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Thread Number: 97740
/ Tag: Vintage Automatic Washers
Corkscrew Agitators |
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Post# 1226667 3/16/2025 at 22:46 by Launderess  (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Load sensing, corkscrew or whatever you want to call them such agitators seemed to have taken off in past.
IIRC Kenmore had them first, then when patents expired (if that is reason) everyone and their mother had a version. Kenmore: Whirlpool: KitchenAid: Even Maytag got on the bandwagon: Are these sort of agitators that much better than other designs? What gives? | ||
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Post# 1226671 , Reply# 2 3/16/2025 at 23:06 by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI) |
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I miss my corkscrew agitatior and a Kenmore direct-drive was where I had mine...
Sears used them on their Kenmore-line first, then Whirlpool acquired them, and I think when the direct-drive got introduced... I am pretty sure my new 2-year old Maytag has a regular agitator and the entire tub is what actually spins... -- Dave | ||
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Post# 1226675 , Reply# 3 3/16/2025 at 23:17 by GELaundry4ever (Nacogdoches, TX, USA (considering moving to Temple, Texas)) |
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GE! I had a GE with a corkscrew agitator in 2001. It did the job. Don't forget GE! You forgot GE! | ||
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Post# 1226677 , Reply# 4 3/16/2025 at 23:50 by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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 I'm of the understanding that Whirlpool developed the design, introduced via Kenmore circa 1976 and had an agreement with Sears for it to be a Kenmore exclusive for 10-ish years ... which prevented WP from featuring such on the other brands it produced until into the direct-drive era. Non-WP brands presumably couldn't have it until the patent expired, which I believe is 20 years. The earliest WP patent for a DA that I have saved from the daily rotation is "filed 5/8/1975." Three others filed 6/16/1976, 10/26/1976, and 8/31/1993. | ||
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Post# 1226682 , Reply# 5 3/17/2025 at 00:33 by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Oh all right! | ||
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Post# 1226684 , Reply# 6 3/17/2025 at 00:41 by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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| Post# 1226685 , Reply# 7 3/17/2025 at 01:26 by Agiflow (Toms River) | ||
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Not too crazy about the design of that GE agitator. It looks like a cheese grater with big fins. Too bad it didn't have a Filter-Flo. We would see how much lint that sucker makes. | ||
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Post# 1226688 , Reply# 8 3/17/2025 at 03:40 by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Post# 1226693 , Reply# 9 3/17/2025 at 05:41 by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI) |
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| Post# 1226706 , Reply# 10 3/17/2025 at 11:09 by johnb300m (Chicago) | ||
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| Post# 1226709 , Reply# 12 3/17/2025 at 12:41 by johnb300m (Chicago) | ||
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Post# 1226735 , Reply# 14 3/17/2025 at 23:41 by GELaundry4ever (Nacogdoches, TX, USA (considering moving to Temple, Texas)) |
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GE! Yes, it was stupid what GE did! All things considered, it did get my clothes clean even though it felt cheap and shook violently during normal/fast agitation. | ||
| Post# 1226778 , Reply# 15 3/18/2025 at 18:53 by neptunebob (Pittsburgh, PA) | ||
Was not invented by Sears | ||
| Post# 1226782 , Reply# 16 3/18/2025 at 19:33 by Agiflow (Toms River) | ||
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Reply#11 Wouldn't say the straight vanes were garbage. The four and five vain lint barrel agitators were quite effective in rolling large loads over. Those wavy and straight vanes made the difference. | ||
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Post# 1226809 , Reply# 17 3/19/2025 at 06:35 by Combo52 (50 Year Repair Tech Beltsville,Md) |
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The dual action agitator Was invented by whirlpool and Patented by them, Sears bought an exclusive 10 year right to use it, whirlpool did not realize how successful it would be and how it would revolutionized top load washers, whirlpool executives expressed regret to me that they had given Sears such a long lead on it.
The dual action agitator was simply more effective at turning loads over than any other type of agitator in especially in a large tub machine even the Frigidaire one to 18s could not compete, Consumer reports called at the greatest advance in washing machines in 40 years.
While almost any agitator will turn over loads of laundry if the machine isn’t packed too full, the dual action agitator simply allowed you to wash a lot more clothing, which made top loading washers, a little more energy, efficient and extended their stay in the marketplace.
The two piece stool action agitator has been phased out because machines do not fill with enough water any longer for it to be effective. The real interest in great washers is in front loading washers today.
John L This post was last edited 03/19/2025 at 09:19 | ||
| Post# 1226810 , Reply# 18 3/19/2025 at 08:56 by johnb300m (Chicago) | ||
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Ooooph | ||
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Post# 1226813 , Reply# 20 3/19/2025 at 10:50 by Tolivac (greenville nc) |
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I like how Speed Queen does not use a DA agitator. Their current design WORKS without using a DA agitator. I sort of think of SQ as the “Kirby” of washers since they use their tried and proven design. | ||
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Post# 1226820 , Reply# 21 3/19/2025 at 11:36 by GELaundry4ever (Nacogdoches, TX, USA (considering moving to Temple, Texas)) |
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surgilator What do you think of the surgilator? | ||
| Post# 1226823 , Reply# 22 3/19/2025 at 13:10 by Agiflow (Toms River) | ||
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The Surgilator, especially in its last form for the belt drives as the Double Duty is a brute strength knock em down kick butt agitator. | ||
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Post# 1226835 , Reply# 23 3/19/2025 at 17:31 by Tolivac (greenville nc) |
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Surgilators This agitator is BETTER than the DA agitators any day. I have owned washers that had the SURGILATORS better by far. | ||
| Post# 1226838 , Reply# 24 3/19/2025 at 17:48 by neptunebob (Pittsburgh, PA) | ||
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Post# 1226846 , Reply# 26 3/19/2025 at 20:42 by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Mr. Archimedes.
Rest assured the man and his famous invention are quite well known, many may not know what Archimedies screw (or devices based upon it are), but never the less.
From ship propulsion to industrial washing machines, Archimedies screw is well known. Batch/tunnel washers came about thanks to Mr. Archimedies's invention. On another note WP sued Maytag over patent infringement when latter introduced their version of "corkscrew" agitator to Canada. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whirlpool_... www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/... | ||
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Post# 1226870 , Reply# 28 3/20/2025 at 10:20 by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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Post# 1226872 , Reply# 29 3/20/2025 at 10:57 by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Post# 1226892 , Reply# 30 3/20/2025 at 14:30 by GELaundry4ever (Nacogdoches, TX, USA (considering moving to Temple, Texas)) |
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super surgilator So what was the difference between the surgilator and the super surgilator? | ||
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Post# 1226899 , Reply# 31 3/20/2025 at 16:18 by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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Post# 1226900 , Reply# 32 3/20/2025 at 16:57 by GELaundry4ever (Nacogdoches, TX, USA (considering moving to Temple, Texas)) |
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surgilator and dirt I like how the surgilator scrubs out ground in dirt without beating the fibers out of your clothes. | ||
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Post# 1226901 , Reply# 33 3/20/2025 at 17:39 by DADoES (TX, U.S. of A.) |
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Post# 1226988 , Reply# 34 3/22/2025 at 09:21 by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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| Post# 1227007 , Reply# 35 3/22/2025 at 15:17 by mickeyd (Hamburg NY) | ||
Not a fan ~
Further homogenization of the former stark originality of all thing washing machine, all the look alike nonsense is depressing when recalling the glories of the once unique panoply of machines at our disposal.
Have an old friend and former colleague who is super smart and multi-talented, but oh what a row we had when he insisted that his whole agitator in his brand new Whirlpool was turning round and round in circles. No washer sense of what a round and round load would look like in a top loader. He always washed full loads of like clothing: "I just washed 25-- TWENTY-FIVE-- shirts," he'd boast. I had to make him watch me fill his Whirlpool to Extra Low with no clothing on gentle speed before he believed me. Doubting Thomas indeed, his name is Tom, and he'll love that I told this story. Laundress, I have a Whirlpool with the twist monster removed from the agitator and it works just swell without it. Alternativley, I switch in the massive Kitchen-Aid agitator, unmolested, for the rare mega load, or king-sized quilts, or a three blanket load. Cheers, nice query! | ||
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Post# 1227624 , Reply# 36 3/29/2025 at 17:20 by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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| Post# 1227823 , Reply# 37 4/1/2025 at 16:01 by Dominic20 (Souix falls) | ||
Agreed | ||
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