Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

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.

**UPDATE**

Just wanted to say- it's been nearly 5 years since I received this machine from Amazon and it's still working perfectly. It's been my only machine and I use it weekly. The casters make funny noises now due to the locks on them slipping, but after years of service...that's easy to forgive.

**UPDATE**

Near 7 years later of regular use and I had an incident this weekend with the agitator coming off inside the machine. I let it spin out dry and had a look. If you lift out the fabric softener holder/filter in the center of the agitator and look down, you will see the top of a bolt-type screw and washer (sorry folks for not knowing the proper name!) This had simply come unscrewed and had allowed the agitator to detach from the base. After some almost comical work linking pieces from my socket/ratchet set together to get it to the 12-15" length needed to tighten that screw from the top of the agitator, I finally got the job done. I am posting this for people who bought this machine or are considering buying it-- you might keep an eye on it and tighten this perhaps yearly to avoid having to hear the calamitous sound of the agitator flying off during a spin cycle. :) Also, it happened to crack the plastic housing on the little hanging filter which sits in the center of the tube. Would have liked to have avoided that, though it is not hindering performance. Still a hearty thumbs up for this machine!

I waited a couple months before deciding to write this review. I wanted to see how well it stood up over many washing cycles. It's expensive and time-consuming to put together, so I wanted to make sure and give an accurate review!

My washing machine arrived without a dent and it was quite heavy. The instructions are confusing and we left off the clamp to hold on the bottom hose, resulting in a little flood - no harm done and gave us a reason to mop for the first time in many months!

The clamp was found and installed. I don't think it is mentioned in the instructions, or maybe it's not shown in the diagram, but make sure and install it! Sometimes the washer will stop if there are too many clothes or if they get tangled up, so I make sure and not overstuff the washer. It also won't clean very well if there are a lot of clothes.

The washer came with only 2 wheels, but it is still really easy to move and is probably a little bit less likely to roll around which could cause the drain hose to come out of the sink (flood!).

I am very happy with this washer and this purchase! It certainly has saved me time and will soon save me money - and certainly it has made my life a lot cleaner.

Cons: The body is metal, but inside tub is plastic. I don't think that matters much unless you wash clothes that have metal parts that may scratch up the plastic. The LED panel is intuitive to use, but I have to push the buttons real hard. This gets a bit scary since the whole machine becomes useless if the control panel fails. An annoying feature is that the machine stops and beeps really loud if you open the door while it is going.

Pros: Large enough for 2 people or bed sheets/small blankets. I find that the small or med load settings is sufficient for me (1 person). Clothes come out fairly dry after the spin cycle. There is a timer to let you know how long before the load finishes. The 2 lint filters works pretty well. Noise level is low, even during spin cycles (except when it beeps).

Connections: It allows easy connection to faucet (with quick disconnect adapter) or to regular washer hookups. I find that my bathroom sink doesn't empty quickly enough, so I'm using the kitchen sink. The discharge hose comes out on the bottom right side. I wished it comes out from the back instead to maintain the clean look.
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I've been using this washer for several months now (average 3-4x per month). I'm in love with it. It's easy to use. I connect part of the sink adapter permanently to my faucet. So, when I need to use the washer, the hose connection just snaps to the faucet. It's also easy to roll the machine to the sink and back to storage with 4 castors put on the bottom. Seems that the whole assembly is nicely built. I have no problems with it at all so far. The 2 rinse cycles really leaves clothes clean.

Love this machine!I bought this washer after my 15 year-old Maytag broke down.
After reading the reviews here, I decided to go for it.It is
more than I expected.Being in a digital age, I decided to get
this over the other model.
Light and easy to install, I was able to move the washer by
myself(as opposed to the heavy Maytag).
I connected the hoses incorrectly the first time but figured it out after awhile(red end goes into the washer)
The washer is quiet, wash my clothes clean and use a mimimum of
water.This washer would be suitable for a single person or a small family.Highly recommended!

... I am satisified with the washing machine. It took me about 1-2 hours to read manual and install it. There is a small plastic part in the bottom of the shipping box, which is not a broken part, it is used to support the machine in shipping. You can put 4 wheels/casters on and then put on the bottom cover to reduce noise. When you return the machine in upwards position, don't forget to unlock the caster as you may break one caster clip as I did. But it can still be used to lock the caster. For tube connection, I just use one tube to connect to cold water inlet as my ketchen sink has only one faucet, which can provides hot/warm/cold water. The tube can connect directly to the machine. On the other end of tube, it is better to use the two big rubber washers included and then connect to the Quick sink faucet adaptor. The machine is very quite and works perfect. It is a wonderful buy.

I just receive one today. The box looks all right.

However, after I open the box, It comes with a huge dent in the front side(bad looking).

The package is bad. The instruction manual is also poor.

I put on only two wheels. Still I can not screw up the bottom piece. Just left open. Connect only one hose(cold) to my kitchen's faucet. And cramp up the drain house.

I try to wash a load. It works perfectly. I can delay and soak my clothes. It comes out very clean. The noise is not so loud. Overall, I would highly recommend this washer only if you are lucky to get a good delivery.

I will keep this washer as long as it works. Because, I am afraid to get another dent one after returning this one.

The washer came in good shape, although the outside package box is dirty and with small break (It seems that it has experienced a long transportation).

The user manual is not very easy read, especially in the initial set-up. I think the procedure is not in good order. However, it is easy to be figured out, not complicated, just spending a little more time. After that, the use of this portable washer is enjoyable.

Good points:

The basic functions (soak, wash, rinse, spin) are works very well, not leakage, small noise and vibration. Easy to move, hose can be quickly connected to the faucet by the connector provided.

Something need to be improved:

1. no hook to hold the drain hose

2. box to contain detergent is not well designed (hard to open and can not contain detergent well)

3. user manual

I have been using this washer for about a week now. After reading other negative reviews I could not decide if I should get it, but I took a chance and I love it. It has been the most helpful purchase I have ever made. I do have to keep the loads small of course so I just do it more often now. I hated the laundry mat, or using other peoples washers. It also came in new condition from UPS ,which was another concern. I'm so glad I had a good experience with this washer.

I bought this because I live in an apartment with no laundry hook-ups.

I received my washing machine the first week o/September. I was soooo excited, but it didn't work from day one. I kept getting an error message and after having hooked up all the extras was super disappointed.

I called the company and soon they arranged to have someone come out to fix it. In less than 30 minutes after guy came I was washing my first load of clothes. I love it! It works great and will save me lots of money.

The down sides were that the panel that comes with it to put on the bottom did not fit securely and has a gap on one side. I think this is because the frame is a little bent. This does not affect the performance or the noise (it is very quiet. You also have to make sure you hook the hoses up with the red end going to the machine otherwise they leak. I have no idea why.

For the price I had no problem paying a couple of bucks for a y adaptor. After shopping around I think this is a great machine at a great price.

If you live in an apartment, then this washer would save you money and time. It's very convenient and very quiet. I put it in my kitchen. Everytime I need to use it, I easily hook it up to the sink faucet. It works great. I use it for almost everything. In the begining, I had some trouble getting it to work then I figured out that I need a Y-adapter (which I got for Home Depot) in order to hook up both hoses to a single faucet.