Maytag is my Favorite Appliance Brand

As an in-home appliance repair technician, you develop preferences for certain brands over others. My preferences are based on the general difficulty level of repairs in my experience. The success rate of those repairs and the typical repair costs are contributing factors. Also, there is the potential for increased longevity of the machine due to the repair. Last but most important of all are my customer’s reviews. Customer reviews are important to me. They are the biggest contributing factor in my opinion of the Maytag product line. People generally love their Maytag machines and recommend them highly. Maytag owners buy appliance repairs, and many will gladly buy expensive, major, overhaul type repairs if it means they’ll get to keep their beloved Maytag appliance for another five years or so.

In my opinion as an appliance technician the Maytag product line is one of the best you can buy for your buck, meaning Maytag’s are strong valve buys. I think Maytag appliances give their owners some of the best value for the money. There are residential refrigerators on the market that can cost as much as $15,000. Some of the high-end appliances can be very well built with good engineering concepts and tons of ingenious features. They can operate efficiently for 15 years and leave their customers feeling satisfied with the overall life span and performance of the machine. The only problem being the $15,000 cost.

Maytag products are typically very well-built machines. The designs are sturdy and the parts are solid. Once, I disassembled an in-warranty Frigidaire laundry center according to procedure. After removing the top panel screws, I watched as the sheet metal casing crumbled and fell in on itself due to the pressure of its own weight. My customer, who was in the room with me at the time asked “is it supposed to do that?” I answered simply “nope.” I don’t see that kind of thing with Maytag products. When I disassemble and repair a Maytag product, I can see and feel the craftsmanship that went into the manufacturing of the product. Because of Maytag’s engineering, repair procedures for their appliances are more intuitive for a qualified technician, making repairs relatively simple, quick, and cost effective compared to some other brands.

Maytag makes good solid parts and engineers its appliance products with standard SAE sized components like nuts and bolts. Standardization lends itself to more commonalities across different types and models of appliance machines making it possible to repair Maytag’s with cheaper generic replacement parts. There are manufacturers in the market that will make a component like a mounting bolt for a motor specific to that brand and model! When I’m repairing a Maytag product and a mistake happens at the parts warehouse, some essential components like the nuts and bolts are left out of the parts package. I don’t worry because everything I need to make a successful repair happen is probably in my spare parts bag. If I should come up short, no worries, I’ll just fly over to the nearest corner hardware store and get a pack of 5/16 Hexagonal screws and finish the job same day. I’ve run into these kinds of problems with brands like Miele, LG or Bosch and had to reorder something like one cap, one screw or one bolt. I had to order this one thing specifically and directly from the manufacturer and wait for delivery. One manufacturer gave me an indefinite ETA for a plastic dryer screen part. A simple enough component should have been generic and readily available, at least at an appliance parts distributor. I asked tem “what does indefinite ETA really mean?” Their reply was “I’ve seen this kind of order take up to six months to fulfill.” Imagine that, a six-month waiting period to complete a 5-minute job!

Maytag has some of the best engineering in terms of keeping the technician in mind. Mechanical systems breakdown eventually, it inevitable. Maytag’s seem to be built with this understanding. Critical system components, which require more frequent servicing, are made easily accessible. Maytag’s tend to have more screws, clamps, and panels so that an experienced technician can make several critical repairs without a total disassembly of the machine or having to pull a machine from the wall to get in through the back. This can allow homeowners, with the assistance of a Neli technician, to perform many repairs themselves.

I’ve had representatives from other manufacturers tell me they’ve changed their designs, going against the repair advice of hundreds of technicians over several years in favor for a more streamlined look. “But Mr. Rep, how will we replace those troublesome fan motors in the back of the appliance, or the pumps in the far bottom right corner?” Rep says, “We’re confident these machines won’t fail.” Won’t fail ever??? Good luck with that one, I say. Not only are Maytag’s engineered with repairs in mind, they’re just as slick and streamlined as any other product in the market, and they look just as good as any other medium and even high-end priced product.

Maytag products have longevity. My customers report problems starting with their Maytag’s toward the end of a standard life expectancy. In the field, you do not really have to sell Maytag repairs because they sell themselves. Maytag customers want their appliances fixed. I’ve repaired lots of 25-year-old Maytag appliances against my own advice! “Are you sure you want to fix this thing. I mean It’s 25-years-old and I’m charging you $400 to repair it. For $400 you can get a new machine of almost any brand you want!” These customers reply, “It has really been a great machine, forget about the money, if it’s worth fixing in your opinion as a repairman then I’d rather put the $400 into my Maytag.” “You got it!” I’ll say. I’ve worked on and fixed 30 Maytag washers, I’ve had two customers that had working 40 to 50-year-old Maytag appliances in their homes. These customers are keeping their Maytag’s as collectors’ items and all they ever seem to need is a little maintenance from time to time. I’ve never met any Frigidaire or Samsung collectors. I’m just saying.

I hope you enjoyed this article, be certain to check out Neli’s blog page for more articles like this one!