Ahoy Fellow Aussies! Which non-electronic Top Loader is my best bet for a "daily driver"?


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Thread Number: 61833 / Tag: Vintage Automatic Washers
Ahoy Fellow Aussies! Which non-electronic Top Loader is my best bet for a "daily driver"?

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Post# 844905 10/9/2015 at 00:08 (3,115 days old) by wishywashy (Brisbane, QLD, Australia)
Checkrate/Likes Hello Gents, After a very foolish mishap wherein I managed to damage the enamel coating on the wash-bowl of my trusty old Simpson 175, I'm now on the hunt for a 2nd-hand replacement daily-workhorse. And I think that my best first step would be to sound out the opinions of as many of the fellow Aussies on here as possible regarding the matter of which brand and model to pursue... I think the following would be the best summary of my criteria: - Must be a Top-Loader, with at least 7kg capacity. - Must have a solid reputation for reliability. - Width must not exceed 67cm (but don't let that stop you from making a suggestion if you don't know the exact width of the machine you have in mind...) - The availability of new spare-parts would be a bonus, but is not absolutely essential (except perhaps for belts...) - Must be Australian-made, so that there is a good probability of encountering other examples in the future from which to salvage replacement parts from. - A stainless bowl would be nice, but not essential. - No micro-processor controls please - just good ol' mechanical switches! - Doesn't have to be over 20 years old (Thought I'd better mention that due to the theme of the particular sub-forum we're in...) Model numbers in addition to the brand-name would be great, because I don't have a spectacular grasp of which models were being made in which era (I mention this because I can see that a lot of you talk in terms of timeframes and eras - rather than models - for particular brands as being good or bad...) So, to coin a bit of "strine" - Wadd'ya reckon blokes?... (It's a bit like picking the right girl to marry, instead of some stunner that you just want to go out with...) Many Thanks in advance, WishyWashy.

Post# 844920 , Reply# 1 10/9/2015 at 06:08 (3,114 days old) by twinniefan (Sydney Australia)
Checkrate/Likes *Hoover BOSS* Have you had a look on ebay or gunmtree and had a look at some of the various Hoovers which are on there,I was thinking perhaps the Hoover BOSS which from memory was about 7.5kg,and I would expect spare parts would still be available. Hope this helps. Steve.

Post# 844968 , Reply# 2 10/9/2015 at 16:19 (3,114 days old) by brisnat81 (Brisbane Australia)
Checkrate/Likes Hi Mike, The spare parts for anything older than 5-10 years have rapidly disappeared. Hoover spare parts are almost non existent and Electrolux have done their best to get rid of spares for Simpson as well. Unfortunately the Simpsons have been electronic control from 5-10 years now and they're not reliable so most would be reaching end of life. I know you don't want Electronic controls, but anything F&P should be reliable and have parts available. As far as I'm aware, its only the original Gentle Annie that all parts have been discontinued for. For me if I wanted a TL machine, I'd be shopping for an F&P (With Agitator) or a Speed Queen. From a Cost and Serviceability perspective, I'd go with the F&P, its very easy to service, you can strip it down in less than half an hour if you needed to. Other than a pump or a diverter valve generally there is little maintenance required. With the SpeedQueens/Kleenmaid anything from the last 5 years should be fine, but the earlier models particularly if they're 5-15 years old are likely to need lower seal or bearing replacements as they may've started leaking. If you need to do a lower seal and bearing replacement, expect to spend $200 plus in parts, take half a day to do it and be ready to lose lots of skin. The new SQ's seems to fine and the really early Kleenmaids from the early 90's were reliable (But are now worn out from age), but there was a period between the late 90's and the late 00's where the Kleenmaid longevity was very hit and miss. Also look carefully for rust on the top if you're buying second hand as they seemed to rust quite easily as the Kleenmaid/SpeedQueens in AU had an acrylic top rather than porcelain. I hope this helps Nathan

Post# 844981 , Reply# 3 10/9/2015 at 17:33 (3,114 days old) by whirlykenmore78 (Prior Lake MN (GMT-0500 CDT.))
Checkrate/Likes *I'd say Speed Queen as well.* If you can get past the not being made in AU(SQs are made in Wisconsin USA) SQ machines are a very rugged build that will last many years. The design has been Laundromat proven for decades. Otherwise from what little knowledge I have of Aussie machines I would think maybe something based on the Maytag design. WK78

Post# 844998 , Reply# 4 10/9/2015 at 18:18 (3,114 days old) by wishywashy (Brisbane, QLD, Australia)
Checkrate/Likes Thanks very much Steve, Nathan, and Whirly for the pleasant surprise this morning of 3 useful replies. There's some really "good oil" amongst your suggestions, so I'll start processing your collective thoughts at this end. Coincidentally enough Steve, I happened to stumble across a video yesterday of a BOSS in action, and it looked pretty good. I don't mind the brand because I had a Hoover as a daily before the Simpson, but my brother put paid to the Timer, and then my other brother swooped quickly down on to the carcass to feed his own machine with... (so that was the end of my Hoovering days...) Nathan and Whirly - as regards Speed Queen, I've heard assorted "vets" on here wax lyrical about them quite often, but for various reasons they've never really blipped very large on my own radar. I'll have to start paying more attention... However, Gents, I have to add that in the interim since the OP, I've been fortunate enough to have a fruitful PM with that local DaVinci of washer-collection - Mayfan69 - and as far as a solution goes, there's a very promising prospect looming on the horizon from his direction, that would suit me to an absolute tee... So Many Thanks Again, fingers crossed, and Best Wishes for now, WishyWashy.

Post# 845080 , Reply# 5 10/10/2015 at 11:04 (3,113 days old) by whirlykenmore78 (Prior Lake MN (GMT-0500 CDT.))
Checkrate/Likes *Something else to consider:* I'm not sure how common the Whirlpool direct drive top loaders are in AU, but if you can get one it is one of the best EVER! Great cleaning and reliability as well as easy to fix when a problem does pop up. Again this would be a USA machine, made in Ohio. The capacity is 9KG and they do need a hot water connection as with any US machine. Nick, (WK78)

Post# 845232 , Reply# 6 10/11/2015 at 04:43 (3,112 days old) by wishywashy (Brisbane, QLD, Australia)
Checkrate/Likes Roger on that Nick. I'll keep the radar switched on for any threads that go through here on them... Many Thanks again, WishyWashy.

Post# 845249 , Reply# 7 10/11/2015 at 07:53 (3,112 days old) by gizmo (Victoria, Australia)
Checkrate/Likes Aussie made gems in my opinion... Hoover 720 - wash much better than the Simpson, reliable, pretty trouble free. GE full size top loaders were made here to the 1970s. They wash well and with cable suspension they always spin, never getting off balance. Their water consumption is amazing (ly high) though. Frigidaires of the 1960s were made in Dandenong, Vic in the Holden car factory. We had one when I was a kid and it wasn't very reliable, but I'd have another tomorrow if I could find one. (up-and-down agitator type.) Belt drive Whirlpools are almost indestructible and were made here. Wash and Spin performance is underwhelming in my opinion. (About the same as Simpson.)

Post# 845384 , Reply# 8 10/12/2015 at 01:20 (3,112 days old) by wishywashy (Brisbane, QLD, Australia)
Checkrate/Likes Gotcha on all that, Gizmo, and Many Thanks for the reply. Just to elaborate a little further for the sake of all who have kindly responded, I do actually have a pristine US-made GE up my sleeve, but it's simply too wide to fit in to the niche in the corner of the laundry between the wall and the laundry tub. We're planning to shift within the next 12mths, however, so the GE may come into play at that time (which would be excellent, because something made in the Good Ol' US of A would be a real consolation to not having an Aussie-made machine. Sort of like having a Mustang instead of a final-edition Falcon GT...) In the meantime (and as mentioned in an earlier post), it looks like a fantastic vintage-Simpson-themed solution to the narrow-laundry-niche problem might be kindly bestowed in my direction by a local benefactor of considerable largesse, which suits me to a tee, because my 175 has been simply bulletproof thus far as a "daily". With a bit of luck, the new place will also have enough room to deploy my little recently-resurrected Japanese-made Westinghouse LS010P Twin Tub, which I will use for small, odd-type loads. So all in all, the situation is looking very promising. Sounds like the Whirlpools are a fairly safe bet, in either US-made direct-drive, or Australian-made belt-drive form. Will definitely log that, and the Hoover 720 opinion, into the subconscious for reference in the event of left-field eventualities... Best Wishes, and Thanks Again, WishyWashy.

Post# 845482 , Reply# 9 10/12/2015 at 18:28 (3,111 days old) by Streakers (Columbus Ohio)
Checkrate/Likes *Have you ever considered...* And don't get me wrong - I love Aussie machines - but I always had a soft spot for the Japanese machines too... I always wanted an Hitachi PAF series... They were super strong, unbelievably reliable, well built and seemed to just keep going. They were on castors and we're exceptionally light to move about (if needed) and were pretty good at taking a big load inside a fairly compact body... The non-electric (Microprocessor) models with the 'White' control panel I believe were the last of the nicer ones before they all went to the electronic style... Just a thought... Cheers Steve.

Post# 845500 , Reply# 10 10/12/2015 at 20:18 (3,111 days old) by mattywashboy (Perth, Western Australia)
Checkrate/Likes Heres a video of my old Hitachi PAF series that Steve (Streakers) is talking of. Mine was an earlier model than the 'white' series but still the same mechanics. I did love this machine despite it being a bit beaten up. Very strong wash action as you can see and a good fast spin. I still see these popping up on Gumtree or Ebay so always something to consider if needed.

Post# 845501 , Reply# 11 10/12/2015 at 20:20 (3,111 days old) by mattywashboy (Perth, Western Australia)
Checkrate/Likes

Post# 845502 , Reply# 12 10/12/2015 at 20:28 (3,111 days old) by wishywashy (Brisbane, QLD, Australia)
Checkrate/Likes I hear you Steve - Jap stuff in general has been very good for several decades, except maybe not quite as good as usual right now, since they've started getting a lot of things made offshore for them in SE-Asia. But everyone's doing that now, hey... However, I'm inclined to think that the ideal washer should probably be a fairly common brand, in order for there to be a pretty good chance of encountering one "in the wild" somewhere down the track when spare parts are no longer available through the usual channels, and I'm not too sure if Hitachi would generally fit that bill over here. Mind you, that can work two ways I suppose, because the relative rareness of them probably puts the vast majority of non-collectors off from leaping at them whenever the odd example comes up 2nd-hand... I'll certainly refer back to this thread if and when I find myself in a jam regarding my "daily" situation... Many Thanks and Special Intercontinental Cheers to you and all other Yank respondents! WishyWashy.

Post# 845509 , Reply# 13 10/12/2015 at 20:52 (3,111 days old) by wishywashy (Brisbane, QLD, Australia)
Checkrate/Likes Hello Matty over yonder - Wow, that agitator has really got some arc and speed to it - that's for sure; a very different action to the Simpson indeed. The machine in general definitely looks like Serious Kit. I will certainly not neglect to look into the brand and series further if the need crystallises. Best Wishes and Many Aussie Thanks, WishyWashy.

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