Speed Queen Front Load Machines

[qualin]

Hey Bobo...

The Imperial Huebsch set are the absolutely top of the line machines. You pay extra for that stainless steel cabinetry.

You should have been looking at the white versions, especially the rear control ones. I picked up my ZFN50R for $1900, while the Imperial is $2700 here.
If you want quality, you have to pay for it. You don't need stainless steel though.

I don't believe for a second that electronic controls are any less reliable than mechanical controls as long as the machine is being fed good clean power.

As for the need to wash king sized items, how often do they plan on doing this?

Realistically, you will not find a decently priced machine which can wash king sized items which is well made and will last.

Since washing king sized items isn't something everyone does every day, those kinds of things are best left up to a laundromat, because even if you can fit the items into the machine, there's no guarantee they won't scorch in the dryer.

Get out of the mentality that you need an extremely large machine to do day to day laundry. You don't. The Miele you saw can hold a lot more than you think, even though the drum appeared to be small.

My Huebsch can wash 12 pairs of jeans in one load if I stuff it right to the top. That's four weeks worth of pants for me. That is plenty.

 

[tomturbomatic]

To someone unfamiliar with Mieles, the drums look small at first, but they are not. My 5kg W1918 washes a larger load than a standard tub Maytag and the 6 kg W1986 washes more than the deep tub 806, but to a Maytag user looking into the Miele it would not seem possible. Granted, it takes a lot longer in the Miele than in the Maytag, but it does a great job. Because of the decades of top-loading agitator washer experience over here, people think the drums of front loaders need to be huge, but they don't. I remember years ago when we had the tub out of a 3 belt Westinghouse tumbler out of the machine and it was almost the size of the tub in a GE V-12 when you considered that the GE tub did not fill to the top and the Westinghouse tub did not have to accommodate a big agitator, but with the small opening, it looks smaller. A tumbler washer can do a great job, but it can't do a great job with the laundry if it is built cheap and does not extract well between water changes.

 

[bobo]

If I offended anyone here, I'm deeply sorry, but I didn&

No, I'm not trying to insult anyone here. The picture of the stockpot was just a reference of what I saw in the W1612. I also haven't seen the W3033 in person, it was an assumption that the drum would be the same size as the W1612. The Bosch and Asko washers I saw at the wholesale store had bigger drum units than the W1612, so it could be just that machine that had a small drum in my eyes.

@ Qualin

I asked the salesperson if she could order the non-stainless-steel units, and she said they would no longer sell the FL. I can probably try another dealer though. My parents like the Miele better (other than the drum size), probably due to price (~$2000 vs. $2999), and my dad was questioning where the electronics of the Huebsch unit was made (he thinks Mexico/China). We wash the King-sized bedding every 2 weeks, and the nearest laundromat is a 20-min drive away. It would a hassle to go there every 2 weeks to wash only 1 load. The problem is we don't have a lot of laundry to do (it's just the 3 of us), and we use the washer/dryer every other day so dirty clothes won't pile up. It's just the King-sized bedding that we need to take care of. And I thought the Huebsch FL could fit that big load, but the salesperson said it wouldn't work.

 

[bobo]

Sorry, I take my words back.....

My mom and I went to another appliance store today, and looked at the Miele W3033. There was a W1612 as well, but the drum was considerably bigger than the one we saw yesterday. This is strange: With 3 pairs of eyes (not very good eyes though!), we all saw the drum of that W1612 was really small, dull gray in color, and was literally a stockpot tilted on its side. But the machine we saw today, with exact model number, looked different. The drum was shiny, bigger, better quality, and most importantly, convincing enough that our King-sized bedding was going to fit in it with no problems at all. The W3033 was the machine of interest, and the price was acceptable to us. Only one little thing though: We like to put shoes and some delicate items (and teddy bears!) in the dryer, but the salesperson today said a rack is not available. Is there any way to dry the items in question?

Of course, the SQ FL is still on our list, just that I have to email another dealer for a price quote, and ask if they can order in a non-stainless set.

 

[ronhic]

Provided you're not talking about putting the actual quilt in, the Miele will just shrug it's shoulders and get it done.

...with results that should have you questioning why more people don't look past their misconceptions and hang-ups about 'size' and own them.

...and why you put up with so called 'good results' which were nothing of the sort compared to what a Miele can deliver.

 

[bobo]

From my own experience, I think it's hard for the average North American to accept a smaller machine to be in their laundry room. We question whether everything we have (3 people) will fit in that drum, let alone seeing clothes moving around in it while washing. The TL washers and dryers we're used to seeing are big with even bigger drum units. Being accustomed to these monsters, it's hard to make sense out of a small washer with a smaller drum. Even the salesperson today admits that Miele washers are more suitable for 1-2 people, than a family of 3 or 4. I guess it's just a North American perspective.

 

[launderess]

Let's Go To The Video Tape, Shall we?

Both the W1612 and W3033 have the same size rated tub, 5.5 CuFt. The only difference is in appearances and or cycles.

http://miele.ca/miele/canada/Laundry/MIELE_Compact_Laundry_eBrochure.pdf

 

[launderess]

This Debate Has Been Going On For Ages

Between North Americans and Europeans regarding front loading H-axis washing machines.

Bottom line is you pays your money and you takes your chances.

Laundromat and or commercial laundries size their equipment according to the dominate loads presented by customers and or what is required for fast through-put.

A 5-6kg (11 to about 12 pound) capacity front loader should be able to handle most everyday normal wash loads. If you want to get things done faster you take a page from commercial/laundromat washers and look for fast cycle times. If however your main needs run to very large loads on average twice a month or so (and this includes duvets, duvet covers, quilts, etc) then go for a larger capacity washer with or without fast cycles.

Ideally H-axis washers give better laundering results with less problems/vibrations when used at or near full capacity. Having a 20lb washer when you only do 10lbs on average weekly is sooner or later asking for trouble with some models today. Most simply cannot figure out how to balance a "small" load and or will simply do so even if it is unbalanced; banging and clanking away.

 

[bobo]

For some odd reason, according to Miele Marine website the W1612 and W3033 are rated as 6kg washers. The machines look exactly the same as the ones on Mieleusa.com.

http://www.mielemarineusa.com/us/campaign/marine/5486_6149.htm

 

[launderess]

*Sigh*

You've not heard of rounding up then?

No one is going to call out Miele or another maker over .5 CuFt of space.

By adding that percentage point to the formerly 5 CuFt drum Miele has gone from a 5kg capacity (claimed) to 6kg.

 

[ronhic]

Miele don't offer a model in our market under 7kg these days.

Here is the weight guide out of my parents Italian made Electrolux.

Laundry weights
The following weights are indicative:
bathrobe 1200 g
napkin 100 g
quilt cover 700 g
sheet 500 g
pillow case 200 g
tablecloth 250 g
towelling towel 200 g
tea cloth 100 g
night dress 200 g
ladies’ briefs 100 g
man’s work shirt 600 g
man’s shirt 200 g
man’s pyjamas 500 g
blouse 100 g
men’s underpants 100 g

Lets just accept that it is a QS quilt cover and sheets and that the KS one you're referring to weighs 1kg.

But just for kicks and giggles, lets use 1.5kg, that means a Miele will have no issue whatsoever taking:

- KS Quilt cover 1.5kg
- KS fitted sheet say 700gm
- KS flat sheet say 1kg
- 4 pillow cases 800gm

Total load = 4kg....well under the 5.5 or 6.0kg capacity.

http://www.miele.com.au/au/domestic/products/washingmachines_models.htm

 

[bobo]

I thought Germans were very scientific.....

Half a kilogram is quite a bit, in science of course!

That's what I thought too, the 5.5kg and 6kg machines are the same.

 

[jetcone]

I 've had the Horizon FL

on the third floor of my house for 12 years and I only ever feel it slightly and that is during the pulse spins, once it gets up to speed only once in a while the wine glasses will vibrate at 1000 RPM"s but that is high frequency vibration, its not the whole house rocking.
BTW Horizon is the same machine as SQ, Horizon is sold on the Alliance commercial side , it is identical to the SQ FL.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I thought to measure tonight, as I washed a load of bath sheets, the water left in the load after the pulse spins. I put a bouquet under the drain hose in the sink after the pulse spins as it went into the final spin. 3.5 quarts of water were spun out BEFORE it went into the high speed spin. At the end of the drain after the high speed spin, there were 5 quarts of water in the bouquet. That is water I spin out after each water change; the wash and the first & second rinses to make the rinsing more efficient.