Ottakee Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I have had my new speed queen for about a month now. A friend asked for a review and I thought I would share here too as so many people chimed in when I asked about getting one. Pros: I can start the water filling the tub while I sort the clothes.......might not make the cycle any faster but psychologically I like this as it seems faster then with a front loader where I had to sort all of the clothes first, fill the tub and THEN start the water. Our clothes seem much CLEANER. Dh commented on this after the first few loads. I have gotten out some stains that I didnt' think I could in just 1 cycle. I can SOAK clothes in the soak cycle or get them soaking and then turn off the machine and let them soak for hours or overnight if I want. The heavy cycle is only 20-25 minutes long. The hot was is HOT......so much so that I often will start filling the tub with hot water (see the pro above :lol: ) and add the soap and bleach. Then when I add the clothes I switch it over to warm. With the front loader I think my hot water wash was barely warm. I can wash huge loads. The machine is super easy to use and has a great warranty. Cons: Clothes seem to have a bit more lint on them/more lint in the dryer which means it likely isn't as gentle on them as a front loader.............in defense though I wash everything on a heavy cycle so using the permanent press or gentle cycle would likely help. Drying time is increased. Hard for me to say how much is due to the new washer that doesn't spin out as fast and how much is due to my dryer being 11 years old........I had noticed a big increase in drying time before we bought this new machine so it might be mostly the dryer's fault. For reference I bought this machine http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007TTR4GI/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687782&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B004ZO42G0&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=070FFSTZ5F05CD2S0CDR 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 We recently bought a Speed Queen to replace our dead front loader and have had a similar experience as you describe even down to the pros and cons. Our dryer is about 8 years old but now takes over an hour to dry a load whereas it took less than 30 with the front loader. And the lint! I really don't think my clothes will last as many years as it used to. OTOH the laundry doesn't seem to go sour as quickly if we forget to unload the washer as soon as it's done. Hopefully this washer will at least last twice as long as the old one. It's much like our old Kenmore top-loader that last over 16 years, probably longer but we gave it away when we were renting a house that came with a washer and dryer. Anyway, mostly a good experience so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I love my Speed Queen. I haven't noticed a lint or drying time problem but my dryer is new and catches any lint easily and dries just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted February 8, 2015 Author Share Posted February 8, 2015 I was tempted to go with the Speed Queen front loader but at double the price I couldn't justify it. I wonder if our clothes will wear out faster.........but then again most of our clothes come from the church thrift store at $1 for kids and $2 for adults so it isn't a huge investment in clothing. The drying time taking longer does bother me and I wonder if our electric bill will really go up with the longer drying time. I would LOVE a second dryer (and we have the hook ups for one in the basement) but that might be overkill. The clothes though smell cleaner (and I am not using any fabric softener) and they look and smell cleaner. I just bought some new white socks which are impossible to keep clean as I wear them in my boots to the barn and the dirt just oozes in. I will see with this next load if they come out cleaner or are stained right away like with the old washer. With the old one our whites really got dingy. Not sure if it was my lack of laundry skills, the machine, our water, or ??? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted February 8, 2015 Author Share Posted February 8, 2015 I love my Speed Queen. I haven't noticed a lint or drying time problem but my dryer is new and catches any lint easily and dries just fine. I don't have lint on the clothes when they are dry. I just notice more lint in the lint filter. It might be my dryer too as I noticed a lot longer drying time even before we got this new washer. I am thinking of seeing if we could rig up a place for me to hang some things to dry or at least partly dry. Outdoor clothes lines are hard here in the woods as the trees drip stuff all over the clothes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Thank you for the review! I totally get what you mean about the socks never getting white/clean-looking when using a no-agitator washer. I have a modern machine (which means I have a top loader, no agitator, locking-lid washer that does not clean the clothes - ugh) and would LOVE to get a new washer. Unfortunately, DH wouldn't be too thrilled about paying for new washer. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 We've had our SQ for just over a month as well. I haven't noticed an increase in lint, but we tend to use normal cycle or a cycle gentler/lighter than that. We air dry a lot of clothing, and use the dryer mostly for some underthings, kid pajamas, sheets, and towels. I am surprised the spin out isn't a little better than it is, and my last washer was top loader too (not a front loader). As a result, I sometimes opt to run an extra spin cycle. I've been very happy so far. Thanks for sharing your experience :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted February 8, 2015 Author Share Posted February 8, 2015 I am surprised the spin out isn't a little better than it is, and my last washer was top loader too (not a front loader). As a result, I sometimes opt to run an extra spin cycle. I've been very happy so far. Thanks for sharing your experience :) I might do that as well. In defense of my dryer, I also tend to group all types of clothes together from socks to jeans to button up shirts to sweatshirts all in the same load.....and they are big loads. At least with the speed queen it is easy to run another spin cycle and it is quick. Time will tell as I purchase new whites how white they stay or if they get dingy right away. I am also buying some wool dryer balls from a friend as those are supposed to help with drying time, fluffing the clothes, etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I might do that as well. In defense of my dryer, I also tend to group all types of clothes together from socks to jeans to button up shirts to sweatshirts all in the same load.....and they are big loads. At least with the speed queen it is easy to run another spin cycle and it is quick. Time will tell as I purchase new whites how white they stay or if they get dingy right away. I am also buying some wool dryer balls from a friend as those are supposed to help with drying time, fluffing the clothes, etc. I just bought some wool dryer balls a few weeks ago :) I had some many years ago, but I think they were played with and lost when my kids were small. I think they help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I told my wife about this thread. We have an old fashion (Top Loader with an agitator) Whirlpool washing machine. It was made to be sold and used in the USA, but I bought it here in Colombia. At the end of this month, it will complete 20 years of very frequent service. We can get parts for it and my wife, after watching repair people work on it a couple of times, learned how to fix it. If and when we buy a new washing machine, she says she will not give this one away, unless it has died, completely, and cannot be fixed. She says it is her “best friendâ€. My SIL bought a Samsung (our favorite brand for TVs, etc.) a year or 2 ago. They had Brownouts from their local power company and it was damaged severely. Hoping their electric company will pay for most of what they paid for it. If we were buying that style washer, we would probably buy a Samsung. I assume what killed it was the Brownouts they were experiencing. The lady where I buy little plastic parts for our Whirlpool (the “kit cost me about USD$6, more than a year ago) told me, some years ago, that one problem with the new style machines is getting replacement parts for them. There is a reason why Whirlpool, Speed Queen, and other manufacturers are still making the old style top loading washing machines and selling them. There are people who want to buy them! I don't know if they still have it, but years ago, when I was in the house of our next door neighbors, I noticed they had 2 washing machines. One of them was made here in Colombia, old style top loader with an agitator, and was about 30 years old. I doubt the new machines without an agitator would last that long with frequent use. One thing about washing machines is that one should never change brands of detergent! When we first had a Whirlpool service man work on our machine, he could not believe that it had never been serviced before, because it was so clean. We use FAB detergent, 100% of the time. OP: Congratulations on your new Speed Queen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted February 8, 2015 Author Share Posted February 8, 2015 Speed Queen is an old maker of washing machines. They are very often found in laundry mats and are American made. I was already leaning towards this brand/model but went into the store and told the salesman I wanted a "work horse" washing machine and he lead me right to it. Oh, another con....which isn't such a huge deal as we have to wait on the dryer anyway for all but the first load, is that there is no end of cycle bell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Glad it's going well. I have the never white whites problem with my front loader. It helps to make the loads much smaller than you think they should be but then that does away with their main benefit - low water consumption. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted February 26, 2015 Author Share Posted February 26, 2015 Just another update here: I bought the wool dryer balls and they seem to help with the drying time. Not sure how much but it does seem a bit shorter. I have 6 of them that I throw in with the laundry. Clothes are still coming out clean and whites are still white. I have modified my laundry routine a bit to accommodate the longer drying time. I used to do laundry every Monday and Thursday--3 or 4 loads each day. Now I just throw in a load whenever I have a full load. That way the increase in drying time doesn't really affect me. We will see what my electric bill says though over time. Overall I am very happy with it. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiMi 4under3 Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 I just bought some new white socks which are impossible to keep clean as I wear them in my boots to the barn and the dirt just oozes in. I will see with this next load if they come out cleaner or are stained right away like with the old washer. With the old one our whites really got dingy. Not sure if it was my lack of laundry skills, the machine, our water, or ??? How white are your new socks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted February 26, 2015 Author Share Posted February 26, 2015 How white are your new socks? So far so good. It might take a couple of months though to be really sure. We are on well water with no water softener so that might affect them over time too. I do use about 1/8 cup of bleach in with the hot water and Tide for the whites. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 Thank you for that review. I've never had anything but a top loading, agitating washer. I was starting to panic and think I wouldn't be able to replace it, until I read about the Speed Queen here on a thread. My 15 yo Kenmore is starting to have issues and I don't know how much longer it will last. I will most likely go one of the top loading agitating Speed Queen models when we have to replace it. I definitely don't want a front loader, but I don't want a top loader that doesn't agitate either. I'm glad I still have a choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squawky Acres Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 We just got a new Speed Queen last week after I realized how much I hated my Bosch front loader. It took forever to wash clothes, cloth diapers still smelled after a cycle, the door always locked and was difficult to unlock, and then there was the mold on the gasket problem, and I had to leave the door open all the time to dry it out and cut down on the mold (very unsafe around toddlers who played near the laundry area). When my Bosch started to have a little issue and seemed like it needed a service call, we decided to just buy something new and simple instead. I have been using the SQ for a week, and love how quick it is, and that I can add things to the washer as it fills up (instead of going through that unlocking door sequence). I think it washes very well, but was also concerned to find a lot more lint in the dryer after drying a load. I wonder if it is more harsh on the clothes? Maybe the lint problem goes away with time. Has anyone had experience with the delicate cycle of the SQ? I wonder if I can still wash my husband's dress shirts in the machine, or if I will need to do them by hand. Embarrassing story: when I got the Bosch, I noticed it had a "work clothes" setting. I thought: "Oh, fabulous. I can wash our 'work clothes' on a nice, gentle setting and then hang them up to dry. It will be more convenient than dry cleaning." I checked the manual to make sure the "work clothes" setting had a gentle spin at the end, and found it was some double-hot, super-fast spin cycle for "work clothes" (as in clothes that get dirty from work). 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2jjka Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 I also got a new set of Speed Queens about a month ago. For the most part, I really like them so far, but have noticed just a few things that bug me a little. 1. It drives me crazy that I can't open the lid on the washer and see it while it is agitating. However, I have lifted it up just an inch or so to peek inside and noticed that doesn't agitate as severely as my old machine, (an Estate by Whirlpool.) If I do a really big load it seems like the clothes just swish around, and don't get fully 'turned' withing the washer - if that makes sense. Still...things seem clean, so I'm not too disappointed. 2. The dryer is really loud. The motor makes a buzzing sound when I first start it, and it seems to die down as it goes on. I think I'm actually going to call the store about it, because it seems off. And - the door of the dryer has a rattling sound - like there is a screw loose inside of the door somewhere. But over all I am quite satisfied. I love how HUGE they are, and how much faster laundry gets done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted February 27, 2015 Author Share Posted February 27, 2015 I But over all I am quite satisfied. I love how HUGE they are, and how much faster laundry gets done! Just wondering, does your drying time seem to be increased or not? I am still on that elusive mission to figure out if the speed queen top loader is really increasing my drying time........or if it is my dryer that is the issue. Adding the wool dryer balls does seem to help with decreasing the drying time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 My drying time has definitely increased--about double. We're still using the dryer that came with our top loader, though, not a SQ dryer. I wonder if there's a temp diff between the two? Maybe SQ gets hotter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Has anyone had experience with the delicate cycle of the SQ? I wonder if I can still wash my husband's dress shirts in the machine, or if I will need to do them by hand. My dh washes his work shirts in the regular cycle. But then he buys the oxford style shirts so they're a bit sturdier than typical dress shirts. I have used the gentle cycle with my hand-knit socks. They came out a bit fuzzier than with the front loader but otherwise no problems with washing. I can tell the washer doesn't spin them as hard as they had a lot more water still in them--but they weren't dripping wet. I spun them in the regular spin cycle afterward and a lot more water came out. I can't really compare the agitation as I've never peeked in to see. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 If it's taking longer than 30-40 minutes to dry a load of clothes, your dryer is probably dying. Mine just died. It was a slow, lingering death and the clothes drying time just crept longer and longer until I was restarting after an hour. Before I got my speed queen I went to the laundromat for about a month. I dried the clothes at home. The clothes from the speed queen top loader aren't taking any longer to dry than the stuff from the commercial front-loaders. Now, my laundry is in the basement, so if the time difference is only ten minutes or less, I wouldn't know. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted February 27, 2015 Author Share Posted February 27, 2015 If it's taking longer than 30-40 minutes to dry a load of clothes, your dryer is probably dying. Mine just died. It was a slow, lingering death and the clothes drying time just crept longer and longer until I was restarting after an hour. That is what I was wondering. My dryer is about 11 years old. I "think" it was slowing down quite a bit even before I switched from the old front loader to the SQ top loader. I guess I need to start looking at dryers now. I don't care if they match or have special cycles, etc. I just want energy efficient and one that gets the clothes dried quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Oh dear--new dryer. Part of our problem is also that it's extremely difficult to clean out the exhaust pipe that goes to the outside. The dryer is in the center of the house so the exhaust pipe is long and--because we have a walk-out basement and that's the side the dryer vents to--it comes out of the second floor of the house. :glare: Unfortunately it's not one of the things we thought about when we bought this house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyS Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 If it's taking longer than 30-40 minutes to dry a load of clothes, your dryer is probably dying.. Mine must be on hospice care. It takes 80 minutes for lightweight loads 2+ hrs for a large load of heavy weights (jeans, towels). Luckily, I do most of my drying outside most of the year (anytime it's 40F and sunny or better). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2jjka Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Our drying time is WAY less than with my old pair. (I think my old washer wasn't spinning out fully though, so the clothes were wetter going into the dryer.) It seems like it has been cut in half with the Speed Queen set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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