I would guess around 1954 or so. Norge did make a washer that washed, rinsed and spun out quite well. I actually washed clothes better than most because of the very large base of it's agitator and the fairly small tub. Even with an overstuffed tub, it did quite well. It simply moved the entire mass of clothes back and forth in the soapy water, so they got clean. There was really no dead areas that clothes could receive no movement. As I have said in the past, consumer reports really boosted the Norge automatic washer and I am sure boosted sales for Norge too. I know that my father was an avid reader of consumer reports and that was what he bought my mother back in 1957. The washers did not hold up that well and required servicing more than most, so by the 70's there were very few of them around. In the early 60's Norge did revise their pump assembly for the small capacity washer, but soon after they introduced their large perforated tub machine which had a totally different mechanism design and those took over by the mid sixties. This same basic machine was around until the late 80's or early 90's and for several years had the largest capacity of any automatic washer. So Norge finally quit making the solid tub models completely in the mid 60's. The dryers of that vintage lasted much longer than the washers and many people kept using them long after their washer had been replaced. Norge kept the same dryer design for a few years after the introduction of their large capacity washer, since it did seem capable of accommodating the larger load that the washer could wash. The Norge solid tub washer will always be a favorite of mine. One of the "dream sets" I have always wanted was a TOL Norge 1958 set. I thought that set was the most elegant and majestic looking chromed out set that Norge ever made! The console on those were really beautiful. One of the old gas dryers I commented about was a 1958 and was the fastest dryer I have EVER used in my lifetime. Also one of the prettiest when all lit up.
Yeah, I have a 1954 like that. The fins on the agitator are slightly lower than the ones on later models and it does allow for more roll-over. The early '60's one I have only has good roll-over with certain loads such as underwear, t-shirts and shorts, etc. ANYTHING more bulky or a load that weighs one ounce over 8lbs. just gets thrashed about, mercilessly. The addition of the Burpalator filtration just goes to show how much fabric damage is being done, as there is very little tub water that passes through the filter during a ten minute cycle (compared to a Filter-Flo or Kenmore/Whirlpool recirculation system). However, there is always some lint to clean-out.
Regardless of the ad touting how miserly the machine is with water-----it is a water-hog. So it Rinses VERY well. One of my favorite machines when using LCB.