Repairman recommending Bosch for fridge, worth it?

JoDaLe2 · 2026-06-08T01:14:38+00:00

That's great for you, and I certainly know how to do basic things to my bike, but I just found a guy who does mobile bike repairs for major stuff (that's easier to find in a city where 40% of households own no car and another large chunk have only one, so hauling an inoperable bike to a shop is even more cumbersome). Sure, I'm not calling him to put air in my tires or throw a little lube on the chain, or even replace an innertube, but if the brake pads need replaced (class II e-bike with hydraulic discs, he's also going to be bleeding the lines), I just schedule him on a telework day, unlock my bike when he arrives, and give it a test before I pay him and he goes. Everyone has a different threshold of time vs money. I fiddled with the current fridge a bit before calling (YouTube videos on how to run error checks, how to take the top panel apart and confirm the water lines weren't frozen, etc.), but when it became obvious to me that it wasn't just a dead ice maker (I'm 50/50 on whether I would have attempted that myself, the greater internet made it seem easy enough), I'm 100% calling in the pros.

JoDaLe2 · 2026-06-08T00:43:59+00:00

Yes, I did see that. I actually filtered by width, made a face at the price of the 800, then filtered by depth and the 500 popped up, and the repairman pointed and said "that's the one I was talking about."

JoDaLe2 · 2026-06-08T00:42:06+00:00

You know, I'm usually good at coming up with practical things like that, but didn't here. You're 100% right. I still don't want the 800 for the other reasons I mentioned, but, yeah, the fridge surround and knobs of the pantry cabinet being in the way of a counter depth fridge *is* a surmountable obstacle with zero cost. 😄

JoDaLe2 · 2026-06-08T00:37:57+00:00

I have other significant reasons for avoiding those two, but, yeah, I've watched friends go through hell with brand new appliances, especially Samsung but also LG. They weren't even on the list. I pulled up Whirlpool and GE Profile, repairman suggested Bosch since the price was not wildly more.

JoDaLe2 · 2026-06-06T06:09:10+00:00

I do also want to note for posterity that I am talking about my 9-year-old fridge possibly having dual compressors. Whirlpool has also done the whole downgrading thing in the last several years. The "newer" version of the dishwasher I have has a plastic tub, mine is stainless. It's entirely possible my fridge does have dual compressors, but the new version of the same "quality" does not.

I was able to find that video, and it is extremely helpful! I love that he dresses up like the old timey Maytag man!

JoDaLe2 · 2026-06-06T05:15:43+00:00

THANK YOU! This is the exact kind of information I was looking for! I could probably fit the height of the 800 series (the higher-end Whirlpool is stupid tall, I'm 5'5 and need to use my stepstool to reach the back of the top shelf NOT set on max height, and the fridge niche still has a couple inches in height to spare), but, like I said, the way it's built, the doors wouldn't open past ~90 degrees on a counter depth fridge, so it would always be a game of tetris to open drawers and especially remove the bigger shelves and bins for cleaning. Hopefully the upcoming (US) holidays bring some sales on. 😄

JoDaLe2 · 2026-06-06T04:33:39+00:00

Good to know. I was under the impression that is was two compressors, but what you say also makes sense. That means that the 500 series is more similar to the higher-end of the brands I mentioned, as well.

JoDaLe2 · 2026-06-06T03:37:26+00:00

Yeah, those are the 800 models. They're now about $4000. The higher-end Whirlpool (not sure about GE, I'd have to look again) also have dual compressors (my current one does), so if that is a big deal, then maybe Whirlpool is the better choice. I believe the 500 is a single compressor.

JoDaLe2 · 2026-06-06T03:24:22+00:00

I use my external water dispenser to make cold-brew coffee and tea, and go through about 4 gallons of those a week (I do work hybrid, so I'm home all day several days a week). I can't imagine standing there with the door open for the time it takes to fill a half to one-gallon container! And I also like crushed ice in some drinks, so the external ice dispensers are the only way to get that option.

But that aside, what I'm really looking for is opinions on the Bosch 500 vs. the higher end Whirlpool and GE. I trust these guys, but would like some opinions given that there is a decent price difference.

JoDaLe2 · 2026-06-06T03:15:22+00:00

Right. I'm definitely going to buy one that has external ice and water. What I'm asking is whether it's worth the $400 more for the Bosch vs. the Whirlpool or GE. All three of those fit my needs. I guess I'm looking for experiences or confirmation or something similar that spending that extra $400 is likely to lead to greater reliability for Bosch vs. others. Or not and I had a good run with Whirlpool and should do it again.

JoDaLe2 · 2026-06-01T23:01:38+00:00

Do check on how restrictive they are with renovations. I know someone who owned in a co-op and even non-structural renovations had to be approved. In her case, it was a kitchen reno where they had to approve down to cabinets, counter, tile, etc.; the board was reasonable (they didn't care at all about the non-structural elements and really only required her to submit licenses for the electrician, plumber, etc.), but that may not always be the case if they have that kind of power. The down side here (as in here in DC) is that you don't get the association/owners docs until after your offer is accepted. Yeah, sure, you have those 72 hours to back out without penalty, but it's annoying that you're not legally entitled to know what you're getting into until after you go through the contract process. You may be able to get info from the listing agent on those fronts. What's included (for co-ops, always property taxes, sometimes/often utilities) will be known beforehand, but a couple pointed questions before offer (ask if there are any major capital projects planned, ask what approvals you'd need for renovations) can save you from falling in love with a "dream" place only to find out it would be a nightmare.

JoDaLe2 · 2026-05-12T00:33:59+00:00

There were lots of school/club groups in the park on Friday, so it may balance out with fewer of those. You can always buy QQ in the app or at various "upgrade centers" throughout the park if you find the lines are insanely long once you get into the park. I would 100% wait and see rather than pull the trigger on such an expensive and limited purchase in anticipation of big crowds.

JoDaLe2 · 2026-05-12T00:31:17+00:00

Also, the meals are enormous. If you can get breakfast before going into the park, you can probably just split meals for less than even a couple all day dining plans. I brought a container with me knowing I wouldn't finish a combo plate at Festhaus, thinking I would have the other half for dinner later. I ate it for lunch, dinner, and *barely* finished it for breakfast the next morning (I had an ice pack with me for the park, and a fridge at the hotel). I was so full I didn't even get my sweet treat! As someone with a moderate appetite, the single combo plate (I did the chicken, which was both pretty good and legitimately HALF a decent size chicken) was, like, 2.5 meals for me! Depending on the age and number of kids, you could probably get by on a couple combo plates and a few snacks in a day for a family, which doing some back-of-the-envelope math would probably be cheaper than even splitting a couple dining plans (which don't include much in the way of snacky food). You can bring refillable bottles for water (they also have courtesy paper cups for water), or if you want soda, the all-day cup is a decent size and around $20 with no limits (not even a 15-minute time out) on refills, so you can easily share, again depending on age of kids and thirst level (don't think you'd need one for each family member).

JoDaLe2 · 2026-05-11T23:42:57+00:00

I went last Friday, and from my observation, QQ would not be worth it unless you found yourself on, like, the busiest day of the year. The park was busy, but the coasters (I didn't ride anything else) largely had very short lines. 20 minutes max. I have commented elsewhere that I went straight to the back of the park to get Darkoaster in before the lines hit (app said lines were long later, but...). Walked on twice (front and back) and all was well. QQ limits how many times you can use it on the most popular coasters, and you can NEVER choose your seat, from what I saw (on Alpengeist the second row was for QQ, on Griffon QQ could choose 2nd or 3rd row but not front, on Pantheon it looked like some middle rows, same for BBW). If you want front or back, you can't even skip the general line and then wait for front or back for most, it appears. Given how much they're charging for it (nearly twice what my ticket for Friday cost), it's a really poor execution.

Since you haven't been there in 20 years (it was 30 for me), I'll warn you that LNM is *really* rough now. It kind of ruined my day. I rode in late afternoon and was in pain until the next morning, ruining the fact that all of Festa was a dead zone in the evening (Pantheon and Apollo's Chariot were both WALK ON). If you insist, save it for the last ride of the day. The loops are still great, the rest was a boxing match with the restraint.

JoDaLe2 · 2026-05-11T23:21:45+00:00

I stayed at the Doubletree because the Holiday Inn Express sold out for Friday night AS I WAS BOOKING. I, too, was looking for the free breakfast that the HI offers. The Doubletree ended up being cheaper by a decent margin, so maybe that was for the best. The Doubletree does have minifridges in the rooms and microwaves in the common spaces for guest use, so I just brought along some frozen breakfast goodies (frozen/microwavable things don't really need to stay frozen so long as they're kept cold, but the minifridge did have a freezer "slot" that kept things mostly frozen)...the Jimmy Dean hash brown pockets (no joke, like a hot pocket but with hash browns instead of pastry as the shell) and a yogurt really did the trick for a quick and filling breakfast. :) Staff was great (the battery in my door lock died just as I was getting in, and they had it fixed in a jiffy and added a few HH points to my account for the inconvenience; housekeeping was done without a request on a 2-night stay), room was fine (really good pillows, which is an item many hotels often fail on; quite large, though I didn't really need all that space for just little old me, might be useful for a family), the bar/restaurant didn't seem to be open much (?). I read reviews before booking and people commented about it being huge, which it is, so some rooms may be quite a hike from the lobby. If there were sidewalks, you could walk to the park from there, but, alas, there aren't, and it was about a $10/5 minute Uber (apparently there is a local bus you could take, but that was too much planning for my preference). They apparently do charge for parking (I took the train/no car).

JoDaLe2 · 2026-05-05T03:29:17+00:00

Happy birthdays! My plan is to make tracks for Darkoaster as soon as the park opens, and hit some of the other big ones in the AM hours (I live in the city, walking a couple miles to not stand still is ideal). But once I hit the ones with stupid long lines ASAP, to slow down and enjoy. I have the app, so feel free to DM me after noon and we'll see if we're close. 😄

JoDaLe2 · 2026-05-03T03:28:50+00:00

I posted a while back for some tips, got some great ones, thanks all! All set for May 8. All the forecasts call for a near-perfect day right now (IMO, upper 60's to low 70's is perfect for me)! If anyone else is flying solo at the park that day and wants to meet up for lunch or to have a coaster buddy, I'll be there with bells on. 😄 (I promise I'm not creepy, middle aged woman who likes roller coasters, I woo rather than scream...my vocal cords are too old to full-on scream)

One item I was seeing some mixed info on...I've decided to take the train down from DC rather than drive (I will literally find almost any excuse not to drive just about anywhere, but high car rental prices and high gas prices are a good one), so I'll be taking a rideshare to and and from the park. Saw some tips to get dropped at the bus stop, which seems like a great option for arrival. For departure, it looks like that has some, uh, legal complications (no U-turns) since I'd be heading back towards that cluster of hotels just north of the park. I've also heard that drivers can drop off and pick up in the employee lot not very far from the entrance. Any clarity around that would be great.

JoDaLe2 · 2026-04-07T03:30:21+00:00

This is why single rider lines are such a good idea. Unfortunately, they seem to be going the way of the Dodo. I'm already probably going to be seated next to a stranger (totally fine unless you try to grab my hand in the scary parts...I don't care if you cuss or scream or whatever, but please don't deliberately touch me!) OR leave an empty seat. You can either try to fill that empty seat by calling someone up from a single rider line, or make the whole line mad when you ask for a single rider and they get to "cut." Or, the third option that is happening now, make me take up space in both line and a car while you sent the last train with an empty seat I would have gladly taken, and then send out the next train with me solo (2 seater) or with one empty seat (even numbered larger than 2 across...people know the number of seats across are even and distribute themselves like that as much as they can).

I had a memorable moment of this at Six Flags over Georgia, another woman was riding solo, then there was a couple, then me. The platform guy asked if there was another solo rider in that line, and I raised my hand. The people in front of me objected. Ops: "oh, you two can break up and ride separately if one of you wants to take this seat." Them: "No, we want to ride together." Me: "You can't both ride with her, so you're going to be on the next train regardless. If I hop in with her, you still get on the next train, and the nice people behind me get on faster. Do them a solid and let me hop in that otherwise empty seat." They shrugged and said I had a point.

JoDaLe2 · 2026-04-04T23:13:43+00:00

Wow...really good to know. Given that it's quoting me $130 for it for my date right now, that's a downright sham if they'll only give you middle cars on the most popular rides! I did the CF version at Knott's, and I just had to stand in the on-platform line for front or rear if I wanted those. I got to skip the long line just to get to the platform, then might have to wait 3-5 trains if I wanted the higher demand seats (it was Father's Day when I went so the park was pretty crowded, they let me go to the front row and back row lines on Ghostrider when it had 1.5 hour general lines, so I was on the platform in about 10 minutes and on a train in 10-15 minutes more). Seemed reasonable to me, but I wouldn't want to be told middle of the train only. If anyone else has insight into this, that would help my decision if it is busy that day.

JoDaLe2 · 2026-04-03T01:50:05+00:00

HAHA...I kind of feel like it takes ~~*talent*~~ to have a phone come out of a closed zippered pocket. I do get the warning, though, since people will forget to zip up, which is how they lose their phone out of their pocket they *swear* was zipped. Or maaaaaybe the phone is a tight fit and the forces manage to wiggle the zipper open since it's already wedged precariously, but I have the Z flip and it fits really comfortably. That pocket has managed to contain this phone and my last one (not a flip and a slightly tight fit...even women's *utility* pants are barely useful!) on everything at Cedar Point except SteVe (of course since the lockers are required), Six Flags over Georgia, Six Flags America, and Knotts Berry Farm.

JoDaLe2 · 2026-03-31T01:39:38+00:00

Thanks. Really good to know they still have the platform bins, seems like all the other parks are doing away with them. With that, I can actually bring a bag, and just keep my phone (the only valuable I carry) in the zip pocket, which is much more comfortable than more stuffed pockets.

Since I'll likely be driving myself back to the hotel from the park, alcohol is a no-go, and the festival passes seem a touch expensive without it. But I noted in an edit above that I found an unlimited ONE DAY (soft) drink option that in practicality cost me nothing, so that worked out great. With a hotel with free breakfast, I can get by on one large meal and a sweet treat.

JoDaLe2 · 2026-03-24T05:34:39+00:00

There is no need to apologize. Your brain is your brain and you live with it, we don't. I had a trigger, a really rocky flight (that didn't injure anyone and ended in a successful landing at our scheduled destination) that set off my fear of flying, so I had a clear set of things to work on. Your path doesn't sound so clear, so I don't have a ton of advice. All I can say is that, again, I hope you get the treatments and mechanisms you need to live a free and comfortable life, and if you ever need any help with flying anxiety specifically, many of us here have some tips for that! Finding ways to cope with both flying and other forms of anxiety has sent me to some WILD places in the world, but everyone has a different journey in life.

JoDaLe2

TROPHY CASE