Is Electrolux in the running? Their 24" units get quite high praise. The same machines have been rebranded by Kenmore.

Thank you. I'll check them right out. Not sure if the store I am thinking of carries Electrolux. There are several other stores relatively nearby but they do less in the way of repairs.

I read lots of reviews online but often they are more along the lines of 'I got a new machine and It is shiny and I am so excited!' Or 'it is scratched, it won't fit through the door and my heart is broken'. I am looking for 'I have had the washer for three years - clothes are clean, no leaks or repairs, maintenance is simple...' In which case of course the machine is obsolete and the review irrelevant.

Confused...

Danby and Haier have very flimsy construction and quirky operating. If you have Electrolux service that should be a contender. I didn't think the GE cleaned very well, but my daughter likes it. Have you considered a stacking unit? Amana is just a brand owned by whirlpool. Blomberg is another lower end line, but service might be hard. I'd be looking at whirlpool/maytag.

You might look at Bosch and Blomberg. I had a Bosch pair in an apartment closet, stacked. It is a good basic compact machine without an internal heater. The Blomberg may be less expensive and has an internal heater.

This article may be helpful

@Roc - the new Bosch FLs do have heaters and they are 240v hookups. Might not be a deal breaker, but it's something to know in advance. I believe the heater rating is still only a 1000w despite the voltage requirement; the dryer gets its power from the washer.

Correction to above: wattage of the Bosch FL is 2300W. This means faster heating of the water. Good stuff. Unfortunately, I don't believe any active forum members have a modern Bosch to give a real review.

Agmss..how tiny are you talking? Are you thinking a small compact or a tiny automatic portable?

So here's the thing. I did something really dumb last year. Long story - apologies!

I have a small house built for me about 12 years old - I have lived in it full time for 5. It is a work in progress.

The year before last I decided to put in a Rinnai propane furnace as back up heat. In order to do that I had to move some plumbing - and therefore it seemed a great time to move my hot water and pressure tanks into the closet from my kitchen area as planned. While the plumber was at work I had him put a washer hook up next to my kitchen sink.

With that done last year I had a cabinet built for my existing in use antique enamel cast iron sink. At this point I was feeling like I had spent alot of money. So rather than buying a washer and saying to the carpenter let's make this work - I had him leave a space for a future washer. The sink is centered under a window and he quite reasonably tried to keep it centered. And the moral to the story - my spot complete with plumbing is a hair too small for the 23-24" washers. Stupid me!

Agmss, I have the small portable Haier HLP21N. It is a very simple machine, no detergent dispenser or softener dispenser. It is a surprisingly effective washer. I think it may be the smallest of the portable Haiers at 1 cubic foot. It can hold

6 mens large t shirts or

a king size sheet plus 1 pillow slip or

3 towels or

2 pair of jeans

I hook it up to the kitchen sink, fill it with whatever temperature water I like and let er rip. I have a choice of High(6gal) Med (4gal) and Low(2). The cycles are Heavy,Quick wash and Normal. I have a batch of washcloths and hand towels soaking in it right now. It turns the clothes over very well and gets thing quite clean. The spin cycle works well and leaves the clothes about as dry as any other top loader.

It has the same footprint as a kitchen chair and will fit under a kitchen counter when not in use.

You might look at the reviews on Amazon , they are pretty extensive.

There is a 2.1 cubic foot that might be more practical if you want to use it for the majority of your laundry.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

I had a portable danby and it worked great as far as cleaning but the clothes were really wet. You would probably want to buy a spindryer ( I think they are about $100) to really get the water out.

Currently I have the compact Electrolux washer and I love it. It works great.

If the Electrolux did not work out, my second choice was the compact GE washer, I have not personally tried it but it is very well reviewed. I have the GE compact dryer and I love it.

I bought the Danby off of craigslist and I bought the machines that I currently own on sales. Note that a sale weekend is coming up.

Personally, I was not opposed to buying an all in one washer/dryer but my husband was very opposed so we have separate machines....

It's worth repeating that the Electrolux compact washer Practigal has (and matching dryer, that she does not) are both sold under the Kenmore brand as well. Same machines, different label. If you have Sears near you, that's an alternative if the other retailer doesn't sell/service Electrolux.

This chart might be helpful

http://www.applianceshopping.com/as/models?search=20%20inch%20washing%20machine

Oh the Electrolux does look nice. I will double check whether any local stores carry them.

The closest Sears is no more. Home Depot is 45 minutes away and Lowe's is another 20 minutes further.

I live in a beautiful spot but shopping is a problem. I miss bookstores in particular.

ABT, AJMadison and other online vendors carry them. I know ABT does free delivery.

I live in a big city, but bookstores are few and far between. My library now has a huge and growing collection of books on line so I can get my browsing fix....the rest of the bookshop exoerience is gone sadly....

What type of dryer do you currently have? The electrolux dryer is new technology. Some people love it. (I bought the GE dryer because it was $500 less on a sale....not to avoid new tech). Do you have a 240V line into the house?

The list is a bit confusing. Some old models. And definitely not 20". Maybe under 30".

But nonetheless it has the GE, Electrolux and other few options I am considering etc. Just not the Amana I am curious about. Leaning towards GE - wishing for an imaginary tiny speed queen. Lol.

The Electrolux is 24" wide and counter-height. I think this is about as narrow as they come. Available at Home Depot