Using a Speed Queen FL commercial machine at home?

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micahmcdowell

Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2013
Messages
12
Location
Missouri
Hello, new here, but I've learned a great deal from browsing about the forum.

I've had bad luck with washers lately, and I've figured out that the newer and more electronic they are, the less reliable they seem to be. My current Whirlpool Calypso has died for the final time, and I'm tired of feeding it new control boards, which leads me to my question...

I've found an older small Speed Queen small front-loader, ex laundromat machine for sale close to me. It needs timer repair, but the price is cheap and may become cheaper after some negotiations with the seller. Model number is sc27mn2yu40001. Now, is this something that would be reasonably suitable for home use? I do have a concrete floor and a large area for it. Thanks for any replies!
 
That's something most of us can only dream of, myself anyway. If I could do that, I would do it in a heartbeat. Most of today's appliances are designed to be disposable and tossed after a few years so you're forced to buy a new one.
Add to that the SQ laundromat version uses a decent amount of water, not just a couple of thimblefulls like the modern plastic junk made in third world countries.
If the machine is otherwise sound, I'd go for it.
 
Depends on its power suply and if it needs to be bolted to the flor. If these two things are no problem, you just have to be awear of the higher noise levels that may occur with an commercial washer. But I'm not the expert in US Washers, so, thats all i can say.
 
It would probably be three-phase 240 V (just assuming, so FWIW), and most definitely need to be bolted to the floor. I believe the commercial versions also have a different kind of drain in that they do not pump out their water as much as they just open a valve and dump it into a drain trough (sp?).
I'm not an expert on commercial machines either, but I do recall seeing this kind of setup at the local laundromat.
 
It _may_ be 3-phase, I'm not so sure I'd assume that as a certainty. If its a smaller machine (which it probably needs to be for home use) then it is just as likely to use single phase power, although it could be 240v. If it is 3-phase there are work around methods to derive 3-phase power from a single phase for that but one has to question if it is worth it.

The bigger question is if it is a hard mount machine. Most commercial machines have no suspension therefore require that they be bolted to the floor to keep from walking around. The bolt-down requirement is probably a deal breaker for most home users. There are some soft mount machines (which have suspension) but they aren't very common in laundromats.

You will need to contact the seller and get a photo of the model/serial # plate, that will list the power specs the machine requires.

If you are looking for a solid home machine it might be worth looking into either a top or front load current Speed Queen residential machine. They have been proved to be quite reliable and don't have excessive levels of electronic controls that often scare people off.
 
Thanks to all who have replied!

I talked to the seller, and it is a single-phase machine that runs on residential 240V. Not sure if it's hard mounted or not, but I have a concrete floor which it can be bolted to.

It's only $100, so I'm going to go pick it up tomorrow regardless. I will post updates as I have them.
 
I did turn up a service manual doing a google search on a partial model number. The manual was titled as Hardmount Washer Extractors so it will need to be mounted. I was unable to find any info on the Alliance web site.

My suspicion is that the 27 in the model # is the capacity in lbs. That's a big home machine, bet it weighs about 500 pounds!
 
Alright, I'm getting ready to leave the house with trailer in tow. I will ask the seller how they have it mounted. May have to pick up some concrete anchor bolts!
 
What a great looking Speed Queen!
What a bargain!
Are you going to put this in your laundry room?
Take pictures when you get it in place.
Would have been great if he would have had a dryer to go with it.
Talk about getting your laundry done quick!
 
The hardmounted White-Westinghouse 8 kg machines at the local laundromat near where I grew up were on a solid block of concrete about six inches thick and were bolted down with 1 inch bolts.

With a big machine like that, who knows. Best to call Alliance and ask.
 
So how is it going?
Are you washing away?
I have been checking on these in the Atlanta area. I was shocked how many are for sale. Not as cheap as you found, (lucky you) but not bad prices.
Would love to see your set up for your new machine. I have the itch to get one of these...and a commercial dryer.
Brent
 
I did get it home and yesterday got it in the basement. Let's just say that moving a 29" wide, 500 lb. machine down a flight of stairs and through a 29.5" wide landing was a challenge, especially since it was just me, my father, and my wife assisting.

Now, another challenge. The machine runs on single-phase 240v but has a funky L6-20 twist-lock electrical plug, while I just have an old-fashioned 10-30 240v receptacle for my dryer. Anyone with electrical experience want to chime in on how to make this work?
 
You either need to swap out the plug, or change the outlet, pick one. The Twist-Lock connectors are great connectors but for home use any 3 (or 4 whichever suits) prong connector of proper power specs is fine. Changing out the plug will be a lot cheaper and easier. You can buy a suitable replacement plug at the local home store.

Now for the $100,000 question, have you figured out how to hold it down yet? Contacting Alliance as mentioned up thread would be a very intelligent thing to do...
 
Well, I got it wired up and started to check it over. I ran a cycle with no clothes, and it worked fine up until the rinse cycle, where it would get stuck and keep turning indefinitely. I figured out that a couple taps on the timer with a small hammer were enough to get it to advance, so it will need a timer rebuild or replacement. I figured as much, so I was happy that all the other functions were working.

Now, for the part that most of you already anticipated...

The former owner said that he had it LOOSE on the floor, NOT bolted. Myself, being naive, believed him, though the bottom frame has a set of nice mounting holes that must have been for something? The test run seemed to support his statement, as the machine didn't even start to vibrate on the spin cycle. So, I put together a load of old towels and clothes to try it out for real, and when it hit the spin cycle...

I couldn't hit that OFF button quickly enough! It shook, rattled, rocked, and leapt 6" off the floor. After I cut the power, it still shook like crazy for a good 20 seconds until the drum came to a stop. So, I'm off to borrow a concrete drill and some bolts...
 
Similar Units At Local Laundromat

Am here to tell you even when bolted those machines can shake and vibrate!

When the 50lb unit is spinning a badly unbalanced and heavy load you can feel the vibrations coming up from the floor.

When one has really heavy loads like thick cotton blankets or quilts that the Miele has a hard time balancing will take them to the Laundromat. Better to spend a few dollars than risk destroying the suspension system.
 
Micah: First, let me say there's no way I'd want a commercial washer for home use. I like the cycle versatility, the quiet, and other bells/whistles of a modern front-loader. I tend to get bored with a washer and trade it in for something newer every few years, so longevity (which I know is important to you) isn't high on my priority list.

Having said that...I've been following this thread and have joined the section cheering for Team Micah. After reading about the work you've done to acquire, move (500 lbs., oy vey!) and install your Speed Queen, I hope you get years of trouble-free use from it. You have a washer almost never seen in a home setting that will be a great conversation piece to show off to friends and neighbors.

You definitely came to the right place for assistance. The people here with experience in such matters (I am definitely not one of them) are fonts of knowledge that we've come to treasure.

Good luck with the timer---maybe the jump-around of your test load dislodged the problem, LOL---and with the bolt-down process. Glad there appears to be no other problems with the machine.

Be sure to post a photo (or a video, even) of the machine in action when all is said and done. You'll have good reason to be proud of your accomplishment![this post was last edited: 7/8/2013-17:45]

frigilux++7-8-2013-17-37-45.jpg
 
Thanks for all the support everyone!

I got up early this morning and ran to the local Menard's to rent a hammer drill. I now have six 1/2" threaded rods set 4" into the basement concrete with anchoring epoxy. This should meet the specs that Speed Queen had in the installation manual. In fact, they only recommended at least 2.5" deep holes and said that epoxy was optional, with the alternative being expansion bolts which wouldn't be as secure.

So... I will report back after the epoxy sets!
 
Micah you are tackling this somewhat crazy labor of love head on. Initially I was a bit worried you bit off more then you can chew, after all that is a crazy machine to have at home! I hope you shoot a good video or two once you have it firmly in place and running to share with us all :)

I have been considering one of the small Huebsch OPL washer extractors for home, but one of the comparatively simple soft mount versions. I'm concerned both with the weight and the cost but it would quite likely last the rest of my life.
 
Wow, after reading the manual, I can't believe how close I was..

Recommended pad height between 4" to 6" inches, recommended bolt size is 0.63" if I read that properly.

Man, even my own Huebsch machine shakes the concrete floor on certain loads. I shudder to think what an unbalanced hard mounted machine will do!

To the OP, I admire you and your spirit! I hope you can get that timer replaced soon, that machine will last you a long time.
 
It's alive!

The washer is now installed and working perfectly! I already purchased a new timer, but the original seems to have fixed itself and is consistently working. I suppose the new one will go on the shelf, just in case. I made a quick video of it in operation; hopefully it will embed properly.

It washes great, and takes about 35 minutes for a normal cycle. And before you ask, yes, I'm now on the lookout for a close-matching dryer. Speed Queen front control dryers that are both non-stack and stainless steel seem to be few and far between, so it may be a while.



 

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