Thread Number: 73205  /  Tag: Vintage Automatic Washers
POD 11-9-2017
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Post# 966979   11/9/2017 at 08:01 (2,331 days old) by lesto (Atlanta)        

Good heavens! A Frigidaire after it was raped, pillaged, and plundered by WCI! Sacrilege!




Post# 966984 , Reply# 1   11/9/2017 at 08:46 (2,331 days old) by programcomputer (Ann Arbor Michigan, USA)        
The devastation..

programcomputer's profile picture
Actually, one cringes when open the POD and it happens to be this. It just makes one feel like they have been betrayed over and over again. Must have been that way for thousands of former Frigi' owners , when they went to replace their earlier (pre-1979) machines and saw....this dreadful, dual action, swish swasher. That smelled of the blood of Westinghouse...

Have been doing quite the work on uncovering and learning about WCI's rise to power, and it's doings with purchasing APEX Elect.Mfg. in the late 1950's. And it's short time as White-Apex, before becoming White Consolidated Industries in 1964. One thing is certain, Edward Reddig and his policies were draconian, brutal, for the most part unnecessary; and forever changed the appliance business. Easy, Gibson, Kelvinator, Franklin and of course Westinghouse and then Frigidaire all were stripped, spanked/beaten until barely alive, and then parted out or off, to "save money". Many just becoming a name of their former shells.

Of course, WCI got it's due later. It became the "whipping post" of the Electrolux group. And from what I've discovered, they had happen to them, what they did to the earlier tragedies. They were stripped bare, spanked in the middle of the town square, and parted off afterwards much to a similar degree...

Chad


Post# 966985 , Reply# 2   11/9/2017 at 08:53 (2,331 days old) by Gyrafoam (Wytheville, VA)        

And Edward Reddig laughed all the way to the bank.

Notice the use of the word "billowing". A common occurance in the days of 100% Polyester everything. Especially sheets and bulky items. The pulsation would puff them full of air and that prevented roll-over. Fifteen minutes of pulsation with the clothes in one place could do some serious damage. So they point out the form of agitation has changed.

In any event, it is what it is. GM was going to sell Frigidaire to somebody----it just happened to be White.
Who would have kept Frigidaire intact? GE? Whirlpool? Maytag?


Post# 966992 , Reply# 3   11/9/2017 at 09:22 (2,331 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI)        

daveamkrayoguy's profile picture
Whirlpool could have, after all, decades later, there was "the WCI-fold", Electrolux...



-- Dave


Post# 966996 , Reply# 4   11/9/2017 at 09:37 (2,331 days old) by golittlesport (California)        

golittlesport's profile picture
What is interesting about this picture of the day is that the bottom-of-the-line model was a different mechanism than the rest. If you read the specifications, Model "WH" had a wider, slower agitation stroke and a higher spin speed (620 rpm vs. 515)

The control panel was a different design also.

If this "WH" model was not a Westinghouse clone in a Frigidaire cabinet, one wonders what it was. Anyone know?


Post# 966998 , Reply# 5   11/9/2017 at 09:50 (2,331 days old) by johnrk (BP TX)        
RIP GM/Frigidaire

My mother had a GM/Frigidaire in the late 70's, one of the traditional ones. When she went to replace it, our local dealer had this crap in the showroom. Based on my happy experience with my 1977 Filter-Flo pair, she bought a GE TOL Filter-Flo pair but no Dispensall, and she used it until her death in the late 90's.

This type of industrial butchery is always so sad. What was that guy's name who did the same with Sunbeam, Oster and others? 'Chainsaw Al' or something like that. And, like this creepy bastard, pranced off with a pile of money.


Post# 967005 , Reply# 6   11/9/2017 at 10:42 (2,331 days old) by brucelucenta ()        

Yes, this was a sad day for Frigidaire washers and dryers. It was in about 1980 and began the worst bunch of machines that ever had the Frigidaire name on them. The washers were not horrible, just pretty lousy in comparison to the 1-18 machines in capacity and performance. All but the lowest model washers were a White-Westinghouse clone of what they were making at that time. White-Westinghouse washers had fallen somewhat in quality by then too. The lowest of the line was a Franklin design with a plastic tub that indexed even more than the White-Westinghouse ones. The dryers were absolutely the poorest design I have EVER seen and required constant servicing on the drum rollers and felt along with lint blockage problems due to a poor exhaust system design. Very sad state of affairs then......

Post# 967009 , Reply# 7   11/9/2017 at 11:01 (2,331 days old) by lesto (Atlanta)        

And now Whirlpool has committed the same travesty against Maytag. I'm so thankful to have a REAL Maytag in my laundry room - my 1962. Let's face it, the only company that still offers an old-fashioned top loader the way a top loader should be is Speed Queen.

Post# 967018 , Reply# 8   11/9/2017 at 11:59 (2,331 days old) by Frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

frigilux's profile picture
And soon Speed Queen won't have a truly traditional top-loader.

So, the ad copy says the water from the lint filter will prevent billowing? HA! The anemic flow of water from that filtering system would do nothing of the kind.

I had a 1986 (or '87) Frigidaire top-loader with the circle spray fill found on 1-18's. Now THAT helped prevent billowing. The water from the filter wasn't powerful enough to handle the job.


Post# 967024 , Reply# 9   11/9/2017 at 12:37 (2,331 days old) by agiflow2 ()        

Unfortunately Whirlpool seems to be turning into another WCI. They no longer have porcelain coated storage drawers under the free standing ranges...just bare metal now.Their quality of appliances has deteriorated considerably in a decade or so.

My new top mount fridge from them is about the same capacity as my 25 yr old WP Designer style top mount and this new one doesn't even have cantilevered shelving and the crispers have thinner plastic. Kind of wish I kept the old fridge.


Post# 967025 , Reply# 10   11/9/2017 at 12:45 (2,331 days old) by wft2800 (Leatherhead, Surrey)        

What I find astonishing about these is, Frigidaire used to make machines that spun at 1140 rpm - why did the spin speeds plunge? I'm not aware of that happening with another manufacturer anywhere outside the US.

Let's face it, there's no market and no need any more for top-loaders. It's just that America learned what it liked in the late 50s, Europe didn't really get into automatics in a big way until a little later, and so while we developed front-loaders, America never really learned to develop in a meaningful way. When you can have a machine which is reasonably thrifty with water (or can be adjusted to use more, according to need), heats its own water rapidly, spins to at least 1200rpm (with 1600rpm being pretty common), and washes better than any water-hog agitator machine, what's the point of continuing to make them for a tiny market of luddites who really just want their old 1-18 or A806 back?


Post# 967032 , Reply# 11   11/9/2017 at 13:47 (2,331 days old) by brucelucenta ()        
wft2800

I fully agree with what you stated. It is just that some old fuddy-duddy's who are set in their ways and will have nothing but a top load machine refuse to face the facts that front loaders do a better job using MUCH less water and it takes MUCH less energy to dry them in less time too because of the high spin speed. There are some people that you can tell nothing to.

Post# 967038 , Reply# 12   11/9/2017 at 14:15 (2,331 days old) by johnrk (BP TX)        
the arguing

goes on. Who in God's name cares whether a person wants one or another? It's so very tiring to be constantly reading these alt-right rants about one type of machine getting cleaner, using less water or detergent, going faster or slower, spinning things better. It's so very childish.

As with always with people obsessed with arguing, they drive more away from their 'side' than they ever attract with their asinine going on and on...


Post# 967048 , Reply# 13   11/9/2017 at 15:52 (2,331 days old) by ea56 (Cotati, Calif.)        

This post has been removed by the member who posted it.



Post# 967049 , Reply# 14   11/9/2017 at 16:18 (2,331 days old) by agiflow2 ()        

So let's go over this again. How do FL washers clean better with their light tossing of clothes ? They need much longer to do what a top loaders does in half an hour.

So who is right ? There are people who say FL washers are better and there are those who say they have cleaner clothes with a top load washer...and they have used both.

I don't doubt a FL washer can clean well but what I want to know specifically is HOW ? Is it more to do with detergents and temp than mechanical action ? Because for years over here in the good ole US they never had better than average cleaning up until the late 90's with the introduction of the Maytag Neptune and Electrolux based Frigidaire FL washers.

To our British friends, You folks had washers with agitators that heated the water....now did those clean better with the additional heat ?

Do you think a Hotpoint top loader with a heater would clean better than a FL with the same ? Will be interested in your answers.


Post# 967056 , Reply# 15   11/9/2017 at 17:45 (2,331 days old) by Gyrafoam (Wytheville, VA)        
Richard

I'm thinking they had to do away with the Rapidry because of a number of things, not the least of which would include liability. By 1970 Americans were fast learning to sue for everything. Would also need a fool proof system to lock the lid.
I also would imagine the very large tub of the 1-18 would have been a balance issue under some circumstances. Perhaps, less so, if they had been designed with a neutral drain.
Just a few thoughts.


Post# 967060 , Reply# 16   11/9/2017 at 18:03 (2,330 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        

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Rich, that BOL washer model would have been of the Franklin design. I remember this one in the stores at the time, had a gold-brown basket, smaller than it's sister machines in the line. The agitator was a black straight vane instead of white. I believe they also made this nearly identical BOL machine for many of their brands and for house brands like MW as well.

WCI used both the Westinghouse washer platform for Frigidaire, Wards, White-Westinghouse, etc. and continued the Franklin platform for brands like Gibson, Gambles-Coronado, Kelvinator, etc. WCI also kept two dryer designs running for a time as well. Eventually, the Westy style platforms were abandoned in favor of the Franklin style for all the brands around the mid-late 80's. I bought a Frigidaire washer at Mont. Wards in '90 that had was a Franklin plastic basket style.



Post# 967078 , Reply# 17   11/9/2017 at 20:21 (2,330 days old) by Norgeway (mocksville n c )        
Top load or front load is not the real issuers

Quality is. And really there is no quality anymore. You can make a washer and dryer with all kinds of computerized gizmos and reversing motors rather than a transmission you can change range elements to induction all these things. Do not make it a quality. Product. All you have to do is diseasemble a slant front wh or a unimatic frigidaire or a Westinghouse or frigidaire range from before the seventies. Then compare it to anything new and you will see the quality ain't there no more. Lol. The things that I deem important are no more. Quick cycles fluorescent lights mechanical timers that let you vary the cycles and most of all heavy metal and real porcelain. These things have been thrown aside. If I want a computer I will get one I want a washer and dryer


Post# 967085 , Reply# 18   11/9/2017 at 21:10 (2,330 days old) by agiflow2 ()        

Well Norgeway as far as American machines go I think SQ probably has the best build out there.

One thing I noticed in their front loaders was the quality of the SS wash drum and the larger solid baffles. Much better than WP,LG,Samsung or Frigidaire.

Even so there is no porcelain on their (SQ) FL or TL washers. People still put their machines in damp basements because they have older homes and these things will rust out in no time.The metal on these machines is not thick enough for porcelain to work properly.

WP and SQ still use porcelain and yet they don't protect their washers tops or cabinets with it. Too much money in a cost cutting world...keep the bean counters happy. smh.


Post# 967113 , Reply# 19   11/10/2017 at 00:36 (2,330 days old) by wft2800 (Leatherhead, Surrey)        

Didn't the old Westinghouse machines rust out?

The old Frigidaires with the pulsating agitator got decent rollover, but even the sainted Maytag centre-dials didn't roll over that well.

Compare and contrast to the vigorous tumbling of any decent FL... and I don't think it's just a question of temp either. OK, a 90+ celsius wash will get whites properly clean or purge nasty smells (e.g. I've got a neurotic cat who has declared my bedroom HER territory and sprays on any clothing, bedding etc that ends up on the floor - I love her really, but she has made me grateful for my Miele's 95c cottons wash!). But, a 40c cycle is perfectly capable of handling all normal cleaning...

The Hotpoints with the spiral agitators got discontinued in the early 90s for the simple reason that they did nothing better than the FLs and weren't selling. Factor in the fact that most of us over here keep our washing machines in the kitchen, under the worktop...

If ever I had the means to start a large collection and could find any (I understand a very few were sold in Europe), a Unimatic of some kind would be nice to have...


Post# 967114 , Reply# 20   11/10/2017 at 00:46 (2,330 days old) by mrsalvo (New Braunfels Texas)        

I remember when these models came out and was so saddened to see that they replaced the washing system, I thought "WTH? Why?" It truly was the beginning of the downhill slide for a once innovative, mighty American company. I don't think any of us on here are truly over it. It was such a stab-in-the-back. A shock. And they tried to keep the consoles the same to fool us!!!

Post# 967126 , Reply# 21   11/10/2017 at 07:36 (2,330 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI)        

daveamkrayoguy's profile picture
Awwww, the warm, fuzzy feeling FRANKLIN gives me! Too bad, not really here...



-- Dave


Post# 967318 , Reply# 22   11/11/2017 at 11:42 (2,329 days old) by HiLoVane (Columbus OH)        

In response to wft2800, and with due respect; if you honestly believe there's no longer a market for TL washers, then why are companies like Samsung, LG, GE, and all the makes under the Whirlpool umbrella (still) manufacturing HE TL's?

It appears that you've overlooked the likelihood that in some households, primarily those with "hidden" laundry rooms ( which are really nothing more than oversized pantry-like rooms, with folding doors) don't allow for the space accommodations for a FL?

And, there are those who for any other reason, prefer the ease and convenience of a TL?

As an aside, the first-generation HE's (The TL Whirlpool Calypso; and the TL AND FL Maytag Neptunes; the latter could arguably be considered the "Edsel of washing machines") were not all they were cracked up to be. If it' wasn't a mold issue, then it was an issue of the rubber under the washplates being vulnerable to tears and punctures from sharp objects left in pockets.
Then, there's the issue of purchase cost versus durability. Would you want to pay THAT kind of money for a washing machine, only to have to replace it within five to seven years (OK; maybe 10, if you're lucky).

So, my question to you is, do those who out of necessity, or preference, insist on TL's (the HE variety, specifically), make THEM ( as you put it) "luddites?


Post# 967404 , Reply# 23   11/11/2017 at 20:39 (2,328 days old) by wft2800 (Leatherhead, Surrey)        

I just don't understand the point. If you've got space for one of those lousy HE top-loaders, you've got space for a front-loader that does the job far better... even if the LGs, Samsungs etc that dominate the market are a pile of you-know-what...


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