Deborah, Not sure if you are asking for a recommendation or not from your post. I have a 3 year old Speed Queen top loader. Very happy with it. Out of warranty 3 months now...fingers crossed all stays in a state of bliss for years to come. Be forewarned though, Speed Queen has two model lines of TL washers now. You would want what is being referred to as the "classic" line. The other model line swishes the clothes a little bit (my salads see more agitation than clothes in those washers), unlike a classic style SQ washer which gives a rather intense agitation through the cycle. A little too much agitation for our needs to be honest, but ranch apparel needs a beating like that. So far, my washer is built like a tank and has not had an issue to date with anything I've put in it. I do take pillows to the laundromat, but that is because pillows want to float at the top of a TL and I put them through the triple load sized Speed Queen front loaders so they get a better wash (IMO). For note, SQ does make a fine front loading washing machine if you were interested in that. I can't speak to whether it could handle your soils, but something tells me it could based on a few videos I've seen of it in action.

Thanks for all input. I decided to go back in time and get a Speed Queen TL with agitator. I am currently staying at a house with an old Maytag and it made me realize how much I do not like my 5 year old Duet FL for various reasons (I know everyone's mileage varies on these issues, but the twisted clothes, long cycle times and steps needed to prevent musty smell did me in on what for me, is a necessary chore but not a "hobby" that I want to give a lot of thought to) So based on this forum's positive opinion (in general) about Speed Queen, and the same opinion from my local family owned appliance store, I pulled the trigger today. Being in the midst of a renovation of two full baths, I have decision fatigue, and am glad this little one is put to bed. Thanks again. I will report back in a few months about how its working for me.

M J, Frontloaders are much superior washing performance to the HE "impeller" toploaders. Washing a comforter or other large/bulky items in those is an exercise in futility, there's no way the impeller can overcome gravity to entice the item to roll over for thorough washing. A frontloader by design lifts and rolls the items over through the wash (and rinse) water. As others have said, stay away from washing everything in cold water. Even a designated "Cold Wash" cycle. While it's true that many machines nowadays add some hot or warm water to the fill on a Cold setting so the water in the tub is minimum 60°F to 70°F, using cold exclusively for everything has a large chance of causing mold/residue/odor in the machine, as well as shortening the service life of it. I recently repaired a Samsung frontloader that was destroyed by bad laundry habits in 4 years 11 months. Liquid fabric softener was used on every load to large doses and too much cold washing led to waxy residue on the exterior of the drum (where clothes don't rub on it) that corroded the drum support. The drum broke loose during spin and wore a gash in the outer tub. The machine has an onboard water heater with 1) a Sanitize cycle that heats to 150°F, a Heavy cycle that heats to 115°F, and a tub cleaning cycle that heats to 140°F. Regular use of any/all of those cycles would have kept the waxy residue from accumulating. I tested the designated Normal cycle and a couple others on it, and with 130°F+ input temp from my water heater, I got 80°F on Warm and 92°F on Hot. Consider the difference between 80°F (which is less the body temp) and 115°F or 140°F regards to dissolving waxy residue or greasy laundry soils ... and it becomes clear why washing primarily or more-often-than-not in cold water is not a good thing. One may not see residue insidethe drum where the clothes rub but it accumulates where the clothes (and you) can't reach ... on the outside of the drum and on the inside of outer tub.

If it were me I would stick with the Maytag (or Samsung) front loaders. If you're buying soon, May is Maytag Month so there may be some extra discounts now, especially closer to memorial day. The Maytag front loaders are highly rated by Consumer Reports. Also the mold issue is not what it once was - they now build the machines with air vents and fans to keep everything fresh. Also, as for "leaving the doors open" I always just leave mine open a crack (not sealed). FYI Maytag is made by Whirlpool, who also has some good front load washers. The WFW92 is feature-rich and priced nicely right now. As far as top-load washers go, they don't work the way they used to. Continuing tightening of the energy and water requirements has lead to a whole new way of washing clothes. Take a look at this video for more info. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1stdNzvWZ4M