what is up with everything being disposable?

our washing machine is a $450 GE unit, bought in early 2001,
and now, the transmission has gone bad.
it's ratcheting and loud, agitator don't agitate.
makes lites flicker in house.

dude said tranny is $199 installed, said to go to Lowes and buy a new washer for $207, new one will have year warranty.
found tranny for $156 on line. yikes

riding mower, Yard Machine by MTD, was $999,
bought Oct O2, tranny is bad, starter always been bad,
belt broke the first month i bought it (i had to pay to fix) $75
battery went bad last summer, $40
just put on new blades - $32

now, the starter won't hardly start it, and the tranny won't hardly move it.

i paid $69 for the extended warranty, so they will replace it, but that's still a pain.

what lawn mower will last?
a John Deere?

one problem with the MTD's is the deck bearings for the blades wear out, he said mine would last one more season. that's a shame for a Grand.

will the cheap JD at lowes ($1300) last?
think it was the 102
http://www.deere.com/en_US/ProductCa...SKU20311&tM=HO

 

washer tranny:
Item # 279566 Price $156.35
http://www.repairclinic.com/0081.asp?RccPartID=279566

 

John Deere at Lowes ain't no better than any other cheap lawn mower. If you want a heavy duty lawn mower you're gonna have to go to a John Deere dealer or go with a ZTR, expect to pay from $4K on up. Stay away from stores such as Lowes and Sears. I think you would be better off finding a used low hour commercial mower. I know what you mean, I've been thru the same thing. I don't see how people afford to take everything to the shop from cars to washing machines to lawnmowers with the way things are built nowdays.

 

you know what MTD stands for right?


More Time Down


a JD is great, just don't buy a home depot model. go through the dealer.

 

looks like GE could have loaned Ferd some "smoke & mirrors" to help with the 6.0 mess:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeo...ines_trans.htm

 

I think you can go to sears and buy a warranty for your exhisting washer. I seem to remember about $175.00 for a year. They then have to fix anything wrong for that year. Should something go wrong that makes it not economical to fix they give you a $500 voucher for a new one at sears. You get to pick which one you spend it on.
This happened to us a while back, The $500 goes a long way on a discontinued floor model with a healthy dent in the side.

 

I am a firm believer in you get what you pay for. I work at a Dixon ZTR dealer, and while their mowers might be a little more money they will out last five MTD's. The dealer that I work for has been in business since the seventies and some of the first mowers that he sold are still in use today! Think of it this way, you could be driving around in a little ricer, but you spent the extra cash to get something of higher quality and that will last.

 

Bought my John Deere in the summer of 99' and mow about 2.5 acres not to mention till my tree grove 3 times a summer( 3 rows of trees 550 ft. long). Never had one single problem at all. Replaced one mower belt in 04', but I am a "by the book" maintanance freak.

 

We've got a JD riding lawn mower. It mows around the outer fence of our 22 acre place and around the house and barn. Been going for 3 years and the only thing been changed on it is oil and belt and the blades have been sharpened a couple of times.

 

My personal preference for a mower is Honda. Made in America (including the engine) and very well made.

The upper end JD's are pretty good, too. If I recall correctly the engines were by kawasaki. Don't know if they still are.

I'll probably be in the market for a washing machine before too long myself, as my GE is a bit noisy. It's close to 15 years old, though, so if it dies in the next couple of years I figure I got my money out of it.

 

I need one of these....

 

i called GE, the tranny is a 5 yr warranty item...they just don't tell you that...

gotta call them tonite, see how much labor is.

 

Take a look at a Gravely lawn mower , I have one that is a 60's model and another that is a 70's model they will out last you if you give them a little care . On wash machines I have had good luck with Whirlpool they have lasted the longest for us . Their is a lot to be said for you get what you pay for also a 999 dollar new lawn mower is always going to be a throw away model . I bought a used 22 horse Gravely at a auction for 600 dollars that has served me well and my wife got a 2 year old whirlpool extra large capacity at another auction for 50 dollars that we have been using over 10 years now .

 

Just got my new dryer put into my new laundry room this week. 1st load I run and the water shut off on the washer gives out, water overflowing everywhere. It's just a generic piece of garbage, but hardly used. Luckily it flowed opposite of the new whirlpool....

 

Have you looked at cub cadet? http://www.cubcadet.com/webapp/wcs/s...10051_14101_-1

Same deal though, go to a cub cadet dealer. Our local Case International delaer carries cub cadet. Nice stuff. That's what I'm getting once my Sears Craftsman craps out.