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Are There any Non HE Washers Out There?

sheshe
13 years ago

Hi,

I am looking for a simple, heavy duty, top loading washer.

Non HE. Where I can control the water level. Is it possible

to find? Thanks for your your help.I have to clean down right

muddy clothes.

sheshe

Comments (55)

  • totsuka
    13 years ago

    I just ordered this non-HE WP WTW57ESVW, from Lowes, 540 out the door with 4 year extended warranty.

  • caryscott
    13 years ago

    Inglis and Estate are Whirlpool. Hotpoint is GE I believe.

  • bombasticturtle
    13 years ago

    Yes there are! However, it has been proven that HE detergent dissolves better, washes superior and does more loads while costing a whole lot less!

    Simple test! Take old non-HE detergent in one hand and HE in the other and run your hand under a faucet! See the result for yourself!

    But to answer your question again .... YES there are plenty of non-HE models out there even today!

  • GilligansIsland
    12 years ago

    I hate hate hate my HE front load washer. Forget them if you have dogs. Your clothes come out full of dog hair (not to mention it doesn't remove human hair either) I cannot wait to go back to the old top loaders NON HE. Thank you for this list!

  • gates1
    12 years ago

    I never had an issue with dog hair not coming off of my clothes with my FL. My sheltie use to shed all over me, I just took a lint brush and got the excess off and washed the clothes. I didnt want all that excess hair in my washer, clogging it up, going through the pump and such. I did the same when I had a conventional TL too. If I were in the market for a new TL agitator washer, Id go buy a Speed Queen. It is a high quality built product, no water sensing on it, dials, and you can select the water level and temps manually. They are expensive though.

  • GilligansIsland
    12 years ago

    We had the store rep come out to look at our issue with dog hair and he could only recommend doing a second rinse cycle. It doesn't help. Isn't it supposed to be energy efficient? So now we use just as much water to do laundry and clothes and items like dog bedding are nowhere near as clean as our old top loader. Wish I never got rid of it.

  • gates1
    12 years ago

    What brand of Fl do you have Gilligans Island? Does it have a heater? Do you wash in cold mainly? WHat brand of detergent do you use?

  • ravencajun Zone 8b TX
    12 years ago

    I had a set of commercial quality Speed Queens the washer and dryer both older model TL's I hated to part with them when I got my new Samsung FL's but I am loving the new ones and the old ones got a good home.
    If buying top loaders again I would go SQ I got mine from a professional builders supply, I had to get a contractor to go with me and got a great deal that was many many years ago and never once had a problem with the pair.

  • westvillager
    12 years ago

    Those Speed Queens look like very no-nonsense machines!

  • birddog2001
    10 years ago

    I have been looking for a non HE washer and couldnt find one. I have to wash my clothes twice, which uses more water than a non he. I will be checking this list for my new non HE washer.
    When government or unions get involved in anything, it automatically becomes less effective, less cost effective, and the result is loss of Liberty and Freedom. History proves it over and over. This fact is irrefutable. If it feels good , sounds good, but is promoted by government? Then run far away from it, and never put it into law!

    Same goes for my toilets in my new house. Terrible.

  • sparky823
    10 years ago

    Look at Speed Queen.

  • triedandtrue
    10 years ago

    Have my speed queens a year now and they work as well as the day I got them. Tough no nonsense machines that wash,rinse and dry very well. Highly recommended.

  • TamaraTomNC
    10 years ago

    Birddog, I agree with Sparky and Triedandtrue- Speed Queen all the way. It does the job. You can bypass the regulated water level. The repairman I had out to fix my previous washer was the one who recommended Speed Queen- said once his customers get one, he never has to see them again! Good luck.

  • gwarstong
    10 years ago

    FWIW...I bought my SQ's last October from local mom&pop store I've purchased all my stuff from for the last 20 years.

    Tried to do it two years earlier but they weren't yet connected with mfgr. I fixed the old Maytag to last a while longer but I also made a few phone calls and helped them get the line. (Sales manager in WI answered his own phone!) Since they got it, they've increasingly recommended it to prospective customers because in these last two years, along with easy installs and no learning curves, they haven't had any service calls with them. They just sit there and run. They carry all the usual HE lines, too, but today they're selling more SQ's than any of the others...but, to be fair, it is a small shop.

    For myself, they work great, never go out of balance, get my stuff clean quickly (about 35--min full-cycle time) and my guests don't have to read a book to figure out how to use them.

    Oh yes, forgot: also longest warranty in the business.

    This post was edited by Gwarstong on Mon, Mar 17, 14 at 14:19

  • bshangrila
    8 years ago

    At this time, you can not buy a conventional washer in the US, all are low water use, even if they 'look' normal. We have a new GE that we thought would allow water level control, best case it fills 1/3 of the way. Doesn't work well- you have to run more smaller loads so there is probably a net increase in energy and water usage!!. Same issue on all the HE top loaders - that drum looks huge but you can't fill it more than 1/3 of the way with clothes if you want them clean, or even if you want to get the soap back out of the wash. We're actually starting to think about a refurbished older machine that actually washes.

  • mamapinky0
    8 years ago

    Bshangrila, IMO you can't go wrong with a older traditional top loader, they give you a true fill up, you have a choice of cold or warm rinse, it uses enough water to rinse your clothes the 1st time, you can shut it off and soak the clothes and they were built to last. Their also much easier to repair if repairs are needed. there's still older washers out there for sale, not as many as a few years ago as a lot more people are going back to the old traditionals..good luck and let us know what you decide.

  • Letty Proud
    8 years ago

    I sell appliances and absolutely hate ALL HE machines! They DO NOT clean! I sadly had to replace my old agitator that cleaned EVERYTHING.......if it didn't do it during a normal wash cycle, I had the option to soak over night or longer if I wanted. New machines will drain after a short period of time if you pause it. Thanks to our government we no longer have the option to wash clothes in a way that WE choose. I have to wash my whites 4 times for them to even come close to clean....now THAT is efficient! I sell in an area that caters to rural America......I constantly get complaints that they cannot get their clothes clean with their new washer. Of course, I am the bad guy that sold them a piece of junk.........but, I have no other options for them! We do not sell Speed Queens, but I will certainly look into finding where I can get one! This whole argument that the clothes rubbing against each other is what gets them clean is just government and manufacturer bunk. Yes, in the old days of washing clothes against rock supports that, however, they then dunked them into the stream and rushed water through the garment.......you need water and agitation to clean...........period!

  • mamapinky0
    8 years ago

    I just bought a Speed QueenAWN432..I love it. I am a traditional top loader fan, of days gone by, but I wanted a new washer, IMO, from my research this machine is the closest you will find to a old school washer, it has full fill wash, real hot wash not dubbed down, no locking lid, although it will stop action when the lid is open, however a clothespin placed in the back which takes 5 seconds fixes that. You can shut the washer off for your overnight soaks and resume when you want..it does however have all cold rinses, but you can turn the dial around to wash for a warm rinse. Did I mention it has a great warrenty, and its built like a tank..speed queen is taking the heat about government regulations and plans to stop production of this model. They will still sell the top load electronic models with all gov regulations in effect. If your interested i'd find a dealer now. I can't say enough good about this machine, and that's comparing it to old school washers...let us know if you get one.

  • maylingsmom
    8 years ago

    I have the Speed Queen AWM432. I think in that list, the 432 is the only one still available. The others have been replaced with other models.

  • wilma4357
    7 years ago

    Hate my new HE washer can't get my whites clean and bright. Loved my old top load Kenmore. Had it for 10 years. Rest is not bad for cleaning but I can't really tell on the dark's.

  • Nancy Daigle
    7 years ago

    I found my speed queen at a local appliance store and they were slightly cheaper than amazon!! So happy!!

  • Nancy Daigle
    7 years ago

    It has to be a mom and pop kinda store not a major one.

  • mamapinky0
    7 years ago

    I was thinking, ( I know dangerous huh).... before I bought a SQ a year ago I had bought another TL first..I can't remember what it was but I'm thinking a GE..Sparky do you remember? Anyway had there not been a problem with it LOL.. I actually liked it..it had full fill and true hot and a big SS tub. I'll have to try and remember what machine it was.

  • mamapinky0
    7 years ago

    Yes it was a GE this is a pic of the tub.

  • Sheila Harrison-Bentley
    7 years ago

    I hate my HE washing machine. My clothes are dingy and stains are not being removed.

  • littlegreeny
    7 years ago

    Sheila, what detergent are you using in your machine? Is it a top-loader or front-loader? Also, what temps do you normally wash with?

  • Proteus Project
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Letty Proud >>>>>This whole argument that the clothes rubbing against each other is what gets them clean is just government and manufacturer bunk.>>>>

    Incorrect.
    Front loaders provide superior cleaning and superior spinning with far less wear and tear to clothing compared to a top loader. That's why virtually EVERY commercial washing machine...is a front loader.
    From hospitals to hotels to healthcare to prison-laundries,...virtually ALL use front-loaders.

  • alice3671
    6 years ago

    Incorrect--you are incorrect. Commercial locations need larger commercial load capacity so they get vertical space in front loaders. I have had all three kinds. Now have nirvana/perfection. Love, Love , SQ top loader. Sent Maytag HE junk back to Lowe's where bought Maytag because it had "deep fill" choice (ha ha) which went through the horrible regular cycle, then filled up high and rocked clothes long time--for what? Soap gone, wash over, worthless fill. No, you cannot control water level with anything I found except SQ top load. I get 33-37 minute cycles-yes, get beautiful cleaning and fluted agitator is kind to clothes. HE will wear out your clothes. 8-10" water and mfr says it's okay to have dry waist above while wet pants legs below being dragged over "wash plate" underneath. HE's are just expensive rubbing boards. And front loaders have 53-72 minute cycles. Family average of 8 loads x 72 minutes = 576 minutes or 9.6 hours of machine time per week.. For working women?? Run, don't walk to the nearest or farthest SQ dealer. Forget price. 20 years of happiness, control and great engineering. Even detergent amount reduced because agitator is so effective. You're gonna Love, Love it.

  • wekick
    6 years ago

    "Front loaders provide superior cleaning and superior spinning with far less wear and tear to clothing compared to a top loader"

    ---

    A generalization that is not true. It depends on the machine. There are good and bad of both. It depends on what you are washing and the nature of the soiling. It depends on the water and chemicals used.

  • Proteus Project
    6 years ago

    Well, it is a generalization...but it's still true.
    It was a generalization to presume we all have the same needs from our washers.
    I wash animal hospital towels, pee-pads, surgical blankets that are covered in feces, blood, pathogens, diarrhea and vomit. We run 10-15 loads per day.
    Our laundry requires hospital-grade levels of sanitizing and a reliable machine to get it there.

    Understandably, a household may have the need for delicate features, sweater settings and the like...but we just need clean. And we could not be more pleased with our AWN432 TL SQ. We are also thrilled with the hardcore performance of SA8 detergent on all that filth.

    But it was not a generalization with regard to commercial laundry.
    There is a reason that professional laundry machines are all front loaders.
    If it isn't due to their superior abilities, why do you suppose that is?
    This is a sales floor debate, not a real question.
    A simple google search will show resoundingly thru test after test, front loaders clean better.

  • Epialthes
    6 years ago

    Alice. If you really don’t care about the price, and just want the best thing, then big commercial front loader is the right way to go. You need to change whole circuit in your home to accomodate the big commercial washing machine (because they usually require 3 phase 380V or 440-480V power and they can pull 20-30kW for their heater). You also need to upgrade both inlet and sewage pipes of your home because they use so much water. And you need hard surface that can support 1,000+lbs machine (super large machine weighs more than 10,000lbs). Lastly, you need $20-50k to burn for a washing machine.


    If you go for it, you’ll get full control. Wash cycle can be as short as 3 minutes, but also can be as long as multiple DAYS. You can set water level, temperature for both wash cycle and rinse cycle, of course, separately. You can select which water inlet you want to use to fill the drum (there are 3 water inlet, cold, hot and hard). Drum capacity? It can be big as 40 cu.ft. That’s about 9 front loaders combined. You can wash 10 king sized down comforters, at once. You can also choose how to heat up the water. There is also strange function you normally don’t have in your home washer, such as steam (if you hook it up with steam inlet).

  • alice68
    6 years ago

    In 2 of the houses we have lived in there were the HE washer and dryer. Hate them. Especially the HE washing machine. It simply does not get the clothes clean. If you put in a large load, the top clothes do not even get wet. I do a lot of landscape and garden work and my clothes get dirty. Really dirty. The low water levels simply do not put enough water into the clothes to float out the bits of leaves and fine twigs that cover clothes after 6 or 7 hours of trimming shrubbery and pulling weeds. To get them clean I have to pre-wash them in the laundry tub to get most of the gunk out of them. These things are such a waste of money. If you want to get a new washing machine and you get your clothes really dirty, hold out for a non-efficient washer with an agitator. That will get the bits of gunk out of your clothes.

  • dadoes
    6 years ago

    Particulates are difficult. An old-style, deep-fill agitator washer also may not successfully deal with debris -- grass, leaves, twigs, clover, etc. I routinely brush such off my yard-work socks and jeans/shorts before I even bring those items into the house.

  • alice3671
    6 years ago

    To Alice 68

    Good idea but you cannot "hold out" until you find the old agitator kind like the Kenmores we used to buy for example. The government is outlawing the high water choices. And HE is not controllable on the water but that's what dilutes dirt. I didn't know until buying Maytag at Lowe's which was HE and horrible. Went back wiling to buy any other brand water controllable with an agitator. Lowe's said no longer available, government is mandating no more manufacturing of them.

    In fact Lowe's told me the only one they knew left was Speed Queen, but it's expensive. I didn't think so. The Maytag I bought was about $700 and the Speed Queen washer was $825. If you have a dryer you like, just buy the Maytag washer.

    My son and I were lucky our very old ones finally did wear out during this window of opportunity and our clothes are beautifully clean, and I have to keep reducing the detergent to a couple of tablespoons due to the agitator action so efficient. We are so happy, in love with the SQ AWN. (Front loaders are okay, but I can't waste that much time waiting while they churn. SQ is really a speedy queen.)

    BETTER HURRY. In 2018 the government is making Speed Queen stop manufacturing the ones with knobs that you can control. Newer ones are computer boards on which you can only choose what they put in the program--limiting choices. So now the government is telling us how we can and cannot do our laundry.

    Alice 3671

  • dadoes
    6 years ago

    Alice3671,

    Fisher & Paykel's WashSmart model WA3927G1 is a deep-fill agitator machine with five selectable water levels (plus auto-sense option). Five wash water temperatures (rinses are cold), and maximum spin speed 1,100 RPM (with choice of two slower speeds). It has a unique shower pretreatment function on some cycles and a water-saving shower rinse option or deep-fill "softener" rinse.

  • quadesl
    6 years ago

    The 2018 Speed Queen still allows you to select the water level but adds an auto setting as well. There are also some GE top loaders available that have similar abilities.

  • Jody
    6 years ago

    I have a Whirlpool. It has an agitator, auto fill or deep wash settings. I am not going to say it is the best washer out there, but it washes the clothes well, and I have the choice as to how much water I want to use.

  • dadoes
    6 years ago

    Some of the Whirlpool (and Maytag) agitator models to which Jody refers offer choices of only auto-sense or a full-fill ... no manual selections less than maximum. Fisher & Paykel has a range of five levels between low and high. Speed Queen has three levels.

  • MiMi
    6 years ago

    This is all just so wrong.... restricting water temperatures and how much water can be used. Not to even mention a lot of poor quality detergents on the market...Yet people install huge whirlpool tubs and 2 or 3 shower heads in 1 shower and can run irrigation systems non stop if they choose. But we can’t do a good deep wash in our dern washers.....

  • dadoes
    6 years ago

    Service info indicates F&P controls the incoming water temperature thusly (of course, hot can't be 140°F if the supply temp isn't 140°F):

    Hot = 140°F
    Hot/Warm = 115°F
    Warm = 102°F
    Warm/Cold = 91°F
    Cold Plus (controlled cold) = 68°F
    Cold (tap-cold)


  • alice3671
    6 years ago

    To dadoes:

    I had the agitator in a CURRENT Maytag and bought it because it had a full option button and all the others only had so-called auto-sense meaning put the clothes in dry, it weighs them and allows only so much water for the load. Salesman said it would not fill higher than 12-13". But it had a deep tub and a deep fill option. Great! What happened: I selected full fill and it filled with only low water over the so-called wash plates. Could not change it. When wash was over, it then filled with deep water and rocked a long time while floating debris came to the surface. How is that helpful?? I don't want a super rinse, I want a deep wash and deep rinse because dilution removes dirt. Folks, look at the tub bottom. Agitator or not, if it has "wash plates" you will not get enough water to wash your clothes clean. Read and believe the reviews of people who "HATE" their HE washers. It is all coming to this and if someone finds the kind that has no wash plates it must be an older inventory model, or from a manufacturer that the government has not noticed yet. But they will--it's the law. They bullied Speed Queen and that's one of the biggest and oldest reliable manufacturers of wash equipment.

    Alice3671


  • dadoes
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Alice3671,

    Fisher & Paykel's WashSmart model is not a low-water washer and is a current model. It does not have a "wash plate," it has a regular agitator with fins at the bottom and top. They have two "wash plate" models, called AquaSmart instead of WashSmart.

    You don't have to tell me anything about HE vs. non-HE washing machines. I've been working in the industry for some years. :-)

    Here's a video of someone's (not mine) WashSmart that was bought a few months ago. Full fill "high" level manually selected on a load of bedding. Fills allll the way to the top of the agitator.



    Here's another of a smaller load set at auto-sense. It chooses the 2nd water level (of five), one level higher than the lowest.

  • alice3671
    6 years ago

    daedos Thank you for interesting educational videos on this Fisher , apparently made in New Zealand. Four observations: 1) Certainly better than wash plate variety being made by major brands in the U.S. 2) The agitator could use a makeover; SQ with gentle agitator side waves swiftly lifts clothing upward and IMO reason it gets cleanest with less detergent and cycle time 33-37 minutes. 3) Fisher video small load said 45:17 time and the full load said 1:13:17. The auto-sensor "chooses" water level, so can it be overridden if desired? No price advantage. Good machine, but IMO the SQ 432 incorporates more efficient agitator, less cycle time, cleaning second to none I've ever used. So if a dealer still has the SQ knob kind in inventory it is best choice. But Fisher would be good second choice, if I had to. Again, thanks for info. Alice3671

  • dadoes
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    F&P has been using the same agitator design for the duration of their toploaders (~25 years). The lower fins are flexible as part of the water level sensing process. They've been on the U.S. market since the mid 1990s. As I said a few posts above, there's a choice of auto-sense or five manual levels (auto-sense selects one of the five). Spin speed is 1,100 RPM which tops SQ's 820 RPM (for the 2018 new SQ models, previous spin was less), and F&P load capacity is larger (rated 22lbs). F&P pioneered the "pancake" direct-drive motor design that is now used on several other brands.

  • Cheryl K
    2 years ago

    Now it's 2021, and I am on the search for a washer that fills with water over my clothes. Wish me luck, I am worried.

  • madeline b
    2 years ago

    Me too. I want one that if I close the lid, the water doesn't drain out. So I can put some water in, let clothes soak, add more clothes, add more water, and finally run the wash when it's a full load, shutting the door in between adding clothes. You could do this with ALL washing machines in the past. I'm desparate, this Samsung HE I bought mistakenly and Home Depot would not take back is ruining my clothes. If anyone has one to recommend, please do.


  • dadoes
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    @madeline b, Speed Queen model TC5 is the closest currently on the market to an old-style toploader but it doesn't have a small/medium/large water level control. The cycles fill between 1/2 to 2/3 (depending on which cycle), or full-fill with the Deep Wash option selected. It has rotary knobs as selectors for the computer board inside the panel. Not sure if it can be partially filled then shut off without auto-draining to resume later, but possibly so. Pull the power plug if not, plug in again and reselect when ready to continue.

  • gigi121
    last year

    GE top loader with agitator. Model GTW525ACP0WB. Labeled “commercial quality“ on outside. I can choose water level and temperature for each cycle. Closest thing to a old Maytags.

  • alice68
    last year

    gigi21: Good to hear. Unfortunately, I will be stuck with my HE for years. Only way to get the clothes really clean is to prewash them in a laundry tub first, unless they are not really soiled.

  • gigi121
    last year

    Alice, I understand your pain. I bought a HE washer to replace an aging 35 year old Maytag. Worse mistake I ever made. After 5 years, I couldn’t deal anymore with the knotted clothes that were still dry in the middle. I choose the GE over the Speed Queen, as the GE had a larger tub. I no longer get angry every time I do laundry. Good luck to you.