eurekastar
Well-known member
Last year, I made a move to Amarillo. Before the move, I gave away my Speed Queen washer and dryer that I purchased in the mid to late 80s. I never had a single service call on ether unit! But I didn't want to move them so I gave them away.
When I arrived here, I made the worst purchase decision ever. I bought the GE GTW485ASJWS Washer and matching Dryer on impulse while at Home Depot one day. The Dryer performed OK, but the washer had many issues (which I won't get into here).
I then intended to buy a new Speed Queen set. But given the online reviews I decided to pass. I then settled on this Maytag pair. I've had them about one month and have been very happy with them so far.
Water in the Texas Panhandle is very hard, so I use Tide Powder and 1/4 cup of STPP in a full load and 2 Tablespoons in a half load (Normal Cycle). The clothes come out thoroughly clean each time.
Some people complain that there isn't a water level selector. That can be a drawback for some. When not washing a full load, I simply use the "Normal Cycle," which provides a half tub of water. My Mom's Maytag that was purchased around 1964 only had two water level options -- Full Tub or Half Tub. So for me that isn't a drawback. While using that cycle, the rinse is a spray rinse (like the newer Speed Queens in Normal/Eco mode). The spin slows and drenches the clothes with water. The spin then speeds up to spin out the water and repeats that process two more times. That seems to be adequate for smaller loads.
I did notice, however, that if an extra rinse is selected in the Normal Cycle, the washer defaults to a full tub wash with two full tub rinses. That is one thing I don't like about the washer. I would prefer that it provide a spray rinse first and then a deep rinse on a half tub.
When hot water is selected in either the "Bulky/Towels Cycle" or the "Power Wash Cycle," the tub actually fills with HOT water. At no time I have noticed the washer mixing in cold water. However, in the "Mixed Cycle," HOT is not a true HOT.
While washing sheets, I use the "Bulky/Towels Cycle" and it operates with a normal fill in both the wash and rinse phases of the Cycle. However, I did notice that when washing two twin comforters (separately), that it provides a deep rinse as usual. It then provides four spray rinses before shifting into the Final Spin. Perhaps the washer detects an oversized load and provides the four spray rinses to ensure that the tops of bulky items are also rinsed (since they may not get submerged during the brief rinse phase of the cycle). At first, I thought it may be trying to balance the load before the final spin. But the spray rinses occur while the "Rinse" indicator light is on.
I have not used the "Delicates Cycle" yet. I rarely use that cycle on any machine, so I have nothing to report.
Like the GE washer this new Maytag Commercial replaces, the tub is suspended from the cabinet by four rods. The GE washer vibrated terribly during virtually every spin cycle and it didn't handle unbalanced loads well at all. That's the main reason I got rid of it. This new Maytag has none of those issues. It balances itself quickly and spins smoothly.
So overall, after one month of use, I would give the Maytag 4 1/2 stars. I deducted 1/2 star because of the way it defaults to a full tub during "Normal Cycle" when the Extra Rinse option is selected. I really find that unnecessary. If I wanted a full tub wash and two full tub rinses, I could easily select one of the deep wash cycles myself. That isn't a major issue but I do find it unnecessary.

When I arrived here, I made the worst purchase decision ever. I bought the GE GTW485ASJWS Washer and matching Dryer on impulse while at Home Depot one day. The Dryer performed OK, but the washer had many issues (which I won't get into here).
I then intended to buy a new Speed Queen set. But given the online reviews I decided to pass. I then settled on this Maytag pair. I've had them about one month and have been very happy with them so far.
Water in the Texas Panhandle is very hard, so I use Tide Powder and 1/4 cup of STPP in a full load and 2 Tablespoons in a half load (Normal Cycle). The clothes come out thoroughly clean each time.
Some people complain that there isn't a water level selector. That can be a drawback for some. When not washing a full load, I simply use the "Normal Cycle," which provides a half tub of water. My Mom's Maytag that was purchased around 1964 only had two water level options -- Full Tub or Half Tub. So for me that isn't a drawback. While using that cycle, the rinse is a spray rinse (like the newer Speed Queens in Normal/Eco mode). The spin slows and drenches the clothes with water. The spin then speeds up to spin out the water and repeats that process two more times. That seems to be adequate for smaller loads.
I did notice, however, that if an extra rinse is selected in the Normal Cycle, the washer defaults to a full tub wash with two full tub rinses. That is one thing I don't like about the washer. I would prefer that it provide a spray rinse first and then a deep rinse on a half tub.
When hot water is selected in either the "Bulky/Towels Cycle" or the "Power Wash Cycle," the tub actually fills with HOT water. At no time I have noticed the washer mixing in cold water. However, in the "Mixed Cycle," HOT is not a true HOT.
While washing sheets, I use the "Bulky/Towels Cycle" and it operates with a normal fill in both the wash and rinse phases of the Cycle. However, I did notice that when washing two twin comforters (separately), that it provides a deep rinse as usual. It then provides four spray rinses before shifting into the Final Spin. Perhaps the washer detects an oversized load and provides the four spray rinses to ensure that the tops of bulky items are also rinsed (since they may not get submerged during the brief rinse phase of the cycle). At first, I thought it may be trying to balance the load before the final spin. But the spray rinses occur while the "Rinse" indicator light is on.
I have not used the "Delicates Cycle" yet. I rarely use that cycle on any machine, so I have nothing to report.
Like the GE washer this new Maytag Commercial replaces, the tub is suspended from the cabinet by four rods. The GE washer vibrated terribly during virtually every spin cycle and it didn't handle unbalanced loads well at all. That's the main reason I got rid of it. This new Maytag has none of those issues. It balances itself quickly and spins smoothly.
So overall, after one month of use, I would give the Maytag 4 1/2 stars. I deducted 1/2 star because of the way it defaults to a full tub during "Normal Cycle" when the Extra Rinse option is selected. I really find that unnecessary. If I wanted a full tub wash and two full tub rinses, I could easily select one of the deep wash cycles myself. That isn't a major issue but I do find it unnecessary.
