Speed Queen Washers (current models)

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Launderess ya beat me to it hun! The Speed Queen Frontload AFB50R was ranked 40 out of 43 front loaders. My Miele 4800 was ranked at #18. Speed Queen's AWN542 was ranked #30 out of 33 top loaders. You know I wonder who the hell at CU decides that?!? My Speed Queen AWN311 does a great job washing. Doesnt pussyfoot around with a load and gets the job done. My Miele 4800 does an incredible job washing and an awesome job with extraction. And they knock it for gentleness.
The Speed Queen toploader was rated good for washing,energy and water use yet was fair at capacity. Well yeah it would be when the water level goes only from the 3rd to the top holes. Not enough water for a full load. Thats why I had to raise the water level in my Speed Queen. It was also good for gentleness and noise. vibration was excellent.
A Samsung WF448AA was rated #1 for frontloaders. I had that POS Maytag/Samsung Neptune washer that I wouldnt wish on my worst enemy.
I did notice that this time around they printed the whole ratings on the washers...not that damn Select Ratings. But they did that for the dryers. And they wonder why I dont subscribe to them anymore.
 
After this year, my subscription will be perm cancelled. Simply suppliers of mis-information. They didn't even get the warranty right on my SQ TL...or the fact that it had a bleach dispenser...HELLO!?!?!

I took their cherished advise on the Cabrio set for my mom/dad. That mistake cost me $1,500. Never again, as a minor reference ONLY. Crawling around the web searching for info seems to be more reliable than CR.

Sad though, most people will never bother to investigate SQ as it's not "flashy", not in every store - there has to be a concerted, knowledgeable effort to even find them. And having CR's stupid ratings - those less imformed lemmings will just flock to Sears/Lowes/THD and buy whatever they can on their Sears charge @ 30% interest. Sad, so sad.

If CR would factor in reliability, how the machines are built, and add "points" for USA built, true measures of repair history, the results would be different.

OK, off the soap box, heading to the gym. :D
 
Where's the soap box?

I have a bar of Fels Naptha. I see no preaching in your post, DanManTN. All you did was state the honest truth, and gave a solution to the problem. Take Consumer Report's advice with a grain of salt. I have a Duet front loader because I got it cheap. Essentially, just for the cost of repairs. I'll be happy if lasts just long enough for me to save up for my Speed Queen.

NorfolkSouthern
 
Consumer Reports

CU has been biased towards the Whirlpool made machines for a long time. Perhaps the people performing the tests are biased my the machines they own at home. Who knows?

I don't read CU anymore as 9 times out of 10, they are dead wrong.

Malcolm
 
The sad part is.......

Many consumers are ignorant and rely soley on CU for purchasing items. I hear it all the time when they come into my store (Oreck) and what does CU say about your vacuum? Alot of these people will not have there minds changed. If CU took into account the length of warranty, where the product is made, how long it ahs been made there etc., then the product ratings would surely be affected. Who the hell wants a Sears Kenmore branded product made in Korea? Who wants to shove 25lbs. of wash into a front loader that uses 1/2 gallon of water and a slimy wash solution to "clean" clothes?..not me
As for high efficieny top loaders, they are even worse. What next, a dishwasher that uses 1 gallon of water? CU is for idiots who do not know how to make a properly informed purchase. Especially where washers are concerned.
 
A 1 gallon dishwasher...

Perhaps that's what my new high-efficiency Whirlpool Gold dishwasher is doing. The new design takes 3-4 hours to wash dishes. No kidding! It's very quiet though and of the 5-10 loads I've done in the last 6 months they are usually pretty clean. It relies heavily on Jet Dry agent...even mandatory to use it. Not to get on a dishwasher kick in the washer forum...just thought that was pretty wild.
 
Speed Queen Indexing tub...

Hey MTN1584...has you SQ TL stopped indexing yet? Some say it will eventually stop indexing...wasn't sure if that was true. SQ HQ told me that it would index on heavy loads, etc.
 
Dan

Yes my SQ TL has stopped indexing. I love hearing the sound of gunk gunk gunk gunk as the brake holds the tub in place during a load of towels.
Mike
 
My KitchenAid does the same thing

Dan,
My new base model KA does the same thing...no kidding on the Heavy Duty cycle with wash heat boost I think it takes 3-4 hours to wash a load of dishes. They come out clean, but there is no way I can do load after load with company, it's just impossible.
Mike
 
Consumer Reports

< Rant >

The first thing I don't understand is how an organization that bills itself as being thorough and rigorous could get simple facts like length of warranty and availability of a bleach dispenser wrong, and let that get all the way into the print issue! Doesn't anybody proofread this stuff before it hits the presses?

Second, I can't fathom how an unchanged product can vary so much year-over-year in the rankings. For instance, IIRC one year SA8 detergent got something like a 99 (or ninety-something) % rating -- fabulous by any standard. Next year the same unchanged formula got like a 60%. You would think if their testing methodology was that scientific and repeatable you wouldn't see such big variances in ratings with the same product.

< /Rant >
 
/begin rant

Yep, I love my Oreck, my Speed Queen, and I've been buying SA8 products from the nice lady down the street since 1991. I guess I'm not the CR type--form my own opinions from my own research and experiences. What a concept!

/end rant
 
Malcom, when you snap the pedestal pics, can you take a pic of the inside of your dryer? I've never seen the stainless version. Also, how's the 'secured' lint filter doing for you. I keep seeing lint under the filter. Perhaps it's not setting properly.
 
SA8 Detergent

Mysterclock..... I sell Amway products. I called them when I saw CR ratings. The company did tell me that they changed the product. Well, I told them they had a Number 1 rating and now it changed. That was 2 years ago. It still is a pretty good product

However, The laundry detergent by the Shaklee company called "Fresh" is really great too, and a nice subtle clean fresh scent.

If anyone is interested in it, please email me privately.

Ray
 
Filter

Dan,

I haven't had any issues with the lint filter in the dryer. Seems easy enough to clean. I will look closer to see if there is lint underneath it. I don't think it has ever been completely full after dryer a load.

I expect the pedestal delivery to be delayed due to the weather moving in tonight. If they cancel, I will have to postpone installation until after the 20th.

Malcolm
 
I had mine fill up on some throw rugs, but that was the exception. The design of the lint filter is great as you visually see it when the door is open as a reminder. I bought a 1" paint brush and it sweeps clean easily.
 
Pedestals Delayed

I postponed the installation of the pedestals to next Wednesday. The weather was an issue yesterday plus I got called into work.

Stay tuned.

Malcolm
 
Got a question:

If you are running a load in the Imperial, and you forget a kitchen towel, are you able to unlock it to add the extra item? Can this be done without having to reset the machine completely?

NorfolkSouthern
 
How about capacity?

Thanks for clearing that up, Malcolm. I've been looking at a Speed Queen at a local appliance dealer. I notice that the drums have a 3.3 cubic foot capacity, while the cheap Whirlpools (I'm not necessarily knocking them, after all, I have a BOL Duet) have at least 4, with the newest having 4.4 feet of capacity. Can you still fit a large comforter in your Imperial?

NorfolkSouthern
 
No Comforters

Comforters are best handled by the commercial machines at the laundromat. I had an LG set before and even though the comforter would fit, the LG just couldn't handle it. I think the UBER front loaders have a big tub, but they can't handle washing a huge load like a comforter.

Malcolm
 
Bulky items...

Malcom is right -- if the item doesn't fit easily in the FL then don't force it. I'm ~still~ in the doghouse for washing our Pottery Barn comforter in our Bosch Nexxt washer... which ended up abrading away a (small) hole in it when it went into a spin and a bit rubbed against the plastic thingy that sticks down from the front-top of the tub. I'd washed our king-sized quilt in there without any problems but the comforter just didn't compact down as much, obviously.

From now on, it is duvet-covers for me!

Now if I can get over the "ick factor" of laundromat machines....I think when I eventually have to take it there I'll probably run a hot/bleach empty load first just to clean out the gunk first!

(And you would know that by the time of the incident above PB had discontinued that pattern and it was out of stock... dang.)
 
Pedestals

The pedestals were delivered and installed today. Unfortunately, I had to get to work so I didn't have time to run them. In fact, the shipping supports are still in the washer. I'll need to get them out and make sure the machine is balanced. They really lift the machines up quite a bit. And they are BOLTED to the machines from inside the machine cabinet. Not sitting on top and held with double sided tape like the LG's.

Pics will be coming by the weekend.

Malcolm
 
Reinstalled

I re-installed the shipping bracket prior to them showing up at the door. I wasn't sure they would be willing to do it.

Malcolm
 
My FL will probably be in at the

end of the month. I ordered through ALCO Appliance and they take there time.
I was going for the all stainless cabinet model but they don't offer the heat boost in that machine, very odd since it is their top top line model!

I used Jeff L's machine this summer with the heat boost and that is what sold me! When I arrived in 92 degree DC heat July 2nd, the dark chocolate bar that was getting me down 95 melted all over my white truck towel!
What better way to test heat boost. When the SQ was done there was ABSOLUTELY no trace of chocolate or any darkness on the bone white cotton!

Can't wait, will post a video when I get my camera too!

OH I have had the FL Horizon in my Apt for 10 years now and it is still a great performer!
 
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