Anyone have any recommendations for home washing machines that can do horse blankets? Would love to be able to do them at home & current washer just died, so may have opportunity to buy a new one…
Speed Queen all the way. They have a wonderful warranty depending on model chosen, 3 to 5 years covering everything. My top-loader will do rainsheets, smaller horse, light insulated blankets. Never had a front loader, so my heavy, LARGE winter blanket goes to the laundromat which also has Speed Queen machines! They are made in the USA. I particularly like the spin cycle which goes very fast, so fabric needs shorter drying times.
Had minimal repair issues until it finally died, I had worn it out after 10ish years. Needed tub bearings replaced, cost was close to the price of a new machine, so I got the new machine. My Mom’s Speed Queen lasted her over 30 years. I use my machine almost daily, plus a laundry day, which astounded her during a visit! Before we got the Speed Queen, I had Kenmores which lasted about 3yrs. I feel the higher cost of one Speed Queen equals out or was less than buying 3 Kenmores in the same time span.
Second the Speed Queen! They are pricy but after I killed an Electrolux with just normal people/dog/horse (no blankets) laundry, I justified the Speed Queen price by what I wouldn’t have to spend on blanket washing 
I have the front load model and can easily wash even a heavy winter blanket. I do run a tub clean cycle before putting in regular laundry.
We’ve got a top load no agitator LG washer that was very well reviewed the year we purchased that handles horse blankets quite nicely. A Speed Queen – especially one of the older ones, that doesn’t have the water saving stuff – probably does better, but for a washer that is mostly people laundry and occasionally horse clothes, we’ve been very happy with it!
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I bought an LG top load without agitator last year for my tack room (Model WT7900HBA). I had planned to use it for horse blankets, but compared to the 35 year old Maytag it replaced the tub just looked so lightweight in construction that I gave up the heavy turnout blanket washing idea for it. It does a good job with saddle pads, and lighter weight sheets, coolers, towels and such.
I have a large capacity front load Samsung in the house that I tried horse blankets in a few years ago. The heavy blanket loads had the machine vibrating all across the floor, tethered by the hoses.
So now I am back to my old school method. I have closet rod brackets on either side of my wash stall that a 12 foot length of galvanized steel pipe fits onto, like a heavy duty closet hanging rod. I use a pressure washer, let it drip until it gets light enough to handle, and then the blanket goes over the fence in the sun to finish drying. Future plan is to add bracket for a second steel pipe. Pipes will be about 2 feet apart, so I can get pressure washer access to the underside of blankets and not have to flip them over when they are sopping wet.
I had been eyeing a laundromat-rated machine for the tack room, like a commercial Speed Queen or Maytag but one of them was in the price range of a new Custom dressage saddle. Steel pipe, wall hangers and an electric pressure washer total was under $200.
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I have a regular Maytag top-loading high-efficiency model MVWB765FW (no idea what that means but it doesn’t have a model name as such). Got it from Home Depot in 2016 and I wash people and horse stuff in it. Turnouts, stable blankets, fly sheets, saddle pads, nylon halters and lead ropes! For the blankets, I will spray them off at the barn if they are muddy first, then drag them down to the house. The basket is large and on the washer it says “with commercial technology”—again no idea what that means either and just noticed it, now that I was looking. It does a great job!
I do mine in my large LG front-loader, I put them in a mesh bag designed for comforters so the metal bits don’t bang around too much.
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We have a Samsung front load (maybe a couple years old) that works great. I’ve done up to size 75 heavyweights and had them come out great. Haven’t tried the 81s yet but I think they’ll be fine as well.
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I’ve had a 5.2 cu ft LG front load for two years. It’s fabulous! It can easily handle two sheets or a 78" 350g blanket.(biggest one I have) I wash sheets regularly because it’s so easy.
I have a top load LG without an agitator that does a great job on horse blankets. I use blanket wash, the bulky cycle, cold water, and turn down the spin speed to preserve the waterproofing.
I would prefer a front loader to a top loader, if price and performance were equal. I have both, and it is ptetty easy to pul a waterlogged blanket out of a front loader and into a muck bucket to carry outside to hang on the fence to dry. Very little effort and very little water dripping onto the floor.
With a top loader, it takes some effort to lift the wet blanket up out of the machine, and it is dripping onto the floor as you do it.
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We also have a top load LG with no agitator that works for any size blanket.
Are skipping the spin cycle? My blankets aren’t dripping when I pull them out?
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I was told by someone who handled cleaning blankets for a living that you want the lowest spin speed possible, as that helps preserve the waterproofing. So yes, my blankets are dripping some when I remove them from the washer. 
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No, I do not skip the spin cycles. Maybe I just bought crappy washers.
If the load gets unbalanced, the spin won’t work right. If you have a heavy duty or bulky items setting, that can help prevent that from happening. You might also need to rearrange the blanket and run spin again.
I have found front loaders to do a better job than top loaders. I try to use lighter blankets and liners when I can which are easier to wash than the heavy blankets.
I sometimes find if you reposition the blanket in the washer so it is inside out and run an extra spin cycle I get more water out. If not, the waterproofing keeps all the water inside the blanket
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Ooooooooh. I get that really good suggestion.
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I have a 20+ year old Bosch front loader that is in the basement, used exclusively for horse stuff these days. It works great for any size up to a medium weight. The largest I have attempted was a 75 heavyweight wug and it was crammed in so tight that even by the end of the load, parts of the blanket were still dry. But even that I can work around by rearranging the blanket and washing a few times.
For those of you that pressure wash, do you use soap? How? Might try that for the heavyweights this year.
I can’t tell you which one to buy, but I can maybe tell you which one NOT to buy.
We bought the “best” Maytag model our local appliance store had. It’s a top load high effeciency, large capacity, bluetooth capability, “smart load” etc etc, the works. Best warranty and supposed to be the best.
Darn thing doesn’t even get my regular clothes clean. 
It’s horrible. I hate it. There are literally DRY spots on my clothes when they come out of the wash, that the washer didn’t get to. Complained to the store, they sent out a service person and “nothing wrong” with it.
My cheap little Samsung front load we had before that was way better.
