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WOW! A large solid tub machine. How cool is that? And it even lights up! Congrats!
 
The agitator design that Speed Queen used really stood the test of time.  This same design was also used in their wringer machines, and is very effective.  Dirt doesn't stand a chance! lol  Congrats on a SWEET score!!!
 
I'm guessing.......

that is a bleach dispenser in the front left corner, correct? It's neat that it has a cap on it as well. Is it a hinged plastic cap? Wow, this model has everything your heart would desire and then some!

Mike L.
 
I had to come back for another look

76SpeedQueen,  i  hope you get your fabric soft.  dispenser, but it blocks the view of so much of the fun.  So if you want , try to get a chrome agitator cap too.   I am envious, I cannot find a solid tub SQ to save my life.  How long have the solid tubs been out of production, must be about 35 years?
 
Commercial

I made contact with a local SQ Coin op dealer a while back and they claimed they had a warehouse full of solid tub coin-ops.  Unfortunately, I never made to their center.  But a coinop might be a good substitute for one of these domestic beauties.

 

Malcolm
 
Yes, it is a plastic hinged cap bleach dispenser!

I am looking to aquire a fabric softener dispenser and would like to have the metal agitator cap also.If anyone has any leads on these Items I would be interested in them...
 
Speed Queen vs. LG

Wanna bet that the SQ washer you aquired will be running problem free vs. the LG front loader it's previous owner just bought? I'll betcha that in five years the SQ will still be running, and the LG will be on it's way to the landfill.
Mike
 
LOL

I would take a Speed Queen over an LG anytime. As a matter of fact, my current Speed Queens replaced a set of LG's that were less than 18 months old.

Malcolm
 
combo52's remark

I highly doubt that the neighbor's new LG will be around longer than THIS Speed Queen!It is in barely used condition and is made of far Superior materials to any modern washer...............Besides that what use it did get was from a little old elderly couple who fastidiously took care of and babied everything.
 
SOLID TUB SQ LONGEVITY

There is a reason that solid tub reversing motor SQs are so rare. They were among the least durable automatic washers of the 1970s. Very very few of them made it out of the 1980s.

 

I have two solid tub SQs in our collection and I feel that they are very interesting and good collectable washers. But the SQ design was heavily based on 1950s technology and many key parts such as the water pump, top agitator shaft seal were not durable designs. And things got worse when they took out the agitate and spin solenoids to reduce the cost of building the machine. The final blow to durabllbly was when they added a fast break in the mid 1970s as this caused a lot of expensive to fix basket drive failures, which in turn caused many of the later ST SQs to be junked early.

 

I would be interested to know what materials that are used in the construction of washing machines today that are not in-fact far better than what were used in the 1970s. From what I see plastics, rubber, finishes and other coatings and even the steel are much better than they were 30 years ago. Just look at how durable cars are now, they barely even rust anymore.
 
Preaching to the Choir

As John points out, we have more advanced materials today- plastics that can withstand greater impacts and temperature extremes, more stable rubber compounds, advanced plating techniques, etc. However, the reason our classics run circles around the new machines is obvious- the bottom line is manufacturing cost, not advancement. New machines are built to give the consumer exactly what they want- a cheap machine that looks expensive.

The number of '06 series Maytags humming along in midwest basements, decade after decade, is a testament to the "robust design" philosophy that was part of the industry. We all now there is simply no way a manufacturer could produce a machine like that today. Switch assemblies with individual springs and terminals, screwed into place rather than a slot and rivet method. Pushbuttons with distinctive part numbers (inventory and QC), a porcelain tub (multiple processes to one part, and costly), a motor with line-voltage rated windings of adequate horsepower. Steel case stampings of adequate gauge that they don't require reinforcing ribs. And so on.

Plastic parts don't require painting, they can come right from the supplier, be snapped into place on the front of the machine, and the sticky-backed, multi-button overlay with graphic pressed into place. No tools required. A single PCB with membrane switches and processor mounts from the back. Maybe there's a couple screws in there, but if manufacturer A finds a way to do it with one less, competitor B will find a way to beat them.

Of course we're dealing with inductive loads like water valves and motor windings. Interfacing with low-voltage digital electronics means we need "protective" components in the interface. These can often cost more than the processor and software (yes, there is firmware in there) running the machine. Just which parts do you think get marginalized first as a cost-cutting measure? Put all this in a damp environment, add vibration, and put on your EE hat. The list of potential component failures that can turn that machine into a paperweight gets pretty long. Contrast this to the old model - timer contacts and a motor with capacitor start. That's it. A failure is bound to be mechanical because the electrical system is up to the task.

We have GE to thank for value engineering, but the impetus was manufacturing during WWII. Advancements in technology allowed design to evolve to the point where systems and components did not require "over building". If a stamped bracket will survive 5 years of service before metal fatigue causes failure, why are we paying double to cast this part? The problem is, instead of using this approach to optimize design, manufacturers used this approach to build-in obsolesence. We're now in a race to the bottom.
 
John,

I think you are wrong.......IMO the reason you don't see many SQ solid tub washers around is because they did not have a tremendous market share like KM, WP or GE...but, LAUNDROMATS and Laundry Rooms all over the NYC area in the seventies, had nothing BUT SQ solid tub washers, so your theory that they were not built well doesn't hold water with me. Many of those solid tub machines were used well into the eighties if not the early nineties commercially. Please do not give me the argument that matierials are better today than yesterday.....Why do cars need air bags in every corner??? Cars are made of plastic now instead of metal....When you got in an accident years ago, the car protected you, now you need air bags for protection because there is no metal to protect you, just plastic....Todays products are far less superior in build quality than 30 or 40 years ago. Five years from now that SQ washer, will STILL be running vs. the LG with the same usage. I will take that bet, and I'll double down!!! The LG will be in a landfill, while the SQ might need a repair, the LG won't be worth the money to repair.
Mike
 
speed queen reliability,ST era

once in 1989,i found a laundromat still running turquoise mid-60s era SQs-that was
a real delight to see those still going(they probably had a shed full of "parts"
machines and a real dedication to keeping these going)On the other hand i found
a couple late-'70s era speed queens at the dump in 1982-83,one was a fancy model
with a little occillating pump to pump bleach or fabric softener-kept the little
pump and still have it somewhere....
In my area,i haven't even seen a solid tub speed queen in over 20yrs
 
Thanx for the Speed Queen Support guys!

My Speed Queen Rocks and will for a long time coming!I plan to use it gently and lovingly as possibly believe me!I have the WP Cabrio to do the big heavy stuff!(although the SQ has no trouble with big loads)I plan to use it for my personal clothing (especially whites) and not comforters,I hope to hand it down to one of my neices one day..........
 
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