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Thread Number: 89593
/ Tag: Modern Automatic Washers
Largest Capacity washer ever made |
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Post# 1141885 2/11/2022 at 07:30 (1,028 days old) by chetlaham  (United States) |
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Post# 1141886 , Reply# 1 2/11/2022 at 09:05 (1,028 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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There has never been a domestic washing machine for sale in USA with capacity greater than twenty pounds (20 lbs). This is due to local construction zoning regulations often have set that weight as total max allowed. This in turn allows developers and others planning to know what they have to design for in terms of max load.
Top loaders went from 8 - 9 pounds in 1950's up to 12-16 pounds by 1990's IIRC. Some like Norge claimed 20 lbs. Thing about washer capacity is since appliance makers sold units as matching sets an increase in washing machine capacity means dryer has to grow as well. Otherwise one full load from washing machine would have to be split into two before going into dryer. | ||
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Post# 1141890 , Reply# 3 2/11/2022 at 09:40 (1,028 days old) by chetlaham (United States) |
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Post# 1141891 , Reply# 4 2/11/2022 at 09:44 (1,028 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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 As I recall, Whirlpool / Kenmore standard-capacity belt-drives were said to be 14 lbs in the 1970s, maybe 1960s, and forward. Super-capacity debuted in the mid 1960s was "up to" 18 lbs. Capacity nowadays, at whatever point in time that began, is rarely if ever stated in pounds. Cubic feet is the reference, which eliminates the need to validate any poundage claims. | ||
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Post# 1141893 , Reply# 5 2/11/2022 at 10:01 (1,028 days old) by Mrsalvo (New Braunfels Texas) |
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I was referring to the 20 lb Norge as it was. in my mind, the largest that I knew of. Like Glenn stated, today’s machines would probably make mincemeat of the older ones. Bigger does not always equal better though. Barry | ||
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Post# 1141894 , Reply# 6 2/11/2022 at 10:04 (1,028 days old) by chetlaham (United States) |
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| Post# 1141897 , Reply# 7 2/11/2022 at 10:46 (1,028 days old) by Tomdawg (Des moines) | ||
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Maytag bravos A few years ago, Whirlpool made a 6.2 cu ft for the Maytag bravos line up. I thought I heard 22lb capacity but I clearly could be wrong. I noticed it’s not in the line up anymore. Even at 20 or 22lb its laughable because we all know it most likely won’t clean well. | ||
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Post# 1141898 , Reply# 8 2/11/2022 at 11:23 (1,028 days old) by ea56 (Cotati, Calif.) |
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In 1986 I bought a Magic Chef TL that was Norge built. It was supposed to have a 20 lb capacity and I believe it. It was the largest TL washing machine tub I ever saw. It was a very good performer too. We had to sell it about 18 mo. later when we moved into our first condo, a 1 bedroom with a laundry closet that would only accommodate a stacked washer and dryer.
We sold the Magic Chef set for $400 to a women I worked with, who already had an aging Norge and wanted another similar to her old washer. Lorraine used that Magic Chef set for about 15 years before the washer gave up the ghost. Eddie | ||
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Post# 1141900 , Reply# 9 2/11/2022 at 11:37 (1,028 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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Post# 1141901 , Reply# 10 2/11/2022 at 12:18 (1,028 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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Jenn-Air Ultra 22 Photos saved in January 2009 from Jaytag, and a video. | ||
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Post# 1141904 , Reply# 11 2/11/2022 at 13:04 (1,028 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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Post# 1141905 , Reply# 12 2/11/2022 at 13:40 (1,028 days old) by chetlaham (United States) |
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Jenn-air
Oh! I was not aware these existed. Who built them and why? What is their history? And for that matter I will admit I know little about Norge, or why some love them while others dislike them.
Let me know if I should start a new thread about them. I will watch those videos now, thank you for posting them! :) | ||
| Post# 1141918 , Reply# 13 2/11/2022 at 16:35 (1,028 days old) by qsd-dan (West) | ||
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Post# 1141924 , Reply# 14 2/11/2022 at 17:20 (1,028 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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| Post# 1141943 , Reply# 15 2/11/2022 at 22:13 (1,028 days old) by Repairguy (Danbury, Texas) | ||
Looking at some info on the Jenn air I was surprised to find that they would furnish a new inner or outer tub if either failed to defective materials or workmanship for 22 years. Not including any shipping, service calls, or labor, of course.
The large capacity whirlpool/kenmores were introduced in 1967 and ran through mid 1981 when the capacity was lessened for the new 1982 models. | ||
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Post# 1141946 , Reply# 16 2/12/2022 at 02:17 (1,027 days old) by Logixx (Germany) |
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Highest capacity listed on energystar.gov are the Whirlpool-made top loaders at 6.2 cu.ft., followed by the 5.8 front loaders by LG.
Looking at LG websites from other countries (Mexico, South Africa, Singapore and Australia) the capacity is always stated in weight. The large LG top loaders are rated at 55 lbs. capacity. I'd love to see the wash action with that much stuff in there. 🤪 | ||
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Post# 1141947 , Reply# 17 2/12/2022 at 04:05 (1,027 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI) |
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Post# 1141948 , Reply# 18 2/12/2022 at 05:23 (1,027 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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"Looking at some info on the Jenn air I was surprised to find that they would furnish a new inner or outer tub if either failed to defective materials or workmanship for 22 years."
Isn't that bit like lifetime warranty on porcelain drums or maybe motors many washing machines (IIRC) had back in day? Truth to tell often something else would go long before tub or motor that would cause machine to be scrapped. That is if cost of a new transmission or something on a fifteen year washer is more than machine is worth to some, it likely will be replaced by a new machine. This regardless if tub or motor are still fine. IIRC same could be said of dishwashers with their lifetime warranties on tubs and or motors. | ||
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Post# 1141956 , Reply# 21 2/12/2022 at 08:22 (1,027 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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IIRC Magic Chef never made a washing machine in their lives.
Fedders bought Magic Chef then gobbled up Norge from Borg Warner. Thus any Magic Chef washer likely is Norge to some extent under the bonnet. www.automaticwasher.org/c... Am not 100% sure but after Maytag/Maycor got their mitts on Norge, at some point their Performa washers were bit of Norge under bonnet as well, at least machines claiming 22lb capacity. What often happened going back ages is both appliance dealers and customers wanted same brand across line. That is washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, range, oven, etc... This was fine for some larger appliance makers like General Electric who had fingers in dozens of different pies. Others simply went out and bought or merged with a company that had what they wanted. Jenn-Air got their start making industrial/commercial fans. That lead them to first down draft self ventilated range. Other small kitchen appliances, dishwashers, microwave ovens and fridges followed, but no laundry appliances. | ||
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Post# 1141966 , Reply# 23 2/12/2022 at 11:38 (1,027 days old) by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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| Post# 1141971 , Reply# 24 2/12/2022 at 13:16 (1,027 days old) by Repairguy (Danbury, Texas) | ||
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| Post# 1141972 , Reply# 25 2/12/2022 at 13:22 (1,027 days old) by Repairguy (Danbury, Texas) | ||
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Post# 1142042 , Reply# 26 2/13/2022 at 05:30 (1,026 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Leave us not forget KitchenAid....
When owned by Hobart KA brand was largely known for stand mixers, dishwashers, waste disposers and few other bits. Kitchenaid bought Chambers to expand their product line to include ranges, ovens, and other cooking appliances. Whirlpool subsequently gobbled up Kitchenaid which got them not only KA but Chambers.... Whirlpool added refrigerators, and laundry appliances. For latter WP seemed to have positioned Kitchen Aid as slightly more upscale. www.company-histories.com... It's wicked when you think about it; handful of global conglomerates basically own majority of appliance brands. | ||
| Post# 1142045 , Reply# 27 2/13/2022 at 07:48 (1,026 days old) by rpms (ontario canada) | ||
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Post# 1142053 , Reply# 28 2/13/2022 at 10:11 (1,026 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Ohh yes!
Thor, Beatty Bros. and others marketed washing machines for small to medium sized hotels. They also would serve for convents, monasteries, schools, care homes, large private homes or estates.... Places that had more laundry than say private home, but not enough to warrant investment in larger commercial equipment of the time. Today of course this market is served by on premises laundry (OPL) equipment.
This washers had bit larger capacity, but nearly all relied still upon wringers early on. At least in USA small extractors that didn't require bolting down were not available, nor did many have separate motors. Many were driven by belts and or other means commonly found in commercial settings, but lacking elsewhere. www.johnsonrarebooks.com/... www.google.com/books/edition/Hot... | ||
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Post# 1142081 , Reply# 29 2/13/2022 at 12:38 (1,026 days old) by chetlaham (United States) |
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Post# 1142119 , Reply# 30 2/13/2022 at 21:14 (1,026 days old) by GELaundry4ever (Nacogdoches, TX, USA) |
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GE I could've sworn GE built the largest capacity machine in 1995 with the post filter-flo washer. | ||
| Post# 1142179 , Reply# 31 2/14/2022 at 15:13 (1,025 days old) by UltraWash (Charlotte, North Carolina ) | ||
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I think the largest modern TL was the WP/KM/MT 6.2 cu ft washer from 2016. | ||
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Post# 1142180 , Reply# 32 2/14/2022 at 15:18 (1,025 days old) by henene4 (Heidenheim a.d. Brenz (Germany)) |
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So it was 6.2cuft Thought I red that number somewhere. Currently available, the largest is LGs 5.8cuft FL TOL offering. Certainly for dryers, the largest is 9cuft currently offered by LG and previously by WP/MT aswell IIRC. | ||
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Post# 1142201 , Reply# 33 2/14/2022 at 18:49 (1,025 days old) by Logixx (Germany) |
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Again per energystar.gov, Whirlpool made the largest (recent) dryer at 9.2 cu.ft.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO Logixx's LINK | ||
| Post# 1142202 , Reply# 34 2/14/2022 at 19:08 (1,025 days old) by qsd-dan (West) | ||
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I think the largest modern TL was the WP/KM/MT 6.2 cu ft | ||
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Post# 1142204 , Reply# 35 2/14/2022 at 19:20 (1,025 days old) by neptunebob (Pittsburgh, PA) |
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Post# 1142212 , Reply# 36 2/14/2022 at 20:58 (1,025 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md) |
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Largest conventional top loading washer ever
By far the largest usable capacity several mention where the whirlpool machines from about 1967 through 81 especially the ones with the duel action agitator these would wash a bigger load than any other American topload washer.
Reply number one is kind of ridiculous laundress there are no regulations on how many pounds a washing machine can wash In housing codes building codes etc. There are many machines including current Speed Queen front loaders that are rated at 22 pound capacity. There are many large front load washers today that you could probably pack more than 30 pounds of clothing into as well as the really big top load machines with impellers you could pack a lot of laundry in. These new tops load machines in particular will not wash clothing uniformly and effectively with loads over 10-15 pounds. Norge washing machines were never known to be hard on clothing. In 50 years of working on washing machines I have never had a customer complain about a Norge damaging clothing. With the exception of some of the machines around 1970 where the plastic poly propylene agitators would have fins break off in the middle leaving rough edges those would start to damage clothing until you replace the agitator. In fact the only traditional washer that was ever judged to actually damage clothing were Maytags with a standard power fin agitator when Consumer Reports tested one speed machines even the Norge did not damage delicate curtain panels like the Maytag did. John L | ||
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Post# 1142264 , Reply# 37 2/15/2022 at 14:29 (1,024 days old) by neptunebob (Pittsburgh, PA) |
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The direct drive Whirlpool looks to be larger | ||
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Post# 1142267 , Reply# 38 2/15/2022 at 15:03 (1,024 days old) by chetlaham (United States) |
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Post# 1142285 , Reply# 39 2/15/2022 at 17:56 (1,024 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md) |
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Reply #38 Because these BD washers were bigger, they held 27 gallons of water, the DDs never held more than 23.
Norge was the next largest at around 25 gallons and GE FFs did use 25 gallons of water per fill in their large tub machines but we all know how much space was wasted between the tubs on a FF.
The early large tub DDs with Dual Action agitators with the superior short stroke agitation did almost as much as the early super 27 gallon BDs however.
John L. | ||
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Post# 1142289 , Reply# 40 2/15/2022 at 18:08 (1,024 days old) by chetlaham (United States) |
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| Post# 1142526 , Reply# 41 2/18/2022 at 16:23 (1,021 days old) by Smartdrive1100 (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) | ||
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Post# 1142543 , Reply# 42 2/18/2022 at 21:03 (1,021 days old) by GELaundry4ever (Nacogdoches, TX, USA) |
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post GE FF Did they make their outer tubs bigger? What about their motors? What did they do to the drive system to make the tub super size? | ||
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Post# 1142555 , Reply# 43 2/19/2022 at 01:46 (1,021 days old) by chetlaham (United States) |
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Post GE filter flos
I'm glad you asked!
The outer tubs got a bit smaller so they would not touch the cabinet during spin, but the inner basket got considerably larger (and deeper) being less than an inch from the outer tub. There were two outer tubs and two wash baskets that I recall. Both the extra large and super capacity inner and outer tubs were same size at the top of the balance ring, but the extra large capacity inner and outer tub slanted inward by about two or three inches to produce a lower capacity machine. Motors were 1/2 HP, one or two speed, with about half a dozen variants, but they fell into 3 major types in this order before the Hydrowave. 1) A centrifugal start motor with a clutch attached to the output shaft. 2) A PSC motor with clutch on shaft. 3) A PSC without a clutch (pulley direct on shaft) The transmission was a lot more compact and smaller, it no longer protruded above and through the outer tub. | ||
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Post# 1142558 , Reply# 44 2/19/2022 at 04:53 (1,020 days old) by combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md) |
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Reply 43
Hi Chet, good information although I don’t think I ever saw a PSC motor with a clutch on it on a GE post Filter Flow washer.
There was a PSC motor that had a huge steel pulley that almost looks like a clutch and then of course as you mentioned there was one that just had a normal pulley on the bottom of the motor shaft. John L | ||
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Post# 1142566 , Reply# 45 2/19/2022 at 07:14 (1,020 days old) by chetlaham (United States) |
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Here is an example that I am thinking of that came immediately after the centrifugal start motors:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/294137490074QUE... Granted I played with these washers in the mid to late 2000s, so I could be wrong about the above, however IIRC that is a real clutch that will let the motor spin even if transmission/brake is locked up. Models that came after this did indeed have a solid pulley in the same shape as the original clutch but did not slip. Personally I think the clutch is a good idea in that if the washer suds locks it will simply let the clutch slip instead of tripping the motor out on thermal protection several minutes latter. I remember that happened to a member here (ToggleSwitch) when he bought a BOL GE. It took a lot of time for the motor to reset. Another reason I would put a clutch on washers from a design perspective is so I could run the motor's spin winding straight off the timer's common live rail instead of going through pressure switch and fill circuit. Always place high amps on as few parts as possible. The washer could be forced into spin drain by the user and not overload and trip, or rely on the pressure switch drop over 10 amps of inductive load every 4 seconds. | ||
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