How common are topload washers in Australia? And how common is Speed Queen in Australia? I saw this by chance, and it was very comforting to see:
Speed Queen in Australia
- Thread starter Chetlaham
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Either way I hope the lady realizes how lucky she is.
Link start point did not go through.
Either way I hope the lady realizes how lucky she is.
She has a fantastic washer for doing children’s laundry, it was odd looking next to that itty bitty dryer though. Are dryers less common in Australia the way they are in Europe and the UK? I line dry a LOT of things, even through the winter, but a tiny dryer with a full size washer would be difficult for me.
I’m also extremely jealous that she has a one year old and is still on maternity leave. I was lucky to get 12 weeks. I’m probably not going to even get that when we finally have another baby.
On another point, I feel so thankful to live in a city where we had the foresight decades ago to build a massive hydro plant on our river. I’m still extremely careful with our power usage but it’s a huge blessing to have affordable power rates and to know my energy isn’t coming from a coal plant
I’m also extremely jealous that she has a one year old and is still on maternity leave. I was lucky to get 12 weeks. I’m probably not going to even get that when we finally have another baby.
On another point, I feel so thankful to live in a city where we had the foresight decades ago to build a massive hydro plant on our river. I’m still extremely careful with our power usage but it’s a huge blessing to have affordable power rates and to know my energy isn’t coming from a coal plant
She is very lucky to have that washer- one the best pieces of modern engineering. Might even have a spin-drain. As for the dryer, no thanks. She needs a US style Whirlpool dryer for a true laundry combination and experince.
And yahhh, we need more time for maternity leave here. Families need to stay together. Kid might learn an appreciation for appliances watching mum to laundry in a machine which stimulates and inspires beauty, imagination and creativity.
And yahhh, we need more time for maternity leave here. Families need to stay together. Kid might learn an appreciation for appliances watching mum to laundry in a machine which stimulates and inspires beauty, imagination and creativity.
Speed Queen in Australia
SQ is a niche market in Australia. A SQ top loader costs over $2400. They have a good warranty at 5 years, with lifetime on some components, but they consistently rate very poor in Choice tests. Despite all the noise about durability, they don't seem to be exactly trouble free, I have seen plenty scrapped with rust and leaks. I have replaced main bearings and seal a couple of times on older SQ Marathons, a rotten job I wouldn't be in a hurry to repeat.
It is very common in Australia to have a large washer and a small dryer. We tend to line dry, and only use a dryer to dry a few specific items that are needed urgently when the sun isn't shining. I don't own a dryer at all, and that isn't really unusual. Having said that, the dryer in the video is a very small model, I think it is 4kg. Most dryers sold here are 5kg load size, most washers would be 7 to 9kg.
I have 3 ways to dry clothes - an outdoor clothes line, clothes lines inside the greenhouse, and clothes horse racks upstairs in the house. In summer we hang outside, in cooler weather we tend to dry in the greenhouse, finishing off indoors if needed.
Top loaders are probably still more common than front loaders, but front loaders probably sell more now, and in a few years front loaders will overtake top loaders in Aussie homes. The main brands for top loaders here are Fisher Paykel by a large margin, then Simpson / Westinghouse clones, then probably Samsung and LG. I believe Panasonic have made a comeback here recently, too. Speed Queen and Maytag are sold here in tiny numbers at high prices.
SQ is a niche market in Australia. A SQ top loader costs over $2400. They have a good warranty at 5 years, with lifetime on some components, but they consistently rate very poor in Choice tests. Despite all the noise about durability, they don't seem to be exactly trouble free, I have seen plenty scrapped with rust and leaks. I have replaced main bearings and seal a couple of times on older SQ Marathons, a rotten job I wouldn't be in a hurry to repeat.
It is very common in Australia to have a large washer and a small dryer. We tend to line dry, and only use a dryer to dry a few specific items that are needed urgently when the sun isn't shining. I don't own a dryer at all, and that isn't really unusual. Having said that, the dryer in the video is a very small model, I think it is 4kg. Most dryers sold here are 5kg load size, most washers would be 7 to 9kg.
I have 3 ways to dry clothes - an outdoor clothes line, clothes lines inside the greenhouse, and clothes horse racks upstairs in the house. In summer we hang outside, in cooler weather we tend to dry in the greenhouse, finishing off indoors if needed.
Top loaders are probably still more common than front loaders, but front loaders probably sell more now, and in a few years front loaders will overtake top loaders in Aussie homes. The main brands for top loaders here are Fisher Paykel by a large margin, then Simpson / Westinghouse clones, then probably Samsung and LG. I believe Panasonic have made a comeback here recently, too. Speed Queen and Maytag are sold here in tiny numbers at high prices.
ozzie908
Well-known member
Just out of curiosity....
Do you get Miele machines in Australia?
Austin
Do you get Miele machines in Australia?
Austin
ozzie908
Well-known member
Thank you Louis
A bit late, but Speed Queen washers and dryers used to be sold in Australia under the Kleenmaid (by Speed Queen, USA) brand name (est. 1984). In 2009, Kleenmaid when into administration however the Kleenmaid name was acquired by Compass Capital Partners. To this day, Kleenmaid still sell the Speed Queen washer and dryer however they do not have any Kleenmaid branding on them at all.
In fact, the former director of Kleenmaid: Gary Collyer Armstrong pleaded guilty to fraud and insolvent trading in 2015. He was sentenced to seven years jail. Bradley Wendell Young, whom was another director of Kleenmaid at the time was convicted of fraud by dishonesty and criminal insolvent trading - he was sentenced to nine years jail.
It's quite an interesting (and sad) read as Kleenmaid washers and dryers (not sure on other appliances they sold) were seen as the ultimate workhorse. Included is the Wikipedia link to Kleenmaid.
I believe one reason why the Speed Queen units do not sell much anymore is because people are energy and water conscience here in Aus. Front loaders meet these concerns now. Plus other washers i.e Fisher and Paykel, Samsung, LG, Simpson, Electrolux, Miele and Bosch are the names that come to mind of the average consumer.
With respect to dryers, they are still popular but not anywhere near what they used to be. Again, this would be due to energy costs to run them. In my household, we dry clothes outside and if they are still damp (i.e. during winter) we use a clothes horse to dry them inside with the ducted heating on.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kleenmaid
In fact, the former director of Kleenmaid: Gary Collyer Armstrong pleaded guilty to fraud and insolvent trading in 2015. He was sentenced to seven years jail. Bradley Wendell Young, whom was another director of Kleenmaid at the time was convicted of fraud by dishonesty and criminal insolvent trading - he was sentenced to nine years jail.
It's quite an interesting (and sad) read as Kleenmaid washers and dryers (not sure on other appliances they sold) were seen as the ultimate workhorse. Included is the Wikipedia link to Kleenmaid.
I believe one reason why the Speed Queen units do not sell much anymore is because people are energy and water conscience here in Aus. Front loaders meet these concerns now. Plus other washers i.e Fisher and Paykel, Samsung, LG, Simpson, Electrolux, Miele and Bosch are the names that come to mind of the average consumer.
With respect to dryers, they are still popular but not anywhere near what they used to be. Again, this would be due to energy costs to run them. In my household, we dry clothes outside and if they are still damp (i.e. during winter) we use a clothes horse to dry them inside with the ducted heating on.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kleenmaid
