Easy washer POD

I am going off from data supplied from a back issue of the VCCC newsletter from spring of 2000, it gives in the letter a complete list of all vacuum cleaner manufacturer's and their addresses circa. 1940. The hardest one to find was Electric Vacuum Cleaner Company of Cleveland Ohio (or Premier and later General Electric the back to Premier.), and that was because the was NO mailing address. The easiest one was the 1070 E.152nd Street location of Apex.

Okay my surprise was founded a few months ago when I went on a search for the address of Premier Electric, who made several vacuums I have which gave a mfg. address of 1732 Ivanhoe Rd which brought to my very eyes the last factory of Premier Electric. Another suprise was the finding if you go down to 16234 Euclid Avenue, on the south side of that building you see VERY plainly General Electric.

If you look from a large shot aerial view, Apex and Electric Vacuum Cleaner Company werre neighbors seperated by railroad track, adn now we come to find out that it was ALSO later part of Hupp Corporation.

Heres how I believe the situation and topography went. The Apex Company Started at the tri-corner of 152nd st East Side and West side of the street, and St Clair Avenue and Ivanhoe Rd. went straight down on both sides of 152nd, ( with possibly some)different company factories along the way on the west side until you hit Woodworth Rd. Even where you see the new track/sports field and up to the shopping plaza on the N.E. corner of St Clair Avenue and 152nd, was all factory site. You can see it on the ground and the fact that many of those things are new developments. Now, Woodworth Rd, to the extreme south of the Apex complex going east is all still fine until you hit the railroad tracks, then following the tracks over to the West side of Ivanhoe Rd. At first I figured that Apex then continued all the way back up to St.Clair completing the kinda trainglish property line, and looking from ground level all the factories looked like they were built the same way with the same building signitures. Apex was huge at one point, and the factory grounds prove this.

But No Apex was large enough that they also Continued their property line, AND factories, as the later Hupp plant has the same build signitures as the buildings the toher side of Ivanhoe. So, from the E. Side of Ivanhoe and the Railroad tracks and followed the tracks NE until the property line ended at London St. Then the property line went N.W until you hit Mandalay Avenue. Mandalay Av.follows a kinda S. Westerly slope until it ends again back at Ivanhoe Avenue. I do have a APEX document that shows the company from the air as well, and besides a few liberties given to make it look pretty seems fairly on spot with what you see, and I've tried to explain.

The funny part is, is that SOUTH of the RR tracks and W. Of Ivanhoe N. of Euclid Rd, and E. Of Noble Rd. were all once the factories of Premier Electric/Electric Vacuum Cleaner Co, and subsequently at some point General Electric.

Confusing enough for ya?

So the aerial shot of what became Hupp Corporation,and subsequently the Easy washing machine plant was the building that encompassed the East side of Ivanhoe Rd and was "most likely" part of what was Apex. ITs not super hard to find our where it all happened..... Kinda a neat look see!!!

Chad
Ann Arbor Michigan

CLICK HERE TO GO TO programcomputer's LINK


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Post# 405735 1/13/2010 at 04:09 (5,216 days old) by wilkinsservis (Melbourne Australia)
Checkrate/Likes What year does this model date from, judging by the colours that it was available in it seems to be pre 1964. When was the last Easy washer made? What became of the company? Peter

Post# 405737 , Reply# 1 1/13/2010 at 04:32 (5,216 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)
Checkrate/Likes Now THAT Easy washer could be a "DD" washer that won't shred your clothes!Would be interesting to somehow find one and try it.

Post# 405748 , Reply# 2 1/13/2010 at 06:45 (5,216 days old) by mrb627 (Buford, GA)
Checkrate/Likes *Got One?* Does anybody have one of these in their collection? Malcolm

Post# 405750 , Reply# 3 1/13/2010 at 06:52 (5,216 days old) by polkanut (Wausau, WI )
Checkrate/Likes This machine has to be post-1964, because at the bottom where the company's address is, there is a zip code. Zip codes were introduced in the US in 1964.

Post# 405767 , Reply# 4 1/13/2010 at 08:29 (5,216 days old) by hilovane (Columbus OH)
Checkrate/Likes I'll concede as to not being 100% sure of the details, so please make allowances, fill in "holes," and make corrections where applicable. Sometime in the '60s, Easy and Gibson (makers of refrigerators, freezers, ranges, dishwashers and A/C's)were acquired by the Hupp corporation; Circa the early '70s, WCI acquired the appliance rights from Hupp, at which time, they retained the Gibson brand name, while dropping the Easy brand, even though laundry appliances would continue to be made under the Gibsson brand.

Post# 405769 , Reply# 5 1/13/2010 at 08:44 (5,216 days old) by ingliscanada ()
Checkrate/Likes *The Easy Life* That washer is the early half of the 60's at latest. It has a solid tub and aluminum agitator. It is impressive to see a DD transmission made back in that time! Easy must have aimed to be a technologically advanced company. As for the dryer; at least in Canada I have never seen one with a window door, and I remember that the models of that time had a tube-like lint filter in the bottom right corner on the front. Sometime in the 60's, both the washers and dryers were completely redesigned. The washer switched to the perforated tub, and the dryer switched from belt-and-pulley drive to single-belt drive, and the exhaust vent grew from 3" to 4" diameter. The later washers kind of resembled Inglis (WP) washers (to me, anyway), except with a reversing motor and tranny. The Easy make spanned well into the 70's, and in Canada, it was twinned by the McClary make, and made by General Steel Wearers (GSW). I don't know exactly when the Easy make dissappeared, but McClary made washers and dryers of that design into the early 80's, then became rebadged GE's (made by CAMCO in Canada).

Post# 405772 , Reply# 6 1/13/2010 at 08:49 (5,216 days old) by ingliscanada ()
Checkrate/Likes *HiLoVane* So in the 70's, when WCI took over, Hupp must've went "Hupp-2-3-4" out of the picture :p

Post# 405777 , Reply# 7 1/13/2010 at 09:28 (5,216 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)
Checkrate/Likes This model is a 1965 model and its direct drive transmission which was not the first. The first direct drives automatic washer mechanisms were both the 1947 Frigidaire Unimatic and the 1947 General Electric AW6. The fact that is has a stainless steel wash tub makes it even more extremely rare, what a find it would be. I have a 1963 Easy... Ding - Score... and YAY for Easy Washdays! and Easy Mechanicals and The Easy Washes Live

Post# 405781 , Reply# 8 1/13/2010 at 09:58 (5,216 days old) by programcomputer (Ann Arbor Michigan, USA)
Checkrate/Likes *Where were these appliances built????* I just had a chance to check out the address for the Easy POD washers built by Hupp on google maps which is located in the Ivanhoe Rd. Corridor. It is apparent the either Easy had by this point left Syracuse New York, for this newer factory, or was using it for the production of automatic washers and dryers. This factory, to all of my searchings, and you can really tell by aerial shots; was once "most likely" part of the large Apex Electrical Manufacturing Company compound. This plant must have been purchased from the sale off of Apex Electrical sometime in the late 1950's, as we've all learned that Apex was around until 1955-56 or so. You can tell from this photo, as well as the one from the air, that a large portion of this factory was demolished, as you can see that the building used to run RIGHT up to the sidewalk. If we use the year 1965 as the date for this Easy brochure, 45 years "does" change the landscape quite a bit..... CLICK HERE TO GO TO programcomputer's LINK

Post# 405794 , Reply# 10 1/13/2010 at 11:08 (5,216 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)
Checkrate/Likes *QUADRA SPEED the panel reads. Not really, but who cares..;->* Just look at that gorgeous agitator with a great big heart around it almost as if an AWorg lover like Robert photo-shopped it. Can't wait to enjoy the links after the tea is brewed--will be going crazy with pleasure shortly. Thank You! (Gregm of Worcester, Massachusetts sold a mint one 2 years ago to perhaps a non-member because we didn't get a thread unless I missed it.)

Post# 405840 , Reply# 13 1/13/2010 at 16:46 (5,216 days old) by laundromat (Hilo, Hawaii)
Checkrate/Likes Easy spinners are still being made in Mexico.I saw a new one in Houstin,TX.at an import exchange store.

Post# 405891 , Reply# 17 1/13/2010 at 21:08 (5,215 days old) by danmantn (Tennessee)
Checkrate/Likes Wow, probably the most elegant agitator design I've ever seen...I always loved the "ramp" agitators. Sigh.

Post# 406033 , Reply# 18 1/14/2010 at 10:31 (5,215 days old) by autowasherfreak ()
Checkrate/Likes I missed this picture, would someone be so kind as to email it to me. jkalin196511@gmail.com thanks!

Post# 405782 , Reply# 9 1/13/2010 at 10:00 (5,216 days old) by programcomputer (Ann Arbor Michigan, USA)
Checkrate/Likes One other thing. 1132 was the closest addesss that the server would consider. 1135 literally put me on the south side of this building where there was no roads. Possibly implying that the building if occupied would have a 1135 Ivanhoe Avenue address. Who knows???

Post# 405801 , Reply# 11 1/13/2010 at 11:44 (5,216 days old) by programcomputer (Ann Arbor Michigan, USA)
Checkrate/Likes *So a little history and such.* I am going off from data supplied from a back issue of the VCCC newsletter from spring of 2000, it gives in the letter a complete list of all vacuum cleaner manufacturer's and their addresses circa. 1940. The hardest one to find was Electric Vacuum Cleaner Company of Cleveland Ohio (or Premier and later General Electric the back to Premier.), and that was because the was NO mailing address. The easiest one was the 1070 E.152nd Street location of Apex. Okay my surprise was founded a few months ago when I went on a search for the address of Premier Electric, who made several vacuums I have which gave a mfg. address of 1732 Ivanhoe Rd which brought to my very eyes the last factory of Premier Electric. Another suprise was the finding if you go down to 16234 Euclid Avenue, on the south side of that building you see VERY plainly General Electric. If you look from a large shot aerial view, Apex and Electric Vacuum Cleaner Company werre neighbors seperated by railroad track, adn now we come to find out that it was ALSO later part of Hupp Corporation. Heres how I believe the situation and topography went. The Apex Company Started at the tri-corner of 152nd st East Side and West side of the street, and St Clair Avenue and Ivanhoe Rd. went straight down on both sides of 152nd, ( with possibly some)different company factories along the way on the west side until you hit Woodworth Rd. Even where you see the new track/sports field and up to the shopping plaza on the N.E. corner of St Clair Avenue and 152nd, was all factory site. You can see it on the ground and the fact that many of those things are new developments. Now, Woodworth Rd, to the extreme south of the Apex complex going east is all still fine until you hit the railroad tracks, then following the tracks over to the West side of Ivanhoe Rd. At first I figured that Apex then continued all the way back up to St.Clair completing the kinda trainglish property line, and looking from ground level all the factories looked like they were built the same way with the same building signitures. Apex was huge at one point, and the factory grounds prove this. But No Apex was large enough that they also Continued their property line, AND factories, as the later Hupp plant has the same build signitures as the buildings the toher side of Ivanhoe. So, from the E. Side of Ivanhoe and the Railroad tracks and followed the tracks NE until the property line ended at London St. Then the property line went N.W until you hit Mandalay Avenue. Mandalay Av.follows a kinda S. Westerly slope until it ends again back at Ivanhoe Avenue. I do have a APEX document that shows the company from the air as well, and besides a few liberties given to make it look pretty seems fairly on spot with what you see, and I've tried to explain. The funny part is, is that SOUTH of the RR tracks and W. Of Ivanhoe N. of Euclid Rd, and E. Of Noble Rd. were all once the factories of Premier Electric/Electric Vacuum Cleaner Co, and subsequently at some point General Electric. Confusing enough for ya? So the aerial shot of what became Hupp Corporation,and subsequently the Easy washing machine plant was the building that encompassed the East side of Ivanhoe Rd and was "most likely" part of what was Apex. ITs not super hard to find our where it all happened..... Kinda a neat look see!!! Chad Ann Arbor Michigan CLICK HERE TO GO TO programcomputer's LINK

Post# 405824 , Reply# 12 1/13/2010 at 14:26 (5,216 days old) by appliguy (Oakton Va.)
Checkrate/Likes *FYI* The Hupp Corporation that made Easy washers in the 1960's is the same Hupp Corp. that made Huppmobile auto's up until circa 1940....PAT COFFEY

Post# 405880 , Reply# 14 1/13/2010 at 19:04 (5,216 days old) by alr2903 (TN)
Checkrate/Likes The Easy's are very sharp, the Stainless tub made me think of Speed Queen. Take a second look at the dryer door and handle. Could SQ and Easy at this time have been related in the world of corporate partnerships? No matter what, they are Nice to look at. alr2903

Post# 405885 , Reply# 15 1/13/2010 at 19:45 (5,216 days old) by yogitunes (New Jersey)
Checkrate/Likes I was thinking that myself, that it was very close to the design of a Speed Queen

Post# 405890 , Reply# 16 1/13/2010 at 20:46 (5,216 days old) by ingliscanada ()
Checkrate/Likes *Not a Speed Queen* The Easy washer had a direct-drive tranny, which Speed Queen never had.

Post# 406362 , Reply# 19 1/16/2010 at 01:50 (5,213 days old) by nanook (Seattle)
Checkrate/Likes *For the ZIp Code Nickpickers Amongst Us...* It was introduced on July 1, 1963 - not 1964.

Post# 410040 , Reply# 20 1/27/2010 at 17:38 (5,202 days old) by geoff (Cape Coral, FL)
Checkrate/Likes *Hi!!!* I actually have John's EASY given to me by GregM. here is a video of it in action. It is a 1962 model. CLICK HERE TO GO TO geoff's LINK

Post# 410476 , Reply# 21 1/29/2010 at 00:23 (5,200 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)
Checkrate/Likes The action of the Easy washer-is just that "Easy" on your clothes as opposed to the WP-KN DD Shredders.Does the Easy twin tub Spinner washer use the DD mechanism?