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.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Haier XQJ50-31 Agitator 1-2/3-Cubic-Foot Portable Washer

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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Haier HLP140E 2-3/5-Cubic-Foot Compact Tumble Vented Dryer Review

I have only had this dryer for about 10 days now, but I'm very happy with it! There is one other review for this dryer and in it they say it takes a long time for the clothes to dry... this is true. But I think it's to be expected since this dryer can simply be plugged into any outlet unlike a normal dryer. So, smaller dryer... less power... longer drying time. The reason I'm giving this unit 5 stars is because if getting out the laundry mat is as important to you as it was to me, then the extra drying time is more than acceptable. Also, this dryer is VERY QUITE, simple to use and set up. For the first 5 loads I just had the machine sitting on the floor near a window - I didn't even have the hose out the window. It did get my apartment a little warm and humid (not since I've put the hose out the window of course), but I'm just making the point that it is very easy to set up.

How long does it take to dry clothes? I'm still trying to get all the drying times down myself. But I'm having much better luck using the timed dry instead of the auto dry. On auto drying it does seem to take hours before it finally stops. So I've just started to try and figure how long certain things dry. For example, my sheets (fitted bottom and the top sheet) I'm drying now between 60 or 90 minutes. On both times the sheets are close to dry and hanging them up for a little longer is enough. I guess this review is a little premature since I don't have the dry times down yet. But I have the feeling 90 minutes will dry most stuff about 90 percent.

I think once I make the adjustment and get things organized drying will not be a hassle at all. And for me the extra fiddling I have to do while drying in my apartment is so much better than having the hassle oforganizing taking everything out of apartment, waiting, digging up quarters, using a machine that has been used 10,0000 times instead my nice new machine.

UPDATE! THE SOLUTION! March 18, 2009

I have owned now the Haier Washer and Haier Dryer now for 5 months and I still am incredibly happy with my purchase. Even with the very long drying times with the dryer I love not having to go down to the W&Ds in the apartments laundry room.

But there is a solution to the long drying time with the dryer: Not long after posting my review C. Mok posted this comment (note: the spin dryer is very small 24 inches high, 14 inches in diameter - $134.00 + shipping - and only one company seems to sell them in the US):

C. Mok says:
May I suggest complementing your electric dryer with a small spin dryer? I bought a spin dryer on a whim when I remembered those were the only things used in Asia when I was there during the 80s. It has worked really well along side my small portable washer in my small apt. I hang dry most of my laundry except when I'm in a hurry. The spin dryer cuts drying time in half easily. Most spin cycle on washers go about maybe 600 - 800 rpm. The little spin dryer spins at 3000rpm. On a small wash (2 bath towels) it can spin out over a quart of water (over 32fl oz) in less than 2 minutes. That is a significant amount of water to evaporate using normal dryers. This will shorten your drying time and also save your clothes from heat damage from the prolong drying times. The only catch is trying to balance the load in the small spin dryer. I find it easiest to load all the heavy cotton clothes on the bottom and the lighter synthetic clothes on the top. Then give it a good shove and compress everything tightly down. Thats has worked really well for me. Check out [...]for a small spin dryer. Good luck!

I finally bought the spin dryer to work with my Haier dryer about a month ago and now washing and drying is very similar to using normal sized machines. Now there is just a very short middle step. I'll give examples of some of the basic loads I do each week.

Whites (socks 10-12 pair, underwear 10-12 pair, t-shirts 2-4):

After using the washing machine I put all clothes in the spin dryer. It is important to pack the spin dryer the way the manual suggests to prevent the dryer from bouncing around like R2-D2 in a bad mood. With small items like socks and underwear though, it's pretty easy, and after experience you will see what you can just drop and press in the SD (spin dryer)and what you need to wrap around. I does sound like this middle step is a pain, but after you use it a bunch of times, it's pretty easy and you don't give it a second thought. When you turn the SD on, it starts to spin, shakes a bit, then settles down and gets very quiet as it picks up speed. When you first use the spin dryer, you think, wow, i got ripped off! No water is coming out!.... But wait... after about 30 seconds water starts flow out. Dribblyat first but then... wow! With a full load, CUPS of water fill your water catcher. I have had between 1 and 5 cups of water (normally 2-3), depending on what I was washing. Once the water flow starts to slow down, you turn off the machine. It only takes 2-3 minutes.

I then take my clothes and put then in the Haier dryer and set the timer to 90 minutes. After 90 minutes the clothes are BONE DRY. I'm not sure how long it actually takes, but if the load is a little smaller there is a very good chance they will be dry after only 1 hour.

Darks: 2 pairs of pants, 6-8 T-shirts, 1 sweat shirt. In the SD, you do now need to put the pants in first, wrapped into the bottom of the machine, then the sweat shirt, then the shirts. Again, after 90 minutes - bone dry (as I said, they are probably done after 70 min? 80 min? I'm not sure because I just open it after the buzzer goes off.

Sheets (king size): OK, sheets are the only thing that I wash that can be slightly problematic. Because these are large items, they can make R2-D2 (the spin dryer) unhappy. You have to be the most careful here wrapping them into the spin dryer. In the Haier Dryer also, they can at times ball up. I normally wash 2-3 sheets at a time. Put them all in the spin dryer at once, then in the Haier dryer for 60 minutes EACH. I found that they don't ball up when you dry them separately. So yes, it would still take you 2 hours to dry 2 sheets.

The Washer and dryer are freakishly quite, but the Spin Dryer does have a lot of vibration at the beginning and end of it's 2-3 minute spin. Not a big deal because of the short time, but if you have thin floors and a neighbor under you, they might wonder what is going up every 45 minutes for 3 minutes while you are doing laundry. I suggest getting 1 or 2 thick squares of carpet.

UPDATE July 6th, 2009

I did just read the comment from someone who had problems ordering a spin dryer. I can't speak for that company other than mine arrived on time and in good shape and still works like new. I did go to the BBBlink and did only see 1 complaint about the company.

For reasons I don't understand, I was only ever able to find 1 company in the US that sells a spin dryer. Maybe some enterprising individual might think of importing some from a country that uses them more and start a business selling them. I had a friend who told me that they are pretty common in Europe. (Note: I do remember I had to wait a month to order a spin dryer from the Laundry Alternative because they were out of stock. I'm not vouching for the company - just giving my personal experience.

November 6, 2009 UPDATE

I was curious to see how long I've had my washer and dryer to calculate how much I've saved in quarters (13 months x $20 = $260). It's been over a year so I thought I'd add a first year update. The washer, dryer, and spin dryer all work like new. Which is great, I'm not sure if I'm lucky or not, but in my case they are fine. I did make the decision not to use bleach early on. I'm not sure if that has made any difference.

As far as drying. I reread my review and while it is true, if you use the spin dryer before the Haier dryer your wash will be bone dry in 90 minutes, that is with a small-med load. If you fill the dryer to the max. It will take 2-2.5 hours to dry. I just make sure to do medium loads more often.

My mom told me a secret to drying sheets! I still dry one sheet at a time for 90 minutes, but my mom said, AND SHE WAS RIGHT, if you put in a DRY towel (I use a big one) the sheet does not ball up while it spins. This has made a big difference in drying sheets, which are a pain to dry. I also bought a retractable clothesline from amazon. So when I dry sheets, (I don't use the spin dryer for sheets because the sheets are so big they can make the spin dryer go out of balance), I hang one on he clothes line, and they dry 1 for 90 minutes. Then I take the one out of the dryer and put it on the clothes line and put the one one from the clothes line in the dryer. Sometimes I have to put a sheet in for another 30 minutes.

Also, you really do need pull out and clean out the filter after every load. It really makes the drying time MUCH faster because it allows the air to flow out of the machine. You have to clean the lint off the "catch" and also the black filter thingy. Someone posted that an improvement on removing the filter would make the dryer a lot better. I totally agree with that.

The bottom line is: It depends on your personality; which do you dislike more? Digging up quarters, piling up your soap on your clothes in a basket and making a bunch of trips to the laundry room once a week or setting up these crazy contraptions in your apartment and turning your laundry doing into an art form where you have to get creative and be a little unorthodox.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Haier HLP140E 2-3/5-Cubic-Foot Compact Tumble Vented Dryer

Product Description:
Designed for use on its own or to coordinate with any Haier portable washer, this compact dryer makes it easy to quickly dry clothes, sheets, table linens, and more, without taking up a lot of room--perfect for apartments or other small living spaces. The efficient 1100-watt tumble dryer plugs in to any 120-volt outlet and features a spacious 2-3/5-cubic-foot drum, a removable interior lint filter, and a user-friendly digital touch control panel. Simply add clean, wet clothes, close the door, and make a selection. Choose from four dry cycle settings, three temperature settings, and the drying time, from 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 minutes. A wall-hanging bracket comes included for exceptionally convenient out-of-the-way placement. Weighing about 54 pounds, the CSA-approved, rear-venting dryer measures 16-3/4 by 24-4/5 by 27 inches.

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Haier HLP21N Pulsator 1-Cubic-Foot Portable Washer Review

I recently purchased this, though not from this vendor. My living space is on the top floor and the laundry area is down 2 winding flights of stairs. Someone suggested that if I could do laundry without having it pile up, my life would be easier. So now, this is the first week I have had this installed. Admittedly, I never have overly high expectations of machinery, but I am more than happy with this.

The instructions for the washer are fairly detailed. I ran into trouble over the sink hook-up, just because I did not understand standard terminology. When a friend came in to help, it took him all of 15 minutes (or less). Everything was tightened with a wrench, plus he tied the two hoses (in and out) with a fastener to position them securely. I ran the first load 5 minutes later. No leaks, in spite of what you might have read in other reviews of the same product.

I am not a big person and tonight, the load (at medium, the default setting) was:
1 pair of long pants
1 flannel pajama shirt
1 cotton sweater (in a laundry bag)
1 blouse
4 pairs underwear and 4 pairs of socks (in separate mesh laundry bag)
2 T-shirts

After reading many reviews, I leave it on the medium setting and don't overfill it. I also got these laundry bags to protect the clothing. The spin cycle does a good enough job so the clothes dry within 12 hours on a rack in the bathroom. It is also easy to hook and unhook from the sink, and comes with wheels that you can choose to install.

I am ***very*** happy with the ease of use, convenience, portability, small footprint.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Haier HLP21N Pulsator 1-Cubic-Foot Portable Washer

Product Description:
A nice alternative to lugging laundry to the laundromat, this portable washer makes it easy to wash up to 6 pounds of work or weekend attire, baby clothes, delicates, and other small loads from the comfort of home, without taking up a lot of room--perfect for apartments or other small living spaces. The compact unit features a 1-cubic-foot stainless-steel tub, a removable lint filter, and user-friendly electronic controls with LED indicators. Simply fill with items to be washed, add soap, close the door, 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) and three wash cycles--heavy, normal, and quick. Standard cycles include delicate, soak, and whites; special cycles include handwash, sanitary, and unique or exclusive. Other highlights include quiet operation, cycle-status lights, an end-of-cycle signal, and an adjustable leveling leg to balance the machine if placing it 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. An easy-installation kit with a quick-connect sink adapter comes included. Weighing about 43 pounds, the washer measures approximately 17-1/4 by 17-3/5 by 30 inches.

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