I do not own a Staber, have only read about them. But I can tell you that 2 cu. ft. is not enough room for a king size comforter. My own front-load washer that is 3+ cu. ft. says (in the owners manual) it can only wash up to a full/queen size comforter.

1) The simplicity of their washers is appealing, but are they DURABLE and reliable? Would you consider it commercial grade or residential grade?

They seem to be well made and have served in commmercial installations (a coin box is available IIRC). They've used the same basic design for decades, hopefully they've worked the bugs out by now

2) Is the load capacity adequate? Can they hold King size bedding and comforters? Two cubic feet seems kind of small.

The inside holds substantially less than modern HE washers of the same outside dimensions. They're more in line with a smaller 6 or 7 kg 24"tall, 24"w front-loader in capacity. Like a front-loader, the Staber revolves the clothes on a horizontal axis, so it shares their low water usage and good space effieciency.

3) Is their listed 750 rpm spin cycle fast enough? Are the clothes as dry as ones coming from a 1000+ rpm washer?

No, it's not much better than cheapo old top-load agitator washers, the ones being phased out now. Newer washers typically spin at 1000 to 1500 rpm, with a few high end models that can do 2,000rpm.

4) Can you use regular detergent - like Tide?

Yes, but I'd use only those with an he logo or that indicates it can be used in front-load or high-efficiency washers. There are many such brands to choose from now.

5) Any other drawbacks?

Unless they've changed since I last looked, they don't internally heat it's own water, so it's completely dependent on having hot (at least 120F) water *immediately* at the hot water feed. If your hot water tank is far away, a "hot" wash will be filled with residual water left in the pipes between the tank and washer that will have had plenty of time to cool down, so unless you have a nearby laundry tub where you can run the hot water until it's hot from the faucet before starting the washer, you won't be able to do hot washes at all. And cool water doesn't power out dirt and stains as well.

Also, being top loaders, you can't stack a dryer over it, or build it under a cabinet.

6) Would you prefer this washer to a Speed Queen Horizon front loader and why?

I'd probably go with the SQ, because of the larger capacity despite same external footprint, conventional front loading, a window, faster spin speed, and the option of a one-piece, one-control-panel stacked washer/dryer (their dryers are excellent with big doors and capacity), and their larger service organization. But they too lack heated water in some (but not all?) models

Good answers!

Question #7) I was told that some McDonald's restaurants use them. Can anyone verify this?

Anymore responses?

I was told that some McDonald's restaurants use them. Can anyone verify this?

Maybe ... - they do seem to value cleanliness....

Here is a link that might be useful: McDonalds Likes It Clean

Let's try this again....

Here is a link that might be useful: McDonalds Likes It Clean

I didn't see a Staber in there anywhere...

Man, the '70s were even weirder than I rememeber them - evidently, the major corporation that is McDonalds thought that commercial was normal enough to actually pay money to air it on network TV...

Over the years here and on other forums Staber has come in for at least as much criticism as anyone else. Note that there is essentially NO service available from anyone anywhere. The idea is that they're so simple you can service them yourself.....except the reports of trouble combined with surly unhelpful people at mfgr are common.

On the other side, there have been a number of owners who have praised them to the sky notwithstanding the small capacity and pricing.

Substantial gauge SS inner and outer drums mean you will NEVER get an actual hot wash with this machine unless you pre-heat the entire thing. No internal heater available. Talked with the mfgr years ago to ask about this and was told "It isn't needed."...which I regard as a sort of a non-answer.

There was a guy that used to be here a lot, Mihi was his user name, I think.

He was very excited about his Staber and posted endlessly about it, until it either stopped working, or stopped cleaning, or some other dissatisfaction arose.

You could try searching the archives (or Google) fro his posts, or use the forum user-name index and see if you can find his profile and send him an email if he has that option avail.

I think these machines appeal to a segment of the market that likes to think of itself as being aggressively uninfluenced by conventional wisdom. Sometimes they are on to something good, but most times it doesn't pan out.

FWIW, no matter what the component of machines (and mine have all stainless innards) the absence of a beefy internal heater would disqualify Staber from consideration. It is the parmount feature for me. I have been happily using FLs for nearly two decades, long before they were common in the US.

L

Type "Staber" into search function at top of the Laundry page. Those posts, including Mihi's, are still there from May 2010.

And Staber washers also appeal to people who are "off the grid".

There have been reports of delays in receiving parts from the factory, surly customer service agents who refuse to deviate from company policy to help you, etc.

When I was in high school and college, I worked at three different McDonald's in different towns. I often washed towels. The washing machines were all conventional toploaders -- Maytag is the only brand name I remember -- though I think they were built for commercial use.

Hey, mihi....

Thanks for coming back. Appreciate the follow-up info.

You're welcome!

Update:

I posed the original question last summer, I asked, "Does anyone know anything about Staber Washer"?

I had to make a choice between a Staber and a Speed Queen Horizon front loader. I picked the Speed Queen - and have no regrets and have not looked back. The Staber would have been interesting with all its quirks and all. I don't think the rest of my family members would have the patients to "lube the bearings, replace belts on a regular basis, along with replacing motors and pumps." They would call me from work and say "something is wrong with the washer." With its simplicity, it would have made a good 2nd place choice in my family with two teenagers. On a side note, I bet you could buy that Staber belt at Autozone if you matched it up.

The Speed Queen is built like the proverbial iron anvil. I don't expect to open it up for repairs and surgery within the first 10 years, since it is a commercial washer for the home. Minimum of electronics + heavy weight components + a proven design = a long lasting washer (in my book).

I would encourage everyone to support these American made products, and keep your neighbors employed.

Although I liked my Staber washer very much from an effeciency standpoint, the model I had from the early naughts was constantly burning out motor brushes and had to have the brushes replaced by the factory. This was a week out of service and almost $200 in just shipping while the motor was under warranty, I finally replaced it with something conventional when Staber said they wouldn't work on the motor anymore. Honestly, it is like the old vitamixers, amazing things but their motors were not designed for their advertised use and couldn't last very long. The design of the Staber is really very good and I hope subsequent models worked out how to make a motor do what was needed and be a bit more durable. Ended up being a bad experience for me, though the customer service people were wonderful.

I got my 2304 model in 2006. Replaced the bearings, skirt and circuit board in 17 yrs. Just ordered the inner tub door springs and the struts. I am not super mechanical but the machine is designed to be worked on by owners. Good instructions are provided. It is a gamble though as motors and wire harnesses are no longer available for this model. A replacement machine will be the 2305.

I purchased my Staber in 2000. It has been a very good washer. Very few problems over the years. Early on the drum wasn't draining properly. It was caused because the drain hose to the pump wasn't supported properly creating a low point in the hose going into the pump. Staber sent me a hanger for free which supported the hose - problem solved - 30 min job. Probably about 5 years ago it wasn't cycling correctly. Called Staber and troubleshot with them on the phone. Determined it was the circuit board. They didn't make them anymore. Customer service rep gave me the part number and said that a lot of times you can find them used on line. Low and behold, I found one and bought it. I think I paid ~$100. (Probably saved myself a lot of money over the cost of a new one from Staber if they still had them). Installed and problem solved - ~3 yrs including the troubleshooting. I have replaced the plastic caps covering the hubs that hold the inner drum on. The rubber skirt on the top of the washer which prevents water from spraying everywhere during operation has ripped after 20 yrs. I glued a piece from a car inner tube over the holes and solved the problem. I did order a new skirt but haven't put it in yet ($80) The tube drain hose is attached to the outer drum using a silicon sealant. I noticed some water under the machine last year. Investigation found the sealant had cracked and leaked after 22yrs. Called Staber they gave me the info on the 3M sealant that they used on that. I ordered it on Amazon, removed all the old sealant and reapplied the new sealant - problem solved. Don't remember how much the sealant cost maybe ~$20. repair time ~4hrs. All in all a solid machine. Staber customer service (I've dealt with the same lady for as long as I can remember) is very knowledgeable and helpful. The machine uses shock 4 absorber type supports. We've noticed that lately when washing towels the drum tends to bang against the washer housing when starting to spin up. Sometimes after some of the water is spun off it corrects itself and finishes the spinning without knocking the heck out of itself. Other times we stop the spin and take out some of the towels and let run again. I am struggling with the price of a new one. I think that it is ~$1700. With shipping it will be well over ~$2000. Not sure if it is worth it. Probably could replace the shocks (if Staber has them) but I expect they will be very expensive.

If you are handy (or even if you aren't) this machine is easy to work on compared to name brand machines. It has served us well for over 20yrs. Still works, just getting a little old and ornery.