[freakmuzik]

Hi, i'm looking to buy a 300-350 L two door refrigerator in Chennai with a day or two and scouted the following options:

1. Samsung 301 L - seems a decent option. 20 Years of inverter compressor warranty. Space utilisation feels not great but the shelf has more adjustment options than the rest. Lots of tech including separate compressors for Freezer and Fridge plus all the convertible features.

2. Bosch 334 L - I like the design, freezer is smaller (a plus for me), space utilisation is good but a cover for milk is very flimsy. I'm worried about expensive parts and it's availability along with service support. Single compressor with convertible tech.

3. LG 315 L - The less fancy of the lot but seems decently built and space utilisation is good too. Not much tech. It felt like a Toyota vehicle - having all decent stuff, doing most things right, nothing fancy and looked reliable. I know service support of LG is great almost everywhere but my dad found it to be very expensive when he had to use support for his LG Washing Machine.

4. Haier 325 L Bottom Freezer - Never thought about this but loved the utility. The most thoughtful of designs that only Haier and Whirlpool seem to offer in range. Build seems good too. All those convertible features available. Freezer doesn't have door pockets but otherwise seems sufficiently spacious. Slightly more expensive than a conventional two door. Offers 2 years comprehensive warranty where as the remaining have only 1.

Now I'm inclined to the Haier Bottom Freezer model due to the design and the perceived user-friendliness supported by an additional year of warranty. Second option looks to be LG and not samsung due the space issue. I would love to know your suggestions/ experiences/ opinions with these brands and designs, if any.

[Aviator_guy]

Originally Posted by freakmuzik

Hi, i'm looking to buy a 300-350 L two door refrigerator in Chennai with a day or two and scouted the following options:

I have been using LG 488 ltr double door fridge for past 15 years and never faced any issue. I also have LG AC and WM and love the brand due to its reliability and customer support. Would recommend the same since you seem to like the fridge. I have read somewhere in this forum about design flaw with bottom mount freezer. Not able to find the post but may be you can scroll up.

[freakmuzik]

Originally Posted by Aviator_guy

I have been using LG 488 ltr double door fridge for past 15 years and never faced any issue. I also have LG AC and WM and love the brand due to its reliability and customer support. Would recommend the same since you seem to like the fridge. I have read somewhere in this forum about design flaw with bottom mount freezer. Not able to find the post but may be you can scroll up.

Thanks for your input. That's great to know! About the bottom freezer, I did see that post but I remember that being a one off experience where a lot of others chipped in their good experience. Nevertheless, I shall go through them again.

If bottom freezer isn't a priority for my fam, LG looks like the option I'd blindly go for at the moment.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Originally Posted by Aviator_guy

I have read somewhere in this forum about design flaw with bottom mount freezer. Not able to find the post but may be you can scroll up.

Originally Posted by freakmuzik

If bottom freezer isn't a priority for my fam, LG looks like the option I'd blindly go for at the moment.

We’ve been using fridges with bottom freezer for over 15 years now. Bought Panasonic and Hitachi, never had any issue or cooling problem or anything which can remotely be called a design flaw. It is a most practical and relevant design that I’ll highly recommend.

[saket77]

+1 to bottom mounted freezer. Using this Panasonic for 12 years plus and still to find any issues with this design. In fact, after using the bottom mounted freezers, you would wonder that why even we have the top freezer design.

[Aviator_guy]

Originally Posted by freakmuzik

Thanks for your input. That's great to know! About the bottom freezer, I did see that post but I remember that being a one off experience where a lot of others chipped in their good experience. Nevertheless, I shall go through them again.

If bottom freezer isn't a priority for my fam, LG looks like the option I'd blindly go for at the moment.

Please refer to the post below.

Originally Posted by shady_lawyer

DONT buy a bottom mount freezer. The compressor and the cooling coil are forever singing in my fridge and there is a particular return pipe, that I've had replaced three times in the 5 years i've had the fridge. In addition at night when the world is silent my fridge makes horrible groaning noises, like its haunted, and its a "feature" because when i lost my mind and went back to the showroom, the showroom fridge was also haunted

Also in a bottom mount freezer, the usable space is pretty rubbish.

[ads11]

We had a 450 or so litre conventional 2 door LG refrigerator with top mounted freezer that lasted 13 years completely fuss free. We only replaced it when up sizing.

[freakmuzik]

All twists and turns!!

Took my sister to the shop and showed her all the options. She did love the bottom freezer model of Haier. She liked Samsung 301L over the LG in the conventional 2 door types. Over closer inspection, we both felt the vegetable basket to be way bigger and more usable in the Samsung over the Haier. Plus, it was very difficult to pull out the Vegetable basket in the Haier models, thanks to an additional (yet mostly useless) rack below the bottle holder. The door had to be opened 120 degrees or so to get the vegetable basket pulled out where as in the Samsung, it was super easy. We tried multiple times to remove the basket and put it back again and it was a pain for us in the Haier - we failed 9 out of 10 times tbh.

Samsung had more combinations for shelves where as in Haier and LG, only one shelf was movable. LG had a milk tray which was flimsy and not so usable for us. Otherwise, the layout and colours of Haier and LG were so nice. But Samsung did have more of utility for us.

A friend of mine though bought the Haier unit and we ended up buying the Samsung 301 L model. I didn't like the blue interiors nor the useless huge egg holder but over all, on a closer inspection, it did feel better. Life and decisions are so unpredictable. I thought I'd brag about choosing the road less travelled but here I am

Bought it from Reliance Digital. Pricing as follows:

Samsung 301L 2 star - offer price of Rs. 34,174 minus Rs. 1,750 Credit Card offer for full amount swipe.

Haier 325L 3 star (bottom freezer) - offer price of Rs. 35,820 minus ~Rs. 4900 of credit card offer on 3 Months No-Cost EMI.

One humble point: Please take a look at all the models you narrow down 3 or 4 times or even more, with different set of people if possible, before you make a purchase. So many perspectives and I figured how the company of different people positively and negatively shaped my opinion even after trying to be so aware every single time.

Thank you dear friends for all the input! I still look forward to owning a bottom freezer model during my next upgrade.

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted by freakmuzik

One humble point: Please take a look at all the models you narrow down 3 or 4 times or even more, with different set of people if possible, before you make a purchase. So many perspectives and I figured how the company of different people positively and negatively shaped my opinion even after trying to be so aware every single time.

So true.

A decade old Whirlpool three door unit still reminds me that I got overawed by its big vegetable basket and royally ignored its lack of width (in comparison to similarly priced Samsungs and LGs). The three gents that were part of the shopping entourage had never ever tried to place a typical Indian vessel inside a fridge and therefore were barely cognisant of the inconvenience the intended purchase would cause!

Only after the units landed in our homes did we realise the folly - upon being pointed out by our better halves - and had to face their indignant looks every time a guest pointed it out or when we happened to see refrigerators in others' places.

The Whirlpool is fortunately doing well; but it is a great reminder of our folly in not judging the use case properly.

[deep_bang]

Our 10 year old Samsung washing machine literally caught fire and we had to douse it. It seemed to originate from some part at the top. But anyway, we don't want to even think of repairing it.

Looking for a 7 to 8kg front loader. It appears that that safest bets are Samsung, LG, IFB for front loaders. Out machine is kind of in a place that's not very close to our rooms/work area and so low noise is not exactly a priority although it would be a welcome feature.

Looking at a Samsung,.I see that some of them come with Wifi. Does wifi enable starting the machine and controlling it. I am asking because the front panel seems like the most prone part for failure and if I can use wifi to control it, it will serve as a backup in case of front panel issues.

[ToThePoint]

Originally Posted by deep_bang

Looking at a Samsung,.I see that some of them come with Wifi. Does wifi enable starting the machine and controlling it. I am asking because the front panel seems like the most prone part for failure and if I can use wifi to control it, it will serve as a backup in case of front panel issues.

I got a wifi equipped LG FL 6 months back. Yes, the wifi feature allows you to start/stop/schedule the washes/download and select addition wash programs and so on via the company App. You also get to see telemetry data like power consumption and so on.

[ads11]

Originally Posted by deep_bang

Looking at a Samsung,.I see that some of them come with Wifi. Does wifi enable starting the machine and controlling it. I am asking because the front panel seems like the most prone part for failure and if I can use wifi to control it, it will serve as a backup in case of front panel issues.

Have had a Samsung WiFi enabled washing machine for 4 years now, same unit in the UK and in India. Yep, if you enable the remote control feature it essentially allows you load up your laundry and then switch on the cycle via the Samsung Smart things app on your phone. Via said app you also get various metrics on power use, you can get a 'laundry recipe' where it'll help you select the appropriate load, get updates on your washer cycle to your app and other settings.

I will caution though that you have to physically press and hold the remote control button on the front panel to be able to control the machine from your phone (correct me if I'm wrong here). So if you're worried about the front panel, it'll still likely be an issue in that eventuality.

What I will caution is that you have to exercise common sense with the kind of damp stuff you leave near the control panel. A maid left a towel draped over the top of the Samsung dryer (corresponding model to the washer) and it did leave the dryer inoperable for a few days pending a service visit.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by deep_bang

... Wifi. ... the front panel seems like the most prone part for failure

Hmmm... I'm as much a gadget freak as many others, but this seems like another thing to poentially go wrong. It's like, who the hell needs to link their toothbrush to their phone? But, of course... you can.

Washing machines have long-since come with a ready in x hours feature, so you could load in the evening, and have it start-stop at a suitable time for hanging out the next morning, without the clothes remaining damp in the machine for hours.

The front-panel failure is, I suspect, a control-board failure rather than a failure of the switches themselves. Adding wifi is just adding another thing to that failure point.

[deep_bang]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Hmmm... I'm as much a gadget freak as many others, but this seems like another thing to poentially go wrong. It's like, who the hell needs to link their toothbrush to their phone? But, of course... you can.

Washing machines have long-since come with a ready in x hours feature, so you could load in the evening, and have it start-stop at a suitable time for hanging out the next morning, without the clothes remaining damp in the machine for hours.

The front-panel failure is, I suspect, a control-board failure rather than a failure of the switches themselves. Adding wifi is just adding another thing to that failure point.

I tend to agree with you especially as you anyway need proximity to put clothes to wash or remove them. But I have my reasons to think of it as useful.

We have a Samsung top loader and my parents also have a Similar Samsung. Both have some buttons not working. It's not a full board failure but some buttons have gone bad. Our earlier Whirlpool also had similar front panel issues. That's why I concluded that the front panels are prone to failures. Others can chip in with their experiences too. I tried hard to figureout if we were using it wrong, but i could not find any obvious operations that could have led to say seepage of water etc into the panel.

Sometimes some of the LEDs have failed while the rest of the panel has been working well. This happens regularly and we end up repairing/replacing the panel once in about 3 to 5 years.

Wifi on the other hand is like a backdoor entry to the machine. Even if the switch gear is broken it should work as long as the motherboard is alive and working. That's the reason for me to think about wifi as a useful feature.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by deep_bang

Wifi on the other hand is like a backdoor entry to the machine.

Very good points. I'm convinced.