Product review (4 stars): Quality replacement
This was a replacement for an 8 year old Whirlpool Gold side-by-side refrigerator. The description says "Whirlpool Genuine part", but I cannot verify this, because I did not see any markings on the product and the whirlpool website lists the part # as 2198597. This product is listed as 2198597A. I recall seeing one review stating that the listed product is an "updated" part, hence the "A" designation. Not having called whirlpool directly, I will not confirm this either.
That being said, I replaced the broken, original part with this product with little difficulty in about 10 minutes and had my first batch of ice within an hour. Some reviews claim that it makes ice faster than the original, and I thought I was on track to agree, but the next morning found that the bin was about 3/4 full. It seems roughly the same as the original output.
In summary, the price was reasonable, the install easy, and I don't have to use those ridiculous trays to make my own ice. I am satisfied with this purchase.