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Thread Number: 61010
/ Tag: Vintage Automatic Washers
Harmonizing Wash Day |
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Post# 836317 8/12/2015 at 20:43 (3,173 days old) by Gansky1  (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!) |
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I saw an ad on CL late Saturday night for this Antique Washer (always search antiques on CL!) and my heart skipped a beat. A model WL-60 Frigidiaire washer from 1949. I emailed the seller and spent most of Sunday wringing my hands waiting for a response. The seller called me back and we made arrangements for me to drive out to pick it up today. The pictures weren't great in the ad but hoping for the best, I drove the 1 1/2 hours and was quite pleased to see it in person. Much better than I expected, other than some hard water and soap scum, it's in great shape overall and the mechanism turns freely and quiet. It will need a full shop & spa treatment before we can actually use it, of course.
The most interesting thing about this model is that it has a redesigned tub. It still uses the Harmonzier balancer mounted under the bottom of the tub but it was now a one-piece tub instead of the solid bowl with liner in earlier models. This is one of the missing links in the Frigidaire history that many of us knew existed but have never seen. To see a picture of the Harmonizer, follow the link. For those familiar with the Frigidaire tubs, you can see the rim of this tub is much different than the early white bowl shaped and the later with the weighted balance ring tubs used through the rest of the solid tub years. CLICK HERE TO GO TO Gansky1's LINK | ||
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Post# 836320 , Reply# 1 8/12/2015 at 20:54 (3,173 days old) by Frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie) |
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| Post# 836327 , Reply# 2 8/12/2015 at 22:33 (3,173 days old) by washdaddy (Baltimore) | ||
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Very nice looking find you managed to get a hold of. Can't wait to see some vid's of your machine in operation when you get it all cleaned up and up to snuff. Good luck in your quest.
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Post# 836333 , Reply# 3 8/12/2015 at 23:18 (3,173 days old) by jetaction (Minneapolis) |
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I love that you got it... | ||
| Post# 836338 , Reply# 4 8/13/2015 at 00:01 (3,173 days old) by A440 () | ||
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Greg, that is an awesome find! It looks to be in fantastic cosmetic shape!
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| Post# 836340 , Reply# 5 8/13/2015 at 00:13 (3,173 days old) by Realvanman (Southern California) | ||
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Wow! It's beautiful! Keith | ||
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Post# 836345 , Reply# 6 8/13/2015 at 00:40 (3,173 days old) by kb0nes (Burnsville, MN) |
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| Post# 836372 , Reply# 9 8/13/2015 at 05:07 (3,172 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod) | ||
Good God | ||
| Post# 836379 , Reply# 10 8/13/2015 at 05:19 (3,172 days old) by brucelucenta () | ||
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Good for you!!! Glad you got it! | ||
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Post# 836382 , Reply# 11 8/13/2015 at 05:23 (3,172 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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Post# 836384 , Reply# 12 8/13/2015 at 05:59 (3,172 days old) by Jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers) |
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Prime find  | ||
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Post# 836386 , Reply# 13 8/13/2015 at 06:07 (3,172 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD) |
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YAY GREG! Does this machine still have the little flip down bracket under the lid handle to hold the lid in a slightly raised position to promote air circulation and drying after use? | ||
| Post# 836400 , Reply# 14 8/13/2015 at 07:39 (3,172 days old) by mayken4now (Panama City, Florida) | ||
Okay Greg | ||
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Post# 836401 , Reply# 15 8/13/2015 at 07:40 (3,172 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK) |
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Frigidaire | ||
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Post# 836407 , Reply# 16 8/13/2015 at 08:32 (3,172 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA) |
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Post# 836411 , Reply# 17 8/13/2015 at 09:15 (3,172 days old) by turquoisedude (.) |
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| Post# 836413 , Reply# 18 8/13/2015 at 09:25 (3,172 days old) by golittlesport (California) | ||
Ding! Ding! Ding! | ||
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Post# 836414 , Reply# 19 8/13/2015 at 09:28 (3,172 days old) by Unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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Congrats Greg, now that you found the 1949 model with the original tub. We have never seen this first completey solid tub. Over the last 15 years we have now seen every type of early Frigidaire washer. This was the last fronteir to find. Other 1949 models had been found, but the tub had been replaced.
In my 1947 model there is a double lined perforated tub, in 1949 Frigidaire went to a completely solid tub but still had the spring balance system underneath the tub. In 1950 they moved the balance system into the top rim, simply by using weight. Mine is the 1947 model WJ-47, this fabulous new find is the 1949 the WL-49. 
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| Post# 836423 , Reply# 20 8/13/2015 at 10:57 (3,172 days old) by alr2903 (TN) | ||
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Interesting how the balance system evolved. Was one system better than the other? Great "timeline" chart Robert, Thank You! Great Find Greg! Congrats -A This post was last edited 08/13/2015 at 11:18 | ||
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Post# 836426 , Reply# 21 8/13/2015 at 11:08 (3,172 days old) by joelippard (Hickory) |
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Post# 836446 , Reply# 22 8/13/2015 at 13:50 (3,172 days old) by RevvinKevin (Tinseltown - Shakey Town - La-La Land) |
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Post# 836470 , Reply# 23 8/13/2015 at 16:51 (3,172 days old) by Jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers) |
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Gasp !! | ||
| Post# 836501 , Reply# 24 8/13/2015 at 20:01 (3,172 days old) by lebron (Minnesota) | ||
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Post# 836573 , Reply# 26 8/14/2015 at 07:02 (3,171 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!) |
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Tom, it does still have the flip-down wire support for drying out the machine, one of my favorite details about these. These flat-top machines were always wet around the edges of the top under the lid, despite the drain holes (blow holes during spin) little puddles always remained, especially if the machine wasn't level.
I have a couple of projects ahead of this, a Hotpoint and WP/KM but this guy will wait patiently for his turn. He's already been waiting for 44 years, a little longer won't hurt anything. I have not plugged it in to try it, I already saw the motor fan was loose and with the scarcity of parts for Unimatics what it is, there's no reason to risk wasting any for curiosity's sake.
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| Post# 836585 , Reply# 27 8/14/2015 at 09:23 (3,171 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada) | ||
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Post# 836592 , Reply# 28 8/14/2015 at 09:56 (3,171 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut) |
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Post# 836598 , Reply# 29 8/14/2015 at 11:38 (3,171 days old) by Jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers) |
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Yes | ||
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Post# 836785 , Reply# 30 8/15/2015 at 11:49 (3,170 days old) by joelippard (Hickory) |
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Post# 836827 , Reply# 31 8/15/2015 at 19:30 (3,170 days old) by washerlover (The Big Island, Hawai’i) |
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| Post# 836829 , Reply# 32 8/15/2015 at 19:53 (3,170 days old) by mielerod69 (Australia) | ||
Control panel on the Whirlpool | ||
| Post# 837251 , Reply# 33 8/18/2015 at 17:06 (3,167 days old) by miele_ge (Danbury, Connecticut) | ||
Mielerod, love your profile photo | ||
| Post# 837268 , Reply# 34 8/18/2015 at 18:44 (3,167 days old) by mielerod69 (Australia) | ||
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Photo | ||
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Post# 837270 , Reply# 35 8/18/2015 at 18:45 (3,167 days old) by goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions) |
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