Speed Queen 2018 TR7 impressions

[bmoze]

Our 10 year old Kenmore agitator washer recently died so we went shopping for a new washing machine. I was initially interested in an LG, due to their positive reviews, but learned about Speed Queens at a local dealer. So I researched Speed Queens and became aware of the controversy regarding their 2018 washers: that they’re poorly rated by CR and CNET and web reviewers such as Lorrain Appliance. I understood that the revised agitation system was the primary concern. I also read reviews by owners of Speed Queens and most of them seem to really like the machines, even the 2018s. I also read that some people think that negative reviews are being omitted from Speed Queen’s website.

I was intrigued by these issues and the huge difference in opinions about the 2018 models, so I asked our local dealer if I could try one first, because I wouldn’t otherwise buy one given the washer’s multiple bad reviews. He said we could try one for 30 days and return it if not satisfied.

We’ve done about 10 loads so far in the TR7. My wife and I like the machine a lot. Our household is just the two of us and we’re not hard on clothes. We camp and hike and work in the yard, but our cleaning rags are probably the dirtiest things we wash. All of the clothes we’ve washed have come out great - clean and well-spun, with few wrinkles out of the washer. The TR7 probably does a somewhat better job overall than our prior Kenmore. It also cost much more, but we like the warranty and the machine’s solidity. It seems like it has a chance of lasting longer than an LG or similar modern machine.

We also like that the TR7 seems to be very gentle on our clothing, much more so than the Kenmore agitator washer. Of course, that’s not a great trade off if your clothes don’t get clean, but if they do get clean, a gentle washer is a nice thing.

We did wash some cleaning rags and I’ll post some okay-but-not-great comparison photos. The rags got at least as clean as they did in the Kenmore, maybe more clean, it’s hard to say. The wash setting for the rags was super-soiled (hot water wash/soak/extra rinse) and the wash time was 80 minutes. All of other loads have been on heavy/duty, permanent press, or delicate with wash times of 30-40 minutes.

I hope nobody takes this the wrong way. I’m not interested in promoting Speed Queen. I became aware of this issue because I was in the market for a new machine. I wanted to check the Speed Queen out for myself and our local dealer obliged. I’m glad he did because we plan to keep the machine unless its performance changes before the month is out.

 

[DADoES]

 
Good to hear reports of all types on these.

 

[yogitunes]

if this works out for you, and fits your needs....who can argue that, all the better....congrats!

the agitation has me a bit iffy.....but can't deny so far it does work

and the rinsing and extraction are more effective than past models....

I like too that your dealer offered you a 30 day trial.....a chance to see if you like it or not.....can't go wrong with that...

 

[lorainfurniture]

The 2018 is not the worst washer ever. I took issue with the fact that they said it was better than the previous version. For someone who doesn’t wash heavily soiled clothes and prefers a gentle wash, the speed queen washer would be something to consider.

There are so many other washers that are just better in almost every conceivable way with the exception of build quality.

 

[mrsalvo]

I agree with "Yogitunes", that was a sweet offer to let you try it out first, to be fair esp. with many negative reviews. I can't argue with the results in the above photo, it looks well washed and rinsed. Hope this washer is all that you want it to be, and many, many years of good performance.

Good job.

Barry

 

[neptunebob]

Except for the expense...

For the cost of the Speed Queen you could probably buy 3 Amana models that wash just as well.  SQ just seems grossly overpriced.

 

[bmoze]

Lorrainfurniture - Just wanted to thank you for your excellent washer reviews. They’re very informative and helpful. Almost went with the Maytag Commercial, based on your review, but wanted more flexibility with water level/load levels.

 

[dylanmitchell]

Hacks

Are there any mechanical or software hacks for the TR7 and other 2018 or 2019 models that will make them perform better? SQ made significant changes but wondering if there are ways to give these full fill loads and other non-energy efficient mods that clean better.
Washing machines use pretty simple tech I'm surprised I haven't heard of folks hacking machines with laptops or Raspberry Pi's. There are some mechanical controls you'd have to figure out how to interface with and actuate but you'd think a hacked machine would be a fun project.

 

[yogitunes]

I am sure you can hook it up to a computer and run any program you want.....anything is possible....

 

[lorainfurniture]

It’s not that simple

Mechanically you have to retrofit. It’s not like any whirlpool agitator will fit on a speed queen. All appliance parts are pretty specific

Manufactures intentionally make it nearly impossible to alter the programming. There are specific plugs and the coding is unique. It’s not like the board has a usb plug.

I’m not saying it’s impossible, but it will take a significant amount of skill to hack a mcu

 

[lowefficiency]

Sometimes it's near impossible, other times not...

Many times boards are produced in huge batches, and the manufacturer actually does provision for programming them after the fact. They do this so that they can make fixes and improvements throughout production, without having to create new hardware parts each time the software changes. This of course would be obfuscated and not known to the user or even service personnel, instead being programmed (or re-programmed) at the factory.

But even if the boards WERE locked down with a permanent software load, that doesn't mean your abilities to change the machine behavior are eliminated. I say this because the software in those microcontrollers still relies on external sensors and communication with the outside world to function. So with clever manipulation of the sensor inputs, you can effect huge changes in the result, without actually changing any software. Perhaps the best example of this are the "piggyback ECUs" available for fuel-injected cars.

For example, if a new module was added which intercepted the signal between the fill level sensor and the control board, and also the output signal to the fill valves, you could add a "pre-soak" function to your washer simply by telling the original controller that the tub wasn't full yet when it actually was, and shutting off the fill valves to prevent the machine from overflowing. As far as the main controller knows, you simply have low water pressure and it is taking a long time to fill, so it proceeds on until your "pre-soak" modifier decides it has soaked long enough and finally tells the controller that the tub is full.

 

[panasonicvac]

Well this to me had been a surprise.

Recently I had the opportunity to go down to my uncle's for the weekend and I was able to use their new Speed Queen washer and dryer. Last year, he and his wife were looking for a new set to replace their Whirlpool ones that were only a couple years old because it didn't clean very well and it was tearing up their loads. I suggested to them the Speed Queen because I was really pleased with the ones that I've used and that's what they ended up getting. Sometime during that year, I've made the discovery that SQ changed their regulations on their top load washers. I was a bit worried that they got one of the TR models but shortly after getting the SQs, they seemed to be really impressed with them so I was thinking that they went with both the TC5 and DC5. But when I saw them for the very first time just last weekend, I was shocked that it was in fact a TR7 and a DR7. I still wanted to try both them out so I put a load of my clothes in there and I'm going to be very honest on here, I was completely STUNNED! I went on a four wheeling trip that same weekend and so we ended up kicking alot of dust. I didn't really expected the TR7 to clean my clothes very well because they were really dusty but man this washer blew me out of the water! I took photos of my white socks to see the results very closely and I think it cleaned just as well as our LG front loader that we have.

I don't know, I'm not an expert here but now I think the TR series is not as bad as I thought they were. I still personally would want a classic model but maybe I wouldn't feel as bad if someone gifted us a TR set for our wedding present. Anyways, just thought that I'd share my thoughts about these on here.

 

[henene4]

That's considered clean?

 

[smurdle450]

As a former 2018 Speed Queen doubter...

I am very impressed with those results.

my first experience with one was at a vacation rental property. it was a first generation TR5 and it managed to take out a fairly sizeable mud stain. I was very impressed.

Sure, i refer the classic, but I'd be totally content with owning a TR series.

 

[foraloysius]

I'm sorry, but if my socks came out of the wash like that, they would go straight back into the laundry hamper.

 

[frigilux]

Here's a little video comparing the "Classic Clean" and "Perfect Wash" SQ top loaders from Designer Appliances.

He admits flat out that the TR (Perfect Wash) caused controversy among SQ fans and that recent tweaks to the cycles has improved cleaning performance.

As I mentioned in another thread, the wizards at SQ finally realized the cleaning performance of the TR could be improved by adding 20 minutes to the wash agitation portion of the cycle. No surprise then that the machine's cleaning score from the testing organization you love to hate showed substantial improvement from the very first TRs that came off the line back in early 2018.

The video is aimed at those in the market for a top-loader, so no mention of SQ's front-loaders.

post was last edited: 10/20/2020-06:56]

 

[aquarius1984]

Laundry Hamper returns

Louis in his defence he probably didn’t :

Pre treat
Soak over night
Fill the TL with hot water to pre heat the tub and prime the water supply
Drain and refill the wash water immediately Select hot, utilising the 50c water at best from the water heater.

Then probably didn’t use a TOL American detergent with the separate added extras usually required like
Chlorox.

Oh don’t forget some of the blame lies with the fact the machine may never have seen Affresh in its lifetime so of course that affects the final result too.



But Louis all this is quicker and better than popping them into a self heated euro machine with our one shot one product detergent and coming back to them two hours later and spotlessly white

 

[DADoES]

 
Just to say, the socks are probably better than they appear in the photo.  White-on-white with the gray patches can throw the exposure wonky.  I've tried taking before (worse condition than those) and after photos of socks and found that lighting, shadows, and exposure is tricky.  I don't recall now if I abandoned the effort or did post pics here.

 

[henene4]

Not saying I could get that greying out in 1 wash

But these socks are 2 or so years old. Not worn much, but still.

The worst discoloration I have on a white item is in the armpits of my work under shirts and that is just deodorant residue that yellows.