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I think the budget options available now didn't exist in the past either; components are cheap now — you may be able to get a fridge for $300 that lasts 5 years
by accountyaccount 9y ago
I think the budget options available now didn't exist in the past either; components are cheap now — you may be able to get a fridge for $300 that lasts 5 years, but 50 years ago your only option might be paying the equivilant of $2k for something that lasted 30 years. Today I'd guess a $3,000 fridge lasts longer than a $300 one, and most people are buying a $300 fridge (if someone can prove otherwise, I'd be happy to be proven wrong).
- djrogers 9y agoEven a $3000 fridge only has a 1 year warranty these days, and speaking from recent experience spending $2k on a fridge does not make it more reliable - in fact most refrigerators are made with the same internals and body but minor tweaks and sold at 3-5 different price points under different brand names (see Whirlpool - Frigidaire - Kitchenaid). Nothing that's changed between the different brands changes the reliability, only the aesthetics.
- accountyaccount 9y agoSo on a component level in terms of the cooling elements: the $3,000 and the $300 are essentially the same to a consumer? Is there no market for a refrigerator produced with high-quality components? or does higher-quality component price outpace the gained longevity? What about so-called "commercial grade" appliances — surely they should have a longer lifespan?
- tormeh 9y agoMiele offers long warranties. It's simple: Buy the appliance with the longest warranty and disregard other things. Commercial is different. I'd guess things like serviceability and a local repair network to be the most important qualities there. And although mean time between services are important, commercial also disregards stuff like noise.