Thread Number: 7476
General Electric TwinTub washer for sale 		[Down to Last]

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Post# 146612   8/2/2006 at 20:08 (6,473 days old) by rapidry1000 (San Francisco)        

There's a General Electric twin-tub washer similar to an Easy Spindrier washer for sale (general category) in Craigslist San Francisco. Tubs are in good shape but legs need work. Current owners have had this machine in storage and does not know if the machine works. Pics included in ad. Unique collector's item as I've never seen a GE twintub before. Machine is located in Occidental in the Russian River ares which is about 50+ miles north of San Francisco.




Post# 146616 , Reply# 1   8/2/2006 at 20:13 (6,473 days old) by golittlesport (California)        
wow...all these rare twin tubs popping up

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I've seen ads for the GE twins...sorta squarish wash tub as I remember. Westinghouse also had a twin tub way back when.

Post# 146621 , Reply# 2   8/2/2006 at 20:17 (6,473 days old) by rapidry1000 (San Francisco)        
GE TwinTub

 The GE TwinTub does have a jadeite color square tub

Post# 146624 , Reply# 3   8/2/2006 at 20:24 (6,473 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        

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Post# 146634 , Reply# 4   8/2/2006 at 21:04 (6,473 days old) by westytoploader ()        

Can't believe GE made these...how cool, and what a great color! Interesting-looking Activator as well. Judging by the pictures, it doesn't look like it's in bad shape for its age. Hope someone saves it!

Post# 146644 , Reply# 5   8/2/2006 at 21:27 (6,473 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

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It appears that General Electric made Twin Tub washers for 10 years before the war, then they discontinued the line after the war and put all their effort into wingers and their new Automatic.

Post# 146652 , Reply# 6   8/2/2006 at 21:39 (6,473 days old) by westytoploader ()        

Those last 3 round GE twin-tubs seem to bear a striking resemblance to the Easy machines from around the same time. Especially when you look at the "stick shift" controls and the loading shelf to make shoving wet clothes into the spinner less messy. I wonder what the mechanism looks like?

Post# 146673 , Reply# 7   8/2/2006 at 22:55 (6,473 days old) by alr2903 (TN)        
IIRC

 this was the washer that went into some the U.S. submarines during war time. WWII, one of the Time Life series of books, shipbuilding, battleships, it was a series, of books showed a young Navy guy using one in a b/w photo.

Post# 146695 , Reply# 8   8/3/2006 at 03:42 (6,473 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill *Home of the RailwayTrials* Merseyside,UK)        
Wow

 chestermikeuk's profile picture
See, twintub washers just got sexy!!!never seen the square washtub with round spinner cabinet before, looks very un-easy...

This has got to be a saver,

Post# 146770 , Reply# 9   8/3/2006 at 13:33 (6,473 days old) by peterh770 (Marietta, GA)        

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oooooOOOOOOOooooo!!! Look at the glow-in-the-dark GE Twinnies!

I just got some Norge wringer information, and it appears Norge also made twinnies for a few years.

Post# 146773 , Reply# 10   8/3/2006 at 14:03 (6,473 days old) by cehalstead (Charleston, WV)        
ge twin tubs

 I have an instruction manual for the model in the ad. I don't know exactly where it is in my collection of stuff, but if someone here gets this great machine, I would be glad to make a copy of the manual for them. Interesting reading....it even tells how to it is not necessary to soak clothes all Sunday evening (after coming home from service...LOL) before washing on Monday. Also brags about being able to have 3 hour "turn around time" for linens and towels if you have a lot of visitors...I imagine that includes 2 1/2 hours of clothesline time....

Post# 146779 , Reply# 11   8/3/2006 at 14:43 (6,473 days old) by abcomatic (Bradford, Illinois)        

Oh my, I would love to have this machine but I am in Illinois and that is in Cal. It does look like an Easy, doesn't it? I have a Twin Dex by Dexter that does a great job but is not a spin dryer. I just finsihed wash in my new(old) Maytag Commander and what a great machine that is too. Have fun everyone. Gary

Post# 146785 , Reply# 12   8/3/2006 at 15:29 (6,473 days old) by geoffdelp (SAUK RAPIDS)        

I did not know that GE made a twin tub! For that matter, I did not know that Norge did either!!

I've always been fascinated by these machines. They were so simple in design and a lot safer than a wringer; I wonder why they didn't "catch on" as well as a wringer.

Do you suppose it was cost-related? Were twin tubs substantially more expensive than a wringer washer?

Maybe women just didn't get a chance to see their performance.

I've always like Dexter's Twin-Tub wringers, too. That was certainly a unique idea! I've thought of a lot of different ways to wash in one of those, too.

Post# 146795 , Reply# 13   8/3/2006 at 17:13 (6,472 days old) by abcomatic (Bradford, Illinois)        
cost related?

 I wonder Geoff too if it was cost related? The Dexter that I have is a great machine,rusty though as the flat surface between the tubs held water. While I am here Geoff, I have a Maytag Commander and was wondering if you would be able to tell me how old it is? Here is the serial no. A203819 C I just did a big wash in it today and it is a wonderful washer. Thanks, Gary

Post# 146815 , Reply# 14   8/3/2006 at 19:27 (6,472 days old) by golittlesport (California)        

golittlesport's profile picture
The wringer washers were cheaper than twin tubs. Check out some of the old Consumer Reports on this site...it talks about how twins were better and safer machines....but cost more. After the great Depression and through the war years people pinched pennies. Even today, many people buy on price alone.

Post# 146906 , Reply# 15   8/4/2006 at 08:19 (6,472 days old) by geoffdelp (SAUK RAPIDS)        

I saw a Maytag automatic ad the other day from 1952. The automatic price was $309! That was a TON of money back then. Still, women were purchasing these machines and were anxiously awaiting the Maytag dryer in 1953.

I wonder, too, if a person was going to buy a twin tub at a higher price, why not just buy an automatic? Plumbing was still an issue in the 1950's; maybe people just didn't have the plumbing for an automatic. When I was helping the local Maytag dealer with some wringer repairs a few years ago, I went into a couple of homes that did not have plumbing for an automatic washer (stand pipe, water outlets). Both homes just had a set of dual tubs and a floor drain. The dual tubs could have been easily removed and water outlets could have been installed and since there was a floor drain, a stand pipe could have been easily installed. One woman said it "cost too much!"

Gary ... your Maytag Model J - Commander was manufactured in February of 1954. 52 years old and still running, huh? Heck, she's probably just getting broke in!! :-) Do you have the red or black bakelite agitator? If you have either of these, protect it well. They are getting harder to find with a good spline. Use a turquoise one with a plastic spline for a "daily driver" and save your bakelite for show. You gotta love these old Maytag wringers; they were built like tanks!! :-)

Post# 148085 , Reply# 16   8/12/2006 at 00:09 (6,464 days old) by abcomatic (Bradford, Illinois)        

Geoff, Thanks so much for the info. on my Commander.I have a red bakelite agitator and now that you mention it, when it washes, it seems like there is a slight hesitation between strokes. I can use the adgitator from my Master (turquoise) and keep the red one then on the shelf. Good idea and thanks again. Gary


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