Sharp Microwave Saga - The Last Shout. Repair or?

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launderess

launderess

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Repair service telephoned today, and give us the run down on our unit. Apparently there are three problems:

Micro switch needs to be repaired (am assuming this is why the unit suddenly stopped working, but lights will come on and so forth).

CPU board needs to be replaced. Display on this unit died about three months after we got it home from Circut City. Rather it was a gradual dimming, and still couldn't be bothered at the time as CC had stopped selling appliances. Yes, should have sent the darn thing in for warranty service,but had other things going on at the time. Seeing as the unit still worked, it really didn't cause too much worry.

Wave "cover" needs replacing. Assume this is the "cardboard" cover that covers the area where the microwaves emerge. Yes, it was getting dirty and had some grease spots, but service says it is wearing/breaking down and should be repaired.

Total cost, including collection (which was free) and delivery will be around $200. Thoughts?

A good 2.0 cu/ft microwave today will cost about as much, with no promise of quality. Probably will not get the 10 years of service have had with this unit, nor do they have the programs one is used to and uses often.
 
Laundress, dear heart,

Either way, it is a gamble.

That said, I would be more inclined to repair, however, that is a decision one must make on one's own.

Just my twopence.

Lawrence/Maytagbear
 
I guess if you haven't gone out and taken a real good look at what $200 will buy today, that should be your first move. If your Sharp ends up appearing built like a $500 machine in comparison you'll probably be inclined to go ahead with the repairs. Considering parts are still available, and if there are no new bells and whistles you feel you absolutely can't live without, fixing what you have would probably provide as much if not more value than buying new.
 
But also keep in mind that the latest model microwaves cook much more evenly than the old ones do. I noticed this with each of the three microwaves I've had over the years. Each one cooked slightly better than the previous one.
 
Thanks Guys

For all your comments.

Am kind of leaning towards having my old girl repaired.

While at PC Richards picking up a cheap and temporary replacemnt (see other thread), looked at what was on offer, and while there are a few more bells and whistles, much else is the same.

Also couldnt' find a new microwave with poultry settings I liked and most often used on the Sharp. Vintage unit has both boneless and bone in sensor cooking settings for poultry, and did a damn fine job on either.

Build quality wise, aside from the CPU display dying within one year of purchase (and to be fair,it was an open box unit, purchased when CC was getting out of the appliance game), the unit has performed quite well.

Uneven cooking wasn't a problem. Then again the only real cooking one does in a microwave, aside from porridge, is chicken pieces and perhaps fish (the two "meats" that taste best when done in the microwave, IMHO), oh and of course veggies, potatoes, and of course reheating.

While the Panasonic units are nice, there are too many mixed reviews. Some claim they are wonderful, but others have had problems. This from reading various postings on the Web. Besides know wouldn't be able to live with a microwave oven that did not have a light on during cooking. Make too many things which are subject to boiling over (such as morning oatmeal), to have to keep opening a door to check on things.

FWIU inverter technology for microwave ovens isn't new, and it can be a great thing. Others think it is just another marketing gimmick to difference one product from another.

As for stainless steel, well you guys know my feelings towards that surface. Doesn't do a thing for me. Just one more thing to polish.

Have to speak with the repair service early this week, maybe if the weather is nice will go up to PC Richards again and kick some tires.

Personally think microwaves are like most other major appliances these days. Tons of features have replaced build quality. What I liked about my old Sharp, is is built very well, and is damn heavy. Thing weighs about 50lbs, and has survived almost ten years with no chipping, scratching or whatever. Aside from marks on top the unit from things being rested there, thing looks almost new.

My other feeling is I like to help keep local repair persons of "obsolete" repair in business. If a new oven will come out in the ball park of repairing the old, and can save some space in a landfill, why not repair goes my theory.
 
All the Panasonic microwaves I've had leave the light on when the door is open AND when the food is cooking. The model I gave you a link to is one of them, and it doesn't turn out the light when the food is cooking.

The reason why older microwaves weight a lot more is largely because of the heavy magnetic transformer. The Panasonic Inverter technology replaces the heavy magnetic transformer with a solid state unit. I view the lighter weight of the Panasonic unit to be a plus, not a minus, as long as key parts (door hinges/latch) are sturdy enough to put up with years of usage without failure.

There are multiple Panasonic units and I gather that some are better than others. If you were to stick with their top of the line models I don't think you'd be disappointed.

Anyway, glad you made up your mind and good luck with the repair. You might ask how long the repair shop will warranty the entire unit (not just their work) afterward.
 
I have an eight year old GE over the range microwave. The control board and switch burned out and will cost $200 to repair. Of course, I am over a barrel in terms of repairing or replacing it, because with the control board out, I have no illumination or ventilation for my range.

I was never that happy with the thing, found the controls confusing and hard to program. On top of that, it had sensor cooking which I never used once in eight years. I just make oatmeal and reheat leftovers in it. However, the fact that it combines a microwave with the functions of a hood is a plus, as it saves space on the countertops.

I am able to do the install myself, so I bought a new Amana 1.5 cu ft model. Another plus for me is that the Amana is an inch shorter than the GE, so it will provide an extra inch of overhead clearance between the range top and the bottom of the microwave, before it was a bit crowded. Don't know how long it will last, but to me eight years with a burned out control board is not all that impressive. If the control board repair was priced more reasonably, say $100-150, I would consider repairing.

Our county landfill has a special recycle station for tv's computers and small appliances, so I will drive the old one out there to be sure it is recycled and not dumped and buried in a landfill. They encourage residents to use the recycle station instead of dumping old things in the landfill.
 
It seems to me that you have requirements (poultry cooking) that current model microwaves can't fulfill. It sounds like you were very pleased with that Sharp unit.
I'd go ahead and get it fixed. I think you'll be much happier that way. Remember, when buying appliances you always have a set of requirements that the appliance must meet. In your case, I think the Sharp is the real deal.
 
Just looked, my Whirlpool has settings for Chicken poached, Chicken Browned in sizzle pan and Chicken bone-in among others. so apparently there are ovens of recent vintage with these functions.
 
I've never tried anything more complex than reheating leftovers, frozen entrees, popcorn, cooking fresh veggies in a hurry, or thawing things in my microwave. I recall once trying to cook a chicken in my old 800 watt Amana (really a Hitachi) but didn't care much for the results. It came out more like a steamed chicken than anything else. So the umpteen settings for doing chicken are a bit amusing.

I do like the continuous reduced power that the Inverter offers. I've found it can make all the difference for some foods - like frozen burritos. I get the best results at 60% power for 3 minutes with those (they are relatively large). Full power leaves the ends cooked hard and/or the middle icy.
 
Just some thoughts.... Trying to look at a bigger picture.... Are you interested in a built in (over the stove) model to free up counter space? Would you like a 2nd oven? The convection/microwave combos are really neat. They come in counter top and built in models. I like the stainless steel INTERIORS. Easier to clean. Just some things to think about besides the microwave itself. There may be some oppertunities here!

Jim
 
Have never tried cooking a whole chicken in a microwave, and frankly wouldn't bother, though there are who swear by it.

No, my method for doing "meat" in the MC is to stick to "white" meats like fish and poultry.

I always use chicken that is fresh and has little retianed water,such as organic or "Murray's". Perdue and the other mass market brands are so full of water that once cooking starts it does become rather like "steaming" as all that water pours out of the flesh.

My over will stop every now and then on various sensor programs, and alert one to turn or rearrange whatever is cooking. At this time one will siphon off any excess juices if it is creating too much moisture inside the pan.

Veggies, either the frozen or fresh kind come out a treat in the MC. Much healthy as well since one does not need to add additional water. Just last night made a nice bowl of greens seasoned with a few slices of pork fat (leftover bits from Christmas ham), added some olive oil and garlic. Darn good eats!

If all one is doing is "nuking" leftovers, and making prepared/frozen meals, then perhaps the choice of microwaves isn't important. Not knocking anyone's choices mind. However my microwave really does get used several times daily for cooking.
 
Whole Chicken

Another thing missing from modern microwave ovens is the temperature probe. I didn't use mine much when I had one, but since there's been some talk about cooking a whole chicken via microwave, I once did a whole chicken using the probe and not only did it cook it perfectly, but it was also the easiest part of putting together a large batch of enchiladas. For that application, the microwave method was perfect.
 
Actually, the choice of microwave IS important for cooking frozen entrees and other foods. A good microwave will have a program that runs on partial power to help thaw the selection, and then more power to cook it. That's because ice will not absorb microwaves much - it needs to melt into water before it starts to heat up properly. If you blast a frozen item with full microwave power, then it will tend to toughen non-water items like proteins before the ice melts enough to switch over to normal mw cooking. Additionally, a good sensor is important to cook the frozen entree fully without overcooking it.

Cheap microwaves will not have very sophisticated programs, and usually won't have any kind of sensor.

I agree with Ralph, a meat temp probe would be a great addition to a microwave. But I also haven't seen them for a while. Perhaps because nearly all mw's today have turntables that cannot be disabled, and a corded temp probe would interfere with the rotation.

Convection is a great thing. Right now I have a separate large toaster/convection oven that works great for small portions of stuff like pizza, rolls, mini bread loaves, fish sticks, french fries (or chips to Laundress). I suppose a combination microwave/convection oven would conserve counter space but the prices on such contraptions is far more than the combined cost of separate decent MW and convection toaster oven.
 
I would get a Radarange if I wanted a vintage microwave, or just throw the damn thing out and buy a brand new one.
 
Vintage RadarRanges are far and few in this neck of the woods. While they do pop up on eBay, wouldn't trust sellers today to package and ship the thing properly. As it is the ones for sale most always say "pick up only". Well they should, the things aren't exactly light.

As for "cheap microwaves", yes the $30 Sayno special I picked up from PC Richards last week, is really not good for more than heating things up and cooking veggies. No sensors and only 800w of power, but have to say while it takes much longer than my older 1200 watt oven to cook things, foods sometimes taste better.

Never had much problems with defrosting things in the old Sharp. However tend to run the defrost program more to get much of the work done, then allow whatever to sit and let nature finish the course. For the odd times one does need to have something "NOW", can do so with careful timing and checking that prevents the dreaded "cook while you thaw".
 
Launderess, I think you'll be much happier with your Sharp fixed than a new microwave. When our old Radarange bit the dust after 18 or so years of service I just figured it had earned the right to be retired, and also thought a newer oven might work better. So I made no attempt to get it repaired and bought the crappy Panasonic Invertor . . . bad, bad decision!
 
From what I've seen the old Radar Ranges are built like little tanks (there's one in the galley of the museum ship Hornet in Alameda here) and I'd also agree that it would be good to repair one of those instead of replace.

I wasn't aware that Sharp was originally an US company. All the stuff I've seen from them has been made in Japan or Asia, and in general I've felt their consumer electronics have been on the chintzier side of the aisle. But there have been plenty of US electronics mfg's that once made decent products here but now their name is slapped on the worst crap made oversears (Westinghouse, RCA spring to mind).
 
Sharp was always a Japanese company, but expanded into the US in a big way in the '70s and '80s. My guess is that the microwave market in the US was much larger than anywhere else in the '80s and that combined with the high cost of shipping those tank-like ovens it was just simpler and cheaper to make them here.

Sharp makes pretty good copiers. We've got one, purchased from our copier repairman as he prefers them to any other brand he services.
 
Temp Probes and Turntables

Rich, my 1980 Panasonic (which I am starting to miss a little) had a swivel receptacle at the top center of the oven cavity, which allowed the probe cord to rotate along with the turntable.

My partner and I cruised our old place recently and saw the Panasonic out at the curb. I suspect it still worked fine and was a case of operator error. She probably accidentally turned the "temp cook" knob used with the probe, which will stop all operation unless the probe is deployed. Either that or the slight squeal the turntable was making scared her. I was tempted to rescue the oven but truly, I have no place to put it and there's already enough stuff stored around here.
 
My Sharp microwave was produced in 2000, and was made in the USA, according to the plate inside the oven. Headquarters was in New Jersey, Matawan or some such place.

Radaranges:

Yes, vintage Amana Radaranges are the "battleships" of microwaves. Sadly from what one hears parts can be hard to come by, so when they finally do give up the ghost, repairs may not be easy.

Was reading a book on the history of the microchip on Google last night, and it covered the history of the microwave, starting with Amana being purchased from Raytheon (sp?), and the launch into making microwaves a consumer product.

First, their was confirmation of what was said up thread, microwaves on full power would defrost foods unevenly, and worse begin cooking the thawed part before the balance. Yes, it went into why (something about ice, water, heat, waves......). So Amana sent their engineers to work designing a way to throttle power up and down to get even results in defrosting and cooking.

Apparently when the head of Amana went on a tour near the company's headquarters of engineer's homes, he found their wives loved the first microwave ovens, but the things were huge, almost the size of a small fridge today. Engineer's wives were the only one's to have the units, since they were so heavy, big and expensive. Amana's goal was to bring down the size and price of units. Though they did bring down the size (if not weight), the units still cost dear for the period.
 
Personally think much of the "problems" with today's microwave ovens, including product lifespan have to do with making the things into something they aren't.

Try as hard as one might, microwave cooking is never going to give one the same results as oven or range top cooking. It is just a matter of simple physics. One can achieve some browning and crispness via special dishes/cookware and or adding features such as convection and or heating elements, but the results are often less than perfect. Consumer Reports has repeatly tested all sort and manner of "speed" ovens, combinations of microwaves and such, all with mixed results.

One would never bother making a rib roast in a microwave. For all the bother it takes, (with less than great results), one can prepare and bung the thing into the oven and be done. Of course during warmer months, one may seek out cooler ways to "roast", but for those times there are plenty of small electric ovens/roasters around. Or, simply take a tip from our grandmothers and have some sort of "summer kitchen" set up either in the basement or a room off the kitchen.
 
My sister and I received our matching 1980 Panasonics as Xmas gifts from Mom and Dad. I went back to the store with mine with the intention of trading it for an identically priced Radarange. The sales guy talked me out of it, advising and demonstrating that the Panasonic was a superior machine. I can't complain about the longevity of the Panasonic, it served me beyond my wildest expectations, but even now I still lust after a Radarange.
 
The technical reason why microwaves can't heat up ice is that a microwave works by exciting hydrogen bonds. The excitation makes the molecules held by the bonds move in and out, and that motion in turn translates directly into heat. There are lots of hydrogen bonds in water, but when water is frozen these bonds are held rigid and can't get excited much, their associated atoms (hydrogen and oxygen) can't move much, and not much heat is produced. The lower power levels are needed to gradually produce enough heat to melt enough water that its hydrogen bonds can be excited and produce heat to melt more ice and finally cook the food.

Fats contain hydrogen bonds as well, but they are mostly hydrogen-carbon. But fats can certainly be heated by microwaves, and since fats can't release that heat by turning into steam at 100C, they can get a lot hotter than water in a microwave. Which is why fatty foods can melt plastic microwaveable containers. Carbs and proteins also contain hydrogen bonds, and I'm sure we've all seen the edges of larger pieces of meat turned to leather by too much heating too fast in a microwave on full power. But I also think the atoms in such carb and protein molecules are held somewhat more rigidly than in water or fats so they don't heat as readily. But there is still plenty of water associated with proteins so that they can overcook quickly around the edges since microwaves don't penetrate that far into an object to begin with.

Laundress is absolutely right that one can't achieve the same results in microwave cooking as with oven/rangetop/bbq/rotisserie methods. Microwave cookery, at its best, is a form of steaming, and proceed accordingly in preparation and arranging the food stuffs. Adding a little water to things like fresh veggies helps a lot in cooking them, and the small amount doesn't dilute the vitamin content that much. Similar to the "waterless" cooktop steaming of veggies, in which a small amount of water is used in a pot with a tight fitting lid, and once the water has produced steam the heat is reduced enough to ensure cooking but not to boil the water all away before the food is cooked. Nothing worse than the aroma of burnt broccoli!
 
Sharp Microwave Ovens

The mica wave-guide cover (looks like grey cardboard) has a tendency to wear out. I didn't like the look of that in the shops in 1990, and years later, a work colleague said his Sharp caught fire!

I had a Panasonic that saw daily use over 8 years. It had a wipe clean plastic cover.

The modern Panasonics have the lightweight 'Inverter' power supply, that does away with the heavy transformer; makes it easier to lift.
 
"since fats can't release that heat by turning into steam at 100C, they can get a lot hotter"

Which explains the theory behind the various browning and or grill ware sold for use in microwaves. Bascially nothing more than a surface that will get VERY hot when preheated in a microwave. Then just as with a skillet or fry pan one uses on the range, meat is placed onto the hot surface which in theory should sear.

Say "in theory" as some browning dishes worked better than othters. Corningware supposedly had a rather good set, but they stopped production because consumers not understanding how to use the dishes, didn't get the proper results. Also the browning dishes were the only ones produced by Corning at that time which absolutely could NOT be used on top of the range. Suspect more than a few housewives plopped those special skillets on to their range tops and destroyed the coated bottom surface, which was what did the "browning".

Oh, the other problem with microwave browning dishes is that one has to turn the foods over to "fry" the otherside before the device looses the proper heat.
 
Never bothered to add water to veggies before microwaving.

Then again wash fresh veggies to within an inch of their lives, so perhaps there is enough water residue to get things started.

Frozen veggies I find usually have enough "frost" on em to start things off. If you like olive oil on your veggies, it's best to put it on after nuking, this helps preserve all the anti-oxidants.

"Steaming", exlains why white meats such as fish and poultry can be "cooked" in a microwave with pretty good results.

Red meats such as beef tend to look like they are boiled, however some dishes that is what one is going for, so it may be ok.
 
Those mica covers always seem to get so grody in corporate ovens. For quite a while I so disliked that mica magnetron shield that I would only purchase microwaves with plastic shields. The Kenmore is one of them, also the Magic Chef, as was the Amana-tachi. The Panasonics all seem to have mica covers and I finally broke down and got one because I wanted the inverter technology. I have found that, unlike shared corporate microwaves, the mica cover in my Panasonic stays very clean so it hasn't been a problem. That's because I am usually careful to cover anything that might sputter, and clean up any mistakes right away before they can get baked on.

Even for frozen veggies, which usually have a surplus of water, that water is frozen and won't heat properly until thawed, so a little water added can greatly improve microwaving results. No more than a tablespoon or two is needed, just to get the ball rolling, so to speak.
 

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