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Thread Number: 68753
/ Tag: Vintage Automatic Washers
Frigidaire Unimatic washers |
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| Post# 915531 1/13/2017 at 16:20 (2,652 days old) by jessed (Saint Marys, Pennsylvania) | ||
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I am looking to learn more about the Frigidaire unimatic washers. I really like the control tower unimatics and the ones with the colorful three ring agitators. Any info about these washer will be helpful, as I am just trying to gain knowledge about the early Frigidaire machines. | ||
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| Post# 915541 , Reply# 2 1/13/2017 at 17:26 (2,651 days old) by jessed (Saint Marys, Pennsylvania) | ||
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Basically I am just in search of general knowledge about them. What it was like to use them, how often they broke down, how difficult they are to repair, which ones were the best models, what are the advantages and disadvantages about using them. I really just would like opinions about them and general knowledge about them. | ||
| Post# 915561 , Reply# 4 1/13/2017 at 20:10 (2,651 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod) | ||
Ahem...
My Opinion on Unimatics...
Best Washer EVER. Yes There a extreme learning curve to these. well, maybe not extreme, but... Once you get the loading down, I think they are incredible washers. Impeccable Washing and Rinsing. Whether you have the Double Rinse or the Single Overflow rinse machine, That 1140 Spin is unmatched. When I got my WO65-2, (single overflow rinse) I was washing clothes with no detergent and the suds came up,and odors (my chef's uniforms) had food odors emitting during the wash. My Clothes came out the BEST. I know the ins and outs of laundry but the Unimatic to me is hoping there would be a endless supply for them. My next two machines would be Speed Queen (pre 1960) or Maytag 806 or 906 And let us not forget the Sacred 1-18 !!! (Especially Sound Insulate Ones ;) ) | ||
Post# 915639 , Reply# 5 1/14/2017 at 12:29 (2,651 days old) by turquoisedude  (.) |
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All this talk about Unimatics... Made me find a load of towels to wash... LOL I like this machine a lot, despite a few limitations. The vibration issue is one - I have awful wood over concrete floors in the Ogden Laundry so my '51 can shake like mad while spinning. I find the '51 is not as bad a tangler as the '59 but it could be that tend to wash larger items like bath towels and sheets in the '51 and use the '59 for more mixed loads. One happy discovery I made is that the Unimatic handles bedspreads nicely. I would have to count myself as a big fan of the Unimatic!! | ||
| Post# 915654 , Reply# 6 1/14/2017 at 14:11 (2,651 days old) by twintubdexter (Palm Springs) | ||
 Working after school and during the summer, rebuilding Unimatic machines was a real step up from cleaning used refrigerators and stoves at the appliance store. They were easy machines to work on once you put the mechanism up on the bench. I would occasionally work on Whirlpools & Kenmores but they weren't as much fun. This was San Jose's biggest Frigidaire dealer so there were lots of trade -ins. The prize was always a 58' pair. Porcelain machines cleaned-up like new. The main refrigeration mechanic Tommy was a childhood friend of my dad's. When I went to test one of my rebuilds and it sounded like a freight train, Tommy would always yell out "grind me a pound!" My Unimatic machines would always purr like a kitten. Those were fun times for a teenager.
I never touched any Frigidaire made after these, they didn't want them on the resale floor anyway.
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| Post# 915660 , Reply# 7 1/14/2017 at 14:49 (2,651 days old) by norgeway (mocksville n c ) | ||
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Remember.. In myopinion, a load that is tangled up is a sure sign it has really been washed, tangling never bothered me, when you take a load out of a Unimatic, a Philco or a Westinghouse slant front, you can be sure they have really been WASHED!! | ||
| Post# 915686 , Reply# 8 1/14/2017 at 17:24 (2,650 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod) | ||
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Paul...
You have spoken against the Ruling Board of the Unimatic Universe. This is in comparison of Samantha going against the Witches and Warlocks of the Supreme being. There are no flaws in the Unimatic Universe. You... as a mortal have cursed yourself in the frigidaire Order. God knows what he has in store for you. You, You Seathing Heathen Hmphhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Disappointment is not even scratching the surface. : ) . But I Love you !!!! | ||
| Post# 916101 , Reply# 9 1/17/2017 at 18:21 (2,647 days old) by jessed (Saint Marys, Pennsylvania) | ||
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Availability I am also wondering how common it is to come across these machines. Are they easily obtained or does it usually take years of searching? What condition are they usually in when they are found? | ||
| Post# 916104 , Reply# 10 1/17/2017 at 18:46 (2,647 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod) | ||
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Jesse,
They are border line "Rare as Hen's Teeth". I have been here for a bit and back in 2010, there was a sighting in NJ and I seized the opportunity. Most show up in Top Notch or OMG condition. That's the pattern I noticed. If you find one, treat it as if you found a a Piece of the Titanic or another rare piece of history. I am blessed enough with a dear friend that knows these machines. Otherwise I would cease Pulsating forever. That is a horrible thought. It's nice to Pulsate elsewhere, but when it becomes a part of your home... It's a empty feeling when 1140 is not at your finger tips. My Uni... | ||
| Post# 916106 , Reply# 11 1/17/2017 at 18:56 (2,647 days old) by jessed (Saint Marys, Pennsylvania) | ||
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I really hope that someday, I will fine a Frigidaire Unimatic washer. It would be a wonderful piece to add to my collection. Very nice machine, Eddie. I cannot imagine how awesome it is to own and use one of these machines. | ||
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Post# 916119 , Reply# 12 1/17/2017 at 20:50 (2,647 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!) |
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We do love the Unimatics around here, they are amazing machines in many ways. Not without their faults and limitations, but they are totally captivating to experience and is probably the very best washer for towels. Here are a few raw pics from my phone of Unimatics. The first load I did in my WO-65 is the first picture. The tangling rumors are all based in fact, but there are many good things that far outweigh that. After all, it saves time unloading and nothing falls on the floor. ;-)
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| Post# 916135 , Reply# 13 1/17/2017 at 22:59 (2,647 days old) by jessed (Saint Marys, Pennsylvania) | ||
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Those were some awesome machines in those pictures! Thank you so much for sharing them. Is it true that the first unimatics did not have an outer tub? JesseD | ||
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Post# 916196 , Reply# 14 1/18/2017 at 09:35 (2,647 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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Yes all early Unimatic washers (1947 to 1954) threw the water into the cabinet as opposed to having an outer tub. In 1955 Frigidaire added the outer tub. They were not alone as Hoptpoint, ABC-o-Matic, Apex and Thor machines did this as well. For the past few months I've washed in nothing but my 1958 Unimatic which I have installed in my kitchen. It's a wonderful machine and while it has a few drawbacks, no washer is without other drawbacks, so it all comes out the same to me in the end. I can wash and dry an entire load in under an hour since it spins out so well and is so fast.
You can see the lack of outer tub in this chart I made years ago... 
Here the Unimatic that I've been using as my only washer over the last few months, it sat outside for over 25 until I found and restored it... 
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Post# 916204 , Reply# 15 1/18/2017 at 10:38 (2,647 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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| Post# 916209 , Reply# 16 1/18/2017 at 11:06 (2,647 days old) by mrb627 (Buford, GA) | ||
10. TO UNLOAD WASHER | ||
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Post# 916237 , Reply# 17 1/18/2017 at 14:37 (2,647 days old) by Gyrafoam (Wytheville, VA) |
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Really. Who cares how you remove the items? I suppose something small like a sock or washcloth could roll out of view under the Energy Ring. Before they added a clothes-guard it was easy for small items to hide under the rim of the tub. | ||
| Post# 916273 , Reply# 18 1/18/2017 at 18:43 (2,646 days old) by rickr (.) | ||
Worst machine, I've ever used
Tangles,goes out of balance, deep set wrinkles, ect. I sent mine to the scrapper, about five years ago. Don't miss it either.
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Post# 916280 , Reply# 19 1/18/2017 at 19:43 (2,646 days old) by Gyrafoam (Wytheville, VA) |
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Greg----- I like the image of the flat-top with the top turned so the lid opens sideways! That's a different look! | ||
| Post# 917236 , Reply# 20 1/23/2017 at 22:53 (2,641 days old) by jessed (Saint Marys, Pennsylvania) | ||
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1957 Frigidaire Could anyone give me some information about Frigidaire Control tower machines like how to set the water temp. And load size. I would like to know how to use the control tower unimatics. Pictures would make.it easier to understand. Thanks for the info so far as I have gained an understanding of these machines. Jesse D | ||
| Post# 917264 , Reply# 21 1/24/2017 at 04:00 (2,641 days old) by beekeyknee (Columbia, MO) | ||
Interesting thread, guys. I too have always found these machines to be so intriguing. The only time I've ever seen one was at Greg's house and was mesmerized immediately. Are these the machines with the matching dryers that vent into the house and use a solid calrod type element? If I recall correctly, they are and I also find that really interesting. Rick-Surely you didn't send one of these machines to the scrapper?
I guess Robert's turquoise Custom Imperial set is the most rare that we know of? I assume the pink set is just a dream set waiting to be found??? B. PS. The fact that they're solid tub machines makes them that much more attractive to me. | ||
| Post# 917284 , Reply# 23 1/24/2017 at 08:00 (2,641 days old) by jessed (Saint Marys, Pennsylvania) | ||
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1957 Dryer Do the filtration dryers require 220v electricity or are they regular 120 electric? Please leave me know because I would love to obtain a matched set but I have electrical limitations. Do you know of any control tower sets for sale? Thanks Jesse D | ||
| Post# 917287 , Reply# 24 1/24/2017 at 08:17 (2,641 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod) | ||
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Post# 917340 , Reply# 28 1/24/2017 at 11:36 (2,641 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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I decided to put together a quick and easy tutorial of washing a queen size sheet set and 4 pillow cases without any tangling in a Unimatic. It doesn't take rocket science to do this and I can load the machine in 15 to 20 seconds...
Picture #1: Load the first sheet in 1/2 of the tub. Picture #2: Load the second sheet in the other half of the tub. You can see the line between the 3:00 and 9:00 position between the two sheets. Picture #3: Load the four pillowcases into four section 12:00, 3:00, 6:00 and 9:00. Picture #4: Unlike oscillating agitator washers that many times produces air bubbles in the sheets that prevent the sheet from being pulled down, in a Unimatic the entire wash load is always underwater and turning over. Picture #5: Wash load completed and you see nothing is visibly roped or tangled. Picture #6: First sheet comes right out without anything tangled around it. Picture #7: Second sheet also comes right out as well. Picture #8: All four pillowcases are free and untangled. One thing to note is that with the earlier 2-Ring agitator washers I usually get similar results and little to no tangling, but the Three Ring agitator is more consistent in not tangling sheets if loaded this way. edit: Oh I forgot to mention that I selected 7:40 of wash time. This post was last edited 01/24/2017 at 15:11 | ||
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Post# 917382 , Reply# 30 1/24/2017 at 14:33 (2,641 days old) by turquoisedude (.) |
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Thanks, Robert! | ||
| Post# 917437 , Reply# 31 1/24/2017 at 20:19 (2,640 days old) by beekeyknee (Columbia, MO) | ||
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| Post# 917448 , Reply# 32 1/24/2017 at 21:37 (2,640 days old) by lebron (Minnesota) | ||
Robert-  | ||
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Post# 917455 , Reply# 33 1/24/2017 at 23:20 (2,640 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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| Post# 917474 , Reply# 34 1/25/2017 at 06:24 (2,640 days old) by brucelucenta () | ||
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I once had a pale yellow set of 1958 Custom Imperials like the turquoise one. Very nice looking machines. | ||
| Post# 917479 , Reply# 35 1/25/2017 at 08:08 (2,640 days old) by mayken4now (Panama City, Florida) | ||
Goodness, Loading your machine, Robert, reminds me of Jeff and I's neighbor in Pensacola who worked on Frigidaire machines his entire life until retirement. He and his wife stopped over one day, just to check in. I was washing in my rollermatic. "He said, do you have another load to wash?" I said, Mr. Andrews, I can always find something to wash. He said "please do, I want to show you how to load this machine properly"................. What a plethora of information he was about Frigidaire.
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| Post# 917502 , Reply# 36 1/25/2017 at 11:25 (2,640 days old) by brucelucenta () | ||
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What does the 1955 Frigidaire look like? I have forgotten. | ||
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Post# 917503 , Reply# 37 1/25/2017 at 11:32 (2,640 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA) |
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 I think the late WO-65-2 (1954) and the 1955 WV-65 were available in Sherwood Green and Yellow as the first years/models for shaded GM washers. In '56 the Imperial line washers received the two-tone colors (a mix of white and the shaded color), with Pink becoming the third available option. Charcoal Gray came on the scene in 1957 and these colors remained in place until 1958 when Turquoise replaced Sherwood Green. 1959 brought along Aztec Copper to finish out the decade and Charcoal Gray was dropped after 1960.
As for shaded 1958 models, a handful of dryers have popped up in pink but I don't recall any pink WCI-58 washers coming around in the last decade or so.
And - here's a thread with a beautiful '55 set.
www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/T...
Ben | ||
| Post# 917536 , Reply# 38 1/25/2017 at 15:53 (2,640 days old) by brucelucenta () | ||
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Personally, I think the '55 models were ugly. | ||
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Post# 917540 , Reply# 39 1/25/2017 at 16:34 (2,640 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands) |
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| Post# 917541 , Reply# 40 1/25/2017 at 16:44 (2,640 days old) by lebron (Minnesota) | ||
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reply #14 in this thread. | ||
| Post# 917570 , Reply# 41 1/25/2017 at 19:30 (2,639 days old) by norgeway (mocksville n c ) | ||
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We had A 55 Pulsamatic which didn't look at all like the other 55 Frigidaires.It ran from 55 until 69 when it was replaced by a WCDAN Custom Deluxe which lasted 17 years... | ||
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Post# 917585 , Reply# 42 1/25/2017 at 21:44 (2,639 days old) by Gyrafoam (Wytheville, VA) |
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Hans, you meant from 55-58 with the Pulsamatics didn't you? I don't recall a 59 Pulsamatic. I think they were Multimatics in '59. I had a friend in Atlanta that had a pink '58 C.i.. That was a really nice machine | ||
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Post# 917832 , Reply# 43 1/27/2017 at 11:49 (2,638 days old) by Jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers) |
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I have to totally agree with Greg on the unloading. Never drop a thing from washer to dryer with one giant tangle !! LOL
Love my Unimatics all around.
But that 1-18 Poppy is fast becoming a favorite!
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| Post# 922590 , Reply# 44 2/20/2017 at 13:08 (2,614 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada) | ||
Jon, I also love all my Frigidaires and I'm thrilled with my new 3 speed 1-18!
And your red Elite is wonderful! This post was last edited 02/20/2017 at 14:02 | ||
| Post# 922841 , Reply# 45 2/21/2017 at 10:56 (2,613 days old) by lesto (Atlanta) | ||
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Jon Charles, that's a mighty nice looking Kenmore frogeye you've got there! | ||
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