Which washing machine?

Otto Maddox wrote: Or was right a few years ago. Looking at my trusty Consumer Reports Buying Guide (don't laugh), of the washers they tested cycle times ranged from 50 to 100 minutes for front loaders and 35 to 80 minutes for top loaders.

That's about right. Speed Queen front loaders wash in 35 minutes. They need to be fast, it's literally a commercial unit. They really sling the water out in the spin cycle, so drying time is less than 30 minutes too. A fast cycle was a must with small children.

GameboyRMH wrote: Well I came in here and learned something - front-loading washers are like low-flush toilets. They use less water each time, but they don't *save* any and they're a big PITA

That's not really true of the newer low-flush toilets. They were pretty bad when they first hit the market, but nowadays they clog or get messy about as frequently as the old ones did. At least if you're buying the decent ones and not the bottom of the barrel cheap-o specials.

trucke wrote: That's about right. Speed Queen front loaders wash in 35 minutes. They need to be fast, it's literally a commercial unit. They really sling the water out in the spin cycle, so drying time is less than 30 minutes too. A fast cycle was a must with small children.

That's awesome!!

I never researched the Speed Queen, sounds like a nice unit.

I used to sell Washers and Dryers for about 3 years, about 3 years ago. The LG always had the smell issue worse than other brands, don't know why. Kenmore and Whirlpool front-loaders (now Maytag too) had a lot of electronic issues, circuit boards that went bad - that's a $300+ part. The top-load HE units sucked big time. Many many people would return them saying it "twisted the clothes into knots." One guy brought his load in he was so upset. DOn't know that they fixed it, but the top-load HE units never functioned well.

I myself bought a Samsung front-load unit. It does remarkably well, and their balance system is much better than any of the other front loaders. Can't speak to reliability, but all the sales people have had them for 3 years now, and they have been good so far.

But they aren't nearly as quick as those Speed Queens if that's accurate.

Since this poped up. Our affinity has washed clothes for 13months now. No odors and we empty the lint trap about 1/4 as often as our old toploads. We use HE specific detergent and leave the door open. I do wash everyload after my garage clothes (1x per month) with a cup of vinegar to cut the oilish smell out from my clothes. This may be helping with the smell issue others have had but so far happy campers.

^That's why when our washer failed right after we moved in, almost 3 years ago, we went to Lowe's and bought the cheapest washer they sell.

It doesn't look all fancy and high-tech, but it washes our clothes.

I bought my Kenmore units refurbished in '96 and have moved them 7 times and repaired them three times. Drier has burned through two elements and the washing machine stopped draining once, service call replaced the pump before recognizing the black sock plugging up the strainer. Old pump was fine.

Point is, my units are easily 20+ years old and work fantastic. The one service call I chatted up the repair guy some and he said it was the best unit, long term, he ever worked on. They had one in the shop they would take parts off of to fix customer units, then they would order in replacements for that one after the customer paid.

If you want a unit that will last, go to a local shop that repairs them, and ask the oldest guy there what model needs the least maintenance to keep running. He'll point to one in the corner and sell it to you for $150. A washing machine is an appliance, after all, and you don't need a Lambo, you need a Camry.

Have had several CL cheapies, and one Neptune set. I do get tired of replacing cheap washers every few years, or fixing them. The Neptune, that's a legend unto itself. I thought, surely it can't be as bad as people claim. No, it's worse.

This has caused the wife to spend a lot of money, probably today, on a brand new top load wonder with a huge basket. And a matching drier, because the old drier got jelous and decided to break and join the broken washer in going to the scrapyard in the sky.

Few things the wife pointed out.

Soak. It's apparently important to have a machine clothes can soak in. Can't do that in the front loaders. Can't do that in a lot of top loaders now either. I was told a bucket isn't sufficient.

Hot. As in real hot water, not EPA approved energy efficient hot (which other folk call warm). Even I can understand this.

Size. It really does matter. And as always, bigger is better. She's all excited about washing the blankets and such at home instead of at the laundromat.

Yeah, the Maytag Neptune was far and away the biggest washing machine disaster anyone could recall. It really did force Maytag to be bought out by Whirlpool.

Foxtrapper, I'd say I disagree with your wife, but I learned long ago not to disagree with women on how to do their laundry.

The Speed Queen was delivered and put into action yesterday. I like it. WAY quieter than the old one, and the spin must be at a much higher RPM, as the clothes came out of the washer damn near dry.

In reply to DILYSI Dave:

Is that a front loader?

DILYSI Dave wrote: The Speed Queen was delivered and put into action yesterday. I like it. WAY quieter than the old one, and the spin must be at a much higher RPM, as the clothes came out of the washer damn near dry.

Which model did you end up with?

DILYSI Dave wrote: The Speed Queen was delivered and put into action yesterday. I like it. WAY quieter than the old one, and the spin must be at a much higher RPM, as the clothes came out of the washer damn near dry.

Sweet!

The name really has a GRM sound to it too! Although it's not very masculine!

SPEED QUEEN

Ended up with the AWN412 Top Loader. http://www.speedqueen.com/home/en-us/products/product.aspx?id=344

In reply to DILYSI Dave:

Looks like all of their top loaders are 3.3 cubic feet. Does that seem small? Most of the mainstream manufacturers are closer to 4.0 but I don't know if that makes any real world difference.

It's a fair bit bigger than our last one. Probably the same diameter, but a good 8" or so deeper.

We went a slight different, and painfully more expensive, route. http://www.whirlpool.com/-[WTW8800YW]-1020630/WTW8800YW/ Big tub, had the features she insisted on. Cripes, the set cost more than many of my cars. Ah well.

Being a geek, I spent the entire first load just watching it run through its glass top. That is kinda fun, seeing how it moves the clothes. Does a darn good job of washing with almost no water in there. The clothes come out clean and smelling nice, something that front load Nautilus couldn't do.

She ended up tearing the door and frame out of the basement in order to get it in. Then she put it all back! I was quite impressed.

Just bought a Speed Queen AWN432. Made in some place called "USA," wherever that is. Whirlpool shut down the plant in Ft. Smith, so screw them. This thing looks to be built like a tank. $650 plus tax.

DILYSI Dave wrote: It's a fair bit bigger than our last one. Probably the same diameter, but a good 8" or so deeper.

that's what she said!

foxtrapper wrote: We went a slight different, and painfully more expensive, route. http://www.whirlpool.com/-[WTW8800YW]-1020630/WTW8800YW/ Big tub, had the features she insisted on. Cripes, the set cost more than many of my cars. Ah well. Being a geek, I spent the entire first load just watching it run through its glass top. That is kinda fun, seeing how it moves the clothes. Does a darn good job of washing with almost no water in there. The clothes come out clean and smelling nice, something that front load Nautilus couldn't do. She ended up tearing the door and frame out of the basement in order to get it in. Then she put it all back! I was quite impressed.

We bought one of those and left it behind for the buyers in the house we sold. It was only about a year old, but my wife hated it with a passion. It literally ripped up some sheets, it would twist stuff up so bad. Whenever she washed a load you'd look into the bottom of the thing and there would be what appeared to be a giant mushroom, with everthing in a twisted up ball. Yeah, it was expensive and I was pissed that we spent so much money on it just to basically give it away because it sucked so bad.

When we moved we bought a cheap top loader with a traditional agitator in it. It is noisy, but it doesn't destroy the laundry.

GRM HQ should contact Speed Queen to advertise in the mag. They obviously have something that GRM people are into. More than anything else, I'm in love with the name; it belongs on the side of a race car or the nose of a WWII Plane.

"Speed Queen, because we know that a new washer is the last thing you want to buy."

"Speed Queen, because you like working on cars, not your washing machine."

"Speed Queen: Free stickers with every purchase!"

Mitchell wrote: "Speed Queen: Free stickers with every purchase!"

Die cut?