2019 SQ Frontloader or Toploader v. Meile T1?

[deborah]

My old Kenmore frontloader (made by Frigidaire) is on its last legs, and will need to be replaced soon (unless my husband decides to jerry rig it again).

Is the SQ 2019 (or possibly a 2917, which I think I can find) frontloader or the pretty new Meile T1 the better machine? My husband thinks top loaders are a poor choice, but if I can convince him otherwise, would the new SQ toploader be better than the Meile?

I'm a pretty no frills washer. Due to skin allergies I won't need or use the Meile's auto dosing feature at all. I can live with our hot tap water, as we have no children and keep it pretty hot, but wouldn't mind having heated water either.

I'm more concerned about the better built machine, one that will be as trouble free as possible for the longest time. I'm guessing Speed Queen might be the winner here, but you folks are the experts, not me. So what do you think?

 

[henene4]

If it's just an allergy to chemicals and no dust mite related allergy the general better service infrastructure would probably favor SpeedQueen.

While the TL seems interesting at first, given your situation, the usage of one would quickly begin to impact water usage.

The electronic TLs with 1 piece tub get mixed reviews at best, but do offer up to 3 rinses total.

The returning transmission based washer only allows up to 2 rinses in any give cycle.

Of course one could rerun rinse and spin cycles, but that would be cumbersome - at least for my taste.

The FL allows - if not to much has changed - for up to 4 rinses in any given cycle, all with high speed interim spins (or what ever interim spin cycle each cycle specifies).

And for a full 5 fill cycle, water usage would probably stay about the same as a 2 fill cycle in a TL would use.

While the W1s are awesome (especially the one with QuickIntense wash; the recirculation system is a great adition), they are pretty expensive and service is kind of a troublesome topic for the US market.

While it allows a lot of personal choice over water levels and rinsing, the price to performance calculation is not really in favor of it in your specific situation IMO.

 

[launderess]

Before even considering a Miele appliance

Check reviews, ask other owners or whatever to get an idea of local service.

Miele appliances are quite good, but things do happen, and quite honestly sometimes their service isn't what it ought to be IMHO.

Waiting two weeks just to have someone come out and look at and diagnose a problem, then having to wait another week or more for Miele to come back and do the repair gets old fast. For laundry appliances it means you'll be stuck without for perhaps the better part of month or more.

If you truly want to go with a Miele before splurging on a new unit check local Craigslist, Offerup and other listings for a pre-owned unit. You can often find anything from older to relatively new model Miele washers at literally give away prices.

 

[combo52]

Get The SQ Front Load Washer

It has a rated life of 25,000 loads and is easy to repair, SQs TL models and Mieles only have a rated life of around 10,000 loads.

 

Miele might be the better choice if you lived in Europe, But as a repair person in the DC area we hear lots of problems getting Mieles fixed let along the cost.

 

John L.

 

[deborah]

Thank you to those who have answered so far. I really appreciate it. So far it looks like everyone advises Speed Queen over Meile.

I would love to see comments from others too, so please don't hesitate to respond.

 

[jerrod6]

I have a W1 and it is a very flexible machine, but as others have said make sure you know where the Miele service center is located if you need it serviced.

I do have the model with auto dosing and powerwash or quick intense wash as the machine calls it but the recirculation spray is used on all of the cycles, not just that one. The main thing I like is the flexibility the machine has and of course, it cleans extremely well. It also has an allergy setting that causes all the rinses to use a water level that brings the water level an inch or more up the front glass. I sometimes use this setting when washing sheets or underwear. The machine allows for hot washes as most cotton cycles will heat to 140F and sanitize is 170F if you need that. Last laundry day I used cycles that default to three rinses and I added an extra one so I ended up with 4 rinses plus spins after each one.

The auto dos system uses a combination of liquid detergent and hydrogen peroxide that the machine mixes in different proportions depending on the type of load and soil level. You can also turn it off and use whatever detergent you want. I like to alternate detergents so I don't always use it on all loads. I think there is a model without the recirculation spray and the dosing if you don't think you need those.
So far I am very pleased with the washer.

I was glad to see SQ release an FL washer but It doesn't have a heater and that was one of my requirements since not much water is in use for the main wash and my laundry area is not heated.

 

[freshnclean]

Didnt expect it from a miele

Combo52 ,

What problems are you hearing about the mieles? Is itwith the new w1?

 

[logixx]

There's also a long discussion on Houzz about the new Mieles.

Miele W1/T1 Washer & Dreyr

Hello - has anyone purchased the Miele W1/T1 washer and dryer and if so what are your thoughts so far? I did a search, but did not see any user experiences yet, unless I just missed it. Thanks!

www.houzz.com