Thread Number: 72830  /  Tag: Vintage Automatic Washers
POD 10/13/2017 (Friday the 13th!!!) 		[Down to Last]

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Post# 962284   10/13/2017 at 10:57 (2,376 days old) by brucelucenta ()        

The Montgomery Wards Signature washers and dryers made by Norge were large capacity, somewhat noisy machines that washed, rinsed and spun clothes quite well. They were one of the best for getting really grimy things clean, but promoted a lot of lint doing it. Norge washers of this type had a filter system much like GE or Westinghouse in the beginning, later that changed to an agitator incorporated filter that pumped the water thru the agitator as it washed into a filter pan much like GE had. The washers did have a few service issues, but held up fairly well and there were many of them around in the 70's and even 80's. The dryers were more trouble prone and many times did not last as long as the washers of this vintage. The dryers were huge in capacity, but had many issues with the door seals and fan blowers. Due to design, they tended to blow a lot of lint in the laundry area and any restriction of air flow from the ducting could be disastrous. To my knowledge they never made a set of machines like the piano key Lady Kenmore's of the same vintage. In comparison, the washers probably did a better job, but Whirlpool made dryers were actually the very best you could get and they held up in service much better.



This post was last edited 10/13/2017 at 16:16



Post# 962295 , Reply# 1   10/13/2017 at 12:47 (2,376 days old) by mrsalvo (New Braunfels Texas)        

Bruce,
Those washer and dryers were huge capacity, we had both the washer and dryer. The dryers tub was so huge the clothes never seemed to come out wrinkled. You are right now that you mention it, linting went everywhere in the area. I had forgotten about that, but still they were good dryers.
The washer we owned had the back of the tub lint filter, continuous filtering. It was probably better than the agitator burpulator, the sound would have gotten on my nerves. LOL. But the capacity was huge, largest of any at that time, but so was the water usage. As much as I loved the washer, I'd never be able to afford the water bill now. (With doing so much laundry this summer, our water bill went from $23.00/month to $56/month, due in part to 2nd rinses on the SQ.) Never took an article of clothing out of the washer still dirty.
They were the working mans pair.

Post# 962296 , Reply# 2   10/13/2017 at 12:50 (2,376 days old) by appnut (TX)        

appnut's profile picture

The Frigidaire 1/18 dryer was an equal match as far as cubic volume was concerned, or very near close. 
Post# 962297 , Reply# 3   10/13/2017 at 12:53 (2,376 days old) by LordKenmore (The Laundry Room)        
Am I alone

 lordkenmore's profile picture

in thinking that the ideal POD for Friday the 13th would have been some WCI monster, instead of Norge?


This post was last edited 10/13/2017 at 13:32
Post# 962298 , Reply# 4   10/13/2017 at 12:54 (2,376 days old) by appnut (TX)        

appnut's profile picture

This was Norge not WCI. 
Post# 962303 , Reply# 5   10/13/2017 at 13:22 (2,376 days old) by LordKenmore (The Laundry Room)        
This was Norge not WCI.

lordkenmore's profile picture

I know. I'm sorry--my phrasing wasn't clear enough.
Post# 962304 , Reply# 6   10/13/2017 at 13:34 (2,376 days old) by cfz2882 (Belle Fourche,SD)        
norge dryer

 had a 1980 monkey norge dryer that lasted 18 yrs- 1/2HP motor was twice the size of most other dryers and was heavily loaded turning the large axial fan behind the drum,would have to vacume lint buildup out the motor about once a year or it would overheat and trip off.GE motor.When I junked the dryer,the fan was one of the items kept-made nice yard windmill :)I think this style norge dryer was made ~1968-82? Design was modified slightly ~1983 with smaller stamped steel radial fan behind drum and 1/3 HP motor,this design lasting up through ~1986 ?

Post# 962309 , Reply# 7   10/13/2017 at 14:55 (2,376 days old) by brucelucenta ()        

I actually liked these dryers and washers. Just that they did have a problem with lint and lint build up. Especially if there was ANY kind of restriction in the ducting. I could keep one going just fine and they were the biggest dryers made at the time. The only other that might rival them was the GE giant dryers they made a few of and later the Kenmore dryer super capacity was about the same too. They were just a little more trouble than most dryers and definitely noisier than any other. The washers held a great deal of laundry, but the Kenmore super capacity again would hold the same if not a little bit more. I am not certain of when they started making these dryers, but they replaced the older style ones that Norge had made for so many years after going to a perforated tub washer. 1986 sounds about right for when they changed the design again on their dryers since I bought a Magic Chef set about then and the dryer had been changed.



This post was last edited 10/13/2017 at 17:22
Post# 962314 , Reply# 8   10/13/2017 at 15:57 (2,376 days old) by agiflow2 ()        

I have always thought these were very handsome sets. My mom had a Norge from the seventies and the matching dryer we never got hooked up. I member that greenish/tiel ? color the dryer drum had and it was HUGE ! That washer made a racket though, but cleaned like a champ. My mother washed a lot of work clothes and me and my brothers play/work clothes. She loved that machine.

I would trade my current Speed Queen in a heartbeat for one of these machines now if I could. When I think of a HEAVY DUTY washer, these come to mind as they were very much the real deal. Very rugged machine and overall excellent washers that were fairly popular in these parts. Our neighbor next door had a seventies Norge, our neighbors on the next block had a Bradford ( Norge built) machine and another one had a Wards Signature i think. I guess they would have been as Norge was made by Fedders at that time and they were headquartered in Edison NJ,...the next town over from us. Though I don't know if they made the washers or just the air conditioners. Never followed up on that.


Post# 962333 , Reply# 9   10/13/2017 at 17:51 (2,376 days old) by ken (NYS)        

ken's profile picture
I have a 70s-80s Montgomery Ward dryer that was in my house when I bought it. Don't remember at this point what the control panel looked like. I didn't inspect it before putting in storage beyond plugging it in to see if it worked. The motor ran but the drum didn't turn. Figured it had a broken belt and I would fix it in the future.

Post# 962377 , Reply# 10   10/13/2017 at 21:37 (2,376 days old) by brucelucenta ()        

The machines that were made in the 70's were pretty heavy duty. As time progressed, like everything else so did quality of these washers. The set I had in the 80's was kind of flimsy as far as the cabinet of the machine and many of those had tub seal problems after a short time.


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