What DON'T You Care For?

[danemodsandy]

Let's all play nice, but I'm curious - what classic appliances don't you like - and why?

I personally never cared for GE laundry appliances, because I don't like the console styling, don't care for the mismatched look of the toe-kick on the dryer when there's none on the washer, and for some unfathomable reason, those angled corners on the washer lid drive me bonkers.

I'm not a fan of Frigidaire ranges, either - the "orphan" status of GM-made appliances means parts difficulties even beyond the norm for vintage stuff. I'm happy to see so many people collecting and restoring Flairs, but man, is that more work than I want to get into!

And I'm not crazy about most Kenmores. I have a soft spot for the 1966 keyboard Lady K's, and for the 800s of the same vintage, as well as the early-'70s DM-made dishwashers and the 1960s Powermate vacuums - but the rest? I'm not exactly lusting after them, because I have so many lingering bad memories of being poorly treated by Sears on parts and service, before I just cut Sears out of my life altogether.

I also have not yet brought myself to trust a vintage refrigerator of any brand, as much as I'd like to have one. I know more about interplanetary space travel than I do about refrigeration systems, with the result that I just don't think I'm the right owner for a vintage fridge at this point.

Without dissing anyone else's choices - what don't you care for?

 

[super32]

I loved the look of older whirlpool build washers but I always felt they were overly complicated. Yet they seem to hold up quite well.

Amama, I don't think they ever made a washing machine that was any good.

 

[mrb627]

Short Strokers

I don't really care for any of the short stroke washers. Too noisy. Cork screw agitators? Keep em!

Malcolm

 

[foraloysius]

Vintage Norge washers. Too loud and hardly any turnover.

 

[rp2813]

This Is So Easy!

NOOOOOOOOHRGE!

 

Washers in particular.

 

I also agree with Malcom about short stroke machines and their kid gloves approach to washing clothes.

 

[whirlykenmore78]

Here's my list

1. Hands down the horribly designed Auto-Chlor Dishwasher. While fairly well built these things have a hard time washing clean dishes. Amazing considering the massive amounts of water, detergent, rinse aid, and sanitizer they gulp down. I pity any restaurant operator who's dishroom has been plagued by one of these.

2. Any WCI appliance, they're all pretty much worthless crap.

3. Most GE and HP DWs save for the few higher end Potscrubber such as the GSD1200 and the like that actually worked.

4. Waste King/Thermador DWs. Poorly designed racks, flimsy wash arms and mediocre at best washing for a price higher than a KA Superba! Really?

5. I'll probably get death threats for this but Frigidaire 1-18's. Extremely noisy and unreliable. Although they did clean very well and are really cool to watch.
Note: not written to offend anyone, just my opinion.
WK78

 

[perc-o-prince]

People who don't follow strong suggestions when they're warranted (for example, no smoking in our home).

Oh, appliances!!! Nevermind (shades of Roseanne-a-danna-danna)!

How about new dishwashers that take 2 hours to do what our Power Shower does in 20 minutes, or what the KDS-20 does in about 40?

Chuck

 

[tomturbomatic]

If you bought a higher end GE washer, it had a black kick plate that matched the dryer's bottom recess. The recess was nice for moving the dryer because the recess accommodated the door pedal so you did not have to watch out for it when going through doors, unlike with TOL Frigidaires.

 

[xraytech]

My dislikes are GE dishwashers, after spending my whole life with my grandmothers 1966 GE I feel they have mediocre performance unless all food residue is well scraped.

Another thing I dislike are Maytag products, Ive never liked the external styling of any of their products, and in the washers I fell their capacity seems less than other brands I also think the wash action is lack luster,

 

[d-jones]

I find the Frigidaire 1-18's to be excruciatingly ugly, and I like vintage Frigidaires. When it comes right down to it, if I can't get past the looks, I don't want to hear about the performance. That's kind of how I feel about relationships too.

<a name="start_44325.651287">"Another thing I dislike are Maytag products, Ive never liked the external styling of any of their products, and in the washers I fell their capacity seems less than other brands I also think the wash action is lack luster," - Blasphemer!!!! Behold, it is written in the sacred book of vintage household appliances, Thou shalt not insult the Goddess Maytag!!!! ------Unless your name is John.

</a>

[this post was last edited: 1/5/2013-19:19]

 

[goatfarmer]

Frigidaire 1-18's

I worked on these when they were still under warranty. They were poorly designed, and noisy IMHO. We never had less that 2-3 in the shop at one time.

They were a cheap washer, designed for the masses.

 

[xraytech]

Yep d-jones I said it I do not like Maytag and never have even as a child, it is all of their products I dislike but I really dislike the washers
I much prefer the look and style of a GE filter-flo with ramp activator or a Speed Queen.

 

[maytagbear]

I think CONTEXT has a lot to do with it

although, to be fair, there were/are some less well engineered, less well built, lesser performing machines out there. However, most of my disliked brands I only encountered as coin-op, or in rental properties.

However, I dislike(d) GE laundry, but all the GE laundry I ever used were well (ab)used coin-op machines. GE cooking, too, during the Filter Flo era. Again, abused rental units. I HATED the pushbutton cooktops, and I was not too fond of the comparatively small oven.

I never understood GM Frigidaire laundry or dishwashers (all periods for their dishwashers). Frigidaire cooking and refrigerators, I like, and if I had to have a vintage electric, I would want a GM Frigidaire, preferably with Electri-Clean.

I disliked the mid 1980s non-self cleaning Tappan electric range that was here when I moved in, but context....rental......I cleaned it up.....but it still had been badly used by previous tenants. The oven was still decent, but the cooktop had been brutalized. Oh, and my 2011 gas Whirlpool self cleaner is still cooler than the Tappan.

However, I always understood, and liked, Maytag and Whirlpool. Kenpool, not as much because of a Sears thing I had. It was similar to my current disdain for Wal*Mart, but lower intensity. In my Ma's house, Whirlpool was what you bought when you couldn't afford Maytag. That is back when it wasn't Maypool or Whirltag.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[westingman123]

OMG!

ROFLMAO @ Blasphemer! I wonder what the Goddess Maytag will dole out in punishment!

 

[norgeway]

Norge????

That is by far the BEST washer ever made, I hate Maytags, they just will not wash a big load!

 

[whirlykenmore78]

@norgeway

Norge machines, even the reworked MT design could wash well but were not reliable at all.   A real MT would last 2 or 3 times longer.  If you want great washing and reliability in a TL either find a DD WP/KM or a SQ.  The 2 best TL designs ever. 

WK78

 

[appnut]

Most of each of your dislikes are pretty much illogical.  Much has to do with individual experience and preference as well as style apparance being shallow and such and you ucould care less about performance (d-jjones is a perfect example).  But that is why there exists marketing, engineering, and design teams.  We don't live in Russia where one product fits all. 

 

[cornutt]

I can remember my dad, who was an electrical engineer, having a very low opinion of Motorola TVs and stereos. This was back in the early '60s. Our TV and stereo were both Zenith.

 

[norgeway]

LOL!! The reason..

Maytags last so long, and I agree they do last forever, is because they dont do anything!, my Aunt had a 606 when I was growing up...she had it 33 years!! and it was OK, but I clearly remember although it was a large tub model, it would not wash nearly as heavy load as our solid tub frigidaire!I agree about the later Norges, but the Borg Warner Norges and the first Fedders Norges, will consistently out wash just about anything ever made, now...what do I use at home, an 83 Kenmore and a 73 Lady Kenmore dryer..I DID have a 72 Norge, but Don complained that it wore out his clothes!!LOL,,,but no matter how greasy or nasty, they came out clean!