Franklin Transmission - everybody loves to hate it, why?

While the indexing tub is a fun visual aspect of the Franklin transmission, it actually impedes rollover. If you grab the tub and don't allow indexing, the two strokes of the agitator become equalized and rollover improves noticeably.

The larger the load, the shorter the clockwise stroke and the longer the counter-clockwise stroke. The longer the counter-clockwise stroke, the more the tub indexes.

Someone once posted a photo of the inside of Franklin transmission and if that person is reading this, I'd love for them to post it again. It was long before I bought my Frigidaire toploader last year. I seem to recall a curled up band (almost like an old-fashioned wrist watch) inside the thing and the more the counter-clockwise stroke 'wound it up', the more the tub would index when the tension was released during the clockwise stroke.

The tub moves precisely. It isn't a random movement. In fact, it bounces back a bit every time it comes completes one index. On the rare occasion I've grabbed the tub to stop it indexing, I could really feel the tug of it wanting to be released. I decided it must be hard on the transmission, so I stopped doing it.

You can achieve decent rollover, but the clothes-to-water ratio has to be carefully controlled. Too little water and there's no rollover; too much water and the clothes just float in the excess space. Rollover with a Franklin transmission seems to rely more heavily on clothes-to-clothes friction.

Since there is no tub brake, machines with Franklin transmissions always lock during spin. It takes upwards of 60 seconds for the thing to stop spinning, especially with a full, heavy load.

I was a Franklin-hater, but now that I've lived with my machine for a year, I've grown to find it pretty entertaining. Once I figured out how to achieve maximum rollover, it cleans well, too.

Having said all that, I'd never give up my matching Frigidaire frontloader. It's a much better washer in many respects---cleanability, energy savings, water savings, spin speed and features (dispensers, for example).


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Post# 217915 6/24/2007 at 02:41 (6,144 days old) by panthera (Rocky Mountains)
Checkrate/Likes Recently there was a comment here (well, not in Imperial, in one of the Brand "X" forums) on how primitive the Franklin transmission is followed immediately by the comment that it never ever breaks. I've seen these comments regularly for like forever; "it is a POS, but it is a reliable POS" in many variations. Can someone explain to me why this is so? Watching the videos, I get the impression that is does not have nearly the roll-over of GE Filter-flos or real Maytags. And that indexing thing is another question - what causes it, what is the advantage of it? If any. Seems couner-intuitive to me. I'd love to know - actually, the only US transmission I've ever really paid any attention to is the rollermatic...and that is just 'cause I was responsible for keeping 70+ of them up and downing for quite a while. Thanks!

Post# 217953 , Reply# 1 6/24/2007 at 11:23 (6,144 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)
Checkrate/Likes While the indexing tub is a fun visual aspect of the Franklin transmission, it actually impedes rollover. If you grab the tub and don't allow indexing, the two strokes of the agitator become equalized and rollover improves noticeably. The larger the load, the shorter the clockwise stroke and the longer the counter-clockwise stroke. The longer the counter-clockwise stroke, the more the tub indexes. Someone once posted a photo of the inside of Franklin transmission and if that person is reading this, I'd love for them to post it again. It was long before I bought my Frigidaire toploader last year. I seem to recall a curled up band (almost like an old-fashioned wrist watch) inside the thing and the more the counter-clockwise stroke 'wound it up', the more the tub would index when the tension was released during the clockwise stroke. The tub moves precisely. It isn't a random movement. In fact, it bounces back a bit every time it comes completes one index. On the rare occasion I've grabbed the tub to stop it indexing, I could really feel the tug of it wanting to be released. I decided it must be hard on the transmission, so I stopped doing it. You can achieve decent rollover, but the clothes-to-water ratio has to be carefully controlled. Too little water and there's no rollover; too much water and the clothes just float in the excess space. Rollover with a Franklin transmission seems to rely more heavily on clothes-to-clothes friction. Since there is no tub brake, machines with Franklin transmissions always lock during spin. It takes upwards of 60 seconds for the thing to stop spinning, especially with a full, heavy load. I was a Franklin-hater, but now that I've lived with my machine for a year, I've grown to find it pretty entertaining. Once I figured out how to achieve maximum rollover, it cleans well, too. Having said all that, I'd never give up my matching Frigidaire frontloader. It's a much better washer in many respects---cleanability, energy savings, water savings, spin speed and features (dispensers, for example).

Post# 217962 , Reply# 2 6/24/2007 at 12:17 (6,144 days old) by rinso (Meridian Idaho)
Checkrate/Likes I used to watch my little sister's old TL Westy. It was pretty interesting and did an OK job on the clothes. Also, I love a machine with a recirculating lint filtering system. I seem to remember that it was a poor extractor.

Post# 217982 , Reply# 3 6/24/2007 at 14:34 (6,144 days old) by alr2903 (TN)
Checkrate/Likes *Frigilux is exactly right* I also find that sheets and work clothes especially pants do much better if you load it with the 4 zone method X, like the method described to load a unimatic if you string king size sheets in a big long circle you will many times end up with a twisted, tangled, wrinkled mess. while it never ripped or tore anything, i found myself unraveling and re-rinsing, they are inexpensive and wash good enough, just as frigilux stated never over load. if you have a king size bed, plan on going to the coin op for your mattress pad, blanket and quilt. If you have a large family with lots of laundry, it would not be a good choice. alr2903.

Post# 217993 , Reply# 4 6/24/2007 at 15:55 (6,144 days old) by brettsomers ()
Checkrate/Likes dont most all conventional toploaders warn against wrapping items around agitator? IMO loading the clothes in bunches works best for all toploaders.

Post# 218002 , Reply# 5 6/24/2007 at 17:49 (6,143 days old) by alr2903 (TN)
Checkrate/Likes Brett, i think the indexing makes the new frigidaires more prone to tangling, I have to load a little more carefully than with our previous amana. alr2903

Post# 218103 , Reply# 6 6/25/2007 at 03:07 (6,143 days old) by panthera (Rocky Mountains)
Checkrate/Likes *Thanks!* And now I know the rest of the story. There are just some topics in our club which come up again and again, somehow they never stop being interesting.

Post# 218169 , Reply# 7 6/25/2007 at 12:44 (6,143 days old) by cvillewasherbo ()
Checkrate/Likes *my frigidaire* Shirts and sheets and pant legs seem to get tangled up in my 'daire. I'm careful how I load it, no wrapping around the agi. The rollover I see when watching mine is subtle and time consuming. I really wish that mine wouldn't index. Courtney in Waynesboro VA

Post# 218174 , Reply# 8 6/25/2007 at 13:11 (6,143 days old) by peterh770 (Marietta, GA)
Checkrate/Likes Who has the 2 videos of Robert's "Pig" Wizard washing? View these vids to see that while very splashy and active, it is really quite poor at washing. There's tons of spinny action, and splashy action, but when you concentrate on the items being washed, you see they really don't get a thorough scrubbing.