Okay. That does not look good . . . Wow, what a devil of a time you've had with getting a washer. I hope someone else can render a verdict. My SQ has nothing like that on the drum.

Oh my goodness MamaPinks...say it isn't. That would be just ridiculous.

It does look like it though...where are the laundry gods?

Are you going to call your appliance dealer?

Keep us informed.

Yes George I'm calling the dealer in the morning. I cannot beleive this, only thing I can figure is there's a deformity In the stainless steel. the drum has a lifetime warranty, dang it, this can only happen to me lol..1'st washer didn't work, 2' washer was used , 3'rd washer didn't work, 4'th washer has a rusted stainless steel tub..stainless is not supposed to rust. Lol. Maybe someone put a wammy on me haha....another thing twords the bottom of the tub there's a sort of ring of lines ingraved..they feel rough so I slid a nylon stocking over it and sure enough it snagged it..ill let you all know what happens, but I love this washer lol.

I showed this over on AW, seems this can happen if fragments from tools they are working with chip and adhear into the stainless, I'm told to buff it out with barkeepers friend, and after using the machine awhile it should go away. I guess I can try their suggestions, but I have to address the area of the tub that looks ingraved with rough lines. But I love this machine, I'm reminding myself I have a lifetime warranty on the tub...this could only happen to me....by the way AW did verify it is indeed rust.

Hello Speed Queen...get a new one over here NOW

Yeah, have them come and look at it and see what they can do.

I am calling at some point today...should I call the dealer or go straight to speed queen (alliance)? The deep groves running around the bottom of the tub needs addressed also.this is just a pain..but Queenie is staying.lol. my concern about the rust is...its corrosive..I sure don't wsnt it esting a hole thru the tub snd speed queen saying I should have called sooner. Na, I need to call, machines arnt cheap, I bought stainless steel not rust.lol...thank you everyone.

Sq will tell you to start with the dealer. Didn't you say he promised you a new machine if you got a lemon? Corrosive rust is a manufacturing defect. Ding ding do I smell citrus again? If you can I would phone sooner rather than later. It's not you, it's the pitiful state of appliance manufacture

Poppy yes he did promise a new machine, but I bet there will be no new machine but a tub replacement. I did try to research this on google, I didn't run across anyone with a rust on stainless steel washer tub lol...yep only me could this happen to. Lol.

We have high iron content in the well water. Surface rust happens frequently if you leave water around. Barkeepers Friend is a temporary fix, but, remember, the rust will reoccur, it will be there the next time the molecules line up correctly. Doesn't mean you can't use the Queenie until they get it fixed. Sure you don't want one without the stainless steel burring and the rust?

Yes poppy this will need replaced. Heres the best pic I could get of the groov

Yeah, that's a defect. I hope they just swap out the whole machine.

That is some scratching. Did they think you wouldn't notice? Metal against metal, I think. I would ask for a new machine, but settle for the repair and a discount for my inconvenience.

Lol...when I first seen this during initial clean up I thought it was normal, than the rust got me to thinking..geesh, I put a call into the dealer, they are to return my call sometime today. So its a manufactors default..PRICELESS!! Haha

I think mine has the groove you show in your last picture but I don't have a camera and have to use the cellphone camera. I also don't have anyone here to hold a flashlight so I can take a good picture. But I do feel something and I think that is what it is. But the rust is another issue.

mamapinky0 - go here and read these posts.

http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?48718

Thank you may, I did read that on AW hmmm I'm not alone..

I ran a nylon stocking around it..snagged the heck out of it..when I get home ill post a pic lol.

OH NO!! I am so sorry. And here I was thinking about getting a SQ top loader (I have even been looking at their front loader..looks great). I even called SQ, and they said their front loader, when not using the Eco mode, uses a lot of water for rinsing :) Please keep us posted!!! I'm thinking about you and Queenie!!! :)

So sorry about the rust issue you are having. I have grooves on mine too, not bad however and don't believe any damage to clothes occured. They seem to have smoothed out some though.

Keep us posted on the rust situation.

pink - have the machine exchanged, that's rust.

My tub has a groove just like that.

The folks over on AW explained this to me, 1'st the rust spot should be able to be buffed out,(it is most likely from a fragment from a tool at the factory that got imbeded into the stainless) I will try that and go from there, the rough ring around the bottom sides are normal, its where the seams are joined and it should smooth out over time.so I guess I will wait awhile, good thing I have a lifetime warranty on the drum. This does still concern me, I've been told the rust cannot spread to the surrounding stainless, the dealer didn't return my call, I called back and was told he went to the warehouse and will call in the morning. I don't want to be too picky, lol...but just seems rust is not something I should take a risk with, but I'm NOT giving my Queenie up.

Thank you Larsi, and don't let this issue be your deciding factor on weather you get a SQ or not. They are great washers with a great reputation. I think if you really want one you should give it serious thought. And let me know what you decide.lol

My husband is a welder and says the rust won't spread. He also said he thinks the Bar Keepers Friend will get rid of that.

Thank you May...I picked up barkeepers friend today, I thought I had it here but guess not, I'm gonna work it tomorrow. That dealer still hasn't returned my call guess I drive tje 30 minutes and just pop in with pictures lol

You should just in case.

Pink- I just read a thing about getting rough spots in tubs and they said it was caused by mineral build-up but since you use STPP you shouldnt have that. Said needed to run citric acid through to clean it out but I would clean around or soak it in vinegar--I guess. It did say that it could cause clothes damage. Also read on Amazon a lady had a 542 for 3 yrs now and liked it but she said hers tears places in clothes mostly in blue jeans. She didn't have a clue why--said she wished she still had her 17 yr old Maytag that it never ripped anything.

My SIL has had one (SQ) for several yrs now and she has never mentioned it--but then we dont talk much and certainly not about clothes ripping. My Sister had one also and never complained about it--as I said before liked it better than her FL she has now.

As for roughness, he also said that you should begin to see that gradually go away. Mine is not super smooth but is smooth.

Changing out the tub is what is bothering me, I don't like having something new needing torn apart and replaced right off the bat...I also agree with Suburbanmd how the heck stainless steel that is chopped up with tons of sharp edges are going to smooth out over time..unless of course I'm washing a tub full of rocks, there's no way fragile textiles could smooth out a stainless steel razor blade and that's what some of this feels like.....on the other hand this area of roughness is at the welding seam..is it wise to buff it out and possiably cause a weak spot in the seam.. speed queen would have to do that im not risking a void on my warrenty....the rust, I haven't buffed it yet, I'd rather the dealer see it before I do that...I know the rust has to be there due to machinery or tool fragments, but what if that metal fragment is the whole way thru and I end up with a hole there eventually because I buff and it goes away only to keep reappearing and I keep buffing lol. I think its best that the dealer and speed queen handle these issues. I will call again today but if I still can't get ahold of this guy I'm popping in his store Saturday. He responded quick enough when he was making a sale. I did not mention though what my call was about, maybe I should allude that I'm interested in a matching dryer lol.

Not only a dealer visit, but get your contact information ready for corporate. You might also find out if your salesman is the dealership owner if you don't already know that. If there is someone higher up locally, you might have some leverage. You need a new machine. Would you be open to the electronic controls if everything else is the same?

Sparky even if I didn't use stpp I have softer water 1gr/gal...besides my 20 year old dishwasher never had even a tiny bit of deposits, and the hot water tank has never been replaced so its also 20 years old...I wouldn't call this ring around the tub rough its like its been deeply engraved and left the effect of sharp razors. I watched it spin this morning and thought of how when the clothes spin they are being slammed against this area. Later I will try to get a better pic maybe stretched out you will see better what I mean.

Mamapinky, any update? Hope it's resolved quickly.

The dealer is comming tuesday to assess the washer..he told me after he sees it someone will make contact with me and make arrangements to resolve this..I was going to pop in to see him but he finially called this morning...by the way the sears techs called also to let me know they would be here to look at the LG at 11am today ...lol..I told them it was returned haha. And yesterday my credit card was finially credited, I was a bit worried about that. Anyway hopefully soon this will be taken care of...thank you for adking.

mamapinky0: I just looked at the the inner drums of the two Huebsch/Speed Queen coin operated washers in my housing complex. Both have similar "scratches" running parallel to that bottom seam. They don't appear to be all that bad, and I haven't heard of anyone complaining about items getting ruined by these grooves. Both machines have electronic control panels, so I expect they are only a year or two old. Whatever grinding head is being used to smooth out the weld (?) is perhaps a little too coarse. But I guess that, operationally, it does not adversely affect the washer. Good luck with all of this.

Asko, yes it was just my luck that I'd get one that the weld seam wasn't finished..looks like its on all the speed queen top loaders, mines just a bit more crude than it should be.

Honestly I am disappointed in the lack of quality control considering all of the praise SQ has received. Your right, those stainless tubs are crude and not of quality I would expect or demand for that matter. As far as the rust, they can polish all they want, but that will return on raw metal. That's pretty poorly manufactured.. I most certainly would have that machine replaced! But remember as I told you in previous post, these private dealers will resist replacement. Certainly not as easy as Sears and the other big box stores where it's more of an inconvienence for you than them. Let us know your outcome.

The tub is made of stainless steel. It is stainless through and through. My husband doesn't know what rpsinfoman means by "raw metal". My husband is a welder/pipe fitter and has been for 45 years. Of course, mama should have the dealer look at it. My husband said that Bar Keepers Friend should get it out. But the dealer does need to look at it.

And my husband says the tub is not welded on the inside. He thinks a machine crimped that together somehow.

Stainless steel does not readily rust or corrode. There are different grades and surface finishes of stainless steel to suit the application the alloy must endure. It's obvious SQ has used some shortcuts in the process, that's all.

rpsinfoman - what shortcuts are obvious?

I Agree stainless should not rust.. is it possiable that a peice of metal from a tool or machine found its way into the stainless of my tub? And if I buff it out, what if its a large peice of metal that adheared to this tub and it goes the whole way thru and I keep buffing only to have the rust reappear until there's a hole..

Wife's SQ bought 10 years ago has rust bits in the cloths all the time. Lid and outer casing was starting to rust from day one and has progressively gotten worse over the years. Machine works great and paid a fortune for it here in Australia. Around 3000 usd.