How does a new Speed Queen FL compare?

[bobbyderegis]

Hi All:
I know this has been discussed ad nauseum before, but since I never paid attention, could anyone give their opinions of the Speed Queen front loader? I know it has a fairly short cycle time, as compared to others. I recently discovered that they are sold in Milford, Massachusetts, an hour or so west of Boston. (they sell the top loaders, too) Is the quality good? Would one opt for a SQ as opposed to a Whirlpoop or LG? I assume that one could not put a SQ and Miele in the same comparision category. Thoughts or comments?
Bobby in Boston

 

[nmaineman36]

They are also sold at Sozios in Revere. If you go to Speed Queen's website they will tell you where they are sold in the Boston Metro area.

 

[laundromat]

The Whirlpool and LG machines have up to 4.0 cu.ft. capacity.The SQs have a 3.2 cu.ft.capacity.They're even smaller than the Frigidaires which claim to have a 3.5 cu.ft.capacity.
I have had all the above mentioned brands except the Speed Queens and all of them could do a queen size bedspread alone or all of the sheets and pillowcases in one load.However,my KitchenAid Ensemble(made exactly like Whirlpool's Duet)and L.G.front loaders easily washed the entire set.The bedspread, all the sheets and pillowcases,and a few bath towels!They had to be dried seperately but I normaly line dry my sheets and pillowcases anyway.

 

[bobbyderegis]

Sozio's? Wow, I haven't been in there in years. Not too far from Everett! I'll check it out. As far as capacity, I am not too concerned with washing bedspreads, just the everyday, average load. I think I would want a commercial machine to tackle a bedspread.
Bobby in Boston

 

[tuthill]

New SQ FL's

In my dorms this past year of college there were brand new SQ's. They had that kind of squished circle of a door. And the cycle time was only half hour. They seemed to clean the clothes just fine. HOWEVER, in a different dorm they had FridGEmores, and I often made the 5 minutes treck to use these. They were non-commercial so I could put it through the heavy wash cycle and an extra rinse, just they way I like it. I took pride in knowing that I was the only one wondering, so ummm, does the school know that they're going to have to replace every single bearing in about 5 years??

 

[maytagbear]

In 1981, I lived in greater Boston for

four months. Longer if I had been able to get a job.....

I applied to Sozio's, but was not hired. I applied almost everywhere, from Caldor, to Sozio's, to Tufts,(almost got that one,) to MIT, to Polaroid.

I went from a couch in Arlington, to Roslindale to Jamaica Plain.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[jetcone]

Bobby

I have had the commercial version in my tenants for almost 7 years with not a problem.

They have a SS drum, SS outer drum, 4 FOUR shocks under the tub, SS BASE PLATE!!

The commercial machines use way less water than the residential machines. Which I love!

John L sells the residential machines

and by the way I'll meet you anytime at SOZIO's to kick the tyres!!

 

[peteski50]

Speed Queen!

These machines seem real well built. I just don't like the fact they are so stripped of cycles and options. They are so good with their top loaders - why are the front loaders so basic?
Peter

 

[logixx]

I used Speed Queens front loaders at my dorm, too. Cleaning was gererally good even though the heaters were disabled and a 140*F fill ended up as 104*F at the end of the main wash. I always used pre-wash, however, because the main wash was so short and it also helped to pre-warm the machine and laundry if I wanted a hot wash. The warm fill was cold because the machines didn't have ATC and the cold water pressure was much stronger than the hot water pressure.

Rinsing was only so-so. After the main wash, the machine briefly sprayed the load with water before it went through a series a spin bursts. These bursts didn't do a good job at extracting sudsy water. The rinses were ultra short: the machine filled with water (up to where the boot meets the door glass), tumbled three times and drained.

The final spin was done at 1000 rmp for several minutes. But since there's no out-of-balance correction the machines sometimes had to abort the spin cycle and would then just sit there doing nothing until the counter counted down to zero.

All in all, they were good, quiet washers, but only mediocre at rinsing.

 

[bobbyderegis]

Jetcone:
Who the hell is John L.?
Bobby in Boston

 

[launderess]

Peteski

SQ took these "homestyle" washing machines from a 120v range they had been offering for light commercial use for years. And like many commercial and laundromat washing machines, cycles are pretty limited and set by factory. Seem to remember some of the early SQ units did have "regular" controls for water temp, cycles, and so forth, but that seems to have gone by the boards when SQ made their big relaunch into the domestic appliance market.

 

[jeff_adelphi]

John L.

John L. is my brother who runs Alco Appliance in Beltsville, Maryland. He now sells Speed Queen as well as Whirlpool appliances.

 

[jetcone]

Bobby

I bet I could talk my tenants into letting you do a load if you wanted to try one out. But John L ( who you know by now) told me that the residential models use more water than the commercial ones. My commercial machine looks like what Robert is always saying about modern front loaders- "just toss in clothes soap and a wet towelette for modern cleaning" The clothes do look just damp but the tenants have no complaints about rinsing or cleaning.

And the love the gambling roulette feature! Just love it!

 

[jetcone]

sorry typo

"And they love the gambling roulette feature."

I would want the residential more water machine for sure!

 

[sudsmaster]

I think the Speed Queen FL's big selling points include the stainless outer drum, and the right-hinged door. Don't know if the rest of the machine is built better than the average bigger front loader sold in the USA these days, but it's probably better than the original Frigmore and Neptunes. I would imagine that the main bearing is replaceable, as well, another good point. The downside includes the aforementioned too-short cycles. And you can't get an internal heater unless you get the model with the control panel on top. The flat top machines are non-heated only.

 

[launderess]

Don't know about how bad "short" cycles are, and perhaps poor results in SQ front loaders have more to do with laundry practices and or design than anything else. After all Milnor commercial and OPL washing machines have about the same short cycles, but according to reports and members here, they do the job quite well.

Of course there are several problems with front loaders that do not have internal heaters or good supply of "HOT" water. Commercial laundries and laundromats use recirculation pumps to make sure fills are hot, not cold, tepid, warm, then hot, which means water temperature may never be more than 100F. Also am wondering what type of detergent many reporting poor results with SQ front loaders are using. For best results one is probably going to need a good HE detergent designed to "hit and run", that is disslove fast and get the job done.

L.

 

[sudsmaster]

I guess I've been spoiled by the heater-equipped Neptune 7500 and of course the various and sundry Mieles. Just did a load of whites in the 1918 in the workshop this afternoon. What a lovely machine. I'm tempted again to move it into the main house, but the Neptune refuses to die - and the Neptune, with its weak 110 volt heater, really needs an external water heater, which the workshop lacks.

A proper laundry room probably should also house the water heater for the home. That's how the last place I lived was set up, but that was perhaps the only good thing about the place ;-). The "laundry room" was really a landing, what looked like an enclosed back porch, and there was room only for the water heater and one washer - water heater in back of the washer. A stacked unit could have worked there, I suppose. The '83 Whirlpool top loader liked to waltz around that tiny room. And at the time I really had no clue about laundry, proper water temps, etc. But I was aware enough to notice that when Huish pulled STPP from "Clout!" in the 90's, that the cleaning performance plummeted.

 

[whirlcool]

And SQ also touts the fact that no plastic gearing is used in their machines, everything is all metsl for a longer lifespan.

 

[mulls]

Report on SQ front loader-by owner

There SQ front loaders are truly built like tanks,but in real world use aren't what they could be.I'm on my second one,the first walked terribly during spin-it would literally chase you!It was replaced with another(TOL with heater-rear control)that is better,but still not what I expected from this price machine.It "helicopters",to use SQ's terminology.The newer unit has a different boot-seems to be a little more pliable,but is also not as wide.It leaves a big crack between the edge of the boot and the edge of the tub.A footie,a washcloth,or my wife's panties lodge there occaisionally.This second machine is better than the first one-it simply was not usable,but the second one vibrates during spin too.The tub jumps up and down,and with the narrower boot allows it to move backward and forward too-often the door is moving in and out during the pulse spins.Noisy.Not every load,but over half of them.SQ customer service is great-they do care,but are fighting a losing battle until changes are made to the machine.My retailer stopped stocking the FL machines,but still offers the TLs,which are wonderful.The dryers are great as well,as good as any I have ever used.I'm going to sell my machine,if anyone has interest,let me know.
Tom