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Thread Number: 13127
POD - General Electirc washer - What vintage is it |
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| Post# 227825 8/5/2007 at 11:30 (6,102 days old) by alanlendaro () | ||
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Does anyone have one or have more info about it? | ||
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Post# 227838 , Reply# 2 8/5/2007 at 12:14 (6,102 days old) by bajaespuma  (Connecticut) |
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This model was made in small various forms from 1964 to 1966. It was the TOL and the continuation of GE's "programmed" washers. It went from 5 cycle buttons, eventually to 7 selections and was the prototype of the programmed washer TOL that was featured from 1968 through to 1972. It was GE's answer to CU's constant carping about raised panel machines. Unfortunately it took GE(and many other manufacturers) many more years to figure out that a lit control panel than shined light in the user's eyes wasn't as practical as a light that illuminated the controls on the panel itself. In 1965 it was the WA-1250Y with 5 selections: 
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Post# 227841 , Reply# 3 8/5/2007 at 12:16 (6,102 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut) |
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Post# 227843 , Reply# 4 8/5/2007 at 12:18 (6,102 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut) |
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Post# 227845 , Reply# 5 8/5/2007 at 12:20 (6,102 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut) |
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| Post# 227847 , Reply# 6 8/5/2007 at 12:29 (6,102 days old) by mrcleanjeans (milwaukee wi) | ||
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The V12 to V14 claim may have been due to those extra 2 lbs. that you could mini-basket wash. Of course, if that was their illogical logic,it's silly,since those extra 2 lbs. would be done separately anyhow. | ||
| Post# 227848 , Reply# 7 8/5/2007 at 12:30 (6,102 days old) by scott55405 () | ||
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I had no idea these were around even that long. Apparently they overlapped with the "new" toggleswitch and dial design, which I'm pretty sure came out in about 1964 as well. | ||
| Post# 227853 , Reply# 8 8/5/2007 at 12:55 (6,102 days old) by alanlendaro () | ||
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Thanks for all the replys! Sure are neat machines (and from the year of my birth, along with the IBM System/360 and RPG programming language!) | ||
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Post# 227882 , Reply# 9 8/5/2007 at 17:03 (6,102 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut) |
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Yup | ||
| Post# 227900 , Reply# 10 8/5/2007 at 19:57 (6,102 days old) by scott55405 () | ||
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Thanks for the scans! I had thought there were some that had the light on the bottom instead of the top, though I'd never seen one in person. | ||
| Post# 228037 , Reply# 11 8/6/2007 at 09:26 (6,101 days old) by thirtyater () | ||
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I have the dryer and some day someone it will find a mate! 
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Post# 228038 , Reply# 12 8/6/2007 at 09:36 (6,101 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK) |
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GE Filter Flow | ||
| Post# 228040 , Reply# 13 8/6/2007 at 09:37 (6,101 days old) by thirtyater () | ||
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Hmmm? Where did that pic go? 
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Post# 228042 , Reply# 14 8/6/2007 at 09:40 (6,101 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!) |
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| Post# 228187 , Reply# 16 8/6/2007 at 22:47 (6,101 days old) by scott55405 () | ||
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Washertalk, how does the suds saver work on a GE? Is it like a Sears or Maytag, where it agitates as the water pumps in, or a different system. I know various manufacturers had different ways of doing it. | ||
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Post# 228370 , Reply# 18 8/7/2007 at 19:17 (6,100 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut) |
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Welch squelch
I used to work for GE during Jack Welch's tenure (I think Welch was and is the inspiration for the Simpson's Montgomery Burns; evil man). From what I learned while working there, GE's divisions had a lot more autonomy before Welch, which may be why they had the latitude to spend big bucks changing designs and trying new innovative designs for their appliances. When Welch came in and started cutting heads left and right, he squelched a lot of creativity in "homier products" in favor of hard engineering science and uber economics. Housewares and white goods just weren't big earners. Nothing like a good cheap nuclear warhead to make your stockholders happy. Sieg Heil America!!!!! Pecuniam macht frei!!!
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| Post# 228476 , Reply# 21 8/7/2007 at 23:45 (6,100 days old) by scott55405 () | ||
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Interesting, thanks! | ||
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Post# 228477 , Reply# 22 8/7/2007 at 23:47 (6,100 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut) |
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Pavane for a great line.
Not exactly, but they started to homogenize all their appliances in the early to mid eighties, after Welch took control. I still remember walking through a hallway in the East Building (where Welch and his wehrmacht had their offices)and noticing a couple of disembodied washer control panels on the carpet. They were refashioning them to reflect the new "no frills" aesthetic that they were administering in the corporate offices. The panel was still toggleswitches and dials, but they had scaled them all down to look like the BOL panels, removing all lights, bells and whistes. The beginning of the end. Their workers in Louisville must have been apoplectic. I think they must have decided from research that they had a fairly stable share of the white goods market and had no desire to take it over as did Whirlpool. They simply had bigger fish to fry. If you look at GE's appliances, and subtract anything they outsource(which is a lot) nothing has changed dramatically in decades. They're just not interested in this market anymore. One can't argue with their numbers, but one can detest their mission. Sadly, it's exactly parallel to the American auto industry's default to superior Japanese and European products. Eventually, I imagine, American will make nothing. With apologies to Peteski, it's why my daily driver is an LG washer, Gaggenau stoves, and, vintage Maytag, GE and KitchenAid dishwashers. | ||
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Post# 228789 , Reply# 24 8/8/2007 at 20:39 (6,099 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut) |
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Start soapbox music---here.
The problem is that this doesn't just apply to GE; it's relevant to our entire country. One of the things I value most about this internet group is that we all share a respect and appreciation for the craftsmanship and imagination that went into these products of yesteryear. It is a part of our heritage as American workers, inventors and industrialists. We once lived in a country that proudly produced Cadillacs and Frigidaire Pulsators, Ford Fairlanes and Philco consoles. We grew up with these things that, in part, made our lives richer and made other nations want to be like us. In the liquidation of this heritage for the exclusive pursuit of a "bottom line" we have sold our national soul to the devil and it's scary to think what has to happen to get it back. If you doubt this, think about how much different a Cadillac, Frigidare washer, Philco TV, Ford car is now than it was in 1960. Then think about how much different a Marlboro cigarette is now than in 1960. What does this tell you about America? This isn't the country I was born into. And I think that's a tragedy. | ||
| Post# 228905 , Reply# 25 8/9/2007 at 03:52 (6,099 days old) by spankomatic (Ukiah,CA) | ||
Vintage...
We had a 1966 G.E. WA-850-B just like the upper right photo but ours was avacado green. I spent hours watching the filter flow... The mini basket and toggle switches were fun! I also liked the foot pedal to open the dryer door. Wish we still had them. Got 1975 Maytags 606 to replace them. I still have the Maytag washer but my brother dismantled the dryer and disposed of it. He is still in big trouble! Jim | ||
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