Product review (4 stars): Great machine, un-great seller
After trying to give Whirlpool a chance and using their new low-water cabrio system for a while, I found that just wasn't cutting it.
Sure, if you only have lightly soiled clothes it works fine. But when it comes to items with actual debris, forget it. My husband brings home work jeans that occasionally call for steel wool and gnashing of teeth. Watching those jeans get gently dribbled with a few cups of water and slowly spun in a circle was more than a little frustrating. I mentally made up for the washer's lack of agitation by just observing this cycle of non-cleaning happen three times in a row, only to pull the jeans out and find there was still sand and dirt on them that I could brush off with my hand. ANYWAY.

After much research, I found my options for a washing machine that actually uses a tub of water and beats the clothes clean were limited. I took a chance on the Speed Queen not knowing for sure if it would pay off. Ultimately, I'm very happy with the washer. It's a shorter cycle than most (about 40 minutes tops with extra rinse), but I like that since I can start a load at night and switch it to the dryer before it gets super late. It still washes the clothes well, so I don't feel like the shorter time cuts corners on cleanliness. The amount of washing space is good too. I've run queen size comforters with room to spare, but I can also reach the clothes in the bottom of the washer without falling in.

My only beef with ordering this item was with the company itself and the shipping people they used. I placed my order on November 1st, and was given a delivery window between the 7th and the 13th. I didn't get my washer till the 26th, which was nearly 2 weeks after the latest delivery date promised. Trying to communicate with the seller was a hassle since there's no customer service phone number, only email, and responses were slow and vague. The shipping company was also difficult to work with, as they left automated messages that started half way through the recording, leaving out important information. They wouldn't call to schedule a day when I could be there to sign for it, they just told me when they'd be in my area, which was only once a week. I've had much better experiences with other sellers and shipping companies.
Was it worth it? Well, I finally have my washer and I'm happy with its performance. Would I order from the people at HCcost again? Sorry, nope.

UPDATE:
It's been almost 3 years now since I bought this washing machine, and I have to say I'm still impressed. This Speed Queen is clearly a hard-working woman. She has had to go through about a million loads of boys' jeans and my husband's work clothes that pick up nasty crawl-space gunk. She does not settle for seven-year-old-boy-in-a-hurry clean. No sir, she keeps the bar up at full on Mama-clean! And never once has she ever complained or broken down or taken a sick day. Now that is awesome. Seriously.