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Thread Number: 7271
Speed Queen reliability? |
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Post# 143249 , Reply# 1 7/18/2006 at 04:36 (6,485 days old) by frigilux  (The Minnesota Prairie) |
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You know what? Get whatever machine YOU want. If the SQ made the top of your list and you like it, get it. Life is too short to worry about it. Since you're asking, though..... Having done a lot of looking lately, I'd opt for a Whirlpool Duet. Consumer Reports shows them to be the most reliable of the frontloaders, they have huge capacity and if you get the top-of-the-line machine, you get a built-in heater, 1,200 r.p.m. spin speed and its cleaning score is very good. I currently have a 2003 Frigidaire FL laundry pair. They are fine machines and which have given me no trouble, but at nearly $1,100 for the new Affinity washer, I'd opt for the $1,300 top-of-the line Duet if I were to replace my present set. Let us know what you purchase and have fun with it! | ||
| Post# 143264 , Reply# 3 7/18/2006 at 08:46 (6,484 days old) by peterh770 (Marietta, GA) | ||
SQ toploaders and dryers are installed in thousands of laundromats, apartment building and dorms. They are extremely reliable and easily serviced. While the frontloaders are not seen nearly as frequently, they cut their teeth in the commercial market for at least 5 years before being (re)offered for domestic use. People saying that SQ is unreliable or difficult to service are ignorant of the product. Call a commercial SQ distributor or talk to a coin laundry owner that has a SQ store and they will tell you different. | ||
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Post# 143398 , Reply# 4 7/18/2006 at 18:52 (6,484 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay) |
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I have a '97 Amana TL washer and matching gas dryer that are supposedly the same as SQ brand, made by Raytheon. They are junk. I realize TL and FL are different technologies, but I will never buy Amana or SQ ever again. This washer eats belts, it is loudly asking for its 4th one, it's noisy, and the dryer was full of squeaks and rattles from day one, and it overheats but every guy I've had out can find nothing wrong. I would not trust Amana/SQ even with a FL machine at this point, regardless of how many laundromats across the globe use them. I suspect half the machines in those laundromats are out of service at any given time. I'm waiting for the day I can junk these, and am leaning towards Whirlpool Duet or Kenmore HE FL's to replace them. I'll be watching here to see the real story on the HE/Duet machines. I bought the Amana pair because they were top rated by Consumer Reports and the price was right at Sears. I have since canceled my subscription to that worthless and very unscientific rag. Steve, if you like the SQ pair and you can make your own repairs, which I suspect you'll be having to do, then go for it, but they'll probably both keep you busy if my experience is any indication. Ralph | ||
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Post# 143431 , Reply# 5 7/18/2006 at 21:00 (6,484 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie) |
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| Post# 143440 , Reply# 6 7/18/2006 at 21:14 (6,484 days old) by agiflow () | ||
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One major difference with Speed Queen though. Raytheon is not the maker any longer. Alliance laundry Systems is. Time will tell how the home models will stand up. | ||
| Post# 143445 , Reply# 7 7/18/2006 at 21:50 (6,484 days old) by mrb627 (Buford, GA) | ||
Updates Coming.
I heard through a reliable resource that the SQFL was being redesigned. Items being addressed were the cycle options and the loader door. SQ also has a 100 year anniversary coming up. Wonder if that could be significant. As for rp, to hate a machine that much and still have it after 10 years? What's up with that? MRB | ||
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Post# 143475 , Reply# 9 7/19/2006 at 02:53 (6,484 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie) |
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Some responses to the information in your last post: 1) The man you spoke to may be confusing Consumer Reports (a non-profit mag that accepts no advertisements) with Consumer Digest, which is a for-profit mag that does accept advertising. Consumer Reports does, indeed, test all it's rated models. It's ratings are not based on surveys or manufacturers lists of features. Only the reliability data is collected through surveys. Having said all that, CR isn't invincible. It took them almost two years, for instance, to finally report that the highly-rated wash-plate based Calypso (Sears and Whirlpool) had serious linting and tangling problems. 2) Detergent doesn't begin to lose its effectiveness for at least 20 minutes. Interesting a Sears salesman would tell you detergent only has a 7-minute window of effectiveness when every other machine on his salesfloor has a wash time nearly double that of the SQ frontloader. 3) Frankly, I think you'd want a pump made of plastic. The metal pump in our old Kenmore washer was its weak point and had to be replaced numerous times over the life of the machine. Of course, it was made of pot metal, so rust and corrosion was an issue with it. Do any machines today have metal pumps? 4) You're absolutely right when it comes to the build-quality of Speed Queen. They certainly have heavy-duty parts when compared to nearly any other brand. | ||
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Post# 143540 , Reply# 10 7/19/2006 at 12:03 (6,483 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay) |
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Well MRB, unless the machines take a major dump I can't justify replacing them. What I find amusing is that across the panel are the words "commercial quality" and I can't see how either machine would hold up in a truly commercial application. My time is too valuable or I'd replace the belts on the washer myself. It's not the simple job that it was on my early 70's Maytag, that is for sure. So I'm just being a chump and paying Sears to renew my maintenance contract every year. I call them at least once a year and usually with just one service call I've recovered the cost of my contract. If I had money to burn (some would say I do if I renew my service contract every year) I'd unload these two clunkers and replace them with a nice Duet or HE pair but can't justify that expense yet. Lowe's recently had a great deal on a Duet pair, cheapest I've ever seen them, and they were throwing in the pedestals for free. That was very tempting. As for Consumer Reports, they may put machines through their paces and rate them, but the reliability info is only as good as what their subscribers tell them, and not all subscribers participate in those surveys. I don't see how they can top rate a particular brand if there's no repair history for them to go on. They need to re-think that. I would not have ended up with Amanas if CR had stated they didn't know how the machines would hold up due to lack of repair history. I'd have bought a Kenmore or Whirlpool pair and am fairly certain I wouldn't have the complaints or the expense of a service contract going on 10 years later. | ||
| Post# 143562 , Reply# 11 7/19/2006 at 13:47 (6,483 days old) by mrb627 (Buford, GA) | ||
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Sorry.
I've just never thought changing belts on the Amana/SQ's was that big of a deal. In fact, the last time I changed one, it was less than 20 minutes. FWIW, The Duet's need belt changings as well. Belts are a consumable item, like the tires on a car. I used to change the belt on my Grandma's washer at least once a year as part of a tune up. Even though the belt didn't squeak or squeal, you'd be surprised how much they do wear down in a short time. MRB | ||
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Post# 143579 , Reply# 12 7/19/2006 at 14:44 (6,483 days old) by dadoes (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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Post# 143591 , Reply# 13 7/19/2006 at 15:08 (6,483 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay) |
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Yeah, it's been my experience with other brands that maybe once in 20+ years on a well made machine did I ever need to change a belt. It was a major job on my mom's '75 Kenmore with "quiet pack" silencing but I only needed to do it once. If the Duet needs a new belt as often as my Amana does, then I think I'll reconsider. I used to do a lot of mechanical repairs myself but just don't have the time anymore and need to have machines that don't require a lot of maintenance. I don't remember any machine I've owned previously or that my mom had while I was growing up that needed as much attention as my Amana.
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| Post# 143684 , Reply# 14 7/19/2006 at 22:17 (6,483 days old) by agiflow () | ||
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Once again..not an Alliance made washer...just a thought. | ||
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