Thread Number: 8024
Re: "Bolt-Down" Bendix Washer: 		[Down to Last]

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Post# 153876   9/12/2006 at 04:31 (6,435 days old) by sactoteddybear ()        

Does anyone know what the approx Cu-Ft and Pound Capacity is of the "Bolt-Down" Bendix Washer?

I was trying to figure if they were close to the same size as my LG Compact Combo, which is about 2.5 Cu-Ft to 2.7 Cu-Ft, approx 8 to 10 Pounds. Is this a fairly accurate estimate of Capacity?

My Parent's first Automatic Washer was a 1946 "Bolt-Down" Bendix, that had the Squared Back, but the Round Tub and Box-Like Base of the Cabinet.

It had the Motor go out and instead of getting the Motor Replaced, my Mother had a Friend of her's go with her to Sears and talked her into one of the Mid-1950's "Frog-Eye" Kenmore Washer's that had the Blue Timer Facia Control area and the Push-Button High/Low Water Level and the Hot, Medium, Warm Wash Water Temp, with all Warm Rinse Controls. It also had the Pregnant Roto-Swirl Agitator. I've always thought that those Agitator's were the best for a great Roll-Over Wash Action, other than the Whirlpool's Surgliator's, and the Frigidaire Pulsator's.

Their first Dryer was the 1950 Westinghouse "Solid Door" Slanted-Front Electric Dryer. It lasted until 1962, when they Traded it in for a 1962 "TOL" Hotpoint Electric Dryer, with the Lint Screen in a separate opening Panel, below the Drum. It seems like it was about 2-Ft Square and sure held quite a lot of Lint.

Peace and Fun Bendix "Bolt-Down" Laundry Times, Steve
SactoTeddyBear...




Post# 154009 , Reply# 1   9/12/2006 at 18:45 (6,435 days old) by gmmcnair (Portland, OR)        
I think that capacity is....

 gmmcnair's profile picture
....somewhere over in the vintage consumer articles on this web site. I can't remember if it's Consumer Reports or Consumer Research bulletin. It doesn't list cu ft, but it does list lbs.

I do know that our laundromat had the Bendix coin ops for years. Their capacity was eight or nine pounds, and they sounded EXACTLY like the old Bendix on the "See it Wash" section. They also had the same anemic spin cycle that machine does.

I think your estimate is fairly close on capacity. Hope this helps! :-)


Mike

Post# 154040 , Reply# 2   9/12/2006 at 20:40 (6,435 days old) by sactoteddybear ()        
Re: Bolt-Down Bendix Washer:

 Hi! Mike, thank you for your reply. I thought that I was guessing pretty close to what I mentioned. I will have to check out the See It Wash, to see the Video of the Bendix. It's been so long since my Family had theirs, I can' even remember how it sounded. I guess I've just got Kenmore Sounds in my Blood and not Bendix. I've also got Frigidaire "GM" Sounds and Maytag Helical Drive Sounds, that I remember from the past as well.

Peace and Happy Laundring, with a Bendix, Steve
SactoTeddyBear...

Post# 154048 , Reply# 3   9/12/2006 at 21:25 (6,435 days old) by mayken4now (Panama City, Florida)        
Re:

mayken4now's profile picture
Steve Watch the see it wash again, your question will be answered.

Re: "Sounds" "Movements" and "Live Action"

Post# 154892 , Reply# 4   9/16/2006 at 13:21 (6,431 days old) by tumbler ()        
Bendix capacity

 The bolt-down Bendix machines had an advertised capacity of 9 lbs.

Post# 155493 , Reply# 5   9/19/2006 at 07:42 (6,428 days old) by tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

I kinda think 9 pounds was at the top of the dreamed of capacity. With the very small tub size, not so great detergents, not so great washing ability, poor spinning and poor rinsing, I think the working capacity was about half that, which is no badge of shame. Consumer Reports, published by Consumers' Union rated the AMP with an optimal capacity of 5 pounds dry weight. Whatever the capacity and performance, women flocked to the Bendix because it freed them from the burden of doing washing the old fashion, very labor intensive way. They no longer had to do a week's washing in one day and could be doing other things while the Bendix chugged through the cycle. They no longer had to fill and empty set tubs and have water spilling or dripping onto the floor (except in the case of the youngster who opened the door of the Bendix during wash).

Post# 155629 , Reply# 6   9/19/2006 at 20:33 (6,428 days old) by sactoteddybear ()        
Re: Case of the youngster who opened the door of the Bendix:

 Hey! Tom, where you by chance one of those Kids like me, that did actually open the Door of the Bendix Washer? I did it with my Parent's Bendix, when I was about 4-years, old more times than once and the hot Sudzy Water and the Laundry would be all over the Garage Floor in front of the Washer.

I somehow always managed to survive getting Burned by the Hot Water, unless it happened to be a Warm Wash instead.

I loved to help my Mother put the Laundry in the Washer, then she would start it up and leave me to get to watch it "doing it's thing." She would in a short while look out into the Garage to see what I was doing and find the Washer Door opened and the Laundry and Water on the Floor.

OH! Those were the Day's of having Fun and not knowing what Safety was really about.

Peace and Happy Bendix Laundry Days, Steve
SactoTeddyBear...

Post# 155723 , Reply# 7   9/20/2006 at 07:57 (6,427 days old) by tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

I would not dare do something like that because I knew I would be killed or worse if I did. We never had a Bendix; I only watched them in friends' homes or in laundries that had them. During some part of WWII, my dad was stationed in California and they lived in Riverside where mom worked as a dietician in a hospital. One of the women she worked with had bought a Bendix just before they became unavailable in 1942 and was always telling everyone how much she liked it. That, I guess, was the one with the early, weird rinse sequence like Robert's machine has.


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