Consumer Reports has reviews of front load washers (http://www.consumerreports.org/join - $10/month digital).

if you are doing king size anything then Miele and Bosch are out - too small

you would need an internal heater to really get things clean

Just like I suggested on aw.org, LG 5.0+ washers. The WM4200 and WM4500 are their newest.

Miele and wash the king stuff in your SQ.

LG - without a doubt. They are not "bottom of the barrel" washing machines as Laundry Mich says.....In fact, their front load washers are consistently top rated and have been for many, many years. I had an LG front load W/D pair for almost a dozen years without a single problem, and I know I hastened its demise by not diluting my liquid laundry detergent :(

I"m curious as to how not dilluting your liquid laundry detergent hastened its demise?

Available right now?

That's a tough one because lots of models are still in short supply or out-of-stock/backordered for the time being.

For instance, the Speed Queen front loading model, FF7005 --- for which the Speed Queen website has video showing it being used for washing king size comforters --- is listed on back order pretty much everywhere. I mention this as you seem to like the brand. According to some posts on the AutomaticWasher site, new production is not expected to reach stores until next month. They are expensive (even considering they come with a 5 year factory warranty) and do not have an on-board water heater, although there are workarounds which have been discussed in threads like the recent thread here, Speed Queen Front Load Washer . There also are some older threads suggesting that the SQ front loaders do well at holding relatively hot washing temperature when close to the house water heater as in Jeffrey Caban's thread about the very similar previous FL model, My three Weeks and Counting with a SQ FL.

LG does make some very large capacity FL machines if you need to wash huge loads of king size bedding . Haven't seen much discussion of them here, but there is some recent discussion of them at the AutomaticWasher.org site (which is what I think Boba1 may have intended to link to). Also, you might check out the YouTube channels of EugenePallas/Lorain Furniture (from Cleveland, OH) and Kirk Rivas/Appliance Associates (from Austin, TX) as they do detailed video reviews and tests of full cycles. Pallas --- who also posts on the automatic washer site -- has a video or two showing how easy it is to do DIY-work on LG's current front loaders. He and others at automaticwasher seem to think pretty highly of the LG front loaders while other posters there are as dismissive as LaundryMich. Where I live, the extra-large capacity LG FL models seem readily available while it is currently hit or miss with the not quite so large (though still enormous to me) LG models such as the WM4000.

If you live someplace where Miele Factory Service is available, you could consider one of the W-1 models. There is a very long ongoing thread here -- entitled "W1 T1 Washer & Dreyr" [sic] where their ability to handle king size items is discussed from time to time. The trade-offs for the Miele W1 models are that their cycles take significantly longer than the Speed Queen and the LGs (at least those with the Turbo360 system which are reportedly faster than the Speed Queen) and their being like Apple with a reputation for premium pricing products with expensive proprietary components and a limited service network.

@Toronto Veterinarian, well, I am glad you are such a expert on these machines.

In all my years on gods green earth, I can’t say I’ve ever seen a more shoddy product.

For many consumers, who wash their clothes in Cold Water, Don’t Sort and maybe maintain Office Lifestyles, these machines work fine.

The problem is, everyone seems to have this issue with bath towels that smell like mildew. But hey, I guess that’s what a chug of Downy or Scent Boosters are for.

The reality is, these machines are garbage. They are designed and manufactured in Korea and are a Disposable Product designed to sell to consumers on credit.

In my brief, 2 Month experience of owning one, I saw many problems.

The biggest issue, being that the machine ”Water Hammers”, which is a issue that’s been brought up by multiple posters. The crude design will draw a tap line, and immediately shut it off, causing a “bust” sound in the pipe. This is not a harmless thing. It’s doing damage to the plumbing.

Second. The Machine mixes water, despite user selection. Even if you hit Hot/Warm. The Machine will initially draw the Cold Line for the fill, ”sense” the load, and than mix Cold Water with Hot for A Warm Wash.

That issue, and poor rinsing, is the reason most people’s towels are a bacterial wonderland.

But that’s not all.

Many consumers have reported that their clothes are excessively pilled, or even shrunk by their LG Machines.

In addition, Liquid Detergents like Tide when spilled, will dull or completely remove the lettering / labeling off the front console of the washer. Suprisingly, Windex in some cases can do the same thing. This is a perfect example of the poor engineering.

A simple Houzz or Google Search will turn up PLENTY of legitimate complaints and issues users are having. There certainly doesn’t seem to be a lot of Consumer Satisfaction.

Electrolux, Miele make great machines. And their reputation holds up.

Had an Electrolux and kicked that sucker to the curb. It never cleaned the clothes completely and nastiness built up in the clothing. I did not use cold water washes. Did not use fabric softener. Did not overdose detergent. I would use heavy cycle, warm water and heavy soil. It took almost 2 hours to complete the cycle. The neck area and waist bands on some clothing smelled. It finally got to the point that the clothes would reek when the cycle was finished. I babied the heck out of that machine. Always did cleaning cycles with affresh, wiped the door, boot and detergent drawer when done using for the day and left the door open. There was no mold in that machine. Thinking that the smell had to be coming from inside the machine we took the whole thing apart and nothing smelled. Smelled everything possible-hoses, pumps etc. No smell. It came down to it being the clothing itself. Towels were fine because I always used the sanitize cycle.

I now have an LG and it cleans the clothing so much better. I have had to use the sanitize cycle with ammonia to work on getting the buildup out of the clothing from the electrolux.

"I"m curious as to how not dilluting your liquid laundry detergent hastened its demise?"

When it's thick, it can get stuck in the tubing and gunk things up. Probably powder detergent is better, but it's hard to find here unless it's in a pre-packaged pod, so diluting the liquid is better. It's recommended in my washing machine's user guide too.

"@Toronto Veterinarian, well, I am glad you are such a expert on these machines."

Nope, not me, but I do read a lot from people and groups that are. Check out their ratings, and ask about any repair company about the frequency of repairs - you'll find LG are among the lowest. Yup, designed and manufactured in Korea.....so what? So are some excellent electronics and automobiles. Made to be disposable? Well, maybe after a dozen or so years, but in these days of electronics rather than mechanical controls, that's pretty good. Certainly above average.

We had a 2014 LG Front Loader and HATED IT! No matter what I did or tried, it would not clean nursing scrubs. It never seemed to use enough water, and as Mich pointed out our towels did stink!

I was soaking clothes in my bathtub to prewash them, before I washed them. I swear I could have got everything cleaner by going down to the lake and beating out clothes with a rock.

DR Horton purchased our pair and they were included with our home. They probably were not top of the line machines. I will admit that. But I’ll never purchase a set again in my lifetime.

We ended up purchasing a used top loader off Facebook Marketplace. This was 6 years ago and it’s still going strong.

If Speed Queen would be a darn heater in their front loaders, it would be just about perfect. They just introduced new dryers for 2021 and now some models offer steam and sanitizing steam. Their front loader now has a "sanitize with oxi" cycle. Oxygen bleach does not sanitize.

Mich, I also realize the Whirlpools being sold today cannot hold a candle to my 2011 Duet. Also, if I had to replace it with something that's available to get delivered home, I'd have to settle, which I'd hate.

Wow very helpful comments, thanks everyone! I have to say it's about a 50/50 on here and automaticwasher.org for either all for or completely against LGs! I am definitely looking for something to handle larger loads with a bigger size than my Speed Queen TL. I don't even know where to look.

@aubrey510

Why are you looking for "Big" washers? Is it just for king size items? We are a family of 14 with 13 still at home. We do all of our Laundry in one set for W1/T1 from Miele.

Don't let "size" put you off. If you want quality with an onboard heater Miele is the best brand. Speed Queen is built well, but it lacks an onboard heater and the programs are simple by comparison.

It all depends on what YOU want. Every other brand will be a compromise in one way or another. It's really that simple. Either you will be happy with a compromise, and many are, or you will go for Miele or Speed Queen. Sorry to be blunt, but all of the other brands have compromises to meet a price point. Miele and Speed Queen build high quality appliances and charge for it.

@luna123456 I was definitely leaning towards Miele because of their superior quality. I wanted a front loader for certain items that are harder/bulkier to wash in my TL and I like the thought of having both options. Plus FLs can be quite gentle washers if you need them to be for delicate/handwash items. It doesn't necessarily have to be a huge FL but something with a decent size, preferably not smaller than the TL Speed Queen I have.

I have never owned a front load but if I had a choice, I would buy a Speed Queen. My water heater is in my laundry room.

We have an Electrolux, and like it just fine. I would have preferred a Speed Queen, but my husband would not go for the larger price tag.

Aubrey510 --

When considering a Miele washer or one of its other large appliances, threads here frequently advise checking (before buying) for how far you are from a Miele factory servicer or a Miele partner with an MDU laptop (MDU=Miele Diagnostic Unit) in case you need service.

I see from your corresponding post on Automatic Washer that you live in Montana, as I also do. Last year, friends were considering a Miele appliance. they asked me to check for them with Miele customer support. Miele CS told me that the only MDU in Montana was at the Fred's Appliances location in Kalispell. Great if you live around Kalispell but not if you live in or near one of the other Montana cities large enough to have Miele sellers. Billings, for example, is 435 road miles away.

A further question: when your original post asked about models "available [new] right now," were you asking about needing your second washer immediately or were you just trying to limit discussion to models currently in production as opposed to possible future designs and/or used older models?

If needing to buy something right away, I see from your thread on AW that several posters are pushing the SQ FR7 front loader. If you are considering one --- as it does have larger capacity than your SQ TL --- and you need to buy right now, I was told last week that the Fred's Appliance locations in Billings and Bozeman have some in stock but only the version with the stainless steel finish. (The white ones apparently have sold out, here.)

I see several of the other posters on your AW thread have been suggesting the full size and over-sized LG models equipped with LG's Turbo360 recirculation and multi-point jet system. I take them to be recommending the 5+ cu. ft. WM4200 and 4500 models and the 4.5 cu. ft. capacity WM4000. The current availability of those models seems hit or miss for the present, at least here. For example, last week, the Lowe's big box store in Billings which had some of the 5 cu. ft. LG models on hand at that time, now has none. That Lowe's does seem to have at least one of the 4.5 cu. ft. WM4000 models on hand, albeit only in the black finish. Also, last month, the WM4000 models were on offer for $800 but are currently priced back up around $1050.

If you don't have to buy immediately, and you decide on an LG, it can be worth your while to wait until more units are in stock and there is a holiday weekend sale and you can get finishes you might want. OTOH, neither Speed Queen nor Miele ever seem to do holiday weekend discount sales.

Oh, and FWIW in the debate over LG, the LG washers sold in North America come out of a factory in Clarksville, TN.

@jwvideo Well if Kalispell is the only place that has a MDU than it's not looking good to get a Miele if I ever need it serviced. I am in the Cascade County area, so that's too far away from me. That's a bummer because I really liked the idea of getting a Miele FL. And yes, my question about wanting only new models was not for needing one immediately but to look at the ones only in production as of right now. I do want to purchase one soon though so I only wanted to see what was available currently. If Miele is truly out of the question than I might consider LG or Speed Queen (it seems Bosch and Electrolux can be iffy nowadays). Although I really liked the thought of having an internal water heater.

Well, if you decide you really do want a Speed Queen FL (or most any other heater-less FL washer) there is an old installer's work-around which I learned about from a posting by combo52 in an AutomaticWasher thread. Basically, you can add the equivalent of an on-board heater by placing an inexpensive, small, 120v point of use water heater with a two or three gallon tank. Connect it between the cold water tap and the washer. (The heaters connect with ordinary washer hoses.) You only run the heater for the fill-phase of the wash cycles in which you want water hotter or warmer than the washer otherwise provide. If interested, it is discussed further in one of the threads which I linked in my first post above: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6073332/speed-queen-front-load-washer#n=4.

Of course, this work-around does not provide profile washes or maintain a fixed high water temperature for the duration of a wash. For that, your washer needs to have both a recirculation system and the programming to keep wash temperatures at fixed level. Few models do, these days. From what I've seen reported recently here and at AutomaticWasher, most on-board heaters these days seem to work only to heat for the initial incoming fill. Of those models which do have hardware and programming to maintain a fixed wash temperature, most only seem to do that for a couple of the most extreme cycles like a "sanitize" cycle.

Does that matter? Sometimes, yes. Often, not so much. Your original post asked for input on on-board water heaters, I will echo what Luna said above: "It all depends on what YOU want."

For example, some folks want or need wash cycles that can hold a specific hot or warm temperature throughout. I'm recalling several posters who, for healthcare and/or other particular reasons, needed cycles that would hold temperatures like 170°F or 140°F for an entire wash cycle. Others of us only care about temperatures that do not fall too far. Still others don't much care one way or the other.

It all "depends." For example, someone might need to address dust mites residues for allergy reasons. That means (apparently) having a wash water temperature above 130°F for at least three minutes. (Or maybe drying on high for longer.) For that wash, you might start with incoming water at 140° and finish up with wash water draining out 10 or 15 minutes or 20 minutes later at 125°F. You've met the standard of "3 minutes at or above 131°F. Or you might insist that your washer hold 131° (or some higher temperature) for the entire cycle.

With my own rig, I can get initial wash temperatures of anything up to 160°F but my washer does not have any means for recirculation and reheating. I have found that the temps fall (in my washer) by about 10° to 15° by the end of the 16 minutes of washing cycle. As an aside, be warned. It starts innocently enough with participating in these discussions. Suddenly, you find yourself temping wash water input and drain water and realize what an an appliance geek you have become ;>)

For most of my washing, though, I can start with tap hot of around 130° and finish up with the drain water in the low 120s and that is fine for my modest, lightly soiled or stained laundry.

YMMV and that's where selecting washing machines starts to get as difficult as graduate level research and shopping for cars. You have my sympathy.

@jwvideo thank you for that! If I'm being honest, an on-board water heater isn't 100% essential for me. I really liked the thought of having the option to sanitize without using LCB (not against bleach, just like the option to choose). Like I said on AW, it would have just been an added luxury to have it. But my water gets quite hot anyway and I'm truly just interested in a superior quality washer that cleans really well and can handle big/bulky loads. Speed Queen seems like the way to go!

Our family had a LG and it was terrible. We lost so many clothes and linens because it didn't clean worth a damn or remove stains. It didn't matter what water temperature I used or what detergent we tried. It just sucked.

If I were in the market, I would recommend looking at the Bosch series. We purchased a Axxis Front Loading machine and haven't had any real problems, besides replacing the water hoses.

Electrolux, hands down! Best machines I've had. Ten years old, never had a service call, huge drum, I wash king size comforters and blankets without a problem. Clothes come out clean, no vibration. I have the set, washer and dryer. Great machines!

Jane

I bought a Speed Queen top loader after my Whirlpool one died after 35 years. When I was looking at new machines, I spoke not only to dealers but also the repair people who service the machines. 10 out of 10 said if they get a ticket to repair an LG machine, they first say “give it to the other guy” or expect to spend a lot of extra time on the repair because it's difficult to get parts among other issues.

I’m not a fan of LG appliances after I purchased an LG French door refrigerator. I had problems with it beginning at the 2 month mark. Freezer was not freezing but the refrigerator was. At one point I had a gallon of milk frozen on the refrigerator door. Multiple service calls for repair. After ONE YEAR of that nonsense, LG finally agreed to give me a new LG refrigerator. I asked for the cash and bought a Whirlpool.