In particular dishwashers. I’ve been buying used dishwashers and they’ve all ended up breaking/not working so I’m going to buy new. Any suggestions?

You can find cheaper appliances at outlet stores if you don’t mind some scratches or small dents. They usually have a small warranty of 30-days or an additional you can purchase.  If your timing works out you can do Black Friday if you want brand new. 

I'd try Lowes or Home Depot's, they usually have stuff on clearance for small things like dents or simply returned and I heard you can even bargain with the manager because they just want it gone. 

Used dishwashers are trash. Dishwashers are cheap enough to just replace. There is not a big price difference between vendors. I tend to purchase from Ebarnett. We also have a Sear's Appliance Pro account, but their invoicing has gone downhill. Home Depot has been good on pricing, but they have a 3rd party deliver. It can take weeks to get what I order and in some cases months.

All that said. Ebarnett is ok on pricing and I get it next day wherever I what it delivered. Ironically Home Depot recently bought Ebarnett.

@John Daly

I buy mine from ABT.  They can usually beat Home Depot or Menards especially if you buy enough appliances.  I typically will buy the package (refrigerator, stove, dishwasher and microwave).

I have a sears outlet near us we use. They do have scratch and dent, but I stick to new in box models that are 1-3 years old. You can get nice  unused stuff at very reduced price. 

Habitat For Humanity  

Not sure if you have them in your market. They get damaged/dented stuff all the time and sell construction supplies as well. 

There is a used appliance store near me that I get appliances at. They repair used items then sell with a guarantee. If it breaks down they come and fix. I've bought washers, dryers, dishwashers and fridges. I'm completely happy.

Also am a fan of Habitat for Humanity, craigslist and FB.

We just bought a package from Costco.  We went with the set that had the longest warranty, then Costco doubled it.  4 years is pretty great and so far Costco’s customer service is unbeatable.  They keep track of your receipts in their system and you can get % back if you pay with their card.

Typically Lowe’s. They generally have good prices on appliances and I try to use the same appliances in every unit, replacing them as they wear out. Best time to buy is around a major holiday weekends. I have furnished a number of freshly renovated units with all new stainless steel appliances very cheaply that way. Of course when the dishwasher goes you can’t necessarily plan for that, but they are still reasonable.

@John Daly try Patterson's Home Appliance Clearance Center in Rockwood.  Its pretty near I-40.  They have tons of scratch and dent stuff and offer a year warranty on most of it.  Literally the items were scratched somewhere when they unloaded it.  I even bought a new frig from there for my own house.  They take an additional 10% off if you pick up.  They also do repairs if needed in the future.

If not there, then Lowes on sale, but their delivery is not the best.

@John Daly - I buy most of mine from Home Depot & Lowe’s as others have mentioned but I’ve also found some pretty good deals on open box at Best Buy - picked up a few gas stoves there for under 350 and they were not the baseline models. One tip, ask the Best Buy employees if they ship out their open box inventory, I found out in my market one store tends to get all of it because they have more floor space than the others.

Originally posted by @Don Alder-LaRue :

There is a used appliance store near me that I get appliances at. They repair used items then sell with a guarantee. If it breaks down they come and fix. I've bought washers, dryers, dishwashers and fridges. I'm completely happy.

Also am a fan of Habitat for Humanity, craigslist and FB.

 Same here. I get mine from a local mom and pop store that sells used and reconditioned appliances. Much easier to deal with them on scheduling deliveries and they come out in a heartbeat for repairs if anything goes wrong.

@John Daly

If you’re tight on cash used might be ok but otherwise buy new and get it delivered, installed and the old one taken away. Your time is too valuable to be doinking around with old dishwashers.

I started out with used, and have a basement with 3 used washers sitting and collecting dust when I realized how much a pia it is installing cruddy old appliances.

@John Daly dishwashers now last 7-10 years, so buying used means at best you get one on it's last legs. I buy from a local appliance dealer and I am setup with contractors pricing. They are also a servicing dealer. I don't buy the button of the line dishwasher either, because they are junk. I get one level up Whirlpool and they cost a little over $300.

Dishwashers are different than other appliances because they require installation and since they have water inside, they can cause significant damage when they leak/go bad. 

 Thank you to everybody for your input on this. I have bought from Home Depot and Costco in the past. Costco in particular have been great. Their July appliance sale just finished the other day so I’m looking elsewhere for now. I’ll look into the sears outlet for scratch and dent and the mom and pop appliance stores. 

Used dishwashers are too risky. 

Thanks so much for your experience and knowledge. 

@John Daly

I buy mine from a guy that steals them from a huge apartment complex he manages. Love a $50 fridge!

i would love to not buy from Lowe's and Home Depot because the delivery experience with them is horrendous every single time, but they typically have the lowest prices by a wide margin in our area.

I normally would not recommend buying/installing used dish washers. They are cheap enough to buy new. Of all kitchen appliances - they are the most likely to leak and cause significant damage to flooring/cabinets. Just not worth the risk IMO.

Almost all the used appliance dealers I've used don't touch dishwashers unless they are new scratch and dent units. They're just too unreliable used. 

Does anyone have a good go-to rental grade dishwasher model from Home Depot or Lowes? I need to buy a couple and don't necessarily want to just get the cheapest. I'm going for least maintenance over time. 

@John Daly around Atlanta area there are stores that sells scratch and dent appliances that have full manufacturer’s warranty .

Also, if you are looking to save money on it, lots of times we will just ask the representative if there is any discount they can offer. 9 times out of 10, they will come up with a better deal and make it very competitive. Happy investing!