Speed Queen.

$1500 for the pair? Worth it to whom?

As an example, I'm a single guy with a small dog. I do at the MOST 3 loads per week on average. No way I'd live long enough to get that sort of usage of value from that sort of payout.

Have you tried researching the models of Speed Queen units using Consumer Reports?

My decades of personal experience is with Maytag which I know to be some of the more dependable units out there, - specifically those mid to upper end of Maytag models.

Here is a link to one such a review via Consumer Reports:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/washingmachines/speed-queen-washers-built-to-last

"You’ll see Speed Queen commercial washers and dryers in laundromats. The Wisconsin-based manufacturer claims its laundry appliances for home use are “built with rugged, commercial-grade construction and pushed beyond their limit” in the test lab to deliver 25 years of performance. Speed Queen even provides an online calculator that estimates how long their washers will last. It’s based on the number of loads you do each week. At 8 weekly loads the washer should last 25 years, but at 10, that number drops to 20 years. An asterisk warns this number is based on Speed Queen’s tests and not guaranteed. These appliances are made in the U.S. and come with unusually long warranties—three years for parts and labor for washers and dryers with mechanical controls, five years for electronic controls. The industry norm is one year.

Brand Reliability
Speed Queen top-loaders are among the more reliable washer brands, according to Consumer Reports Annual Product Reliability Survey of over 115,000 subscribers. There weren’t enough Speed Queen front-loader owners to qualify for our analysis, but our dryer brand data, based on more than 105,000 subscribers, shows that for electric dryers, LG is the most reliable brand with a 5 percent repair rate. Speed Queen’s was 10 percent (Fisher & Paykel was 20, making it the most repair-prone brand analyzed). "

Thanks for that.

I bought a Whirlpool washer and dryer seventeen years ago and had to put four hundred dollars into them in all that time. I guess that's not bad. But it's time for new ones. I talked to a repair guy, and he recommended Speed Queen for it's warranty and durability. But the price is . . . steep. It works on the mind thinking about making an expensive mistake with the wrong purchase.