Tank Slap - Motorcycle Forum

White goods, why are they all sh1t these days?

We must live in the Bermuda Triangle for fridges, freezers, washing machines etc, the third fridge freezer in 5 yrs is on the blink and it’s only 10 months old. I wouldn’t mind so much, but we don’t buy cheap, and only items recommended in Which or similar.

This one is under guarantee and will be replaced or repaired, but where do I go from here, do I bite the bullet and Miele? Or maybe the cheapest make and make up the price with a 5 year insurance? Don’t know anymore.

We always bought Siemens and had no problems until 3yrs back when one of theirs threw in the towel just out of warranty. Since then we’ve been told that all European made stuff is effectively unrepairable if a certain common part fails - it’s like built in obsolescence.

Just hacked off at the moment, any helpful advice or piss taking on a postcard etc...

We have always bought Bosch, Neff or AEG.
Hopefully you get better luck soon buddy.

My parents always buy John Lewis as their stuff is just rebranded versions of whatever they think is best at the time.

Me, I buy cheap(ish) and then I'm not surprised when it fails and I have to replace it. Current fridge and freezer are both howdens own brand.

We buy alot of goods from John Lewis too as find they have knowledgeable, helpful staff, often price match and can often provide free extended warranties.

Slightly off subject. Have you looked at the Nationwide Gold card Deegee? We use it as it provides an additional 12 months product insurance. Couldn't tell you if competitive APR as we don't use for credit, just as electronic cash.

+1 for John Lewis.

But i do agree that white goods aren't much cop these days. Our washing machine does get used a lot but they don't last 2 years.

Deegee wrote:White goods, why are they all sh1t these days? ...

I wonder if it's possibly correct, and down to market forces.?
Could it be that everything these days must be rated on efficiency, and that in order to achieve high scores components are designed with that primarily in mind. Longevity is perhaps loosing out as a result.?

I've also been wondering if modern engines may prove to be similarly affected.; - Back in the 60-70's, if you got 80k out of an engine before you needed a "Goldseal" replacement then you were lucky. By the 90's 150k could be considered "nicely run in". Modern petrol engines offer almost twice the mpg that those 90's era did, so could the same bias towards economy have a similar effect on endurance.?

Deegee wrote:... Or maybe the cheapest make .....

Furthermore I don't expect that I am the only one to increasingly discover that "cheap Chinese crap" is actually becoming surprisingly good in many cases. - Fwiw I would prefer to be pleasantly surprised by a cheap item, than disappointed by a quality investment.

All built down to a price.

IIRC a washing machine or fridge ... now costs similar to what it did when i got married.

I've had my washing machine since 2002 , I've replaced the pump , the motor and the PCB, but it still works . I paid £100 for it 2nd hand . I reckon it's cost me £130 and 3 or 4 hours work to keep it going .

Tbh when we moved house 18 months ago we sold the old washer and tumble drier as the new house came with brand new items. They both still worked fine and were in good condition. I think the washer had a new belt after about 14 years and that was it. Both were bought by my parents when we got married in 1999. I guess they don't make things like they used too.

StMarks wrote: Furthermore I don't expect that I am the only one to increasingly discover that "cheap Chinese crap" is actually becoming surprisingly good in many cases. - Fwiw I would prefer to be pleasantly surprised by a cheap item, than disappointed by a quality investment.

I agree. I buy Beko stuff mostly and it lasts, is usually repairable and if it isnt - throw it away as it was cheap anyway.

Our Beko oven is like triggers broom

Washing machines can generally be repaired with a little knowledge. There are so many 'How to' videos on YouTube now that its a piece of piss to diagnose a fault and decide whether its economic to fix it.

A washing machine is generally any of a split hose, motor brushes or the belt.

Get the missus this I've heard reliability is second to none

The breakdowns we get are never as simple as the ones you boys seem to get, we had an oven that caught fire and took the wiring and control unit out, a washing machine that blew its drum bearings and tore the dampers out of the steel frame and the resultant water loss took the motor out, an all singing and dancing fridge freezer that had the joint between the compressor and the cooler matrix go porous, which cannot be repaired apparently (I tried!) and this last Fault on a 10 month old Daewoo fridge freezer that has a cooling fan assembly that sounds as if it’s a brickies mixer at 4pm with a couple of bricks tumbling round inside and a failed defrost switch.

Interestingly the only piece of kit we’ve had no bother with is the tumble drier which is over 20yrs old! Apparently they don’t make them like they used to.

Blade wrote:Get the missus this I've heard reliability is second to none

212412-680x450-Washboard-and-Mangle.jpg

From my experience they are prone to a really bad whining noise which is impossible to fix.

duke63 wrote:

Blade wrote:Get the missus this I've heard reliability is second to none

212412-680x450-Washboard-and-Mangle.jpg

From my experience they are prone to a really bad whining noise which is impossible to fix.

Blade unless you can plug those in and they have a volume control knob it’s probably not happening.

I think Blade is referring to the female operator

duke63 wrote:

Blade wrote:Get the missus this I've heard reliability is second to none

212412-680x450-Washboard-and-Mangle.jpg

From my experience they are prone to a really bad whining noise which is impossible to fix.

No that can be fixed easily

Calibrated tap, works every time

Only the Italians would send a reply to an email...1.5 years after sending it

I asked to extend my warranty and the link didn't work but gave an email address to reply to. Which I thought was fine but it had no information of what they wanted to know so i gave them what i thought was fine and then I'd get a reply for the correct information....well they did reply...1.5 years afterwards!

Screw it won't bother now!!

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

Rossgo wrote:Only the Italians would send a reply to an email...1.5 years after sending it

Welcome to my world

Single marque/model forums

I've noticed whenever you mention on one of these forums that you're trying or have tried another bike you get met with loads of replies from people who have never owned them, telling you they're carp, to stay away, I know a mate who....., I've seen a YouTube video of.....

When I was on the z1000sx forum and said I was getting a Versys I got loads of abuse. Telling me I'll regret it, it's a step backwards, they're ugly, they're cheap, they fall apart, I'll miss the power, it'll be a big regret etc.

Now on the Versys forum I've mentioned I'm taking an Africa Twin out and I'm getting horror stories of them spilling oil and needing a new engine after being dropped, how owners don't keep them for long as they're crap, they're too heavy (this from Versys owners!), not enough power(again, Versys owners!) etc.

Why are so many people running around with closed minds?