Thread Number: 245
Rarest washers
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Post# 46622   10/10/2004 at 09:41 (7,130 days old) by jasonl (Cookeville, TN)        

Hey, let's start a list of the most rarest and elusive washing machines we know of.

1. Apex Washamatic - Still not found
2. Frigidaire portable agitub (not stacked combo) - Not found
3. Easy Combomatic - Not yet found
4. Maytag Combo - found by Gansky
5. Kenmore bolt-down automatic - owned by Unimatic
6. Frigidaire 1-18 TOL - push button control panel. Found (I think) by a member

Any more?





Post# 46625 , Reply# 1   10/10/2004 at 10:24 (7,130 days old) by westytoploader ()        

Hmmm...There was a picture of a washer (either on eBay or found by a member; not sure which) with a TOL "Holy Grail" 1-18 in the background.

The 24" Agitub machine & matching dryer weren't intended to be portable (marketed as full-sized machines), however, it would have been easy doing so. I bet those machines weren't heavy at all!! I'm hoping I find one out there. Just imagine...the entertainment of a Skinni-Mini washer with the convenience of not having to use 220V!!

Someone posted a message about finding an Easy Combo (in Texas no less), but we haven't heard from him since.

Not to speak for anyone, but Robert did have an Apex 9 years ago. His Kenmore Bolt-Down could not be saved because the centerpost (crucial part as we all know) was rusted out and literally crumbling.

I wonder if Jimmy FilterFlo did indeed find an Apex Wash-A-Matic in the large lot he picked up?

I have some more:

1. Frigidaire "High Fashion" Washer/Dryer with upper cabinets
2. Frigidaire Control Towers
3. Any Pulsamatic machines
4. 1947 GE--GE's first automatic
5. 1949 Hotpoint--Hotpoint's first
6. And who can forget the '47 Frigidaire?

It seems to me that many industry "firsts" are almost ALWAYS the rarest! Let's keep adding to this list everyone!!!

--Austin


Post# 46629 , Reply# 2   10/10/2004 at 12:31 (7,130 days old) by golittlesport (California)        

golittlesport's profile picture
1. Westinghouse combo
2. Hotpoint combo
3. Westinghouse's very first top loader...made by Easy (1962?)
4. Thor automatic
5. Dexter automatic


Post# 46637 , Reply# 3   10/10/2004 at 16:35 (7,130 days old) by jaxsunst ()        

Norge Dispens-o-mat

Post# 46638 , Reply# 4   10/10/2004 at 17:10 (7,130 days old) by FilterFlo (Chicago Area)        

I found a mint Norge Dispensomat a few weeks ago! Pic coming soon......and it works!

Post# 46639 , Reply# 5   10/10/2004 at 17:40 (7,130 days old) by westytoploader ()        

Wow! How does the dispenser work in these machines?

Post# 46641 , Reply# 6   10/10/2004 at 17:51 (7,130 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        

gansky1's profile picture
Many of the very early Beam design machines are quite elusive still, Coronado, the first Hotpoint, etc.

Bendix Power Surge top-loading washer, made only for about one year 1956-57.

Many of the variable speed machines of the late 60's are long gone - Hotpoint, GE, Frigidaire, Kenmore...

Not only the Apex Bouncing Basket, but also the Apex agitator washer with the fiberglas tub.



Post# 46694 , Reply# 7   10/10/2004 at 22:46 (7,129 days old) by gyromatic (St. Paul MN.)        
Rare washers

The easy combo and the dexter automatic can be taken off the list because I have them both .The Easy combo is from the 60's and the Dexter is from the 70's

Post# 46695 , Reply# 8   10/10/2004 at 23:01 (7,129 days old) by arrrooohhh (Sydney Australia)        
The easy combo and the dexter automatic can be taken off the

Could youplease post some pictures?

I am sure they would go down a treat!


Post# 46697 , Reply# 9   10/10/2004 at 23:34 (7,129 days old) by jasonl (Cookeville, TN)        
STill on the list

They're rare machines but good that at last someone has found it.

Blackstone - owned by Jetcone
Wizard Early Franklin machine - owned by Uni


Post# 46704 , Reply# 10   10/11/2004 at 00:20 (7,129 days old) by pturo (Syracuse, New York)        
Rare!!

Didn't Westinghouse or GE make a dishwasher that converted to a washing machine? Now that would be a rare find.

Post# 46716 , Reply# 11   10/11/2004 at 08:26 (7,129 days old) by jasonl (Cookeville, TN)        

Wasn't it GE and Thor that had the combo dish/clothes washer?

Post# 46731 , Reply# 12   10/11/2004 at 12:52 (7,129 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        
Thor

unimatic1140's profile picture
Thor was the brand that made the Dishwasher/Washer combo.

Post# 46749 , Reply# 13   10/11/2004 at 17:34 (7,129 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        
Sink/Washer combo

gansky1's profile picture
GE did make a washer with a sink for a lid and a faucet on the control panel, John Lefever has one at his house in Maryland but I can't find the pictures of it now!

Interesting machine - and very rare..


Post# 46751 , Reply# 14   10/11/2004 at 18:56 (7,128 days old) by chaskelljr2 (Washington, D. C.)        

(01). The Tower Top Frigidaires with control panels embeded into storage cabinets.

(02). A Varible Speed Hotpoint in which you can select the wash and spin speeds of the washer the same way you would tune a radio to select a radio station.

(03). A 1967 Varible Speed Lady Kenmore that does not match the keyboard dryer.


Post# 46754 , Reply# 15   10/11/2004 at 19:28 (7,128 days old) by westytoploader ()        
You mean this?

'65 GE Washer-Sink!

This was a novel idea back then for small spaces, but apparently it never caught on.


CLICK HERE TO GO TO westytoploader's LINK


Post# 46767 , Reply# 16   10/11/2004 at 21:52 (7,128 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        
GE washer & sink

How did the device work?was it for clothes or dishes or both?You would think apartment-condo developers would love the machine.Also would have been good for trailers and campers as well.

Post# 46799 , Reply# 17   10/12/2004 at 08:38 (7,128 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        
It Was For Clothes

unimatic1140's profile picture
It was just for clothes...



Post# 46823 , Reply# 18   10/12/2004 at 18:20 (7,127 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

Pretty neat---the washer under the sink!

Post# 46828 , Reply# 19   10/12/2004 at 18:46 (7,127 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

frigilux's profile picture
Late 50's and early 60's Coronado washers!

Post# 46832 , Reply# 20   10/12/2004 at 18:59 (7,127 days old) by westytoploader ()        

What about the Crosley machines? They made an FL and a Bendix Economat "twin".

Also the Thor Automagic Sink, which combined the clothes/dishwasher with a sink, like some other early dishwashers.

And is this "Apex Agitator Washer" an automatic? When was this made, as I only thought they had Bouncing Baskets...


CLICK HERE TO GO TO westytoploader's LINK


Post# 46845 , Reply# 21   10/12/2004 at 20:49 (7,127 days old) by Jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)        
Video in the making

jetcone's profile picture
Robert is going to film my Blackstone in action for the DVD collection. Stay tuned everyone.
Jetcone



Post# 46850 , Reply# 22   10/12/2004 at 21:24 (7,127 days old) by Bethann (Indianapolis)        

You know the way I would answer that question is my set of PINK 55's!!!!! LOL

Post# 46852 , Reply# 23   10/12/2004 at 21:40 (7,127 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.)        

dadoes's profile picture
Ummm, there's no tranny shown on that Apex parts breakdown.

???


Post# 46859 , Reply# 24   10/12/2004 at 23:11 (7,127 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        

gansky1's profile picture
Check the pic before it in the album.

These machines were made for Montgomery Wards as sort of lower-end or leader machines in the mid to later 50's.

Then Apex was gone ;-(


Post# 46864 , Reply# 25   10/13/2004 at 00:15 (7,127 days old) by i70sn80sguy ()        
The GE Sink Washer

It was a neat idea, but... much like combo machines they weren't practical or flexible, but thumbs up to being able to create and float such an appliances.
In this current market place such creativity isn't appreciated(booooh!)


Post# 47026 , Reply# 26   10/15/2004 at 09:54 (7,125 days old) by jaxsunst ()        
Coronado?

I've seen mentioned on this site AMC Coronado. I thought AMC made Kelvinator, or was Coronado before Kelvinator?

Post# 47956 , Reply# 27   10/27/2004 at 20:47 (7,112 days old) by Partscounterman (Cortez, Colorado)        
Seeburg?

I read somewhere on the internet(so it MUST be true) that Seeburg, the jukebox people made an automatic washer briefly during the postwar inventers period. I cannot confirm this rumor. Anyone?

Post# 47967 , Reply# 28   10/27/2004 at 23:14 (7,112 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

Yes the company that builds guns---in the 19teens,and into the 1920's they were branching out into building other products besides guns and ammo.They made a line of hardware and houshold products-from tools,flashlights,and even roller skates.They also tried a breif period of building appliances.Fridges and yes--washers.Theirs was only into the prototype stage.The book I have doesn't tell what type it was.Would be interesting to see it though.If you were to find the "Winchester" washer-would that be the rarest of washers?

Post# 48061 , Reply# 29   10/28/2004 at 23:08 (7,111 days old) by pturo (Syracuse, New York)        
Rare Washers

I think the 1958 or 59 Whirlpool Imperial Machines were as sexy and cool as hell. We had one with the suds saver option that my mother refused to use, she wanted fresh water each time, but it was a cool machine and had all the gold trim and lights and the dashbord looked a lot like the Whirlpool combo. I think a 58 to 60 Whirlpool washer is a rare find.

Post# 48062 , Reply# 30   10/28/2004 at 23:14 (7,111 days old) by pturo (Syracuse, New York)        
Rare Washers

I think the 1958 or 59 Whirlpool Imperial Machines were as sexy and cool as hell. We had one with the suds saver option that my mother refused to use, she wanted fresh water each time, but it was a cool machine and had all the gold trim and lights and the dashbord looked a lot like the Whirlpool combo. I think a 58 to 60 Whirlpool washer is a rare find.

Post# 48067 , Reply# 31   10/29/2004 at 00:17 (7,111 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        
Thor POD 10/28

gansky1's profile picture
Now that is a very rare automatic washer - virtually the same inside as the Automagic semi-auto washer but with a timer, water valve, etc.

Post# 48070 , Reply# 32   10/29/2004 at 01:21 (7,111 days old) by partscounterman (Cortez, Colorado)        
Thor POD

I really enjoyed this POD also, I guess because that is such a rare washer. My Auntie had a Thor Wringer when I was wee. I loved watching it run. ( the thor had been my moms til she went automatic a coupla' years before I was born) No stupid lid switch to spoil the fun.
I also like how the dryer only has one control. Maybe because of my early conditioning with the Halo-of-Heat '06 series, I think its great to build a dryer with one simple control. (And of course lots of lights....)
Love how they brought back the Thor name recently too.


Post# 48097 , Reply# 33   10/29/2004 at 10:23 (7,111 days old) by agiflow-action ()        
Rare Washers

Does anyone out in Discuss-o-mat have any pictures of these WP Imperial machines from 58 & 59? The 56 imperial is one of my all-time favorites. Were the 58&59 machines styled differently? Any pictures would be greatly appreciated.

These WP machines from the mid to late 50's were some of their best styling ever,until the first slant back control models in 67 IMHO.

Pat



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