I am a Speed Queen brand ambassador. I have not received any compensation for this post. Please note that, as always, any personal opinions reflected in this post are my own.

It’s been a while since I published my post about visiting the Speed Queen plant in Ripon, WI with you. The factory tour we took in August was really interesting, and I learned a lot about how washers and dryers are made that day. Seeing the plant only made me more excited for the washer and dryer pair that I was to receive.
Speed Queen is known all around the nation for their commercial units. They hold the number one market share in the commercial laundry space, supplying about 80% of that space. The reason they occupy the top spot is simple – their machines are manufactured with quality materials and are built to be reliable and last. Speed Queen units including the models I received are tested for 10,400 cycles, which is approximately 10 years of typical use in a home.

Despite the fact that the washer and dryer I received look like commercial models, they are residential. The reason that their appearance looks the same is simple – with the exception of a few labels and a difference in the control panel, the “heart and soul” of both residential and commercial Speed Queen products is the same.
Speed Queen sales and installation are handled exclusively through a network of approved independent dealers. This is a good point of interest for everyone. The fact that sales are only handled by local dealers means that consumers like you and I are supporting the local community and economy when we make a purchase. It also means that we have trained people in our area if something goes wrong, unlike service from a big box retailer where you could wind up with anyone, including someone totally unfamiliar with your machine. The local dealers in this nationwide network are trained on every aspect of the Speed Queen products they sell, from installation to operation to repair.
Installation of my set was handled by a local business, Stohrer Appliance. The woman at Stohrer worked with me to find a day that worked for my installation. My delivery was set to occur within about a week.

My set arrived on a big truck with a team of two men. They were very professional and very nice.

They started by taking my old units out to the driveway, since I was passing them on to someone else. They would have gladly removed them had I asked. While the men did that I was able to sweep out the laundry room.
Then it was time to take the new units off of the truck.

The wood crates that the units were packed in were HUGE! AFter unloading them from the truck, the guys unpacked the units right in front of my house on the side of the road.

Soon it was time for those new units to be brought into the house.

Installation of the units should have been pretty straightforward, as it was to be a direct swap for the units that had previously been there. One of my doorways was a tight squeeze so the men had to do a bit of maneuvering. Once in the laundry room, the guys discovered a glitch that would necessitate me hiring a plumber. So, they worked around that. They also discovered that my previous dryer did not vent to the outside, rather it vented into the crawl space which can be dangerous. We called the plumber again to take care of scheduling that too.
Once the washer and dryer were connected the men finished cleaning up. When they were done you would have never even known that they’d been there. Before leaving they gave me an instruction book and made sure I didn’t have any more questions.
From start to finish, the two men were there for just under three hours. Even though I knew they had other work to do that day I never once felt rushed or unimportant.
Once the guys had left I found myself almost as anxious for the plumber to arrive as I had been for the washer and dryer. Waiting those days in between the time that the machines were delivered and the plumber came to do the necessary work seemed like forever! There were even a couple of occasions where I just sort of stood in the hallway admiring the machines. They are actually quite handsome. And all of the buttons, they sure are impressive! Then finally I was able to use the new machines.


Those buttons I mentioned. The book does explain them. But, being me and what my Dad and I call a “Mac user” at heart, I don’t often rush to read instruction manuals. So, when doing my first load of wash, I simply read the buttons on the control panel. Everything is pretty clearly marked and easy to understand what it is and what it means. If you do have a question you should take a look in the manual first before panicing. (I did check it out eventually and it’s written in simple words and is very easy to understand.) I was totally astounded to discover that the machines are really quiet when they’re in operation. Knowing that the washer’s tub and the dryer’s drum were made of stainless steel had left me sort of expecting the units to be noisy while in operation. My old washer and dryer were so noisy, and I thought the new ones would be too. But they aren’t! Sometimes you can’t even tell these are running until you’re in the room with them and just a few feet away.
So far I am super impressed with the quality of the Speed Queen machines, and with the way my laundry has been coming out. Be sure to check back, as I’ll have lots more to share with you.
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wendi
Saturday 9th of April 2016
I am seven miles from the nearest one and i do at least 2 loads every other day if not more depending on what is going on sports wise or outside
Kiara
Thursday 31st of December 2015
How cool was it to take a factory tour of a washer and dryer plant? What a unique experience to have!
Stefany
Thursday 31st of December 2015
That looks like a really nice set! I am in desperate need of a new washer and will totally have to check out Speed Queen.
Crystal Wachoski
Thursday 31st of December 2015
I just bought the biggest washer and dryer that I could find. We do a ton of laundry. Cheers to the new washer and dryer!
Fi Ní Neachtáin
Thursday 31st of December 2015
That washer and dryer set looks great. It's amazing how different your appliances look in the US compared to us here in Ireland. Yours have so many settings! :)