Thread Number: 2832
Malleys washer
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Post# 75989   8/1/2005 at 09:26 (6,814 days old) by gizmo (Victoria, Australia)        

I got a phone call from someone whose early 80's model Hoover Zodiac FL I fixed recently. A friend of his has a Malleys Aquarius washer "very old" which has given up - smoke and smells. I phoned the owner tonight to arrange a time for me to see it. It sounds like it is a Whirlpool variant.

Malleys were the Australian manufacturer of Whirlpool washers since way back. They were badged both as "Malleys Whirlpool" and just "Malleys", I'm not sure if one was a deluxe version or what the reason was. Their advertising slogan showed kids in sparkling white clothes with the slogan, "Guess whose Mum's got a Whirlpool?"
Later after being taken over by the Email conglomerate, Simpson technology machines were sold as Whirlpool and Malleys, but the woman who owns this machine said this machine makes interesting clicking noises as it changes into spin, so I am pretty confident it is one of the last true Whirlpools sold here.

The good news is she loves her Malleys washer and wants it fixed, not replaced, even if it needs a motor rewind or whatever.

I will take photos of it when I see it on Wednesday and post here soon. Stay tuned...

Chris.





Post# 76085 , Reply# 1   8/1/2005 at 22:26 (6,814 days old) by brisnat81 (Brisbane Australia)        
Aquarius

Hi Chris,

The times I've seen these, they've all been Early 80's simpsons with highspec control panel. They have the Porcelain tub, with the Olive Green agitator and so forth. The ones I've seen have all had the Tupperware gearbox with the reversing motor.

I'll await your pics to see if it is a true whirlpool.

Hugs

Nathan


Post# 76122 , Reply# 2   8/2/2005 at 04:45 (6,814 days old) by pulsatron ()        
Malleys Aquarius is correct

Hello Chris,
Nathan is quite right about it being a Malleys "Aquarius" washer, they were around in about the mid 1980's as Mum had one after her westinghouse T.L. died.
It wasn't a bad machine but it only laster us about 5 years before it too bit the dust , the only thing with it was that was a terrible water guzzler as it had a feature called "multiple spray rinsing" which consisted of 5 spray rinses in the final spin.
The "Guess who's Mum's got a Whirlpool?" advertising was also done by Dame Edna Everage in the 70"s I believe.
Regards.
Steve.


Post# 76191 , Reply# 3   8/2/2005 at 20:13 (6,813 days old) by arrrooohhh (Sydney Australia)        

Is it like this Malleys?

This is the most common "Malleys" machine i see.


Post# 76208 , Reply# 4   8/2/2005 at 21:24 (6,813 days old) by westytoploader ()        

Those Malleys machines sure look interesting, and is that a recirculating filter in the back? IIRC the older Simpson machines had an interior that looked similar to this.

Wasn't there a Malleys belt-drive Whirlpool as well?


Post# 76227 , Reply# 5   8/2/2005 at 21:44 (6,813 days old) by arrrooohhh (Sydney Australia)        

Here is a picture of a Simpson interior from that era.

Post# 76229 , Reply# 6   8/2/2005 at 21:45 (6,813 days old) by arrrooohhh (Sydney Australia)        

And a shot of the control panel too for good measure :)

Post# 76267 , Reply# 7   8/2/2005 at 23:47 (6,813 days old) by brisnat81 (Brisbane Australia)        
Both were belt drive

Hi Austin,

The Traditional US Style whirlpools were manufactured by Malleys under the names Malleys, Malleys Whirlpool and Whirlpool by Malleys.

This occured from some time in the late 50's through until 1979, when Malleys was bought by Email.

In late 1979/1980 Whirlpool was dropped from the name of the machines, and the Malley's Aqaurius was based on the Simpson washers of the time. The Simpson machines of that era, were of a two belt type, with a reversing motor. The Malleys machines early on came with an Active lint filter, where as the Simpsons ones always had a passive lint filter.

At this stage, the cabinets on the Malleys machines were still solidly built, like on a Whirlpool. They had different lids to those on a simpson, and they still hinged to the left.

By about 1984/1985 the Malleys Aquarius and the Simpsons machines were just clones of each other. The cabinets were cheap and flimsy, (As they are today) the recirculating filter was gone, and all lids opened to the top. By this stage the Malleys machines where usually lower spec'd than the Simpsons were.

In approx 1986 Simpson released the Genesis range of Washers which were direct drive, with an electric pump, and the Motor controlled the agitation stroke by reversing every 360 odd degrees. It was at about this time that the Malley's name was dropped. By the early 90's however the Simpson Aquarius was back, but it was just a standard Simpson machine.

I hope this helps somewhat, and if I've got any of it wrong, please let me know.

Regards

Nathan


Post# 76276 , Reply# 8   8/3/2005 at 01:41 (6,813 days old) by arrrooohhh (Sydney Australia)        

There was a Malleys version of the Genesis machine too.

Here is a picture of one.


Post# 76330 , Reply# 9   8/3/2005 at 08:51 (6,812 days old) by gizmo (Victoria, Australia)        

Here are a few pix of the Malleys Aquarius I fixed today - new secondhand motor, taken from a Simpson...Yes you guys were right, it is a Simpson clone with Whirlpool top panel and controls, simpson innards, special front panel to adapt Simpson base with Whirly top.



Post# 76331 , Reply# 10   8/3/2005 at 08:53 (6,812 days old) by gizmo (Victoria, Australia)        

dial

Post# 76332 , Reply# 11   8/3/2005 at 08:54 (6,812 days old) by gizmo (Victoria, Australia)        

timer

Post# 76334 , Reply# 12   8/3/2005 at 08:55 (6,812 days old) by gizmo (Victoria, Australia)        

inside

Post# 76335 , Reply# 13   8/3/2005 at 08:57 (6,812 days old) by gizmo (Victoria, Australia)        

under the hood

Post# 76338 , Reply# 14   8/3/2005 at 09:00 (6,812 days old) by gizmo (Victoria, Australia)        

tupperware transmisssion

Chris.


Post# 76361 , Reply# 15   8/3/2005 at 10:52 (6,812 days old) by westytoploader ()        

Those certainly are some cool machines!! I'd take one!

Under the hood, the guts bear some resemblance to a Maytag! Especially the damper assembly and the base-mounted pump. Does the transmission spin with the tub, and is there a clutch on the underside as well?


Post# 76409 , Reply# 16   8/3/2005 at 16:34 (6,812 days old) by brisnat81 (Brisbane Australia)        
Transmission Does spin

Hi Austin,

In Agitate mode the outer shell of the gearbox is fixed, during spin it rotates with the tub.

I dont think there is a clutch, (I most likely could be wrong though) these machines spin drained.

These machines could be serviced from the front. The later simpsons were all serviced from behind a masonite panel, much in the same way as a Whirlpool.

Chris, this must've been one of the very early ones of these, as the cycle markings are almost identical to the 2200 series whirlpools (The Last) The other Aquarius's I've seen have had more modern type markings.

Thanks for the Photos

Nathan


Post# 76491 , Reply# 17   8/3/2005 at 22:32 (6,812 days old) by shanonabc ()        

I remember my grandmother used to have an old 7.5kg machine with one of those agitators. It was fun to watch the water surge

Post# 76493 , Reply# 18   8/3/2005 at 22:41 (6,812 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

unimatic1140's profile picture
Great pictures Chris, the tub-ring on the Malleys washer sort of reminds me of the Hoover Top loaders made here in the late 60's.

Post# 76497 , Reply# 19   8/3/2005 at 23:05 (6,812 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)        

dadoes's profile picture
I thought the same thing. Reminiscent of Blackstone/Hoover.

Post# 76513 , Reply# 20   8/4/2005 at 00:43 (6,812 days old) by arrrooohhh (Sydney Australia)        
Hoover???

Crumbs alive!

Hoover and Simpson were mortal enemies!

The tub ring on the Malleys was unique to Malleys, if you compare the picture to the Simpson picture. It didnt last that long either. By this stage the Hoover design had changed somewhat from the original Blackstone version.

Gizmo, the Malleys tub always looked deeper than the Simpson tub. Is that really the case or just an illusion from the different tub ring?


Post# 76522 , Reply# 21   8/4/2005 at 05:25 (6,812 days old) by pulsatron ()        
Hoover vs Simpson

That was exactly the same Malleys Mum owned, the pictures bought back memories for me.
Ah yes Hoover vs Simpson a classic battle here in Australia,if I remember correctly, Hoover used a "Heli-Spiral" agitator action and Simpson had it's famed "8-vane agitator action" and each one claimed it worked best.
Funny thing Mum's best friend had the Hoover and her 2nd closest friend had the Simpson and each one tried to convince her that each one was better than the other when she was buyinh a new machine, in the end she got fed up with them and bought the Westinghouse instead. Although when it died she bought the Malleys pictured above so I guess in the end Simpson
won the battle with Mother at least.
Just as an aside what do you guys all think? was the Simpson washing action better or the Hoover?, personally I think the Simpson.


Post# 76540 , Reply# 22   8/4/2005 at 09:40 (6,811 days old) by gizmo (Victoria, Australia)        

Absolutely no doubt the Hoover was better, by a looong way.

I have used these Simpsons a few times, always thought the wash action was pathetic. Clothes on the top always stayed there, if overloaded (a favourite trick of mine, It's in the genes, just see my mother load a washer...) the clothes on top might not even get properly wet let alone clean. Hoovers spin faster too. If you saw them working side by side, the Hoover action is way stronger, even when overloaded it just powers through, the clothes get flung in and out with every turn of the spiral agi, with the Simpson the clothes underneath move OK but the ones on top barely move.

There is a clutch inside the transmission, it is a copper disc and a spring in the base of the trans, turn input shaft one way the shaft spirals up and releases the clutch (agitate action), turn the shaft the other way it spirals down and the clutch bites, releasing the brake which is between the pulley and the base plate, and turning the transmission, spin tube, tub and all. The pulley raises and lowers about half an inch as it changes actions, on wonky floors it can rub on the floor. This machine was in a very old house with a very wonky floor, vinyl underneath was badly scuffed so I raised the feet up to max to give more clearance.
The clutch is a weak point in these, and requires trans dis-assembly to fix so many "dead" ones need clutch replacement. Later ones have electric pump and neutral drain, so the clutch has an easier life and lasts longer.

I don't think the wash tub is any bigger, but the collar around the top including the lint filter is taller than the standard Simpson non-filter one, or that's how it looks to me.

Chris.


Post# 76542 , Reply# 23   8/4/2005 at 09:44 (6,811 days old) by gizmo (Victoria, Australia)        
us / aus spelling

And you Americans... look on the Malleys timer to see the correct way to spell WOOLLENS. (2 L's)

Slap!

Chris.


Post# 827267 , Reply# 24   6/9/2015 at 18:33 (3,215 days old) by IK351 ()        
Malleys Aquarius 1400 - Western suburbs of Melbourne Vic

Hello people ,I have the same washing machine "Malleys Aquarius 1400" as pictured in Post# 76330 , Reply# 9 by gizmo, Chasing a main feed hose connected to the hot and cold water solenoid inlets and connecting further up to the tub to fill.

I have tried all the white goods repair places that I'm aware of with in my area but to no avail. in the Western suburbs of Melbourne Victoria , if anyone could point me to the right direction would greatly appreciated it, even if it means I have travel a little further for the hose.

I realise this is a old post but it's a long shot as I have exhaust all avenues , everyone wants to sell me a new washer machine but the Malleys Aquarius 1400 washing machine is still in perfect working order apart from a squiggly rubber flexible hose with several bents that has split.

As a last resort I might just use a automotive ( from Repco/even Clark Rubber ) heater hose but might be difficult to find the right bends and shape but then again maybe just use a longer hose and loop it around to prevent kinking.

Another thing I noticed is the way the original hose that I have removed from the machine , to me it does look right so possible it has been replace once in its life but doesn't look right the fitment of it on the machine. I might be wrong LOL.

Just talking/thinking out loud LOL would prefer the correct hose for the application.

Cheers


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