Speed Queen washing machine
Hacker ApprovedThe most recommended of 5 washing machines
People recommend it for long life and simple controls that keep working for years. Main caveat: it costs two to three times more than basic machines.
People recommend it for long life and simple controls that keep working for years. Main caveat: it costs two to three times more than basic machines.
31 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 25
- criticize it
- 6
- approval share
- 81%
Recommended in 8 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Owned for 10 years
Median of the 6 owners who said how long they have had it.
Each square is one year.
Why it carries the badge
- 25 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 4.2 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 8 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Built heavy-duty, long-lasting
“They are also very heavy duty compared to a normal washer and dryer, even a basic one. I've had mine since 2017 and they just work.”
Comment from 14 Dec 2025 in “An off-grid, flat-packable washing machine” “Miele, Bosch, and Speed Queen do the old-school engineering based on failure analysis”
Comment from 17 Nov 2025 in “FreeMDU: Open-source Miele appliance diagnostic tools” “They're known for being well-built commercial-grade machines.”
Comment from 3 Jun 2026 in “CT scans of BYD car parts” - Comment from 15 Jun 2026 in “Hetzner Price Adjustment (June 15th, 2026)”
- Comment from 14 Dec 2025 in “An off-grid, flat-packable washing machine”
- Comment from 16 Jun 2026 in “Hetzner Price Adjustment (June 15th, 2026)”
Simple, no-frills, just works
“The TR7 is definitely one that just works and fades into the background of your life.”
Comment from 28 Oct 2026 in “Reviewers rarely talk about reliability. Owners bring it up twice as often” “Famous for being reliable because it's a "dumb" machine (in a good way).”
Comment from 13 Dec 2025 in “An off-grid, flat-packable washing machine” “a dumb appliance that's built to last and serviceable”
Comment from 28 Oct 2026 in “Reviewers rarely talk about reliability. Owners bring it up twice as often” - Comment from 13 Jul 2026 in “Why are US consumers so angry? It's not just high prices”
Lasts ten or more years
“My Speed Queens with buttons/LED have been good for ~10 years now, only rare minor problems and none with the "electronics".”
Comment from 23 Sep 2026 in “Samsung accidentally freezes its smart fridges with a software update” “Speed Queen appliances are about 2–2.5x longer-lasting for roughly a 50–75% increase in purchase price.”
Comment from 15 Sep 2026 in “Let's make quality the norm again” “Still using my Speed Queen washer and dryer. Bought 30 years ago.”
Comment from 15 Jan 2026 in “Ask HN: What did you find out or explore today?” Owners call it best appliance
“Using my friends Speed Queen washer/dryer was such a revelation.”
Comment from 22 Apr 2026 in “Alberta Startup Sells No-Tech Tractors for Half Price” “Speed Queen is the ONLY washer dryer brand I would consider.”
Comment from 17 Nov 2025 in “FreeMDU: Open-source Miele appliance diagnostic tools” “It's the best appliance we have ever owned.”
Comment from 16 Jan 2026 in “Ask HN: What did you find out or explore today?”
Other washing machines people recommend
The four most recommended other washing machines, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed Queen washing machineThis page | 25 | 6 | 81% | 8 | 10 yrs6 owners | Approved |
| Miele washing machine | 10 | 3 | 77% | 5 | — | Approved |
| LG washer/dryer | 9 | 1 | 90% | 3 | 8 yrs6 owners | — |
| LG washing machine | 8 | 9 | 47% | 4 | 1.5 yrs4 owners | — |
| Samsung washing machine | 6 | 8 | 43% | 5 | — | — |
What people said
31 of the 32 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“I don't know you can't adjust the water level so I'm afraid that sensor is gonna break..”
“I wouldn't buy speedqueen today and instead opt for a different, cheaper dumb model.”
“The TR7 is definitely one that just works and fades into the background of your life.”
“a dumb appliance that's built to last and serviceable”
“My Speed Queens with buttons/LED have been good for ~10 years now, only rare minor problems and none with the "electronics".”
“next go around, I'm buying a top loader Speed Queen Commercial washer and dryer.”
“Speed Queen appliances are about 2–2.5x longer-lasting for roughly a 50–75% increase in purchase price.”
“I suspect that Speed Queen is still better than the usual suspects. But they've shifted to some plastic parts, more electronics”
“I should have figured when I noticed my local appliance store starting selling them.”
“People in the know now look for *used* Speed Queen machines, but casual searches will still turn up the old reputation.”
“Speed Queen are still made in Wisconsin.”
“Speed Queen, while absolutely worth it, costs 2-3x the price of the average pile of junk”
“No "new" features just does its job.”
“tend to still make really solid stuff”
“A Speed Queen washer is still built like a tank.”
“They're known for being well-built commercial-grade machines.”
“Speed Queen makes dumb laundry machines”
“like SpeedQueen washer/dryers”
“Using my friends Speed Queen washer/dryer was such a revelation.”
“I think that's an area where the professional grade stuff is a little more accessible.”
“It's the best appliance we have ever owned.”
“Still using my Speed Queen washer and dryer. Bought 30 years ago.”
“I bought a SpeedQueen washer-dryer set to have a dedicated wool wash option”
“I think it's more important to buy a quality appliance that local shops know how to repair”
“Destroys your clothes and is mega inefficient in exchange.”
“would also last 30+ years, like a 1980s Maytag”
“They are also very heavy duty compared to a normal washer and dryer, even a basic one. I've had mine since 2017 and they just work.”
“Famous for being reliable because it's a "dumb" machine (in a good way).”
“The SQs were very noisy, not super reliable, and didn't seem to clean that well.”
“Speed Queen is the ONLY washer dryer brand I would consider.”
“Miele, Bosch, and Speed Queen do the old-school engineering based on failure analysis”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.