We got a new, US-made dishwasher installed today.

[MineralMan]

I looked it up. It's a Frigidaire, made in Kinston, North Carolina. A US-made product, purchased at Lowe's, and probably in stock only because it is US-made. So, there still is stuff made in this country, despite the conventional wisdom about such things.

It's a basic, contractor-grade model, and was one of the least expensive units on display at Lowe's. It's not a smart dishwasher, doesn't have an app on our cell phone, or any other such nonsense. You load it up, push the Start button, and it washes your dishes. You can press other buttons to change cycles, etc., but the default cycle will probably be the one we use all the time.

Did I check the place of manufacture before buying it? Nope. I checked the price. It was almost exactly $500. Installation cost $169, and was done by a local plumbing company. I have installed dishwashers myself, but not having to lie on the floor to work under the sink is worth the money for this 76-year-old old fart.

As always, the joy of home ownership is offset by the need to replace things that break. Oh, well...

Its US origin was a surprise to me.

[JustAnotherGen]

1. There are more of us

Than the American public realizes.

For me? The surprise was 'staying in business' when the Trump Admin placed punitive tariffs on US Manufacturers importing critical parts and components to make our finished goods.

And - thank you for buying American. It's been a rough 4 years - but we are coming back! A lot of recalibration due to the tariffs -my company -

$2m annually to almost $98m.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Everything's made by 2 or 3 global companies

LG, Electrolux, Whirlpool, yet Frigidaire is supposed to remain tops for quality and durability, even though it's a brand that has changed hands several times. Don't know if it depends on the appliance, the model, the unit, the location of manufacture.

[MineralMan]

4. You know, I have no idea about Frigidaire's reputation for quality

or durability. I needed a dishwasher to replace my broken one. We'll see over time how it does.

Generally, appliances work OK when installed. They also generally keep working OK. I don't worry much about that.

But, clearly, not "everything is made in China." Not even at lower price points. I buy contractor-grade appliances, because I need to save money and don't need high-tech appliances. I assume that our new dishwasher will last about 10 years, like the old one did. They're not all that complicated.

[Alpeduez21]

12. A good rule of thumb is

if it lasts 30 days it'll last forever or at least for the life cycle the particular item in question.

[MineralMan]

13. Yup. That's why it's stupid to pay on purchase for an extended warranty.

If it works when installed, it'll probably be fine for years. If it breaks down before the factory warranty expires it will get replaced. Those extended warranties are just about useless, but cost plenty. Generally, if you read the fine print, they won't fix it anyhow if it breaks. It will be one of those excluded things.

[phylny]

35. I don't quite agree about

warranties. Having bought many appliances, we were unfortunate enough to buy a Samsung refrigerator (don’t do this!). It is a long story but the short of it is that we had so many problems with it that were handled under warranty, and it happened close to the four year mark of the warranty, that we got a brand new refrigerator from Lowe’s, no charge. Samsung would not admit that it was a lemon, which it was, even though I had all of the repair tickets etc. So for us, having that warranty ended up getting us a new refrigerator.

[bucolic_frolic]

15. This article has a list of Electrolux brands

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolux

Many change hands sooner or later. After Sweden went bank experiment in the early 1990s, some of their major manufacturers fizzled such as SAAB, Volvo, Husqvarna, which was sold to White Consolidated, then to Electrolux, then spun off by itself again. They now own all but a handful of chainsaw brands. White was affiliated with White-Westinghouse. GE has sold many of its small appliance divisions. I bought a GE dehumidifier, considered so-so for features and made in China by someone else, but I've been very pleased with it. Quiet, durable, easy to clean, a vast improvement over the 2004 Whirlpool.

What I'm saying is it's a real crapshoot. Consumers can't keep track of who owns what, can't assess engineering or quality. Most brands of everything, even Toyota and Honda, stumble here or there on a model or component line. Some car brands are mere assemblies of parts from other suppliers. Transmissions for example.

My Gibson fridge is 24. That worries me.

[jmowreader]

3. Electrolux dishwashers are made in the same plant

Also, almost all Bosch dishwashers (except for their highest end ones) are made in New Bern, NC.

[MineralMan]

5. Thanks for the info.

Appliances are one of those things that are bulky and harder to ship. At their price point, they might as well be made in the US.

[Elwood P Dowd]

6. I purchased a US-made KitchenAid dishwasher back in 1975,

and it was still working when I moved out of my old place 38 years later in 2013. Also purchased a US-made Oster blender from the same store, and I took it with me when I moved. I still use it, and the damn thing is 47 years old.

[MineralMan]

9. Yeah, the one we replaced was installed in 1974, when

our townhome development was built. It did fine until recently, when it stopped draining properly. Pump went bad, I guess.

Our gas furnace was also made and installed in 1974. We had someone come and do an inspection of it before the heating season. "Works fine," the guy said, for $119. I hope it continues to do so for years to come.

[snowybirdie]

7. We feel the same

and purchased Whirlpool appliances for our kitchen. Next to lowest models, no fancy smart stuff and easy to use. All made in USA. Save money and have well working appliances. BTW, one of few "decent" Republicans, Mi. Congressman Fred Upton is from family that started company.

[Born Free]

40. Love Whirpool

It has been a long time, many years ago, I think it was Whirlpool called to confirm we still had our old dishwasher, after checking the serial number and confirming it was the same dishwasher the woman asked if I would be willing to give it back and receive a brand new dishwasher, any model I want free with free installation and removal. I thought it was a scam so I contacted the company customer service and they confirmed the offer was legitimate. I was told they would tear it down and try to learn why it lasted as long as it did. Well, it was a mistake, the new top of the line stainless steel drum etc.etc. only lasted about 5 years. We now have an American made Maytag ( also by Whirlpool) dishwasher, very basic but it does everything we need it to do.

I prefer Whirlpool made products because it is easy to find replacement parts. We still have the older Whirlpool Duet GHW9100 (2002) front load washer, but many parts are no longer available for that model.

[MineralMan]

11. Well, not really. A lot of appliances are still made here.

Probably some of the components in that dishwasher were made elsewhere, but the machines are assembled here, at least.

If you want knick-knacks, etc. for foreign visitors, you can find them at specialty stores that only carry locally-made goods. I send people home with Minnesota-made maple syrup. Easy to find here.

[MineralMan]

31. There used to be a "made in Minnesota" store at Mall of America.

Looks like it's gone now, though.

[hunter]

43. My wife and I know and buy a lot of art from local artists. Our house is overflowing with it.

Local art makes for excellent souvenirs, plenty of it small enough to carry in luggage.

My parents are artists who always had day jobs until they retired. Now they are full time artists as well, mostly living on my dad's good union pension.

Some of my wife's art is scattered about the world. She's a lot like my parents. It's her day job that supports her art.

My sister is an artist as well. She owns a shop that supports many local artists in her very rural community. It's definitely the kind of place tourists will stop by for souvenirs.

[Samrob]

10. I just had to replace my GE refrigerator that was 32 or33 years old. You know the old mustard kind

freezer on the side. It was in the home when we bought it back in 1994 and the owner said it was two years old. Never had any trouble out of it until last month when the motor fan went bad. Price for new one at Lowes and Home Depot ranged from $1400-$1700 for the model I wanted. Went to "scratch and dent" outlet and bought the $1500 model for $469 plus a-haul away and delivery for $150 for total of $619. You just couldn't beat American made back in the day for price or quality. That old refrig/freezer was huge and sturdy.

[MineralMan]

16. In reality, most stuff lasts well, especially if you buy

things that aren't overloaded with bells and whistles. The simpler a thing is, the fewer things there are to break down. Who needs a dishwasher that will notify you via a bluetooth app when its cycle is finished?

I look at cars differently, though. We bought a 2021 Chevy Trax last summer. Later, I found out it was made in South Korea. So is our 2020 KIA Soul. We've had two Souls. Both had 10-year, 100,000 mile drivetrain warranties. A real selling point for me. The Trax has just a 5-year, 60,000 mile drivetrain warranty. Given our 5000 miles per year driving habits, both should last a very long time.

Then again, a bunch of "Japanese" cars are built in factories in the USA. So, who knows where cars come from? They all use parts made all over the planet anyhow.

[Emile]

14. We got rid of ours years ago and replaced it with a cabinet.

Wash our dishes by hand after every meal.

[MineralMan]

17. Yeah, but hand washing uses more water than a dishwasher,

so there's that, too. I like having a dishwasher. I never used to have one, but they're pretty convenient, really. Our previous house had one of those portable ones that you wheel over to the sink and connect to the sink faucet. That one worked well, too, despite it being a bit of a pain to wheel it around.

[PufPuf23]

18. One would hope that a silver lining to current woes is that

more manufacturing could move back to within the USA.

[fightforfreedom]

20. I bought a Frigidaire refrigerator last year. No bells , no whistles.

It was cheap, made like old refrigerators. It makes all the old fashioned sounds when running ,shutting down. It works great, I love it.

[Atticus]

21. Mrs. A. has had the same American made dishwasher for nearly 51 years.

Our anniversary is in June.

[multigraincracker]

26. +1

That be me too.

[Raftergirl]

22. I have all Bosch appliances except

refrigerator, which is a Maytag. I have had them since I remodeled my kitchen in 2007. No issues at all except ice maker in fridge needed to be replaced 2 years ago.

My neighbor purchased a Frigidaire dishwasher and stove around the same time. Both needed to be replaced with 5 years. They were much less expensive than my appliances, but you get what you pay for.

[bif]

23. Avoid Maytag at all costs!

We bought a Maytag washer last year. It broke about a week after the Costco warranty expired. It was a nightmare dealing with Maytag. It took six weeks for a repairman to come out and look at it. The part (control panel) was ordered but never came in. Four months later they finally decided to replace the washer.

I'm all about buying American, but I thing we'll go with LG next time.

[luvtheGWN]

34. Correct me if I'm wrong

but I was told by someone in the appliance business that Maytag and KitchenAid are all made by Whirlpool.

I had all kinds of trouble with a KitchenAid gas stove and finally replaced it with a Frigidaire gas cooktop and electric/convection oven. Works like a dream!

My Amana fridge is at least 20 years old. Keeping fingers crossed that I don't have to replace it any time soon!

[bif]

46. That may be true

I think they're still based in Western Michigan. I like to support local companies when I can.

[luvtheGWN]

49. Yes, just checked.

Whirlpool also owns Amana, Jenn-Air and Consul. And they are based in Michigan.

[obamanut2012]

24. I have a friend whose brother works there

No lie!

[MineralMan]

29. Too cool! Maybe he was part of the team that built it.

[hunter]

25. Our boring old generic Kenmore dishwasher still lives.

I've had to repair it a few times, most recently when I had to replace the detergent dispenser, but parts are still available.

My wife chose a stainless steel refrigerator when our old refrigerator died, and a stainless steel range when that died, and now she's waiting for the dishwasher to die so all our appliances will match again. The dishwasher is white.

Our previous range was one of the earliest digital models and the electronics failed, no replacement parts to be found.

I might have repaired the refrigerator when the defrost circuit failed, parts were available for that, but the plastic inside the refrigerator was getting brittle and cracking. I'd made some repairs with zip ties and epoxy and it wasn't pretty.

Just like automobiles, too many appliances today are essentially disposable. Any machine can be kept running forever but it becomes increasingly difficult and expensive to keep them in good repair.

[luvtheGWN]

36. My Kenmore dryer

is at least 30 years old, maybe more. Built-in obsolescence wasn't a thing 30 years ago......

[hunter]

41. Our Kenmore dryer is about as old.

It's simple too. You turn the knob, push the button, and it dries your clothes. We usually leave it on "Medium" heat and set the time by experience.

I've replaced the tumbler belt once.

My wife's mom bought a clothes dryer with a computer in it. You can even upload custom drying cycles and talk to it with your cell phone if you like, although nobody in our extended family has cared enough to do that, not even the gadget kids.

Everyone hates this machine.

Just dry my clothes, damn it!

The "Normal, Automatic" cycle, once you figure out how to select it, invariably leaves clothes a little damp.

[luvtheGWN]

50. I think we have the same model!

I leave it on Medium and it dries beautifully.

[WarGamer]

27. Now disassemble it and tell me where the components are from.

What does it say on the box, Made or Assembled in the USA?

"Made", by FTC reg's is required to have a higher % of US made parts.

[MineralMan]

28. Uh, no thanks.

I never saw the box. The plumber who installed it picked it up at Lowes. Hauled the old one off, too.

The reality is that it doesn't matter. Almost everything has parts from all over the globe.

[usonian]

30. Oh goodness, don't get anything "connected"

There are no effective standards for security on devices connected to the internet (IOT, or Internet of Things) so hacking is easy.

and Stuff stops working when internet connection goes down, manufacturer's web site goes goofy, the device's "certificate expires" (take that, non-techies), and so on.

[TNNurse]

32. When we replaced our gas clothes dryer,

it was because the "motherboard" was too old to be replaced. Did not know it had one.
The Whirlpool model we bought has dials, no computer parts. When the man came to install it...the fittings had to be changed for LP gas, the fellow said "You will love this, there are so few parts to go bad, it will dry your clothes." I wanted to hug him...I did not.

Our dishwasher is our oldest appliance now, I will keep your words in mind.

[MineralMan]

38. Absolutely. Our appliances mostly have too many features.

That makes them harder to use and more likely to fail. Our clothes dryer is like yours, only electric. You turn a knob to select the dryer's mode and press a button. When it's done, it buzzes at you.

Same with our top-loading washer. It's brand new, but works the same way. A rotary knob to choose the cycle you want and a Start/Stop button.

It's possible to save a lot of money on appliances by not paying for features you do not need. The stores all want to sell you the most expensive ones with the most features. But, over there, at the end of the row, are the simple ones that just do the job you want them to do, without any confusion or automation. Those are the ones that will last for a long time and cost you much less to buy.

When I went into Lowe's to choose a dishwasher, I found two that were priced at or just below $500. One was white. the other one had a stainless door panel. Neither had any digital display or clock or anything other than the basic controls needed to operate them. Lowe's didn't have the white one in stock, but had eight of the stainless ones. The salesperson tried to show me some others, including one that cost $1500. Nope, I said. I'll take the stainless one for $500, thanks. The one you have in stock. OK, she said, and wrote up the sale and installation arrangements. I was in and out of Lowes within 15 minutes.

Why did they have eight of the cheaper ones? Because they sell fast. Contractors buy them. They're contractor-grade appliances. No bells and whistles. Just the basics. They're always the best buy. I recommend contractor-grade appliances. Washers, dryers, kitchen ranges. Simple controls and affordable prices. I've met very few folks that ever use the fancy features on those things. Want to cook a meal? Just turn the knob for the burner you want to use or set the oven temperature. What more do you need? I have a $10 digital timer I use if I need to watch the cooking time.

[Jazz Jon]

33. What, no app?

Your dishwasher has no cell phone app? How can it possibly get dishes clean?! Does it least have s synthetic voice or a gender? What about daily software upgrades from the internet or advertisements that play before you can start it up?

I bought a new Honeywell home thermostat for my house that is a replica of model from 50 years ago. The idea is that you set it and it keeps the house at a constant temperature. Amazing! I bragged to my friends that my thermostat had no voice, no gender, and no user preferences.

[MineralMan]

39. None of that.

When I had the furnace guy come and check the furnace in the townhome we just bought, I also had him replace the smart thermostat with a round Honeywell thermostat that handles the furnace and central AC. You set the temperature for what you want and select heat or AC. That's it. No guessing about how to program it. You turn the dial and flip a switch. What could be simpler? We're retired. We are at home. We can adjust the temperature whenever we want.

The furnace guy said, "Smart move. You'll never have to replace the batteries, either."

[IronLionZion]

37. It makes sense for large appliances to have final assembly in the US

since it would be mostly shipping air. So you can find refrigerators, ovens, and other stuff that are made or assembled in US.

[Polybius]

42. I prefer South Korean or Japanese products on anything that is electronic

Not sure about US-made dishwashers, but good luck with your purchase.

[JCMach1]

45. Couches we bought for my parents this month were Made in USA

I was shocked

[ironflange]

47. My new stove is a Frigidaire

Built like a tank, not a Russian one though. I just love it.

[MaryMagdaline]

48. Me, too! Plus a US made double oven

Viking - made in Meridian, MS - to match my Viking fridge.

[KentuckyWoman]

51. Plumbing is the devil

There was a time when I could get under, around and behind while my Mr was sleeping off the chemo to save him the worry. Truth told I knew how all along ... but he could too and I always want to cuss with plumbing.

Glad we moved here where all I have to do now is put in a ticket. My up under the sink days are gone.

[MineralMan]

52. Agreed.