Product review (5 stars): We went back to what works. A top loader that uses plenty of water and an agitator!
Top loading HE washers that actually work are a myth. After dealing with several it became obvious that filling a top loading drum 1/4 full with water then without an agitator try to get clothes clean was simply against the laws of physics. Yes front loaders can do it because they are able to tumble the clothes through the water but it's just not possible for a top loader to do the job with so little water and no agitator. We started looking at old school top loaders again since our laundry room just isn't configured to handle a front loader without some major remodeling plus we didn't like the idea of having to dry the inside of the door and gasket and leave the door cracked open to breath on the front loaders. We did a ton of research and reading and stumbled upon Speed Queen. The model AWN432 is an old school top loader that actually fills the drum with water and has an agitator. All the glowing reviews and stated years of trouble free service sold us. We went to our local appliance store and bought one on the spot. After we made the purchase the salesman said that was the 4th one he had sold in a week and that more and more people were looking for alternatives to HE top loaders. So far the Speed Queen has been rock solid with a total regular wash cycle of around 30 minutes compared to the hour or so the HE machines take. This machine handles odds loads like bath mats and mixed towels without any out-of-balance issues. In fact, I dare say you could set a glass of water on top, filled to the rim, and not a drop would slosh out. The clothes seem to be just as dry at the end of the cycle as they were in our HE washer so it does a good job of spinning out the water. It is so nice to not have to run multiple cycles and double rinse all the time to get our clothes just acceptably clean. So far we have yet to use the 2nd rinse feature on the Speed Queen. The Speed Queens have great warranties and are made with commercial duty parts (no plastic gears or bushings in these machines). The high capacity claims of the HE top loaders are just that- claims. If you want to have clothes that are clean from an HE you have to put in a lot less than the stated capacity. The Speed Queen can be stuffed full and still does a great job. So far we are totally satisfied with our new Speed Queen that is built like a tank. If anything changes I will update this review.