Thread Number: 31588
What we have in South Africa
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Post# 476549   11/21/2010 at 00:54 (4,905 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        

Hi guys!
just thought i'll share some of south africas best. feel free to comment and share your pics. if there are any other south africans, plz definatly post pics of what you have.
Here we have a Defy automaid washing machine. Defy is a south african brand and has been around for literally over 100 years! their mach8ines are the best in reliability and simplicity! every south african has at some stage had some form of a defy!





Post# 476550 , Reply# 1   11/21/2010 at 00:56 (4,905 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        

All Defy front loaders have a spin speed of 550 rpm. all the older model;s have the exact same programmes but have facelifts

Post# 476551 , Reply# 2   11/21/2010 at 00:59 (4,905 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        

here we have the next in line auto maid washing machine< with the matching auto dry for the first pic i posted

Post# 476554 , Reply# 3   11/21/2010 at 01:04 (4,905 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        

and now, my personal favourite
p.s. we have had the first pic i posted, the matching dryer and now this one.]
unfortunatly never had the mtching dryer to this but will find a pic


Post# 476555 , Reply# 4   11/21/2010 at 01:07 (4,905 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        

this one was part of the range to have adjustable tempreture controls

Post# 476556 , Reply# 5   11/21/2010 at 01:11 (4,905 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        

the Defy Deluxe washing machines had adjustable temp controls and a faster spin

Post# 476557 , Reply# 6   11/21/2010 at 01:16 (4,905 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        

matching dryer to personal fvourite
last pic of the day. will post more soon


Post# 476559 , Reply# 7   11/21/2010 at 01:29 (4,905 days old) by rapunzel (Sydney)        
They look very European

I had a quick look at the Defy website - are you sure that these products are made in SA? They look like fairly dated generic designs. Did Defy ever make any automatic top loaders?

Post# 476562 , Reply# 8   11/21/2010 at 02:55 (4,904 days old) by dj-gabriele ()        

Defy machines look really Merloni-esque either Electrolux-esque from the mid-90s!

Especially the way the timer is arranged! Exactly the same as one of the many incarnations of the 4 paddle all steel drum Merloni machines that I had in three different places.


Post# 476566 , Reply# 9   11/21/2010 at 04:40 (4,904 days old) by Docker (Cape Town, South Africa)        
Defy Automaid

Mathew
All Defy Automaids, from the woodgrain to the black and the white fascias were rebadged San Giorgio machines, made in Italy. The latest Automaids look like Beko machines and the dishwashers are rebadged LGs'


Post# 476570 , Reply# 10   11/21/2010 at 05:17 (4,904 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        

@ repunzel- these are genuine. will post pics of the latest models later. they do make auto top loaders. but with pulsators not agitators. many many years ago they made a heavy duty with a agitator. they made 7.2 kg, 9.2 kg and 13 kg top loaders. only the 13 kg is still in production. (excellent machine. my aunt has 1 that i used a few times. i bought 1 but waiting for it to come back from repairs)
@ dj gabrielle- there are NO 4 paddle drum defy auto maids!
they also make twin tubs, dishwashers and tumble dryers. the twin tubs and dryers are the most reliable machines ever made. the older 5 kg automaids also very reliable. the new 5 kg not very good< but the 7.2 and 8.5 kg are very very nice


Post# 476571 , Reply# 11   11/21/2010 at 05:20 (4,904 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        

new auto maid 5 kg. 600 rpm spin amd adjustable temp. when i saw it in the shops, i thought the drum looks smaller than the older 1's. also available in white with metallic inserts

Post# 476573 , Reply# 12   11/21/2010 at 05:22 (4,904 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        

new 7.2 kg. very nice machine. good features and adjustable 1200 rpm spin

Post# 476574 , Reply# 13   11/21/2010 at 05:23 (4,904 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        

the latest from defy
the maxi maid 850 8.5 kg front loader (7.2 kg os maxi maid 720) with adjustable 1200 rpm spin


Post# 476576 , Reply# 14   11/21/2010 at 05:32 (4,904 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        

metallic 13 kg top loader

Post# 476577 , Reply# 15   11/21/2010 at 05:34 (4,904 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        

white 13 kg. prefer this to the mettalic. this machine is what my aunt has and its a beast. can wash a king size blanket in 1 load and about 4 big curtains in 1 load. takes a while to fill it with clothes though

Post# 476578 , Reply# 16   11/21/2010 at 05:40 (4,904 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
Without...

ronhic's profile picture
....trying to rain on your parade, because it is always wonderful to hear and see what other country's have, I'll eat a hair sandwich if those last few machines aren't made by Beko in Turkey....

Post# 476579 , Reply# 17   11/21/2010 at 05:45 (4,904 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        

defy 8 kg twin tub.
will try find goodd pics of the 7.2 and 9.2 kg top loaders


Post# 476580 , Reply# 18   11/21/2010 at 05:46 (4,904 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        

@ ronhic- so sorry to disappoint, but ALL defy machines proudly made in South Africa

Post# 476582 , Reply# 19   11/21/2010 at 05:47 (4,904 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        

10 kg twin tub

Post# 476583 , Reply# 20   11/21/2010 at 05:49 (4,904 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        

13 kg twin tub

Post# 476584 , Reply# 21   11/21/2010 at 05:52 (4,904 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        

very very early auto maid

Post# 476585 , Reply# 22   11/21/2010 at 05:55 (4,904 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        

we have push button doors! this model is now old, but still newish

Post# 476586 , Reply# 23   11/21/2010 at 05:56 (4,904 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        

now, lets see what is "native" to your country...

Post# 476588 , Reply# 24   11/21/2010 at 06:52 (4,904 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands)        

foraloysius's profile picture
Thank you for sharing, but that toploader is just an LG.

Paging Louis...


Post# 476631 , Reply# 25   11/21/2010 at 11:02 (4,904 days old) by hoover1100 (U.K.)        
Very interesting machines!

I do have to reiterate the points made by others though, the older front loaders definately appear to be Sangiorgio (which used the same internal parts as UK Hotpoints, I believe) and the newer ones are definately arcelik (Beko) rebadged. The top loaders do look an awful lot like LG machines.

Love the styling of the older front loaders though! Very interesting to see what's on offer in other countries. :)

Matt


Post# 476660 , Reply# 26   11/21/2010 at 14:33 (4,904 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
now, lets see what is "native" to your country...

ronhic's profile picture
Well that's easy these days....

Just like Defy is a South African brand, Simpson is here. Shame of it is though, Simpson is now owned by Electrolux and the vast majority of our appliance manufacturing is done off-shore with the exception of ovens and refrigeration....

...and I would suggest that Defy is in a similar boat - a old South African brand with a long tradition that has been forced to source many/all their products off-shore in order to remain viable...


Post# 476663 , Reply# 27   11/21/2010 at 15:20 (4,904 days old) by AquaCycle (West Yorkshire, UK)        
we have push button doors! this model is now old, but still

aquacycle's profile picture
the machine shown in that picture is quite obviously a re-badged Beko.

Post# 476901 , Reply# 28   11/22/2010 at 10:32 (4,903 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        
toploaders just an LG

these Defy 13 kg top loaders cant be compared to LG 13 kg toploaders. the Defy is WAY more reliable and can handle slightly bigger loads. the styling is also nowhere near LG as well as the programmes. these are the 2 LG top loaders available in south africa. this is the newest. this machine is to die for. not just styling wise

Post# 476902 , Reply# 29   11/22/2010 at 10:34 (4,903 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        

and here is the older 1 with less features than the newer 1 and the defy

Post# 476905 , Reply# 30   11/22/2010 at 10:41 (4,903 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        

and wont somebody please post pics of these machines that the defy's are being compared to...and by th way, i feel you are th only people i can share this good news with...
tommorrow i am getting a speed queen 3000 tumble dryer. to resell with a slightly newer washer of course as that is what i do...but still, my first SPEED QUEEN tumble dryer!!! (used to have a washer but when we moved there was no space and it bounced all over the laundry to all of a sudden). will post pics when i can :)
and if anyone is wondering, we have a Samsung 13 kg top loader, an LG 8.2 kg top loader and a Whirlpool heavy duty tumble dryer that we use. love all of them and they all between 1 and 3 years old. and we have a 1.5 year old LG dishwasher...we used to have my personal favourite defy auto maid but it got too small so it got sold.
what do you guys use? post pics


Post# 476911 , Reply# 31   11/22/2010 at 11:14 (4,903 days old) by Docker (Cape Town, South Africa)        
A couple of pics:

Firstly the Samsung WA80U3, which replaced the Defy Automaid in Feb last year and the 21 year old KIC tumbledryer (rebadged Defy Autodry, Creda)

Post# 476915 , Reply# 32   11/22/2010 at 11:22 (4,903 days old) by Docker (Cape Town, South Africa)        
Dishwasher

My Bosch dishwasher, which replaced the the 21 year old Indesit 2116

Post# 476929 , Reply# 33   11/22/2010 at 12:36 (4,903 days old) by bewitched (Italy)        

The very very old machine (the one under the counter) is a Sangiorgio made in Italy...

Post# 476943 , Reply# 34   11/22/2010 at 13:51 (4,903 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands)        

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



Post# 476951 , Reply# 35   11/22/2010 at 14:18 (4,903 days old) by hoover1100 (U.K.)        
and wont somebody please post pics of these machines that th

A Turkish made Arcelik (Beko)

Post# 476954 , Reply# 36   11/22/2010 at 14:29 (4,903 days old) by hoover1100 (U.K.)        
Older Italian made Sangiorgio

...

Post# 477012 , Reply# 37   11/22/2010 at 19:29 (4,903 days old) by mattywashboy (Perth, Western Australia)        
Intersting

mattywashboy's profile picture
That 21 year old KIC dryer is actually the same as the older Simpson dryers we had here in Australia...

We even had that same colourings but I can't find a picture, this is the closest i can find to the same dryer...

Matt


Post# 477019 , Reply# 38   11/22/2010 at 20:29 (4,903 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
I'm pleased

ronhic's profile picture
...that you noticed that Matty - I did too, but thought I must be nuts....

Now, knowing that Simpson dryers were made here, makes me think that dryer must have been exported from Oz or, at the very least, made under license...


Post# 477046 , Reply# 39   11/22/2010 at 23:15 (4,903 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        
Arcelic

@ hoover1100- that machine does scarily enough look almost exactly like a maxi maid 850. what is the capacity on that machine?


Post# 477047 , Reply# 40   11/22/2010 at 23:23 (4,903 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        
a couple of pics

Docker
are you proud of that little samsung 8 kg you got there?
personally i find them a waste of time. I have the new samsung 13 kg (WA13V9) and its FANTASTIC!!!. my LG 8.2 kg(WF 8011 TP) is alot better than the samsung. bigger and better looking. and by the way, you could have kept the auto maid because what you get into the sansung is about the same amount of stuff you could grt into an auto maid. (my aunt had the same samsung as you when before we sold our auto maid and what she got into hers was th same as we got into our auto maid. and our auto maid could wash double comforters, the samsung cant)


Post# 477056 , Reply# 41   11/23/2010 at 01:38 (4,902 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        
my kitchen

here is our 13 kg samsung (14 months old) and LG dishwasher (14 months old)

Post# 477057 , Reply# 42   11/23/2010 at 01:40 (4,902 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        
my kitchen

our 2 year old whirlpool heavy duty dryer (the cats get fed on it)

Post# 477116 , Reply# 43   11/23/2010 at 13:18 (4,902 days old) by joe_in_philly (Philadelphia, PA, USA)        

joe_in_philly's profile picture
It looks like Defy doesn't manufacture washing machines in South Africa. The list of factories does not specify that any manufacture washing machines.

It does say:
"Defy also markets cookerhoods, dishwashers, washing machines, microwave ovens and gas stoves."

Also on the page, to owners outside of South Africa:
"In case of front load autowashers, the original design was a European origin and items such as motors, fan belts, thermostats and timers may have compatibility with other products in your country."


CLICK HERE TO GO TO joe_in_philly's LINK


Post# 477188 , Reply# 44   11/24/2010 at 00:52 (4,902 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        
joe_in_philly

that web page also says the following, "Defy appliances (pty) ltd is Southern Africas largest manufacturer and distributor of major appliances"

Post# 477201 , Reply# 45   11/24/2010 at 06:17 (4,901 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK)        
Defy

chestermikeuk's profile picture
I used a Defy like the first one in SA Jo-burg a few years ago at a friends house...reminded me of the old Electra / Zanussi / Sangiorgio...simple enough, good machine..500pm spin!!! took a pic somewhere will try & dig it out!!


Those Simpson dryers made it here in the 80`s through the Independants...I always remember reading if wall mounted you could turn the dryer "Upside down" and switch over the fascia so it was right way up....it was a hoot with the sales staff as we all thought it was a joke at first when we saw the sales blurb.....


Post# 477219 , Reply# 46   11/24/2010 at 10:34 (4,901 days old) by joe_in_philly (Philadelphia, PA, USA)        

joe_in_philly's profile picture
Mathewza:

Yes, exactly.


Post# 477276 , Reply# 47   11/24/2010 at 14:07 (4,901 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands)        

foraloysius's profile picture
If Defy is the largest manufacturer and distributor of major appliances in Southern Africa, it doesn't mean that they make all their appliances themselves. It's all a matter of reading, just as in the threads about commercials in the pink forum.

Perhaps they make a few models and just distribute the other ones.

I also was wondering if perhaps they import parts and assemble them to complete machines in South Africa.


Post# 477278 , Reply# 48   11/24/2010 at 14:11 (4,901 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands)        
Matthew

foraloysius's profile picture
I rotated your pictures for you. Here's the one with the washer and the dishwasher.

Post# 477279 , Reply# 49   11/24/2010 at 14:12 (4,901 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands)        

foraloysius's profile picture
And this is your dryer now in the right position.

Post# 477339 , Reply# 50   11/24/2010 at 19:32 (4,901 days old) by favorit ()        

as many have already stated it is not a mystery that vintage Defy FL were outsourced from Sangiorgio works in La Spezia :)

The same machines were sold in Malta badged as GALA

Mattew, you'd worth to make a tour inside here:)


Post# 477432 , Reply# 51   11/25/2010 at 05:13 (4,900 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        
my kitchen

thankx you foraloysius! :)

Post# 477455 , Reply# 52   11/25/2010 at 11:18 (4,900 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        
speed queen dryer

anyone good with speed queen tumble dryers? tha one i recently bought is giving cycle trouble. if i put it on automayic regular or automatic delicate, it works but the timer doesnt move. but if i put it om time dry or permanent press (which is also a time cycle) then it does move. i'm going to send it in for a service but i wondered if any of you might know what the problem could be. its a speed queen 3000 tumble dryer AEM453W-4562

Post# 478321 , Reply# 53   11/29/2010 at 12:43 (4,896 days old) by electron1100 (England)        
UK But South African

electron1100's profile picture
Here is a 30 year old appliance that you would have had in south Afrika by Hoover

Post# 478322 , Reply# 54   11/29/2010 at 12:44 (4,896 days old) by electron1100 (England)        
The Ratings Plate

electron1100's profile picture
Unusual to find over here in the UK it has travelled a bit ;-)

Post# 478324 , Reply# 55   11/29/2010 at 12:47 (4,896 days old) by electron1100 (England)        
Weights

electron1100's profile picture
one other unusual point is that over here the UK model is rated at 4.5KG where as the South Afrikan model is 5KG

Post# 478371 , Reply# 56   11/29/2010 at 17:11 (4,896 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
Not so unusual Gary.....

ronhic's profile picture
....just about every washing machine that comes out of Europe is rated at a higher capacity here than the equiv. model is there....

We're not talking stupidly different amounts - say 1/2kg, and I think it is more to do with what mix of items they use to work out capacity than anything else...


Post# 478489 , Reply# 57   11/30/2010 at 11:21 (4,895 days old) by electron1100 (England)        
Not so unusual Gary.....

electron1100's profile picture
Hello Chris hmm so maybe we err on the conservative side of things..........

i see a bakers dozen is the same down under as here ;-)


Post# 478530 , Reply# 58   11/30/2010 at 14:37 (4,895 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
LOL...

ronhic's profile picture
...good point

Post# 478868 , Reply# 59   12/2/2010 at 00:38 (4,894 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        
UK but south african

my neighbour has the matching washing machine for that tumble dryer!

Post# 478873 , Reply# 60   12/2/2010 at 01:18 (4,894 days old) by paulinroyton (B)        
Very Very Ealy Auto Maid

The photo of the Very Very Early Auto Maid looks like a Carlton Electronic my Mum had back in the 1980,s.

The spin contol was a slide spin control from 300rpm - 800, if I remember right. It also had a temperature dial to.

Cheers for all the photos.

Paul


Post# 479094 , Reply# 61   12/3/2010 at 00:01 (4,893 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        
very very early auto maid

those early auto maids had a standard spin of 550 rpm, no adjustments no ,atter what cycle you put it on. and no tempreture dial. tempreture depended on the cycle you selected. most older auto maids had this standard spin and no temp dial. the models that are between up to 10 years old started getting temp dials

Post# 479218 , Reply# 62   12/3/2010 at 14:29 (4,892 days old) by electron1100 (England)        
UK but south african

electron1100's profile picture
UK but UK
Hello Mathew you mean this matching model


Post# 479279 , Reply# 63   12/4/2010 at 00:53 (4,892 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        
UK but South African

yes! thats the one.
and i saw an ad for the tumble dryer the other on one of the classified websites i visit. i was so shocked i nearly fell over, hahaha :)


Post# 479311 , Reply# 64   12/4/2010 at 10:34 (4,891 days old) by PassatDoc (Orange County, California)        
question for Matthewza

Can you enlighten us about water conservation in SA? I would imagine conditions vary across the country, but in general, do South Africans have to conserve water at home, as in Australia and parts of USA? Or is water so abundant vs. the population that people aren't encouraged to conserve.

To give you an idea of the situation in California: There is a LOT of water in the state, but mostly in the north and mountainous east, while the population centers are west and south. We have a huge aqueduct and dam system to store the water and bring it from the mountains to the cities. The limiting factors have been:

1. Diminished snowfall in recent years, probably due to global warming. The system was built to capture water runoff from gradually melting snowpacks. When precipitation falls as rain, the runoff is too fast for all of it to be captured.

2. Increasing population. We are reaching a point where the system can't provide adequate water even in "good" snowfall years.

We have incentives to reduce our landscaping water. Local governments try to encourage residents to use low water use plants. In addition, our water rates are on a tiered system: those who use more pay more per unit of water than those who use less (our city has three or four tiers, with the lowest rates for low users). When we buy appliances, there are often rebates from the local government water agency of $100-150, if you buy a particularly low water use model.

As far as I know, the sales of FLs has now exceeded the sales of TLs in the USA, but of all machines still in use, top loaders are still the majority, and these are mainly traditional center post agitators, not horizontal axis. The USA did have decent FLs after WW2 (Bendix, Westinghouse), but TLs quickly took over because of higher capacity, equal or better spin speed (Frigidaire TLs had >1000 RPM "Rapidry" spin in the 1950s), and an overall impression that FLs were prone to leaks or other accidents (probably not true). Meanwhile, in Europe, FL technology was rapidly evolving, so that when FLs were reintroduced into the US market on a large scale in the late 1990s (Maytag Nautilus), US technology was decades behind Europe's.


Post# 479495 , Reply# 65   12/5/2010 at 00:29 (4,891 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        
a question for matthewza

passatdoc
we are always encouraged. south africans are fond of front loaders, top loaders and twin tubs. the south african market has very good quality and good looking front loaders. and we have them in huge capacities. we have the LG 9 kg under counter. the LG 11 kg under counter and the whirlpool dreamspace 10 kg (not under counter) south africands are leaning towards front loaders because of benefits and style. we want big capacities in small spaces. and the only agitator top loaders we have is the speed queen and whirlpool. all the rest have pulsators and features to use less water. HATLs are not common. the only manufacturer with 1 in SA is AEG but its VERY expensive and VERY small capacity. the price of that is equivalnt to a speed queen top loader and LG 15 kg digital top loader and whirlpool dreamspace, so i dont think they sell too well here. but yes, we are encouraged and front loaders hve been here forever as well as top loaders and twin tubs. i am personaly not too fond of twin tubs but the new LG 14 kg is quite nice


Post# 479676 , Reply# 66   12/5/2010 at 19:02 (4,890 days old) by kic ()        
defy not made in sa

Kelvinator's and Hoover's were made in SA. Defy Twin Tub's are some of the poorest examples of a Twin Tub I've ever come across. Nothing special there... and since I have used/owned countless of them I will say that our best (twin tub) has to be Hitachi and you can say what you like, but facts are facts and nothing beats a twin tub in the form of Hitachi! If I were to buy a brand new twin tub it would be LG.

Post# 479692 , Reply# 67   12/5/2010 at 19:48 (4,890 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
I'm interested...

ronhic's profile picture
...to know how on earth the capacity ratings are arrived at?

Post# 479773 , Reply# 68   12/6/2010 at 01:52 (4,889 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        
defy not made in sa

Mr. kic
defy twin tubs are the best. they may not have the feautures and style the others have, but they do what they are made for and do it very well. they are basic, easy to use and very reliable. i used a rental defy twin tub when my machine was in for repairs and it went like a boeing! (even though it was over 10 years old at the time).
but everyone is entitled to their opinions. i personally prefer hitachi top loaders to the twin tubs.
but i must say, thank you very much for commrnting on my post! i was actually waiting for you to comment (i've read other stuff you commented on and loved it). i think you are the only person here who could agree with me about the wonderful machines we have in sa.
please post some pics of te machines you have. will be appreciated! :)


Post# 479774 , Reply# 69   12/6/2010 at 01:53 (4,889 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        
i'm interested

ronhic
plz explain what exactly you mean...


Post# 479836 , Reply# 70   12/6/2010 at 10:33 (4,889 days old) by paulc (Edinburgh, Scotland)        
I am interested too.......

paulc's profile picture
a 14kg capacity twintub?

Post# 479864 , Reply# 71   12/6/2010 at 12:09 (4,889 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        

yes! a very big and very stylish 14 kg twin tub!!!
we dont expect the british to understand due to your space issues


Post# 479870 , Reply# 72   12/6/2010 at 12:18 (4,889 days old) by 3beltwesty ()        
My view on the USA's palty usage of home FL washers befo

Here in the USA, Westinghouse marketed the FL washer in the early 1940's. This advert from 1944 mentions it is a post war dream product already come true that has two years of war time service. A revolutionary appliance. Thus FL Westinghouse washers go back to at least 1942. I believe the 1944 advert is a teaser advert, since WW2 halted the production of many consumer items. When I was a kid a neighbor had one of these from about 1941/42.

My dad bought one in 1947, and another in 1976. Some families like mine in the USA have used FL washers for over 1/2 century, and that is the only type we have ever owned. The 1976 Westinghouse was marketed to save water, reduce ones usage of soap and hot water too, plus less wear on clothes.

The drawback of the older USA FL home washers were there NOT giant. ie the basket on the 1976 Westinghouse is about roughly 2.5 ?? cubic feet as a wild guess. Thus for marketing; before the mid 1990's US FL washers were considered dinky. These older machines had a niche market with stackable sets in condos, apartments etc.

A major reason FL washers did not sell well in the USA is they were smaller in capacity and often cost 50 percent more. It was not a problem here with a family of six. In many places water usage was not a concern too. My current house in 1971 did not even have a water meter, it was not until 8 years later where a meter was added.

The USA's new generation of mid 1990's washers had bugs, mold, stink, wax motor issues, boots that collected water. ie stuff that the 1942 model did not have.

Thus here as a long time FL USA owner, my take is that few bought FL washers before 1995 because they were smaller in capacity and cost more. Plus the marketing blurb of the 1976 machine being a "New Generation" that saved water did not matter to most folks all all.


Post# 479886 , Reply# 73   12/6/2010 at 13:30 (4,889 days old) by paulc (Edinburgh, Scotland)        
mattweza

paulc's profile picture
Does a 14kg twintub mean 14kg wash capacity? Or is it 7kg wash and 7kg spin? 14kg wash capacity is huge for a twintub.....and I don't just mean from a british "space" point of view.

What is the capacity of the spinners on those machines, can your rinse and spin the whole wash load at one time?


Post# 479891 , Reply# 74   12/6/2010 at 14:09 (4,889 days old) by electron1100 (England)        
LG 15KG Washer

electron1100's profile picture
I found this machine on the SA LG website, but as to "space issues" i see none with it

CLICK HERE TO GO TO electron1100's LINK


Post# 479895 , Reply# 75   12/6/2010 at 14:48 (4,889 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
plz explain what exactly you mean

ronhic's profile picture
What I mean is how can an appliance rated at one rating in one country have such a vastly different rating in another?

For example, the machine in the link is the same dimensions as the 13kg one in post 476577 (just a newer model), yet is rated at 8.5kg on our market...

I'd challenge anyone to actually get 13kg into one of these machines let alone have it move the clothes...



CLICK HERE TO GO TO ronhic's LINK


Post# 479949 , Reply# 76   12/6/2010 at 20:19 (4,889 days old) by PassatDoc (Orange County, California)        
@3beltwesty

My father recalls seeing a front loading automatic at the NY World's Fair in 1939-40 (he attended both years) on display at the Westinghouse pavilion. The 20,000 homes referred to in the ad probably refer to models sold in 1941 and early 1942, before civilian goods production was shut down for the war effort.

I remember seeing slant-front Westies in some people's homes as a young child. People seemed to like TLs because of larger capacity and less stooping. Thanks for the enlightenment as to their being sold into the 1970s, I had no idea.


Post# 479951 , Reply# 77   12/6/2010 at 20:21 (4,889 days old) by PassatDoc (Orange County, California)        
ps

Looking closely at the photo, it appears they are packing a steamer trunk, probably for the young lady going off to college.

Post# 480008 , Reply# 78   12/7/2010 at 03:46 (4,888 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        
matthewza

@paulc yes it means 14 kg wash capacity. and the soinner is quite big too (spinners always look small but due to clothes taking up less space when wt, they work). and therer is the option of spray spin rinsing yur clothes, but i prefer to do it the long way- wash, drain wash water, spin, fill with clean rinse water, rinse, spin again, hang up or tumbe dryer. but spin spray works just as good. but i NEVER recyccle wash water! disgusting!

Post# 480009 , Reply# 79   12/7/2010 at 03:51 (4,888 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        
LG 15kg washer

yes! they are amazing machines! the matching dryer is also wow. they actually popular here because people have the space, some even in their kitchens. i'm thinking of startin a luandromat and might buy those machines because i dont like agitators for big comforters, or might just buy the dryers and the 11 kg front loader

Post# 480056 , Reply# 80   12/7/2010 at 08:49 (4,888 days old) by 3beltwesty ()        
ratings in different countries

One has legal reasons probably why the same design has different ratings.

If an Appliance such as a Vacuum, washer, audio amp, circular saw, chain saw has large numbers in the advertising, the lay public likes bigger numbers. If brand A and Brand B in SA compete and use *different* standards/ratings, brand B might look worse when it is actually better. Thus marketing chaps are going to use the more liberal rating; if that country allows it.

In the USA most home washers are marketed by cubic feet, Lbs or Kg of laundry is really about never ever mentioned. The Westinghouse 3 belt westy here from 1976 mentions a 9 Lb load in "an operational test" in a repair manual I saw; this is 4Kg. To adjust the springs that hold up the tub, one uses a 1 Lb load so the machine has enough jiggle to overcome the friction of the 4 dampers/8 shoes.

As far as mass a FL washer could handle, it really matters more how well the machine can handle an imbalanced load in the spin cycle,and not go nuts and walk across the floor.

Most FL washers have big bearings, the failure mode is about always the seal leaks and the bearings rusts.





Post# 480062 , Reply# 81   12/7/2010 at 09:25 (4,888 days old) by 3beltwesty ()        
westinghouse in the usa

Passatdoc;

Westinghouse sold the old type FL washers from the maybe early 1940's to maybe mid 1990's. There really were no years accept during WW2 that they were not made.

If I take say 1995 as a guess as the cut off and 1941 the start as a guess; that makes about 1/2 + century of FL washer production. The 3 belt potato pulley design went from the mid/late 1950's to roughly about 1988.

Later they the used a variable speed motor and 1 belt, and dropped the slinky clutch spring and oval potato pulley. These machines were still in stores being sold new until about the mid 1990's, I think production stopped about 1994 to 96 but not fully sure.

These many Westinghouse machines were sold under the Gibson, Sears, J C Penney, Frigidaire, Tappan brands. The FLS14B1D5 was sold as a Laundromat Commercial Front Loading Tumber machine see the link. This was often the token smallest tumber machine at some commercial laundromats.


Many internet articles read like the USA first got FL homes washers in the mid 1990's , the authors thus ignore 1/2 century worth of history. It is like saying Microsoft started with XP and ignoring older windows, DOS or BBS usage too.

Most folks in the USA never used a FL washer at home until the last decade, there might be one oddball in the neighborhood that had one.







**** To All;

In South Africa did FL washers just really get popular in the last decade, like the USA?;


or were they used not much before this?


CLICK HERE TO GO TO 3beltwesty's LINK


Post# 480068 , Reply# 82   12/7/2010 at 10:15 (4,888 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        
front loaders in South Africa..

front loaders have been very popular for many years here. at 1 stage they were more popular than top loaders, but then the digital and cleevr top loaders from LG and Samsung came out so everybody and their mother in law got an LG or Samsung top loader (after many decades of having a frony loader). but now front loaders are becomin more advanced than top loaders so they becomin more popular again
but in a nut shell, south africans have used front loaders for many decades. not just the last. we have used front loaders for about as long as the british!


Post# 480139 , Reply# 83   12/7/2010 at 14:49 (4,888 days old) by 3beltwesty ()        
SA washer marketing

Matthewza,

Are FL and TL washers marketed there in SA any at all by volume?

Here in the USA that seems to be the sole metric used in all washer marketing.

There really is no mention of load size of clothes by weight or mass in home use washers.

Thus advertising is by cubic feet. One might see FL washers at a store with 3.6,4, 4.2 , 4.5, 5.5 cubic feet as one pays more.


Post# 480183 , Reply# 84   12/7/2010 at 19:18 (4,888 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
Washing capacity by volume....

ronhic's profile picture
....rather than by weight (..and this is cotton cycle too BTW) appears to be a uniquely American way of doing things.

From what other posters have said in the past it came about because of increasing capacity statements by manufacturers that couldn't be backed up. Cubic capacity, on the other hand, is potentially more reliable....

From an Australian perspective, several manufacturers have been taken to task by Choice, our consumer magazine, for claiming impossible capacities on machines. This is especially true of top-load machines. Either Whirlpool or Maytag were the worst offenders. In one instance that I can recall seeing in the magazine, the machine in question when loaded to the stated capacity was so full the lid was at 45degrees with clothes overflowing out.....



Post# 480250 , Reply# 85   12/8/2010 at 03:31 (4,887 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        
SA washer marketing

they are always all marketed by their KG capacity. its easier and more understandable than cubic feet. and its always been KG so changing now would probably upset consumers

Post# 480265 , Reply# 86   12/8/2010 at 05:54 (4,887 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
That's interesting then....

ronhic's profile picture
....because with the possible exception of the front load machines, it is impossible for the top loaders to actually wash with that much in them...

Try it. Weigh yourself and a clothes basket and then add sufficent clothes/towels/sheets to take it up an additional 13kg....given that an average washing basket completely full ('rounded with clothes', not 'level') will weigh somewhere between 5-6kg, I cannot see how at LEAST 2 or more will fit and actually wash...

Interestingly, this seems to only be the case with top load machines. Front load machines sold in South Africa appear to be inline (capacity wise) with Europe/Australia...


Post# 480269 , Reply# 87   12/8/2010 at 06:26 (4,887 days old) by hoover1100 (U.K.)        
Capacity

Don't get me started!

I love how the 11kg LG has a 78litre (7-8kg) drum.

I saw a video on youtube from Australia (can't remember it for the link) Which proved that a 6kg Miele could fit 2 more bath sheets in it than a 7kg Fisher and Paykel top loader.

For a twin tub to wash 14kg (let alone spin it), it would have to be HUGE (think industrial size), same for a top loading automatic to wash 13kg.

The worst offenders for false capacities are dryers, My mum's "7kg" Zanussi dryer can just about handle a full load (4.5kg as I weighed myself) from her "5.5kg" Whirlpool. Now LG reckon they can produce a 9kg dryer in a standard size cabinet? Yeah right!

It would be so much more sensible to measure capacity by drum volume, but then the manufacturers wouldn't be able to make such ridiculous claims, which consumers believe.

Rant over....

Matt


Post# 480270 , Reply# 88   12/8/2010 at 06:32 (4,887 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
They have...

ronhic's profile picture
...introduced minimum performance standards here on washing machines...they must be able to wash and especially rinse the load when at stated capacity....

Mind, the bar is pretty low, but Haier were taken to task about water consumption in two separate cases...one was too low and the machines failed the rinse test and another was stating the water consumption was low and it used far far more...

Personally, I think anything greater than 7kg in a standard cabinet is starting to ask for trouble....


Post# 480347 , Reply# 89   12/8/2010 at 13:22 (4,887 days old) by 3beltwesty ()        
USA's government mumbo jumbo tests for washers

USA's government mumbo jumbo tests for washers is about 40 percent down on this long webpage

CLICK HERE TO GO TO 3beltwesty's LINK


Post# 480374 , Reply# 90   12/8/2010 at 15:04 (4,887 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
Ok then....

ronhic's profile picture
....I find this kind of facinating and it may go some way to explaining why American machines don't do well here in comparison tests (noting that they are tested at STATED capacity)

If I am reading the above correctly, and lets choose 3.00 cu ft, that gives a drum volume of 85 litres and a tested capacity of 12.9 lb or 5.85 kg...

WOW! A machine with a drum that size would be sold here with a capacity of around 22 lb/10 kg and when tested by Choice would be expected to wash at that stated capacity....

My Zanussi/Westinghouse is rated at 6.5kg on our market (and 6kg in Europe) and has a drum volume of about 1.9 cu ft (55 litres)....yet washes/rinses well with the drum full (that is, right to the top and moving when trying to put something else in!)

This goes quite a way to explaining why I've always thought American machines were underloaded when I see them in use....quite simply, they can't wash the amount I would expect them to hold....


Post# 480488 , Reply# 91   12/9/2010 at 05:13 (4,886 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        
capacity

well those 14kg LG twin tubs are huge. and my 13 kg top load auto is also quite big.
and here we also have that LG 9 kg standard size washing machine and tuble dryer set. they look capable hey. quite big. but now they have just introduced the 11 kg LG under counter standard size to us...I WANT 1!!! are they popular in the UK?


Post# 480524 , Reply# 92   12/9/2010 at 09:22 (4,886 days old) by jlbrazil (brazil)        

Here is the link of the video :)






Post# 480527 , Reply# 93   12/9/2010 at 09:35 (4,886 days old) by 3beltwesty ()        
Lbs usage in the USA is mostly for commercial machines

Here in the USA about the only time one hears a reference to pounds/Lbs of laundry is in the commercial laundry industry and their commercial machines.

It is mentioned in home machines sometimes as a test load, or in the boil-plate of government specs like my link farther up the thread. It really is not used at all for the average home user.

In researching buying a new FL washer recently, I looked at all the brands available locally and downloaded spec sheets and sometimes even repair manuals. Salesfolks who hawk these machines might as well use made up SciFi terms like Centons than use Lbs or Kgs to hawk washers.





Even in a General Electric spec sheet for Commercial washers and dryers for laundromats, the sole metric is mostly cubic feet.

On page 11 of the PDF in the link; the FL unit in the lower left says:

Capacity (cu ft.) = 16 pound (2.7 -3.1 per IEC)




16 Lbs is 7.26 Kg

In the USA there really is no reference to Lbs or Kg with home washers sold here, the metric is cubic feet. It is the primary metric, the 2nd largest number in the Advert, the 1st being price.


I really cannot remember every hearing or seeing an advert where Lbs is mentioned in the last 50 years in the USA!

It might as well be like as rare as in Australia or SA cars were hawked in capacity in Firkins. ie an old unit for butter, ie 9 imperial gallons. (10.809 US gallons).

Imagine if you washers were magically sized with mass in stones or grains , or volume in Firkins. The masses of home consumers would be confused!




****** Is the USA the only place home washers are hawked by volume for Capacity?


CLICK HERE TO GO TO 3beltwesty's LINK


Post# 480535 , Reply# 94   12/9/2010 at 10:49 (4,886 days old) by dj-gabriele ()        
That table about American machines and capacity...

Very interesting, it left me speechless! As Ronhic said, a full machine is full to the top of the drum here and again, they are supposed to wash well in that "standard" condition, not a "half load"! As the American machines are tested...

Post# 480546 , Reply# 95   12/9/2010 at 12:26 (4,886 days old) by 3beltwesty ()        
Another US commercial unit where Lbs is used the specs.

Here is another USA example where Lbs is used on a USA front loader.

It is on a 2350 dollar commercial Speed Queen unit, model SWFT71 that is the US standard width of 27 inches.

Its Capacity is listed as 2.84 cubic feet 80 Liters ; with an 18 Lb capacity. That is about 8.2 Kg which seems to me like decent.

The 2.84 cu ft size at a home Appliance store would be the smallest unit, thus almost unmarketable.

I wonder if somehow commercial units are rated differently as to volume than home units, since this looks like a big washer.


CLICK HERE TO GO TO 3beltwesty's LINK


Post# 480550 , Reply# 96   12/9/2010 at 12:50 (4,886 days old) by 3beltwesty ()        
Larger commercial units mostly use Lbs as the Capacity

In the brochure below that has way larger commercial washers, they go mostly by Lbs.

The pdf brochure has units from:

20 to 80 Lbs Capacity.

ie

20 Lbs /9.1 Kg with basket volumes of 2.76 cu ft / 78.1 L

75 Lbs / 34 Kg with basket volume of 22.4 cu ft / 634 liters

80 Lbs / 36 Kg with basket volume of 12.4 cu ft / 354 liters

These are what a school, hospital or hotel might have.

Stuff marketed commerically in the USA often has less fluff in the specs, since the buyers are serious and demand actual real data and not cooked data.



CLICK HERE TO GO TO 3beltwesty's LINK


Post# 480555 , Reply# 97   12/9/2010 at 14:27 (4,886 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
Its Capacity is listed as 2.84 cubic feet 80 Liters ; with a

ronhic's profile picture
...as you mention, this is about 8kg and given the drum volumne, is right for the machine....but that will mean a full drum, not a half full one...

Post# 480583 , Reply# 98   12/9/2010 at 18:28 (4,886 days old) by 3beltwesty ()        
Other end of the spectrum, but in TL

The tiny Haier HLP21N top load portable washer says on its box:

Pulsator Portable Washer- Maximizes Wash Load Capacity ( 6.6 Lbs ) { 3.0 Kg }

The manual says 1.0 cubic feet.

The manual gives a table of Recommended Water Levels:

Load Size in Lbs: Water Level: Approx Gallons Used:
3.9 {1.77 Kg} High 7.40
3.44 {1.56 Kg} Med 5.31
less than 3.44 Low 3.17


I converted the numbers to metric in { }

It is interesting to note the default medium setting is about one half the max load claimed on the box of { 3 Kg }

1.5 Kg seems like a better number for such a dinky washer.


CLICK HERE TO GO TO 3beltwesty's LINK


Post# 480599 , Reply# 99   12/9/2010 at 19:07 (4,886 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
You may think it more appropriate....

ronhic's profile picture
....but then this is half the problem - most people NEVER load a machine to capacity....

...and this is where so much of the disconnect between the way Europeans and users of European-style front load machines here and in other parts of the world have never been able to 'get their head around it' compared to the USA and your industrial sized front load machines.

By removing weight as a capacity measure and giving capacity in cu ft, the USA has effectively made their machines incapable of being compared with those made elsewhere. This is evidenced by the conversion chart above and the actual loads used to test these machines and both mine and DJ-Gabriel's comments about machine loading...it also echo's a comment made by an American in a laundrette in London in 1997 when confronted by a front-load machine....

- This lady walked into the laundrette at Russell Square with 2 huge garbage bags of washing to do....she proceeded to load a few items into a machine and went to close the door...
- I stopped her (it was not even up to the glass) and said she could put more in...
- 'Really?' was the response
- Yep, was mine....so she did. By now about 1/4 up the door and she went to shut it again...
- So again I said, 'keep going'
- Her reply ' Are you sure it'll wash?'
- My reply 'Millions of Europeans can't be wrong'
- She filled to about half way up the glass....and then SAT THERE INTENTLY WATCHING IT....

Now, she may have never used a front load machine before, but the 'half full' or 'lightly loaded' mentality seems to be very prevalent in the USA and the use of huge machines with effectively small (given their size) actual usable capacities seems to exaggerate it....


Post# 480606 , Reply# 100   12/9/2010 at 19:19 (4,886 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
Just as a comparison...

ronhic's profile picture
....my 1.9 cu ft - based on drum volume (or 6.5kg stated capacity in Oz) Zanussi/Westinghouse will happily wash:

- 4 Queen sized sheets
- 2 Queen quilt covers
- 8 pillow slips.....

...on its standard 'cotton 40c - warm' cycle

Most Americans would NEVER contemplate putting that load in a machine with such a small stated capacity (or maybe in one with double that)...


Post# 480621 , Reply# 101   12/9/2010 at 20:03 (4,886 days old) by 3beltwesty ()        
Do countries even use the same spec to measure basket volume

Ronhic;

Cool discussion. I wonder if your 1.9 cuft machine if transported ala star trek to the USA would be called a 1.9 model? or higher.

ie are there some monkey business with the specs in Volume too?

Marketers are crafty lot, they get engineers like me questioning their goofy numbers.

I mention this because in small concrete mixers hawked for home usage they quote often the FULL volume of the drum, when in actual usage one can only fill it to is to the lip:

I bought this mixer at a Homier tool "tent sale" for 150 dollars back in 2006. It is called a 5 cubic foot model. In practice it will hold about 2.5 to 3 cubic feet of concrete being mixed.

With a real professional mixer they do not do this monkey business.


CLICK HERE TO GO TO 3beltwesty's LINK


Post# 480654 , Reply# 102   12/9/2010 at 23:53 (4,886 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        

ronhic's profile picture
It would be 1.9 cu ft as the drum volume is 54 litres.

The only difference in stated capacity that I know of for this machine is that in Europe it is rated at 6 kg not 6.5 kg...


Post# 480736 , Reply# 103   12/10/2010 at 09:04 (4,885 days old) by 3beltwesty ()        
Any "weight to save" weighing scales on SA and othe

With the 1976 Westinghouse FL LT570 washer here, the drum's inside diameter is about 21 inches, and the average width is about 11 inches. I say average because it is about 12 at the outer and less at the inner. If I use the 21" dia. and 11" W. numbers to be conservative,

this gives a volume of 3810 cubic inches, 2.2 cubic feet, 62 Liters.

Somewhere eons ago I remember these old machines had a capacity of 9 Lbs, that would be about 4.1 Kg.

****This old machine has the "weigh to save" scale where one places ones clothes on the door and one weighs them, to set the water level.

Now after using Westinghouse FL washers for many decades, I wonder how many Lbs /Kg that trap door scale actually is calibrated for!

Thus this thread has rattled some interest for me to measure it! This was on Westinghouse machines for over 4 decades, our 1947 machine had one too.

In this thread on the link ; Reply# 13 shows the "weight to save" scale to the left of the boot on an even older machine than mine.


*** Do/Did any machines in SA, Europe, Asia, Australia have a gizmo weigh scale like this as a guide for setting the water level?


CLICK HERE TO GO TO 3beltwesty's LINK


Post# 480788 , Reply# 104   12/10/2010 at 15:13 (4,885 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
In a word....

ronhic's profile picture
...no...

Least I'm fairly certain they didn't.

Some new machines let you tell it that it is a smaller load (Haier...multistage water level control not just a 1/2 or quick wash) or have electronic systems to detect (Miele) and will either use less water or tell you to use less detergent....

...or they have a '1/2 load' or 'quick wash' button which will shorten/delete some sequences for smaller loads - normally 1/2 capacity and will reduce the cycle from 1/3 to 1/2 the overall time...


Post# 480883 , Reply# 105   12/11/2010 at 03:24 (4,884 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        
weight

all digital top loaders herer in SA weigh the washing before it starts. it pulsates about 6 or 10 times with no water to detect the weight and then starts the cycle. both my machnes do this. a nice feature to stop guess work! :)

Post# 480891 , Reply# 106   12/11/2010 at 05:46 (4,884 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        
weight

the fancy front loaders like LG, Samsung, AEG, etc... also weigh the load before washing

Post# 480944 , Reply# 107   12/11/2010 at 10:31 (4,884 days old) by 3beltwesty ()        
reposing the weighing question again

Sorry to all for not posing the weight question correctly.

What I meant was were/are there any non-USA FL washers that used a manual weight scale gizmo/gimmic like a FL Westinghouse used.

ie you manually weigh the clothes as an operator, and the operator then dials in the water level ie load setting.
'
This came out about 1950 in FL Westinghouse's and was a marketing thing too for over 4 decades.

ie "weigh to save". The door has a spring scale gizmo connected internally. One placed the dirty clothes on the open horizontal door and weighed them. Then one set the water level control that governed the water level for the wash cycle. This control of course was just the common simple pneumatic switch that would shut off the water level to the tub.


Modern FL washers here mostly seem to do a "sense the load size" by some pre wash tumbles rotating back and worth, to sense the inertia of what is in the drum. ie the computer uses the motor's torque to "sense" the load.

My question was whether any non USA machines used a dumb spring scale.


Post# 481008 , Reply# 108   12/11/2010 at 14:48 (4,884 days old) by dj-gabriele ()        

Never seen such a device myself!
All the machine I know of either had a "half load" button or sensed the load automatically.

The "half load" button usually suppressed a rinse and shortened the wash time but otherwise didn't change how the machine washed the clothes, the water level, if the pressure sensor had only one setting is the same...
In a (European) FL "sensing" is automatic, even in completely mechanical machines as the load, while tumbling wicks the water and decreases the level in the tub and the machine accordingly to this added more water as needed.
Also no machine (FL I mean) I know of floated the stuff in that much water whilst never stopping for reverse tumble or even a pause during spin/wash/rinse.
It seems that the Westinghouse machine was like the top loaders of the time but with a horizontal tub where clothes swished in a lot of free space and water compared to the European front loader that used (even when the machines used 100 L or more per wash) a puddle of water usually below the door level and the clothes were washed by hitting the tub while falling or the other clothes.

Also, again, in a "full" load at the European way, the tub is filled with clothes to the top.

I think that the only machines like the Westinghouse were the first English Electric aren't they? And something like the Hoover automatic front loader from the 60s that was like a twin tub into a front loader, am I wrong?


Post# 481020 , Reply# 109   12/11/2010 at 16:21 (4,884 days old) by 3beltwesty ()        
First you Weigh, then you save! :)

The old 1976 LT570 Westinghouse FL I have here was rated as the US washer that used the least amount of water in a 1978 Consumer Report, ie 30 gallons. ie {227 Liters } That is for a full 42 minute cycle. When one sets the water level to low it is far less. A box of soap will last me a year.


Actually the Westinghouse FL machines were marketed as water savers even when the came out almost 70 years ago. They used far less water than a TL machine. The manual for my parents 1947 westinghouse FL machine mentioned saving water. The "weigh to save" came out about 1950 with the spring scale in the door. FL washer here were once a lot more expensive compared to TL machines.

Re "weight to save" was in adverts for westinghouse here on TV squawked by a parrot over a 1/2 century ago.



Post# 481096 , Reply# 110   12/12/2010 at 01:54 (4,883 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        
no

i dont hink we had anything like this in SA. as someone said about the half load button. we had that before the fancy machines came out that sense the load. the half load button would use less water. nothing else changed (this being on the machines in SA)

Post# 481123 , Reply# 111   12/12/2010 at 06:21 (4,883 days old) by mrx ()        

The reason for the US attitude is very simple: agitator-based top loader machines need a lot free space to slosh the clothes around. The same is not true of front loaders. The agitators also take up a considerable amount of space in the drums too.

If you pack a traditional US toploader tight with clothes, it will not wash the clothes at all. They just barely move, where as if it's about 50% loaded they wash exceptionally well as they get loads of water sloshing through them.

In a front loader, this is not the case. If you fill the drum to capacity, the clothes still wash very well as the water's forced through them by rotating the drum, causing the water to cascade through the wash load rather than relying on sloshing the water and clothes about with an agitator, which naturally needs a lot more space between items to work effectively.


Post# 481128 , Reply# 112   12/12/2010 at 07:17 (4,883 days old) by matthewza (Cape Town, South Africa)        

mrx
i think everybody knows that. wich is why you can slightly over load a front loader and still have good wash results (just a little bit of creases hrer and there). although i must say, when i had a speed queen and whirlpool heavy duty top loader, i realised its also how u pack the machine (especially the whirlpool). i noticed if you take the time to pack it properly it washes better. and the agitator on the whirlpools are awfull! i find the speeed queen agitators clean the clothes alot better than the whirlpools. but thats just me



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