Need advice for new washer purchase

[stricklybojack]

Combo52,

.
i was almost ready to buy a pair of TL SQ's with knobs but you got me thinking.

And a decision has been made, the submit button was pressed...

Place your bets and take your chances, the discussion here, on the phone with salesman...ahem, Franco, and of course a chat with my mother got me over the hump and pulled the trigger.

 

[pierreandreply4]

you decided to go with the speed queen front load washer dryer set?

 

[DigAPony]

treating the environment better.

PFFT.. there is 18 inches on snow on the ground, wind chills in the single digits and we are freezing our asses off here in N.J. again this winter.

 

[washer111]

At this point, I think your mother would rather the familiarity of an SQ or other recent (and decent) top loader, rather than the switch to an FL (this is regardless of how simple it is OR wether there are pedestals).

Now, even with a pedestal one still has to bend down some to get into the machine and as her age increases, this will only get harder as she begins to loose her mobility.

I wouldn't question performance, since on her smaller loads it probably wouldn't matter much. However, the issue with the machine being able to use enough water to get a true hot wash is also a problem, I think.

No matter what you get, it will be useful to someone else when the time comes. FL or TL - lots of people today are after a 'good' TL after dreadful experiences with FL machines (Mould, washing performance).

 

[stricklybojack]

Well..

The way if worked out is as follows. I feel the product review sites and publications are
probably right about the cleaning results an average user would have with a machine like the Electrolux I mentioned above. The tests aren't perfect, but are equally administered one would presume.

There is a lot of sentimentality for something we are comfortable with, like we grew up with, etc.
Of course newer isn't always better but sometimes it is.

The warranty period that really matters is the first year and then after 5 years IMO.
So that was less a consideration. I looked up the water and electricity usage of TL vs FL and realized that over time it is consequential. My mother lives in San Diego, a dessert by the sea that has been in draught conditions for years. Also less gas for hot water and less detergent is used.
Rebates are available for electric and water bills for buying new qualified machines.
Also turns out some of the nice prices I found for Speed Queens were from small online only websites located in an office suite in Vegas in one case! Likely not an authorized seller.
I'm going to post this and move to from my phone...cutting to the chase coming up!

 

[stricklybojack]

Hah!

.
Make that drought conditions in San Diego..
Okay back to my rationalizing.
It should be clear by now what i opted for and convinced my mother was for the best.
Being that i live in NYC when not in San Diego i couldn't run out and find the machines under consideration. Even the time i spent online was causing some disruption around our little household.
I had to decide based on what i read and past experience
When i was in San Diego last summer tracking down a new inlet valve i stopped at Sears and checked out possible replacements if the valve didn't fix the old Whirlpool. At that time i settled on an LG. The valve saved the day so the LG stayed at Sears.
Guess yet?
Should be plain as day by now: think big, think, plastic, think computer chimes, think more plastic, think Consumer Reports, think disposable consumer goods...
Okay stop thinking you have the picture in mind, i had no choice i had to go for the..

 

[stricklybojack]

....

SPEED QUEEN..

Specifically the new FL machine with knobs. And last years 4 cycle dryer with, you guessed it, knobs. Both machines rear mount controls in tragically boring white paint.

What i didn't mention in all the build up, all of which is truly my position...nonetheless it's not all my position, and the machine is not even for me any way.
The LG i saw last summer was the front control TL machine...looks very nice in person btw.
I gravitated to it because all the FL machines at Sears that day left me cold. Amongst all the
thoughtlessly designed ugly cookie cutter plastic machines the 'headless' LG stood out. And the metal machines seemed chinsy.

Did i mention i love commercial vacuums? i own probably a dozen by now. Stored elsewhere of course, as NYC apartments are notoriously small. The SQ is clearly has the commercial pedigree over any of the competitors i was looking at. The thought of going through all this again in 6 years, the thought of computer chimes to signal the load was done, the thought of all that ugly plastic.. uughhhh!
As mentioned i was all set to go with the SQ TL but i realized that under the circumstances the FL was the better, and more fun choice. I like knobs my mom likes knobs, but lets change up a bit and try something different, enter the rear control FL SQ. It keeps my mother in her comfort zone yet still brings a new wrinkle to the situation.
Got to run, it will be weeks before the machines arrive in San Diego and months before i get there and set them up...oh yeah the Whirlpool came back to life and ran a load of towels like a champ! So my mom is good for now and she has a friend who can set up one or both of the Queens if the need shall arise before i get there this summer. And i should mention she has lots of room to store them the new machines in the mean time.
I feel much better and look forward to getting out there all the more..
And as a last word, i have learned well from collecting vacuums, the irrational should trump the rational. So for good reason, but more to the point, for no good reason, the Speed Queen puts a smile on my face, hopefully it will do the same for my mother.

 

[stricklybojack]

And for visual the learners...

two pertinent pics culled from the web. The washer in question and the control panel of the dryer.

I see lots of typos above and other errors. At the sister site, vacuumland.org i have an upgraded membership that allows me to edit my hasty peckings. Here i am unfortunately unable to do so, c'est la vie...

 

[stricklybojack]

One more try...

Voila!

 

[rp2813]

Nice work!

 

I think you made the ideal decision that will result in the ideal solution.

 

[appnut]

My sister & BIL liven in Petaluma.  they got a SQ FLer about two months ago because they needed a new machine, but they also wanted one that was water efficient given the extreme drought conditions. 

 

[stricklybojack]

Update..

just got word the new SQ machines were delivered today. I'll be out to California this summer and hook them up then.
The boxes looked fine, meaning no apparent damage, and the "free curbside delivery" did allow for placing them in the sizable garage at my mother's house.
The order was delayed as the new model FL washer was back ordered. We also got last years now discontinued 4 cycle dryer. Both are the versions with knobs if you missed my earlier posts. A sliver lining to the wait was that the outfit that sold us the machines had a price matching policy, which I utilized. We saved $330 in the process and the money has already been credited back to my card account.
Something I didn't mention is that the laundry area is designed for standard TL sized machines. By going with the SQ's I saved worrying over if they would fit happily.
Will be back here posting pics around July 4th weekend time frame.
Speed Queen should sponsor this site because it's been extremely instrumental in our choice of their product. Of course that and the love affair with computers and plastic many of the other manufacturers are in the throws of.

 

[stricklybojack]

Soon..

.
It will be time to finally give these a whirl, and I'm not talkin' about the scooters.

 

[stricklybojack]

The day has arrived..

.
After sitting in the garage since March, with some cursing to move things along, the new machines finally made their way inside the house; where there sat another 2-3 weeks until i had the time to switch out the old with the new.
The process was straight forward enough, but like rotating your own tires with only a scissor jack, stupid energy intensive...it was well worth it in the end.
Neither machine required adjustment to level, and the washer only walked less than an inch during its first load. Sounds bad but consider i have yet to install the rubber feet (oops!), and the machine is sitting on very slick ceramic tile.
And man is it a quiet washer, the old Whirlpool woke the dead by comparison.
Also if you like to see a lot of water splashing around you are going to have to adjust the water level, factory settings make the water hard to detect during the wash. You see wet cloths but thats about it.

The dryer just finished it's first load, the only difference there, besides the working buzzer, seems to be the quality of the air exhausted into our garage is very fresh smelling compared with the old machine.
Reversing the door was a snap except I would recommend pre-tapping the new mounting holes before re-installing the newly reversed door to the machine.

Also it should be noted I wiped out both machines with baby wipes and found nary a speck of metal, machine grease, or really anything as others have aparently have. Luck of the Irish I guess. My back is toast so i'll install those rubber feet tomorrow, adios for now.

[this post was last edited: 8/19/2015-21:24]

 

[mrb627]

Looking Good

What is your opinion of the new SQ FL models?

Malcolm

 

[stricklybojack]

Weeeeeell Malcolm...

.
thanks for asking.
After one load of laundry washed and dried i'd have to say, two thumbs up!
These machines are actually somewhat simpler than the ones they replaced, which is hard to imagine. This is a good thing however for my mother who likes/needs simple.
If it was me i would have probably have opted for the electronic version, and the front control electronic models in SS really look snazzy, plus 2 more years of warranty. That said i do like the rear control version(s) because they creat a lower, better, work surface height. I have to imagine the front control model simply fills the space created by it's higher work surface with empty cabinet, sorta odd thing to do but perhaps there is a reason.
The Washer seems positively huge coming from our O'l Mr Whirly TL.
So I in no way pine for one of those mega capacity machines. This 2015 SQ FL machine, if anything is larger than we need. And if you'll notice in the pics, there is not a lot of space in our laundry "room".
On the other side of the wall however is a 3 car garage with 15' ceilings!
The new dryer is faster than its predecessor and smells much fresher. I gave the old one a decent cleaning last year; but clearly a full tear down is the only way to exercise almost 30 years of accumulation.
Both of the SQ's are solid..nothing flimsy...basically built to the level of the machines they replaced, which is very important to me. In general i hate using stuff that feels cheaply made. The only way to do significantly better with new equipment would be to go full high end commercial. That would give the super solid tactile quality i love. These are the next best thing.
Wrangling these machines out of the garage, around the house to the large rear slidding door...unbox, wrangle the old ones into the garage; hook everything up, reverse the dryer door, remove shipping bolts dispose of the cardboard, redo a few things done incorrectly the first time around...phew! Makes me tired just thinking about it.
Add to that all the time in selection, ushering the purchase to completion, and eventual delivery...
well, i am ready to not do this again for a long time.
And i don't think i'll have to...
and that feels really good to me right now.
[this post was last edited: 8/20/2015-23:18]

 

[stricklybojack]

Also Malcolm..

.
I might add, as you mentioned it earlier, the dryer is sorta tricky to set using the automatic dry setting. Really wants to cook the cloths, so we can get away with about the lowest automatic setting, which is not so easy to dial in.
I'm sure i'll get better over time. No doubt the electronic SQ models are better in this area given their superior sensing system.
I think Mom had to have dials to make the jump from the old TL whirlpools though, or at least to do so happily.