I dont know how others feel about the worldwide Electrolux juggernaut, but it appears to be doing good things in Australia with Westinghouse and Simpson. (Although sadly, it looks like Hoover will dissappear from Australian laundries, but that is not Electrolux' fault, Hoover had already been screwed by Email, the previous owner)

This is the new Westinghouse Laundry catalogue.

There are new Zanussi sorced FL's though they are alongside the LG made FL's. Electrolux seems to be gradually discontinuing all the previous sharing arangements Email had and replacing them with Electrolux group products.

The TL's even feature window lids and are quite frankly, the best looking machines on the market.

Not sure how to post PDF files.

Click on the link an open "download brochure"

I love how Australia maintains the 1960's Westinghouse logo..

You can be sure if its Westinghouse.

And the old motto. Love it!

How are the top-loading washers? I'm curious if they have a motor and tranny or are a direct drive design like the F&P.

Fabulous agitator cap - I have that in black bakelite, a little older though...

They are not like the Fisher and Paykels at all. Infact they are more like the Asian style washers such as Hitachi and LG and Samsung. However they have a full size agitator rather than impellers, but the agitation stroke is much longer, more that 360 degrees. On the gentle cycles the stroke is shorter. They are not as fast and furious as DD Whirlpools.

They are based on the mechanism that Simpson has been using for years. They are cheap machines considering the amount of comptetion they have to face, but they are not hideously expensive nor hard to repair. In fact once they are repaired they can keep going on for what seems like forever, and every serivce man is familar with them.

Fisher and Paykel is usually more reliable but when they do break down they are very expensive and people get so hugely dissappointed.

The Westinghouse/Simpson machines though are pretty affordable and much more fun than machines with the Dual Action agitator.

the action of the Westinghouse/Simpson resembles your Harmony, a "spin wash". The agitator is in fact IMHO vestigial the shaft only being there to discourage tangling supposedly. The wash action equals that of an impellor.

A window in the TL lid, how cool is that?

The full size agitator with the impeller action does work, IMHO. I have noticed a huge amount less tangling compared to when I stayed at my friends house and used their NEC washing machine. It also copes with bigger loads better, as well as being more fun to watch, especially on the old Hoovers. 8)

Wilkins Service I looked at your profile and noticed you have some terrific examples of Australian Laundry appliances, particularly the Simpson with timeline indicator. Is this a solid tub machine? And a fully programmed Hoover 500, oh wow.

You must share some pictures with us.

Im afraid arrrooohhh that they are my dream yet to be found machines! Mores the pity.

Peter

BTW the timeline Simpson (cf. Norge & BorgWarner) did have a solid tub.

I saw a solid tub time line Simpson a few weeks ago in council clean up in my area. Alas, it had been taken apart, but hte top was still intact, should of taken it. It had all push buttons and a knob that just went round and round amd moved the time line. The knobs and buttons were white and the panel a baby blue colour. It was so good looking. One reason why I love the new Westy TLs is the blue control panel with white touch buttons.

I remember friends of my parents had this machine, but the one with two rows of push buttons on either side. I was facinated by its grooved solid tub and wondered where all the water went. i never got to see in action. Only my Aunties machines I got to see in action.

I live in a flat and have no room for any more machines.

There was also a perf tub Simpson with timeline and rapid advance button and solid state controls. I think it was called a Fabulous 79. I have a photo copy of an advertisement for one I should scan it.

Here is a link to the Simpson I saw.