The New Center for Filter-Flo-ing

The V-12's were introduced with a couple of new features for marketing, one of them being that the machines were now trimmed closer to cabinet depth and you could(with a hell of a lot of planning, plumbing and work) feed the fill hoses and drain hoses up through a recess in the back of the machine. It was an ass-backwards attempt that they dropped after a couple of years. The Maytags and Hotpoints always had a better solution to flush installation which was, simply to extend the cabinet top and backsplash back over the cabinet by a couple of inches. Market research eventually proved that Bob and Debbie didn't really give a damn about installing their washing machine flush to a wall, even though Consumer's Reports kept nattering on about it for years.

The outer tub seals on the solid-basket machines were, essentially the same as the ones on the newer models. I think GE finally added what you're calling a "splash guard" to the underside of the cabinet top as yet one more safeguard against small items breaching the washbasket and ending up plugging the drain at the bottom of the outer tub (which they still did frequently, especially after they removed the drain guard which protected the pump). Probably by then GE had statistics of enough expensive service calls just to realize they needed to address that problem. Interesting that they would have eliminated many service calls had they stuck to the design of those amazing AW-6's from the late forties where even Mrs. Delicate Housewife could lift her GE washbasket out of the machine for the occasional cleaning and maintenance. Maybe the transition from the Bridgeport factory to Louisville lost many of their best engineers. I drove by the Bridgeport factory just days ago and saw it just sitting there, a huge collection of amazing buildings just begging to be turned into overpriced condos. Bridgeport could someday be turned back into a beautiful city if only...


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Post# 337186 3/23/2009 at 23:11 (5,505 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)
Checkrate/Likes Thanks to Jed and Ben's help this weekend I was moving some of the machines around to different locations. Two of my three GE's are now together, the 1958 Solid Basket Filter-Flo and the 1961 Perforated Basket V12. Look at how much deeper the 1958 model is compared to the 1961 model. I had no idea until I saw them next to each other.

Post# 337187 , Reply# 1 3/23/2009 at 23:11 (5,505 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)
Checkrate/Likes and money shots of course...

Post# 337194 , Reply# 2 3/24/2009 at 00:13 (5,505 days old) by tuthill ()
Checkrate/Likes *Commanding :)* These 2 machines together were a blast!

Post# 337206 , Reply# 3 3/24/2009 at 05:38 (5,505 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill Home of the RailwayTrials Merseyside,UK)
Checkrate/Likes *Hotpoint Filter Flow* I bet you needed to feed them well after all that work!!! why is 58 model deeper ?? does it take a bigger washload?? Is it because the outer drum is bigger on the solid tub?? or is the suspension better on the 61 which makes for less movement??

Post# 337213 , Reply# 4 3/24/2009 at 06:52 (5,505 days old) by toggleswitch2 ()
Checkrate/Likes Lookls like the '61 has The hexagonal lid we came to know and love in GE FFs. The platic filter-flo pan The splash-guard / gasket / water-sealing around the lid opening. So my question to Robert is: How was a water-tight "seal" accomplished on the 58 where the outer tub meets the top of the machine? (lid area) is it like the '61? nSame except for the "splash-guard"?

Post# 337228 , Reply# 5 3/24/2009 at 07:55 (5,505 days old) by tlee618 ()
Checkrate/Likes Just Beautiful Robert!!! They look so happy together. They are both awesome machines but wow, that 58 just sizzles!!!

Post# 337236 , Reply# 6 3/24/2009 at 08:32 (5,505 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut)
Checkrate/Likes *Oh.* Thank you for starting my day on such a happy note. Any way you could rework these pictures into a centerfold?

Post# 337241 , Reply# 7 3/24/2009 at 09:19 (5,505 days old) by turquoisedude (.)
Checkrate/Likes *Drool!* Love the turquoise/copper combination... Must find a Filter-Flo someday soon!!

Post# 337243 , Reply# 8 3/24/2009 at 09:47 (5,505 days old) by pdub (Portland, Oregon)
Checkrate/Likes Beautiful machines as always. Especially the turquoise machine with copper pan. Stunning!

Post# 337271 , Reply# 11 3/24/2009 at 15:26 (5,505 days old) by joelippard (Hickory)
Checkrate/Likes *I noticed* on the wall behind the turquoise filter-flo a framed article on "Machine Queens" I'd love to read that if you would be so kind as to put a picture of it up for us. Those are beautiful Filter-Flo's Robert! Sometimes I wish we had kept mom's but it had terrible balancing problems and was a BOL model... Maybe I'll get to see those machines in person someday.

Post# 337396 , Reply# 12 3/24/2009 at 23:33 (5,504 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)
Checkrate/Likes Beautiful machines Robert!Did you have a white 50's Filter Flo at one time also? What year did GE switch to a perforated tub? Yes Rick I did, they switched in 1961. on the wall behind the turquoise filter-flo a framed article on "Machine Queens" That was an article in Out Magazine a few years back where I was mentioned. I will scan that sometime soon Joe.

Post# 337406 , Reply# 14 3/25/2009 at 01:19 (5,504 days old) by hydralique (Los Angeles)
Checkrate/Likes *Mmmmm . . .* They're both so nice! I like the '58 a bit better for two reasons: firstly it is turquoise, my very favorite appliance color, and secondly I really like that extra strip of chrome trim near the bottom of the front panel. Those GEs are so stylish with the pedestal control panel they're even able to hold their own against the Sheer Look of the Control Tower Frigidaires, not an easy feat! Do you see much difference in performance between the solid tub and perforated tub models?

Post# 337446 , Reply# 15 3/25/2009 at 09:15 (5,504 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)
Checkrate/Likes Do you see much difference in performance between the solid tub and perforated tub models? Not really, although both do excellent jobs at filtering (best of any washer), I do believe that the solid basket overflow filter system is superior.

Post# 337246 , Reply# 9 3/24/2009 at 10:38 (5,505 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut)
Checkrate/Likes The V-12's were introduced with a couple of new features for marketing, one of them being that the machines were now trimmed closer to cabinet depth and you could(with a hell of a lot of planning, plumbing and work) feed the fill hoses and drain hoses up through a recess in the back of the machine. It was an ass-backwards attempt that they dropped after a couple of years. The Maytags and Hotpoints always had a better solution to flush installation which was, simply to extend the cabinet top and backsplash back over the cabinet by a couple of inches. Market research eventually proved that Bob and Debbie didn't really give a damn about installing their washing machine flush to a wall, even though Consumer's Reports kept nattering on about it for years. The outer tub seals on the solid-basket machines were, essentially the same as the ones on the newer models. I think GE finally added what you're calling a "splash guard" to the underside of the cabinet top as yet one more safeguard against small items breaching the washbasket and ending up plugging the drain at the bottom of the outer tub (which they still did frequently, especially after they removed the drain guard which protected the pump). Probably by then GE had statistics of enough expensive service calls just to realize they needed to address that problem. Interesting that they would have eliminated many service calls had they stuck to the design of those amazing AW-6's from the late forties where even Mrs. Delicate Housewife could lift her GE washbasket out of the machine for the occasional cleaning and maintenance. Maybe the transition from the Bridgeport factory to Louisville lost many of their best engineers. I drove by the Bridgeport factory just days ago and saw it just sitting there, a huge collection of amazing buildings just begging to be turned into overpriced condos. Bridgeport could someday be turned back into a beautiful city if only...

Post# 337258 , Reply# 10 3/24/2009 at 13:42 (5,505 days old) by rickr (.)
Checkrate/Likes Beautiful machines Robert!Did you have a white 50's Filter Flo at one time also? What year did GE switch to a perforated tub?

Post# 337402 , Reply# 13 3/25/2009 at 00:31 (5,504 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)
Checkrate/Likes It's funny how the transition to the perf-tub still looked so much like the 1960 solid tub. So fun having them together - who knew the 61 was such a skinny girl?

Post# 338207 , Reply# 16 3/27/2009 at 16:57 (5,502 days old) by geextrarinse (Hudson Valley, New York )
Checkrate/Likes *MACHINE QUEENS!* OMG! - I have that article somewhere too!! - Thats how I found you guys and for iit I am SOOOOO very grateful!!! I'll look for mine but yes, please scan it Robert!

Post# 338242 , Reply# 17 3/27/2009 at 22:32 (5,501 days old) by gewa1054wguy ()
Checkrate/Likes *Favorites* Hi Robert, The GE's look so nice next to each other, especially lit up. You know how much I like these washers. Congrats on the Apex. Thanks to you I have my V12 so I share your enthusiasm for obtaining what seems unobtainable. Enjoy, EMP

Post# 338491 , Reply# 18 3/29/2009 at 01:01 (5,500 days old) by frapdoodle ()
Checkrate/Likes why dont modern GEs still use filter-flo spouts/ pans?