I called Miele, since I am DYING to get the OctoPlus Models! if they are in any residential setting I was informed by Miele directly, that not only will NO service be offered...the warranty is 100% void and they will not even provide parts to you or for you!! According to them, the OctoPlus units are federally illegal to be used in a residential setting. The Australian gov't. just spent the small amount of time and money to approve OctoPlus to be sold to residential consumers, but sadly the USA Federal Gov't. is unwilling to do this. This was all told to me, by Miele in New Jersey.

The Miele Little Giant is VERY small!!! and unless you have a factory tech. activate Water Plus, the Little Giant uses minuscule amounts of water. And even with Water Plus activated, the washer is still very stingy with water! Good and bad!

I think the Speed Queen top loader is probably your only real choice. The new Speed Queen front loaders use a VERY small amount of water, and there is no option to increase the water levels.

I think this is a good price for a SQ

Any thoughts on the Laundrylux Crossover?

Does Asko have a heavy duty commercial-like model that uses lots of water?

Should I avoid the newer Speed Queen TL models with electronic controls?

Find posts done by sandiego steve. He just bought 2015 Speed Queen front load and wrote an in depth review. I think you may want to consider that machine. I have SQ top load and i don't think a dogbed would go in it.

Pet bedding. A conventional top loader period! Speed Queen gets my vote.

megamorph - Go to this forum and search for Speed Queen as well. I think someone there bought the electronic.

http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-INDEX_DISPLAY.cgi?DLX

I think you should go the commercial route. They are intended for the kind of use you are giving it. Speed Queens are not a miracle worker, and they are limited, as well.

As I previously mentioned, if your primary application is pet ware utility washing, nothing will do it better than a conventional TL. You may even consider looking for a good used one for the pet stuff, and a new machine FL for the household. As far as duty cycle there are top loaders used every single day still in use 20 plus years later, so the commercial agrument doesn't wash so to speak. Pet hair and FL machines are problematic and usually leaves a mess behind. There is no recirculating water pump and no filter. If your dealing with puke, poop, and all the other things pets bring, forget anything with HE in its name and stick with a good ole water hog!

rpsinfoman,

My limited knowledge and common sense leads me to believe, like you, that the most water I can get would be best, especially considering the pet hair issue. A lot of pet hair ends up in my wash. Although, the Harmony I have, which is a big tub full of water, did not clean very well. Maybe the center post agitator in the SQ TL would help with the cleaning? All that said, some in the forums claim that pet bedding and top loaders are not a good match. <confused>

As you stated, puke, poop, urine, and a lot of hair are common issues that I need my machine to handle. Of course, we make an effort to keep as much of that out of the machine as possible.

Laundryvet,

Thank you for the great info! I'm digesting it now...

metamorph, the confusion iies in the terminology. TL of today is no center post agitator. True, pet bedding in these machines yields poor results. I am speaking of old school conventional TL with center post and they yield superior results with this type of soil. Good luck in your search.

SQ top loader has agitator and full tub wash & rinse

In sweden we have professionell asko washers. They dont look that mutch different to the residentiol washers, there are a choise of pump and no pump

But also there are programs that are custamised for different loads of laundry needs. These are sold to alot of cleaningcompanys for washing mops and I can tell you that that kind of laundry you really need a bad as washer that use alot of water.

You can find them on www.asko.se and look in the professionell section, if you have any questions please ask and I look into it as the page are in swedish and I am swedish.

rpsinfoman, I thought the Speed Queen TL was basically an old school center post agitator machine? Am I wrong?

Anyone have thoughts on how the Speed Queen TL would perform with pet bedding, king size blankets, etc.?

Here's a link to another forum that discussed the electronic Speed Queen. http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?59090_80~1

In this day and age it takes a particular level of guts to buy an older machine. It is so much more interesting to need a new hot machine… To fight the Meiles of this world to install drumroll please…the money is no object octo super machine… But what you really need is the old aqua agitator filter Maytag. That filter was designed to separate out things like pet fur and the agitator filter could be EASILY cleaned after every load. Newer filters (which are frequently inconveniently located) are solely designed to protect the pump against hard items like coins. Today's manufacturers presume that fur etc. will be washed out with the water-even though they don't have that much water in the new age "HE" machines. Go figure IMO this is a stupid design defect. I have yet to see a frontloader with a wash filter. When I have inquired I have been ridiculed and told that they are unnecessary. Obviously these people have never owned a German Shepherd/shedder. I do not believe that the new Speed Queen has (1) a wash filter or (2) an easily accessible pump filter. (That only a screwdriver is required to undo the two screws holding it in the front lower panel and expose the pump filter is not convenient and certainly something you are not going to deal with after every single load.) Old Maytags are frequently available on craigslist. Many of the parts are still being manufactured on the more recent of these machines.

megamorph - Find a laundry mat near you that has both the Speed Queen top load washers and Speed Queen Horizon series front load washers and test wash your dog bedding there. These washers have the same internals that you will get with the home units. By doing this you can remove all the guess work out of knowing if a Speed Queen will work for you. Keep in mind that the newer (2015) front load Speed Queen is a little larger than the Horizon series washers you will find unless you get lucky and find a laundry mat that just put in the 2015 Horizon washers.

If you go the commercial root you will want a Speed Queen soft mount extractor washer. These are very expensive > $5000.00 and will require 240VAC power. These are the washers that will wash a 30 pound or greater load and laundries typically have these washers there for you to try also.

steve, how is one supposed to locate a laundromat with specific equipment? I'd like to test the SQ units, but have no idea how to find them.

megamorph - I used Google to locate all the laundry mats near me. Some I visited and many had websites. The one I managed to find here in San Diego was through their website that stated they had just installed new Speed Queen equipment a few years back. So I suggest you start with a web search. Many laundry mats are just run down dumps but there are a few gems that were completely renovated. Since I don't know where you live, you might not have the luxury of a lot of laundry mats such as I have in a big city. Good luck.

Looks like the 30 lb. and above Speed Queen softmount washer extractors don't have the option of a drain pump, just a dump valve. Would take some serious plumbing to make this work in a house.

What are your thoughts on the Speed Queen SY25 for home use?

Any other light commercial model similar to this I should consider?

I really want 240v and a heater...

megamorph - If you are looking at the SY25 or larger washers I suggest you contact Speed Queen directly or your local Speed Queen commercial dealer. I believe these use gravity drains thus you might need to do some plumbing. These machines are shockingly expensive. Other commercial washer companies that compete against the SY25 are made by Maytag, Dexter, Wascomat and Milnor to name a few. I think you should try out some of these machines at the local Laundromats before you take the plunge. Maybe even talk to a local Laundromat owner or call the local commercial Laundromat distributor to get some guidance. These beasts should certainly do the trick and they are very heavy weighing close to 500 lbs or more.

Your certainly talking a different class of machine, but I am having a difficult time of reconciling how you go from a HE top loader to a light commercial machine. What volume of laundry are you trying to process, the frequency, and lbs per year. The mentioned machines are not designed for residential use without serious modifications. Second they are most notably designed for use with commercial detergents and supplements. You may find after a through cost analysis it may be cheaper to outsource your wares to a true commercial laundry. The upfront costs, maintainence, chemicals and support needed for optimal results may have you rethinking your decision..

rpsinfoman, see my original post in this thread. The light commercial machines have been on my radar for a while. The SQ TL was an optimistic option on my part I think. Obviously, I would like to get a machine I want at the lowest cost, but cost is not a primary factor in the process. I do not, however, want to get into major plumbing modifications, so a gravity drain won't work. Although some light commercial models, like the SY25, can be purchased with a drain pump.

It's not really about the volume of laundry we're doing. It's more about the volume the machine will hold, the effectiveness, water temp, cycle times, etc. The Octoplus is the obvious choice, but I think it's off limits due to Miele's policy on where the machine is used. Maybe other manufacturers have similar restrictions?

Regarding commercial detergents, aren't most of these light commercial machines used in laundromats where customers are simply using regular, non-commercial detergents?

Megamorph isn't the only one here who wants to spend their money on a no-compromises clothes washer. They aren't all that expensive when compared to fancy cars, houses, vacations, the list could go on.

Yes but who compares washers to houses and cars. Really! I suppose the word expensive is a subjective term. I am a bit more realistic, and worth every cent given there is a quantifiable need. I would look at Milnor for uncompromising machines since money is no object. Just sayin

Milnor? They offer nothing that fits the criteria being discussed.

Which is? Light Duty 25lb free standing with pump? Nope they dont, there strictly commercial.

^ Correct, so not relevant to this discussion.

Agree. Your fairly limited but the SY25 would be a pretty good fit provided it can be fitted with pump. Not much else out there really. It's a pretty no nonsense no frill machine built for moderate duty cycle which more than adaquatly meets your needs.

Is it safe to assume that most true commercial units, like the SY25, will have an internal heater AND lint filter? It's difficult to find this information in the spec literature.

"Technical Data" on page 21 of this manual

http://docs.alliancelaundry.com/tech_pdf/production/D1598EN.pdf

shows electricity as a heating option for the 25 lb. washers (covered model numbers are on page 5). Maintenance section doesn't say anything about cleaning a lint filter. These machines probably flush everything down the drain.

Installation section of the manual references a drain pump only for 14 lb. and 20 lb. machines.

Speed Queen commercial machines are serviced by the distributor. You want to make sure there's one not too far away, and that they'll consider your business to be worth their time.

Hi

Have you ever thought about electrolux/professionell. Here in sweden they are called wascator and in usa electrolux/professionell. These machines are everywere were you need a good machine, that washes fast and clean.

I have used one of the newer ones and I thought it was reakky good.

The major commercial brands in U.S. that sell commercial quality washers are as follows:

Unimac (Alliance Laundry brand); Ripon, WI

IPSO (alliance laundry brand); Ripon, WI

Primus (Alliance laundry brand; make Maytag); France/Czech

Speed Queen (Alliance Laundry brand); Ripon, WI

Huebsch (Alliance Laundry brand); Ripon, WI

Dexter; Fairfield, Iowa; not sure if they sell soft mounts

Milnor; Kenner, Louisiana; some products made in China

Continental Girbau Oshkosh, WI (made in Spain by Girbau)

B&C Technologies; Panama City, FL (not sure of factory location)

Laundrylux (Electrolux brand) Sweden

Maytag; Benton Harbor, MI

American Dryer Corp; Brookline, MA ( washers made by Fagor?)

Miele; Italy

Sea Lion; China; supply some Edro products

That's about it for the major players I can think of. As mentioned above, Alliance Laundry, Milnor, Dexter, and Laundrylux dominate North American market, but Maytag, B&C, and Continental sell a fair amount of washers. Lots of choices IMHO.

Laundryvet

Metamorph, I share your pain -- and curse the day that, being a silly naïf about the then-new world of HE machines, I passed on a $600 drum replacement for my trusty (and LARGE capacity) non-HE top loading Maytag. It wasn't perfect, but it got the clothes and comforters and towels clean and didn't think it was smarter than me.

I won't recount the sordid tales of two subsequent sets of HE junkers (one FL, one TL) and their causes of death, but suffice it to say that I'm now in the market for a top-loading machine that (1) permits the user to manually set the water level; (2) does not leave the last of the prior load's rinse water in the bottom of the machine to "save" water for the next load (a synonym for "mildew factory" unless you always leave the lid open when the machine is not in use, and sometimes not even that works); (3) permits a long-term soak of really dirty items (after an initial rinse and drain) without automatically draining after its unchangeable preset time or even if you turn off the machine; and (4) has at least a 4+ cubic foot tub capacity so that we can wash a lightweight down comforter, more than one set of sheets and pillowcases, or four pairs of medium weight canvas coveralls used in outdoor work.

Well, after hours and hours of hunting, I'm here to tell you that you have to give up on #4 unless you're prepared to go to a really serious commercial machine -- like one with a 100 pound capacity that will mean that, other than a basement location, you will need to reinforce your floor, plus likely plumbing and electricity re-fits.

Look at commercial laundry equipment suppliers in your area, concentrating on "OPL" (on premises laundry) machines that are intended for salons/spas, restaurants, etc. (These are not coin-operated machines for laundromats, dorms, apartments.) The problem is that all of these machines are 3.3 cubic feet. Nothing larger is available in the US.

Ok, so you have to do more and smaller loads of wash (federal regulators are historically oblivious to the value of your time) of towels or rags or other smaller items, but the real point is that it is now impossible to get those larger items -- a dog bed, a comforter, a sleeping bag, a 9x12' lightweight canvas tarp, a medium size rag rug, into that machine at all. So, off to the laundromat for you, or trip$ to the cleaner$ with the comforters. This is the "unintended" -- but in fact perfectly predictable -- consequence of the regulatory drive to force us into water "conservation." The problem is, the solution is bogus and probably doesn't save much if any water at all.

Final word: our excellent regular appliance repairman told us that, in his long experience, HE machines -- both FL and TLs -- require about 4x the number of maintenance/repair calls of traditional machines. Consider the fuel consumption involved ther, not even counting the value of human time and the cost to the homeowner. He also reports that many, many customers tell him that they regularly put a load of wash through two full HE machine cycles in order to get the items really clean.

Sorry for the "vent" here but I just want to do the wash effectively and efficiently and I'm frustrated that that's no longer possible.

"(2) does not leave the last of the prior load's rinse water in the bottom of the machine ..."

All washers, frontloaders and toploaders, HE and non-HE, old-style and -new, retain some water in the pump, sump, and hoses. It's not possible for the pump to discharge 100%.

A Speed Queen TL will wash a lightweight comforter.

Agree with dadoes as to "leftover" water in hoses, etc., in all machines, but with HE machines, both FL and TL, you can hear a considerable amount of water sloshing around in the bottom when you push the tub back and forth just a little. When my two deceased HE machines were removed in the past six years, the guys had a shop vac with them to suck out the leftover water before moving it, which they said was a regular part of the removal job for HEs. This also explains why so many consumer comment pages advise to leave the door cracked (FL) or the lid open (TL) in HE washers to prevent mildew.

Many frontloaders and HE toploaders have gyroscopic balance rings partially filled with water (and sealed) that are integral to the drum or basket, which does make a sloshing sound when the tub is jostled.

I service laundry equipment for a living. a top loader will not last if your constantly washing dog beds and blankets.. the best machine for the job is a rigid mount front load machine such as a speed queen SC30

This is an old thread, but I would recommend a Miele W1. We have the WWH-860 model washer. It currently has 8800 hours on since 2018. I would call that pretty reliable.