Clothes Washer & Dryer

[Drew]

Our clothes washer and dryer are dying. They're both about 10y old, "generic" Whirlpool front load washer and dryer, and starting to make bearing noises. I would love to relocate the laundry in our home to upstairs where the noise doesn't matter, but this is not an option. Thus, I am on the hunt for quiet washer and dryer.

I'm done with front load washers. The kids don't have the mental capacity to leave the door open, and the washer grows mold on the door seal and stinks. I'm tired of cleaning it. Top load washer only.

Any recommendations? I want as quiet as possible. Price... within reason, not a concern. It's easy to go to Lowe's etc and get another pair of (disposable) Whirlpools. I have a corporate discount from Whirlpool that makes this option attractive.

Speed Queen says their 7 series stuff is quiet... anybody have experience with them? Warranty is great (7 year) and we have a shop in town that sells them. I'm going to go see them today. But... they're expensive. They say 25 year life expectancy, which from my experience, is equivalent to three sets of Whirlpools. So the price probably favors Speed Queen in the long run... if they actually last the 25 years advertised.

We don't have major stain issues or anything - I don't expect miracles from the washer... we usually pretreat the kids' baseball stuff/grass stains/etc.

Just looking for first hand experience if anyone is willing to share.

Thanks!

[Moke]

Hey Uncle Drew, We bought our Speed Queen washer/drier set about 7 years ago. it is a top loader and one of their last years of analog controls(so I have been told). Other than not having a coin slot it is just like the ones in the washateria down the street. I don't really know if it is all that quiet compared to others, but does not seem overly loud to me. When we moved into our new place I wanted a machine as simple is it would get because our last one needed an electronics degree just to push all the right buttons. The Speed Queen just has a nob for temp, load size and the wash cycle and no keypad. For a knuckle dragger like me it is perfect. The salesman said he hated to sell these machines as they last so long and are so easy to fix that he only gets one sale per customer. That might have been his spiel but so far so good for us. Sorry I couldn't quantify the noise level, but it seemed no louder or quieter than other washer machines I have used.

[Saab2000]

Moke's experience above is close to mine.

I moved into my current townhouse in the fall of 2019 and quickly realized the Kenmore washer that was in the house was at the end of its life. I walked into the local appliance store and asked if money was not an object, what was the best washer and dryer I could buy? The guy said, without hesitation, Speed Queen. So I looked at various models and decided on a front loading washer and gas dryer. I know you're not looking for a front loader but this is what I ended up with. I'm sure the top loader is very nice as well and has the option of just leaving it open to stay dry.

So far they're trouble free. I live alone so don't use it nearly as much as a family would but it still gets frequent usage for my cycling kit.

I agree that it is hard to quantify the noise levels. They're not silent but it's not a huge concern of mine anyway.

As an aside, they're in the hallway between my garage and my kitchen, which is how I get into my house 99.99% of the time. Given that I leave the door of the washer as well as the detergent drawer open, they're both in the way of foot traffic. It's just me but if I had regular traffic there it would surely be damaged at some point.

So I'm looking to relocate my washer and dryer into my basement utility area. For this I'll have to get a plumber I guess and maybe an electrician for an outlet near where I want them. But it'll be nice to get them out of the way and I can turn that space into a sort of mud room.



Anyway, I'm happy with my Speed Queen. I want them to just work and last a long time. Not interested in design, just function and to this end I think they're great.

[Scott G.]

I've the Speed Queen top loader with Di2 panel that Saab has,
you can also get them with Suntour like power ratchet dial controls for the authentic laundromat
experience. The top versions have a real old timey agitator.

SQ even makes a freedom version without a lid lock, but you'll miss out
on the sound a 2in dia tungsten solenoid firing, ker-thunk.

[AngryScientist]

We inherited mid level maytag machines with the house we bought last year. They both totally suck and the washer in particular is incredibly loud. So, I would say stay away from Maytag.

[funcrusher]

We just got speed queen 7 series washer and dryer last year to replace garbage whirlpool machines. They are built for industrial use. Top loaders aren’t as efficient with water but boy do your clothes seem cleaner. Reasonably quiet.

They were recommended by an appliance repair guy who said he’s never called to repair them when he was trying to fix the whirlpool washer.

Interestingly my kid came back from first semester at college and they have speed queens in his dorm. They are built for 10k washing cycles.

[Drew]

Thanks to all. Just pulled the trigger on a Speed Queen TR7/DR7 combo. Top load washer w/ Di2, dryer w/ Di2. I did ask about the lid lock... the TC5 doesn't have a mechanical lock... but if user opens lid, machine stops e-brake style. So it's the same as the others which can be opened by pressing "pause" and waiting till the machine stops. No more or less wear on machine. The 7 series washer I got has a mechanical lock... so user has to press button to stop and add stuff, rather than simply opening lid, but the machine basically sees the same thing. "No lid lock" is misleading - there is still a lid interlock that will stop the drum in a hurry if the lid is opened.

They'll be here Monday and we'll see how things progress. It was nice to go to a shop where the staff knew what they were talking about... their jive aligned with my couple hours of interweb research, so I am inclined to believe them.

Interestingly... there is a Speed Queen washer and dryer set that has no microprocessors, anywhere. Completely click-clack timer based. Guy said they sell a lot of them to abusive environments and they're bulletproof... but loud.

[pomole]

I have the top loading speedqueen washer with the analog controls. After frying a couple of european front load units we got fed up. We do alot of laundry and The speed queen is bomb proof. Its the equivalent of cable actuated shimano 105- ive needed a couple of minor repairs and done them myself. Parts are cheap and easy to get. It is loud but you cant have it all.

[Saab2000]

Thanks to all. Just pulled the trigger on a Speed Queen TR7/DR7 combo. Top load washer w/ Di2, dryer w/ Di2. I did ask about the lid lock... the TC5 doesn't have a mechanical lock... but if user opens lid, machine stops e-brake style. So it's the same as the others which can be opened by pressing "pause" and waiting till the machine stops. No more or less wear on machine. The 7 series washer I got has a mechanical lock... so user has to press button to stop and add stuff, rather than simply opening lid, but the machine basically sees the same thing. "No lid lock" is misleading - there is still a lid interlock that will stop the drum in a hurry if the lid is opened.

They'll be here Monday and we'll see how things progress. It was nice to go to a shop where the staff knew what they were talking about... their jive aligned with my couple hours of interweb research, so I am inclined to believe them.

Interestingly... there is a Speed Queen washer and dryer set that has no microprocessors, anywhere. Completely click-clack timer based. Guy said they sell a lot of them to abusive environments and they're bulletproof... but loud.

Report back. Definitely curious about your experiences.

[Peter Polack]

Part of the noise issue with washers may be due to low frequency vibration, which travels farther and can be conducted through joints and studs.

One cheap way to try and mitigate the noise is to damp the vibration. These rubber/cork sandwiches are the standard, and used in many large HVAC systems. You want that sandwich design because the different materials resonate at different frequencies with the effect being cancellation or absorption. Besides the huge spring suspensions in rooftop systems, I've seen these blocks in use. Cheap, but get the ones with cork centers and not MDF.

Interesting thread by the way. As Drew and others have found out, front loading washers, while efficient for water use, have mold issues, are prone to leaking, require extra cleaning, and leaving the door open to air out can be an inconvenience. Top loading washers rule!

As a side note, I've repaired a few washers. My mom's stopped agitating and spinning. I discovered the motor underneath is coupled to the drum via a rubber disc with holes in it. Both the motor and the drum had mating discs with plastic "fingers" which insert into the holes in the rubber disc. Overload the washer and the fingers on the disc shear off so the drum won't move. The repair was stupid cheap; like under twenty bucks.

So I bragged about my mad repair skills to friends. Some time later, pal Howard's machine suffers the same fault as mom's. Fixed it in a jiffy.

Then pal Elmer calls; his machine wasn't draining. I proceed to disassemble his washer and find the pad from his wife's padded bra stuck in the water pump! We got a laugh out of that and the machine back in service in no time.

Imagine the stories the Maytag Repairman could tell!

[rwsaunders]

The timing is right on this thread as our Maytag (gas) dryer is starting to give up the ghost after 15 years and two bearing replacements, with 10 of those years serving 5 household members. The repair guy told me that when this bearing goes, so does the dryer. It would be nice if the dryer would make it to Mother’s Day so that I could link the replacement to a gift for my wife…said no one ever.

[Drew]

The timing is right on this thread as our Maytag (gas) dryer is starting to give up the ghost after 15 years and two bearing replacements, with 10 of those years serving 5 household members. The repair guy told me that when this bearing goes, so does the dryer. It would be nice if the dryer would make it to Mother’s Day so that I could link the replacement to a gift for my wife…said no one ever.

Maybe you could bundle with a vacuum and a set of dish towels? Let us know how that works out :)

[funcrusher]

Thanks to all. Just pulled the trigger on a Speed Queen TR7/DR7 combo. Top load washer w/ Di2, dryer w/ Di2. I did ask about the lid lock... the TC5 doesn't have a mechanical lock... but if user opens lid, machine stops e-brake style. So it's the same as the others which can be opened by pressing "pause" and waiting till the machine stops. No more or less wear on machine. The 7 series washer I got has a mechanical lock... so user has to press button to stop and add stuff, rather than simply opening lid, but the machine basically sees the same thing. "No lid lock" is misleading - there is still a lid interlock that will stop the drum in a hurry if the lid is opened.

They'll be here Monday and we'll see how things progress. It was nice to go to a shop where the staff knew what they were talking about... their jive aligned with my couple hours of interweb research, so I am inclined to believe them.

Interestingly... there is a Speed Queen washer and dryer set that has no microprocessors, anywhere. Completely click-clack timer based. Guy said they sell a lot of them to abusive environments and they're bulletproof... but loud.

Customer service is good too. We stained the rim of the washer with bleach (be careful). I contacted customer service. They said I needed to fill out the warranty registration. I never bothered and a couple of weeks later a new top arrived.

[Drew]

Part of the noise issue with washers may be due to low frequency vibration, which travels farther and can be conducted through joints and studs.

One cheap way to try and mitigate the noise is to damp the vibration. These rubber/cork sandwiches are the standard, and used in many large HVAC systems. You want that sandwich design because the different materials resonate at different frequencies with the effect being cancellation or absorption. Besides the huge spring suspensions in rooftop systems, I've seen these blocks in use. Cheap, but get the ones with cork centers and not MDF.

Hmmmm... good idea with the vibes reduction. Ironically, if the washer is off balance, it shakes my desk and chair... on the other side of the house. I'll get a couple sets of these and they'll go in with the New Units. Will report back. Muchas Gracias

[bigbill]

My washer and dryer are 16 years old now. Both are Kenmore with the washer being Whirlpool and the dryer Samsung, at least Samsung controls. I disassembled the washer about 4 years ago and cleaned everything out. It is a front load and the seals are still good. The dryer needed new drum wheels so I replaced them along with a new belt about 3 years ago. All the parts for the dryer were around $60 and it took me about an hour to disassemble and reassemble. Youtube and I get stuff fixed.

The current units replaced my 15 year old Kenmore washer and dryer I bought in 1992. There wasn't anything wrong with them; I was on deployment and my now-ex decided she wanted a red washer and dryer. I got them in the divorce since they were only 11 at the time.

[j44ke]

We have Asko washer and dryer. They are fine. Have a bunch of presents that actually do change something in the processing of laundry. The "Shirts" setting does produce less wrinkled shirts that are thereby easier to iron. The "Terry" setting does get an extra bit of water out of the towels and dries them more quickly than normal setting. They seem very nicely made and very easy to keep clean, but the weakness in any appliance these days is the chipset in the control panel.

[Too Tall]

VS where real people exchange important tips about washing machines and electrons n' such.

I love this place.

[Scott G.]

VS where real people exchange important tips about washing machines and electrons n' such.

I love this place.

Next question, who has upgraded their washer and dryer to ceramic bearings?
Saab, put the washer on a rocker plate.

[Tom]

We got LGs when the old Kenmores finally after about 25 years expired in a puff of bearing and clutch smoke for the third time because Consumer Reports said they were good and the locally owned appliance store was selling them cheap. After 3 years they're still running without any hiccups. Top load washer, the one without an agitator because I read that is easier on the clothes. I do know I am not every once in a while extracting a sock or something from under it. No idea if it is really easier on things but it gets them clean. It uses way less water than the old one which would unconditionally fill up the tub no matter what you had in there. The new one spins the load to guess what you have in there and runs the water it thinks they need. The spin cycle is ridiculous. You pull stuff out and if you didn't know better you'd wonder if you remembered to start the load, they're that dry. The pair is in the cellar so I can't say how loud they are but if I'm on the trainer down there when the washing machine is running I can't hear it.

[Too Tall]

FWIIWFW At the Airstream trailer park we bought a set of Speed Queen. Even the Neanderthals can't break them.

There is still time I suppose.