Thread Number: 75197  /  Tag: Vintage Automatic Washers
Expert Poll: best classic washer ever?
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Post# 990235   4/10/2018 at 18:11 (2,169 days old) by Spin-Doctor (Tennessee)        

I know this must have been discussed here ad nauseam and apologize for that. But I'm just getting really drawn in by the looks and apparent performance of many of these classic washers I've been seeing on some of these threads. It seems there are certain washers that appear to be better respected than others. The Maytag appears to hold the crown for ultimate durability and fine workmanship. And of the pictures I've seen so far, the 60's and 70's Maytags just look beautiful. True pieces of industrial engineering art.

But I hear others mentioned like Norge, GE etc, but not sure how pretty they may be too (of that 60's 70's era). Is there a thread or certain posts that really gets into all this I can look at? I'd love to learn lot more. I feel I might be on the market for a classic washer and dryer set eventually, but want to educate myself better first.

In the meantime, here's a poll I'd like to post just to get opinions:

1. Which 60's-80's washer had the best overall performance? I've read the diff between BD and DD and I think I already get that part. I just mean overall washing and spinning performance.

2. Which one is the most durable?

3. Which one is the most beautiful? Or, if you prefer, which one is the most interesting or cool?

4. Which one is has the best combination of overall attributes? Like the crème de la crème?





Post# 990238 , Reply# 1   4/10/2018 at 19:38 (2,169 days old) by glomain (tuscarawas cnty. (eastern ohio))        
WELL

glomain's profile picture
cant beat a GM made Frigidaire,like the 1-18s

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Post# 990240 , Reply# 2   4/10/2018 at 20:04 (2,169 days old) by peteski50 (New York)        
Favorite Washer!

peteski50's profile picture
The 1/18 is probably one of my most favorite - their was good and bad - pros and cons to all! I Loved the belt drive whirlpools / kenmores Maytags and others this can be a good thread to continue with all the pros and cons of the vintage era!


Post# 990251 , Reply# 3   4/10/2018 at 23:07 (2,169 days old) by panthera (Rocky Mountains)        
Goodness!

panthera's profile picture
Well, even the lowest quality vintage washer is better than the trash built today.
Maytag was probably the most durable.
Frigidaire Thumpers washed best.
Whirlpool had great design and some good and bad washers.
Norge and Speed Queen are outside my knowledge.
GE Filterflos rinsed out dog hair enormously better than anything else.


Post# 990253 , Reply# 4   4/10/2018 at 23:47 (2,169 days old) by RP2813 (Sannazay)        

rp2813's profile picture

For more bells and whistles than you would likely ever need, the Lady Kenmore series from Sears probably tops the list of washers from the '60s - '80s.  These Whirlpool-sourced machines were both reliable and refined in their dependability and quiet operation.

 

Maytags were built like tanks and the mechanics are simple.  They run forever and are as no-nonsense as you'll find with regard to ease of use and lack of superfluous bling and features.  The top of the line series 806 machines are prized by many.  The entirely push-button controlled 906 series are so rare they're not worth pursuing, and they generally don't allow any user interference to tweak a particular cycle to one's liking or preference.

 

I've seen Frigidaire thumpers in action and was very impressed.  The design and engineering of the (then) largest automobile manufacturer in the world really shows.

 

And, following the if-you-can't-say-anything-good rule, I'll reserve commenting on Norge/Ward's washers due to living with Post-Traumatic Signature Disorder since 1967.


Post# 990265 , Reply# 5   4/11/2018 at 02:40 (2,169 days old) by thomasortega (El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles de Porciúncula)        

Electrolux FL500

Post# 990272 , Reply# 6   4/11/2018 at 06:29 (2,168 days old) by norgeway (mocksville n c )        
All the way around

Whirlpool or Kenmore from about 1955 thru about 70

Post# 990274 , Reply# 7   4/11/2018 at 06:45 (2,168 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

turquoisedude's profile picture

I can't just pick one, alas....    I love how well the older Frigidaire Unimatic washes and spins; the washing action of the ABC-O-Matic is just too much fun to watch; the Blackstone agitiation is pretty fun to watch also; but I keep using one of my older Whirlpool-built machines (including not just Kenmores, but the Inglis as well here) as the 'daily drivers'.  


Post# 990278 , Reply# 8   4/11/2018 at 07:29 (2,168 days old) by peteski50 (New York)        
Whirlpool / Kenmore!

peteski50's profile picture
Yes Hans - I loved those Whirlpools with the console lights - I have friends that had the 58 Imperial time line machine and that was a real awesome looking washer!
I still remember watching that machine wash and it is a Unforgettable Happy memory :)



Post# 990282 , Reply# 9   4/11/2018 at 08:07 (2,168 days old) by panthera (Rocky Mountains)        
Has anyone fond memories of Westinghouse?

panthera's profile picture

We have (thanks to several fellow members!) a working slant front dryer and a PANK! one waiting on repairs. I must say, the ideas were good but the execution, hmm, well, hmm.


Post# 990286 , Reply# 10   4/11/2018 at 08:27 (2,168 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City)        

ultramatic's profile picture

 

 

Hmmm. There are many that I like. So I'll start with Maytag (surprise!), General Electric Filter-Flo (grew up with one), Frigidaire 1-18 (My parents first automatic was a Frigidaire Unimatic back in '54) and Whirlpool/Kenmore (my folks have had both in their secondary home, a '63 Whirlpool, and currently a '83 Kenmore 80 series in grey).


Post# 990290 , Reply# 11   4/11/2018 at 09:16 (2,168 days old) by Losangeles (Muscle Shoals, AL 35661)        
Expert Poll: best classic

losangeles's profile picture
So many interesting responses to this thread. A great read. For me I have to say first up would the early Frigidaire Thumpers. I have so many fond memories of standing on a stool to watch it wash. I can still smell the Tide. And now a lifelong dream is about to come true. I will be picking up two Frigidaire's tomorrow from my buddy Dwight. I am like a kid on Christmas Eve. Next would be the Kenmore and Whirlpool line from the mid 50's thru the 60's and 70's. Such class and styling, functionality, dependable and a good spread of bells and whistles depending on the model chosen. Last would be the Maytag. As said before by other members, they were built like a tank, dependable forever straight forward no fooling excellent washers. I have a model A282 myself and use it often. My mother was strictly a Kenmore woman except for a very brief stint with a Westinghouse slant front washer/dryer combo. If she could have had access to a shot gun, it's life would have been shortened considerably. Wish I had it now. It was Pink.

Post# 990296 , Reply# 12   4/11/2018 at 09:48 (2,168 days old) by firedome (Binghamton NY & Lake Champlain VT)        
Frigidaire

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1-18, there's nothing else conceptually like a FD, it's just so different, and what a capacity!

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Post# 990298 , Reply# 13   4/11/2018 at 10:00 (2,168 days old) by americana4 (Warwick, RI)        

If reliability is a factor, have to weigh in with my GE filter flo, bought new in '82.
I debated long & hard spending more for a Maytag, but after 3 children, 4 moves and 36 years with absolutely no repairs ever, the GE is still my daily driver. Wish I'd bought 2.


Post# 990308 , Reply# 14   4/11/2018 at 12:05 (2,168 days old) by gregingotham (New York)        
Frigidaire all the way!

From unimatic to 1-18 the action, the panel designs, all were the best in my opinion. Too bad jet action can't be revived in new machines today.

Post# 990314 , Reply# 15   4/11/2018 at 13:04 (2,168 days old) by robbinsandmyers (Conn)        

robbinsandmyers's profile picture
Back in the 70's-80's when I was a kid I helped an old German guy that owned an appliance repair biz and went on calls with him. The Maytags hardly ever had issues or Whirlpools. The Maytags were the easiest to change belts but the Speed Queens the worst with those rocking solenoids I remember.

Post# 990332 , Reply# 16   4/11/2018 at 16:17 (2,168 days old) by whirlykenmore78 (Prior Lake MN (GMT-0500 CDT.))        
Kenmore/Whirlpool:

whirlykenmore78's profile picture
DD or BD are the best in my book. Maytag would be my 2nd.
WK78


Post# 990348 , Reply# 17   4/11/2018 at 19:15 (2,168 days old) by mrsalvo (New Braunfels Texas)        

I've also been wracking my brain on this one.
For 1, 2, & 4 workmanship and dependability I would have to nominate 60's - 90's Maytag. I had an aunt that had one that lasted over 30 years with little or no repair, for a family of 4. There's no telling how many loads she washed day in and day out. They were so simple in design that they were beautiful. The only drawback I could think of was their capacity, like my 2015 T/L SQ, 2 queen sheets, pillowcases, and a pair of PJ's is a full load! (When I was growing up I thought Maytags were the most boring washers ever. It wasn't until I was older that I appreciated the well built design.)

For #3, any of the lighted consoles Kenmores, with all the different agitators. GM Frigidaire's were down right cool, Westinghouse indexing tubs too, & of course, The Wards Signature / Norge's burpalators were most entertaining (and loud).

All time best laundry detergent: Tide XK, though I had quite a few favorites. Still miss Salvo, to this day.

Barry








Post# 990350 , Reply# 18   4/11/2018 at 19:33 (2,168 days old) by wayupnorth (On a lake between Bangor and Bar Harbor, Maine)        

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Well, I just finished a load in my 1984 LA511 and dried in the DE410 Maytags. In all those years one $28 pulley for the washer and dryer has never been touched. So this is my vote as mine are the same as the center dial models but with a newer, lovely wood grain back guard. The old slogan was true for mine after nearly 35 years, "Maytags last longer with fewer repairs than any other brand, thats why we are known as the dependability people". Unfortunately, not today.

Post# 990352 , Reply# 19   4/11/2018 at 20:26 (2,168 days old) by Washerlover (The Big Island, Hawai’i)        
Knock on Any Norge

washerlover's profile picture
Have to agree on the durability of Maytags, although agitation not very exciting. Sears/Whirlpool fun and pretty machines and totally agree with Panthera about GE and excellent lint removal. And of course Frigidaire just because they were so unique!

However, despite those on this site with Post-Traumatic Signature Disorder (that’s hilarious to me since I run the County’s Behavioral Health Department!), Norge/Wards are decent contenders. Although not the quietest machines, they really do the job. Large capacity, burp-up filter and vigorous agitation give other brands a run for the money. And they had a certain beauty about them as well, especially as you go to the top of the line...


Post# 990400 , Reply# 20   4/12/2018 at 06:25 (2,167 days old) by norgeway (mocksville n c )        
Maytags

Are just a washer I absolutely jinx, I have owned 5 , one new in 84 and the rest various ages from 806, on up, NEVER have I owned one that didn't just torment the hell out of me, all of them either slung oil all over everything, or walked all over the place, I have NEVER used one yet that would wash more than 2 loads without getting out of balance, the last one I tried tore a 1 foot round hole in the vinyl floor when it got out of balance!! I have TRIED to like them, but I just cant..LOL

Post# 990406 , Reply# 21   4/12/2018 at 08:25 (2,167 days old) by panthera (Rocky Mountains)        
Hans Craig,

panthera's profile picture

I have the same experience with KA dishwashers. Except for a KA 15, every single one we've ever had has been an unmitigated disaster.

Some brands just like you, some just hate you.

GE Potscrubbers and Maytag washers just seem to like us.


Post# 990409 , Reply# 22   4/12/2018 at 08:41 (2,167 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI)        

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Just a good Whirlpool w/ the slant console...



-- Dave


Post# 990430 , Reply# 23   4/12/2018 at 13:01 (2,167 days old) by akronman (Akron/Cleveland Ohio)        
hmmm

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Best overall performance: Frigidaire 1-18 (wash, rinse, extract, lint filtering).
Most durable: Maytag, Kenmore(except for dispensers and bells/whistles), GE.
Most Interesting or COOL? Control Top Frigidaire from late 50's
Creme de la Creme? Top of the Line 1-18 or Lady Kenmore


Post# 990438 , Reply# 24   4/12/2018 at 14:19 (2,167 days old) by Jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)        
Well I am at 6’s and 7’s on that topic

jetcone's profile picture
I find my favorites based on style and washability, but the washing is the sticking point. Some machines are great on jeans, others on wool, others on cotton tees.

Kelvinators alwasy travel well!

But you can only find that red in a Frigidaire!





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Post# 990460 , Reply# 25   4/12/2018 at 17:45 (2,167 days old) by potatochips ( )        

1. Which 60's-80's washer had the best overall performance? I've read the diff between BD and DD and I think I already get that part. I just mean overall washing and spinning performance.

 

As much as I am pro Maytag, BD machines are great washers, and the 1-18s in my mind (which I only have YouTube experience and reading members posts on here over the last 10+ years) are thee best. 

2. Which one is the most durable?

 

Maytag. 

3. Which one is the most beautiful? Or, if you prefer, which one is the most interesting or cool?

 

Each brand has a beautiful machine, and some of them become design icons on the 60s and 70s, like the centre dial Maytags. 

4. Which one is has the best combination of overall attributes? Like the crème de la crème?

 

1-18s. 


Post# 990511 , Reply# 26   4/13/2018 at 06:03 (2,167 days old) by wft2800 (Leatherhead, Surrey)        

Can't let you Americans have it all your own way...

One personal favourite: the AEG Lavamat Regina/Deluxe. The basic design was so good, it was in production for something like 25 years. So stylish, especially with the backlit control panels. www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/T...

Here's one in Denmark that had been in daily use for 42 years when this photo was taken:


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Post# 990512 , Reply# 27   4/13/2018 at 06:09 (2,166 days old) by wft2800 (Leatherhead, Surrey)        

Always liked the classic Miele family too, especially the last-of-the-line 421S. Credit to AW member 'foraloysius' for this scan.

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Post# 990514 , Reply# 28   4/13/2018 at 06:12 (2,166 days old) by wft2800 (Leatherhead, Surrey)        

The Bendix 7147 is rather nice too. The styling is a nod back in the direction of the old Bendix bolt-down machines that were many middle-class families' first automatics in the early 1950s, but still looks modern even 40 years or so after its introduction. Whopping big brushless motors too, so very quiet and understressed.

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Post# 990516 , Reply# 29   4/13/2018 at 06:17 (2,166 days old) by wft2800 (Leatherhead, Surrey)        

A lot of childhood memories of the Hoover Electron/Logic family too... these machines seemed to be ubiquitous for a time. The matching dryers were based on the Maytag Halo of Heat design, right down to the hard-to-access lint filter on the back of the drum!

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Post# 990519 , Reply# 30   4/13/2018 at 06:34 (2,166 days old) by Jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)        
Ooo that Miele

jetcone's profile picture
I could own and love that machine in 2.2 seconds !!!!

And those Lavamats are just super!!


Post# 990612 , Reply# 31   4/13/2018 at 18:23 (2,166 days old) by Spin-Doctor (Tennessee)        

Thank you for the replies everyone! Very informative. I'm just getting started learning about these marvelous machines, it really helps to hear the opinions of aficionados to help sort out who's who in the zoo.

So it seems clear that the consensus amongst most enthusiasts, at least in North America, is that the GM Frigidaire 1-18's are overall the best and most impressive classic washer. Funny thing is that I don't recall ever seeing one of these units during my childhood. And I'm certainly old enough to have seen one.

Although I have to say, in my personal opinion, at least for the 1970's 1-18s I've seen, they're definitely not the most elegant looking washers. They are cool and quirky looking in an old-school GM looking way. But they do not have the clean beauty and elegant lines that some of the others have. Still, functionality and superior performance has a beauty all its own. Another thing that might concern me is that the pumping agitation cycles seems to be quite loud (from what I've seen on youtube videos). My washing machine is upstairs near the bedroom. Are these things "hammer time" washers?

Another question I have about 1-18s: I see they were made back in the early 1960's too. The styling looks a lot better on a 1963 I saw. I really like the styling of 60's cars and it seems the appliances of the times took their cues from automobiles. Any thoughts on the best looking 1-18 with the most classic/clean styling?

And what about the Lady Kenmores? I have seen a resto of a late 50's model on a website, which really is a pretty machine. What is the prettiest Lady Kenmore in that sleek push buttonish/chrome knob 1960's look? I love the look of cars and women's styles from that era, so I think I'm narrowing down my favorite appliances to that same same era. People seem to rank these washers in the top three. Which one from the 60's-70's is the prettiest and also has great features and performance?

So far I really like the look of those push button and chrome knob Maytags. Really clean and elegant and with superior quality. I really like the design of the lighted panel and the clean, uncluttered design. Classic, clean Americana. VERY nice.

But then these 1-18's are intriguing because of their stellar reputation. Plus although the later models are somewhat visually challenged, maybe the earlier 60's models have looks and performance? Need to learn more about those models.

Thanks again for the great responses!


Post# 990614 , Reply# 32   4/13/2018 at 18:31 (2,166 days old) by speedqueen (Metro-Detroit)        

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The early 1960s and 1950s Frigidaires weren't 1-18s, only the later extra large capacity models from the 1970s with the perforated tub. The earlier solid tub models were based on the Unimatic design from 1949-1958 and subsequently the Multimatic mechanism and then in the mid to late 1960s the Rollermatic mechanism which was modified into being belt operated to also be used in the 1-18s.


Post# 990616 , Reply# 33   4/13/2018 at 18:35 (2,166 days old) by joelippard (Hickory)        

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As the owner of two of them in that age range I'm going to say the 1-18.  I just wish they had made one with the Rapidry 1010 rpm like in the solid tub models.


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Post# 990618 , Reply# 34   4/13/2018 at 19:08 (2,166 days old) by panthera (Rocky Mountains)        
Any Frigidaire

panthera's profile picture

Thumper is going to wash better than any other machine, hands down.

 


Post# 990645 , Reply# 35   4/13/2018 at 22:02 (2,166 days old) by Washerlover (The Big Island, Hawai’i)        
Hate to Disagree With the Experts...

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Sorry to say, but in my humble opinion, Norge/Wards has the best washing capability of all. You have to be careful about what types of clothes you put in them and the proper wash/spin speeds, but they are absolutely the best in clothes cleaning. Sorry to disagree with one of my most respected automaticwasher.org icons, Panthera, but Norge/Wards is the “hands down” winner in washability. Whirlpool with its “Double Duty Super Surgilator” comes in second...

Post# 990647 , Reply# 36   4/13/2018 at 22:09 (2,166 days old) by peteski50 (New York)        
Best Washer!

peteski50's profile picture
I will always vote Frigidaire weather it was smaller solid tub or 1/18 - the wash action was more through and yet more gentle without a trashing Agitator - I do still like others but to me the thumper will always win! WCI made the very worst decisions to drop a great design!


Post# 990651 , Reply# 37   4/13/2018 at 22:23 (2,166 days old) by wayupnorth (On a lake between Bangor and Bar Harbor, Maine)        

wayupnorth's profile picture
How about what classic washer you still have since new out of the box and still works like new with no repairs? One $28 pulley on my 35 year old Maytag in all these years. I will never get rid of these beauties.

Post# 1131401 , Reply# 38   10/18/2021 at 22:40 (882 days old) by GELaundry4ever (Nacogdoches, TX, USA)        
My vote goes too...

GE filter-flo. Tough on dirt and stains, powerful pump, dramatic splashing on small and normal speed, clanking during normal spin. Ah, memories!

Post# 1131409 , Reply# 39   10/19/2021 at 02:18 (882 days old) by MaytagNeptune (FireAlarmTechGuy4444 on YouTube. Interlochen MI)        
1989 Kenmore Ultra Fabric Care 80 Series Direct Drive

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Model 110.82980800. I'll post pictures later.

Post# 1131441 , Reply# 40   10/19/2021 at 14:38 (881 days old) by reactor (Oak Ridge, Tennessee-- )        
and more favorites

reactor's profile picture
It's difficult to come to one conclusion on which washer is the "best" as everyone has different qualities they like to see in a washer. No washer is perfect, they all have their strong and weaker points.

As for me: I have to agree with many that the Frigidaire 1-18 is a real winner. I have found it cleans well, clears the tub of suds in flash when it begins to spins, rinses very well with a long spray rinse (available in warm as well!) and I never got y out of balance. Cons: lint collection is so-so and difficult to clean the lint filter, at least in comparison to some other brands. The biggest downside for me is lack of rollover in a too heavily loaded tub, especially with hard fabrics such as jeans. things bob up and don't get pulled down. the optional fabric softener actually helps to prevent this from happening, to a degree, by holding the clothes down as they attempt to rise up near the agitator. With normal sized mixed loads, the Frigidaire is a WONDERFL well engineered machine. Not known for reliability, though. Always got top rating in Consumer Reports for washingy, but consistently ranked below average in repairs/reliability. I love miy 1-18's with a passion.

GE Filter-Flo, versatile, unsurpassed lint removal, extraordinarily easy to clean lint filter, holds a lot of clothes and rolls them even in an overload situation. Downside: The ones I have had tend to get out of balance without much provocation, accompanied by severe banging and sometimes walking. Noisy fill and spin. Real classic machines and a real winner at getting clean, lint free laundry. Despite the loud spinning, but soothing and calming agitation sounds. A real work horse of a machine.

Whirlpool Belt Drive. My parents had a 60 or 61 model-- Imperial Mark XII. Coolest control panel I can ever remember. Fluorescent lights backlight the controls. Color coordinated controls, as well. Each of the 10 buttons had a color next to it, and you just turned the cycle knob toward that color until it would stop at the appropriate place as determined by the button you had depressed. Offered a wide range of temperatures, not only cold warm and hot, but lukewarm. Love the discrete interval advancement of the timer. Timer is stationary, until the next interva, then silently moves (and visibly moves) to its next interval station. Seemed cool and spooky to me when I was a small child. Seemed as if the machine was alive and operating its own controls (which it was!) Comforting sound as it agitated. Downsides: Not good at rinsing. I remember seeing suds left in the bottom of the tub frequently, and my mom would have to re-rinse them. Worse machine my mom ever had at staying in balance. Frequently she would have to run downstairs to turn it off as is walked across the smooth concrete basement floor. Sometimes to the extend it was pulling on its hoses. The "Surgilator" agitator gave good roll over. the lint filter caught good amounts of lint in its brushes, but a little difficult to get completely clean. A fun, impressive looking machines, built from quality and heavy materials, with many amenities engineered into it.

The White-Westinghouse" front loaders. From the original Westinghouse Laundromat design. The most ingratiating washer I ever owned. You just wanted to pick it up and hug it. So fun to watch the clothes tumble. Got the clothes clean and fresh smelling. Really cool with a startlingly loud click when the gigantic spin solenoid grabbed and tightened the spin belt against the pulley with the tub almost instantly from tumble to full speed spin... good spray rinse and two full rinses after. Once in a while it did get out of balance and banged. The other downside is clothes sometimes came out tangled as the tub did not periodically reverse as more modern front loaders do. A fun, fun machine...mesmerizing to watch (better than color TV!) Saved lots of water and detergent. I miss it.

Best looking control panels? In my opinion General Electric and Westinghouse both had some beautiful control panels with their polished and brushed aluminum/chrome.

Have yet to own a Norge, Kelvinator, Maytag, etc. Would love to.

Most unique washer? One of the contenders is the Bendix Economat. My parents had one before I came along. They told me of its unusual rubber tub that came in from the sides, closed in on the clothes and squeezed the water out in lieu of spinning. Bendix should have called it the Anaconda washer.)


Post# 1131503 , Reply# 41   10/20/2021 at 11:57 (880 days old) by rinso (Meridian Idaho)        

I would have to say my favorite washer was my GM Frigidaire 1-18. It performed well by all standards, and even though it didn't spin as fast as Frigidaire solid tub automatics, its water extraction was on a par with Maytag, GE, Speed Queen, etc. Great rollover with its thumper agitator.

The most beautiful set I have owned was Wards/Norge I bought in the early 80's.

Before that, my then wife and I loved our Maytag 806 set. They were so very functional with a control panel that didn't look like a blender. Defeating the stop switch to watch it wash revealed that it didn't have good rollover with large items like sheets or stiff items like jeans.

My BD Kenmore set did an awesome job with washing and rinsing. Too bad about the anemic spin speed. Thick towels could often take about 1 1/2 hours to dry.


Post# 1131543 , Reply# 42   10/20/2021 at 22:23 (880 days old) by HobartHero (New York)        
Frigidaire machines

hobarthero's profile picture
My only question is why is it so uncommon to find Frigidaire machines? I can always find Maytag, Whirlpool/Kenmore machines with ease but never once have I found a Frigidaire yet. Were they that much more expensive than the rest, or just odd and therefore less popular?
-Shannon
P.S. My vote is Maytag as the most dependable vintage washer. I find them in all sorts of condition and 99% of the time they still work normally even if they’re rusting away and beat to hell. Truly simple quality engineering.


Post# 1131549 , Reply# 43   10/21/2021 at 00:16 (880 days old) by Maytag85 (Sean A806)        

maytag85's profile picture
There are many cool machines that were made in the 1950’s and 1960’s but the coolest machine I’ve owned so far is my 1963 RCA Whirlpool Imperial Mark XII set in turquoise. Doesn’t have the color coded buttons like the 1960, 1961, and 1962 Mark XII’s nor has the fluorescent back lit panels but otherwise a fun machine to use.

The magic mix dispenser seems to work fairly well but gets filled up with heavily linted loads and needs to be cleaned after each load but honestly I’d rather put the lint in the garbage can then send it down the drain.

The automatic dispensers do work well too but I suggest putting water in the dispensers to help flush them out when you aren’t using them or else they’ll clog up and you practically have to disassemble machine to fix them and that’s what led to the fiasco that happened back in October of 2020 and had to take the ENTIRE machine apart just the fixed those darned dispensers but has been working fine since I fixed them.

The spin is slow however it seems to do just fine and I believe the large 18 pound capacity belt drives had a slower spin compared the standard tub belt drive washers since the standard capacity belt drives spun around 525 as opposed to the large capacity belt drives that spun around 500 to 505 rpm.

The Surgilator does very well when you don’t pack the machine full and since I tend to slightly under load it a little, the load literally turns over 12 to 14 times a minute which is close to the Frigidaires of the era.

As far as washing and rinsing performance, it will do fine IF you don’t use too much detergent or overload the machine and since I do neither of the two, it does just fine and had it suds lock a few times but that’s a error on my behalf for using too much detergent.

As far as the matching dryer to my mark XII washer, it does a fairly good job at drying and the 2 speed fan/drying temperature is quite handy since I use the normal speed drying temperature for regular clothes and use the super drying temperature for towels and bulky bedding. I also like the UV/ozone light it has since it disinfects laundry and gives sheets and towels a unique scent after they are done drying.


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