missylin, we have the Speed Queen AWN 432 top loader and it has been far gentler on our clothes than either of the HE top loaders we had before. The HE machines resulted in tangled, knotted clothes and frayed edges on towels; we don't have this problem with the Speed Queen.

Thank you oasis owner. Would this also be true for the 412? That is the most I can afford is the 412- which I guess is their simplest model. Thank you so much for this info.

ANOTHER thing I'm worried about is in 3 years I was told all washers will have to meet certain guidelines. The SQ dealer in town told me he does not know if they will continue making SQs or only front loading SQs or what. but they will no longer be able to make them as they are now. If only HE detergent is available- or most everyone uses it, the old fashioned kind will become very expensive- or we'll have to mkae our own. ??

I believe the 412 washes the same as mine; the only difference is the extra rinse button. I use a detergent (Country Save) in mine that has a line on the scoop for HE washers and a line for regular washers. I have also used Ecos and Seventh Generation - you just use more in a traditional top loader than you would in an HE machine. It does not matter if it says HE on the label.

Elbits, I see you have the 412. I am thinking of getting that one, but it does not have the fabric selector. When I called they said that it would be more gentle when washing permanent press if using the fabric selector. If you wash on gentle/delicate things will be wetter I think than washing on permanent press for permanent press. I'm not sure which one to get now. How does your 412 do with wear on your clothing. I have mainly somewhat delicate or truly delegate clothing. thanks.

oasisowner: Does your have the fabric selector? The 412 is the least expensive SQ (though not by any means inexpensive). It it an top loader and no fabric selector and extra rinse. It does not use HE. ARe you saying you can use HE detergent in a non-HE but you use more? Thanks so much. I am so stressed out not knowing whether to get SQ and if so which one.I was going to get the 412 as the others are so expensive, but now I'm worried about gentleness on my clothes. If it does not treat my clothes well, it does not matter if it lasts the rest of my life. I am a single woman, and do not have a lot of filthy stuff. Most of my stuff is light weight clothing or delicate or towels.

Best100 which speed queen do you have? How does it treat your delicates and does it treat your clothing gently? thanks

Sandy808, and others: which speed queen do you have? is it gentle on your clothing? I'm trying to decide if SQs are gentle enough on clothing and if getting one of the more expensive ones with the fabric selector is important. I called sQ and they said with a fabric selector it will be more gentle to clothing without having to put it on gentle/delicate if it is not really a delicate fabric. Things are not spun as dry as other machines I read on the SQ put on delicate. I'm not sure which one to get . Money is a factor- but if I get one and it does not take good care o fmy clothing, then it's a bad investment, even if it lasts a long time. I am so very stressed out with choosing a washer.

There is also(or was) a model below the 412 that is a single speed model.

The only difference with the fabric selector is you can make the machine wash/spin slow even on the Normal Cycle. With the 412 you will get regular wash/fast spin on Normal and gentle wash/slow spin on the delicate cycle. I believe the Perm Press is regular wash/slow spin so your clothes will be just as damp spinning on Perm Press as they will on Delicate. I think you are worrying for nothing. If you have something that is really delicate put it inside a mesh wash bag and use a little extra water for the load. If the clothes are too wet after the slow cycle, you can always turn it to Normal and do a short-fast spin. You will enjoy the SQ and they are also the best machine at handling unbalanced loads--no walking, banging or shaking. For the difference in the money I would go with the 412. HE detergent will work too, just less suds to rinse out.

Thanks, Sparky823. If it is spinning slowly on the perma press cycle, how would that cycle be different than the gentle cycle? . I read that the 542 or whatever teh number is about $100 more. You think it's not worth the extra money then. Do you have the 412? Thanks so very much. This is a big decision and i want to make the right one. My Maytag lasted a long time, but wonder what I could do in the way of a new washer to help my clothes stay nice longer. So I was wondering if the fabric selector or whatever would help with that. Thank you so much.

Missylin,
We own the consumer version of the commercial front load washer. I can't comment on the Speed Queen top loader. There have been no problems with delicate clothes or the way it handles them. A lot of my wife's clothes are washed on the delicate setting.

We owned a Sears front loader before this one. Like most other front loaders, the drum is angled so that most of the water is in the drum's back, and very little water is at the doorway. Like a lot of other front load washers, clothes came out in knots and twisted (especially mens pants legs). On this Speed Queen front loader the drum is a true horizontal axis. The water level is evenly distributed. We have not had the same problem at all. I did a poor job of explaining it, but I hope this makes a little bit of sense.

In addition, there are links on the internet explaining how to raise the water level used on Speed Queen front loaders. When I get pass the 3 year/ 5 year warranty, I may do this as well. With the government forcing manufacturers to use less and less water, this does not bode well for folks who really want to get dirty/smelly clothes clean in the future. I'll get off my soapbox now, and shut up.

The difference in Perm/Press and Delicate/Gentle is on Perm Press it will agitate fast/spin slow. Delicate will agitate slow/spin slow.

I wouldn't pay the difference because they are the same machine plus the 542 has the extra rinse and speed switch. For me, if I want Normal then I will put it on Normal. Then if I need Delicate I will put it on the Delicate cycle. With the speed switch you could use the Normal cycle but put the switch on Delicate for slow agitate spin, but you can get this on the 412 by just using the Delicate cycle. The only thing I see there is if you wanted to wash something for maybe 10 minutes on slow and Delicate only gives you maybe 6 minutes, then you could use the Normal cycle with Delicate on the speed switch to get slow wash but more wash time. To me not worth the extra money, but then I would be washing 90% of the time on the Normal cycle.
I think you are worrying way to much over clothes damage with this washer. If you think in the long run you will feel better by getting the 542 by all means get it. If not, years down the road you will always wish you had. Been there-done that on other things. I will say that I have also over spent before to get the better "whatever" I was buying at the time, only to find it was no better than the middle of the road one. Just a choice you have to make that you will feel most comfortable with.

I do not have a SQ, but have relatives who do and they really like theirs. If I had to buy a new Top Load washer it would be a SQ.

Thank you so much, Sparky823. You gave me a lot to think about. Can you explain what agitate fast and spin slow means? I don't know the difference I guess. Thanks for your advice. I'm going to look at the photo on the website of the dials to see if I can figure this out. Ok, maybe I am misunderstanding. there is no speed switch on the 412. Here is a photo of the dials. http://www.speedqueen.com/home/en-us/products/product.aspx?id=344 Can you explain again how I would wash more time on delicate/handwash? I have overbought before, too and I don't want to do that, either. Thanks again for your help.

When I said agitate fast/spin slow for the Perm/Press cycle it just means it will wash at the normal wash speed, but then spin at the slow speed (to get the water out).Using a slow spin keeps Perm/Press clothes from wrinkling so much. The wash time on the Delicate cycle will be either 9 or 6 minutes--you decide how long you want it to wash--this is for the 412. On the 542 you can get up to 15 min wash time by using the Normal cycle and set the Fabric switch to Delicate, but if you really have Delicate things you wouldnt want them to wash 15 min. For me 9 min is plenty of time for those. Delicate will also spin slow to help keep clothes from wrinkling.

Just picked up and started using our new SQ432, and am very impressed. There is/was a slight snag, and would like to know if anyone else has had a similar issue. After about 4 loads of laundry, the machine would fill, but not agitate. No amount of changing the timer knob to different positions would help. It would spin out the water however. When the clean cycle should have started, it would buzz/hum, until I believe the thermal would cut out for a few minutes. Unplugged, and now a day later, there are no issues. Not sure if we have a BOB (Bad Out Of Box) unit/timer or not. Unit works flawlessly beyond that. Not sure if we should return, or call for 3/3 free service.

I'd definitely call your dealer as well as Speed Queen itself. I'm a fellow front load owner. Speed Queen technical could be made aware and offer their take, as well as SQ customer service noting on your record for warranty reasons. I'd be running more loads to see if this problem repeats too. That is not right. Good luck.

I bought a Speed Queen top loader several months ago and have been very pleased. Solidly built.

I bought a Speed Queen TL 542 several months ago and love it.
However, I have noticed that during the rinse cycle the time it agitates is very short. Seems like it hardly sloshes the clothes around, pauses for quite some time and then goes into the final spin. I often use the extra rinse and that rinse agitation runs longer. Anyone notice this?

Debcz...the rinse cycle is only about 3 minutes long on your machine. I know as I have one too

I have the top of the line Speed Queen toploader that I got last year. does that only rinse 3 minutes? Do I need extra rinse? My laundry room is at the end of my patio, so I don't hear my washer at all. BTW, I bought my washer from an online company that had good reviews online. (Angie's list helped me find this online review site) . They were much, much less than the local company. Unfortunately the only one "local company, the one in the next town delivered to my area .But their cost was over 150 higher than the next two nearest stores which said it was too far to deliver. One store 45 minutes away would have charged too much for delivery, although their price was 150 cheaper. The online company did not charge for delivery and their was no tax. They did not install for free, but I found an appliance repair guy who installed it for $45. Just a word to those who find maybe their local speed queen place to be high.. Check around. It is hard to find Speed Queen. I told the local guy I would much prefer to buy local. He would only budge 20 dollars. Any specifics anyone has to make my speed queen do it's best and be gentle on my clothes I'd love to hear.

Good to see a dependable top loader still made. The reason I purchased my original Neptunes in 2000 was the push button control panel. I chuckled at friends who purchased the electronic digital control panel models knowing how dependable my old maytag top loaders were with push button control panels.
Brother was I ever fooled by appearance. That machine had 2 control boards inside and the push buttons were just switches to those boards.
In this world where you cant buy a furnace without an expensive control board, or a car without MANY control boards, or just about any appliance without control boards, it is good to know that I can recommend a simplified machine for those who dont want to have to worry about high priced self service to what should be a very simplistic machine that has the same basic design for decades.
Lets just hope Speed Queen isnt taken over by the greedy one day and they dont become radically "modernized" by an out of control EPA.

Gates1 thanks for the info. When you say your rinse cycle lasts 3 minutes, does that include the agitation and spin time of the rinse cycle? What I worry about is the agitation time, seems like it's on 20 seconds or so, then it pauses maybe a minute (or more) and spins out the rinse water. Perhaps that's all it needs, it is less wear and tear on the clothes!

Mine agitates for 3 minutes in rinse and then spins the clothes

Just purchased a Speed Queen AWN 542 and ADG3LR Dryer. WOW we are in love with these. Great machines, built to last and got rid of our 8 year old front loaders.

MADE IN USA

Another satisfied Speed Queen customer here also. Bought the washer in march. Model AWN 432 and gas dryer model ADG4BR last month. Both do their jobs very well and quickly too. Can't beat the warranty either. MADE IN USA!!!
Just hope like another poster stated, that Speed Queen doesn't get ruined by an way out of control EPA. Let the buying public have a choice in how much water and hot water their washers use. Were paying for it after all.

"Let the buying public have a choice in how much water and hot water their washers use. Were paying for it after all."

- It has nothing to do with if you can afford it or not, nothing to do with EPA, all of us need to conserve water and energy, since resource is not unlimited.

MADE IN USA

- I only buy GOOD products that are Made in USA. Just put a label "MADE IN USA" on a product won't convince me to pay for it.

AZ Mom, not sure what you are saying here. The Speed Queen is the best made washer. It is very solid construction, no electronics to break (I live in the lightning capital of the US- so electronics easily get messed up) and solidly make. The use of a little more water is a problem, but less water means your clothing rubs together making your clothing not last as long. However, you can choose to use less water in your speed queen by putting the water level lower on your dial.

I did a lot of research when shopping for a washer and dryer to replace a bosch nexxt 500 series set. Yes it used less (too much so) water and yes, I loved the on board heater. I had to always add 3 or 4 gallons of water to the wash cycle because there was only wet clothes slapping in the drum.EVERY THING came out twisted and tangled, some with creases that the POS dryer would not remove, pills, and towels so harsh. And the only cycle that would not shake the house was perm. press-even using gentle spin.
I never had any mechanical problems with them for the 5 years I had them. They were replaced with the 542 and 4gbr Speed Queen set. I could not be happier, laundry is not a chore anymore. Some of the shops told me that a lot of people are returning to the old school washers. They are selling more and more SQ's and having trouble keeping them in stock.
The TL vs.FL debate could go on for ever, It's a matter of one's opinion I suppose. They are many ways to conserve energy and water. Let's just hope the gov. won't have us all washing with a cup of water and a warm temp. of 60*!

Hi missylin, I am a Speed Queen fan. I did fair amount of research before being sold by the quality. I even wrote a few propaganda promoting the brand; it is a little out of my character.

I just do not agree with some people's "I can afford, therefore I could use whatever amount I like" kind of attitude. The limited nature resource should be shared by everyone, the rich are not entitled bigger share than the poor. Conserve nature resouce is our social responsibility, we don't need EPA to force it upon us.

We have Speed Queen dryer, but we only use it for large sized laundry. We take clothes out to dry, it is one way to conserve nature resource.

This post was edited by azmom on Tue, May 7, 13 at 1:43

Sorry azmom, didn't mean to come off like a snob. Not financially well off by any stretch. Yes water is a continually renewable resource. All a matter of where it falls. If I want to use machines that use a little more water, who's business is that but mine ? This sudden "go green" craze is a little much though. If our water supply is in jeopardy, we have a lot bigger problems than worrying about how much water washers use.

Sorry azmom, didn't mean to come off like a snob. Not financially well off by any stretch. Yes water is a continually renewable resource. All a matter of where it falls. If I want to use machines that use a little more water, who's business is that but mine ? This sudden "go green" craze is a little much though. If our water supply is in jeopardy, we have a lot bigger problems than worrying about how much water washers use.

I also researched Speed Queen on many forums from users and the reviews were overwhelmingly positive
Also had an Maytag bravos prior to the speed queen. I Iiked the idea of less water at first, but the lack of truly hot water,lid locks, balancing issues and electronic control board issues was getting frustrating
The machine only lasted 2 years. I think if people really want to go green we need to buy things that can be reused or repaired. These old school washers were "green" before any of this disposable junk we have today.

"Go green" is not a sudden craze. "Silent Spring" was published in 1962. I recall the subjects of "carbon foot print" and âÂÂSustainability" had already been extensively discussed when I was in B-School that is more than a decade ago. Only in recent years, the concepts have entered public awareness.

We do have global water shortage that is a lot severer than most of us realize.

I totally agree with you on buying products that are well built and long lasting. The go green should start at design phase by using renewable materials and easily disintegrated components and assemblies.

May be someday I need to sit down to fully understand the tradeoff between less water usage vs extremely long wash cycles promoted by front load machines.

Even before then, the quality of Speed Queen, and the time savings are plenty good for us to choose Speed Queen.

I like to think that water entering the city sewer where it flows back to a treatment location and put back into the reservoir is greener than using it to wash cars or water lawns. Water usage where it is not reclaimed is the real waste, in my opinion...

MRB

There's the kicker: Water that goes to the waste treatment plant does NOT NOT NOT go back into a reservoir. It goes into a river, or the ground (for a community septic) or the sea.

This is all really interesting. We have had a Fisher Paykel GWL15 washer for ~7 years, but it recently died and I tried replacing the rotary position sensor ($50) and then the unit apparently shorted out due to water on the pump (probably happened when I put it on its front to get to the sensor underneath) and now probably needs a new controller board--since the fuse is apparently soldered to the board. I've had it. I don't want to keep throwing money at this, and am drawn to the SQ's simplicity.

Regarding water efficiency, I realize the SQ will use more water than some of the other newer HE top-loaders, but if the machine lasts longer then what's the offset cost of landfill and materials versus water usage? FWIW here in southern california we are sensitive to water issues, and collect rain water for backyard landscape and gray water from upstairs shower for front yard landscape.

Though $800 delivered is a bit hard to swallow for the 412 when there are some other non-HE TL machines for about half the cost.

The SQ is the last of the top loaders that work pretty much like Grannys Maytag, Norge, Kelvinator, or Whirlpool.
I have one.
Do a search on youtube for manhoot I have 11 videos uploaded of this fine machine in action.
SOAK CYCLE
SOAK, FILL & AGITATE H,W,C SELECT 3:00
SOAK, FILL H,W,C 12:00
SPIN SELECT 3:00

PreWash
WASH, FILL & AGITATE H,W,C SELECT 6:00
SPIN SELECT 3:00

REGULAR CYCLE
WASH, FILL & AGITATE H,W,C SELECT 15:00
SPIN SELECT 3:00
SPIN & SPRAY C SELECT :25
SPIN SELECT 2:35
RINSE FILL & AGITATE W,C SELECT 3:00
SPIN SELECT 6:00

Extra Rinse
CYCLE END OR PAUSE FOR EXTRA RINSE 3:00
EXTRA
RINSE
RINSE, FILL & AGITATE W,C SELECT 3:00
SPIN SELECT 6:00

PERMANENT PRESS
WASH, FILL & AGITATE H,W,C SELECT 9:00
SPIN MEDIUM 3:00
SPIN & SPRAY C MEDIUM :25
SPIN MEDIUM 2:35
RINSE FILL & AGITATE W,C SELECT 3:00
SPIN SELECT 6:00

DELICATE CYCLE
WASH, FILL & SOAK H,W,C 3:00
WASH, FILL & AGITATE H,W,C MEDIUM :25
WASH, FILL & SOAK H,W,C 2:35
WASH FILL & AGITATE H,W,C MEDIUM :25
WASH FILL & SOAK H,W,C 2:35
SPIN MEDIUM 3:00
SPIN & SPRAY C MEDIUM :25
SPIN MEDIUM 2:40
RINSE FILL & AGITATE C MEDIUM 3:00
SPIN MEDIUM 3:00
OFF/PAUSE CYCLE END OR PAUSE FOR EXTRA RINSE 3:00

DELICATE CYCLE
WASH, FILL & SOAK H,W,C 3:00
WASH, FILL & AGITATE H,W,C SLOW :25
WASH, FILL & SOAK H,W,C 2:35
WASH FILL & AGITATE H,W,C SLOW :25
WASH FILL & SOAK H,W,C 2:35
SPIN MEDIUM 3:00
SPIN & SPRAY C MEDIUM :25
SPIN MEDIUM 2:40
RINSE FILL & AGITATE C SLOW 3:00
SPIN MEDIUM 3:00

Here is a link that might be useful: Speed Queen in action

Speed queen is built like a tank! When it if full of water, and something heavy...like blankets or comforter, it DOES NOT move, wiggle or wobble at all. Not even in the spin cycle. You can see and feel the difference in this washer, compared to other Non HE toploaders.

Indeed gates1. Anyone who does not give this machine serious consideration is really missing out.

After reading everything here I've pretty much decided on a SQ TL. My question is about wrinkling of the clothes. I normally line dry my clothes outside. The machine I have now wrinkles the clothes horribly making most line dried items need ironing. How wrinkled are your clothes coming out of the washer?

I am strongly considering a tl speed queen. Is the std size large enough to wash a king comforter? I had a fl that I hated but I was able to fit a lot of clothes in. Not sure if the 3.3 cu is too small for bulky items?

I've had a Speed Queen toploader for 3-4 years--no regrets getting it.

Pam, I wouldn't say that the machine 'horribly' wrinkles clothes. But then, most of my wash is tee-shirts and jeans. I line dry most everything that isn't a knit. A lot depends on the fabric--one set of sheets is decidedly more wrinkled coming out of the washer than any of the others.

Emily, you could probably squeeze a king comforter inside the SQ but I wouldn't. Especially if it's a really nice (expensive) one. Reason for saying that is that I did squeeze a very bulky comforter into my SQ but the rope edging took a beating. Never mind that the tag on the comforter said 'Dry Clean Only'. :-)

Big Plus for the SQ is that I have never had to make a flying trip to the basement to reposition an unbalanced load--unlike the old Whirlpool that the SQ replaced.

I have decided to buy a SQ, after having a Maytag Neptune Front Loader for 11 years. A few questions for SQ owners: How does the Delicate/Hand wash cycle work on the 432 or 412? Are your clothes damaged, stretched out, etc? I do a lot of hand washing loads. I noticed the Hand wash cycle is a separate choice (from Delicate) on the 542. Was wondering if I should spend the extra money on that feature. Hoping I won't have to do so.

Thanks to all of you for your previous posts. I am new to this forum.....lots of worthwhile info shared.

The delicate cycle on the 432 is very gentle with intermittent agitation. No need to worry.

Your messages have been very helpful. The major concern I have about purchasing a SQ are: Will I be able to wash a Queen size comforter?; What condition (wrinkled?) do the clothes come out. Would greatly appreciate any feedback on these 2 items. Thanks in advance.

ger1234, I have the tol top load Speed Queen and I can wash my queen size quilt in it. You can wash your comforter, depending on how thick it is. There is a reset feature on the loads size knob, that you just hold it down until you get the water level you want, if you need to add more. Just be careful that you don't add too much.
As for the wrinkles, my clothes come out less wrinkled than they did in the Bosch 500 I had. Pants and long sleeve garments do not come out all twisted and tangled like they did in the fl. In the fl I would get out a shirt and wind up pulling half the load out because they were all twisted together. I feel no, I know that my clothes are cleaner. Alot of people will disagree with that but to each his own.
Another thing I noticed with the Bosch, the hems of my jeans started to fray, have not had that happen with the Speed Queen top loader, and my clothes don't pill like they did in the FL.
Hope this helps.

I gave this machine serious consideration, and purchase the new model and matching dryer 2 days ago, so far I love it. This newer model does have a Highly Efficient Blower so HE detergent is recommended in the manual . Not so sure what this blower does but I am going to google that. AWN432SP113TW01

I bought the Speed Queen washer AWNE828P113TW01 and dryer model numberADGE9RGS113TW01 about 3 weeks ago so I can't speak to long term reliability, but I notice a few things immediately, both positive and negative. I had a GE washer and dryer for about 8 years and had them fixed about 4 times. The dryer arrived unable to heat clothes and took weeks to fix. The washer broke 3 times, fortunately under the extended warranty, with repairs that would have required buying a new machine if it weren't under warranty. Although I certainly got my money's worth out of the warranty, with each repair I had to go to the laundromat where I washed my clothes with Speed Queen machines. After the last breakdown, I decided to buy them. They aren't particularly attractive but I like the smaller size of these machines. The salesman tried to talk me into a front loading machine, saying I could do much larger loads but when I had him check on the difference it was 0.1 cubic feet, about the size of a pair of socks. The Speed Queen is louder than my old GE front loader under normal conditions but the GE would often make a terrible noise if it became unbalanced and would "walk" several inches from it's beginning position. Also, with the pedestals the front loaders appeared so massive it was like having a school bus in my laundry room. The Speed Queen washer is fast, gets my clothes clean without having to do an extra rinse or two (unlike the front loaders) and because it came with an included manufacturer's warranty, was competitively priced with the flashier front loaders. I like that the appearance is understated because I think all the laundry appliances are unattractive. I spend less time doing laundry with these machines, mostly because the washer is so much faster than a front loader. I understand the water issues are important in many parts of the country and favor front loaders but I live in Minnesota and it's not as much of an issue here. I'm hoping if these are more reliable I'll be able to keep them longer and keep broken appliances out of a landfill. I can't help thinking the front loaders have been oversold. The sales people just raved about the front loaders and said I wouldn't be happy if I went back to a top loading machine, but they were wrong. For me, my top loading SQ washer better so far. Time will tell.

Congrats on your Speed Queen..is your model the one with the electronic board? I have the SQ AWN432, I bought it 12 days ago, there are others here that have SQ's and everyone seems to love them. These are great washers and are reputed to be built like tanks and built to last. Good luck and enjoy.

We did buy the one with the electronic board, mostly because it had the 5 year warranty. The mechanical one has gotten great reviews and had a 3 year warranty. The SQ controls are much simpler than the other ones I looked at. There are fewer choices with the SQ but I rarely used anything but a couple of settings on my old front loader so I was happy with a simpler design.