Thank you very much for the detailed review.

This is exactly the model I've been researching and these first-hand reports are invaluable.

Have you been following the reports that the 29 CF Samsungs have all been pulled from from sale at Sears? For example, the listing were removed entirely from Sears.com.

If so, do you know why they were pulled? I've read one report that there may have been a problem with plastic bits ending up in the ice.

Bob f,

I did see the other posts concerning the plastic chips in the ice. As soon as I saw the post I emptied my ice bin (it was full at the time) into a fine strainer and let the ice melt to see if there would be any plastic chips I could notice. There were no plastic chips that I could see at all so I'm hopeful that I'm all set. I'll check it again in another week or two just to keep an eye on it.

Thanks for the update. I'm glad to read that your icemaker is working fine.

If you haven't already, you might want to contact Samsung and ask if you should be concerned with the 29 CF models being pulled from sale at Sears. Perhaps if they update or improve something you can have that change made to your refrigerator while it's still under the factory warranty.

Just the fact that you asked about that might give you additional leverage for an out-of-warranty repair down the road.

I'm hoping to read more and more positive owner reports because I really like the design and internal volume of this model.

If you get a chance, post another update a few more months down the road.

Bob

mhagerty: Thanks for the very informative review. This is also the model that I'm interested in, or was until Samsung issued the no sell order. Perhaps your fridge was manufactured before this problem occurred, but it would be a good idea to do as Bob suggested. I may still end up getting this model but I'm trying to hold out until I can see the new Electrolux FD fridge, hopefully in June.

Salesman at Best Buy told us only specific models of the 29 cu. ft. have had the plastic issue. A Samsung rep discussed with him the fact that Best Buy didn't carry the specific model. There are changes being made to correct the problem, but I think it would be prudent of Samsung to post details of the issue on their site.

My local Sears had the 29 cf Samsung model back out on the floor wehn I checked yesterday. A sales associate told me that there was a problem with the icemaker that has since been corrected. he described it as some sort of "switch activation" issue. He also said that current owners of that model will be notified of the problem and it would be corected for them also.

I also noticed that the 29 cf models are listed again at Sears.com.

The newer model, RFG298, does have dual icemakers, one in the door and the other in the freezer. Someone in another thread posted they got a really good deal at Lowes.

Price alert...after reading all the reviews I went to my nearest Lowes. Nobody that I could find in the Dallas area carried the newest model of the Samsung 29 except Lowes. Not only were the sales reps ultra helpful, the woman let me know that in addition to the sale currently on this 2798.00 on this Thursday it will be an extra 20% off. Also you will get a 100 Samsung rebate along with free delivery haul away and hook up. I was suppose to get a Kenmore delivered on Wednesday. Needless to say, I canceled. This refridge is gorgeous and the dual ice maker gets me way to happy.

It's too bad the 20% off did not start Wed, 7/1/09, as I could use my Lowe's Business Credit card and get another 10% off, but this 10% off deal ends 7/1/09.

P.S. Is the RFG28AARS worth the extra $100 over the older RFG297AARS w/ its interior LED lighting?

Which model, exactly, is the one listed for 2798.00 but on sale, starting today, for 20% off plus a $100 rebate from Samsung? Lowes.com shows two 29cf models...RFG298 and RFG295
Monica

The sale actually started today. I purchased the Samsung 29c stainless steel refridge with dual ice maker. RFG298AARS with Lowes # 310039. Price 2238.40. I also bought the additional warranty for 149.97 for four additional years. The delivery fee was 65.00 which I got a mail in rebate. I also got a form to send in a rebate for 100.00 from Samsung. I see they also charged 19.97 for a stainless steel icemaker hook up hose. I was told that if I opened a Lowes account that I would receive an addtional 10% off but later was told that was not correct. I do have to wait for about two weeks as they sold out before 9:00 this morning. Good luck.

Has anyone seen the other new Samsung FD counterdepth refrigerator - rfg237aars. It was supposed to be released at the same time as the rfg298aars. I live in a smaller town and no one has either one for me to look at. Thanks

I too pulled the trigger @ Lowes today on the Sammy RFG298AARS. I was able to use my Lowe's Business Credit Card, affording me another 10% off, bringing my purchase price down to $2,015, excluding sales tax. I asked the salesman about how far away from the wall the back of the unit it needed to be, thinking at least 3" for air circulation and he said, almost flush, which I found surprising.

I also just bought rfg298 aars for $2015. 20% rebate plus I used a 10% off coupon (I buy these on ebay...meant for people who are moving.....people on ebay sell them for roughly $0.75 per coupon.....I am remodeling and have save easily over $2000 using these coupons)
To needsleepmommy: Where did you get $100 rebate form at Lowes for Samsung?

I just place my order for the Samsung 25 cu ft french door. They can't deliver for about 10 days, but I don't care. We got 30% off the sales price and we are as happy as we can be! These posts confirmed that we are looking and purchasing the right refrigerator!

I've been holding off on buying the 297 until I can actually see an Electrolux FD fridge to compare the interiors and the ice makers. They have the Electrolux FD at my local Lowe's now, but it appears that Lowe's no longer sells the 297 (even though it's pictured in the sale flier I received this week), only the new 298, and Lowe's seems to be the only retailer with the 298...problem is they've sold out this weekend and don't have a 298 for me to see.

Has anyone seen the 298 anywhere else? Although I really like the idea of dual ice makers, I'd prefer to actually see it before buying it. I'm trying to figure out the differences between the 297 and 298 from the Samsung site, but if anyone can tell me what you like or don't like when comparing the two models, I'd certainly appreciate it.

Thanks so much!

I understand that Sears has the RFG298. You can call your local Sears to see if they have it on the floor.

Thanks, jstell, for the info. They don't list it online, but I called the local store anyway and the salesperson in the store is going to see why they don't have this model.

I bought my refridge at Lowes on Wednesday 7/1. Found the rebate in the department and they printed off the form along with the extra receipt when I purchased it. Be sure and also get the rebate form for the delivery charges. Not to sound cheap, but how do you get the extra 10% off? Oh and I did try to buy this at Sears just because I like Sears repair service. Anyway, even though they carry the 297 they told me they wouldn't carry the 298 because of all the problems. I even spoke to manager who told me the same thing. He said the extra ice maker was too hard on the motor and cause compressor failure. Their extra warranty was also 569 for 5 years versus Lowes for 149. I lost all remaining faith in Sears from that conversation. Just say we don't have it yet without lying about it. Oh and Lowes was out of stock when I bought on Wed but they called and wanted to deliver on Sat. I was out of town but am waiting to get it today! I am now very happy with Lowes!

Needsleep, the extra 10% was from the "moving discount". We picked up a package from the post office and it had the Lowe's discount form in that package. No, we are not moving, but the clerk at Lowe's didn't care. She just accepted the discount card and continued ringing up the sale.

We have purchased the RFG298AARS from Lowe's for $2068 on June 20 but have not taken the delivery yet since our new home won't be ready till mid August.

Can some of the current posters provide more feedback on the icemaker and its noise issues if any? much appreciate it.

I happened to be in BestBuy when the Samsung appliance rep was there. He told me, in front of the BB staff, that as of now Lowes has an exclusive on the RFG298AARS and will have the exclusive on the RFG238AARS (counter depth version) at least for the time being in our area.

Thus, it isn't that Sears doesn't have it because of problems. They (and Best Buy and others) don't have ability to get from Samsung because of Samsung's agreement with Lowes...so he said.

A friend was needing a new fridge so I sent her here to read about the Samsung FD and told her about the Lowes sale. She got her's last Weds. She mentioned that the ice was loud when it dropped but now that the ice bucket was filled, it was quieter and wasn't a noise issue in the least.
Monica

I was about to purchase the Samsung 297 (the older model with only one ice maker) because I don't want to give up the space for 2 ice makers. I called Lowes to see if they could still get the older model for me, and the salesman (who has been very helpful and knowledgeable) said that they have had a lot of frustration dealing with Samsung. He said service issues are better than the horror stories of a couple years ago, but service is still quite a battle.

He strongly suggested I take a look at the brand new Whirlpool Latitude. I l mocked "Whirlpool?! Nah, I'm looking for something higher-end." He assured me this new Latitude is way "out of the box" for Whirlpool, and that this refrigerator is the first one he's been excited about in years. He commented he was surprised this wasn't introduced under the KA name. (As an aside, I was told by HHGregg that Jenn-Air is pulling their current product line, and will be competing in the Subzero, etc field.)

The WP Latitude is so new, I couldn't find anything about it online other than the announcement press-release. The only mention of it at whirlpool.com is "coming soon" on their homepage. I glean that it incorporates the "thin" walls, so like Samsung, it offers more available cubic feet; the claim is it offers the most *usable* space of any FD. The ice maker is in the door, not on the shelves and has a larger capacity than Samsung, and supposedly it offers duo-cooling and a quick-chill. The local Lowes does have it in stock, so I'm heading there today to check it out.

I will start a new thread on the Whirlpool Latitude and share what I learn today. If anyone has heard of or seen this refrigerator, please let us know!

Thanks, Ellen

I've had this 29 cu ft. fridge for a few days now and it is really wonderful. It's noticeably roomy and well-organized, and the thinner insulation inside makes it look neater somehow. The freezer drawer is especially nice. I got it for around 2K, too, and feel like I got a really good deal for the quality.

Oh-- the ice/water dispenser is high quality, too. So many of them look cheaply made.

I'm facing the same quandry as ascatt: the "real" price difference between the 298 (2 icemakers; one in the fridge and one in the freezer) is at least $400 more than the single ice-maker 297. Note that the msrp is only $100 apart and that's what irks me: the duo-ice maker model is exclusive to Lowes, so they do not discount it. Competition is good for the consumer; "exclusives" are not.

atombalm, I spoke with the Samsung rep on Sat, and can confirm that the RFG298 is the exact same machine as the RFG297 except that it contains an additional ice maker in the freezer (which is the same ice maker in their FD without an in-door water/ice dispenser). So, this means that the lighting in both machines is the same.

I also learned that the ice makers can be turned on/off independently so you could use the space in the freezer for something else until you need extra ice.

Both the Samsung rep and Lowes told me that the small ice bin combined with the low output (4-6 cubes an hour) was by far the main complaint they had with the appliance. Hence, Samsung added the extra ice maker -- for Lowes.

As for the ice maker being noisy: they are all noisy when ice drops into an empty bin. I think the reason it is so prominent on the Samsung is that the small ice bin is frequently empty. lol

I've searched for a non-Samsung FD to please me, and I simply can't find one. I like the design and the looks. My kitchen and family room are one big room, so the fridge is highly visible. There's a protruding wall on one side of the fridge, so I have to go with a full-depth (which excludes high-end boxes), and our decor suggests black. We want a glossy black, and the other possible FDs don't offer a black finish we like.

What I really wanted was the Jenn-Air floating glass, but, alas, that isn't available in standard-depth. So, unless you all have another suggestion, Samsung has to be "it".

Back to the original debate: RFG298 vs RFG297? I wouldn't mind paying $100 for the addt'l ice maker, but I figure I can purchase a second "box" refrigerator for the $400+ difference.

ellencr,

The sales rep at Lowes beat the Bestbuy price by 10% eventhough they were different models (297 at BB, 298 at Lowes) when we purchased ours in June. Still haven't taken the delivery until August 21st due to escrow.

If you can wait a bit longer, BB may have another 20% sale on all Samsung by labor day. All of them are dying for biz.

Since we also bought the samsung w&d, they told us to open a lowe account and defer all payment for 12 months (not standard 6 months) without interest. Basically, I'm carrying 4.5K balance for 12 months interest free.

ellencr,

Did you ever see the Whirlpool Latitude? If so, what did you think of it? How did it compare to the Samsung 297/298? I called Whirlpool yesterday and they said it's been released for sale, but they don't have it on their site and no one here in town has it yet.

Thanks!

You guys made me curious about the Latitude and when I did a search on it I found this contest if any one is interested. I have never heard of this brand but hey for a new fridge (and a year's supply of cottage cheese LOL!) it might be worth the effort.

Here is a link that might be useful: Whirlpool Latitude Contest

llking,
was it difficult to get the price match for the "different" model? do you have to ask for 12 month interest free instead of the 6 months or do they just give it to you?

I am planning to buy the samsung w&d as well as the samsung fridge, but I definitely want the 12 month interest free and I am hoping for them to do the price match or I would end up with the 26 cu ft.

any advice?

Thanks!

Hi mgiacoman,

We didn't have any problems since the sale person was one of the department managers. He was able to convince the assistant store manager to override it.

We thought we were getting the 6 months but to find out it was 12 months when we received out first bill. It's not something we want but I think the sale person gets a commission for each account opened.

I think we just lucked out due to end of the day and slow sales at the store.

They now offer free delivery 7 days a week without paying upfront and get rebate back. They are trying to match their competitors.

Good luck

It depends on where you live whether or not customers are required to pay for delivery. In FL, paying for delivery allows the store to not charge sales tax. If delivery is free or if the purchase is picked up by the customer, sales tax must be paid. Within the last month we purchased a Samsung 26 ft refrigerator from Lowe's and a induction range from Sears. Same story in both places. Strange laws!

I bought our Samsung RFG297 in May and love it except for the noise it makes when it kicks on. I'd read about the noisy ice maker but I don't have a prolem with that since I think most of them are going to be noisy. However, when the refrigerator kicks on I hear a kinda whirring,whiney,squealy high pitched noise for about 3 minutes or so then it settles into the humming noise I'd expect coming from a fridge. The noise is loud enough to be annoying when I'm watching tv in the family room a few feet away. I'd read customer reviews that said the fridge was so quiet they could hardly tell it was running so I'm wondering if there's a problem with mine. Has anyone else noticed this kind of noise with the 297 model?
Thanks,
bbe782

bbe782,

Since you bought it in May, you're still under warranty. Call samsung before your warranty runs out.

Lowe has discontinued with RFG297 but other places still carry them. I believe Lowes are fed up with the complaints and now carry the 298 exclusively with dual icemaker.

Freshman,

You asked if I saw the Whirlpool Latitude (their new ~28 cu ft French-door refrigerator). Sorry it's taking me so long to respond, but construction to repair flood damage here has kept me busy.

Yes, I did look at the Latitude on a couple of occasions. I think it will be strong competition for the Samsung, containing most of the same features. The Latitude does offer a superior ice maker that is in the door and the bin is easily removable. The display has more info than the Samsung, such as the TOD, and the water dispenser is adjustable, so you can fill large vessels. What it is missing is the twin-cooling, but I haven't been convinced that's important.

I dismissed the Whirlpool for my application solely because of esthetic design considerations. My kitchen and family room are one open space, and the fridge dominates, so getting the prettiest "monster" is very important. I need a black refrigerator (only because SS have grey sides -- anyone know of a SS with black sides?), and the Whirlpool black is a tinny looking metal vs the shine of the Samsung. I also am not wild about the design of the handles, but I could live with them if the finish suited me.

I was told that KA will probably introduce a similar FD in about a year after the bugs have been worked out of the Latitude. I would expect the KA to have a bit more "polished" look.

I think the Latitude would be a nice addition to many kitchens, it just doesn't seem to fit mine. I hope this helps.

Ellencr

I have just purchased this fridge. and I love it. Now here's the really exciting part I got it at Lowes for $1050.00, you really need to check out the scratched and dent fridges first at Lowes. My brother has bought these for years for his rental properties. Figure i saved about $1100.00 and to be honest I really had to look to see the dents. And it has a full warranty. Well happy shopping and God Bless!

I purchased Samsung RFG298AARS, refrigerator on 8/1/10 from Lowes. Both frig and freezer stopped cooling on 7-6-11. Repairman sent by Lowes under Samsung warranty came 7-8-11 and added freon. Fridge still did not cool. Repairman came again on 7-12-11 and did something on the computer panel in the back and fridge and freezer worked again until 7-28-11. No one could come to service on weekend, so next service was 8-1-11. Diagnosis was needed new front panel, because it wasn't communicating with computer controller in back. Part on order. Scheduled repair for Saturday morning, so I didn't have to take yet more time off from work for this problem. Called Thursday, confirmed that I was the first appointment for Saturday morning and part was in stock. Saturday morning different tech came, installed the panel, could not even move the refrigerator out from the wall because he didn't have the air lifter, and the repair did not work. Now Samsung and Lowe's are giving me the run-around. In Lowe's system it clearly shows I purchased the refrig. 8-1-10. In Samsung's system it shows 8-10-10. A Lowe's rep said she would straighten out all the records. Of course she didn't call me back like she said she would (no one from Lowes or Samsung has ever called me back when they promised to) and now I am on hold with Samsung AGAIN. If I could get a different brand from a different location at this point I would.