Beware of Thor Appliances - Washer/Dryers!!!

I bought a Thor washer/dryer combo. I was a fan the first six months,
and recommended it to everyone I knew -- I mean everyone. I live in New
York City, where most people don't have personal washer/dryers because
of a lack of space and proper plumbing/venting. So the arrival of this
machine was BIG!! It was small, but it worked. I was Thor's biggest
enthusiast. I loved it, but the good times didn't last!!!

I had to have the repairman fix the Thor machine twice within the first
year. Sure, it was covered under the one-year warranty, but that
didn't stop it breaking down twice a year in the following two years. I
paid on average $150 per visit from the repairman. The repairman felt
so sorry for me that he even fixed it twice for free at his own
expense, not Thor's. This was Thor's very own "certified
technician"...the only one in the New York region. He now has nothing
to do with them, and perhaps never will again.

The pain didn't stop there. I repeatedly called John Lee at the
company's headquarters, and he was unresponsive to say the least, and
basically said it's my problem that the machine is breaking repeatedly
-- "sorry, the one-year warranty is up, I can't do anything. you're on
you're own now." I predict that this company will go out of business.
They don't care about customers at all.

Current status? I still have the lemon in my apartment, and it stopped
drying properly since the repairman's last visit three months ago.
Moreover, it sounds like the bearings on the drum went bad, because it
makes a loud grinding sound. It also rattles like crazy during the spin
cycle, and prompted my next door neighbor to complain to me and my
building management. Forget about running it while trying to talk on
the phone or sleep -- it's so loud, because it's falling apart! I'm
making arrangements to have it picked up and delivered to the dumpster,
even though I haven't had it a little more than three years. It sucks,
but I can't continue to throw good money after bad. I can't deal with
the frustration! I just wish I could get my money back -- roughly
$1,100. For that amount over the past four years, I could've paid a
cleaning service to pick up, wash, dry, fold and deliver my laundry to
my door!

Anyone who considers a Thor, please contact me at
. I would like to share my experience in more
detail, and reduce the number of victims of this company. For the
record, I'm not out to get Thor -- the executives will have to live
themselves and their reputation, and that will be hard enough. However,
I do care about others that they try to rip off.

Good luck with your washer/dryer search. If you know of any single-unit
washer/dryers that do work, please let me know.

Beware of Thor Appliances - Washer/Dryers!!!

I bought a Thor washer/dryer combo. I was a fan the first six months,
and recommended it to everyone I knew -- I mean everyone. I live in New
York City, where most people don't have personal washer/dryers because
of a lack of space and proper plumbing/venting. So the arrival of this
machine was BIG!! It was small, but it worked. I was Thor's biggest
enthusiast. I loved it, but the good times didn't last!!!

I had to have the repairman fix the Thor machine twice within the first
year. Sure, it was covered under the one-year warranty, but that
didn't stop it breaking down twice a year in the following two years. I
paid on average $150 per visit from the repairman. The repairman felt
so sorry for me that he even fixed it twice for free at his own
expense, not Thor's. This was Thor's very own "certified
technician"...the only one in the New York region. He now has nothing
to do with them, and perhaps never will again.

The pain didn't stop there. I repeatedly called John Lee at the
company's headquarters, and he was unresponsive to say the least, and
basically said it's my problem that the machine is breaking repeatedly
-- "sorry, the one-year warranty is up, I can't do anything. you're on
you're own now." I predict that this company will go out of business.
They don't care about customers at all.

Current status? I still have the lemon in my apartment, and it stopped
drying properly since the repairman's last visit three months ago.
Moreover, it sounds like the bearings on the drum went bad, because it
makes a loud grinding sound. It also rattles like crazy during the spin
cycle, and prompted my next door neighbor to complain to me and my
building management. Forget about running it while trying to talk on
the phone or sleep -- it's so loud, because it's falling apart! I'm
making arrangements to have it picked up and delivered to the dumpster,
even though I haven't had it a little more than three years. It sucks,
but I can't continue to throw good money after bad. I can't deal with
the frustration! I just wish I could get my money back -- roughly
$1,100. For that amount over the past four years, I could've paid a
cleaning service to pick up, wash, dry, fold and deliver my laundry to
my door!

Anyone who considers a Thor, please contact me at
. I would like to share my experience in more
detail, and reduce the number of victims of this company. For the
record, I'm not out to get Thor -- the executives will have to live
themselves and their reputation, and that will be hard enough. However,
I do care about others that they try to rip off.

Good luck with your washer/dryer search. If you know of any single-unit
washer/dryers that do work, please let me know.

I bought a new(er) house last August which came without any appliances, so I
did a little research & decided to splurge on the washer & dryer. I opted
for the Sears HE3 front-loading washer & dryer set (same as, & probably
made by Whirlpool). Kinda expensive, but I think costs will even out over
time, as the washer uses less detergent and WAY less water than my old
top-loader. Also, the clothes come out less damp, because of the higher
spin cycle speeds, so the dryer does its job in less time, reducing energy
costs.
Advantages: 1) the capacities of these units are HUGE!! I did one
washload of 10 pair adult men's jeans, plus some sox & other small items -
no problem. The dryer is also huge, & is the first one where I didn't have
to divide the washload in half to dry properly. 2) the washer is
unbelievably quiet, even on the spin cycle. I could easily have a phone
conversation standing right beside it, and I hate extraneous noise whn I'm
on the phone.
3) for the space-challenged: these units are
stackable!! I just measured mine, & they jut out from the wall about 34
inches, are 27" wide & about 39" tall, so if stacked, would be about 6.5
feet high
4) both units have front windows, so you can see
what's going on. In my old dryer, bed sheets would roll up into a ball,
leaving the center damp while the outside was dry. So far, the HE3 hasn't
done that, but at least you can monitor while it's still running.
5) dryer door can be hinged either RH or LH, as you
prefer. (Washer is only LH hinged, tho.)
6) they look cool! Maybe it's a guy thing to even
care about that, but I think they have a Star Trek look to them. And, since
I bought mine, I see they're now available in black, which I would've
bought, but white was it at the time.
7) washer drum is stainless steel, so you never have
to worry about rust stains. (Been there, had that)


Disadvantages: 1) higher initial cost
2) unknown reliability - since mine are only 4
months old, it's maybe too soon to tell, but so far so good. The one thing
that gives me any worry is that they're both fully electronic, with
soft-touch controls, indicator lights, sensors, etc. So, if a circuit board
were to go, repair could be pricey. Then again, mechanical timers on
conventional washers and dryers are not cheap to repair/replace, either.
3) extended warranty (optional) was pretty
pricey, so since I was stretched to the max already ($6,200 after taxes for
all the appliances) I gambled and went with just the included mfr's
warranties

P.S. detergent - I tried Sears-brand 'Kenmore Advanced Formula Ultra
Plus Laundry Detergent' on sale every couple of months or so for $16.xx
(reg. $22.99) so it works out to <0.15 per HUGE load, and works great.
(This is based on 125 loads per 6.4KG box, as stated on front of box). I'm
in Canada, but I'm sure Sears USA has the equivalent product. And no,
cynics, I do NOT work for Sears, they just happen to be 2 blocks away, so
it's convenient to shop there, lol.

Hope this helps, Max.







"maxkalehoff" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Beware of Thor Appliances - Washer/Dryers!!!
>
> I bought a Thor washer/dryer combo. I was a fan the first six months,
> and recommended it to everyone I knew -- I mean everyone. I live in New
> York City, where most people don't have personal washer/dryers because
> of a lack of space and proper plumbing/venting. So the arrival of this
> machine was BIG!! It was small, but it worked. I was Thor's biggest
> enthusiast. I loved it, but the good times didn't last!!!
>
> I had to have the repairman fix the Thor machine twice within the first
> year. Sure, it was covered under the one-year warranty, but that
> didn't stop it breaking down twice a year in the following two years. I
> paid on average $150 per visit from the repairman. The repairman felt
> so sorry for me that he even fixed it twice for free at his own
> expense, not Thor's. This was Thor's very own "certified
> technician"...the only one in the New York region. He now has nothing
> to do with them, and perhaps never will again.
>
> The pain didn't stop there. I repeatedly called John Lee at the
> company's headquarters, and he was unresponsive to say the least, and
> basically said it's my problem that the machine is breaking repeatedly
> -- "sorry, the one-year warranty is up, I can't do anything. you're on
> you're own now." I predict that this company will go out of business.
> They don't care about customers at all.
>
> Current status? I still have the lemon in my apartment, and it stopped
> drying properly since the repairman's last visit three months ago.
> Moreover, it sounds like the bearings on the drum went bad, because it
> makes a loud grinding sound. It also rattles like crazy during the spin
> cycle, and prompted my next door neighbor to complain to me and my
> building management. Forget about running it while trying to talk on
> the phone or sleep -- it's so loud, because it's falling apart! I'm
> making arrangements to have it picked up and delivered to the dumpster,
> even though I haven't had it a little more than three years. It sucks,
> but I can't continue to throw good money after bad. I can't deal with
> the frustration! I just wish I could get my money back -- roughly
> $1,100. For that amount over the past four years, I could've paid a
> cleaning service to pick up, wash, dry, fold and deliver my laundry to
> my door!
>
> Anyone who considers a Thor, please contact me at
> . I would like to share my experience in more
> detail, and reduce the number of victims of this company. For the
> record, I'm not out to get Thor -- the executives will have to live
> themselves and their reputation, and that will be hard enough. However,
> I do care about others that they try to rip off.
>
> Good luck with your washer/dryer search. If you know of any single-unit
> washer/dryers that do work, please let me know.
>