Hi--

Let me start by saying that I do not own a HE Top Loader washer, only front loaders. I would never own a HE top loader. However, I do know quite a bit about laundry and washers.

All HE washers, top and front loading, have long cycle times. The final spins are much higher, and the loads they can handle are much larger than the old school top loader. Higher spins means less dry time, which cuts some of the time off per load. Drying times should not ever exceed an hour, unless the load is huge and heavy. In all honesty, with the newer washers, you just cannot wait a week, and plan to do a ton of wash in one day. A load here, a load there works best for these washers.

As for the mattress pads....I am assuming they are restricted because they are not absorbent, and can unbalance easily. In my opinion, you could wash those. HOWEVER, I would highly recommend you get to know this washer first. Delicate cycle would probably be best, even though it will probably will not let you wash in hot, and the spin speed would be slower. After that cycle completes, you can always run a separate spin cycle to get all the water out for faster drying.

Speed Queen washers are good washers. However, they are basic, and do not have the capacity that your HE washer has. You will still end up washing more loads with short wash times, versus larger loads and longer cycle times. The only brand washer that has the traditional top loader cycle times are the Speed Queen, the rest of the manufacturers have gone the high efficiency route, and the times have been extended. Laundry takes longer to get clean with reduced water and larger load capacity. The HE TL has the potential to wash very well, IF you follow the instruction manual's recommendation for cycles and use a good detergent. Try not to be so discouraged from the beginning. If you hate it after trying it out, exchange it within a reasonable amount of time. Laundry is a big job for most families, and an expensive investment these days. In my opinion, you should only use a washer you love, making laundry less of a chore. I hope this helps!!