Agree

With that said, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Made In Japan fridge if its not so damm expensive lol

This post has been edited by ZeneticX: Apr 22 2023, 11:51 AM

was surveying on fridges recently and found out that some Hisense model actually uses a cantilever system for shelve adjustment

this is quite rare and usually only found in expensive high end European fridges

https://www.hisense.com.my/product/4-door-i...20l-rq768n4abu/



not a feature that will win me over to the brand but its interesting to know

This post has been edited by ZeneticX: Apr 30 2023, 03:12 AM

so i've ultimately shortlisted 2 fridges for my new home.... both french doors and of similar capacity. However having a bit of dilemma now on which to go....

i) Panasonic Prime+ NR-CW530XMMM (Net 495L)


+ Love the exterior design
+ More features
+ Larger freezer space since the compressor is on top
+ More reliable? (solely based on the brand here)

- More expensive (cheapest I can find is around 4.5k after discounts)
- Comes with an auto ice maker (not sure if can consider this a con but its an extra thing waiting to go wrong in long term)
- The water tanks for both ice maker and water dispenser taking up space despite the larger net capacity volume
- The top most shelf have less space since the compressor is on top


ii) Hisense RQ568N4ABU (Net 432L)


+ Cheaper (1k+ cheaper compared to the Panasonic)
+ Prefer the interior space and layout (despite the net volume is lesser than above)
+ Exterior depth is lesser (700 vs 750mm). Frees up some space for my kitchen walkway
+ Basic features? (less things to go wrong in long term?)

- Exterior design is normal
- Basic features (i know am paying less and this could be a pro also)
- How reliable is Hisense??? (this is my biggest question)
- What about the after sales service incase I need it? (Google map review of Hisense Malaysia is not convincing https://goo.gl/maps/9NXXHgp613JAz8wU8?coh=178573&entry=tt)


Any comments?

This post has been edited by ZeneticX: May 5 2023, 06:57 PM

avoid LG fridges with Linear Compressor

I'm in the position of surveying fridge as well

The shallowest depth i can find for SBS is Hisense's

Most are around 700mm +/- range. The Hisense is at 643mm iinm

https://www.hisense.com.my/product/side-by-...20l-rs688n4abu/

Do you really need it to be so slim? imo i would sacrifice some space just for the inverter since a fridge is on 24/7. The savings will be significant


Edit: there's also this Toshiba SBS with 635mm depth

https://www.toshiba-lifestyle.com/my/refrig...efrigerator-iot

This post has been edited by ZeneticX: Jun 28 2023, 08:06 PM

Their 3 door side by side worth considering. They are the only brand to ofter this layout / configuration. The other one I know is Hitachi but theirs is hard to find and very expensive

Also they offer 20 years warranty for their compressors now


I've also learnt from my experience since last year and these past few months surveying electrical appliances for my new house - its really all down to luck nowadays

Many here will tout Japs brands to be more reliable, but I've also seen people complaining about issues with their Panasonic, Sharp, Hitachi fridges. Unless u willing to spend more than 10k on those imported from Japan fridges then just MAYBE you would get that reliability lah

The only factor to consider about buying fridges nowadays is the less fancy features it have then you lower the probability for it to break down. Especially avoid auto ice makers.

This post has been edited by ZeneticX: Jul 3 2023, 03:44 AM

Avoid ice makers or water dispenser in fridges

For LG fridge, avoid those with linear compressor

Its just an extra component to go wrong

Wait till you see the prices for Liebherr fridges

You didn't measure before buying?

This post has been edited by ZeneticX: Nov 28 2023, 03:33 PM

Just to add on why these fridges are so expensive other than import cost, tax etc. These made in Japan fridges use some special insulation for their bodies, so they can be placed in very tight spaces without the need of minimum gaps unlike typical fridges

some have air vents at the bottom and top of the fridge, so the hot air was vent out from the top and bottom instead

some china brands also start to utilise this design



This post has been edited by ZeneticX: Nov 28 2023, 04:40 PM

budget? spacing size?

Can consider Hisense or Haier

I'm currently using Hisense so far 4 months in still ok

Haier is the top brand for China branded fridge

If you prefer Jap brands like Hitachi or Sharp then need top up your budget

Samsung and LG both should be ok. Just avoid linear compressor for LG

Samsung give 20 years warranty for their compressor

https://www.classaction.org/lg-refrigerator...ailure-lawsuits

If you noticed on LG website, all their latest fridge no longer use Linear compressor. Instead they revert back to more conventional 'Smart Inverter' compressor

The lawsuit only applies to US unfortunately

French door - freezer at bottom

Side by side - freezer at the left

This is the typical design all the while

If you want freezer at the top the only multi door fridge i know with that design is from Panasonic

https://www.panasonic.com/my/consumer/kitch...-dz601vgkm.html

This post has been edited by ZeneticX: Dec 14 2023, 03:07 PM

invertor - yes. I believe nowadays 90% of new fridges you can find already with inverter. It makes more sense since your fridge will be on 24/7. unlike aircond which still have some argument to go non inverter
brand - generally most are ok, depends mostly on your luck. just avoid LG fridges with linear inverter compressor, got well known issue.
tech - up to personal choice. more tech = more expensive = more chances of something to go wrong in the long run

I'm using Hisense SBS (RS688N4ABU). 6 months in so far no issues. Its cheap and spacious so hopefully if it can last min 5 years for me then its good enough

iinm Toshiba fridges nowadays are OEM from Midea or some other China brand

I read in China forums and website that actually Haier is the top choice when it comes to China branded fridges, so can consider them as well

This post has been edited by ZeneticX: Jan 16 2024, 06:22 PM

i have the same requirement as you.... depth less than 700mm. i've surveyed many and went with that model because the depth only 643mm. it's very hard to find SBS / multi door fridge with depth less than 700mm, and you need to consider extra 50mm gap between fridge rear and wall as well

643 + 50 = ngam ngam 693mm

most people actually prefer side by side (you can refer comments in video below). after using it for 6 months (initially i prefer multi door also) I've grown to like it. Easy to organise both freezer and fridge, tons of space for freezer. The only con was if you have very wide items it might not fit in the space but so far I've put in whole birthday cakes with box no issues



a lot of expensive or luxury built in fridges are using side by side design

This post has been edited by ZeneticX: Jan 16 2024, 06:48 PM

Typically more compartments = more insulation needed = less usable space

Compared to SBS which only have 2 large compartments, its easier to maximise the space usage

This post has been edited by ZeneticX: Feb 7 2024, 09:17 AM