Maytag Dishwasher control panel

[johnb300m]

Planned Obsolescence

PS... I can honestly say I have never been in a situation where we were told to make something last a certain period of time.
I've never known a coworker or have never seen a manager dictate planned obsolescence.
It does not mean it doesn't happen, but I do not think it is as widespread as some people think.

 

[thomasortega]

John, sorry to ask.... Do you work in the appliances industry?

I worked for decades designing for that company that is always "thinking of you".

During the 80's and 90's, programmed obsolescence was unthinkable, at least in our plant.

In 1999 we could start hearing one or other comment about it. But it was always very discreet. (usually a closed meeting with the 5 "top")

In 2001 things started to be more open...

In 2005 the only thing that the company didn't have was a huge banner in the R&D lab saying "remember it has to be a crap".

In 2007, that "F-word" meeting happened.

When i realized, the test lab wasn't being used to test the appliances... well, yes, we tested them, but not to enhance the performance or the durability. It was to test the durability and make sure it wouldnt last more than the planned.

 

[johnb300m]

Industry

I'm not in the appliance business per-se, but many of my sister companies make household gadgets and small appliances as well as home safety devices.
I've been in hand tools, furniture and aviation before consumer electronics.

I'm sorry that company you were at was like that. It sounds horrible and I hope the market forces treat them as intended.
Again though, luckily, that hammer has never come down on my engineering teams.
We certainly have costs and budgets to keep. But if we can muster up some physics magic to make it last 10 years with our allotted resources, .... great!
If not? Well, it just needs to withstand the warranty period dictated by marketing.

 

[iheartmaytag]

I was told by a long time sales person that when Whirlpool purchased the Kitchenaid name, the first thing they did was have a meeting to find out why there were still 30 year old Kitchenaid dishwashers running out there. 

 

Decision was made to stop supplying repair parts--Problems solved.

 

I understand the same decision was made when the Maytag name was acquired, and I was told "We will not support any machine/appliance over 10 years old."  

 

 

 

[cam2s]

Well I went in and talked to our local repair guy....

He said you have to buy the entire control panel, at a cost of $150. I would try epoxy but there is such a small surface area on those screw post to put the epoxy don't know if it would hold. I guess it's grandmas machine I'll have to see what she wants to do.

 

[LaVidaBoem]

Maytag Console>>

Hello Cam2s,

 

Is this the one?

 

Good Luck

LaVidaBoem

[this post was last edited: 12/28/2015-20:42]

http://www.genuineapplianceparts.com/item/W10254837_Maytag_Dishwasher_Control_Panel/4236/p4c50m51

 

[gusherb]

"Thinking of you"

Well no wonder their products seem like the cheapest crap on the market, Whirlpool being right behind them IMO.

I've had issues with a certain Fruit phone since their last year release with quality. They pump them out so quick they don't care about quality so much and then rely on their great warranty service to take care of all the defective ones out there....that the consumer actually realizes is defective....and actually takes the time to make a stink about...of course bothering to do so is at the customers expense. Very aggravating when paying ridiculous prices and then being given something that should be absolutely perfect but isn't, and then being told my expectations are "too high" or "don't examine it so closely you're bound to find things wrong!". Well of course I will examine it closely it's a $900 device and I expect to get what I pay for!!

 

[johnb300m]

Repair parts

I almost feel dirty even saying this.....but in WP's defense, it's prohibitively expensive to keep available all those repair parts for all those products and variants they sell. It's almost dizzying to comprehend all the stock space and tooling storage/maintenance to keep all those parts available for 30+ years.
Of course that's different if you decide on using the same interchangeable design for certain things over 30+ years. But the way technology changes now, and how many appliance companies don't make their own parts anymore, but rely on suppliers......I can see going past 10 years being almost unmanageable.

HOWEVER! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! On the game LG and Samsung seem to play where they constantly change the designs of parts and appliances, and then just totally drop support and availability after a measly 2 years!
I've heard this same story now from a Home Depot sales guy, and a Lowe's sales guy.
It's so bad, that HD and Lowe's have begun stockpiling their own parts supplies for Korean appliances.
(Which seems insane to me then, why they peddle the Korean crap so hard).
(Have any of you in the industry heard of this????? Please corroborate.)

10 years seems about right to me though, all around. But not a single day less!