anchoralumna - we are looking at the top loader awn432. Which one did you get?

Thanks for the additional pix, socks. Looks like a full tub of water to me!

MRB

AWN432!

Hi Socks, read all the posts and some will tell you how to adjust the water level. I love my Speed Queen, it's the closest thing to what I consider a real washing machine.

I wound up not needing it, but I found a video on how to adjust the water level on YouTube!

I'll write at more length later as we have some issues to sort out, but last week we installed the new stacked SQ ATEE9A front loaders -- this is the model that just replaced the ATE50. I went from a pair of 18 year old Kenmore top loaders into the 21st century in a flash. So far, it is an amazing machine. It escapes me why these are such rare birds. The footprint is just 27 wide by 28 deep, and it is a workhorse. Fast, too. After hearing such horror stories about washing machines today, especially the FLs, it has been such a relief to get this fine piece of machinery. SQ isn't cheap, but I'm starting to believe they really are "all that."

I just purchased the top loader awn432 yesterday, I am using the extra rinse when I do the laundry. How long should the pause be from the spin to when the extra rinse starts?

I wasn't even aware that there was a pause until the other day. I think it's a few minutes...maybe 3? I tend to go do something else while it washes and don't pay attention.

From Speed Queen's Facebook page today (regarding the full tub of water question so many of us had):

I've thought about getting a SQ from time to time, as they use the most water, have the quickest cycle times, and it seems it would be the most reliable. The thing that has always held me back is the small tub size. How do you wash things like bathroom rugs in such a small tub?

Aside from this, the thing I hate about all modern washing machines is that they don't have a warm water rinse. We have very cold well water, and sometimes I need to run a load through a second time to get all of the detergent out.

If you have kids and need to do a lot of laundry, then you need to be sure a SQ is what you want. I just bought mine day before yesterday and I am happy. But there is just my husband and me. I do love it because he is a welder and wears Carhart shirts and jeans to work. They came out very clean.

"very cold well water"

Have your plumber install a thermal mixing valve to raise your cold water temperature to 75 degrees and your problem would be solved.

Here is a video I found...

What is the point of the video? How to over-ride the lock feature so a person can watch the whole cycle? (My old washer did that without any fancy button-pushing. I was always afraid the cat would fall in!)

mrb6228, this is interesting. I like being able to look in when the water is running to make sure I put enough detergent. I guess I am just old fashioned like that.

I agree, maylingsmom. I would not mind overriding the lock. I put bluing into my whites the other day...it's better to do that while the wash is agitating....or course it's best to mix it into a bucket of water first, but that's one step too many for me.

I'm fine with the tub size. I don't have comforters to wash, so no problem.

There is no lock on this machine. What makes you think there is a lock?

MRB

Probably just meant override the part that stops the fill/wash when you lift the lid. Not actually a lock.

Oh of course, there is no lock. I can lift the lid about 1" when it's washing to see a little. Haven't tried to lift on spin though, but I guess there is no lock there, it just stops spinning?

SQ TLW stops spinning within 10 seconds. Not advised to access rotating basket when turning.

Laundryvet

My other machine I could lift the lid all the way when it was filling. It continued to fill. I liked that because I could add the detergent under the flow of water and watch to see the amount of suds. I would like to be able to do that with this machine. But if that is the only "complaint" I have then it is really nothing at all ;)

MRB--just curious, what is your interest here? Do you have the new machine or what?

Socks, MRB is quiet knowledgeable on Speed Queens and washers in general. Don't knock it.

My question was only friendly curiosity, and I had no intention to "knock" anything at all.

Maylingsmom

My guess is it somehow relates to the added spray rinse function during spin, maybe saw something they (SQ or UL) didn't like if it could fill with the lid open in certain conditions.

Laundryvet

Socks, I apologize.

Awwww....you're the BEST! :-) Have a pleasant weekend.

While I'm a big fan of Speed Queen, they really missed the mark with their "spray rinse" design. As it appears that the tub leans to the right, the spray from the fill flume never comes into contact with the clothes, only the bottom of the tub. I'm thinking a redesign is in order. The flume should be directly mounted to the tub as opposed to the cabinet.

I have the awn432 and it has a regular fill rinse. I haven't tried the spray rinse yet. I don't know that I will. I had it in the GE and didn't like it.

I love the spray rinse, seems fine to me. There could be detergent in the clothing still, but I cannot tell.

I am considering upgrading to the current FL model with rear controls. I have the Speed Queen Imperial FL machines now. They are GREAT machines, but the gadget freak in me longs for something new...

MRB

Anyone else now have the new Speed Queen top loader? Feedback? I'm nervous...we all knew the HE re-design was coming. Trying to decide if I should look for an old model or just get the new. I want full-water tub option, ability to open the lid when in use, quiet as before, and reliable as before.

I just got it, the electronic model. You can do eco for a full wash & spin rinse which seems to work fine. It does spin hard in the eco, a cycle I like because we are in a water crisis, but some things can get wrinkly in eco (a small price to pay in order to save water). It has other cycles which do a full wash/full regular rinse. You can open the lid anytime, but any action does stop when you do open it. You can crack the lid 1" to peek in when it's washing.

It's really not very water-saving except for the eco wash mode. You do use HE detergent. It's quiet enough to me, and it's in the house.

The machine does make a BONK noise when it starts the eco cycle. I'll have to ask DH if he thinks that sounds right. I posted pictures on March 25, above.

Contact Speed Queen about the sound. I don't have your model but I'm not sure it should do that.

Socks, thx -- when you say "You can crack the lid 1" to peek in when it's washing..." do you mean you can't open it all the way (I don't mind if it stops, I just like to be able to open the lid anytime I want/need. And, did you mean that to indicate during any cycle or just during eco? Sorry for my confusion! :)

You CAN open it all the way, but the action stops. If you lift just a little, you can see what is going on, at least on the 2-3 cycles I've used. Bear in mind I'm still learning and haven't tried everything, but I haven't had the lid lock yet.

(My old washer could be opened at any time and it never stopped working, and I was always afraid the cat would fall in when I inadvertently left the lid up. Luckily, Daisy cannot fall in this one.)

The lid switch can be temporarily or permanently defeated if you want to watch the machine in action.

MRB

mrb6228, how do you defeat the lid switch?

Look over the console behind the timer dial. There should be a hole on the edge of the cabinet top. A small screwdriver pushed through that hole will depress the switch.

MRB

This may help too.

Lid Switch Bypass

Thanks mrb6228. The only complaint I have had (and I'm not sure you could call it a complaint), is I like to add my bleach to the water as it is running in to the machine and rinse the cup under the running water. I could do that with my old machine.

I hear ya. My only complaint about using a FL machine is not being able to rinse the detergent cap and the scent of the detergent would waft through the house when TL washing.

MRB

My only other concern is the size. It's 3.3 cubic. Whereas almost every other washing machine is 3.7 on upward. Wonder if this will end up being an annoyance (the smallish size).

So far it has been fine for me. If we had children, it might be different. But my husband is a welder/fitter and gets very dirty/greasy when on some jobs. He wears Carhart shirts and jeans. I can wash 2 of those shirts and 2 jeans along with the caps. (BTW, Carhart shirts are made of very thick, heavy material). They agitate very well and I can see the clothes turnover. In my old machine, I couldn't see that at all. I started researching and came upon Speed Queen. I watched all the Speed Queen videos on Youtube and read comments on this forum and one other forum. I read countless reviews. If the words Speed Queen are on the net, I think I found them all. I actually did not start out to get a Speed Queen but I was sick of the machine I had. On top of that, it was somewhere around 2 1/2 years old and the bearing went out. But since SQ cost a lot, it is certainly not a decision to make lightly. Fingers crossed that I will continue to be happy.

Don't see the difference in 3.3 vs 3.7. Which machine is 3.7? Most time when they have the bigger tub it only fills 1/3 to 1/2 full of water so you still can't wash a full load as the SQ 3.3 fills full of water so to me it should equal out unless there are some out there that fill full that are 3.7 I don't know anything about.

As far as adding the bleach as machine is filling, you are supposed to wait till detergent and clothes have been washing for 5 min before adding Clorox because when added together(bleach/detergent) doesn't one kill the other and you are left not getting the full benefit of the detergent?? Think that is how I have read it.

Maylingsmom: What detergent do you use on the work clothes?

I use Era.

Forgot to add - I add a 1/2 cup of 20 Mule Team Borax along with the detergent.

A little update on my SQ TL electronic machine.

Mostly I use the eco/normal cycle. This cycle spins very hard and builds in wrinkles. This may not matter for those who use the dryer and dryer sheets, but I use the clothesline quite a bit. There is a pause before the machine goes into the hardest spin, so it's possible to open the lid and get the clothing out early at that point. I haven't felt a problem with detergent residue on the laundry, but for some items like kitchen towels its best to use a full rinse cycle.

The perm press cycle doesn't seem much gentler as far as spinning is concerned; still builds in wrinkles.

But basically the machine is ok so far. Happy to have the opportunity to save some water by using eco.

Not sure about the little blinking blue light. Is the user supposed to turn off the machine when finished?

Socks - The little blinking blue light indicates you are in idle mode. If no keys have been pressed for five minutes after a cycle is finished, the control will enter this mode and a light in the lower right corner of the digital display will flash once each minute. Press the Power/Cancel keypad to exit this mode.

Perm Press uses the low spin speed and that was still to fast? Then no front load will do the trick since they all spin the same. You may want to select the no spin option and hang your clothes out wet. Most of the water will drain out of the clothes due to gravity and then the air will do the rest.