Thread Number: 76274  /  Tag: Modern Automatic Washers
Speed Queen LWN432 commercial top loader discontinued?
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Post# 1001037   7/22/2018 at 14:14 (2,097 days old) by jcat (Chicago)        

Summary of my lengthy post: Ordered a Speed Queen LWN432 in June. It took five weeks to arrive from the manufacturer. I love it and have friends who want one too. Today I learned that this SQ commercial model is discontinued!

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Hi everyone. I'm a longtime reader and first time poster. Nine years ago, we replaced our 1994 White-Westinghouse top load washer (working fine, but had a small capacity & we had 3 kids by then) with a Kenmore He3T front loader & dryer. We did little research on this machine (unfortunately, in hindsight) and bought into the hype of the front-loaders being more efficient and all that. We went to Sears, looked around, and picked the pair out.

This machine worked decently for about a year and a half. I never thought it got things as clean as our old W-W did, even though the W-W was a bottom-of-the-line cheapie. The next nine years were filled with broken Kenmore parts, sensors, and numerous repairs I did with the help of YouTube. I became a member of the "no front loaders EVER again" club, and I was just waiting for this awful machine to die so I could justify replacing it.

During the many years I despised using the Kenmore, I started researching what I would replace it with. Speed Queen, Speed Queen, Speed Queen topped the list. I was so over having electronic controls and wanted a mechanical timer and dials again. I decided on the AWN432.

You can probably guess what happened next. The Kenmore finally had a control board failure in June, and I started calling local Speed Queen dealers, only to learn that the AWN432 was discontinued and replaced by the TR models with the terrible reviews. (An aside to Lorainfurniture --thank you so much for your videos and your honesty. I still can't believe what SQ did to you. Your feedback, as well as Maytag's "rollover" Youtube video showing the new SQ model, convinced me I wanted nothing to do with the 2018 SQ home models.)

Anyway, I was really dismayed and kicking myself for not just buying the AWN432 sooner. Then, I learned that the Speed Queen LWN432 commercial top loader was basically the same machine, minus the water level control. I jumped at the chance to get one of these, and I ordered one on June 11th.

My salesperson at the appliance store said the wait for the LWN432 was in excess of four weeks as each commercial machine without the coin-op mechanism has to be built to order. I said no problem - I'd wait! I bought a washboard online and hand-washed the family's laundry in the laundry tub for the next five weeks. (Really.)

On July 17th, my LWN432 was delivered, and I have been in love ever since. It's everything I wanted it to be. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning when it arrived. The delivery guys talked about what a great machine it is, how much heavier these models are vs. other brands they sell, etc.

I immediately disabled the lid lock/brake (thank you to whoever posted the "clothespin trick") so I could watch my new baby washing our clothes. It's -wonderful.- For the first time in a long time, our towels smell fresh, not musty, and I am swooning over 30-minute CLEAN laundry loads.

I have other friends who are also looking to replace their poorly-performing front-load washers, but were waiting to hear if I was happy with my new SQ. I am.

So, I went to email a friend today and send her the link to where I bought my machine from, and my appliance store now says that the Speed Queen LWN432 is discontinued!

I feel incredibly lucky to have gotten one at the apparent end of the line for this model. I went to Alliance's website and looked at the current brochure for commercial top loaders (link below) and it no longer shows the LWN432.

So... for the benefit of anyone looking for a -good- Speed Queen that is not one of the poor TR home models, does anyone know anything about any of these "new" Speed Queen commercial models? Are any of them good or comparable to the LWN432, or are the new 2018 commercial models built around the same "technology" as the home models?


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Post# 1001041 , Reply# 1   7/22/2018 at 15:15 (2,097 days old) by eurekastar (Amarillo, Texas)        

eurekastar's profile picture
Yes, it is frustrating that basic, old-school washers are now hard to come by. I too had planned to purchase a Speed Queen. I found a 2017 model on appliancesconnection.com back in May, placed the order, and when it was ready to ship, they substituted the 2018 model. I called and canceled the order. They have since removed the 2017 model from their website. All I wanted was a machine with short wash times, used more than a "cup" of water and operated with an electromechanical timer.

I ended up purchasing the Maytag Commercial Washer. Although it doesn't have an electromechanical timer, it uses plenty of water, has vigorous agitation and short wash times. And it does what it is supposed to do -- thoroughly wash and rinse clothes. So far, I'm very happy with it.


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Post# 1001045 , Reply# 2   7/22/2018 at 15:48 (2,097 days old) by jcat (Chicago)        

I'm glad to hear you are happy with the Maytag. I was looking at that one too if for some reason I could not have gotten the Speed Queen, but I couldn't find too many reviews of the washer last month as it seemed pretty new. What you said is exactly what I wanted too: "plenty of water, has vigorous agitation and short wash times" :)

Post# 1001103 , Reply# 3   7/23/2018 at 00:21 (2,096 days old) by whirlykenmore78 (Prior Lake MN (GMT-0500 CDT.))        
The OPL SQ machines are still available:

whirlykenmore78's profile picture
They are the old school design and there is the option of mechanical controls. The only thing I could see is the no water level control machine does not show up.
WK78



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