You rascal! Excellent find. I’m trying to not let jealousy rise up. I did do the AhhSome as well. At least I got that going for me.On my lg’s they both flipped. Those extra filter things are definitely a pain. So thankful I never had a backup! Mine were working fine (except the heavy loads) but I knew I didn’t want to be in a bind if they croaked & I couldn’t get parts so I sold them while still operational & as a set to recoup some $$ after I found the good deal on the barely used speed queen. The washer did make alot of noise when filling- I had the valves replaced under warranty but it still did it.
Got the sq for $150 - it was a single older man’s & it hadn’t been used in over a year since he passed away. Ran some ahhsome passes, along with bleach then oxi clean. & Bought a cheap amana dryer off fb marketplace for $60 while I search for the sq perfect mate
Front Load Washer recommendations?
- Thread starter Ahultin
- Start date
After going through 4 washers(all different brands) in ~18 years I bought a speed queen TC5 a year ago. It works great the only issue I have is the decibel level, it's so much louder than anything we had previously. It's on the first floor and it just reverberates through the entire floor so much I may end up replacing it. The laundry room is down the hall and does not have a door with no easy way to add one. Has anyone come up with a way to dampen the noise? It's level and does not move around at all either.
- Jun 1, 2018
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There are pads you can put under the feet if its a vibration noise deal.
A solid door would seriously be the best option. I have those louvered doors and I wish mine were solid. I have considered adding some thin mdf to the back of them for this reason. Maybe even just a curtain would help some?
I am picturing your new $1k washer covered in dynamat
not sure how aesthetically pleasing that would be though! You could put it on the inside if you’re interested in taking the front panel off- there should be enough clearance.
- Aug 19, 2021
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- 17700
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- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Lots of great info, I figured I could count on this group! Not sure I'm up for a full laundry remodel to accommodate top loads but I'll have to think about it.
Some of us like Chlorine. Some of us like Bromine. Some of us like enzymes. Some of us like Frog. 
I will add one thing to consider as you are pondering. I don’t know about any other brand, but with my SQ, I can control the amount of water I use to wash our clothes. Those energy efficient models use less water and they didn’t seem to get our clothes as clean. I don’t think you can control water volume in a front loader. We can fill our tub to the rim and wash 1 pair of socks if we like.
I will add one thing to consider as you are pondering. I don’t know about any other brand, but with my SQ, I can control the amount of water I use to wash our clothes. Those energy efficient models use less water and they didn’t seem to get our clothes as clean. I don’t think you can control water volume in a front loader. We can fill our tub to the rim and wash 1 pair of socks if we like.
- May 23, 2015
- 24,432
- Pool Size
- 16000
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- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
My Speed Queen has two fill settings - standard fill and High Fill. I like to use the high fill when washing lots of bulky bath towels. It’s uses more water but the towels are definitely cleaner.
One warning about the Speed Queens though - they are powerful and the discharge pump on them is not electric by belt-driven by the same motor that spins the tub and agitator. As such, it empties the tub very fast and continues to pump even as the clothes are spinning dry. This has the effect of drawing lots of air into the discharge line and, if you use too much detergent, it can cause a bubble-machine effect where the discharge line starts to expel foamy water. That foam can build up in a P-trap and cause the drain line to back up with foam. I’ve seen it happen on my machine from time to time. The drain line in my wall is probably a bit too short from the wall flange to the P-trap and so it’s easy for foam to build up.
The fix is simple though - don’t use modern laundry detergent with all of its builders, softeners, and detergents. I use a very simple detergent ( Charlie’s Soap) that doesn’t cause lots of foaming or suds. I also use only white vinegar in the rinse cycle. Clothes come out perfectly clean and smelling fresh. My wife still wants all the scents and fabric softeners used on her clothes and so we have a bucket of Tide Pods for that. Sure enough, if the pods get used in any other cycle aside from the delicate cycle (very low spin speeds so the discharge pump is low speed as well), there will be foam in the pipe.
I say this all the time - fabric softeners are the Devil’s plaything! It’s basically liquified wax and those chemicals have caused more damage to laundry equipment and plumbing than anything else in a home. They are an environmental nightmare as they do not biodegrade easily and municipal treatments plants have to spend a lot of time and energy on treatment processes to destroy those chemicals …
One warning about the Speed Queens though - they are powerful and the discharge pump on them is not electric by belt-driven by the same motor that spins the tub and agitator. As such, it empties the tub very fast and continues to pump even as the clothes are spinning dry. This has the effect of drawing lots of air into the discharge line and, if you use too much detergent, it can cause a bubble-machine effect where the discharge line starts to expel foamy water. That foam can build up in a P-trap and cause the drain line to back up with foam. I’ve seen it happen on my machine from time to time. The drain line in my wall is probably a bit too short from the wall flange to the P-trap and so it’s easy for foam to build up.
The fix is simple though - don’t use modern laundry detergent with all of its builders, softeners, and detergents. I use a very simple detergent ( Charlie’s Soap) that doesn’t cause lots of foaming or suds. I also use only white vinegar in the rinse cycle. Clothes come out perfectly clean and smelling fresh. My wife still wants all the scents and fabric softeners used on her clothes and so we have a bucket of Tide Pods for that. Sure enough, if the pods get used in any other cycle aside from the delicate cycle (very low spin speeds so the discharge pump is low speed as well), there will be foam in the pipe.
I say this all the time - fabric softeners are the Devil’s plaything! It’s basically liquified wax and those chemicals have caused more damage to laundry equipment and plumbing than anything else in a home. They are an environmental nightmare as they do not biodegrade easily and municipal treatments plants have to spend a lot of time and energy on treatment processes to destroy those chemicals …
Fabric softeners, anti-cling, static free are banned in my washing machine. It was a hard sell but I finally wore her down.
I have a Maytag for about 8 years and no issues so far. One washer (not brand) that I would avoid is the high efficiency top loaders. These washers don't have an agitator. I had one and clothes didn't come clean. You could toss a sock in mid-cycle and it would still be sitting on top minutes later.
Saturn94
Bronze Supporter
- Mar 11, 2015
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- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
We have a 33 year old Amana washing machine that, until now, has only needed one repair 11 years ago (replaced the timer unit). Recently, the tub stopped draining. In researching parts, I discovered this machine is actually an old Speed Queen model with Amana’s name slapped on it. The bad news is most parts for it are no longer available. Fortunately, we just needed a couple new belts which we were able to find. I dread the day we have to replace it with the overpriced, unreliable stuff they make today.
BTW, the matching natural gas dryer is still going strong. It needed a minor repair (10 years ago?); just $6 for a part and a few minutes to install it. 
- May 23, 2015
- 24,432
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
We have a 33 year old Amana washing machine that, until now, has only needed one repair 11 years ago (replaced the timer unit). Recently, the tub stopped draining. In researching parts, I discovered this machine is actually an old Speed Queen model with Amana’s name slapped on it. The bad news is most parts for it are no longer available. Fortunately, we just needed a couple new belts which we were able to find. I dread the day we have to replace it with the overpriced, unreliable stuff they make today.
The Speed Queens may be pricey but they are definitely not unreliable. If you got 33 years out of that old Amana girl, that’s a “black-swan, unicorn, lottery-winning” event … you’ve more than gotten its worth out of it. A new SQ will probably last you just as long … you can have them bury it in the tomb with you …
Saturn94
Bronze Supporter
- Mar 11, 2015
- 1,746
- Pool Size
- 20000
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- Vinyl
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
I‘m sure it helped that it’s just the two of us, so it doesn’t get used as much as it would with a family with kids. But yeah, we really can’t complain.
- May 23, 2015
- 24,432
- Pool Size
- 16000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
Oh yeah. Light use helps. I have 2 adults, 4 kids and a dog. “Light use” is only a dream in my world …
My favorite washing machines are the front-load LG models. I got 14 years out of my first one (still worked well when I sold, but had an intermittent control panel issue), replaced with an LG-made Kenmore front-loader which has rock-solid, quiet, and cleans well. It's been at our rental property for the last three years and has held up well against heavy use.
When we moved three years ago we went with a Whirlpool front-loader set. It cleans well but is noisier than the Kenmore/LG and feels flimsier. It's also missing basic features that the entry-level Kenmore offered, such as delay start, which is annoying.
My parents have a Speed Queen top loader, which is well-built and will last a long time. However, it uses a lot of water and is much louder than either of our front-loaders.
When we moved three years ago we went with a Whirlpool front-loader set. It cleans well but is noisier than the Kenmore/LG and feels flimsier. It's also missing basic features that the entry-level Kenmore offered, such as delay start, which is annoying.
My parents have a Speed Queen top loader, which is well-built and will last a long time. However, it uses a lot of water and is much louder than either of our front-loaders.