Haier XQJ50-31 Agitator 1-2/3-Cubic-Foot Portable Washer Review

If you are like me, you are scouring these reviews trying to decide if this is the right product for you- if it will arrive safely, be easy to hook up, and work as promised.

Since this is a fairly large purchase for most, I thought I would add my own review, as a person who seriously debated buying this machine based on the reviews about damages and other difficulties. After much consideration, I finally ordered and received this washing machine and there are a few things I can tell you.

Firstly, it is going to come with some dings, almost guaranteed. As another reviewer mentioned, the tub is free floating inside and there is absolutely nothing to stop it from swinging into the metal housing during shipping. And you have to know it will get bumped hard enough in shipping to swing that tub around at least a little. It would have taken a dollar's worth of styrofoam to secure the tub inside, it is a shame they don't take care of that little problem. So, just resolve yourself to this idea and you won't be disappointed. Fortunately, the dings are only cosmetic, and you might have only a few, or you might have a lot. My machine arrived dinged up, but works perfectly. Most of the dings were caused by the tub pushing from inside out, but there were also a couple of indentions obviously from things hitting the box during shipping. Though I am making a thorough description of the damage, overall, it was not devastating.

Secondly, it's not that hard to hook up, and I found the instruction book adequate. The first thing you must do when you receive the machine, after you unpack it, is to lay it on its side an put the casters on. There are two stopper-type feet, and two adjustable level feet on it, out of the box. The adjustable level feet come right off. The stopper type feet will require a pipe wrench to remove. Don't even think you can do it with your hands or a cheap pair of pliers. They won't budge. But get yourself a pipe wrench and turn counter-clockwise and they will begin to unscrew, no problem. At this time, it will help you to have an electric screwdriver handy to mount the bottom (noise cancelling) panel. You can do it by hand if you want, but if you are doing it alone it will be difficult for you to hold it and put the screws in. Also, the electric screwdriver has a little more force, so if your frame is slightly dented, you can almost correct it by forcing the screws into the correct position.

Voila! Once you put the machine upright, it rolls very easily! The next task is to roll it over to the sink and set up your connections. Personally, I don't see any benefit to having a Y adapter if you only have one faucet. The hot and cold water are going to mix together before going to the intakes anyway, so what is the point? I hooked up only one hose, to the cold water intake. (There is a screw-on plug included for the other intake if you choose to hook up only one.) When the wash cycle begins, I have the hot water on, then after the tub fills I turn the hot water off, and the cold water on for the remaining 2 rinse cycles.

Next, the quick-connect adapter for the faucet is not difficult to install. You simply unscrew the aerator off your faucet, and add the quick-connect version which screws right in to replace it. Then attach the other piece of the quick-connect to the end of the cold water hose you just installed on the back of the washer. Now this hose will clip on to your faucet in one motion. Just push down the white piece, slip it over the piece on the faucet, and release. It makes a tight, reliable connection. If you leave the faucet piece on (you can still run water through it) then each time you want to wash, all you have to do is click the quick-connect on and you are ready to go. So, no worries about that part, it is a snap.

Now, the drain hose is another thing. It is too inflexible, and too short to be convenient. If you use this hose, be sure to use something to weight it so it remains in the sink when the water starts coming through! It is made of slick accordion plastic which does not stay in place easily. Myself, I went and bought some thick black rubber tubing in a longer length. A hose clamp is included, be sure to use it to secure whatever hose you might choose to use. If you don't clamp the hose on tightly, you will have a flood as soon as the pump kicks in.

OK, so that's what you can expect once the machine arrives. It seems like a bit of work, and all in all it will probably take you an hour and half before you get your first wash in. But that's where it pays off. This little machine washes just beautifully. The clothes are very clean after the generous wash and two rinse cycles. It spins them very well, so the clothes dry in 6-8 hours after you hang them up. (If you are an apartment dweller with no dryer, do a search on the internet for a "gull-wing clothes drying rack" for a neat solution for drying.)

I have to agree that the design on the detergent drawer could be much much better, but it works. It also has a fabric softener dispenser and a bleach dispenser! The electronic panel is just plain cool, as well. Like another reviewer, I hope it lasts a long time. There is also an available soak cycle which you can add to any of the regular cycles, which is very handy. When it comes to washing, this machine is A+. I really could not be happier with its performance. The tub actually holds much more than I anticipated-- I would guess about 2/3 of a "normal" washer.

I found this machine a good investment, considering the cost and inconvenience of going to a laundromat. If you are living in an apartment without hook-ups and are spending hours in the laundromat, this will change your life in a good way.

I will try to come back after some months and comment on the long term performance, but I am not anticipating any problems.

**UPDATE**

6 months later, and I am still very happy with this machine.Thrilled actually, not to have seen the inside of a laundromat for a good long while.

The only issue I have had is that if the machine is not on a nice level piece of flooring, it will have balance issues.Once I recognized what was causing the problem, I had to memorize the "sweet spot" on the floor in front of the sink where the machine has to sit precisely in order to avoid any balance problems.My kitchen floor is anything but level.As long as it is in the zone, it can hold an amazing amount of clothes and spin clean without a hitch.If it is not level, I can have even a small amount of clothes in it and it acts up by refilling itself over and over because it thinks the clothes are out of balance and it is trying to correct it by adding water (self-balancing feature.)So if you are having similar trouble, experiment moving the machine 3-4" this way or that, until you find the place it likes and it will perform like a champ.

Using my drying rack and opening the windows to create a cross-breeze in the house, the clothes are dry in 5-6 hours.There are other bonuses to this method.Not putting them in the dryer is also causing less wear and color loss to the fabrics, and stains do not set...so if you miss one, you can get it out the next time without the dryer having "cooked" it in forever.Then there's the simple environmental and cost savings of not running a dryer as well.

Thumbs up for this machine, dings and all.Kick your feet up in your favorite chair while the washer is working and think about how great it is not to be in some sweaty laundromat full of college kids.

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Product Description:
No need to transport heavy loads of laundry to and from the laundromat with the help of this portable washer. It makes it easy to wash work or weekend attire, baby clothes, delicates, and other small loads from the comfort of home, without taking up a lot of space--perfect for apartments, beach homes, or other small living areas. The compact unit features a 1-2/3-cubic-foot stainless-steel tub, a fabric-softener and bleach dispenser, a removable lint filter, and user-friendly soft-touch electronic controls with an LED display. Simply fill with items to be washed, add soap, close the lid, and make a selection. Choose from three water levels based on the size of the load (save water by choosing a lower level for smaller loads); four wash cycles--heavy, normal, gentle, and quick; and three wash/rinse temperature options--hot/cold, warm/cold, and cold/cold. Other highlights include a load balance system, quiet operation, a delay-start option from 2 to 24 hours, an estimated time-remaining display, cycle-status lights, an end-of-cycle signal, and adjustable leveling legs to balance the machine if placed on an uneven surface. When finished, the washer can be moved to an out-of-the-way place like a corner or closet thanks to its heavy-duty smooth-rolling casters. A quick-connect sink adapter comes included. The CSA-approved washer measures approximately 22 by 21-5/8 by 37 inches and carries a full one-year warranty.

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