[Torx]

Christmas is coming up and i wanna get my dad a dishwasher.. the house is old but definately needs a kitchen upgrade. His back problems have left him with painful bend overs to wash the dishes since hes tall..

what are some things to factor in when buying a washer?
whats the hardest part of installing one?? I wanna save some money and do it myself..
recommended brands and durability?
i got a $300 budget for one, and i dont know if that will yield me a good enough washer..

[cured]

Dishwashers & Accessories - Find great deals in local stores in Memphis, TN at ShopLocal.com

The better the brand, the higher the price. A decent dishwasher thats cheap should be fine. I'm not from US so i dont know what stores you guys have. So try going to a small dishwashing repair shop and you might be able to pick somthing good up.

[mistawiskas]

Usually, the hardest part is connecting the damn water line underneath the dishwasher. When you buy one, make sure to get a 1/2X3/3 brass elbow and a braided steel hose. I try and pre assemble the waterline/adapter before sliding the unit in. be sure to use teflon tape on the brass to servo/valve! Then, you'll need an adapter for the hot water shutoff under the sink and, either a garbage disposer or a tailpeice 'y' to connect the
qw drain to. You'll need 110v power under the cabinet to hook up to the dw,
a bared 12 gauge romex with a anti-strain clamp through the back of the dw
j-box and wire-nut the white-to-white, black-to-black, copper to grounding lug. Put the cover plates on after you've turned water on and checked for leaks and run through a cycle to the point where it's draining. I usuall pre check my clearance top to bottom before I slide ther unit into it's new home so there's the least amount of leg adjustment once it's in the cabinet. level the legs/adjust until it's square to the cabinet and install the two screws into the top - you'll more than likely have to bend the metal tabs down from a folded up position before sliding dw all the way in. and any into the sides that there may be. For 300 bux you're looking at some fridgidaires, a few GE, Coby, Amana, whirlpool models. Most are retailing 3-400 bux. Buying a "floor model" could save you a few bux. Our store generally includes instalation with our high-end models, low end and more difficult installs run 60 bux.

[Lord Kain]

That's a good thing to want to do it by yourself. However, some retailers will install it for free. This way you can watch the guy and learn.

[Drakkon]

Turn off the power - the first and most important step to dishwasher installation. Before doing anything turn it off at the breaker. and then turn on a light to make sure the power is off. And then wear rubber gloves or something if any water is spilt and your around the wires.

<- had a very "shocking" experience during first dishwasher installation/removal

[namelessentity]

I'm pretty sure Home Depot offers cheap/free installation. Especially near Christmas.