UPDATE: (after 1 1/2 years) Where is the service/ support?
Written: Apr 13 '00 (Updated Sep 24 '01)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Lots of options- can do anything
Cons: Must read the manual to figure it all out; Don't lose it!!
The Bottom Line: I think I would avoid the touch panel in the future.
|
|
|
| dkarmol's Full Review: Kenmore 15872 Dishwasher |
We bought the mid-range Kenmore Dishwasher- No. 665-15812990. In layman's terms, that is Sears five cycle unit, that retails for around 469, and was on sale for 399. We also bought the $99 installation, and wanted white, which is $20 extra. The total with tax was a little over $500.
Compared to the Maytag dishwasher we replaced (the one that came with our house 14 years ago) this one is quieter, with more options and the ability to clean off food and dispose of waste. It's got a rinse-aid dispenser, a food grinder, a delayed wash feature, and an almost unlimited array of options. It also includes a sensor, which is supposed to sense how dirty the dishes are, and adjust the wash cycle accordingly.
We bought this unit over a year ago, because we know Kenmore products, and they are very reliable. The options on this dishwasher includes water miser- to reduce water use, pots and pans- to do extra dirty stuff, and gentle- for doing fine crystal.*** UPDATE*** We have had the unit for a year and a half. It suddenly stopped working. Unfortunately, we could not find the manual. The control panel appeared to be locked. When I tried to find out how to unlock from Sears on-line and 800 service, they were completely non-helpful. The 800 man suggested I buy a new manual, for $13 plus $6 shipping, or call service. When in desperation I called the service number, they told me it would be 2 weeks to have someone come out!!
Finally, I found some information on the net, and then after several hours of trial and error, I fixed it myself. Not the kind of service that I was expecting from Sears.
It has soft-touch electronic controls, which seems to be one difference from cheaper models, with the old turning knob system. The touch controls mean the unit will always look cleaner, with no hiding places for dirt.- They also can be a source of problems, once the warranty expires, as I found out.
The dishwasher is set up as a true, two level wash system, with a rotating spray arm underneath both the lower and upper rack. The upper rack sprayer actually is attached to the rack, and connect to the water supply only when the rack is slid back into the unit. Our older dishwasher- and lower priced new models- contain a single sprayer, which rises through the bottom rack to get at the upper rack. This is the part of our old unit that broke down- after repeatedly being knocked around, and after being blocked by dishes sometimes put over the center of the bottom rack, the sprayer broke. The first time it broke, several years back, I ordered a new part and fixed it. This time, we got the new dishwasher.
Installation and delivery was on-time, professional and very neat and clean. Glad I shelled out the extra $99. While I am sure I could have done it, as I am quite handy, I am also sure it would have taken at least a half day- not the hour and a half that the professional took.
Recommended:
No
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
dkarmol
|
|
Member: Dave Karmol
Location: Great Falls, Virginia
Reviews written: 127
Trusted by: 21 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.