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Thread Number: 34914
Is there any classic machine you dislike or hate? |
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| Post# 522800 , Reply# 1 6/6/2011 at 01:49 (4,707 days old) by gmmcnair (Portland, OR) | ||
Post GM Frigidaire... ....the first WCI Frigidaire washers were dreck in my opinion. I loved GM Frigidaire washers....my cousin's 1-18 was awesome, and my grandmother's Rollermatic was a great machine as well. WCI scrapped a long history of innovatively designed, quality machines, and replaced them with something that didn't wash that well, didn't hold as many clothes, and couldn't even do a decent job of extracting the water. And they rusted out....quickly....or at least every model I've seen had a terminal case of rust. I've seen Maytags, GE's, and belt drive Whirlpools of the same age that are still almost pristene. Even the Fedders/Magic Chef Norge machines of that era fared better, and they washed and extracted water well.
Just my opinion....sorry if I offended anyone who likes those machines. | ||
Post# 522803 , Reply# 2 6/6/2011 at 01:55 (4,707 days old) by foraloysius  (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands) |
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Norge
I bet I do a better job at offending... lol
At the first convention in 2001 I got acquainted with so many American machines. I liked them all except for that noisy Norge Robert had in his basement. It didn't turn over the laundry either, so I found it much ado about nothing. Apologies on forehand to the Norge fans! Louis | ||
| Post# 522804 , Reply# 3 6/6/2011 at 02:03 (4,707 days old) by gmmcnair (Portland, OR) | ||
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Norge... ...I never had any problem with turnover in the Norge machines, but I hear ya on the racket they made. Back in the 80's, we sent one back to Montgomery Ward and replaced it with a BD Kenmore because it was just so stinking LOUD. (That and the fact that a slightly unbalanced load and the washer would walk out to greet you). | ||
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Post# 522816 , Reply# 5 6/6/2011 at 05:07 (4,707 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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that noisy Norge Robert had in his basement | ||
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Post# 522817 , Reply# 6 6/6/2011 at 05:17 (4,707 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay) |
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 Put me down for Norge/Signature. I don't mind a washer making noise when it's pleasant and provides an indication that it's a very well-made machine, but the noise from a Norge speaks volumes about their poor design and resulting unreliability. Just the worst machines I've ever had the displeasure to experience.
Norge deserves to "win" this survey by a landslide. | ||
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Post# 522821 , Reply# 7 6/6/2011 at 06:55 (4,707 days old) by polkanut (Wausau, WI ) |
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Ralph, | ||
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Post# 522822 , Reply# 8 6/6/2011 at 07:01 (4,707 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md) |
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WORST WASHERS AND DRYERS I would vote for all the WCI stuff 1970s through Frigidare TLers today.
The solid tub Norges were not great at turning big loads but they did wash well anyway and after the big tub models came out in 1963 the performance with big loads was very good.
As far as disappointing performance goes almost all MT washers & dryers. While I have 6 sets of MTs from 1950- the 2000s none of them is good enough to make it into my home laundry room for regular use. The closest one would be the last helical drive washers with the load sensor agitators as they finely got the belt tension system working so the drive belt didn't slip when trying to wash a large load.
Actually the only MT branded laundry appliances that will be in the main laundry room are the gas MT drying cabinet dryer and the MT Neptune TL touch screen washer and these two are really out of the Norge plant. I selected these not so much for superior performance but because they do things that no other laundry appliances do. | ||
| Post# 522828 , Reply# 9 6/6/2011 at 07:36 (4,707 days old) by norgeway (mocksville n c ) | ||
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MAYTAG! I have never understood what all the hoopla is about,yes they lasted forever, but the reason was they dont work fast enough to ever wear out, I say the BEST washer ever is the later Norges, they agitate about twice as fast as a Tag. | ||
| Post# 522839 , Reply# 11 6/6/2011 at 08:38 (4,707 days old) by pierreandreply4 (St-Bruno de montarville (province of quebec) canada) | ||
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Post# 522846 , Reply# 12 6/6/2011 at 09:28 (4,707 days old) by turquoisedude (.) |
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Post# 522852 , Reply# 13 6/6/2011 at 10:50 (4,707 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI) |
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I'm just being the devil's advocate here:
Sears: Why did EVERYBODY buy a SEARS KENMORE???? So over-rated!!!!
Maytag: Good machine, but why no infinite water level on the center-dial design? Norge, Mont. Wards, etc. Definitely "clunker" machines, though later models improved considerably! (Maybe because my mom owned a Bradford, which reportedly had that design, according to her; though it was really manufactured by Franklin) Speed Queen: The stainless steel tub & drum could definitely be used as a planter, when the machine, usually not as pristine, wore out... WCI-built, Frigidaire, Gibson, Kelvinator & White-Westinghouse: Bring back "the real deal", especially the non-WHITE Westy's...! (So disapointed, when "White" got added, as I was when "Product of General Motors" & "Product of American Motors" disappeared...!) Hotpoint: The carbon-copied GE models w/ the lid opening towards the back! The left-opening lids, to me, are more greatly preferred! So what washers & dryers DO I like? Whirlpool, CUSTOM CRAFTED Hotpoint (w/ LEFT-opening lids) & General Electric (though don't care for "SOIL" on the timer dial of the stuff manufactured by GE...) -- Dave | ||
| Post# 522854 , Reply# 14 6/6/2011 at 10:56 (4,707 days old) by gmmcnair (Portland, OR) | ||
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Sears: Why did EVERYBODY buy a SEARS KENMORE???? So over-rat | ||
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Post# 522866 , Reply# 15 6/6/2011 at 13:10 (4,707 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay) |
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Tim, Nate's Norge is long gone. It began peeing out oil onto the floor in short order -- which came as no surprise to me.
As for the topic, there are going to be trade-offs with almost any brand of machine. This isn't about machines that do a good or not so good job of cleaning clothes, it's about machines we just plain hate for one reason or another. I love the dependability, durability, simplicity of design, and build quality of the helical Maytags, and the sound of them running through their cycles. Some may say they don't wash well, but I'd rather have one of those Maytags than a Norge any day.
If you like buying washers and earplugs, buy a Norge. If you just want to buy one machine and be done with it, buy a Maytag. We're talking vintage, of course. | ||
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Post# 522895 , Reply# 16 6/6/2011 at 15:02 (4,707 days old) by akronman (Akron/Cleveland Ohio) |
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Sears credit
Sears-Kenmore credit is what kept my folks coming back for 30 years of raising 7 kids, so Kenmore was the usual brand of laundry, kitchen appliances, etc. Also, Sears distribution and delivery and repair helped. It shouldn't be any surprise that Sears Kenmore outsold everyone year after year.
Personally, my favorite vintage washer (from the large tub era) is GE Filter-Flo, great washing, great rinsing, variable cycles, etc. My Maytag is NOT as aggressive, but it DOES turn over any load I've ever tried, and I do believe it may outlast me. On the other hand, this thread is about machines we HATE. I haven't found that one yet, fortunately. | ||
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Post# 522898 , Reply# 17 6/6/2011 at 15:04 (4,707 days old) by washerlover (The Big Island, Hawai’i) |
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Post# 522916 , Reply# 18 6/6/2011 at 15:51 (4,707 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!) |
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 Some of us have joked that if there were any given number of appliance lovers in the same room with a BOL direct-drive Kenmore washer from last year, we'd all stand around it watching every twitch the machine made!
Can't say as there is any machine I really dislike completely, they all have their charm when viewed in a collection of machines. That said, there are probably a scant few that I would consider using as a daily driver with no other choices.
Fondly (and aptly) named "The Pig", this is one I would dread as an "only" washer. It's absolutely a brutal horror show on clothing fibers with the strong agitation and the devil-wing fins at the top of the agitator. It's loud, clunky, relatively cheaply made but it's still fascinating to watch. Huge capacity for a solid-basket washer and by almost shaving fiber from the clothing, it does get things clean.
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Post# 522917 , Reply# 19 6/6/2011 at 15:52 (4,707 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!) |
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| Post# 522930 , Reply# 21 6/6/2011 at 16:51 (4,707 days old) by PeterH770 (Marietta, GA) | ||
Nothing to dislike completely, but some really big disappointments...
Solid tub Hotpoint... Such a pretty agitator. But the turnover was poor with the load sliding up and down the ramps with nothing at the bottom to push them out. And the sympathetic indexing didn't help. Too bad... Flex-A-Wash Philco... When they made the tub bigger and changed the agitator, they really lost it. The downward folds of the flapper overpower the outward folds. There isn't enough power to push the load forward and up. So the downward fold mold the load into a donut that gets power-kneaded at the bottom of the tub. "But look how much room there is to add more!" Not... While the Wizard pig is pretty sad, I'd be the one standing there and holding the tub still to get a better wash. Good thing the agitator is fairly undersized, but it is spunky and vigorous... | ||
| Post# 522935 , Reply# 22 6/6/2011 at 17:19 (4,707 days old) by roto204 (Tucson, AZ) | ||
Norge I'd have another Norge in an instant; that's been our favorite top-loader to date. I didn't say quietest :-) That MW machine was just a hair worn-out.
I mostly hate the orbital Maytags. They make the older units with the long-stroke tranny seem like capacity champs. They're the bane of my existence in any coin-op laundromat, because they hold two socks, a T-shirt, and a hanky. But even the big-tub units have to be very underloaded to turn the load over, and sometimes I felt like the "all action must stop" lid helped avoid people seeing the truth. :-)
Our Kelvinator Franklin was awesome. My Frigidaire with the short vanes was not. Seems like it's all about the agitator, sometimes. | ||
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Post# 522941 , Reply# 24 6/6/2011 at 17:50 (4,707 days old) by polkanut (Wausau, WI ) |
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None of our family on either side had or has any use for Kenmore products. The Sears store in Wausau was for many years notoriously rude to city & farm folks alike. Both sides of my family tend to be rather clannish in that respect. As far as laundry appliances are concerned, GE, Maytag, and Speed Queen were and still are predominant. Other appliance choices are all over the board. | ||
| Post# 522954 , Reply# 26 6/6/2011 at 18:48 (4,707 days old) by xraytech (Rural southwest Pennsylvania ) | ||
 for me it is the Maytag, I just find them so humdrum and boring both in action and cosmetics, also not a fan of whirlpool even though they are a bit better looking. My preferance is the Filter Flo, I just love those buttons, switches, lighted control and the mini-wash, Speed Queen would be my second choice since they arent as snazzy as some of the Filter-Flos | ||
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Post# 522956 , Reply# 27 6/6/2011 at 19:00 (4,707 days old) by washerlover (The Big Island, Hawai’i) |
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| Post# 522982 , Reply# 30 6/6/2011 at 20:21 (4,707 days old) by AutowasherFreak () | ||
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Todd, do you have any videos of your MW machines?
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| Post# 523138 , Reply# 32 6/7/2011 at 13:01 (4,706 days old) by tgm8000 (New York) | ||
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Maytag One look at maytag and I always thought they were very ugly. That center dial and push button control panel very plain and boring, the inside was just as boring! | ||
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Post# 523151 , Reply# 33 6/7/2011 at 15:11 (4,706 days old) by washerlover (The Big Island, Hawai’i) |
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Hi AutowasherFreak, I'm working on compiling/creating some videos of my machines. I'll keep you posted!
And this is so refreshing to hear some anti-'tag talk!! The 806 I have has terrible lint removal. The manual states that you rarely have to rinse out the lint filter because the lint is whisked away thru the holes in the tub. Hardly. You rarely have to rinse the filter because it's useless. | ||
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Post# 523561 , Reply# 34 6/9/2011 at 14:03 (4,704 days old) by polkanut (Wausau, WI ) |
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| Post# 523580 , Reply# 35 6/9/2011 at 14:53 (4,704 days old) by lesto (Atlanta) | ||
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I have two least favorite pre-1980's machines. 1. the WCI-Westinghouse top loaders. Poor turnover, poor quality. Although they did have a great spray rinse. 2. The last of the BD Kenmores which introduced the so-called dual-action agitator and that stupid four minute neutral drain. | ||
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Post# 523589 , Reply# 36 6/9/2011 at 15:21 (4,704 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay) |
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JMO | ||
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Post# 523624 , Reply# 37 6/9/2011 at 18:54 (4,704 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut) |
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Hated it!!! I don't know if this is appropriate for this forum, but I'm really getting sick of all the homogenous Front Loaders that are in the stores now. It's like they're 20 iterations of the same freakin' machine. Have washing machines become such a commodity now that there are no designers and no new innovations? Where the hell is Mr. Dyson (I have to tell you guys, even though his vacuum cleaners have been proven a joke, his hand dryers in the big store bathrooms are AWESOME!) Pity. Even the Miele's that were such a dependably great brand are being totally dumbed down for the American market. Are there no heroes out there????Won't anyone hear my plea? 
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Post# 523628 , Reply# 38 6/9/2011 at 19:28 (4,704 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md) |
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LAST GREAT NEWER WASHER Ken just to turn this around a little, I am with you as everything is about the same now. The last great new machine for me was defiantly the WP built Calypsos, all these FL things are so boring. I will go to great strides to keep a calypso the rest of my life, as it is by far the most effective washing and rinsing and spinning machine I have ever had. | ||
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Post# 523664 , Reply# 39 6/10/2011 at 00:38 (4,703 days old) by rinso (Meridian Idaho) |
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Topping my list of classic machines I hated was my 1984 TOL positive air flow Wards(Norge)electric dryer. Wards should have named it their "Lint Unlimited" model. Blowing heat into the drum instead of pulling it out was just a bad idea. It would often blow its own door open. | ||
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Post# 523937 , Reply# 40 6/11/2011 at 14:28 (4,702 days old) by Frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie) |
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The lower-end Kenmores with fake woodgrain wallpaper on their cheap plastic consoles. I thought they were the cheapest-looking things I'd ever seen. Were they from the late 1970's or '80s, perhaps? I'm sure they cleaned as well as any BD Kenmore (I grew up with a super-stylish pushbutton 1960 Model 80), but I didn't like the looks of them at all.
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Post# 525281 , Reply# 43 6/18/2011 at 08:52 (4,695 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI) |
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Truthfully, though...
...There is NO machine I would ever dislike (much less hate), aside from the little nitpicks, I have playfully described...
Each washer (& dryer) is very special in its own way! I enjoy seeing & reading about ever appliance I have so far on IMPERIAL (& SUPER), old, new, foreign, domestic & all of the above! -- Dave | ||
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Post# 526711 , Reply# 45 6/24/2011 at 17:58 (4,689 days old) by Jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers) |
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WOw so many  | ||
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Post# 526712 , Reply# 46 6/24/2011 at 17:59 (4,689 days old) by Jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers) |
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Oh no what have i Done? | ||
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Post# 526779 , Reply# 47 6/25/2011 at 01:16 (4,688 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!) |
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