New! Speed Queen v. LG: nagging questions

[gotwasher]

The better choice

If it was my choice it would be a sq but that's my second choice mf fist would be a rebuilt swedish wascomat it would be the last washer for me and my grand kids would pass down to thier kids now my next one would a asko I feel the sweds know a thing or two about laundry happy washing swishswish

 

[rapunzel]

You are right Henrick and everything you state here is clearly based on lots of personal and direct experiences. Thank you for your insightful elucidations.

 

[panthera]

Wear and tear

I washed my jeans for nearly five years in a 1960's Miele in Germany and they lasted with no noticeable wear to the end.

I've washed my jeans in a '58 Thumper (in Pank!) for six years now and they show no noticeable wear.

Vectors aside, this whole discussion is pointless. Good clothing wears just as well in a vintage TL (except a Shredmore) as in a FL.

 

[suburbanmd]

Lint

While ferreting out cheap clothes a TL probably can't help breaking some small fibers in good clothes. That would explain the observation that clothes washed in an FL leave less lint on the dryer screen.

 

[panthera]

I don't doubt

There is some minimal distinction. Just, it's too small to matter.

That there's a distinction to be made is clear - Frigidaire made it in their ads for Thumpers! decades ago.

 

The real question we need to ask is this: Why do Americans put up with HE TL shit when there are two really good options out there?

Option A: Stop pretending that water used for home laundry is hard to recycle. It's not.

Option B: The least expensive European FL with on-board heating can wash rings around any TOL FL HE piece of shit sold in the US. Buy one.

 

The whole TL HE nonsense is an attempt to square a circle. It can't be done. The only way to get clothes really clean (and gently) with little water, energy and minimal use of non-biodegradable chemicals is in a FL or a TL with solid-tub.

 

American consumers need to accept this or stop bitching about dirty clothes which don't come clean. 

 

[vacerator]

Say yes

to America, Canada, and yes to Speed Queen! Union owned! Yes, by a Montreal teachers union! Union Yes! Keep high standard incomes and living alive in the great US of A, and Canada!

 

[foraloysius]

It's indeed amazing how the American consumer gets those HE toploaders pushed down the throat while there are really good alternatives. I'm still flabbergasted that Whirlpool never brought an H-axis toploader on the market, while they have a patent for that design. Frontloader performance and toploader convenience.

 

[panthera]

I always assumed that's why

Whirlpool bought Bauknecht - so they could have the outstanding Philips H-Axis system for a Top Loader.

Part of the problem is that America is technologically so far behind the rest of the western world on so much it's scary.

Part of the problem is a rah-rah 'patriotism' in the US which makes it hard to introduce better technologies. 

Part of the problem is one which is even worse in Germany - the anti-phosphate bullshit.

 

[foraloysius]

Actually I'm not sure about the Whirlpool/Philips/Bauknecht take over. I don't think they still had a runnning patent related to the H-axis technology. But perhaps there was something about that I don't know. AFAIK Whirlpool bought Philips/Bauknecht to get a substantial market share in Europe.

 

[panthera]

Louis,

They definitely wanted market share. I did some translation work for them and know the U.S. People were aware of the non-logic H-Axis systems and we're interested in them. What they made of it, obviously nothing.
Pity, really.

 

[foraloysius]

A pity indeed. Whirlpool's patent for the American market was filed in 1994, so I guess it's no longer valid. Other manufacturers could jump on that hole in the market now. There is ofcourse a Staber, but that is a bit of an awkward machine and there have been too many problems with them. It would help if a major brand would bring an H-axis toploader on the market.

 

[suburbanmd]

Can you get a comforter into an H-axis toploader?

 

[foraloysius]

Comforter

When it concerns a European toploader, they have a capacity about the same (or a bit less) as a European frontloader. It also depends on the size and the thickness of the comforter I guess.

As for the Staber, I don't know. Other American H-axis toploaders don't exist.

 

[suburbanmd]

I was thinking it might be hard to get a comforter into the opening.

 

[lordkenmore]

Panthera, your list above (e.g., rah rah patriotism) seems quite reasonable.

Add to it a couple of other factors:

-American mentality that has increasingly become about buy the cheapest thing possible.
-Many American manufacturers apparently often don't want to release good products (either by considering new technology or plain old build quality) because its so much more profitable to make a piece of junk. (Detroit auto industry of years back being an excellent example of this.)

 

[foraloysius]

The Staber has a rather small opening indeed. In comparison European toploaders have a relative big opening in regard to the capacity. Here are a few pictures of an AEG toploader.

 

[panthera]

Staber buys in

Quite a lot of their parts. This is an added layer of expense (FSP parts cost so much it's frequently much cheaper to buy a new machine) so I imagine some of their systems are compromises.

Pity - the only one I've ever actually seen in person was a bit older but looked good.

Does anyone know with which model they switched to one bearing for the drum? Even Miele, who pioneered laser controlled bearing placement eventually gave up on the two-bearing H-Axis system. I suspect this was a big source of wear and tear on earlier Stabors.

 

[foraloysius]

Miele has indeed changed to the bearings on one side with their toploaders. But all other manufacturers (as far as I know them) have been using bearings on both sides. I have had several toploaders and have never had a bearings problem with them. AFAIK there are not excessive problems with toploaders with bearings on both sides.

 

[rapunzel]

Euro top loaders are usually compact and designed to fit in tight spaces and be portable. Have they increased in capacity from the standard 4.5 to 5 kilos, to match larger front loaders?

 

[mrboilwash]

Current Euro top loaders are rated up to 7 kg. They haven`t changed in size, they still fit into tight spaces, so I have my doubts about increased drum volumes. Guess most of the larger ratings are only accomplished by overloading coupled with endless wash times.

On Euro top loaders at least the older ones I know of, you could not leave the door ajar, which made them even more prone to stink and mold than any FL.
I wonder if that has changed by now ?