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Old 26th August 2012, 02:02   #3106
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Re: The Home Appliance thread

^^^Rather then go by the philosophy of going for the brand which has the best service, I go with the philo of going for a brand that needs the LEAST or NO service.

I'm even inclined to bank on a brand that is known to have the best quality, even if the service is not so good and/or is at a distance.

We have a IFB dishwasher. Don't want to get into all the details again, but I most certianly would not like to get into the endless cycle of repairing and paying a fortune for repairs and contracts ever again.

Also, service is not always a "static" experience. Service levels can change. Today a company may have authorized a particular firm that is very good. Tomorrow it may be some firm that is pathetic. A particular technician may be good and the next one may be a barbarian. Different people may have different experiences and recommend accordingly, even in the same general area. May not always be easy to make the best choice based on such inputs. Please note that I am not saying you disregard them either. What I'm saying is that it may not be prudent to base your decision on this factor alone.

As for IFB, you have mentioned that yours is over 11 years old. It is well known that IFB was very good at that time. You cannot compare their products today with products made 11 years ago. So much would have changed, including even the plants where the stuff was made. Check out their reviews online. They don't seem to have a lot of happy customers as of now.

Anyway, as far as service goes, LG is said to be good, overall. No idea about Bosch/Siemens though. Others here could comment.

Last edited by Raccoon : 26th August 2012 at 02:07.
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Old 28th August 2012, 01:58   #3107
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Re: The Home Appliance thread

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Originally Posted by abhiram7912 View Post
I am looking into buying a front loader washing machine for my grand mother.

Will the maid always operate it for her? If your grandmother needs to operate it sometimes herself, don't go for a front-loader.
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Old 28th August 2012, 09:12   #3108
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Re: The Home Appliance thread

I have had front loaders for 30+ years, and the maid operates them often. No issues whatsoever.
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Old 28th August 2012, 13:17   #3109
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Re: The Home Appliance thread

Guys any ideas on a good Chimney? The old one has finally given up after 12-13 years of service and I think a new one is in order.
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Old 28th August 2012, 15:09   #3110
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Re: The Home Appliance thread

^^try Faber's SILKRange
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Old 28th August 2012, 22:59   #3111
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Re: The Home Appliance thread

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Will the maid always operate it for her? If your grandmother needs to operate it sometimes herself, don't go for a front-loader.


Quote:
Originally Posted by sgiitk View Post
I have had front loaders for 30+ years, and the maid operates them often. No issues whatsoever.

err.. did you understand what I was trying to say first, before pushing the reply button?!

If I need to spell it out, for elderly persons it's often more convenient to use top-loaders than having to stoop to operate front-loaders.
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Old 29th August 2012, 08:58   #3112
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Re: The Home Appliance thread

I do not think so. My mother-in-law who was 80+ when she passed away earlier this year did not have any problems operating front loaders. Towards the end she will just sit down on a stool.
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Old 29th August 2012, 15:21   #3113
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Re: The Home Appliance thread

It could be a problem for some, and it is right to raise it, but, meerkat, I didn't understand this was what you meant from your first mention, so yes, you did need to spell it out!

As an unfit 60-yr-old, I have no such problem, but I do find it convenient that our front loader is raised from ground level. With a top loader, one has to reach down inside the machine to retrieve items when unloading it: this could be even harder.

The stool is a good idea
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Old 29th August 2012, 20:03   #3114
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Re: The Home Appliance thread

You can check out the ergonomic front loader machines. They are easier to load/unload.

IFB model for reference: https://www.ifbappliances.com/webapp...category=11501
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Old 29th August 2012, 22:05   #3115
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Re: The Home Appliance thread

^^ That design is not ideal as per the washing principle of front loaders. Tub axis should be horizontal.

Aesthetically unique and a marketing gimmick IMO.
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Old 29th August 2012, 22:36   #3116
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Re: The Home Appliance thread

We have been using LG direct drive. Compared to the IFB we had earlier, this one is not so rugged or built to last. However, compared to the IFB, this is very very silent and smooth, and even the dimensions are not so bulky. Our IFB served us for a superb 4 years, before it had to be scrapped. We had to literally dismantle the parts and sell it off as no one was willing to carry it two floors down LG cant take abuse, but technologically, its brilliant.
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Old 29th August 2012, 22:58   #3117
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Re: The Home Appliance thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by audioholic View Post
We have been using LG direct drive. Compared to the IFB we had earlier, this one is not so rugged or built to last. However, compared to the IFB, this is very very silent and smooth, and even the dimensions are not so bulky. Our IFB served us for a superb 4 years, before it had to be scrapped. We had to literally dismantle the parts and sell it off as no one was willing to carry it two floors down LG cant take abuse, but technologically, its brilliant.
If the IFB was 'Built to last' why was it scrapped after 4 years?

My LG top loader is going good for 7+ years now and it's also been in 3 different cities and 4 different houses in this time.


On a separate note - for the Top Loader vs Front Loader debate - http://consumerist.com/2010/04/4-rea...-machines.html

Last edited by carboy : 29th August 2012 at 23:04.
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Old 30th August 2012, 00:42   #3118
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Re: The Home Appliance thread

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Originally Posted by audioholic View Post
We have been using LG direct drive. Compared to the IFB we had earlier, this one is not so rugged or built to last. However, compared to the IFB, this is very very silent and smooth, and even the dimensions are not so bulky. Our IFB served us for a superb 4 years, before it had to be scrapped. We had to literally dismantle the parts and sell it off as no one was willing to carry it two floors down LG cant take abuse, but technologically, its brilliant.
"Superb" 4 years? Four years is a very poor life for a washing machine.
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Old 30th August 2012, 09:59   #3119
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Re: The Home Appliance thread

Sorry people for that typo! That was 14 years not four years. Four years is nowhere near to be called as 'built to last'. I repeat, it was well built except in the end it started rusting, and moreover, the noise was unbearable

Last edited by audioholic : 30th August 2012 at 10:17.
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Old 30th August 2012, 11:51   #3120
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Re: The Home Appliance thread

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That was 14 years not four years.
Even if you had bought an IFB 4 years ago, you'd have scrapped it by now. I did. The company has gone to dogs.
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