A laundry-only brand from Ripon, Wisconsin
Speed Queen has been building laundry equipment in Ripon, Wisconsin, since 1908, and laundry is all it makes. That means top-load and front-load washers, dryers, stacked units and the commercial machines you see in laundromats. Speed Queen runs its home machines through 10,400 test cycles and says that adds up to about 25 years for a typical family. That durability is exactly why owners fix these machines instead of hauling them to the curb.
Which Speed Queen do you have?
- The TC5 top-load washer is the classic agitator machine with a mechanical dial, a two-speed motor and no lid lock during the cycle.
- TR3, TR5 and TR7 top-loaders are agitator washers with Speed Queen's Perfect Wash programming and a variable-speed motor, and their lids lock for the spin.
- The FF7 front-load washer has electronic controls and a locking door.
- DR3, DR5, DR7 and DC5 dryers all use a 7.0 cubic foot galvanized drum, come in gas or electric and have a reversible door.
- The SF7 stacked washer-dryer is the one for closets and tight spaces.
On most lines, the number in the model name matches the warranty length. Speed Queen's catalog lists 3 years for TR3 and DR3, 5 years for TC5, TR5, DR5, DC5 and FF7, and 7 years for TR7 and DR7. Your warranty sheet or receipt will show exactly what's covered on your model. Speed Queen's warranty lookup runs off the serial number, so keep that handy.
Heavy parts, simple failures
Speed Queen uses heavier, commercial-style parts than most home brands, and the machine itself rarely wears out. What wears are the parts that move or switch. On washers that's lid and door locks, belts, pumps and inlet valves. Dryers add rollers, the idler pulley and heating parts. The mechanical TC5 is about as simple as a modern washer gets. TR and FF machines run electronic controls with sensors and a motor control, so you get more features and also more electronics to diagnose.
Living with one in Minnesota or Wisconsin
Clean the dryer lint filter every load and have the vent run cleaned out. Come winter, check the outside vent hood for frost or snow holding the flap shut. Don't overload a top-loader, because heavy, unbalanced loads are rough on the suspension and drive parts.
Laundry in an unheated space needs its water lines kept from freezing. A frozen inlet valve or hose can crack and then leak once it thaws. And go easy on detergent. Using too much leaves residue that hangs on to odors and lint.