Your questions started me thinking about a lot of things, so this response may be more info than you are hoping for. Maybe you were hoping for somebody to say: "all nxrs made since 2013 have been such absolute crap that they rust out and crumble away in six months?" Or maybe, "every possible problem has been fixed and nobody ever has problems with the NXR stoves made after 2013?"No such luck. :>)

First, the so-called "cheaper magnetic stainless steel" (430) has been around for years before 2013, ever since the first DRGB models replaced the original NRG models. If you are seeing reports of 430 stainless being a "new" issue with 2013, the reports are misinformed.

Could rusting happen on the 430 side panels of the DRGB models? Possible but not likely unless you are using the stove on the seashore in a humid and corrosive marine environment. Even marine-grade stainless rusts there, just a little more slowly.

The 430 stainless is actually a bit harder than the original 403 grade and is less likely to scratch. My heavily used (and maybe abused) DRGB3001 was made in February 2012 with 430 stainless and has no rust or significant scratches on the sides or oven door. The top, which is the "better" 403 stainless, does have scratches. (Some will say, "OMG, I can't own a stove that won't always look pristine!." I on the other hand, am not bothered that mine looks about like what a used commercial range would look like. YMMV, of course.)

One thing, though, using strong ammonia-based cleaners has been reported to cause pitting and rust in stainless steel appliance surfaces. I recall a series of complaints a couple of years ago about tiny rust spots on the stainless surfaces of Kitchenaid fridges. Turns out to have been things like commercial grade Windex concentrates did an amazing job of removing fingerprints but also could pit the surface. That said, I often use regular Windex on my NXR (almost daily) and have not run into any pitting after two years of use.

Second, You ask if we've heard anything about the more recently produced units?

Only what I've read here. If you are having trouble turning up threads, try doing the search in google, bing etc. and include "gardenweb" in your search string. None of us are plugged into the company gossip webs. :>) The only sources who claim to know that kind of stuff are the reviewed.com writers whose reports strike me as fanzine-style breathless gush

Third, somebody says that the company changes components quite often? Are you perhaps worried that only the company's original part is an absolute must so that you must pay full-boat expensive and get replacements only from the company's parts department and that there are so many parts that it will be difficult or sometimes impossible to find a correct fit? Maybe you are thinking that NXRs are like Trabants which had unusual parts only porduced in defunct factories of the former East German regime? Maybe something like vintage 1960s and 70s Fiats where finding the right part could require you to know which Fiat factory made the car and the precise month in which the car was made?

If that is the concern, you can relax. One of the attractions of this stove is that most of the components are the same as used in other brands and are widely available --- and at much lower prices.

Another attraction is that there aren't many components to change, and almost all of them can be replaced with generic parts, anyway, The manufacturer, Hyxion --- Duro is just the importer who owns the NXR brand --- changed to Invensys burner reignitor spark modules after the original supplier, Tytronics, was bought up by a German conglomerate. The previous and new modules are interchangeable components. The Tytronics ones are still widely available and can be far less expensive. I recall an NXR thread where somebody linked an Amazon site selling the Tytronics "OEM" modules for less than $40, mostly for the benefit of Viking owners whose out-of-warranty gas and dual fuel range were otherwise costing several hundred dollars for the Viking labeled part and sometimes were being told (incorrectly) that the parts were no longer made.

Apart from the spark module, the only other part that I know of having changed is the bulb-sockets for the halogen lights in the ovens. You can find the bulbs from the Dvorsen's site. Just unscrew the bulb and match the base to the pictures on the web site. That will give you a model and part number that you can order from Dvorson's if it is not carried by your local appliance parts warehouses and electric supply stores.

So, the finding NXR parts is not like trying to track down parts for a 70s Fiat or a Yugo or (God help you) a Trabant.

Fourth, if what I've said above reminds you of the kind of advice you might see in a forum for diy'ers or 4-wheel drive modder enthusiasts, it kind of is. If that seems offputting, you probably won't be happy with an NXR just as you would not be happy if you were shopping for a family car and somebody starts talking about lift kits, towing capacity and bedliners.

To continue with the automotive analogies, with the NXR, it is kind of like being able to tune an engine and adjust an old-fashioned carburetor. Some people like that need and capability and some hope to never encounter it.

For example, owners sometimes report having trouble with the burners. Depending on the quality of the natural gas or gas supply (our NG qaulity varies greatly) and things like boil-overs and how you clean and etc., you may get a water, or carbon or crud build-up, or a component piece can get out of alignment. Then the ignitors start clicking &/or the flames aren't correct, For me, this is no big deal. Just pull the burner apart, blow all the orifices clear with compressed air or use pipe cleaners, make sure everything is dry, make everything fits in correctly, and I'm back in business in minutes with no problems. (I recall an NXR thread by stacyneil -- one of our pioneer NXR owners --- where after much poking around and discussion, this turned out to be the solution to the problem. Here's the link if you haven't seen the thread.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/appl/msg0108044913765.html

Later, in another thread, Stacy posted the follow-up:

Posted by staceyneil (My Page) on
Tue, Feb 11, 14 at 14:18

Thank you! We actually fixed it by doing a super-
thorough cleaning including soaking and pressure-air
cleaning. So far so good!

My view is that I am happy to have a stove I can do this with. I also miss having cars I could do this with.

There is a trade off, of course. Having a car you "could work on" meant that you had a car that "you have to work on."

So also with the NXR. The stove gives me capabilities I like and lets me easily fix things that inevitably go awry. Others will find this onerous and daunting, and feel that, for this kind of money, you shouldn't have to work on or fiddle with your stove. After all, we never had to fuss with the old GE/Frigidiare/etc., "Therefore" it must be bad design or components if you need to do that kind of work. For them, the NXR ranges (and other pro-style ranges, as well) will be undesirable.

Nobody should take anything of what I just said as any kind of mockery or criticism. I don't mean to suggest for a moment that there is anything wrong or ridiculous about a "it should just work" viewpoint. To go back to the automotive analogy, there is a lot to be said for cars that need hardly any maintenance for 100,000 miles and use CVT transmissions. Heck, one of my vehicles is a cvt-and-push-button-and-automatic-everything-50-mpg-minimal-maintance Prius and the other is a do-it-all-myself-go-absolutely-anywhere-in-any-kind-of-conditions-at-12-mpg 1970's Dodge W150 Powerwagon. I really like both vehicles and "get" both viewpoints.

Fifth, there definitely are more complaints about NXRs now than there used to be.

That mostly seems to be because a lot more NXRs are getting sold. It does not seem (as far as we can tell) to represent a general fall off in manufacturing quality. Inevitably, in any product line from any manufacturer there will be lemons, shipping damage, and resulting complaints. The bigger their market share, the more complaints you will find posted. The important thing is not that there are complaints, but what the complaints are about.

The complaints I've seen about the NXR seem to fall into three categories:

(a) quality control issues and shipping damage;

(b) uneven and sometimes really crummy warranty service; and

(c) the burner or oven was working fine and now it won't light or the ignitors click a lot or the flame is funny.

The first category happens with all stoves and we have nothing to tells whether the NXR rates are out-of-line with the rates in rest of the industry. (Might or might not be -- we just don't have any way of knowing.)

The second category of uneven and sometimes bad warrranty service is a problem that seems to plague many small-market share brands. (There's nobody madder than spurned Blue-Star owner, either.) Again, before anybody flies off the handle and accuses me of trying to defend NXR by trashing Blue-Star, let me make it clear that I am simply pointing up that the chance of poor warranty service is a consideration that everybody needs to take into account when considering buying appliances from any company with a small market share. I am not implying in any way that it is okay for one company to have bad warranty service because others have bad warranty service.

The first two categories have a simple solution in the case of buying NXRs: do what you apparently plan to do and buy the stove from Costco.com. You get Costco's full money back absolute satisfaction (even after months of use) guarantee. (Of course, this can still put you back into the self-help category because you have to get the defective range back to a Costco store.)

The third category of problems takes us back to the dilemma of do I want a stove "that I never have to work on" or do I want a stove "that I can work on which means that sometimes I will have to work on or fiddle with it?"

This post was edited by JWVideo on Fri, Jul 18, 14 at 13:03

Today at 1pm we got the stove we've been wanting for over a year: the 36" NXR. We live in a rural area and learned that curbside delivery does not necessarily mean where your driveway is. We used a dolly to bring it down the long dirt road to our house, brought it in, and opened it up. First thing we saw when we got past all the packaging and styrofoam was rust! scratches of varying depths in the cooktop steel that were full of rust and even pitting in spots. Disappointment!

We called the number on the manual- ADCO answered. They asked for photos and mentioned sending us replacement parts that we could install ourselves. Not interested in messing with that on our Brand New stove! We called Costco customer service and they quickly arranged an exchange and pickup. Now all we have to do is haul the 400 lb bad stove to the curb in 10ish days and it's gone. It'll be about 3ish weeks for the replacement to appear. We didn't even get to completely finish unpacking it. Well, we like the stove so much we're willing to give NXR another chance, but next time we won't be so trusting and will insist on checking the stove while it's still in the delivery truck.

The rust does not seem to come from any shipping damage, but rather from poor quality control at the factory. Upon further inspection we noticed that the entire cooktop is magnetic, unlike the stainless steel facing of the stove and our stainless steel refrigerator. So, this is what we get for just under $3000 bucks! We promptly called Costco and cancelled the exchange. After all, even if the new one isn't in the bad state this one is in, if it's made of the same stuff it's only a matter of time before it gets messed up. Now what will we buy? So disappointed...

Everything else about this stove is exactly what we want with nothing wrong with it...as far as we know, since we never hooked it up or used it.

i'm wondering if ADCO would send us replacement parts that were more rust resistant. I really want this thing to work; starting to think that i'd rather try to fix this one myself. i really don't want to have to spend thousands more on a stove or spend another year researching! Both of the little strips had obvious rust spots; side B the worst.

We even got it on sale. =( It looks like Costco is not allowing me to post a review either; not sure why. Is this type of steel that all these stoves are made of??

Here is a link that might be useful: DRGB3602 at costco

This post was edited by WisteriaPath on Mon, Nov 3, 14 at 20:37

Perfect example why you never buy online unless you live in a rural area.

It would be nice if Costco put out a floor model; the ones around here never have as far as i've seen, and none of the local shops seem to carry these either.

I think you made a good decision to turn down Adco's offer to ship you replacement parts for self-installation. Replacing the whole top involves some major dis-assembly to remove the top and slide a new one into place.

Also, something went pretty seriously wrong for the stainless top to have started rusting. Might be a sign of bad storage or transport or might be an indication that other things on this range might be defective or gone wrong. The Costco satisfaction guaranty is there precisely to avoid those kinds of worries.

As for finding floor models of appliances at Costco, that doesn't seem likely. Except for freezers, our Costco warehouse stores stopped stocking or displaying any large appliances about five years ago. These days, Costco's business model for appliances avoids the need for maintaining inventory. Instead, it mostly just takes orders for large kitchen appliances and arranges to have them shipped from a maker's (or major distributor's) warehouse. For me, that makes the satisfaction guarantee all the more important.

As for your review at Costco.com, be aware that Costco has some kind of vetting process that takes time before a review will appear. IIRC, it took something like a week before my NXR review passed muster and appeared on the website.

This post was edited by JWVideo on Tue, Nov 4, 14 at 4:18

The "problem" with Costco's 100% guarantee is that they will simply exchange or give you a refund rather than get to the bottom of what caused the defect and whether it could be easily remedied.
Not sure what to advise, but if you're really set on this range, perhaps you can dig further to figure out what the chances are of this happening again. It seems that most people are very happy with the range.

I disagree it is is hard to replace the top; it is actually very easy.

Are you and I really disagreeing?

I think it would be easy for a warranty tech to change out the stove top. You and I, being gearheads, would find it pretty easy to do it ourselves, as well. Indeed, one of the attractions of the NXR for us is precisely that we can work on them ourselves.

However, for many folks, this kind of dis-assembly will seem daunting. Plus, this is a new stove with a warranty. If the warranty means anything, it means that the company should take care of it. Unfortunately, the company's and Adco's record has been spotty when it comes to warranty support for NXRs. I'm thinking specifically of bmorepanic's saga last year. Finally, as I said above, getting a new stove with rust on top suggests the possibilities of other problems, as also turned out to be the situation in bmorepanic's case. Thus, my thought that it is better to let Costco swap in a new range.

Going by memory here. The rear riser is a user replaceable part to the shorter one. Removing grates and burners is easy and must be done for cleaning. Once these are off the rest of the top slides off the back for cleaning or replacement.

If, and it's a big if; this is the only issue with the range I would rather replace it than return a 36 inch stove to Costco even tough I know I could. Just trying to think of the simplest way to satisfy.

I think the process might be a little different although, now that I think of it, WisteriaPath might be able to replace the filler strips without having to completely slide the top off the range.

If I recall correctly for my DRGB3001 -- I got these instructions from Duro Customer Service some time ago and can't find my notes, so this is coming from my admittedly faulty memory --- you start by taking off the backsplash/vent/riser (5 screws) which exposes the back end of the top and the screws which hold down the back end(s) of the spacer(s) (what WisteriaPath called mouldings). Take out those screws. Go around to the front of the stove and pull the knobs. Open the oven door, kneel down and look up at the bottom of the control panel piece. You will see screws that fasten it to the frame. Remove those screws. You can now move the control panel out of the way. Look up to the underside of the top and see the bent tabs holding down front end(s) of the spacer/moulding(s). Pry those back to where you can pull the spacer/moulding.

If you do need to remove the entire top, you'll need to take out the burner ignitor posts (otherwise, they block the top from sliding back.) If memory serves, you have to reach in through the front and back openings you have exposed to get to the underside of the bases and take off the wires and the nuts that hold the ignitors in place. Once they are removed, I think you can then slide the top out the back.

Reassembly is the reverse.

This post was edited by JWVideo on Thu, Nov 6, 14 at 11:34

With the back removed I was able to remove the filler strip. With this removed the tray was able to be removed without removing the ignigher by sliding it over and lifting up. I don't remember any font screws that needed to be accessed. My range is the 30 inch with the new front kick plate.

Seems I was misinformed or else my memory was faulty. With a bit of free time this evening, I decided to (finally) try tracking down the wiring fault that has kept the right side oven light from working. Took off the backguard/vent and the back panel. Found that the stovetop pieces ran beneath the side rails, which is probably why I was told I had to slide the top panels directly back and needed to remove the ignitor poles. However, a slight flexing of the side panels (from where they wrap at the back) and the stovetop panels will flex enough to allow burner pans to be tilted over the burner ignitors just as on black88mx6's newer stove.

Also, the center top panel on my range is held on with bendable tabs and not screws at the back as I remembered being told. (Maybe that info was for the DRGB's predecessor, the NRG300. All-in-all, it seemed even easier to remove and replace than I thought.