Thread Number: 49897
Your first Automatic Washing machine |
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Post# 720608 , Reply# 1   12/11/2013 at 14:56 (3,760 days old) by chachp (North Little Rock, AR)   |   | |
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My first recollection was a Whirlpool Automatic Washer and Dryer. I don't know the model numbers but I remember there was a big square button in front that lighted up when the washer was running and you pushed that button to open the door. It was a top loader. The control panel was lighted all the way across with a fluorescent tube. It used to buzz when it was in the final spin. Being a little kid when that thing would buzz and sometimes shake a little in the final spin I would think it was a monster coming after me. As I recall, the dryer was basically the same only the door was in the front.
Ha I found a thread with the picture of the dryer! The washer was almost identical. Boy that brings back some good memories. Thanks for asking. CLICK HERE TO GO TO chachp's LINK |
Post# 720614 , Reply# 2   12/11/2013 at 15:22 (3,760 days old) by optima (Cumbria England)   |   | |
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Post# 720622 , Reply# 3   12/11/2013 at 15:38 (3,760 days old) by Pulsator (Saint Joseph, MI)   |   | |
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Post# 720629 , Reply# 6   12/11/2013 at 15:56 (3,760 days old) by AquaCycle (West Yorkshire, UK)   |   | |
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The first machine I remember my Mum having was a Zanussi S218T from 1979 (or thereabouts, based on info from my Mum that she bought it when my brother was born). We had this until 1993 when it was replaced with an Electra 1200 Electronic Deluxe - horrendous machine. Written off after just 2 years and replaced in 1995 when a Zanussi FJ1295. That died of bearing failure in 2006 and was replaced with a Bendix BIW105W, which remained until 2011 when it was included in the sale of Mums house.
After I moved out of my Mum's in 2008, I had a brief period with a Beko WMA510 that belonged to a rented flat, before I bought my Miele W562. Here is a timeline of machines I've owned, minus the Beko. NB: only the Bendix and the Miele are the actual machines I had, the others are images found online. |
Post# 720630 , Reply# 7   12/11/2013 at 15:57 (3,760 days old) by AquaCycle (West Yorkshire, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 720631 , Reply# 8   12/11/2013 at 15:59 (3,760 days old) by AquaCycle (West Yorkshire, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 720639 , Reply# 9   12/11/2013 at 16:24 (3,760 days old) by keymatic (London / UK)   |   | |
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Post# 720647 , Reply# 11   12/11/2013 at 16:42 (3,760 days old) by turquoisedude (.)   |   | |
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The first automatic I ever used was my parent's 1964 BOL GE V-12. I remember the blue console and the toggle switches fondly!
My own first automatic was a 1984 or 1985 Kenmore apartment-size convertible. In my apartment it was rolled to the sink and I had to manually turn on or off the hot and cold water. When I bought a house a couple of years later, I was able to hook it up permanently to the hot and cold water supply - that was a real treat, since the washer was in the basement... LOL |
Post# 720670 , Reply# 12   12/11/2013 at 18:16 (3,760 days old) by paulc (Edinburgh, Scotland)   |   | |
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Post# 720680 , Reply# 13   12/11/2013 at 19:42 (3,759 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)   |   | |
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Post# 720691 , Reply# 14   12/11/2013 at 21:01 (3,759 days old) by washerlover (The Big Island, Hawai’i)   |   | |
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We had a '62 Frigidaire Custom Deluxe washer and a mid-50s Maytag dryer. The machine that really got me going was my Grandma's '62 Montgomery Ward Signature BOL machine. The sounds that thing made were intoxicating! (this was before the Norge "clunk" brake system) Burp-a-lator filter, overflow rinse, loud timer, pump that sounded like milking a cow... ran like tank until '75. My Grandma passed away a few years earlier and my Mom's Frigidaire died so she began using the Wards machine. We lived in an area that had a lot of rust/iron in the water, so the final spin/spray rinse in a solid tub machine turned white sheets, etc. into a rusty tie-dye and she opted to get rid of it. We replaced with a '75 Wards MOL machine and I remember when we first ran a load, we were astonished at the NOISE! But I loved that machine, too, and still have two Wards/Norge machines in my collection.
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Post# 720709 , Reply# 15   12/12/2013 at 00:00 (3,759 days old) by arbilab (Ft Worth TX (Ridglea))   |   | |
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Post# 720730 , Reply# 16   12/12/2013 at 03:05 (3,759 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK)   |   | |
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with matching model MK309 tumble dryer...purchased in 1978 after 16yrs with a Servis MK2 Supertwin Twintub, washing for a family of 6 at least 3 times a week.
Look at that style for the era, talk about geometrics but it was the height of fashion at the time.... Hi Andy , welcome to the club, a great thread to start with, the Philips is about one of the rarest washers so was a classic to be introduced to!! |
Post# 720732 , Reply# 17   12/12/2013 at 04:00 (3,759 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)   |   | |
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Post# 720747 , Reply# 20   12/12/2013 at 06:11 (3,759 days old) by peteski50 (New York)   |   | |
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Post# 720750 , Reply# 21   12/12/2013 at 06:25 (3,759 days old) by akronman (Akron/Cleveland Ohio)   |   | |
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Early 60's Kenmore, exactly like this. The picture sucks, but the water temp had H W C and Mom explained how H stood for hot, W for warm, etc, just as I was learning the alphabet. 50 years later I still remember the rectangular logo around the knob with those fun letters. I also remember the diaper pail sitting next to the washer for my kid brothers, we kept Mom and the washer busy. This exact model wuld be one hell of a nostalgic find. And I do remember the chrome coated lint filter with the litle knob in the middle, and the nibs on the agitator top and a plastic measuring cup that fit it. I don't remember Mom using the cup, instead I remember detergent tablets that gifted you a washcloth in each box. 1964 or 65? I don't know what AW member I stole this pic from, but I'd love to top the list for resale of this Kenmore.
We moved cross-country in 73, and bought a green GM Frig 1-18, with the Sanitize feature. And a matching dryer. My Dad could barely replace a light bulb, so when the dryer element burned out, I replaced it at age 15 with no previous training. |
Post# 720774 , Reply# 22   12/12/2013 at 08:38 (3,759 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut)   |   | |
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Paul, if it was a blue console, it was probably a 1961 V-12. Or was it that weird one?
My first was a BBBBBOL Whirlpool 24" (probably a "New Yorker") automatic that my Parents snuck into their Peter Cooper apartment, where automatic dishwashers and washing machines weren't allowed. It was on casters, so they could wheel it away into a closet whenever the apartment managers showed up or when maintenance came to repair something. It had no buttons or toggles, you controlled water temperature at the faucet where it drained into a big sink and it had one big beautiful blue dial and, best of all, no safety switch.
I was crushed when we moved to our first house, my Mother gave the machine to one of her models; then I discovered a matching GE V-12 set in the new house (at first glance I thought they had bought 2 washing machines, had never seen a matching dryer) and became a GE boy. |
Post# 720794 , Reply# 23   12/12/2013 at 10:54 (3,759 days old) by electron1100 (England)   |   | |
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This is a link to a video advertising my first machine.............. solid as a tank, slowwww final spin. I did a few mods to it in the time I had it........... CLICK HERE TO GO TO electron1100's LINK |
Post# 720827 , Reply# 25   12/12/2013 at 14:30 (3,759 days old) by laundromat (Hilo, Hawaii)   |   | |
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Our first automatic was a rubber tubbed Bendix. Before I was a year old, the tub burst,scaring the shit out of my mother and forcing it to be replaced with an Easy Rivera top loader. It lasted only 7 years. We wound up getting a gas Sears Lady Kenmore washer/dryer combination. It lasted us , a family of twelve, almost thirty years with only two major repairs.
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Post# 720829 , Reply# 26   12/12/2013 at 14:44 (3,759 days old) by stainfighter (Columbia, SC)   |   | |
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loved loved LOVED this washer!!! (note: this pic is from 'RevinKevin'). Just like others have said about their faves this one had distinctive sounds and of-course LOVED the filter and lighted control panel! It was traded just because she didn't want to spend $ on new water pump it needed. Replaced with a '72 WP which was boring - no color toggles, no lights and the water filter was now plastic :-(....blah
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Post# 721046 , Reply# 28   12/13/2013 at 13:24 (3,758 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)   |   | |
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Here I am, on my grandmother's lap with my mom and our 1962 BOL Kenmore washer in the background at our apartment in East Patterson (now Elmwood Park), New Jersey.
This post was last edited 12/13/2013 at 13:52 |
Post# 721047 , Reply# 29   12/13/2013 at 13:34 (3,758 days old) by hydralique (Los Angeles)   |   | |
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I always liked the big recessed knob on these, a very simple yet elegant design. I would suggest it was the perfect machine for a budding washer lover as it put the knob on the front where even a child could see and appreciate it! |
Post# 721056 , Reply# 30   12/13/2013 at 14:43 (3,758 days old) by AquaCycle (West Yorkshire, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 721085 , Reply# 31   12/13/2013 at 20:07 (3,757 days old) by stainfighter (Columbia, SC)   |   | |
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Post# 722398 , Reply# 34   12/21/2013 at 16:56 (3,750 days old) by rfitzhen (United Kingdom)   |   | |
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The first Automatic Washing Machine my mum and dad just before I was born was the Hoover Automatic De Luxe. They bought it second hand. |
Post# 722399 , Reply# 35   12/21/2013 at 17:02 (3,750 days old) by rfitzhen (United Kingdom)   |   | |
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After the Hoover Automatic De Luxe packed up a few months after I was born we then bought the Bendix Autowasher Electronic 1000 which lasted 10 years. |
Post# 722558 , Reply# 36   12/22/2013 at 16:29 (3,749 days old) by AquaCycle (West Yorkshire, UK)   |   | |
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Hi Ian,
I live in a relatively soft water area, but I've not had a problem with excess suds. I use Persil Bio powder, about 80ml per wash, and the second and final rinses are always relatively clear. CLICK HERE TO GO TO AquaCycle's LINK |
Post# 722660 , Reply# 37   12/23/2013 at 04:37 (3,748 days old) by mikeklondon (London)   |   | |
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I have never had any problem, if the 1st rinse has a lot of suds a 4th rinse cuts in so the final is always clear just select water + |
Post# 777500 , Reply# 38   8/15/2014 at 17:45 (3,513 days old) by rfitzhen (United Kingdom)   |   | |
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After the Hoover Automatic De Luxe packed up a few months after I was born we then bought the Bendix Autowasher Electronic 1000 which lasted 10 years.
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Post# 777613 , Reply# 39   8/16/2014 at 15:23 (3,512 days old) by chrisjayuk (Edinburgh, Scotland)   |   | |
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Hi everyone, I'm Chris n I'm not new to the site but this is my second post ever! So hi guys n nice to be here.
The first machine I remember was my Mums Hotpoint 1504 that she got in 1972, it lived till 1990, with a lot of help from the Hotpoint engineer and his annual service courtesy of the hotpoint service plan. It was replaced by a Hoover computer controlled model. The other machine I vivid remember was my Aunts Hoover Keymatic, slant fronted n bought in 1964, I remember it packing up in 1985 n replaced by a Servis Quartz. Chris |
Post# 777631 , Reply# 40   8/16/2014 at 17:42 (3,512 days old) by paulc (Edinburgh, Scotland)   |   | |
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Post# 777742 , Reply# 41   8/17/2014 at 11:54 (3,511 days old) by chrisjayuk (Edinburgh, Scotland)   |   | |
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Post# 777901 , Reply# 43   8/18/2014 at 03:49 (3,510 days old) by turnamat (Germany)   |   | |
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The first automaticwasher of my mom was a 1965 Constructa"de Luxe 100",popular in germany at that time!She bought it in Feb.1965,1 month after I was born!Replacing a 1958 Hoovermatic that went to my grandmothers house!This picture shows me in the age of about 3 in front of the machine!
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Post# 777907 , Reply# 44   8/18/2014 at 05:53 (3,510 days old) by marky_mark (From Liverpool. Now living in Palm Springs and Dublin)   |   | |
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Born in 1976, from the UK, the first one I remember is the basic Philips Electra which my parents bought in about 1980. Unusual for a domestic front loader, it had the famous spin-drain. So I grew up with the idea of it being normal for a front loader to go into spin while still full of water half way up the door!
It did not have Wi-Fi or other features of a modern machine! It was noisy and only spun at 800 RPM. But it worked well. My parents opened a small bakery in 1983 and this machine was used at home to wash the aprons from the bakery. Prewash, 90 °C main wash followed by about 3 or 4 deep rinses. They went in filthy and always came out gleaming. Quite quick as water consumption was higher and this was back in the days when almost all washers had hot & cold fill, giving it a head-start on this boil wash. Now they are almost all cold fill only. It did of course have the dispenser for prewash, main main and fabric conditioner, so the whole process was completely automatic and results were just as great as a modern machine. Although I have no doubt that my modern Miele could do an even better job if I selected the various stain/intensive settings to extend the cycle.
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Post# 778358 , Reply# 45   8/20/2014 at 15:43 (3,508 days old) by brib68 (Central Connecticut)   |   | |
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When I was very little, I would sit and watch the "show" in the window of my Mom's Westinghouse FL--probably about a '68 model. I also loved my Grandmother's (prob mid-60's) RCA-Whirlpool. I loved the quiet hum of it working. The back panel was white plastic with raised black grid lines and logo. I pretended the grid squares were more push buttons! The control panel had black push buttons (real this time) and a dial. I've seen a number of pics on here of RCA-WP machines from the era and the black agitator with the chrome cap, and the brushy lint filter that fitted over the waterfall in the front corner, and the sturdy chrome handle on the lid are all the same, but have yet to see a similar control panel/back panel.
Also, when I was little, I was FASCINATED by the Hoover Twin Tub that our local hardware store always had on display. In part, I think, because it was sized just right for me! I wanted one SO BAD! When Mom's FL wouldn't tumble any more, she got a GE Filter Flo top loader, early to mid 70's. MOL, I suppose. It had the mini basket and the options on the right of the controls were toggle switches, with the two knobs in the center for water level and....extra rinse, maybe?, and then the timer dial. That one gave up in probably the early 80's and was replaced by a similar Filter Flo, this time with push buttons instead of toggles. I think the older one had the aqua blue agitator/mini basket/filter tray/softener dispenser, and the later one had white. (The one pic in my album is the later model, and not a very detailed pic) Early on I discovered that I could defeat the safety switch by wedging one of the old toothbrushes my Mom kept for scrubbing into the switch hole so I could watch the GE's at work. (So GLAD I have found a safe space here where I don't have to make a joke about not having cable TV to explain that...!) My first pair of my own were a mismatched second hand pair, a Hotpoint washer, probably from the 80s, and a GE dryer of similar vintage. I think the Hotpoint had a removable agitator with the gentle-cycle agitator underneath. After that, a whole bunch of coin-ops until hubby and I moved in together and bought a brand new (1998) Maytag TL and matching dryer. Maybe not the full on TOL, but at least upper middle. Moved with us from Kentucky to Ohio to New Hampshire (where they bided their time in the storage locker in the attic of our apartment building for 9 months) to Connecticut, where they lived until the timer dial on the washer gave up functioning. Replaced them around 2006 with an LG front-loader pair with the control panel on the back of the top, like a typical TL machine would have. When we moved, the buyer wanted them left, so I bought the identical pair (much cheaper, 3 years later!) for the new house. The first LGs just had a simple buzzer or chime, but the new ones play a little tune (I tell people it's the Korean national anthem, and I rise whenever I hear it). CLICK HERE TO GO TO brib68's LINK |