Product review (5 stars): Fabulous Washer!
I bought the top load SpeedQueen AWN432 from  a local appliance store and paid for them to deliver, set up, and haul away my 7 yr old Whirlpool Estate. I opened the hot and cold water faucets that spill into my work sink, as someone suggested after the machine was installed, to get rid of any junk in the line. It was surprising that the water from those faucets was black, but then after running a minute changed to clear. My machine did not come with a nasty film inside that had to be removed. The dealer told me that Speed Queen was aware of that problem and resolved it, so nobody has to deal with that any more. That being said, the dealer said that they do recommend that you run it once with detergent and no clothes before using for good. I did that, and then proceeded to do 2 wash loads. GREAT RESULTS> the machine does everything I wanted, and more. No annoying locking lids, has an extra rinse cycle when needed, delicate cycle, prewash cycle, as well as the usual regular and permanent press cycles.
I did tons of research before buying this machine, and was dismayed by all I read re. the Whirlpools, Maytags, Hotpoints, GEs, Kenmores, etc. I did not want an HE, and would have hated a frontload. My dtr has a front loading HE machine that has constant issues with mold. She hates it, and spent a fortune for it. So, I wanted a simple old fashioned machine that would be well made and have the simple options I was used to. This satisfies all that I wanted.
The man who installed it and hauls away people's old machines said he feels it is the best out there, and will save you a ton of money in the long run because it is built to last. He said he is constantly hauling away fairly new machines made by other companies, particularly Whirlpools; that the old ones were good, but the new ones are awful and break quickly. So, that reinforced what I already thought. I never thought I would be excited about getting a new washing machine, but I have to say that this one is great! It also has plenty of room for a very large wash. It is slightly noisy, but that doesn't bother me.
Last but not least, it is in my basement, and fits perfectly in a rather small space behind bifold doors. It is actually narrower than my old machine but deeper, which was great for me. The dials are easy to read, and also very easy to turn. Some reviewer said that the dials were hard to turn. I don't have the strongest hands, and had no problem at all. In fact, they were extremely easy to turn. I
HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS MACHINE!