Videos have been posted on aw.org some time ago. Here they are once again.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.imediatube.com/videos?b=180

As I read over the Speed Queen website I found a number of problems with the website itself and also noted that the warranty as advertised is not the warranty as provided. When I tried to email Speed Queen I realized that they do not use email. When I called Speed Queen I was told that they would not talk to me I could only talk to my local distributor. My local distributor is not someone I actually want to deal with. Even so I sent my local distributor an email and received a fake -daemon mailer your email could not be delivered - response back, typical behavior for this particular (dishonest, deceitful) distributor. I was not aware that Speed Queen refuses to talk to prospective purchasers or to provide distributors who are willing to step up to the plate. I do not recommend Speed Queen under these circumstances. The only people that I am aware of who refuse to use email are at least 60+ and closer to 75 years old-it is hard to imagine that Speed Queen went to the trouble of introducing a new product line for this demographic group. Speed Queen may have a great product but you are relying 100% on that product never failing because you may find no one involved is willing to talk to you if you do have a problem.

Practigal,

Did you try this link:

www.speedqueen.com/support.aspx#contact-us

It sure looks like you can contact them directly, and I am certain SQ would be interesting in having you point out any web site errors or areas that need clarification. Maybe staffing was limited over the holidays, they are in the US, unlike some call centers, and celebrate US holidays just the like the rest of us.

Laundryvet

practigal, I never had a problem talking to Speed Queen before and after my purchase. If your concerned with warranty (their warranty bond needs updating for electronic control) and website problems, I could understand from a business point why SQ wants you to use their tracking system instead of email and phone. They can track the problem and resolution. As for any other problems (there are none), my first contact is the store I bought it from as they are an authorized repair facility.

>Did you try this link

It needs a serial number, not going to work for a prospective customer. I suppose you could always try putting in a fake one. Serial format is YYMMXXXXXX.

I am VERY surprised they refused to talk to you when you called their 800 number.

Could you elaborate more on the discrepancies you found with their warranty/website?

Have you tried their Facebook page?

This post was edited by hvtech42 on Wed, Dec 24, 14 at 22:30

Trust me, Speed Queen was absolutely positively not interested in hearing about any of the errors on their website. I did call them directly. They did not want to talk to me; they wanted me only to communicate through my distributor. I tried to explain to the woman that the problems with their website is not my distributor's problem; my distributor is responsible solely for my distributors website. She couldn't be bothered. She transferred me to another phone number and that person certainly did not call back. If you read the warranty that they are advertising on the suspension system (which is referenced in some places but not in others, does it really exist or is it only an option?), electronic and mechanical controls, and then read the warranty you will see that they are not saying that. I saw that someone else thought that their warranty on the transmission was incorrectly stated too but I'm not quite clear on that. The warranty also references a warranty transfer is there a procedure? There were some dumb errors to like 60 spm v 68 spm elsewhere.saying that there were no rear leveling legs when the manual clearly makes reference to leveling legs. Just easy to fix garbage that they should've wanted cleaned up. On top of this, "my" distributor is quite the game player. I really have lost all respect for this company. I do not intend to try to contact them online by putting in a fake serial number. I am sure that they feel that they can make enough sales elsewhere. And they will deal with any warranty problems via the phone where there will be no written records so they'll look really nice on paper...My only regret is that I have been waiting for these models to come out and now instead of being one of the first purchasers, I know I'm not going to be buying any Speed Queen product as I just don't trust them enough to pay what will be a premium price for the machine that I wanted.. It's just been a colossal waste of time.
Deep breath...now onto something productive.

Practigal,

I may have a contact or two at SQ, I'll try to pass along your concern through another avenue, or at least alert them to this thread. Even if they lost a sale by causing you displeasure from the buying, or at least prospective buying experience, the feedback should improve it for future customers by having a better understanding of where they failed you. They are really always trying to delight their customers. They owe you an apology, hopefully they will be able to win you back.

Laundryvet

@practigal - Good that you posted this experience. Who needs that type of aggravation even before buying.

I'd go even farther. These days, I would never consider buying a major appliance from a brand that doesn't offer tech support by phone. Perhaps I've been spoiled by even the toilet brand I bought offers tech support over the phone for small repairs. So does the water filter.

Since you're looking at SQ you likely want a top loader. I personally would not go back to that. Front loaders do an excellent job and clothes require far less time in the dryer due to the high speed spin.

I can wash a tiny load or a large load as well as clothes that would not do well with a wringer.

Just a thought for you.

I had a Speed Queen front loader in my old house and their customer service was some of the best I've dealt with in my life. No exaggeration. This was probably an anomaly. Either that or they've gone seriously downhill. Let's hope it's the former. I hope that laundryvet can help you and was just a case of someone having a bad day.

rococogurl: I don't see anywhere that says they don't have tech support over the phone. This was pre sales questions, not tech support. I'm not trying to dispute that practigal's experience with them was pathetic, because it absolutely was, but there is a difference. Also... the vast majority of appliance manufacturers do not have significant tech support over the phone for customers. Yes they will be able to advise you on use and care/troubleshooting procedures and programming, but stuff that actually needs disassembly... forget it. A manufacturer that actually walks people through DIY repairs is the exception, not the rule. Most manufacturers have tech lines, but only technicians are allowed to call those, not customers.

And yes the SQ front loader is much better than their top loader. Though both machines are so much more durable and repairable than most of the garbage being sold today. Miele is another good choice with more cycle flexibility than SQ. Capacity will be an issue for many though.

This post was edited by hvtech42 on Thu, Dec 25, 14 at 19:36

To: practigal and rococogurl
You two make a great tag team for trying to make Speed Queen out to be something other than a top-notch manufacturer of the most reliable and longest lasting laundry products on the market. There may be a temporary problem with their website, but; you can probably go to any local retailer in your area that carries the brand and be assured that they will clarify any service and warranty questions you may have. Is there some other agenda at work here?

Prior to purchasing my FL SQ in 2012, I had multiple conversations with the SQ home office, all the way to engineering. This was as a prospective customer.

Since purchasing my units I haven't had any need to call.

I've always found corporate SQ very kind and customer focused.

No hidden agenda. Far from it, I was really excited because I loved the new look. I am/was just really shocked at the run around.

Kitchenkat...impuning my integrity, that is quite inappropriate of you. You need to consider the possibility that I have accurately related all that has transpired. It is nice that you are protecting their reputation but they need to continue to earn a good reputation....

Actually I can see where kitchenkat is coming from. It almost seems as if your story is made up. I'm not accusing you of doing that and I don't think you did, but please understand it goes against the experiences pretty much everyone else has had with Speed Queen/Alliance. Including people who have actually bought the products and have first hand experience with them.

I now see the discrepancies you point out but most seem fairly minor and nitpicky, certainly not anything that would influence whether or not the product is worth buying. They should be fixed and SQ's response to you should have been better, but the situation doesn't seem to warrant the tone you use in your posts and the number of places you've posted about it. You write as if you just bought a washer from them that was dead out of the box and they refused to do anything.

I saw your reply on AW.org to the guy who had issues getting his SQ FLW repaired. I don't know if you read that thread all the way through, but I don't see how it serves as an example of bad customer service on SQ's part at all. Actually, to me it seemed just the opposite: SQ did everything in their power to overcome the poor treatment he was getting from that independent dealer, including sending out a multi housing tech who doesn't even normally work on single family residential washers.

You've written on this forum in the past about strict Energy Star guidelines that restrict machines to using very small quantities of water and how consumers have little input into them. If you want to boycott Speed Queen, fine, no skin off my back, but be prepared to own a machine that conforms tightly to these regulations and makes it difficult to get around them in the occasion you may want to.

There are many agendas on this forum. Many. None coming from me. I am entitled to my opinions and we are here to exchange experience and information.

If you want to conjure up some nefarious agenda over a washing machine knock yourself out. But you're wasting your time on me.

I recommended this earlier and you didn't respond to it, but I think you should post your concerns on their Facebook page. They seem to be nice and helpful to people there. When you do that I would also mention your poor experience on the phone with them.

Sorry, but I don't maintain a facebook account....I wish SQ all the best, but the way they have chosen to do business is not something that I recommend.....You are correct, in noting that the issue is not so much SQ as it is/was sending me to my local dealer. I did try to tell the woman at SQ that was not going to work, but she refused to take delivery of that issue either. In the aw.org post, SQ did hear about/is now really clear on the problem with at least one local dealer...I am unwilling to go through with what that gentleman has gone through trying to get his machine serviced while under the warranty and I am 99% certain that, should servicing be required, I would be in the same position that he is in.

I have always had great response from Speed Queen and have been absolutely thrilled with my top load washer and dryer set I purchased 3 years ago. In fact, I love them so much I ordered another exact set for my sewing studio. I have had many expensive and fancy washers in my day, including front loaders, and I prefer the simple mechanical control top load washer and dryer.

I do know from the business that we ordered them from that Speed Queen is basically shut down through Christmas and New Years. In my attempt at comparing prices, one appliance business was not able to obtain pricing from their distributor until after New Years, but the one close to home (and from whom we ordered from) was able to obtain pricing by the next day.

My guess is you've had the unfortunate experience of dealing with a poor distributor, or someone who is not their normal staff during the Christmas holiday. My set won't be arriving until after New Years due to the Christmas season.

It is not unusual for many U.S. businesses to take a two week break from Christmas to New Years.

I once was too rough on one of my washer dials and stripped it. Speed Queen immediately sent new knobs...at no charge. I've never had great response like that from any other major appliance company, other than BlueStar.

Not on Facebook? No problem. You can also contact Speed Queen through their YouTube account.

MRB

I thought everyone knows during Christmas/New Year holidays, it is very likely businesses are short handed. Some business may use temp workers to file calls who only follow basic procedures.

What is the big deal of not getting information during this period? why don't you call again may be after holidays.

When we were researching for washer and dryer, we got SQ phone number from their website and called a couple of times for detailed information. Our conversations covered mechanical, electrical, design, material, application, warranty...etc. areas. SQ customer support folks were very knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. We have been very happy since we bought our set 3 years ago. Of course, we never have needs to call them after the purchase.

I doubt SQ needs us happy customers to protect their reputation. In my mind, they have already established sterling track record with their products, performance, and customer service.

"When I called Speed Queen I was told that they would not talk to me I could only talk to my local distributor." XOXO

It's telling that rococogurl believes everybody else on this forum has an agenda, but not her. She only has her opinion and desire to exchange experience and information.

I submit that nobody here has "an agenda." Everybody is expressing their own opinions, exchanging experiences, and information.

Get off your high horse.

I am sure these machines will be very well built, but it looks like they have no onboard water heater. Seems like a huge omission at these price points.

I am sure these machines will be very well built, but it looks like they have no onboard water heater. Seems like a huge omission at these price points.

Re: heater,

I had a unit with an internal heater on it once. Used it maybe twice in three years. If I recall correctly it would heat to 165F or thereabouts. It added a long time to the cycle time (at 120V), and churning through laundry for a household of 6 was my priority. As such, my personal opinion is that heaters may be an overrated feature in the home market, at least for the utility I experienced from it. If you work in health care professionally, it might make sense, to kill the bugs you might be bringing back home from work. Another case may be allergies to certain linen microbes. Otherwise a 125-130F hot wash with modern detergents does a pretty good job on virtually every item for cleaning purposes.

Hot, hot water is tough on the fibers that make up garments, which will wear them out sooner than with lower temperature cleansing. Cleaning at low temps (energy savings) and linen life gains are the two primary benefits of ozone washing justification in commercial applications. Not to mention, thermal cycling is tough on electronics and polymers. Longest machine life would certainly follow lower operating temperatures.

If you feel your situation requires an internal heater to attain the required temperatures you want for washing, by all means get a unit equipped with one. Laundry equipment is a big investment and you will need to be happy with your appliances.

Laundryvet

SQ sold front loaders with internal heaters for many years. That's the model I used to have. They discontinued it because nobody bought it. You can't really blame them for that. Think about it, how do the rest of the rest of the manufacturers upsell people to models with heaters? They use buzzwords like "STEAM". SQ had no such plan because it is not the way they operate. I could go on and on all day about excellent appliances and features in appliances that were discontinued because consumers were too stupid to realize their benefits.

However I disagree with the above post about the utility of heaters in home laundry. It is more about cleaning clothes than killing germs. When it comes to heavily soiled loads, hot water does much better. It is very difficult to get truly hot water into a front loader without a heater, much less maintain that temperature throughout the whole wash period.

Onboard water heaters are very much useful on washing machines ... but unfortunately are somewhat crippled by how the (U.S.) manufacturers utilize them ONLY for high-temp sanitizing or steam cycles. They'd be much more useful if lower temp settings also triggered the heater to provide a profile wash (start at cold, heat to warm), and to maintain or boost the warm temperature on a fill scenario that ends up essentially cold due to plumbing distance and thermal absorption.

I hadn't visited the SQ website in a long time. It looks like they are in a bit of a renaissance with with their website and their residential products. More like major changes! Given these aspects, I can see where they might not be on their game with customer support until their in-house training gets completed as well adjusting to their new products. Sure looks like they are going after the residential market with a vengeance.

I like what I see, and will keep them in mind to review when our Miele set fails. I do like the fact that Speed Queen is a US company, and it appears they've taken styling a bit more seriously as the past units were rather staid.

Happy New Year All!

To sum up the new SQ 2015 Front Load Washer:
- Increased size from 2.84 to 3.42 CuFt.
- Dynamic Balanced Spin added
- Increased Spin G's from 300 to 400
- Increased cycle selection allowing more agitation time during wash cycle
- Pre wash cycle added
- Soak Cycle added
- Best warranty in the industry

Most of my clothes' washing instruction labels with the exception of cotton under garments recommend cold or warm water. And the ones that do recommend hot water are requiring tap hot. So I have no need for the washer to heat the water. Thus the lack of this option is not an issue for me. Plus hot water causes the cotton garments to shrink. And what you lack in hot water wash you can make up for in wash time.

Seems Speed Queen hit most of the sweet spots for their 2015 upgrade.

@SanDiego_Steve,

Are you a Speed Queen rep? If so, do you know whether the new FL machines have a heating element? Thanks.

I'm not Steve, but the 2015 Speed Queen front load washers will NOT have an internal heater.

@markb ,

Thanks for the info. Well, SQ is off the potential replacement list. No heating heating element = not interested. Too bad.

SQ Website says 440G not 400G, up almost 50% from old 300G. Also, other cycles for bulky and favorite shown on electronic model. Take a look at the control detail, quite a bit of flexibility.

Also, default normal wash is 45 min (it's lit up in the picture that way); 52 min with 3rd (extra) rinse (that's about what it adds on my SQ FLW when I select extra rinse). Cycle time inside of a drying cycle, not a bad idea if you have a lot of laundry to plow through.

Hvtech, I can see your point if laundry room is a long way from water heater, mine is 10 feet, so not an issue for me. In regards to dynamic water bath temp control, it is an important option in heavy duty commercial machines with a thermistor in the tub, regulating to about +\-5 degree. I suppose the right US home consumer could find utility in this, but the DOE has extensive data that shows Warm wash dominates for most home consumer washes. I have never run a cold wash, I suppose because our water can be crazy cold in the winter drawing from a frozen lake at times. In my house, it's 95% warm, but I don't have a job, or a spouse in a job, that gets very dirty. Only the nastiest work out clothes, socks, and stinky tennis shoes get the hot wash.

Should be in stores soon if on the SQ website. April date probably a general availability so people don't complain if their dealer does not have stock, and as you can imagine, they need to restock every retailer of their equipment. Some retailers will likely have some sooner IMHO. Call your local dealer, he may have an order in already and would have a firmer delivery date. There should be some actual owner reviews soon.

>Most of my clothes' washing instruction labels with the exception of cotton under garments recommend cold or warm water. And the ones that do recommend hot water are requiring tap hot. So I have no need for the washer to heat the water. Thus the lack of this option is not an issue for me. Plus hot water causes the cotton garments to shrink. And what you lack in hot water wash you can make up for in wash time.

Screw the labels, we rarely follow their suggestions. Many heater users also have stuff that says cold or warm only. I'm not saying that you should ALWAYS do hot washes, but following care labels is not always going to get you the best possible results when it comes to laundry.

>Hvtech, I can see your point if laundry room is a long way from water heater, mine is 10 feet, so not an issue for me

OK, but have you tried measuring the temp after the clothes have been tumbling for a while? The problem is that the water to clothes ratio in a front loader is super low. Water that started out hot or warm isn't necessarily going to stay that way for long. In my testing the water temp drops FAST in mine without the heater engaged.

I agree with dadoes that heaters have not usually been implemented in American front loaders the best possible way. Still, I think that having one is better than not having one at all.

Heaters are now mostly a useless marketing feature. The way they are implemented now people will rarely use them because few fabrics can take "sanitize" cycles. Some of the old solid-door Maytag Neptunes had heaters, and they were used on all cycles (including regular warm wash) to keep the water from cooling off. Common sense.

Onboard water heaters are not a newfangled thing on the U.S. market. Bendix/Philco, Whirlpool/Kenmore, and possibly GE and Maytag had water heating (in the case of Whirlpool/Kenmore, both gas and electric models) on some frontloader models in the 1950s and 1960s.

>Heaters are now mostly a useless marketing feature. The way they are implemented now people will rarely use them because few fabrics can take "sanitize" cycles

I've never run into a situation where I wanted/needed to use the allergen or sanitize cycle but didn't because the fabric couldn't handle it. Unless you follow those stupid care labels LOL, then you'd never be able to use it. As I said already I would prefer that they did run in all cycles on modern machines, however they are still far from a a marketing gimmick.

This post was edited by hvtech42 on Tue, Jan 6, 15 at 9:44

I have a year old Whirlpool Duet front loader with a built in heater.
The heater is utilized in the sanitize and steam cycles but it is also used in the white and towel cycles to keep the water hot. The incoming water temps are not "dumbed" down in those cycles and if set to hot, only hot water is let in during the fill. The normal cycle does reduce the fill temps. So far I'm very happy with the versatility this machine offers.

I have to agree, I wish the new SP FL had a internal heater. I had the first generation of HE3T and the heater did work in some of the cycles, to keep warm water warm and hot water hot...I loved that washer. I used the sanitary cycle all the time, especially in the winter when one of us were sick with the flu or cold. I didnt care about the long wash times. I could program it to start at night and be done first thing in the morning. It lasted me 10 yrs of good service. I never had mold mildew smell in it, never left the door open on it either. I rarely was in cold, except black jeans....everything else warm and hot, no problems with shrinking, or fading and such