Maytag Centennial POS (Over-loaded for demo only)

Maytag Centennial Commercial Technology washing machine. Traditionally, a washing machine is a "major appliance," and rightly classified as such. This one set us back around $500 just over a year ago at one of the better-known retail furniture and appliance stores in Boise, Idaho. Shortly after the one-year factory warranty expired, the machine began to sound like a cement mixer churning a load of gravel. We called the retailer who, of course, kicked the can down the road to the local Maytag repair shop, where the repairmen are so lonely, they wanted $90 just to come out and look at the machine - not to fix it, just to come to the house. We called Maytag to clarify what the remaining factory warranty covered. The "warranty," so-called, now covers only the transmission, for which Maytag would supply a new part IF the technician determined that's what is wrong. Otherwise, they cover nothing. Swell. So, assuming that the transmission is all that's wrong with the machine, we get to fork out $90 for the service call, plus we get to wait God knows how long for the replacement transmission to get here, then another $90 for the return service call to put the replacement transmission in, and then a labor charge to remove and replace the defective part.

How is it that a major appliance that should last 10, 15, or even 20 years barely makes it past its first birthday? And how is it that as major and iconic a U.S. brand as Maytag, practically an American institution, is willing to stick it to retail consumers with an anemic "warranty" that is essentially worthless?

We are left to conclude here, based upon our experience with this model and brand of washing machine, that it was a mistake to trust the Maytag brand. Rest assured that we will not make that mistake again.

PLEASE NOTE: During the brief time that the washer worked properly (without making noises like a cement mixer), wash loads were mostly medium-sized and color-sorted, with whites washed separately. We NEVER ran a load this size prior to recording this video. The machine didn't start making the noises on the day we taped the video - it had been making them for several weeks with normal load sizes.

So, what does this video have to do with our mission statement? In a broad sense, product assessment and a realistic inventory of one's skill set and available alternatives for remediation. We recognized here that this product was no longer doing what it was designed to do; it no longer fit the purpose for which we acquired it, and we understood that we lacked the skills to repair it ourselves. That being the case, and since it was a rather necessary item for maintaining our clothing, it needed to be replaced. That assessment and decision-making process can be applied to any piece of equipment, whether it be a flashlight, a shelter, a first aid kit, or a water collection/purification system. Bottom line for any of it is that if it no longer fulfills its purpose, diagnosis, repair or replacement is what's needed next.

In an EDC or emergency kit, one could include a second knife or flashlight, or an alternate means of signaling or making fire or purifying water. In the case of a major appliance, it's unlikely that one would have a spare on hand.