately the machine closer to the door is the dryer, because if the washer were next to the door, she would not be able to leave the washer door ajar AND open/close the door to the room.
