1968 Programmed 4 Speed GE Filter Flo And Versatronic Dryer

[angus]

That is a beautiful set and in incredible condition. Can you give us a history of where they came from, etc...? Always interesting to know the details behind the find, especially when you see units that are in such great shape. Anyway, I am a sucker for a lighted control panel...

Personally, I prefer the GE straight vane activators. The GE's I have had used the ramp style activator and I found that unless very carefully loaded, tended to go out of balance more frequently.

 

[combo52]

Three and four-speed GE Filter Flow washers

The three speed and four speed clutch was the same thing. The model said only gave you three speeds. They just didn’t use one of the available speeds.

Hi Charlie, great explanation of how the clutches worked. There were not many of these machines and GE didn’t continue the three speeds very long in the overall history of washers that is.

I think the strokes per minute of agitation varied from 80 to 60 to 50 to 40, the three speed models left out the 50 strokes, per minute speed.

John.

 

[pulltostart]

Re: Reply #18

Tom,

GE offered the magnetic catch (with pedal) for one more year.  They used the "16" badge through 1969, too.  The introduction of the large capacity, 31" wide dryers in 1970 killed the pedal (I'm guessing that the cabinet design eliminated the toe space).  These 1968's were also the last year for all of the nice front trim - the 'Custom' badge, the chrome trim at the toe space on the dryer, and the chrome trim and black panel on the faux toe space on the washer.

 

lawrence

 

[tomturbomatic]

Thank you, Lawrence. The foot pedal added elegance to the dryer by eliminating the need for that ugly, protruding door handle. Part of the reason I wanted my 1968 model and hope to be able to keep it is that it represents the culmination of features and design in the proud history of GE dryers and the next to the last year for so many of the features that made the TOL GE dryers distinctive.

 

[repairguy]

This set came from an elderly couples home where I’m told they were very meticulous in keeping their older home in good condition. He passed away and she was put into assisted living so I guess the house was probably liquidated and sold. The people that I bought them from either helped with a possible estate sale or bought them to flip.

The agitation speeds are in order from highest to lowest: normal, medium, delicate, gentle.

The lighted controls:

 

[jons1077]

Really beautiful

These were my favorite GE designs. Nostalgic for me but also they’re just very attractive.

 

[pulltostart]

Gobsmacked

These are just awesome.  Their styling is so well thought out.  If they're not in a design museum somewhere, they should be.  They represent the height of a design evolution that started in 1957.

 

lawrence

 

 

 

[DADoES]

 
Super spiffy!  A tiny glitch in the console design is that the water level control doesn't have a backlit lens.

 

[jons1077]

This is why…

A toddler in the early 1980’s would strip naked just run his grandmother’s ‘69 FilterFlo! Compared to our 80 series belt drive with the DA agitator, the GE was hands down a showstopper!

 

[repairguy]

Jon I’ve always thought the set you have is beautiful and they inspired me to want a set like them. I’ve looked for a set like these for many years before I was finally able to get this set. I’ve always liked the filter flo machines but they have been hard to find in this area for the last 20 years.

 

[jons1077]

They are an amazing find

It’s crazy what is still lurking out there. I love when we can save these machines from an otherwise unfortunate future. They are no different than classic cars to me. Some deserve to be preserved as an important part of Americana.

 

[swestoyz]

Melvin, I'm speechless.  Not only are these quite possibly the best washer/dryer pair GE made, they are in impeccable condition.  I cannot believe how nice they are.   Thank you so much for the many photos and lit panel shots you've included.  By chance, could you post some more photos that show each of the neon indicator positions on the timer dial?  Does the dryer have any neon indicators, as well?

 

Ben

 

[bigalsf]

Congratulations!!

Wow, that is a nice set. They are really beautiful! A very cool console design; I love the lighted pointer! Does the dryer pointer light up as well?

I've never worked on/used a 3 or 4 speed machine (I've never seen a 4 speed version). I'll have to so some reading up on this design.

Enjoy using them!

 

[circlew]

Now I'm Confused!

My former neighbor Thelma had a GE set in Snow White, and I thought they were '68 models, but now I'm not sure. What I remember - dryer was a Versatronic, had the foot pedal, console light, and chrome trim on the front of the top; washer was Programmed model, console light, and chrome trim on front of the top. However, I think the buttons were vertical rather than horizontal as on Melvin's beautiful new set. I know they were bought not long before the youngest daughter Amy was born in January '69. Is it possible they were leftover '67 models, or possibly early production '69 models? I know where they were purchased, and that store was known for selling GE's overstock and oddball items.

 

[swestoyz]

buttons were vertical rather than horizontal

Yes! The vertical button arrangement was on the '67 models, with the button escutcheon lit from behind just like the horizontal arrangement. The '68 model appears to be the only year they had the neon indicators behind the timer dial.

Ben

 

[repairguy]

Hi Ben, As soon as I get a chance I’ll get the pictures of the dial in the various neon indicated positions. I had to get them tucked into a safer spot as the weather is humid and in the eighties here and I’m sure these machines have never seen that being in a home in Colorado.

 

[pulltostart]

Button Count

GE had a problem with their buttons - they couldn't "stack" any more than five on this backsplash.  If you look back, the 1964 TOL washer was programmed (first edition of the linear control) and offered 5 programs.  The buttons were arranged horizontally just  like the timeline timer.  But in 1965, and continuing with the 1966 models, the same backsplash/console offered 7 programs: again in a horizontal configuration.  But in 1967, they abandoned the linear control and went to the console like Melvin's 1968's, and the buttons were once again stacked, and space limitations would only allow 5 buttons (i.e., 5 programs).  In 1968, in order to offer 7 programs, the buttons had to be arranged horizontally, and we see the results with this pair.

 

It's been a while since I've seen a close-up of the 1966 controls, so I'm not certain of what the additional two programs were, and don't know how what they offered affected the type of clutch/controls, either.  But it must have been interesting from a sales point of view when trying to sell these machines to lose two cycles (programs) in 1967 and trying to "sell" the customer on the idea that less is better.

 

lawrence

 

[bajaespuma]

Speaking as an appliance geek

All of the Filter-Flo TOL's  from the mid-'50s to the mid '70s featured horizontally oriented Program toggles/keys/buttons (the 1964 model had only 5 programs). I think it was a style choice, not an engineering necessity. The 2nd from top TOL's frequently had the 5 programs arranged vertically. GE never passed up an opportunity to have more models on the annual menu. The seven programs were eliminated after 1974, I think. CU declared, in one of the best and most comprehensive  '60s washing machine articles that, paradoxically, the fancy and more expensive TOL's of  most manufacturers were LESS versatile and/or flexible than their cheaper counterparts.

 

I think exceptions to the CU caveat were the Lady Kenmores with the keys (the array of dispensers and design of the cycles made it AFAIK the only washer at that time were the user could set the dial, fill all the dispensers and not have to return to the basement until it was time to unload the machine-worth the premium ). As I've said before, I think a lot of these complicated TOL's were purchased by tech-geeky husbands in the pre-Friedan years. Most of the women, including me own sainted Mother, couldn't have cared less for bells and whistles. The women I asked back in the day found these models unnecessarily complicated. I think the Maytag TOL's might have been exceptions too, because the user had to push only one button to operate the washer and dryer. No cascade of decisions to make and somehow the laundry got done.

 

[appnut]

Ken, I have always been mindful of this "horizontal" arrangement since the inception of the 2-speed design and those 5 cycles weere pretty much the same but with different labels over the years. With the advent of my knowledge and understanding/appreciation of LK's as well as the WP Mark VII, those set the standard appropriate laundry practices for all old-fashioned top load TOL washers. And the 5-programmed F-Flos and our 1963/1964 Norge Dispensomat were in the same ball park, yet at compete opposite of the playing field in one glaring exception. The GEs "sturdy" W'n'W offered only warm wash whee as our Norge w'n'w Durabes only offered hot wash and both had Normal Wash/Slow Spin. GE's specials had a slow wash/normal spin, where as our Specials was slow/slow, both offering warm/warm. I would have preferred the Norge had warm rather than hot water programmed. I attempted to force a LK colors scenario with being warm wash rather than hot and I got away with until the mother caught me changing the cycle button after the warm fill to the W'n'W button and got told in no uncertain terms was I to change wash cycle button after I had started the machine, no exceptions. I remembr my dad got the first Perm Press garments in the house and it was some slacks. So, I washed those slacks on the W'n'W durables with theo hot wash. That load of slacks was never the same after being forced to wash in hot water, the fabric was kinda limp. And hence by this time I was doing my own laundry and I had to force my laundry to be washed on the delicate cycle, but I select4ed the longest wash time. Of course all this changed with arrival of the Kenmore 800 in 1970. When I would wear white long-sleeve dress shirts to work during the spring/summer months, I always washed those shirts h/c with N/S speed for both the Lady Shredmore as well as my 1978 F Flo. This all being said, when I encountered the TOL Norge VGQ washer in 1966/1967 at our local Foley's department store, you can imagine my being pissed that Norge had started including a perm press cycle with warm water wash also. That TOL VGQ was the model replacemtn for our Norge.

 

[pulltostart]

Ken,

You are correct, I stand corrected.  Although I was completely discarding the 1958-1963 models due to the consoles being on a completely different chassis.  No matter - you're correct.

 

lawrence