Speed Queen completely redesigned their top load washer for 2018. It is really different fom the previous generation. Really, really different.

Applicable models:

TR3000WN, TR5000WN, TR7000WN, AWNE9RSN115TW01

How I test them:

I physically buy these machines, take them home, and use them for anywhere between 60 days, and all the way up to 6+ months.  I have children, and they get EVERYTHING dirty. Needless to say, I have a never-ending supply of dirty laundry. After my wife threatened me with divorce, I just started bringing my laundry to my shop for testing.  That is how I tested this Speed Queen.

The grading scale

The review:

At first, I was very optomistic about the new design.  The new washer does not agitate like a traditional top loader.  The new Queen uses an “Agi-Tub” design, meaning that the agitator is physically bolted to the wash tub.  During agitation, the spin basket and the agitator move as one single unit. This method has been tried many times in the past. Frigidaire came out with something back in the late 70’s, and again around 2012.  Both of them failed miserably.  The TR7 is a slightly different version of the same thing.  It certainly performs better than the first two “Agi-Tubs”, but that is just about where it ends.

With small loads and flexible fabrics, this washer does OK.  Not great, but OK. Its when you start doing full loads and stiffer fabrics that this machine basically falls flat on it’s face.  I tried washing 5 pair of my fleece lined work pants, and I got zero “turnover” (clothes circulation), and worse, I wound up with soap stains on my pants after the load was complete.  Thinking I made a mistake loading, or perhaps I tried the wrong cycle, I retried this same test 4 more times.  My results were pretty consistent.  I washed a variety of different loads, including whites (underwear and undershirts), shirts, pants, a queen set of sheets, a queen comforter, a load of hand towels, and more. 90% of the loads I tried were flat out unacceptable.

The bottom line…. This washer does not perform very well.

Cost

At around $1100, this washer is more expensive than the previous generation, and also more expensive than better performing models by other manufacturers.

Build Quality

I have nothing but praise here.  This washer is the best built washer I have ever seen.  It has very few moving parts, rock solid electronics, and a lot of heavy steel components.

Longevity

I truly think this washer can last every bit of 15 years before needing any kind of service.  Looking at the guts of this machine, I really can’t see any weak spot in the build.  Im sure that SQ left no stone unturned here.  Every part is over built, and nothing in this washer feels “cheap”.  Time will tell.

Personal Opinion

Several months ago I started publishing full wash videos on my YouTube account.  A lot of people wanted to actually see how the machine performs during a real wash cycle.  I also started doing a type of “VLOG” review on machines I tested.  After running many loads on the TR7, I decided that this was not a washer that I wanted to sell to my customers.  Its really expensive, and it just couldn’t  perform on the normal day-to-day cycles that I put it through.  After publishing my video review on YouTube, I got a call from my distributor, who had recieved a call from the VP of marketing at Speed Queen.  They did not like my less than glowing review of their new model, and they pulled my license to sell Speed Queen appliances. Within days, I was removed from their website, and I no longer had access to anything. I asked my distributor to have them call me directly, but to no avail. Thats it… with no reasoning or direct conversation from SQ.

Back to the washer. The bottom line is this: The washer costs $1100.  For that kind of money it should perform well on a variety of different loads (all loads, if you ask me).  This washer doesn’t. Yes, it will last a very, very long time. In fact, I would bet you will get rid of it long before it ever breaks.  What good is a reliable washer if it doesn’t clean your clothes?  I tested a $300 washer that cleaned way better.  If you wash a few items at a time, and use plenty of soap with extra rinse, you may have decent results with this machine.  For normal people (like me) who just need to put some laundry in and have it come out clean, this washer wont deliver.