Opinions needed please.

[polkanut]

<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 14pt;">Yesterday we discovered that our 12yo Whirlpool Gold dw is pretty much DOA.  It seems a seal had been leaking, and the pump and motor are shot.  By the time the costs of the parts and labor are totaled up, I have a feeling a new dw may be in our very near future.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 14pt;">We currently have the "dreaded" almond/bisque stove, fridge, and dw.  My wife is insistent that any new dw match the other appliances.  That really narrows the choices of currently available new machines.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 14pt;">After looking online last evening and doing some comparison shopping, we found a dw we both can agree on.  It's a GE Model GDF520PGDCC.  From the reviews I've read it seems like this is a middle of the road model.  The reviewers were all over the place from really great things to say about it to possibly the worst POS they've ever used.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 14pt;">The best price I've been able to find is @ Sears for $373.00.  The GE website lists them @ $499 MSRP.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 14pt;">It has all the options our current WP Gold has with the exception of a china/crystal cycle, but that I can live without.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 14pt;">Need your input guys!!!</span>

[this post was last edited: 8/14/2014-07:34]

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[gansky1]

I know a couple of people that have these new GE dishwashers and are perfectly happy with them.  The price is reasonable and performance is reputed to be pretty good overall.  Being new, I was curious how they would rate in the last CR tests and they held respectable enough positions, slightly above the midpoint.  CR also recommended a couple of the Kenmore models and a Bosch at a reasonable (< $600) price point too, do they come in Almond?  That color limitation is a tough hurdle and will likely only get harder as time goes on.

 

 

 

[polkanut]

Greg,

<span style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 14pt;">I completely agree about the color issue.  That was the one thing my wife insisted on.  I'm glad to see that it is in the upper middle of the pack as far as performance.  Sears currently has this model on sale for $373, but I'm still a firm believer in buying local.  I will however take a printout of the listing from Sears' website, and use it as a bargaining tool when we go to Hargrave Appliance in Merrill, WI tomorrow.</span>

 

[italmex]

Balay company makes Bosch dishwasher and now GE to. Same quality.

 

[henene4]

Wrong!

At least for the EU, all Bosch DW are BSH manufactured. For the US, I can only ensure that all models with a full stainless steal tub (so no plastic bottom) are still pure Bosch made DW.

 

[pierreandreply4]

one thing you need to know if you have a flyer

1 thing you need to note is some store can match the price of another store if you have a flyer in witch you saw the model witch is a + when you went to bargain for a lower price

 

[combo52]

Dishwashers

Hi Tim, is your current WP gold DW a tall tub or regular tub model? and what is the general overall condition of the DW, also have you been happy with the current DW?.

These are all questions that need to be considered before considering replacement, it very well might make sense to replace OR it might make more sense to fix the 12 YO WP. I have NOT been impressed with the new GE DWs that I have installed in the price range you are considering, I have sold and installed several and will go out of my way to not sell another, they are about as badly built as Frigidaire DWs. If you really want to replace I would get a Maytag DW.

John L.

 

[revvinkevin]

If you really want to replace I would get a Maytag DW.

 

 

But aren't Maytag DW just a rebadged Whirlpools like the Maytag branded washers & dryers?

 

Kevin 

 

[combo52]

Aren't Maytag DWs just Re-badged Whirlpools ?

Yes, all MT, Amana, and KA DWS come out of the Findley Ohio Factory, but the MTs are all the older tall tub design with the powerful motor, food chopper, and they wash everything all the time [ no silly diverter valve to fail, and the DV is proving to be troublesome part of these new DWs ]. Until recently at least you could get KA branded models either way, and all WP and Amana branded DWs have the new filter system. Several AW folks have given these WP built MT DWs great reviews here lately.

So we have been selling a lot of MT DWs, it is sort of ironic as I was never a big fan of the older MT DWs, yes Maytag built some good DWs in there day but for what they cost I always sold customers a KA or a higher end WP.

John L.

 

[polkanut]

John,

I would love a MT dw but Bev is insistent on getting one to match the other appliances (i.e. almond).  Maytag doesn't have almond in their color lineup. 

 

[gizmo]

Can you get dishwashers with replaceable decorator panels?
Then you could get one with an almond replaceable panel for now, and change to white or stainless as other appliances get replaced.

Does your wife actually prefer the almond, or is it just a question of keeping it all matching?

 

[pierreandreply4]

you could always paint the diwasher panel almond

Hello polknut,

you could always paint the dishwasher almond because the only way you would get a almond dishwasher today is by going vintage unless you negotiate with the store clerck and special order an almond dishwasher would be to consider a vintage model newer modern models the only color options are white black or stainless steel we do not see much almond appliance anymore unless you have a custom panel made or paint it with appliance paint the only color thats close to almond today is bisque as seen in the link i am posting

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[mrb627]

Painting!

A brand new DW will most certainly void the warranty, I would suspect.

Malcolm

 

[iheartmaytag]

painting voiding the warranty.

Then the solution is simple. Paint the stove and frig. There problems solved.

 

[murando531]

I too have a newer Maytag dishwasher, MDB4709, which in the update has been transitioned to MDB4949SDE. They changed the sump/pump assembly to the new Whirlpool design, but instead of a removable filter, they've instead put a self-cleaning accumulator filter assembly. They don't have the diverter valve, they have a full-size motor instead of the tiny magnetic induction motors like the WP/KA counterparts, and there is still a four-blade soft food disposal, just as combo52 said.

I have been extremely pleased with mine. In the year we've had it, I've not pulled out a dish with even a speck or a greasy residue on it, and the tub stays spotless. My only small complaint was that I'm not a fan of the tiered upper rack, and that goes for any dishwasher, because I never load tall pans and such, so to me there's just a lot of wasted space between the top of the plates and the wash arm. Most people seem not to have a problem with it though. These machines are insanely quiet, despite what CR would say. Unless your bed is right next to it, I'm confident that only uppity people who think that hearing a machine do chores is just barbaric would think otherwise. Normal cycles are not that long either. Usually 1.5 hours or so, and that's with only scraping dishes.

Ironically, I recently came across a 2001 WP PowerClean (standard tub) in beautiful condition, most likely the same design as the machine you're looking to replace. I've wanted one of these for years, because they are a perfect all-around machine. Fool-proof and powerful wash system, great loading flexibility, sensibly water and energy efficient (a Normal cycle uses ~5 gallons, right in toe with the "eco" machines of today), and despite having a 1/3 HP motor and the power of a hurricane inside, they're very quiet, with only a soothing hum and the very muffled sound of water cascading around. I've never known of a PC to perform poorly unless the operator had no common-sense at all. After some time disassembling the machine completely and reconditioning all the parts and seals, and rebuilding it from the ground up with certain updated parts from the 2006 PowerCleans, it's now installed in my kitchen as a basically brand new machine, and hasn't had a single hiccup so far. The new Maytag is now "packaged" up and is stored in one of our spare closets, so that down the road should parts become impossible to find on the Whirlpool, I'll have another great dishwasher to take its place, and being brand new, it will be much easier to replace parts on it years from now. Who knows what atrocities will be on the dishwasher market by that time.

 

[murando531]

If it's just the pump system that is shot, you can buy the entire assembly for ~$160. It's a fairly easy procedure to replace it, as long as you follow the instructions exactly, and make sure you're thorough with cleaning the opening in the bottom of the tub after removing the old one. A ton of gunk can accumulate here after years of use, and not cleaning it will cause leaks. Here's a link to one on RepairClinic.

http://www.repairclinic.com/PartDet...mbly/W10428168/2002715?modelNumber=DU943PWKQ0

In my opinion, I'm not impressed with GE's new dishwashers in the least. We stayed in a condo with a pretty high-end stainless model, inside and out. Even with a full load of dishes it was annoyingly loud. In dB ratings it probably isn't much at all, but instead of a quiet hum and a slight water sound from the inside, it sounded like kids were inside squirting water guns at the walls, and you could tell every time it switched wash arms. It had all of its insulation and panels intact as far as I could see. They may work perfectly for some people, but to me it didn't hold a candle to what I've come to expect from an older WP or the Maytag.

 

[jerrod6]

Isn't Ge selling it's appliance division?  I would be worried about buying anything Ge because of this.  I suppose, on the other hand, by the time the sale goes through and things get sorted you might own the DW for a few years anyway...so maybe nothing to worry about.  Still this sale would be on my mind because it shows a lack of commitment to appliances from GE. 

 

[combo52]

Painting A New DW

Would not affect the warranty, unless you caused a problem, we have had many new appliances painted custom colors and finishes, from Mieles to WPs and KAs.

 

[appnut]

Tim, the GDF570 comes in bisque.   Has the better quality nylon racks and the SS interior.