Thread Number: 28628
Is this a skinny mini? |
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Post# 437135   5/24/2010 at 10:54 (5,078 days old) by Volvoguy87 (Cincinnati, OH)   |   | |
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Not sure of age or type, but if it's the real thing, it's relatively cheap for anyone who might want it.
Dave CLICK HERE TO GO TO Volvoguy87's LINK on Cincinnati Craigslist |
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Post# 437138 , Reply# 1   5/24/2010 at 11:11 (5,078 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)   |   | |
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Yes. |
Post# 437142 , Reply# 2   5/24/2010 at 11:30 (5,078 days old) by RevvinKevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land)   |   | |
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The true "Skinny-Mini" with the "Agi-Tub" has a total of 4 (FOUR) control knobs (plus the dryer start button). On the right side it would be the washer timer knob and the water temp - then on the left the dryer timer knob and the dryer temp (plus the start button). This one has 3 (THREE) knobs on the right side... the extra knob being the water level. Kevin |
Post# 437178 , Reply# 3   5/24/2010 at 14:05 (5,078 days old) by KenmoreGuy64 (Charlotte, NC)   |   | |
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Post# 437182 , Reply# 4   5/24/2010 at 14:28 (5,078 days old) by mrb627 (Buford, GA)   |   | |
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Post# 437183 , Reply# 5   5/24/2010 at 14:36 (5,078 days old) by PeterH770 (Marietta, GA)   |   | |
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Post# 437195 , Reply# 6   5/24/2010 at 15:23 (5,078 days old) by nmassman44 (Brooksville Florida)   |   | |
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I hate when people dont post a pic on the right side since I have to turn my head....anyways I doubt that its a GM machine. If you look closely you can see the bed of nails filter. But dont let that stop you from getting ...it washes well. The dryer does a good job too. I am wondering if its a 240 volt unit.
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Post# 437258 , Reply# 7   5/24/2010 at 21:55 (5,077 days old) by Volvoguy87 (Cincinnati, OH)   |   | |
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Post# 437309 , Reply# 9   5/25/2010 at 08:00 (5,077 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md)   |   | |
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The GM skinny minis were made from 1969-1979 GM built the whole thing right down to the two Delco motors. It was a real engineering achievement in low cost design I would compare it to the Chevy Vega. Neither the washer or dryer were great performers but they could and sometimes did work. I remember talking to man who owned a local Frigidare dealer and he told me he sold 48 of them the first year they were out. He went on to tell me he ran more than 56 warranty calls on them in the first year which is a very high failure rate. When WCI bought the Frigidare name in 1980 the skinny mini was the only GM Frigidare appliance that WCI continued to make in any form. They did scrap the agitatub mech and install the Franklin washer guts. They continued to sell them through 1994. They were sold under the frigitare ,Kenmore, W Westinghouse and GE brands they finally pulled the plug on the whole machine because they said the factory in Indiana was old and out dated. I think it had more to do with all the washers that caught fire and the litigation costs they had with the product. The Franklin mech with its stupid indexing tub design and water pump pumping air in the bottom of the tub while agitating could work up so much suds it would flow over the tub cover and short out the motor which would set the plastic outer on fire. At our local Sears appliance center they usually had several of the KM All in ones roped off in the back of the warehouse with yellow tape that were badly burned up. The manager would warn me not to disturb them as they were in insurance or other litigation. You may notice if you see one the last of these machines there was a big warning under the lid warning to use no more than 1/4 cup of detergent, they also switched back to a less aggressive agitator design to keep sudsing down. WCI also redesigned the dryer heater element placement in the mid 1980s because of all the fires in the GM design. The original heater was just too close to the top of the dryer , the clothes and the wall of the house where the machine sat. They put the heater in a separate metal box moved it down further from the top and added a second safety cut out that would disable the whole dryer by cutting power to the motor. The improved heater has a round grate in the rear wall of the dryer where the heat enters. GM made 240 volt and 120 volt models and special order 208 volt machines for buildings with 208V power wisely they didn't try to do a gas dryer in the limited space of this machine. I have an original green 208v machine @ our warehouse which has 208v power. Its a 1969 model too old to even have push to start button on the dryer. I also have a mid 1970s 240v white machine for sale.
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Post# 437321 , Reply# 10   5/25/2010 at 09:06 (5,077 days old) by peteski50 (New York)   |   | |
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Post# 437325 , Reply# 12   5/25/2010 at 09:51 (5,077 days old) by peteski50 (New York)   |   | |
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Post# 437329 , Reply# 13   5/25/2010 at 10:24 (5,077 days old) by alr2903 (TN)   |   | |
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Peteski50, TYVM. alr2903 |
Post# 437338 , Reply# 14   5/25/2010 at 11:13 (5,077 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)   |   | |
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It's so nice to see a vibrant pic of the circle jet spray. How I love that. In reading the text, I was shocked to discover a smaller version of the 1-18, the 1-16. I wonder, do you know, if they used the same agitator OR just took off one of the cones or "rocket stages." Do any members have experience with the 1-16? Very interesting.
The chart tells a lot too. No listing of poundage for the W3 24 and the W3 224. I wonder what was going on inside of them, tub size and agitator. Such variety and all this washer dude ever knew was the 1-18 and the Agitub Stack. Maybe those two low-end models are agitubs without attached dryer. Duh! I read and studied the scan but missed YOUR first sentence. You answered the second Q. but I'd still like to know about the 1-16. (Thanks Select-o-Dial for the instant edit) |
Post# 437348 , Reply# 16   5/25/2010 at 12:11 (5,077 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)   |   | |
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Post# 437400 , Reply# 17   5/25/2010 at 15:47 (5,077 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)   |   | |
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I would love to find one of those stand-alone Agi-Tub washers made by GM one day. My grandmother's best friend bought one to replace her Easy spinner washer and GE TOL dryer and I thought they were just awesome. Too cute for words and the sounds that washer made were incredible. I was never allowed to see it running with the lid up so I had no idea what that action was like. For all the noise, I imagined it to be a very aggressive and thorough action and just knew that Consumer Rpts. must be wrong. It just had to wash well! I found a Skinny-Mini back in '05 and had it for a month, keeping it for the convention we had here for AW. That was enough for me, it was OK if not overloaded but one washcloth or sock too many and all movement would stop completely in that tub.
Disadvantages aside, I still want a stand-alone washer just for the nostalgia. |
Post# 437422 , Reply# 18   5/25/2010 at 16:55 (5,077 days old) by Kenmoreguy64 (Charlotte, NC)   |   | |
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Post# 437525 , Reply# 21   5/26/2010 at 01:41 (5,076 days old) by pdub (Portland, Oregon)   |   | |
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My first Frigidaire washer was a '16'. Model WCDA3T. It had the same sized tub as a 1-18, same agitator too, but no water level control. I took the back off the control panel and ajusted the water level sensor to fill as high as a 1-18 would. I still have the use and care guide for it but sadly the washer is long gone.
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Post# 437534 , Reply# 22   5/26/2010 at 07:18 (5,076 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)   |   | |
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Post# 437577 , Reply# 23   5/26/2010 at 11:27 (5,076 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)   |   | |
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Same machine, goofed up for multiple-model hooplah. Amazing!
Thanks for the insight. I couldn't figure out the why and the how of a 1-16. Glad you reconfigured their foolishness and remade a 1-18 out of one in disguise. Nice. How'bout that little hottie in your scan ;-D oo-oo-oo, the legs and the hair! |
Post# 437587 , Reply# 24   5/26/2010 at 11:43 (5,076 days old) by whirlcool (Just North Of Houston, Texas)   |   | |
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Thanks for puting in that scan of the Frigidaire washers. It was quite interesting to read. Does anyone here have an actual photo of a skinny mini that they could share? |
Post# 437748 , Reply# 25   5/27/2010 at 00:22 (5,075 days old) by pdub (Portland, Oregon)   |   | |
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Post# 437749 , Reply# 26   5/27/2010 at 00:22 (5,075 days old) by pdub (Portland, Oregon)   |   | |
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