So I woke up to this good news today.  Our dishwasher died.  its a whirlpool, at least 7 years old.

Are dishwasherslike TV's and such in that they are usually cheaper to replece than repair?

Whats a good brand?  What's the price range on new ones?

cheaper to buy a new one probrobly, but it depends on what went. If it is just a water valve, then cheap to fix, if it is the motor, then forget it.

Suspect its the motor. It still fills with water, and the heater element heats.  but it doesnt spray water or pump out.

After you fix it you still have a 7 year old dishwasher. You got your moneys worth out of it.  Replace it.

I bought an Amana(sp) made by maytag, same motors I believe just $300 cheaper.

Replace it.

You can get them cheap these days, run them a few years, and toss them.

It has always been my experience that when the wife stops working around the house, a repair is not possible.  

Therefore, you have a couple of options:

Replace--this leads to all kinds of issues, especially once you have had your spouse broken in properly..it may take weeks before the new spouse will be trained to bring you your slippers and beer while you are watching TV.   Keep in mind that there is not much market for used Wives out there, so if you decide to go this route, you will definitely take a beating on the trade in.  Also be aware that new units may be subject to a manufacturing flaw called PMS...not sure exactly what that is, but I am under the impression that it involves the unit throwing cutlery, plates, glassware and cookware at inopportune times.  Therefore all new units come with an Underwriters Labs label warning of this fact and a legal disclaimer that states that many men have been injured in the past due to this manufacturing defect.

Do Without--This is what they made disposeable paper plates and cutlery.   A viable option, however it is difficult to cut a 2" Steak with a plastic knife (however, I tend towards using my Rambo survival knife for that purpose--just wipe it off when you are done and it will be great).

I just replaced my 20 year old GE dishwasher with a gee-whiz Whirlpool with lots of lights and buttons.

The old one still worked but it was beginning to show it's age. Some of the knobs were missing and the door seal was starting to leak, but it still got the dishes clean.

It wasn't difficult to replace: water line, drain line, and the electrical hook-up. Piece of cake. The new dishwasher cost a little over 300 bucks.

This place has saved me a lot of money helping me troubleshoot appliances.

www.repairclinic.com/0088_9_1.asp


Their home page.
www.repairclinic.com

Replace.

Replace it with a Bosch. Your wife will love it.

Ours is a year old and I still get brownie points just asking her if she is happy with it.