Appliances - Where to buy

[Justin Wilkey]

Does anyone have suggestions on where to buy appliances that cater more to landlords? I have 16 units and I figure I'm going to be buying a refrigerator 1X/year at a minimum. I've been dealing with the big box stores (Menards, Lowes, Home Depot*, Recker and Boerger) and literally every one of them has been a big pain at times to the point where I'm willing to pay more to get reasonable customer service. Since many stores are just brokers for suppliers I'm hoping I can find someone that would like the steady business and be willing to help more when there are problems.

TIA for any input.

*HD has actually been the best. The other 3 were downright awful. HD at least had some semblance of customer service but they've even slipped as of late.

[Adam Martin]

I'm not sure where you are at in Cincinnati but I just bought a fridge from appliance factory outlet in Florence, they just opened and are next to the Pizza Hut.  They have a mix of scratch and dent and new but always have stuff there that you can take with you same day if you have a truck and need it now.  Some of it is in really rough shape but there are usually a few decent ones in the price range I am looking for.  I also had good luck with a Labor Day sale at Lowes for a full kitchen set and the people in Florence were great.  Depending on your storage availability it may not hurt to take advantage of some holiday sales to have at least 1 set on hand.  I have a spare fridge in my garage that I use as a beer fridge but if need be, can empty it out and take it to a rental until I get something new so I am never in an emergency situation.  I also just repaired my personal fridge and it really wasn't that hard, they only have a few parts so it may be worth learning how.  My evaporator fan went out due to the defrost heater going out and letting it freeze up.  I fixed a 4k fridge for $200 and expect it to last at least 5 more years.  I used to see fridges as throw away items but am rethinking that.  It took a bit to get the parts but that is where the spare comes in.