Just like mamma said-- Speed Queen toploaders are the only ones left that fill to the top and do not dumb down the temps. You get a full fill wash, spray rinse, then a full fill deep rinse. Full size agitator no washer plate. Both my sister and cousin got the pair and love love love them. And they are heavy duty built.

Common misconception that long cycle times = more energy used. Not true. Motors on new machines are different design, pull less power.

The used toploader and frontloader you tried had mold/mildew odor because of mis-use / abuse and bad laundry habits of the previous owner(s). The only way to get a machine in that condition properly cleaned is disassembly for access to the hidden areas that accumulate the residue. A new machine can easily end up the same way .... yes, including toploaders.

I will be looking into Speed Queen for sure. Thanks for the recommendation. As for less pull power, that makes sense. But it is also undesirable; prefer washer to have some oomph.

Oh and I know a new one can end up with mold and mildew; with the Maytag I was following the manufacturer recommendation and keeping the top open. Intend to do the same from now on with any washer.

Yes even top loaders...I absolutly agree with that but can't believe how many people dont. This can all be prevented with good laundry practices and proper maintance of the machine. I've researched enough to know a FLer uses little electric energy but can use more water in the rinse cycle to make it not water energy efficient depending how many rinses are used. This is probably my #1 reason for not having a FLer...too many people do 3 or more rinses and still smell detergent. ..if you can smell detergent, its still there, unless its formulated with those scent beads that are supposed to last.

Less power draw doesn't mean the motors are weak ... they're a different electrical design. Speed Queen toploaders (currently) use old-style motors.

Keeping a toploader machine's lid open between uses isn't by itself enough to prevent odor and residue. Proper laundry habits are also required. Cold washing should be the exception, not the norm. Don't skimp on detergent dosing (but likewise don't grossly overdose). On the long-term, chronic underdosing is more likely to cause accumulation of laundry-soils residue in the machine than any problems from mild overdosing. Occasional use of chlorine bleach (weekly whites load, perhaps) is a good thing to ward-off mold/mildew. And it cannot be stressed enough that constant use / overdosing of liquid fabric softener coupled with continual cold-water washing is a serious mistake.

I used to do 100% cold washes which I'm certain contributed to the mold/mildew. I'm hoping this Speed Queen everyone mentions has a cleaning cycle. I will look into it in a few days when I have more time.

SpeedQueen. Frequent HOT washes. Mainly use powder detergent, but have fun with liquids and pods too (just don't make them your first choice for every load. If you do this, using liquid fabric softener, even every load, will be no problem. Besides from kitchen towels and microfiber items....I used liquid fabric softener for EVERY load, copiously, since the 1980's!! No mold or mildew ever!!! Hot water, powder detergents. You're good ;)

Hot water washes are a must. As Larsi says with powder detergent.

@Swiss_Chard...

The time is now to wash primarily in warm and hot (cold ever so rarely).

It will keep your close cleaner and more importantly your expensive machine running in tip top shape.

Speed Queen TLers do not have a cycle marked as a clean cycle...just do a monthly hot wash with some rags with chlorine bleach or another washing machine cleaner and your good to go as far as that goes.as mentioned above hot washes or at least very warm should be the majority not the minority. Im not a frequent chlorine bleach user but once or twice a month I use it regardless, its absolutely necessary. but no the queen TL has no *Clean Cycle* but that shouldn't be a deal breaker, concidering you can still clean it and it appears to have your other must haves.Good Luck.

If used properly, they really don't require a clean cycle, especially a full fill TL.(IMO) Mine is 15-16 years old and never stinks plus no mold or gunk on the gasket either.(FL'er)

sparky-my Mom has a old TL as well, she has never ran a clean cycle in that or any other washer she's had. No mold, odor,or ANY hot washes! When I asked her about running a cleaning cycle-she said "I do. Every time I wash a load."

Your right Sparky about not needing a clean cycle in a TLer if using good laundry practices, but I do because I don't use chlorine bleach very often.

Another top loader option with agitator is Fisher & Paykel, which I've had and likes. I've moved on to front loaders, though. A higher end Whirlpool Duet pair with a heater works very well and doesn't cost nearly as much as a Speed Queen.

I am also happy with my Fisher&Paykel Washsmart top loader. It has an agitator, and you can select the water level or allow it to select for you. It will fill to the top if you so choose. You can select the wash temperature and if you select the allergy cycle and hot, it will be 100% hot. There is no onboard heater, but the hot will be whatever your water heater supplies. The allergy cycle lasts just over one hour, about 65 minutes.

All rinses are cold, I wish there were a warm rinse option. But you can select a deep fill rinse. And , I can reach the clothes on the bottom without tongs -- I am barely five feet tall.

I have washed a queen size mattress pad, and other large items. Capacity is quite good.

There are many cycle choices and a delay option. I have owned it for one year now and it has been problem free. I was nervous about the purchase because of limited reviews, but am very happy I did.

The F&P machines also have a 1000-1100 rpm spin speed which will reduce dryer time.

I recently purchased a Speed Queen set to replace 5-year old Whirlpools. I got the basic TL model with manual controls. The Speed Queens are quiet and fast. While not fancy, I can tell these machines are built to last.

Well, we did it. The Speed Queen washer and dryer set are in our house now. But there were three more adventures!

1. The washer arrived with cosmetic damage which we reported to the seller and shipper right away. We expect the situation to be resolved on Monday.

2. Soapy water ended up draining out onto the floor during the second load of laundry. DH thinks it was because he didn't hook up the drain hose properly on first try. We fixed it and I will be watching it very carefully on the third load I do tonight.

3. First load caused yellowish staining; I was expecting that something might go wrong on first load (I'm an eternal cynic and skeptic by nature) so I threw in some old bathroom rugs that didn't matter much. Second load was some towels that didn't matter much if they stained--they didn't stain. So I think the residual stain-causing chemicals are gone. (Hoping........)

Speed Queen recommends cleaning the tub before use as there will be polishing compound on it...also its highly recommended before the washer is turned on the first time a half gallon of water should be dumped in.

Which model did you get?

You do not have to use hot water in all of your loads. But I do recommend the last load of the day be hot.

I went to visit my (hopefully future) speed queens today. My dryer is 10 years old and I am thinking it is on its last legs. It sure sounds like it is. If so, I AM going to get me a speed queen dryer and then save up for the washer.

mamapinky0,

We got the manual controls TL with matching dryer. So yesterday I did 2 more loads. 2nd load had the sudsy foam come out of where the drain hose connects to the pipe. I don't know why this is happening but DH has an idea. He's going to work on it tonite. Anyone know why the foam is escaping? It's mostly foam with a little bit of water. I think if we did only a rinse cycle with no soap at all there would be zero problems. Our setup looks like Figure 5 on Page 7 of the Installation Instructions manual. DH did some searching and we are not the only ones that have this problem but no solutions have been posted anywhere.

This machine pumps the water out faster than your other one and then the foam builds up in the pipe. Then when it starts to pump out(rinse water) it just blows the foam out the top of the pipe. Does the SQ have a rubber end on the end of the hose that seals off the pipe when pushed down firmly in there? If not you can always wrap it with duct tape. That will stop it. I had this trouble years ago and was told to use the tape and it worked perfect.

YMMV, but washer drain hoses into standpipes normally should not be sealed airtight. Doing so can cause siphoning, typically when the machine fills for rinse.

dadoes,

I think we have been accidentally causing siphoning with our setup. We will re-evaluate tonight and see. I noticed on page 7 of the installation guide it does say do not place any ribbed portion of the drain hose into the standpipe, and I think we did do that by mistake. Will get back here tomorrow with update.

I used the duct tape for years and never a problem, but mine was a Maytag TL.

I would like to post an update: we bought a siphon break kit and that fixed 95% of the problem. We do still have a little bit of suds come out here and there but they don't make it to the floor. We are happy with our Speed Queens; they actually get the clothes clean--imagine that! Thanks to everyone who responded. And now we're shopping for a dishwasher (I made a separate thread for that one).