Posted: 8/14/2017 6:48:52 PM EDT
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Not a humble brag, so don't go there. And yes, it's GD...this is where I come for answers to my questions.
My cabin has a piece of crap Whirlpool washer and dryer. The previous owner probably didn't use it ten times. It is low end, and has been a bit problematic...more so lately. When we first bought the cabin, I thought the washer was broken because when you hit start, it clicked like it wanted to come on, but wouldn't...because it takes a minute or so to weigh everything and make sure it's balanced before it fills with water.  It doesn't seem to balance "normal" loads of laundry. It makes a very weird sound with the agitator. And this past weekend (Friday night), I managed to wash a small load of clothes..two pairs of shorts/t-shirts/socks/undies. On Saturday, I put a larger load in that included two towels, and after it filled up, it would no longer work...and it wouldn't even drain and spin.  My son and I had to bail it out with cups to empty it.
It has been such a pain, it pisses me off to not be able to wash and leave stuff over there, to bring home for my wife to do at our home, and then try to remember to take the stuff back to the cabin next time. And my wife doesn't like jokes about a wash basin and wash board. Is there a secret to making these piece of craps work? Like, set everything to a large setting...even small loads? Or do these lower end units simply not work well? So there's the back story. I just want something that works. GD always says Speedqueen. Is this still the consensus? |
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I followed Arfcom's advice and we picked up two SQ front loaders with electronic controls.
About a month into owning them my wife left a small glass bottle in her pocket and it shattered in the wash cycle. We identified the problem when I opened the door to be overwhelmed by lavender smell (it was an essential oil roller bottle). I was pissed, there was glass all around the seal and in some of the clothes. Picked out the glass I could find, inspected and wiped down the seal and there were no negative affects by the glass. It actually did a pretty good job of washing the glass shards out of the clothes. Took the panel off and was easily able to access the pump, opened it up and it had successfully passed all the glass without any marks / scratches etc. there is no inline filter on the washer. Still going strong. I'll admit it I'm impressed, and glad we opted for these machines, they're seriously heavy duty. |
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I hate HE washers with passion.
Wife wanted/needed a new washer so she picks a $1,000 HE top load unit with glass top and all kinds of automatic sensors...you can't even choose water level as the machine senses the load and automatically fills to optimal water level. I can put in a huge load in and only bottom 20% of clothes actually sit in the water. Other times I've put in 2 or 3 shirts and some socks and water level will be so high the tub can't move. Wife kept saying HE washers work differently but washes just as well as traditional washer. She kept saying that until last month she smelled some clothes coming out of the washer had bad odor from the underarm part of my shirts. Now she wants to get another washer...traditional one. |
| i got a speedqueen set last year when i moved to new house. i didn't want anything with electronic controls. they work great but are loud as fuck, and i can live with that. for a cabin or part time residence i would get a cheap ass normal washer for 400 or whatever and consider it disposable because speedqueens are a little pricey for that application imo. |
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I got a speed queen washer and dryer with mechanical dials on the advice of GD, and I have ZERO regrets and would do it again if I had to buy tomorrow.
I set the thing with extra water and that thing gets FULL of water, and washes my clothes WAY WAY better than any HE machine I had before it. Speedqueen is the only answer, otherwise, it's your funeral. |
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I've got a Commercial Heavy Duty SQ washer and dryer that are from mid 90's still going strong. They're the manual knob type and not this new automatic sensor shit.
Go to a used appliance resale store where they fix up/repair/clean and you should be able to find good commercial machines for cheaper money that will outlast any of this new automatic load sensor crap and if it does break down, you can repair yourself easily. |
| Wife and I bough Electrolux front load washer and dryer about 2 years ago. COMPLETE PIECES OF FUCKING SHIT. A rock in the creek would be a better choice to beat clothes against. Among the worst engineered products I have ever seen or used. Lint filter is a fuck job, washer constantly goes out. Buy anything other than Electrolux. |
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Just replaced a piece of shit 1.5 year old GE that went black (no power) with a Speed Queen AWN432SP top load (analog timer dial). Wow. What a huge difference. The SQ is faster, gets clothes cleaner, and spins them out drier without ever getting out of balance. It also doesn't lock the lid like the HE washers do.
Hallelujah! I'm a believer! SQ is worth every penny they charge for their machines. The only decision you need to make is whether you want the analog or digital timer. Both have 15 year warranties on the transmission and lifetime warranties on the basket, but the digital one has a 5 year warranty on everything else, while the analog one only has 3 years. That extra two years worth of warranty will cost about $100 more for the digital timer. Otherwise, they are the same machine. I went with the analog because I priced replacement timers before I bought. The digital timer is over $200 while the analog timer is under $50. |
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Quoted:
Wife and I bough Electrolux front load washer and dryer about 2 years ago. COMPLETE PIECES OF FUCKING SHIT. A rock in the creek would be a better choice to beat clothes against. Among the worst engineered products I have ever seen or used. Lint filter is a fuck job, washer constantly goes out. Buy anything other than Electrolux. |
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I started to buy the 3.3 foot Speedqueen. I was tired of the Whirlpool/Maytag/Armada style lid lock and sensors that always fail. I couldn't put up with the smaller 3.3 foot basket.
I got a 5.0 foot LG that is a bit differently designed than the other top load washers. I am happy with the LG. It is a beast, quiet and really cleans the clothes. |
| My cabin is two hours from Memphis, and two hours from Little Rock...and well over an hour from the closest Lowe's. I will opt for a higher price and hope to get 15+ years out of it. I don't want to be taking my trailer to the appliance store to replace "disposable" washing machines. Analog top load SQ for me. Thank for the replies. |
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We have SQs with the mechanical timers. Screw that electronic crap -- it's too susceptable to power surges and nearby lightning strikes.
Check around for a dealer/repair place that rebuilds washers. Get a model with the old-fashioned mechanical timers. Many times it's a perfectly good machine that was traded in because the owner wanted a "modern" unit. |