My oven died.

[no_hypocrisy]

Repair guy said b/c it's 20+ years, parts no longer made and available.

I must buy and replace.

Is it true that January is the month when major appliances are discounted? I don't want to spend $1,000 but I also don't want a cheap piece that is a sorry excuse of an oven and a range.

Thanks in advance and Happy New Year to y'all!

[blaze]

1. Denver has a Sears outlet

that sells scratch and dent models for about 50% off. Also reconditioned. Do you have something similar near you? Would that work?

[Glassunion]

2. Same thing happened to me over the holidays last year.

Of course it happened before Christmas in the second week of Dec. We ended up getting our new one from Lowes. We started at an appliance store, then we did the sears outlet. Lowes had the best bang for the buck in what I was exactly looking for.

Now they would not be able to deliver the particular model until mid Jan. Which sucked because I was hosting Christmas. Anhoo, the weather last year on Christmas was awesome, so I grilled the ham and the rest I did on the range which thankfully still worked.

I kept an eye on the prices for a few months after I bought the range and they did not budge. So I'm not sure if that is when they are discounted. The manufacturers do lower prices to make room for the newer models, but I guess that would depend on the particular manufacturer.

[Snarkoleptic]

3. If you have a Lowe's nearby, they'll often have floor models & scratch/dent stuff deeply discounted.

Check near the kitchen cabinet design area.

[pscot]

4. I hate it when that happens

We replaced our double wall oven with a GE. It works fine, but after about 5 years the porcelain inside is becoming pitted and the membrane that covers the electronic controls is separating from the panel. I don't know what I expected for $1200 bucks, but integrity of the surfaces was surely on my list.

[Worried senior]

5. For $1200.00 I

would expect more than you got.

[Freddie]

6. Got a very nice oven at Sears 3 years ago

About $700. Electric, flat top, 5 burners (one a "keep warm" burner), self-cleaning. Has the bottom heat element covered so spill-overs don't wreck it. Takes a trifle longer to pre-heat but worth it. Very happy with oven so far.

[Warpy]

7. Well, unless you want to live on stuff you can cook on the stove top

don't worry about the $20 they knock off the price after they've raised it $30 to make you think you've gotten a bargain. The appliance sales are generally bogus since sane people, thankfully most of us, don't wait for sales to update our kitchens to be trendy and instead buy large appliances because the old one bought the farm.

Best thing is to decide your price range and look online to see what's out there, then pick one you think you'll like. Just look at the complaint pages before you leap to make sure it's not going to be a repair nightmare with a cascade of failures the day after the warranty expires.

[csziggy]

8. Save your legs and do a lot of internet shopping

Once you've narrowed it down to the features you want/need then figure out which brand and model is best for you. Then shop for prices using comparison shopping.

After you get to that point THEN go see if the stores have discounted models or scratch and dent ones on hand.

Don't buy a particular one just because it is heavily discounted. Too often you will get more features than you want or need or miss features that you really rely on.

When I was buying appliances for our house I found the best deals at the Sears appliance department in their April appliance sale - got 20% off four appliances, $500 rebate on two of them, then an additional 10% off when I got a quote for the same models from a local dealer (who was a friend of mine and who could not have gotten me the refrigerator/freezer combo without getting three of each). (Got refrigerator/freezer set, wall oven and dishwasher.)

I got the washer at Lowe's for50% because it was badly dented on the lower front panel, the matching dryer at Rex Appliances for 40% since it was the discontinued floor model that they were going to have to get rid of soon.

The other two appliances - cooktop and light/vent - I got from IKEA when I ordered my cabinets. With two appliances the cabinet order was 20% off. The appliances were not supposed to be discounted but since my order was so large, they included them in the discount.

The microwave I had to buy Christmas Eve (since my almost nine year old one quit the Friday before Christmas) was a deal that had started on Black Friday but that Home Depot had not sold all of. It was30% off. While it would not have been my first choice, it was the best available that I could pick up that day. Most of the rest were much more expensive or had to be pre-ordered for delivery later. This one cost $80 - the one it replaced was $50.

[no_hypocrisy]

9. Thanks to all of you!

I greatly appreciate the advice.

[rusty quoin]

10. I don't have a solution. You lasted 20 years. That is great.

It's not like it use to be. One or more appliance repair men have told me they are made to break down now...10 years at best. I bought an expensive oven. I hope it last. I also bought a extended warranty. Good luck to you and me, I guess.

[trof]

11. Used/recomditioned?

We have a great used appliance store.
Got our current side/by/side fridge/freezer there and it's a beaut.
Just like brand new at about 1/4 the price.

[WhiteTara]

12. Don't buy a Jenn Aire!

I did and it is a POS. I am so sorry and I spent so much money that I can't bring myself to replace it.

[no_hypocrisy]

13. Update

Well, it's turned into a real clusterfuck.

The original $440 unit can't be installed because it's a stand alone and I need a slide-in because it's built into the counter. Now the price is up to $1050 and that's on sale.

And there's more. Installation costs are another $350.

And there's more. Oven was delivered. But installers found that the present model is ONE INCH NARROWER. (Yes, I checked the Owner's Manual and called up the manufacturer. It's one inch narrower than the one I bought.)

With enhanced installation that includes counter work for the one-inch, there's a new gas device that must be installed, and some electrical work as the new unit is incompatible with what's there now and it's not up to Code.

Add another $750. $2,000 for replacing an oven!

JESUS!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

14. Oh, dear lord.

I suppose at this point it's too late to suggest that you buy a stand alone convection oven, and simply continue to use the top part of your oven? Or buy a couple of electric frying pans and a counter top grill of some sort.

Some years back the heat unit of my electric oven died, and I simply cooked on top of the stove for about three or four months, until my kids complained that I was no longer baking cookies for them. Replacing that unit was relatively cheap, although I no longer recall what it cost.