I'm not sure where to start, so I'll just jump right in. Whatever you do, don't buy the $1,049 Speed Queen AWNE9RSN115TW01 top-load washing machine (also known by its product code, TR7000WN -- TR7 for short, which is how we'll refer to it throughout this review).
Its outdated design, shocking inability to remove stains and small internal capacity make its inflated price all the more absurd.
Speed Queen's vocal devotees often choose Speed Queen appliances because of their industrial build. And they're willing to pay more for traditional agitators and heavy, stainless components with the assumption that better cleaning performance and a longer product lifespan inherently follow. I can't speak to the TR7's durability over time, but this 2018 washer got such a low performance score we thought it was a mistake until we looked at the raw data and confirmed our lab results.
Please don't buy this thing.
A cult favorite?
Speed Queen is a lesser-known US appliance company that sells washers and dryers through select dealers, rather than typical retail stores. Where similarly priced top-loaders like Whirlpool's $999 WTW7500GC and LG's $1,150 WT1801HVA emphasize modern accents -- see-through lids, gray finishes, impellers (read about the difference between impellers and agitators) -- Speed Queen keeps it simple.
For a lot of people, that's a good thing. Speed Queen has a huge following of people looking for basic, commercial-grade washers with strong warranties. Most washer warranties last a year; this model has a seven-year warranty. But that isn't enough to recommend this particular model.
See how the TR7's specs compare with a couple of Whirlpool and LG top-loaders:
Comparing washing machines
|
|
Speed Queen TR7 | Whirlpool WTW7500GC | LG WT1801HVA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,049 | $999 | $1,100 |
| Color finish | White | Gray | Gray |
| Capacity | 3.2 cubic feet | 4.8 cubic feet | 4.9 cubic feet |
| # of cycles | 8 | 5 | 12 |
| Energy consumption | 64 kWh/year | 212 kWh/year | 135 kWh/year |
| Dimensions (width, height, depth) | 25.6 x 42.8 x 28 inches | 27.5 x 42 x 28 inches | 27 x 40.2 x 28.4 inches |
| App | No | No | Yes, Android and iPhone |
The Speed Queen is priced somewhere in the mid-to-high-end range. But its white color finish and old-school design look more like Kenmore's entry-level $600 25132 than the top-loaders that cost around $1,000. The TR7 also has a small internal capacity -- even for a model with an agitator. The 25132 has an agitator and manages a 4.3-cubic-foot capacity (compared with this Speed Queen's 3.2-cubic-foot drum).
You can read more about washer bin size here, but you typically want a washer that's at least 4-5 cubic feet to fit a typical 8-pound load of laundry. Eight pounds roughly translates to a few pairs of jeans, six shirts, a towel or two, a set of sheets and several pairs of socks and underwear.
It's fairly easy to see the various settings on the TR7's touchpad display -- it even has more cycles than Whirlpool's WTW7500GC. Even so, its layout is unnecessarily cluttered on one side of the instrument panel.
Beyond its eight cleaning cycles, this Speed Queen washer has an autofill function that's designed to sense the amount of water needed for each wash run. You can also choose your own fill level if you want to go rogue. But that's about it -- there's no app, no detergent reservoir or anything else as far as advanced features go.
Discuss Speed Queen TR7