Thread Number: 6892
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Post# 136884   6/20/2006 at 13:38 (6,517 days old) by seeitrun06 ()        

A question for all the appliance guros here in this site.

I know this probaly has been ask more times then none. Why did the washer manuf. companies change TL washers from the slower moving oscillating agitation to the faster agitation? I'm fairly new to this site and I know the answer is in here somewhere. I grew up with a 1959 Hotpoint washer and a 1976 Maytag A806 washer of course with the slower movement which cleaned clothes quite well. They also seem to be a little easier on the clothes. When I married and moved away we bought a Maytag A512 washer with the same light green agitator and matching gas dryer in 1986. They died November 2005. That was the best washer and dryer we ever owned. The new GE washer and dryer we replaced it with does not seem as sturdy as the Maytags. Before anyone ask we pitched the old Maytags as I did not know they were a collectors item and a market for used appliances until late May 2006.

Thanks!

Just being a curious George!




Post# 137185 , Reply# 1   6/21/2006 at 21:29 (6,516 days old) by knitwits1975 ()        

I'll try to answer your question while my meatloaf's cooking. The appliance manufacturers (Whirlpool was the first) believed that the shorter distance the agitator fins traveled, the less wear and tear there was on your clothes. Also, this is supposed to afford better pulsation. As for these first two statements I would have to say it's six of one or half a dozen of the other because both methods offer great pulsation but also tear weaker/flawed fabrics. But one difference I can clearly see is that it works better for the double action agitators. I've watched the older belt driven Kenmores with DA agitators and frankly, my opinion is that the auger is about as useful as a window screen on a submarine. With the slow long strokes, all it does is move one stroke forward and about a two-third stroke back, so it never did it's intended job until the direct drive design was introduced in 1986. So I guess that nobody really knows. The older design worked great and yet, all the manufacturers changed the method of agitation. But maybe in the newer baskets, (which are significantly bigger than the older ones) this method works better, because with the old method, the agitators would also have to grow, thus defeating the purpose of a larger basket. That's my theory, although I really am not sure.

Post# 137189 , Reply# 2   6/21/2006 at 21:49 (6,516 days old) by mayken4now (Panama City, Florida)        

mayken4now's profile picture
Curious George:

My dear, you have failed.

Just kidding. Hey man, just keep you eyes open, shop and talk to the right folks and you can retire the GE's and get what you used to have. Then if they go bad(die) again, they are just ill, not dead. There is a lot of info and help on how to repair those machines. Sorry for your loss

Steve

Post# 137241 , Reply# 3   6/22/2006 at 07:20 (6,516 days old) by seeitrun06 ()        

knitwits1975,

When the GE's die I will probaly look for the older dependable Maytags. I realy hated to depart with my A512's.

The GE washer cleans really well and the dryer dries within a hour with towels so I'm not disatisfied with them. Just not as quiet as my Maytags. I can't for life of me get use to the really quick thump...thump...thump sounds during the agitation.

Thanks answering back!

Hope you enjoyed your meatloaf!

Post# 137290 , Reply# 4   6/22/2006 at 11:38 (6,516 days old) by rinso (Meridian Idaho)        

The short stroke agitation of the DD WP/KM machines have a clacka-clacka-clacka sound that reminds me a bit of my 1970's Frigidaire 1-18. That will always be my favorite washer, but my gawd it was loud!

Jason was right,though, when he said that double action agitators work better with short, fast stroke machines.

Post# 137291 , Reply# 5   6/22/2006 at 11:57 (6,516 days old) by seeitrun06 ()        

Rinso,

My father-in-law has a Kenmore I think a series 80 washer from 1986 belt driven with a black control panel gold lettering. I know what you mean by the clacka...clacka sound. When he wasn't around (he's kind of moody) I went and watched it in operation when we were over visiting one day. You are correct the dual action does work much better in the DD short stroke type washers. We used a DD Whilpool in Florida one year at a condo while on vacation and WOW the turn over was really good.

Thanks for the replies. I have a more clear picture now.

Happy Washing!

Take care everyone!

Post# 137617 , Reply# 6   6/23/2006 at 22:52 (6,514 days old) by helicaldrive (St. Louis)        
my 2 cents

 My experience, for what it's worth, has been that the quicker short stroke agitation generally gets clothes a little cleaner (especially shirt collars), and it's generally easier on clothes too, provided you don't overload the machine, but it depends upon what you're washing. With the quick short stroke, mesh knit shirts keep their shape much better, but the interlock ones come out twice as wide as they were when they went in. With the quick short stroke, sheets and blankets sometimes get twisted into a tight rope, so they don't get clean and you have to start all over again at the end of the cycle. Maddening. I don't ever remember that happening with the long stroke. Also, the quick short stroke seems to make corduroy pants look like a Babushka scrubbed them on a stone all afternoon. I don't ever remember that happening with long stroke Maytag or BD Whirlpools (although it did with the solid tub Speed Queens we had in my college dorms). Just my experience. Don't know if others would agree or disagree. Might depend upon what long stroke machine they used in the past. Maytag, BD Whirlpool and solid tub Speed Queen were the only long stroke machines I ever washed clothes in.

Post# 137632 , Reply# 7   6/24/2006 at 00:28 (6,514 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

I have found the opposite-the long slow strokes with the DA agitators worked best for me-In either machine with the DA agitator-if there isn't enough of a load in it-the auger section cannot ratchet properly.It needs a load for the auger blades to "grab" onto-allow the auger to hold on the backstroke and turn on the other stroke.-I think the long slow strokes give it better rotation-just me I suppose-I ahve an older DA KN machine that has the "ratchet wrench" DA agitator mechanism-its noisey-but performs well-better than the Quick short stroke KN 80 I used to have.Traded the KN short stroker for a WP Imp 90-the WP is light years better.I can remember trying to wash large lined drapes in the DD machine-it had a hard time rolling them-the BD KN witrh the older DA agiator had no problem-the better rotation of theits agiator gave far better action.And to top it off-less shredding of the foam lining.to sum it up will take the BD DA machine anytime over the DD ones-and the one I had had a "Triple action" agitator-you could move its auger up and down by hand-but when it was working NEVER saw it move up or down-it had a hard time just trying to turn.And yes it made the clacka-claka sound.Drather have the ratchet wrench sound-and I know by listening the auger part is turning.-don't have to see it.Glad to see my DD "Roto-Tiller" go.

Post# 137935 , Reply# 8   6/25/2006 at 21:16 (6,512 days old) by pulsator (Saint Joseph, MI)        

pulsator's profile picture
I guess it depends on how one loads the machine with the triple action agitator, the way I load modern machines, the auger goes up and down all the time. I tend to load the modern machines a little more, I don't really think about it, I just do it. I guess my subconscious wants to break the modern TL so I can get another older machine. :)


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