Need to Decide on a washer

[corgigrrl]

Hi,
I'm new here & of course I have the same question as many newcomers.
I had a Maytag washer & dryer for about 23 years, don't ask me what kind, they were the type that worked! I took them for granted. Put dirty laundry in the washer, wet clean laundry in the dryer & when it was dry, took it out. In all those years I had about 3 service calls.
Fast forward-I've had my Maytag Maxima X front load washer & dry for about 3 years. Hate isn't even a strong enough word for how I feel about this washer. I'm fed up so I decided to replace it.
My choices are: a small shop that sells reconditioned appliances, the last non HE machine that Home Depot & Sears has: GE Appliances GTW330ASKWW 3.8 cu. ft. Top Load Washer, OR new Speed Queen AWN432S Top Load Washer. I just read on some of the threads that the Speed Queens are not the best as they are praised to be.
I tried to read through here for recommendations, but things get too technical for me. I just want clean clothes, no mold, no pampering the washing machine by drying it after every use etc. Just clean, fresh smelling clothes! Is that too much to ask?!

 

[laundromat]

IMHO. LG makes the best washers and dryers. I've had both their top and front loading models and they got my clothes really clean and fresh smelling, dried them fast and were fun to watch. I had one that needed an overhaul but lava and sand from the beach caused that.I found it at tube dump and LG sent the parts. The tub,bearings, pump,and drum were all replaced and $325 was the cost for all the parts.I sold it for $600.That was two years ago. No problems and a happy customer.

 

[brucelucenta]

Laundromat

Boy are you ever going to get bashed for that!!!!!! LOL Actually I too have an LG made front load washer & dryer. Had them for over 3 years now with no problems at all. In fact, I had an old Maytag set up to that point and I like these far better than the old Maytag set. Speed Queen is supposed to be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I see no real indication of that myself and they do not have many features which I consider important.

 

[wishwash]

Well, it seems like your best bet is to stay away from a front loader or HE top loader.

From what I can tell, the GE's are okay but the quality isn't quite what Whirlpool has on their standard top loader. The GE is an "HE" washer - it is basically an impeller washer with a pole bolted to the impeller. It works kind of like an old school top loader, but not quite. I want to recommend this to you because I'm all for efficiency, but I don't think you'd be happy with it.

If you really want no fuss and can afford a Speed Queen, get one. While I do think SQ is a bit overrated, there's nothing else that you can buy brand new with an old school motor and belt driven transmission. They are ironically similar to what Maytag used to build. If you want to save some cash, look for a reconditioned Maytag or possibly a Whirlpool Direct Drive.

 

[mrb627]

First...

Can you tell us some of the issues you have had with your Maxima set?

You sound reluctant to go the front loading route again...

Malcolm

 

[corgigrrl]

My Maxima dryer is okay. I don't mind not being able to use dryer sheets & found I do like the wool dryer balls. The only thing I don't like is doing bedding & I get a sheet burrito with pillow case filling, even when I move the laundry around mid cycle as directed.

Now the washer is another story. Between the mold, large hair whorls, clothes washed that don't seem clean, some stains never coming out(grass stains did come out in the old Maytag)& having to wipe the bellows & door dry after every use plus a monthly maintenance wipe down with diluted bleach, tangled, wrinkled clothing, I have had enough.
Yes, I ALWAYS kept the door open when not in use. I know someone will ask.
I spoke to Whirlpool customer service, who of course, could do nothing for me & it was as though they'd never heard of a mold problem in new machines.
BTW Why do they still have Maytag commercials when Maytags aren't even built by Maytag?! I hadn't known about that until I called.

 

[henene4]

Mold dosen't suddenly appear.

It's been narrowed down multiple times what mold comes down to: Overdosing, underwashing, undercaring.

Given you mention that stains don't shift I suspect you are using mostly cold water cycles. That is a no-go. Detergent should be dosed according to manufacturer, a 'good' detergent should be used, and softner should be used with caution. A monthly empty cycle with bleach will reduce the risk of mold by a great deal. And most everyday loads will benefit from warm washes, and so does the machine.
Whiping down with diluted bleach won't do a thing. I had to soak my shower curtain in pure bleach for several hours when I moved here just to get the mold out.

 

[wishwash]

Most dryers tend to ball up the sheets anyway, so a new dryer won't fix much.

The Maytag commercials are all marketing. I think their main push is durability backed by a 10 year warranty. I would actually consider stepping up to Maytag if I were in the market for a Whirlpool built product, just for the peace of mind.

If you're really dead set on a different machine, I'd honestly buy secondhand. There are so many old school Maytags out there that can be had for around $100 if you know where to look, that wash very similarly to a new Speed Queen...

 

[yogitunes]

no need to wipe the machine down, leave doors/drawers open....

your into an HE world, a few things will have to change a bit over a regular TL machine....

basically, your allowed one cold wash, every tenth load, no more!....at least one load a week should be hot from the tap, or boosted if available, and BLEACH!, such as a white load...

warm or hot washes, ALWAYS....and this means checking your temps...is warm really warm, or dubbed down to cool?...if your water heater is not set high enough, and especially in colder seasons, you may have to wash strictly in hot....

a good detergent, like Tide, Gain, Persil, etc.....even a few boosters if needed, color safe bleach, ammonia, borax....

for an HE machine, softener can be used, just diluted down....mix your bottle 50/50 with water, one tablespoon is more than enough....

getting past the mental part of what your used to with a standard TLer is not always easy, but giving any HE machine proper water temps/chemical, and let it do it's thing, it really can turn out clean laundry....

the hardest part is adapting to the machine.....

if you do feel a need to change back.....just about any DirectDrive machine would fit the bill....will most likely be used, but are available in plentiful numbers...I have 3 sets available for sale if your interested...

manufacturers have been slapping multiple names on machines for years....do you think Sears built Kenmore?...

 

[gyrafoam]

I have a next to TOL SQ top loader I bought about five years ago. Some friends of mine got theirs at the same time. Because I have so many vintage machines hooked up, my SQ is fairly low mileage.
On the other hand, my friends SQ is very high mileage and has been washing for 7 adults and 2 babies since it was installed ( with it's matching dryer). None of us has ever needed a repair. We are always satisfied with the results and if we needed another machine we would buy another SQ.

Two years ago I bought a BOL SQ set for my office. Those machines regularly do one or two large loads a day of very soiled laundry, mostly sheets and towels. They have given us trouble free service and always clean whatever we put in them very well.

Foul odors are never a problem.

I highly recommend the SQ top loaders.

 

[corgigrrl]

Yogitunes-Way too many rules in my mind=pampering You can call it adapting!

Gyrafoam-thank you for your input! That's good to know because even the least expensive model is more than I was planning to pay!

henene4-Mold may not suddenly appear but you can suddenly notice it if your machines are in a badly lit basement & you had no idea mold was an issue with these machines. I admit I'm not the most observant person & I wasn't vigilant with drying, wiping, bottle feeding & diapering this machine.
Once I realized I had a real problem & hit the internet, I found all sorts of things. I even ran this recipe to clean my machine out of desperation that had 2 gallons of vinegar soaked in old towels, a tbsp or so of powdered dish detergent & salt by TechnoFresh, who promises you a clean machine if you use their powder once a month. It just made my machine smell like a pickle for a few days.
To make a long story short I tried everything to clean this thing & I mean everything!!
So I called a local appliance repairman who ordered a new bellows for me. $148 plus installation is a painful way to learn a lesson.
That's what got me around to thinking if I"m going to spend $400 to get a machine I hate repaired, why not get a reconditioned one? Then I came across the Speed Queen & thought maybe this will be a better value in the long run because buying an old machine could still be a crap shoot. You do get a 90 day warranty but it could still turn out badly.
Wishwash I'm not planning on getting a new dryer. I can deal with a little irritation, it really isn't a big deal.

Also, the repairman said he has a Maytag Maxima X at home & loves it.

 

[mattl]

What Yogi said can be boiled down to "Don't wash in cold water".  Plain and simple.

 

I've had a front loader for 6 or 7 years, no issues, no mold and VERY clean clothes.  But I have never used cold water.  I will never consider anything but a front loader.

 

[mrsalvo]

I have the Speed Queen AWN432, and though its not the end-all, be-all washer, its very good. Certainly can't beat the warranty, very well made that should last many years, cycle times are fast, and clothes are outstandingly clean and fresh smelling. The agitator is good and not too overly aggressive. I think of it as a good no-nonsense, no bells-and-whistles, washer. I really like the simplicity of the design and I keep it in mint condition after each wash day, wiping it down. If you get one, be sure to register it with Speed Queen before you use it.
To be fair, I think the capacity could be a little larger for the price paid AND a good lint filtering system installed. I went on Speed Queens web site and they said there is no lint filter system. (Lint on dark colored clothes can be a problematic if not using a dryer, I bought a good clothes brush and I do make good use of it.)Water levels in the washer weird, esp. on small loads (it uses a lot). If you have high water bills, might want to reconsider. Also,do NOT overload this washer. It could be a little quieter also.

Don't want to sway you one way or the other, these are just my own observations after over a years use. Still, glad I bought it, very much so. It fits our needs at our house. (I'm a caregiver and work full time, so fast cycle times are important to me.) Best of luck to you and your decision. Hope this helps.

 

[brucelucenta]

corgigrrl

I too had a Maytag washer and dryer, from the late 90's. It was a terrific washer and dryer. I gave them to someone who still uses them all the time. I needed much larger capacity for my ancient mother who is incontinent and lives with me now. At the time she had a king size down filled comforter I hated taking to the laundromat. I bought an LG made front load washer and dryer that I stacked. It has been the best set I have ever owned as far as getting the clothes clean and being trouble free. I have had it for over 3 years now. The door on the washer is made to stay slightly ajar, so it can always be airing out when not in use. It also has a self clean cycle that I run every so often. I have no mold, no foul smells or any other issues. I do use hot water for many of the loads, but have some things I wash in cold too. The dryer does tend to roll sheets into a ball, but I just check mid cycle and straighten them out, so they will all get dry. All in all I have been very happy with them so far. The washer does have a heat boost cycle and many other features. I am a bit puzzled at the problems you have had with the Maytag Maxima, since I have always heard good things about them. Perhaps you just got a lemon. I do think that going back to a top loader would be a step backward. Front load machines are designed to use less water and do the job as well or better than a top loader. With the machine I have now, it does an excellent job of washing, rinsing and spinning the clothes almost dry. So I save a lot on drying time too.

 

[mrb627]

Speed Queen TL

A Speed Queen TL machine may be your best bet at this point. Although, it seems that only the electronic controlled machines are full fill. There is evidence the 432 machine only fills to about 80% water level due to the Eco control.

Malcolm

 

[brucelucenta]

mrb627

Seems like with regulations that seem impending, Speed Queen top loaders could be a thing of the past soon. They certainly would not be able to operate very well as an HE machine. I guess we will just have to wait and see. As much water that is wasted on other things, I don't know why they would worry about something like that anyway.

 

[gyrafoam]

I adjusted the water level on all of our machines to get it back up to where it was meant to be. The Government interference causing SQ to back it off a bit every year. Ridiculous.

 

[mrb627]

Speed Queen Future

If Speed Queen eliminated one or more of the TL models and introduced a FL with Boosted Hot, I wouldn't mind at all.

Malcolm

 

[wishwash]

It's nice that SQ is still leaving the ability to adjust the water pressure switch in the equation. I'm not too keen on Whirlpool's deep wash feature... It indeed is a deep wash! I like the way GE allows you to add a few gallons at a time. Whirlpool it's all or nothing.