NY Times wirecutter write up on Speed Queen

[cleanteamofny]

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<h1 class="eeb7e20a" data-scp="title hidden">Speed Queen: The Life (and Death) of Internet Commenters’ Favorite Washing Machine</h1>
 

Eugene Pallas, owner of Lorain Furniture & Appliance in Cleveland, Ohio, was among the most ardent enthusiasts I encountered. He has been a huge Speed Queen fan since 2000, the first time he repaired one. For a couple of years, the only new washers he would sell at his shop were Speed Queen.

“I gotta look the customer in the eye three months later when I see them,” Pallas said, “and I don’t have any hesitation when I know they bought a Speed Queen from me.” He worries that if he sells somebody a cheaper, repair-prone washer, he’ll lose the customer forever. As a small shop, he can’t afford to have that happen.

Regular posters in forums I visited while reporting this article echoed Pallas’s assessment, referring to themselves as “people reminiscing [for] the days of quality construction and easy repair” who “like to have control.” Several users compared them to old muscle cars, before smog-reduction regulations kicked in and crippled the old designs. It’s also, at least a little bit, about holding up a middle finger to our “throwaway disposable economy,” which they deride as “planned obsolescence run amok.”

I brought up the fact that Speed Queen top-loaders earn mediocre test scores from mainstream review outlets, but none of the fans seemed particularly bothered. “I’m nearly 60 years old and have seen most washers from the mid-1950’s onward” wrote AutomaticWasher.org forum member Barry Warren, who posts under the handle mrsalvo. “The agitator washers... were the standard, period. Tried and proven,” and then he wrote out a very comprehensive list of pro-agitator points, including: better reliability, never locking you out of the washer, no mold, quick cycles, and more user control in general. (Warren did say, though, that he liked his vintage GE Filter-Flo agitator top-loader much more than the Speed Queen he bought last year.) Michael Haensel, who posts on the forum as EEmac, added: “The agitator top-loader cleans my stuff very well.”

 

 

Speed Queen: The Life (and Death) of Internet Commenters’ Favorite Washing Machine

Our appliance writer sought out loyal fans of one of America’s least efficient washing machines and stumbled upon an unexpected controversy.

www.nytimes.com

 

[william8]

What was your opinion of this 6.5 year old re-posted article? Was there a point?

 

[gelaundry4ever]

Speed Queen Classic

I wish the Speed Queen Classic will remain in production. Unreasonable energy "efficiency" guidelines are causing problems including dirty clothes. The point is, nothing has changed.

 

[maytag85]

Honestly, I think it’s time to put the past behind us and only focus on the present and future. From my experience being on here for 7 years, it’s just better to put the past behind and focus on the future. When you basically keep on rehashing the same stuff over and over, it just causes people to loose interest on top of causing arguments with one another.

 

[cleanteamofny]

 

 

The article popped up in my feed today, I didn't know the article was that old.

Sorry for going down memory lane.

 

 

[combo52]

6 1/2 year-old wire cutter article

Hi Larry , thanks for posting this. I had never seen it before even though I’m not a big fan of wire cutter. It’s always interesting to read anything about appliances, this whole site is about posting old things. It’s not Like Larry revived an old thread that people had arguments about.

Yes, there was a lot of discussion with Speed Queen‘s new top load washer design, Speed Queen is still by far and away the most reliable brand of washer and dryer sold in the United States, I would argue with the fact, though that major repairs on the Speed Queen top loader are not that easy compared to other brands that were sold in the past. But routine repairs are quite simple on both the front load and top load washers and the dryers are very easy to work on compared to a lot of other brands.

In fact, I have no trouble with someone reviving an old thread if they’ve come up with some new information about the original problem or machine or maybe they come up with a solution for the problem that was originally discussed.

We do have a problem on this site with a particular person who keeps reviving old threads just to add some inane Comments that don’t do anything to help anybody, that’s a problem for sure.

John

 

[petek]

Love ya Larry. The fuck you should be apologizing to anyone.

 

[mrsalvo]

Oh my, I guess I’ll never live down that article. I was surprised to see it pop back up. Never thought I’d ever be contacted by a journalist about washing machines!!

My feeling and thoughts have evolved since that was published. We all grow.

Barry

 

[gelaundry4ever]

Speed Queen Perfect Wash

Maybe the article was criticizing the Speed Queen Perfect Wash. Although they supposedly improved the wash action, they still have the same design. It would have been nice if Speed Queen used a brushless 2 horsepower motor and a much better agitator design that forced the largest amount of water through the clothes to the point where you could hear turbulence, even with a full load of laundry. At least they're still better than everybody else.

 

[cleanteamofny]

Thanks

 

 

 

I can say that MSM has been dishing out old articles everywhere. I never paid attention to dates, so here we are, LOL.

 

If I can compare all the new Toploaders from all MFG, none will pass for deep cleaning unless everything is pretreated.

These machines remind me of a child at the dinner table playing with their food.

MFG switched from the old-school agitator to an Agi-Impeller and is taking steps back. Cleaning performance can only be improved by increasing wash time and pretreatment.

One issue cropping up is detergent staining on garments, brown stains on whites after the cycle is completed, and other weird laundry problems. 

Old-school machines had quips, but they got the job done. Now we have to baby these new machines. IMHO.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

babying the machine

Which is why I always stay near the machine not just to watch it run, but to insure everything goes under. I want my clothes fully submerged in the water during wash and rinse. Period. Laundry should move throughout the tub. No exceptions.

 

[DADoES]

 
tl;dr:  Came to my attention a few days ago that mom's neighbors have a TR5 for a few years.  They like it.  She wasn't aware of the difference between it and a TC5.

I was there previously to assist with replacement of drum rollers/idler/belt on their WP dryer.  I knew they had a SQ but didn't know which model.  They had previously given me a KM DD (which I refurbed and sold), which was followed by a Maytag impeller Bravos (which I also have, bad bearings), then a GE/Hotpoint toploader, now the SQ.  I didn't get a moment to check the SQ at that time.

The dryer exhaust was awful.  They had at least 6 feet of flexduct coiled behind it for a corner installation with the exhaust hood on the right wall.  I went back to modify it with a 90° elbow and shorter/straight duct length to the hood.  The washer was at the Rinse phase on arrival so we waited for it to finish for moving aside for access to arrange the dryer ducting.

I took the opportunity to question her about the washer.  She thought the TR5 with rotary knobs was still old-school controls so I explained there are two computer boards, and the mechanical difference vs. the TC5 which SQ brought back due to backlash on the TR design.

Anyway, she said they like the TR5 perfectly fine ... except it sometimes repeats the end-of-cycle beeps every few mins until she whacks it atop the console.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

Speed Queen Perfect Wash...

I've used the Speed Queen Perfect Wash once here in Nacogdoches at Love Inc. They were okay, but I'd much prefer the cleaning action of the ones in my apartment complex that uses the classic wash action. No need to explain the wash action, everything was already said.

 

[qsd-dan]

If the TR's are loaded lightly with lightly soiled clothes, I'm sure they'll clean decently. A front loader is just a better option under those circumstances with less water and detergent usage.

It's possible to work within the limits of a machine, even under frustrating conditions. I can't load my Point Voyager dishwasher like the Hobart KA's/Maytag Reverse Rack/Powerclean dishwashers I've had (and still have) but learned to work within its limits. It's frustrating at times but workable. A blue collar worker would have to underload, use the longest cycle, soak, and probably wash every load twice using a TR washer. Frustrating, but workable.