If this helps..
There are really only 3 big or common manufactures of appliances. Lets start here....GE= Hotpoint, RCA, GE Monogram, GE Profile etc.. and of course some Kenmore appliances as stated. Next is Electrolux= Frigidaire or Frigidaire=Electrolux one and the same. They also include some other brands like Kelvinator, Tappan, Westinghouse, and also Kenmore. Frigidaire was also Whites Consolidated Industries or WCI. Interesting fact that Frigidaire appliances were made by General Motors in the 60s and late 70s. Next is Whirlpool= Roper, Estates. Insignia (Best Buy's brand), Kitchen Aid(their top of the line). now they own and build all Maytag products. This includes such brands like...Amana, Magic Chef, Speed Queen, Admiral, Crosly, and Kenmore. Im sure other off brands that I can't think of right now.
This does not mean there are not other brands but a lot of them are considered new to the appliance market. For example... LG, they are really Zenith corp. Some of Samsung was owned for a short time by Whirlpool but they sold them to another company. Bosch has been around for a while in other countries but considered new to the U.S. as far as major brands go. Bosch dishwashers and Thermador dishwashers are the same. I know I am leaving out some others.
I have been an appliance tech for 27 years and I am here to tell you they ALL break....BUT the best piece of advice I can give you is this. If you will need to have a product repaired its best to look at the upfront warranty on the appliance itself. Like Whirlpool for example, they have on average a 1 year overall warranty on the appliance. But if you opt for the Kitchen Aid then it may have a 2 year overall and a 5 year on the motor/pump and electronics. This is the factory warranty not an extended. These warranties change from model to model so ask the sales person. The latest word that we are hearing these days is that most all manufactures are considering switching to a 90 day warranty on the product and a 1 year warranty on other parts.
Dishwashers have become much quieter over the years because most of them have now use 2 pumps. One small wash motor to do the cleaning and another even smaller motor to drain the water. They also have added more sound insulation on the upper/higher end models. Brands like Bosch enclose there cases to help keep the noise down. Keep in mind this runs up repair bills because most of the time those types will need to be removed from under the counter for repairs and like I said they ALL break. Other than any other type of appliance (washers,dryers, Refrigerators etc), dishwashers are built stronger on average the more you spend money up to a certain point. A 299.00 dishwasher is a lighter built then a 600.00 dollar dishwasher.
So to sum it up its like this........If you choose a brand other then a domestic brand it may be harder to find someone to repair it or to find parts.
Everyone has an opinion on a brand which is okay. Where one person may like GE for example, another may have had many problems etc....The way I look at it is if I can repair the appliance below half the cost of the appliance and the customer is left with something he or she will be able to use for a few more years to come then its a good brand. But when I go out for the first or second repair and it cost more to repair then its worth then that brand is not as good.
I hope this info helps you decide. If you would like to PM me I will give you my recommendations on brands in my opinion.
Sorry so long!
Tim
