After much research last January, we ended up with a Speed Queen washer and dryer, but we got a frontload washer. Our previous frontload washer and dryer were 10-year-old Maytag Neptunes. I see that you want the top loader but consumer input on Speed Queen products is next to nil on the web, so I thought I might at least answers some of your questions. On the SQ front load washer, the washing times are shorter than most which is a big plus. I cannot speak re: the top loader. There is no buzzer when the wash cycle is completed and there is no delay start option. Dryer takes normal time and does have a buzzer. There is no moisture sensor, so I stay close by so clothes don't get "baked." Unfortunately, I've noticed more lint with this dryer and our bath towels are now "puckered" at the ends even though I use the delicate cycle. Another frustrating thing I've never encountered is that the silkscreening on some of DH's t-shirts is "cracking." I always wash these inside out, but I don't know if this is from the washer or dryer. When we purchased the SQ set from a local dealer, we thought we had made a wise purchase due to the 3-year warranty, machines were US-made and because they were one of 2 manufacturers that had a washer that hinged on the right side to fit in our space. Unfortunately, just after the front loader was used, it malfunctioned. Large replacement part was shipped in a single-wall cardboard box and damaged. There is no toll-free number for Speed Queen customer service and no one stepped up to follow through. After thirty days without a washer, we wrote a letter to the CEO. A new washer arrived within a week. In summary, we are not happy with these machines. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I would keep researching. We subscribe to Consumer Reports online. They have a current review of washers. They review the front loader but not top loader. Good luck!

Barb..I'm probably too late, but the tub will probably be full of polishing compound, it should be wiped out well with a degreaser. Also before the washer is started for the first time you should dump a gallon of water in it. You should also run an empty hot load with detergent thru it before washing a load Rarely do delivery people know these things. I wish you good luck with your new Queen.

Wow thank you all so much for the insight. I'm excited to hear the SQ isn't HE on normal cycles! I'm going this weekend, possibly tomorrow night to look at washing machines and will be buying asap. ...I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I finally lost it last night. Between dealing with ATT/Directv the previous days and then having to call ATT again last night, my patience were running low. While talking to ATT, I tried washing 4 pairs of jeans. I got the first UE error about ten minutes into the load. I moved the jeans around, cursed it and carried on. Later I got another UE error. This is when I started going crazy. I kicked the machine as hard as I could and tried to rip the top off but couldn't. So I stopped the load and attempted to move the jeans around again. Finally the load got down to 9 mins and usually at this point it finishes it out. But a short while later I walked by and it went back up to 11 mins. A few mins later ANOTHER UE error (this is the 3rd UE error in one wash). I completely lost it. I walked into the garage, grabbed a hammer and made my way back to the laundry room. I started hitting the dash on the washer. I hit it as hard as I could probably 5-6 times cursing and screaming this POS machine. At that moment I couldn't help but wonder why I would let such a pile of crap upset me so bad. I knew without a doubt I was getting a new washer asap. I threw the soaking wet jeans in the dryer and told myself - ruin the dryer too - I don't care. I'm done with LG! Later that night my husband asked me why the hammer was in the laundry room. I just shrugged. And while at dinner that night I told my family how I lost it. This was the first time my husband didn't dare try to tell me I wasn't getting a new washer. And when I mentioned SQ (which he knows is pricey) he still kept quiet. For how hard I hit the dash on the LG, I have to admit it doesn't look too bad. There are dings and buttons messed up but I was hoping the whole dash would just crumble... It didn't. Final thoughts... I was going to put the old washer on CL for free and just warn how crappy it is. But I think I'll take the hammer to it again, let out all the anger it has caused me over the years and then let the appliance people take it when they deliver the new one. I'm hoping this is a lesson learned. Going forward, if anything should cause me such grief, I'm not going to wait 4 years through screaming and cursing.. rather I'm going to replace that item right away. It's not worth the stress it has caused.

I have the SQ unitized stack snugly framed into my laundry room. They are up against a wall on the right. The doors swing fully open despite the wall. Very accessible. I have been pleased despite one or two issues, but I wish I’d invested Miele. I was just too cheap at the time, but I should have done it, as I miss having (1) the onboard heater which gives a very good hot wash, (2) and the reverse tumble dryer — which I did not even know was a thing until Larsi and enduring ruined me. Sheets and duvets really tangle in the SQ, far more, for some reason, then they did in my old Kenmore, despite the SQ’s drum being only a little smaller. All that said, however, I would never install this large unit in a snug space, so I went to great pains to have my laundry compartment open up on the backside so that most of the machine can be serviced without removal, and so that the plumbing shut offs are easily and quickly accessible. In that space we also installed a secondary lint filter that I can access from the back to keep everything thoroughly cleaned out without pulling the unit. If you can’t do this in your new build, I strongly encourage you to consider how difficult it will be if you have to pull that stack out in an emergency. At the very least, you must have your shut offs accessible to the side, I should think. It is extremely heavy, in part, I guess, because it is built to commercial standards. It weighed far more than the combined weight of the Kenmore pair it replaced. Further, there are restrictions on the placement of this machine, although they may have changed since the new unit came out. I literally got one of the first digital-control machines off the assembly line, though I had been scheduled to receive the old machine. Long story. In any case, at the time mine was installed, the installation directions stated that placing the unitized machines on the second floor would void the warranty. A lot of dealers, including my own, were unaware of this change. If you search the archives, you will find a couple of posts and discussion threads on the subject. So if you go with the SQ, be sure you clarify that point if your laundry is on the second floor. Again, if I had it to do over again I would invest in Miele. But at the time, I was put off not just by the price, but by the condenser dryer, not realizing that the line could be plumbed into my existing drain. Unless your Electrolux unit has an onboard heater, I agree that the SQ is the better option, especially if your water heater is near the laundry, which mine is not. But Miele would be the absolute best option, in my opinion. And an access at the back would be ideal. Let me know if I can share any other information about the SQ. Good luck.