1970's GE Filter-Flo Extra Large Wash Basket

[scrubflex]

Does anyone know if GE had bigger large capacity washtubs in the late 60's thru 70's than the 80's and 90's ones?

 

[scrubflex]

Anybody?!?

 

[turquoisedude]

I remember my folks had a 1973 Viking (A GE clone) that was an 18lb tub capacity and this was supposedly the largest at time. My first washer was a 1976 Viking (still a GE clone) that had the 21lb tub - the other GE's I had from the late 70's and early 80's never seemed to be bigger than this. I recall buying my father a GE Medallion 850 washer (MOL, I believe) to replace the 73 Viking in or around 1989 and it had an 18lb tub... Hope this helps a little...

 

[scrubflex]

WOW!!!

It absolutely does. I wonder why GE(USA) never made anything bigger than the 18 lb tub capacities? Do you have any photos or literature of these kind of GE's?

 

[scrubflex]

Turquoisedude, do you still have your first 1976 Viking (GE)? Have you ever made any videos of your GE Viking's?

 

[turquoisedude]

Alas, no....

I mourn the sale of that machine frequently! The Filter-Flo washing system and the mini-basket were the key features that I miss most... I traded the set for a compact washer/dryer when I moved to into downtown Montreal in 1994... I know for a fact that the machine was last known to be in use in 2002, though!
I didn't have a means of taking videos of the washer, either. SIGH!!
I probably would've gotten shot, but I remember badgering my folks to take a movie of the family's first GE washer, a V12!!

 

[bajaespuma]

TTBOMK

GE's 18lb. capacity washbaskets were the all the same size until the extinction of Filter-flo. Just a couple of inches deeper, no wider. Their capacity claims were always a stretch. Somehow the V-12 tub (that could hold 12 lbs. of HEAVY laundry, barely)became able to hold 16 lbs. by the end of the 70's. The 18 lb. tub(that became the "extra large" tub) could launder 12 lbs. of normal-weight laundry, also just barely, and I know because I measured many times. Cleaning effectiveness also depended greatly on which activator was used. The straight-vaned ones, predictably, were like tits on a bull for big packed loads.

 

[turquoisedude]

Now there's something I remember from the family's original V12 washer - the activator was 'swirled'; the 76 Viking was definitely the straight-vane style and it worked best with loads that were mixed with small and large articles.
What brought about the change? Was it simply to allow you to cram more into the tub??

 

[scrubflex]

...just barely...I measured many times...

The 18 lb. tub could only handle 12 lbs? Is that with the Heavy Duty 18 straight 8-vane or the straight 4-vane Activator agitator? I understand the spiral ramp supposed to allow more usable tub space, maybe 2lbs extra of clothes. What do you think of that?

Turquoisedude, did your 1976 Viking (GE) 21 lb. tub look this size and with the straight 8-vane agitator? Or did it have this straight 4-vane style?

 

[scrubflex]

straight 4-vane Activator

 

[scrubflex]

I'd love to re-building a GE dream machine and it would be awesome to get a hold of a Viking (GE) 21 lb. tub to put in a SpotScrubber washer. Any thoughts?

 

[yogitunes]

funny thing....GE's are a very quiet machine if you stop the filter flo...its the water splashing that makes it a somewhat noisy machine....never knew this til I got a spotscrubber model and the water turned off during the scrub period....

I also take the fill flume and turn it over on itself so the water entering hits the vinyl tub ring, the water splashes onto the clothes and you get a waterfall effect during the fill, instead of the water going behind the tub...this was just a preference

 

[laundromat]

Don't get me wrong---

I liked the old Filter-Flo washers made by GE but hated the backwash that would come out of the Filter Flo spray as it filled and agitated for the rinse.I know a dealer(Joe Bolewhicki's Appliance) that was planning on using the ballance blocks to build an interesting looking house! LOL

Seriously though,I really liked the GE Filter Flo washers 1,000% better than their current Tupperware models.LOL

 

[scrubflex]

Hey Yogi, you're right you can barely hear them. Excellent idea about the fill flume. I wondered if that could be changed to create a nicer spray. Is there something we can do about the noise it makes? Yogi, are you able to reset-fill the tub close to the tub ring for the largest washload and not have a overflowing water spin-out all over the floor? And, how long have you had your spotscrubber washer?

 

[yogitunes]

it just seemed really good water pressure made the filling kinda whistle, annoying yes, I took out the air gap and with a few pieces of plastic pipe replaced it to make it a solid, no air gap hookup...alls you heard then was gushing water...

My buddy got these when I lived with him in princeton,nj, he bought fixer uppers and resold and made a pretty penny doing it back then, whe he remodeled the kitchen I talked him into new washer/dryer and all in the GE series, I like the "spotscrubber" with the large mini-basket which was solid, no holes in the bottom or near the center shaft, thats how I found out they would shut the filter flo off to concentrate the detergent in the mini-basket....the salesman didn't even know this, I only got to use them for about 2 years, very nice set though, I like gadgets and buttons....

I explained in the other thread on what to check on thewater spin out problem....check and get back to me...email if you have to, we'll figure out whats wrong.....adjust the water level set screw to allow enough water to about 1/2 below the filter pan, you can't let water float in the pan cause then the lint won't bundle up, it has to be able to flo out with the agitation strokes....now if your doesn't have the mini-basket, I think I have a tub filter ring from a hotpoint that could be used and that would allow you to fill the water even higher yet and still function with the filtering action, the advantage of this is the filter is self-cleaning....just some ideas....let me know how you made out.......

 

[scrubflex]

Do you have a pics of the change you made with air gap...where actually is the air gap hookup?

 

[yogitunes]

no pics...the air gap is located in line from the water valve...comes up to the top and back down thru a hose to the water flume into the outter tub....just need to use adapters from lowes to convert from the 1/4 tube to the 3/4 inch hose....take the air gap out and go to lowes and tell them you need to replace this piece with a plastic style conversion, theres a number of ways to do it....just pick one...

 

[scrubflex]

ok, cool.

 

[vintagesearch]

tub capacity?

i wondered too exactly how big was the filter flo tubs on there high end models 2 of my friends had an all white ff washer with the touchpad as a water temp selector and a separate switch for the mini basket. i distinctly remember my friends mother doing her king sized comforters and her down comforters in it! we would then have to haul it off to the laundromat to dry but there washer if i remember correctly had 2 of those spouts that recirculated the water one at the 2 and 5 and o clock position i swear to it thats what i saw although i used to think thats how it filled through those spouts LOL!!! and for some reason the only option on the touchpad she ever used was marked as "washable knits" under the section "colorfast" hmmm interesting memories.....

 

[scrubflex]

I've just seen a photo of the GE with the touchpad water temperature selector...looks beautiful. What size was the washtub to handle a king-size comforter?

 

[yogitunes]

the only odd GE FF I have ever seen was at a laundromat, the FF port was at the 7 o clock position, from the front, seemed almost like a kenmore but on the left side

 

[supremewhirlpol]

I had an all white GE FF with the touchpad. It was a very nice machine. Spotscrubber option, with minibasket. It was a 1995 model I believe. It had a fairly deep basket, at least 16lb. It only had one port for the water to shoot into the filter.

 

[scrubflex]

Do you remember the model number of the washer?