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Not a Fan of ANY Speed Queen TL

I think Joshua has raised one good point in his argument defending the TR, and that is a rental situation.Ā 

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A friend owns a 4-plex and the common laundry room has one washer, a BOL coin operated Whirlpool, and one dryer, a Maytag.Ā  Both are less than five years old, I would guess.Ā  People who have never owned a washer and have to pay to run a load are 1) Not typically aware when it comes to performance or durability, and 2) Prone to overload to get the most for their money -- even though they won't.

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For durability that translates into less need for repairs, I can see from a landlord's perspective that the TR might be a good choice for the rental application.Ā  If users are habitually overloading and impairing performance, what difference does it make if the agitator is virtually ineffective?

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Additionally, I agree with statements above that the far-overrated traditional TC/AWN design is seriously sub-par at both rinsing and spinning.Ā  Personally, I'd never own either type of Speed Queen top loader.Ā  After tolerating our '97 Raytheon Amana for nine years and running countless extra rinses on loads of inadequately spun towels, plus having chewed up belts replaced every three years, we switched to a front loader for our daily driver and have never looked back.Ā Ā  Don't even get me started on the poorly designed tinny rattletrap substandard companion dryer that only knew how to render extra-crispy results.Ā 

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Speed queen made a big miscalculation with the tr series. The previous generations were just fine. They weren’t the best, but just ok.

Back in the early 2000’s sq was not a popular washer, it was expensive and quite frankly not very reliable. It ate timers and /or belts regularly. Literally all the rest of the washers on the market got shittier and by about 2015 sq ( by default) became one of the best out there simply because they didn’t change anything.

2016/17 they were having record breaking years and couldn’t keep up with demand. They raised prices and canceled the spiff program. I suspect they thought they could do no wrong.

Source: 20 years in the business and I’ve bought/tested/sold more washers than anyone here with the exception of maybe john L. I also own a couple TR washers and have documented first hand experience with them.

For the record: I never said the TR was the worst washer ever. I just refused to sell a $1,000 washer to my customers that would deliver mediocre results at best. For people who work in an office and just need a gentle rinser for a washer this model would be a good choice.

Lastly: don’t think the TR is bullet proof. I belong to a website with servicemen all over the country and the TR series has had plenty of service issues already.
 
I’ve said it a few times SQ need to do it like F&P Gentle Annie did 35 years ago.

No gearbox, just a pulley and a belt. There are two shafts only one is driven. When the agitate shaft moves beyond about 300 deg, it contacts a tang on the spin shaft and spins. Computer control aside, the system is unbelievably simple and robust.

No clutch, no gearbox, all that’s needed is good speed control which the SQ has. It can even brake via the motor, so no lid lock needed.

 
I own a TR5 and TR7. It is true that my old (now retired and removed) Kenmore DD would clean heavily soiled clothes quicker than the TRs. That said, the TRs are much much easier on the clothes and the spin cycle is absolutely superior in performance to the DD - both in extraction and out of balance.

Like others have said, if you want to wash large loads of heavily stained cloth, you want an old DD machine that will beat the hell out of the fabric and then roll it over for go after go.

For most people.....just pre-treat bad stains....give it a soak....use good detergent / oxy.....and TR be just fine.
 

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