Huebsch 18# front load washers

[kern]

Hi Folks, I'm interested in purchasing Huebsch 18# soft mount front load washers. I will be replacing my Maytag top loaders with these washers. Can anyone give me any details , experiences, and/or information you may have on these units from using them? Any known problems, etc. Also, does Huebsch actually make this machine or just put their label on it? Any suggestions you may have would be most appreciated. Thanks for your time. Bill

[Larry]

If the Huebsch 18#'rs are the same as the SQ Horizons, tell your Maytags you're sorry for even thinking about straying! There are a lot of plastic parts and plastic breaks-a lot! The doors aren't very strong either. NONE of the breakage and failures are due to vandalism. It's tough to clean soap scum and build-up too. Those machines are not up to the demands a busy laundrymat has to offer.

[kern]

Hi Larry, from your note, are you saying the Huebsch are made by SQ or the other way around? Thanks for your time. Bill

[rondo]

Why not buy Neptunes to replace your tops? The MA-20s the second generation has solves the problems of the MA-14s and they are a direct replacement no plumbing changes and the same phsyical size plus they are a true 18 pounder that uses on 18 gallons of water.

[Marianne]

The Neptune is soap-sensitive. You have to train your customers to limit detergent to 1/4 cup. Also they must not put powder detergent in the second cup because it will set up like cement in the container. There are a few other smaller design problems that need to be fixed, but the Neptune is well worth the trouble. I have labeled the vended soap boxes as two washes per box. The wash is excellent, the spin-out is superb, they are ultra-quiet in operation and the customers love them. They save on utilities and I priced mine at $1.75 plus .25 for the extra wash/rinse cycle with no complaints from the customers. No complaints when I raised the price by .25 a few months later. The only real complaint I have is that the cycles take up to 43 minutes to complete.

[PeterH]

How well does the Neptune handle too much soap? Has anyone ever opened the door at the end of the cycle and had suds pour out? Just wondering, because I'm dubious about installing a front loader in my store that does not have a window.

-ph

[Weston]

I installed 4 Neptunes MAH 20 last December and they have been well received by my customers. I set back the wash time to 10 minutes (from the default 14.) This gives a 34 minute cycle. I also give the option of the superwash extra rinse for an additional quarter, 30 min cycle. Apparently the original MAH 14 had a 10 minute wash as standard.

I laminated 2 signs and stuck them on the top of the machines.

Wait for cycle to end before opening door.

Display will show
0 MINUTES and
DOOR LOCKED message will disappear.

Do not force door!


Add an additional 25¢ to automatically select Super Cycle for an extra rinse.

A few days after installation, I discovered residue rings left by small container that had been resting on the surface of two of the machines. Whatever they used etched into the porcelain finish and now is impossible to polish out. The Maytag distributor says that conventional laundry products cannot mar the finish but whatever cleaner was used did just that. It’s upsetting but some people don’t care.

Vasto
Weston Laundry

[Weston]

Typo Correction. Neptune super cycle is 38 minutes, not 30

Vasto

[Gary_Crosby]

I have 17 of the Neptunes and yes they are soap sensitive but no more than any other front loader. The mah 20's will try to rinse out the extra soap. The machine can sense it and run a quick rinse during the wash cycle.
I have set mine for 8 min wash and that seems to work fine and makes the wash 31 min.
Weston, I have found that fabric softener will eat away at the porclin finish.
My customers love the machines.

[Weston]

Thanks Gary for the comment on softener eating the finish, That's kind of what I suspected after finding a blue liquid residue on the surface. What is in that stuff! Would using car wax help to protect the finish? And is this only a Maytag problem? Any comments from readers would be appreciated.

Vasto

[Charlie]

I have 8 of the Neptune MA-20, and have a love hate relationship with these machines. I love the way these things run and spin out. My customers still seem to prefer the toploaders, which I keep at only .25 under the Neptunes.

In the past year I have had these 8, I have replaced 6 of the front basket seals. They will rip and tear for no apparent reason, and Maytag has not covered them under warranty, except for one. None of the ones I have replaced have ripped and torn, so I'm thinking that I got a bad batch initially. Anyone else with this problem?

These units will oversuds if you use too much soap. Although you can use the automatic oversudsing feature, this can extend considerably the cycle time of the unit. I was told by a knowledgeable distributor (not mine) to disable the automatic sudsing and enable a 1 minute pre-wash. This blows out the extra soap right away. I did this 6 months ago and have never had a customer complaint about their cleaning ability, and the soap problem is gone.



Charlie