Bendix Washing Machine $175

I too was fascinated by these Bendix FL’s as a kid. We had a baby sitter that had one on her back porch, it was one of the earlier “diving bell” models. I used to sit in front of it endlessly watching the clothes tumble around behind the glass window. She used Cheer and the detergent dispenser on top of the machine always had a crust of blue Cheer around it. There were train tracks behind her home and I recall that once when a long freight train went flying down the tracks the whole back porch shaking and the door of the Bendix came open and suds, water and clothes sloshed onto the floor, Mrs. Krenzer was less than pleased.

In my town just 3 blocks from our home there used to be a laundry mat that had all Bendix FL’s mounted up on a 2 foot high concrete ledge with floor drains. I used to got there to do my laundry before I had my first washer because I loved watching those machines still and it was only 20cents a load to wash. I once saw Jon Provost from TV’s “Lassie” doing his laundry there too, he was a student at Sonoma State College at the time in 1970. Those were the days!

Eddie

This post was last edited 03/22/2024 at 13:10


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Post# 1202070 3/21/2024 at 22:42 by Michaelh (Illinois, USA)
Checkrate/Likes I don’t know much about older washers, but I thought a few here would find this interesting. This machine, plus three of her sisters, are available in Kansas City. The seller suggests that the machines may not work. CLICK HERE TO GO TO Michaelh's LINK Photos... < > Photo 1 of 3 View Full Size

Post# 1202071 , Reply# 1 3/21/2024 at 22:46 by appnut (TX)
Checkrate/Likes That's the washer that got me hooked on washers as a crawler and toddler.

Post# 1202085 , Reply# 2 3/22/2024 at 11:14 by Gyrafoam (Wytheville, VA)
Checkrate/Likes *Yes, Bob, you are not alone.---------* My friend and I were constantly trying to bring one home as in the mid-fifties there was always one or two on the curb for pick-up around the neighborhood. Of course, they out-weighed us both put together, and even if we were able to move one, neither of our parents would have welcomed the cast-off machines!. This one is numbered like it was used in a commercial laundry. One of the first public laundries I ever saw was in East Atlanta, next to the theater and it had a row of these. People were constantly oversudzing them and pulling out wet, sudzy clothes at the end of the cycle. Duh. Of course, the detergent dispenser on the wall dispensed nothing but the typical high-sudzing detergents of the day. I think All, Dash, etc. would have made a lot more sense, but, the women used to manual washers didn't think the clothes would get clean without a good layer of sudz.

Post# 1202087 , Reply# 3 3/22/2024 at 11:41 by Michaelh (Illinois, USA)
Checkrate/Likes Are some of these combination washer/dryers? I thought I read they were, but maybe the person who thought it was is mistaken.

Post# 1202088 , Reply# 4 3/22/2024 at 11:54 by ea56 (Cotati, Calif.)
Checkrate/Likes I too was fascinated by these Bendix FL’s as a kid. We had a baby sitter that had one on her back porch, it was one of the earlier “diving bell” models. I used to sit in front of it endlessly watching the clothes tumble around behind the glass window. She used Cheer and the detergent dispenser on top of the machine always had a crust of blue Cheer around it. There were train tracks behind her home and I recall that once when a long freight train went flying down the tracks the whole back porch shaking and the door of the Bendix came open and suds, water and clothes sloshed onto the floor, Mrs. Krenzer was less than pleased. In my town just 3 blocks from our home there used to be a laundry mat that had all Bendix FL’s mounted up on a 2 foot high concrete ledge with floor drains. I used to got there to do my laundry before I had my first washer because I loved watching those machines still and it was only 20cents a load to wash. I once saw Jon Provost from TV’s “Lassie” doing his laundry there too, he was a student at Sonoma State College at the time in 1970. Those were the days! Eddie This post was last edited 03/22/2024 at 13:10

Post# 1202093 , Reply# 5 3/22/2024 at 12:31 by appnut (TX)
Checkrate/Likes *Combos* Michael, the combos were very different look. Those didn't come out until 1952 or 1953 and the washer the subject of the thread was from 1947 of 1948 until early 1950s.