Most major appliances sold today include a parts and labour warranty from the manufacturer. Almost without exception, manufacturers cover the cost to repair an appliance which fails as a result of a defect in material or workmanship for a term of one year. Most manufacturers publish warranty bonds in the product literature section of their website. Some manufacturers’ warranties are transferable to a new owner if the appliance is privately re-sold. Others also offer an extended parts-only warranty on specific components.

SO WHAT’S A 5-YEAR SPEED QUEEN PARTS WARRANTY WORTH TO THE CONSUMER? Let’s compare to a major competitor offering a one-year parts and labour warranty. If the electronic control failed in year 1, both manufacturers would cover the cost to replace the part at no expense to the customer. If that same failure happened in years 2 – 5, Speed Queen would still replace the part at no parts cost to the customer. If the customer purchased the other brand, they would have to pay as much as R 4000 to replace it. So the customer is left to decide – do they replace the control at a cost that is so significant or purchase a new washer. If they decide to buy new do they go back to the retailer who sold them the washer or bypass them and go elsewhere?

Electronic controls from Speed Queen deliver dependability and washability like no other model. In fact, the electronic controls Speed Queen builds for laundromats, hotels and other commercial applications are the exact same controls we manufacture for home use. They’re the most durable controls on the market, and they’re designed to last up to 25 years in the home. Plus, they offer powerful features to get the best possible wash out of everything from delicate lace to the most rugged denim. Speed Queen electronic controls deliver unyielding strength and dependability. They are tested to withstand more than 10,400 cycles or up to 25 years in the home vs. 5-7 years for competitor models. Designed for 20 hours of use per day, 365 days a year, Speed Queen electronic controls have a proven record, with more than 500,000 installations currently in use in commercial environments across the globe.

In addition to long-lasting durability and an unmatched warranty, Speed Queen makes doing the laundry virtually stress-free with an easy-to-use electronic control panel. The electronic touchpad features a simple, push-button control and well lit displays to highlight selected cycles. The features on our electronic controls offer added flexibility, while giving you more control over your laundry — so each cycle runs exactly how you want it to.

CUSTOMER EXAMPLE: A customer comes to your store to buy a new washer because their old one was in need of expensive repairs. They want something simple like the old mechanical controls their parent’s washing machine had growing up. What your customer is really asking for is something as reliable as what their parents had. Speed Queen manufactures the most reliable laundry equipment on Earth.

The Speed Queen top load washer has a shipping weight of 88,5kgs, making it the heaviest in the industry. The majority of competitive units weigh less than 61kgs.

The gauge of the steel used to produce cabinets and tops as well as the material used for the outer drain tub impact weight the most. Speed Queen uses higher gauge steel in their top load washers, designed for the harsh environments of commercial laundries. In addition, Speed Queen’s outer drain tub is made out of steel with a porcelain coating. Most competitors today use plastic for their outer tub, a much lighter and less expensive material than steel.

Plastic parts can’t hold up to the wear and tear washing machines face in a commercial environment on a daily basis. With Speed Queen, you get a commercial quality washer that is identical to ones used in a coin laundry. They need to be built to last, which translates to an even longer life in the home. A consumer will enjoy the peace of mind that comes with the purchase of a Speed Queen top load washer.

Your installers may not like the fact that a Speed Queen washer weighs considerably more than other brands, but customers will. Speed Queen uses more steel, where competitors use plastic. Speed Queen is designed for more demanding commercial environments, which translates to a much longer life in your home. And they back it up with the longest warranties in the industry.

Most dryer cylinders are made out of steel. But we all know that without special treatment, steel can rust quickly. How quickly? Here is a link to one answer. To lessen the possibilities, manufacturers use different methods to minimize rusting. One is to use a steel that is galvanized, making it resistant to rust and corrosion. Speed Queen dryers use a G-60 galvanized steel. Another manufacturing method  is to start with a basic cold rolled steel and cover it with a layer of powder paint applied electrostatically. The painted option is good as long as the paint coating remains intact.

As the clear market leader in commercial laundry, our machines are subject to significant abuse. We duplicate those conditions in our life test labs. One test we run is called the buckle test. We continually run the dryer with belt buckles. It is very noisy, but simulates the long term effect of buckles, zippers, metal buttons, as they are tumbled in the cylinder. Over time, these can wear out a painted coating to the point where the bare metal is exposed and vulnerable to rusting. A galvanized base metal will not rust and there is no paint to wear off. We do not rely on a layer of paint, but spend more on the type of steel. Commercial customers demand this.

So what does a stainless steel tub mean to the consumer? You are still making car payments and your vehicle gets scratched in a parking lot. The scratch is deep enough where the bare metal is exposed. So you have three options – ignore it and watch it rust, pay a body shop to repair it, or buy a new one. Depending on the cost to repair, with a washing machine or dryer, many consumers will forgo the repairs and start looking for a new machine to buy. It’s a shame to do this with an “almost” perfectly good machine, but it happens.