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Old American made washers are running 40 years later. Speed Queen isn’t really about the warranty, it’s about the implications.

by User23 4y ago

lotsofpulp 4y ago
I prefer the implication of having it in writing. If Speed Queen’s data showed them their machines lasted 40 years, then they would advertise them with a 40 year warranty to maximize sales. Since they do not, it is safe to say that Speed Queen does not want to bet their machines will last 40 years. So why should I bet they will last longer than their stated warranty period? It is possible that Speed Queens are worth more because they are more repairable, but I have no interest in spending my time repairing my washer/dryer. And calling a technician would be $100/hour plus parts, at which point I might as well buy a new machine.
- User23 4y ago
  You realize most so-called warranties are issued with the expectation that the overwhelming majority will never make a claim let alone collect on it right? To put it plainly I don’t care a whit about warranties, I just don’t want the hassle of an unnecessary repair job.
  - ImPostingOnHN 4y ago
    the lack of a longer warranty does not decrease the likelihood of unnecessary repair jobs in other words, if BrandX had products they believed would last 40 years, they would have a warranty that says so, and it would not decrease the reliability 1 iota
    - User23 4y ago
      Loan me a million dollars and I’ll pay you back in 40 years. No? Does that sound meaningless? Thought so.
      - ImPostingOnHN 4y ago
        It sounds like you have a point to make regarding the time value of money? But I'm sorry, I'm not following the connection. Would you mind rephrasing?
    - bombcar 4y ago
      A product can last X years without being something you want to warranty for that time - because "last" can mean "keeps working with maintenance and repairs" vs "works without a hitch for the whole time. Also, longer warranties can be a selling point (speed queen does this with the same exact internals being sold with a higher warranty on the 'fancier' ones which just add some more features to the board). And, a company has to hold monies on the books for warranty service, so a defined warranty period that is not unreasonable can help with that. But the "best" company in a given market only needs to warranty beyond the nearest competitor. Speed Queen also is implicitly dealing with people who would buy the "lifetime" warranty residential unit and run it in a commercial setting, where the wear parts would wear out.
  - lotsofpulp 4y ago
    That is true, but I figure for higher value products, the warranty period gets closer to the product’s mean time before failure. If the Speed Queen cost 50% more, I would be inclined to buy it. But at 3x the price, I feel like it’s just easier for me to replace, and since it is Costco, I trust that the process will be easy.
  - croon 4y ago
    > You realize most so-called warranties are issued with the expectation that the overwhelming majority will never make a claim let alone collect on it right? Wouldn't that mean they should have longer stated warranty than estimated lifetime?

Old American made washers are running 40 years later. Speed Queen isn’t really about the warranty, it’s about the implications.

by User23 4y ago

Old American made washers are running 40 years later. Speed Queen isn’t really about the warranty, it’s about the implications.

lotsofpulp 4y ago

I prefer the implication of having it in writing. If Speed Queen’s data showed them their machines lasted 40 years, then they would advertise them with a 40 year warranty to maximize sales. Since they do not, it is safe to say that Speed Queen does not want to bet their machines will last 40 years. So why should I bet they will last longer than their stated warranty period? It is possible that Speed Queens are worth more because they are more repairable, but I have no interest in spending my time repairing my washer/dryer. And calling a technician would be $100/hour plus parts, at which point I might as well buy a new machine.

User23 4y ago
You realize most so-called warranties are issued with the expectation that the overwhelming majority will never make a claim let alone collect on it right? To put it plainly I don’t care a whit about warranties, I just don’t want the hassle of an unnecessary repair job.
- ImPostingOnHN 4y ago
  the lack of a longer warranty does not decrease the likelihood of unnecessary repair jobs in other words, if BrandX had products they believed would last 40 years, they would have a warranty that says so, and it would not decrease the reliability 1 iota
  - User23 4y ago
    Loan me a million dollars and I’ll pay you back in 40 years. No? Does that sound meaningless? Thought so.
    - ImPostingOnHN 4y ago
      It sounds like you have a point to make regarding the time value of money? But I'm sorry, I'm not following the connection. Would you mind rephrasing?
  - bombcar 4y ago
    A product can last X years without being something you want to warranty for that time - because "last" can mean "keeps working with maintenance and repairs" vs "works without a hitch for the whole time. Also, longer warranties can be a selling point (speed queen does this with the same exact internals being sold with a higher warranty on the 'fancier' ones which just add some more features to the board). And, a company has to hold monies on the books for warranty service, so a defined warranty period that is not unreasonable can help with that. But the "best" company in a given market only needs to warranty beyond the nearest competitor. Speed Queen also is implicitly dealing with people who would buy the "lifetime" warranty residential unit and run it in a commercial setting, where the wear parts would wear out.
- lotsofpulp 4y ago
  That is true, but I figure for higher value products, the warranty period gets closer to the product’s mean time before failure. If the Speed Queen cost 50% more, I would be inclined to buy it. But at 3x the price, I feel like it’s just easier for me to replace, and since it is Costco, I trust that the process will be easy.
- croon 4y ago
  > You realize most so-called warranties are issued with the expectation that the overwhelming majority will never make a claim let alone collect on it right? Wouldn't that mean they should have longer stated warranty than estimated lifetime?