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In my six years of reviewing washing machines, I’ve never once seriously considered recommending a Speed Queen top-loader. This shouldn’t be controversial: Every publication that tests appliances has years of controlled test results proving the superiority of front-loading washers. So why are most washer reviews’ comments sections filled with Speed Queen fans claiming otherwise? For most of my career, I’ve been content to brush off Speed Queen washers as wasteful, ineffective machines. They just barely meet the Department of Energy’s efficiency requirements. However, Speed Queen top-loaders are exceptionally durable and repairable—they’re essentially commercial laundromat washers without a coin slot, and should last at least twice as long as a mainstream HE (high efficiency) washer. Even so, they can use so much extra water and energy (we estimate $150 extra per year on average) that it’s unlikely that owners will save money in the long run, even after factoring in the cost of replacement or repair every few years. But as I researched the new 2018 Speed Queen models for the latest update to my washing machine guide, I came across some surprising reactions to the latest design from longtime devotees that piqued my interest. It also dawned on me that I’d never had an actual conversation with a Speed Queen fan about why they hold such strong feelings for these machines. This seemed like a shame, because chances are we’re more alike than different—not many people care enough about washing machines to argue about them with strangers on the Internet. I’d assumed that I’d been making my points clearly in my reviews, and that the Speed Queen fans who left harsh comments were simply being stubborn. But maybe I was the one missing something. So I reached out to some washing machine enthusiasts to hear their side. Pull Quote “I was totally devastated by it… Am I really going to change my entire opinion on Speed Queen that I’ve had all my entire life?” —Eugene Pallas, owner of Lorain Furniture & Appliance Eugene Pallas, owner of Lorain Furniture & Appliance in Cleveland, Ohio, was among the most ardent enthusiasts I encountered. He has been a huge Speed Queen fan since 2000, the first time he repaired one. For a couple of years, the only new washers he would sell at his shop were Speed Queen. “I gotta look the customer in the eye three months later when I see them,” Pallas said, “and I don’t have any hesitation when I know they bought a Speed Queen from me.” He worries that if he sells somebody a cheaper, repair-prone washer, he’ll lose the customer forever. As a small shop, he can’t afford to have that happen. Regular posters in forums I visited while reporting this article echoed Pallas’s assessment, referring to themselves as “people reminiscing [for] the days of quality construction and easy repair” who “like to have control.” Several users compared them to old muscle cars, before smog-reduction regulations kicked in and crippled the old designs. It’s also, at least a little bit, about holding up a middle finger to our “throwaway disposable economy,” which they deride as “planned obsolescence run amok.” I brought up the fact that Speed Queen top-loaders earn mediocre test scores from mainstream review outlets, but none of the fans seemed particularly bothered. “I’m nearly 60 years old and have seen most washers from the mid-1950’s onward” wrote AutomaticWasher.org forum member Barry Warren, who posts under the handle mrsalvo. “The agitator washers… were the standard, period. Tried and proven,” and then he wrote out a very comprehensive list of pro-agitator points, including: better reliability, never locking you out of the washer, no mold, quick cycles, and more user control in general. (Warren did say, though, that he liked his vintage GE Filter-Flo agitator top-loader much more than the Speed Queen he bought last year.) Michael Haensel, who posts on the forum as EEmac, added: “The agitator top-loader cleans my stuff very well.” As for the rough cleaning action and excessive water use? Haensel puts it simply: “For gentleness, there’s the gentle cycle. Efficiency is less of a concern for me than the other things I value.” Actually, one of the most compelling points in favor of the Speed Queen is that it does use a ton of water. Pallas, and several others with knowledge of lots of different types of washers, said that old-school top-loaders are the best at cleaning grimy, dirt-caked work clothes. That’s actually something that the industry-standard tests do not currently measure, and I think the fans may have a point. I’m still convinced that most people are better off with a midrange front-loader from a mainstream brand. But now that I can put some voices to the pro-Speed Queen arguments, I have a better appreciation for why somebody would make this choice. I even thought about making a full-throated recommendation for a Speed Queen in our buying guide for people who frequently deal with heavy-duty messes. Unfortunately, my change of heart may have come too late. Eugene Pallas, our Speed Queen superfan and dealer, was one of the first people to review the new 2018 Speed Queen top-loaders on YouTube. He did not like what he saw. In this video, Eugene Pallas of Lorain Furniture & Appliance sums up what he found when he tested the new 2018 Speed Queen TR7 top-load washer. The results were not what he’d hoped for. Speed Queen public relations manager Randy Radtke told us that the wash action on the 2018 model is “radically different” from that of past washers, and that the new design performs better on the industry-standard cleaning tests, is gentler on clothes, and much quieter. If that’s true, it should help the washer score better on the kinds of tests that Consumer Reports (subscription required) and Reviewed.com run. Unfortunately, as Pallas demonstrates in his videos, this revamped wash action comes as a result of the agitator and tub moving in unison, rather than the separate action that Speed Queen fans swear by. Pallas found that the new washer worked fine on items like smaller towels (which is exactly what the standardized tests use), but that it struggled to clean heavier items like work clothes, leaving behind stains and soap residue. The items just kind of float in place, swishing back and forth instead of getting pushed around. If you watch his videos in order, you can hear the disappointment building in his voice. “Once I got down to real clothes and a real test, it’s like, this loving thing isn’t even washing, I don’t even know what to do,” said Pallas in a subsequent interview. “Honestly man, I was totally devastated by it. I didn’t publish that video without a heavy heart, you know what I mean? It was serious, I had to sleep on it. Am I really going to change my entire opinion on Speed Queen that I’ve had all my entire life?” Pallas’s heavy heart was no consolation to Speed Queen. Pallas claims that after he posted his summary review, his distributor contacted him on behalf of Speed Queen, asking him to take the video down. Pallas declined. “You’ve got to think about somebody who’s working construction and got three kids. $2,000 is a ton of money for a washer and dryer. Can you imagine when they buy that and get it delivered and it doesn’t clean the poor guy’s work clothes?” “I wonder if Speed Queen realizes that by cheapening their design that they alienated 90% of their customer base.” —whoisthisguy724A, YouTube commenter The next week, Pallas found that he could no longer log into any Speed Queen retailer portals, so he couldn’t order new machines, or even parts to service the machines that he’d already sold to his customers. His store had been taken off the public database of certified Speed Queen dealers. The brand hadn’t contacted Pallas directly to tell him any of this, and he had to get in touch with his distributor to confirm that he’d been decertified. (We asked Speed Queen about Pallas’s claim, and the company said it does not comment on matters relating to its dealers.) So where does this leave the fans of old-school agitator washers? Well, some of them have already decided that they hate the new Speed Queen design. In a video polemic against the 2018 Speed Queen models, YouTube reviewer Sharkie626 said that the only worthwhile washing machines left are used ones. In that video’s comments section whoisthisguy724A lamented, “I wonder if Speed Queen realizes that by cheapening their design that they alienated 90% of their customer base.” Some forum members have pinned their hopes to the new Maytag Commercial MVWP575GW—another agitator top-loader built for laundromats that’s now available, without the coin slot, for home use. However, it’s barely been available for six months, so not many people have reviewed it yet. It also has some important differences in the build—for instance, the spin speed is slower, which means clothes will need to spend more time in the dryer—so it’s hard to say how it compares with the older Speed Queen model that people loved so much. Pallas now sells and recommends that Maytag Commercial instead of the new Speed Queen, and says it performs just as well, if not better than his old favorite. But he has yet to compare it directly with the last good Speed Queen from 2017. We eagerly await that video. In the meantime, Pallas said he also really likes front-loaders. If you walk into his shop in Cleveland today, you’ll be able to check out the front-loading LG WM3770HWA, which Pallas also keeps in his own home for large items that can’t fit in his top-loader (like a comforter), or for nicer clothes that he doesn’t want to subject to the top-loader’s aggressive wash action. He said the LG does a solid job cleaning pretty much anything, and we agree: It happens to be our current top pick for best washing machine.
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 19:27 |
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# ? Apr 19, 2024 12:38 |
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how much time did you spend on this?
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 19:28 |
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Protip: Shower in your dirty clothes. That way you never need a washing machine!
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 19:28 |
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This has given me a lot think about op
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 19:28 |
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This is a good article. It was lifted from here: https://thewirecutter.com/blog/speed-queen-washer
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 19:46 |
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I prefer the Size Queen myself. For those large loads.
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 19:47 |
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Duke Silver posted:I prefer the Size Queen myself. For those large loads.
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 19:52 |
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Reported for threadshitting
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 19:53 |
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my life already powerful sucks but I'd end it post haste if I also had to write reviews of washing machines
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 19:55 |
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I used to sell appliances when I was much younger at the now defunct megastore Incredible Universe. It was the happiest I've ever been in my life.
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 19:57 |
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D91NH1lKTHc
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 20:00 |
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Just lol at spending time reviewing washing machines.
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 20:03 |
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I read that whole review. Very interesting and relevant to my interests, thanks OP.
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 20:06 |
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lightning fast steve mcqueen is also my favorite op
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 20:06 |
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Whoa is this a promoted post like on Facebook? I wanna monetize my posts too OP, how do I get in on this?
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 20:13 |
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faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaart
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 20:16 |
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Wash that out.
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 20:17 |
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Came in to this thread ready to contribute but it turns out it's about the top loaders and not the front loaders.
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 20:19 |
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Duke Silver posted:I prefer the Size Queen myself. For those large loads. Those are usually one and the same with speed queens in my experience.
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 20:21 |
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I have a speed queen from a year or two back and it's the best washer machine I've ever used, no joke. I'll have to keep this in mind when it's time to replace it. Thanks op
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 20:22 |
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I like the part where the reviewer freely admits that he has never actually washed clothes in a washing machine in his years-long career of reviewing them professionally
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 20:25 |
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RandomFerret posted:I like the part where the reviewer freely admits that he has never actually washed clothes in a washing machine in his years-long career of reviewing them professionally I switched to an all merino wardrobe 8 years ago, so I have not needed to use one personally. I think it actually makes me less biased
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 20:38 |
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If you hate soap residue on your clothes just stop using powder detergent.OXBALLS DOT COM posted:I switched to an all merino wardrobe 8 years ago, so I have not needed to use one personally. I think it actually makes me less biased Your taint must be sweaty as hell
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 21:00 |
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the people willing to go through the trouble of mundane tasks like reviewing washing machine are the heroes who keep this garbage civilization from collapsing into a pile of unwashed work clothes godspeed
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 21:14 |
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use a speed queen for washing costumes at work, works good doesnt break a++ imo thank you blessed reviewer
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 21:15 |
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Find a laundromat with the continuously variable temperature knobs on the driers ,not that 1,2,3 setting bitch baby crap op. Hth.
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 21:16 |
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ditty bout my clitty posted:If you hate soap residue on your clothes just stop using powder detergent. Actually, wool fibers do such a good job of moving moisture away from the skin that even if the fabric is soaking wet the surface area of your skin will remain dry. Merino fibers and fabrics can absorb up to 30% of their dry weight before feeling wet. Most synthetics feel wet after they absorb less than 7%.
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 21:21 |
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Now post some vacuum cleaner reviews. Those dudes are serious.
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 21:37 |
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Smythe posted:use a speed queen for washing costumes at work, works good doesnt break a++ imo thank you blessed reviewer Nothing ever really gets the smell out tho
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 21:43 |
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The most powerful washing machine in the world and most reliable warranty- caro The most powerful washing machine in the world and most reliable warranty- caro The most powerful washing machine in the world and most reliable warranty- caro SPEED QUEEN SPEED QUEEN SPEED QUEEN SPEED QUEEN SPEED QUEEN SPEED QUEEN SPEED QUEEN SPEED QUEEN SPEED QUEEN SPEED QUEEN SPEED QUEEN SPEED QUEEN SPEED QUEEN SPEED QUEEN SPEED QUEEN SPEED QUEEN SPEED QUEEN
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 21:48 |
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Duke Silver posted:I prefer the Size Queen myself. For those large loads.
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# ? Mar 13, 2018 21:57 |
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Posting in an excellent thread!
Over There fucked around with this message at 14:24 on Mar 14, 2018 |
# ? Mar 14, 2018 14:21 |
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hey babe... you know they call me the Speed Queen, right? well, it's not just because my agitator and tub don't move in unison - in addition to that, i also suffer from premature ejaculation and need to get into drag to even get that far.
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# ? Mar 14, 2018 14:24 |
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I'm more of a backloader myself
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# ? Mar 14, 2018 14:27 |
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Just don't ever buy a high efficency top load machine. They're utter crap, and will break down in comedic and violent ways.
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# ? Mar 14, 2018 14:32 |
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Duke Silver posted:I prefer the Size Queen myself. For those large loads.
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# ? Mar 14, 2018 14:55 |
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I read the entire OP and found it interesting, and I think it's bullshit that Speed Queen stopped selling machines and parts to that guy because he gave a product a bad review.
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# ? Mar 14, 2018 14:56 |
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The wirecutter sucks now. It was good before they sold out. Now the review process is faulty. It's not uncommon for them to review a product, but not review top rated models. Before the NYT days, if they reviewed something, odds were they were thorough. So gently caress the wirecutter. And gently caress you, OP, for posting this article.
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# ? Mar 14, 2018 15:34 |
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So a newer machine does a better job, more efficiently, while having a cheaper initial cost but these dudes don't like it? I like the comparison to muscle cars because it is entirely apt; only a fool would pine for such primitive bullshit.givepatajob posted:I used to sell appliances when I was much younger at the now defunct megastore Incredible Universe. I had never heard of this but after reading about the Wikipedia I can see why
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# ? Mar 14, 2018 17:07 |
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# ? Apr 19, 2024 12:38 |
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BigBadSteve posted:This is a good article. It was lifted from here: was looking for this, ty
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# ? Mar 14, 2018 17:36 |