Why are the European manufacturers leaving the US W/D market?
kaismom
11 years ago
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izeve
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agomara_2008
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Go w/your gut feeling--no more ebay hosta w/cut leaves for me!
Comments (44)No matter what, Tanya, in the hosta market, today--it's a risk when you buy one. Don't worry about it--if it's HVX you will know in a few years, for pretty sure. Just make sure not to cut scapes with the same knife or scissors you just cut another with. And, if you dig and divide, make sure you also clean the shovel and or knife (after and between digs) with a fury, with Dawn dish detergent and a bleach solution. With the nematodes--in my opinion, it's a worse problem. But--what are we going to do--give up our passion? Nope, we'll just have to 'deal with it'!!! Enjoy what you've done!!! I've gone through the hysteria of nematodes and the frustration of HVX--and I think I'm beginning to mellow. The nematodes I found the other day--didn't get 'nuked' this time, like the leaf I showed above (my first discovery on a newly purchased 'Sugar and Cream'). In fact, I'm so cool about it--it's still in that card-board box up on the deck! I feel sorry for it!! But--not for the 'nems'!!! I hate that they are such a problem--and my graphic is from the previous experiences, but I just posted it for fun this time!! I'm not nearly as 'freaked' as before--but still miffed at the seller for selling it--because it was a problem she saw--and felt she had to conceal, whether she understood what it was or not! That, to me, shows a lack of integrity--which I value very much in anyone, whether they are selling me something or just being a friend--be honest, sincere, kindly forthright and patient with me--cause we all are 'a work in progress' on some level! :o/ Did I mention I just can't abide someone who 'flatters' which translates to be someone being very ingenuous--hoping to impress me and with an ulterior motive--that I always wonder about!!! And, I just don't understand the desire to hurt another person, to put them down or make them feel idiotic--what is with that in a person to feed off that kind of hurtful mindset?? Oh well--now you know more about me than you ever wanted to know--right? LOL...See Morereplacing a newer frigidaire d/w - I need heavy-duty.
Comments (8)While the Frigidaire brand name may be owned by a foreign corporation, Frigidaire dishwashers are American designed and are manufactured in N. America -- always have been. Bosch is a German brand, but as far as I know, all of their dishwashers sold over here are made in a Texas factory, although they may be designed by German engineers. Because they're American manufactured, they are a standard 24" wide. That being said, I've been a Miele user for years. I don't think you'll find a better designed or sturdier-built machine on the market. Unfortunately, they are at the top end of the pricing spectrum. Also, because they're built to metric specifications, they're a fraction of an inch narrower (23-5/8") than American-built machines. They'll fit into a standard 24" opening, but you may have a tiny gap along the sides. The same may be true of Asko, another European brand. I've heard good things about the Kenmore Elite machines from Sears, although I've no first-hand experience. They're supposed to deliver good cleaning results and operate quietly. You might want to check them out if price is an important consideration. My understanding is that for the price, they deliver exceptionally good value. Finally, be sure you're using an enzyme based detergent and not a detergent formulation containing chlorine. You'll get much better cleaning results. Read the list of active ingredients on the box. If you see the word chlorine, switch to another brand or formulation. In some cases detergent makers don't always indicate that a particular formula is enzyme based, but if you see the word chlorine -- it's not. Chlorine and enzymes are not compatible. Some brands like Cascade are available as both chlorine or enzyme based formulations, so you have to read the list of ingredients. If the product contains chlorine, then it must say so on the box -- and you want to skip that type. If chlorine is absent, the formulation is almost certainly one containing enzymes....See MoreQuick W/D recs please (lots of weekly laundry for a family)?
Comments (28)Babs, I think you're a better candidate for a Speed Queen top loader than you realize. I wouldn't try to talk you into it. I'm not into product evangelizing, but since you asked for recommendations... The SQ doesn't have a heater, but you can select HOT wash temperature on any cycle. SQ hot is tap hot, meaning no Automatic Temperature Control. It opens up the hot valve and fills directly from your hot water heater supply. You can make it as hot as you want to run your water heater with safety and energy cost limitations, of course. If you plan to run a heater in a HE machine much of the time anyway, you're already foregoing the much of energy savings. SQ washers have a 3.3 cf tub, which seems small compared to some of the gargantuan washers on the market. In practice, the thinner flex vane agitator takes up less room and a decent size load fits (and washes) fine. A king comforter will not fit, however. The REGULAR/HEAVY/HOT cycle is probably the longest on the SQ because of the extended wash period and the slower hot water only fill. I haven't measured the time of that cycle, but I'm convinced you can easily run two of those loads in the time it takes a FL to complete one. Maybe even three when compared to a FL sanitary cycle. Washers with 5.5 cf tubs sure seem like a win for a large family, but consider the weight of 5 cf of wet jeans and the centrifugal force of spinning them at over 1000 rpm. No washer should ever explode, but the damage is not surprising when a defective or poorly designed one lets go. Using a modest tub size and running a few more loads on the busy days will go a long ways toward extending the life of motors, bearings, belts, and everything else that moves in a washer. My kids were also active with sports and other outdoor activities. They've moved on to college and beyond, but I still like bright whites and clean clothes. I've found a combination of plenty of water (hot/warm/cold as appropriate), proper pre-treating, good detergent (properly measured!), bleach or Borax when appropriate and avoiding overloading the machine has produced consistently clean laundry. SQ washers are at the opposite end of many scales compared to the high tech HE washers on the market. They have switches and electromechanical timers instead of a computer board. I have the AWN542 model with the fabric selector switch (DELICATE/KNIT/PERM PRESS/REGULAR) that overrides the agitation/spin speeds of the cycle timer. There is a separate switch for selecting HOT/WARM/COLD water temperature. Used together, you can select any water temperature, any agitation speed, any spin speed (actually, either spin speed as there are only two), and any cycle length for a wash load. Don't bother with plugging it into a surge suppressor. If you live in an area where water is in short supply, it's hard to make an argument against HE machines. Water is readily available where I live and isn't especially expensive. That doesn't mean we should waste it and we don't. The EPA energy guideline sticker on my washer indicated it costs about $43/year to operate the SQ deep fill top loader, $26/year if you have a gas water heater. I have gas. They are hardly energy hogs. The SQ washer has a 3-year "bumper to bumper" warranty. It also has 5 years on the motor and 10 years on the transmission. It's built in the US for lots of cycles and I've never had a musty smell from it....See MoreThanks for all the great W/D info here! And a rant about Maytag..
Comments (7)"tresw -- you mentioned you had a Maytag fridge. Did you check to see if it was covered in the recent 2001-2004(ish) recall range?" Good grief, there was a recall on the fridges?? Geesh! No, I didn't know about it. Actually I think ours predates that, but I'll check. The fridge has always run great, but the seals are terrible on it. We've had continual mold and rust problems with it. It'll go soon and I don't care to ever see the word "Maytag" in my house again regardless of who owns them. "Wonder how many of the NEW machines of all manufacturers will have rave reviews AFTER 10 years ownership." Had we gotten 10 years of trouble-free service out of the Neptunes I would not be complaining. We didn't even get ONE year of trouble-free service though. Regarding the LG's- they've been fantastic so far! They are exceedingly quiet, much quieter than the Neptunes were even when new. They are very attractive machines and all the lights and LEDs make for a very interesting display when they're running. Despite all the bazillion features they're easy to set and run, even the kids had been using them (and that's VERY unusual!) The dryer cooldown is really nice, clothes seem to come out with a lot less static than with the Neptunes and they're easier to handle. The cycles are no quicker than the Neptunes though. But the countdown display is great because you can see whether to hang around for it to finish or come back later. So far, we have nothing but praise for these!...See Morekodiak13
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