Trying to decide between keeping Bosch WFMC2201UC/15 or switching to Speed Queen AWN63RSN115TW01

[thinker1920]

Hi Everyone,

I fear I may be treading into a mine field with the AWN63RSN115TW01 (TR5000WN) but, here is my question. We have a Bosch WFMC2201UC/15 which I purchased new 12 years ago. It has been a pretty solid performer all these years and it has removed some stains in the past that I had thought impossible to remove. It has a pedestal and I like that they designed the tub on a slight angle to get things in and out of it. Our only complaints would be that in our new home, even with the machine properly leveled, the vibrations make things vibrate in the bathroom that's on the other side of the wall from the laundry area and sometimes things will fall off the toilet tank (box of tissues/ small clock). The other complaint would be that sometimes without the additional rinse not all the detergent will wash off.

Since the Bosch is getting older (and making some noises that I don't remember it making in the past) I started looking around for a newer machine. I came across a AWN63RSN115TW01 (TR5000WN). I believe it is the revised version since it has the capacitive buttons instead of the mechanical ones for the extra rinse and start button. I think the only other way to tell would be to measure the length of the eco cycle since I believe that they made it longer.

The owners of the Speed Queen told me that the machine washed well but, that they had to reset it after every wash to get it to work (unplug it and plug it back in). When I got it home I discovered that the water inlet filter was pretty plugged with sediment and I cleaned it thoroughly. After I connected it, I washed several loads without any issues. So, I'm guessing they were having some error code due to low flow and that might be why they were having to reset the machine. Also, when I looked over the entire machine I discovered several little rust spots beginning.

So here is the real question, do I keep the Speed Queen or sell it and look for something else? I like how quite the Speed Queen is and that it doesn't vibrate like the Bosch in its spin cycle my only concerns are the little beginning rust spots and the reviews I've seen about it not being super effective with tough stains/ heavier soiled heavy fabrics. I tend to do projects around the house a fair amount and I can get my work clothes pretty soiled with oil and grease sometimes. The Bosch has saved a few items of clothing that I thought were too stained to be saved (I'll forget that I'm wearing my nicer clothes sometimes and start working on things and get them stained). I was grinding rust off of my coal stove and the grinder was leaking grease at the same time which sprayed all over my shirt. After pretreating the shirt with a stain stick it all came out with the Bosch.

Should I sell the Speed Queen and look for a top loader with a more aggressive agitator? Or will it be effective enough to get the tough stains out of my work clothes. Are the little rust spots cause for concern? Perhaps there's a way to reduce the vibrations from the Bosch? What does everyone think?

 

[pierreandreply4]

you could look and ask about the maytag

i have a maytag topload as daily driver here apic it has the maytag power agitator its also the daily driver now since it replace a 17 year old whirlpool duet washer dryer set pic with matching dryer unless you plan on keeping your actual dryer also small vid of the washer in action

 

[launderess]

You cannot compare a European H-axis washer such as Bosch with Speed Queen, they are two different animals.

SQ front loaders sold for domestic use aren't that much different than their OPL or commercial washers found in laundromats or laundries. They don't have twenty thousand options from Sunday, onboard heaters, long cycles, etc... SQ washers for home use are same as commercial/industrial; designed to do multiple loads of wash day in and day out quickly and efficiently.

Where European and some other front loaders have cycles optimized for enzymes and oxygen bleach, SQ goes old school (American), assuming users will stick to what Americans love on wash day; chlorine bleach for stain removal, whitening, etc....

In terms of getting out stains and overall performance, nearly any h-axis will beat a top loading washer. More so if unit in question has onboard heating and can do slow heating of cold water to warm or hot.

You have not nor will ever seen top loading washers in commercial laundries, and there are good reasons why.

 

[rapunzel]

Bosch and Speed Queen will deliver. The SQ doesn’t need to heat it’s own water, but for very dirty clothes you can do a pre-wash in cool or tepid water and a main wash in warm or hot. You can also soak your clothes to allow detergents more time to do their enzyme thing. The Speed Queen will require supervision in that you may have to advance the cycle from pre to main wash manually and the same goes for soaking. The Bosch is set and forget.

The Speed Queen is a more solid and stable machine. It will probably outlast the Bosch and have next to no unbalancing or vibration issues. However, if your Speed Queen has the traditional transmission it will get noisier with age.

Which machine do you prefer to use?

 

[agiflow]

I had both Launderess and I certain didn't find what you said to be the case. The Whirlpool WFW6620HW I had also had a heater in it. Cleaned well but so did my Speed Queen AWN432. One thing the Speed Queen did much better was flush the stink of stale cigarette smoke on clothes.

I washed clothes for a friend and the load stunk afterward still of cigarette smoke.

This is where more water has it's benefits. To not only clean stains but flush out nasty smells.

 

[rapunzel]

I find that as well with modern front loaders. They don’t rinse quite as well as they once did. The Speed Queen does a better job of rinsing out clothes. However, that said, my SQ is from 2007. I don’t know if their newer washers perform as well.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

my advice when using speed queen

stick with the heavy-duty cycle because you will receive a true rinse.

 

[combo52]

Outer Tub Rust On A SQ TL Washer

The rust in the pictures you posted will likely never hurt anything, they all rust a little near the fasteners and spring attachment points.

 

If you want you can apply some epoxy paint or something similar, if you keep the SQ be sure to resister it with SQ so any remaining warranties apply such as the 15 Year transmission parts warranties well as the lifetime warranty on the outer tub against rust through.

 

John L.

 

[thinker1920]

Pierreandreply4:

I actually don't have the matching dryer. We have an older (maybe early 2000's?) electric Admiral dryer made by Maytag. We are thinking about replacing our dryer though since the power company announced that they will be increasing our electric rates by 20% so we are considering switching to a propane dryer.

Rapunzel: Which machine do you prefer to use?

With the lid latch and safety switch disabled I like using the Speed Queen because I can rinse the detergent cap in the fill water (we don't have a utility sink near the washer so the alternative is walking 20 feet to the closest sink). It's also very quiet and it hardly vibrates when it goes into a spin.

After doing several loads in the Speed Queen I noticed a few things. When it came to loads with socks/underwear/T-shirts the autofill worked correctly and everything tended to turn over well. When I tried the autofill option with an extra long twin comforter (Heavy Duty cycle) it didn't add enough water. I let it go for about 15-20 minutes, to see if it would add more or if it would somehow manage to turn over the comforter but it remained pretty stationary there just wasn't enough water in the tub. after stopping the machine and setting it to medium fill, it did start to move the comforter around but the comforter began to wrap around the agitator rather aggressively, I started to worry it might rip, after a couple minutes it ended up in a ball on one side of the tub. when it went to start to spin I paused it and straighten out the comforter to give it another chance but again, after it filled, the comforter ended up in a ball.

I did notice that one of the little rubber feet were missing when I got the machine so I called Speed Queen. There was a bit of a lengthy wait to reach someone but the customer service representative was very friendly and polite and told me that the machine is under warranty till 2024, so she would be able to send me the part for free and that the warranty is fully transferable if I decide to sell it.

Although the Speed Queen has its perks, rinsing the detergent cap in the fill water, quiet operation, hardly any vibration during its spin, I can't keep a machine that isn't able to handle bulky items like comforters. After watching it try to wash the twin comforter I'm not even going to try washing our queen comforter in it. I've notice that there are fair amount of this particular model for sale on the used sites like CL and FB.

So I'm starting to think I wont have much luck selling it. I'm wondering if there would be someone willing to trade me for an older model with a traditional agitator that moves/ turns bulky items over effectively or perhaps a way to Frankenstein it with parts from the newer Speed Queens to improve its performance? The newer TR5 (TR5003) has an agitator that moves independently of the tub. If the tub is the same size I wonder if it would be possible to buy that assembly and drop it in.

 

[DADoES]

 
<blockquote>Thinker1920:  The newer TR5 (TR5003) has an agitator that moves independently of the tub.</blockquote> That's the TC5, not TR5.

 

[rapunzel]

I find it very surprising that you are unable to wash a comforter in the Speed Queen. You said that you increased the water level to medium. Perhaps increasing the water lever to max might have solved the bunching up problem. I wash comforters, bedspreads and mattress protectors in my SQ without any issues. Even if there is uneven distribution in the tub, it generally does not cause a problem with unbalancing. It might start out with the tub wobbling at the start of the spin. Though once it gets up to speed it corrects itself. Perhaps you could contact SQ about your experience and see if they have any suggestions or answers for you.

 

[DADoES]

 
The Delicates cycle is more appropriate for a bulky item.  It's programmed to fill to a higher level.  Manual selection probably should be Large.

 

[thinker1920]

After using the Speed Queen more it did grow on us but we ultimately decided to get something that was more aggressive when it came to stains (for my work clothes and the occasional pet accidents).

I was able to find a good deal on a used FF7005WN Speed Queen that still had about 3 years of warranty left. I haven't hooked it up yet but, we have high hopes for it after learning about Speed Queen and reading reviews.

(Side note, I thought to check and re-level the Bosch, its vibrations are greatly reduced now. It wasn't even that far off, I was kind of surprised how a slight adjust made such a big difference. It has spots where the paint is just starting to bubble from rust though so, we are going to still switch. I'm not sure if I'll be able to sell it considering its age but, I feel like it would be a shame to through it away since it still works well. I wish the Speed Queen was compatible with its pedestal.)