1970's Harvest Gold Westinghouse Spacemaker Washer

[rapidry1000]

There's a 1970's Westinghouse Spacemaker tumbler washer in harvest gold for sale. Seller is asking $225.00 which I think is overpriced. Perhaps he doesn't know how old this washer is. The washer is located in the San Jose area. Machine is in good condition. I have a similar washer (Model LAT170) in my collection but in fair cosmetic condition. It is Craigslist ad #sale-231703299 Hope someone in Applianceville gets the washer.

 

[westytoploader]

Ummmm...

Exactly what Craigslist is it on? SF Bay? Los Angeles? I'm usually able to find and post links to Craigslist ads you mention but this one is near impossible.

 

[rapidry1000]

Westinghouse Spacemate Washer in San Jose

The Craigslist ad is in San Francisco.

 

[frontaloadotmy]

Austin

I'm on it! Select the south bay region then key in
Westunghouse, as opposed to WestInghouse, misstroked I reckon.
I'm shooting for snatchation tomorrow. I don't really know how a 30 year old washingmachine could have only been used 2 weeks then put up on blocks. He said it had some dents because it was dropped recently during moving, and he didn't
operate it with water, but that it does "go through" all cycles. If only it were avocado!!!! We shall see. It's one of them "extra height" units.

 

[westytoploader]

The elusive "Taller Tumbler" appears!

And yours is EXACTLY like the one in the POD! The "Taller Tumbler" is another one of my Westinghouse dream machines, besides the TOL 1963 Laundromat!!! It's really a shame there aren't more of these around.

 

[eddy1210]

oh dear

I called the fellow myself and was going to buy it from him and use Craters and Freighters. Didn't know you were after it too, Darrel. Anyway, email me
Eddy

 

[whirlcool]

What was the capacity of these machines? I even see that promoted the use of a pedestal with it. If they could build a reliable FL machine in the 70's, why so many problems with them now? These aren't water misers are they?

 

[frontaloadotmy]

Allen

They mise water better than top loaders of that and even
newer periods, but what I loved about my one direction potato
pulley is that I could select any one of 4 water levels, which
allowed one to easily gang up on dirt!

 

[neptunebob]

Actually, I don't think they were all that reliable in the 1970s, Consumer Reports rated them as having one of the worst repair records. My aunt had a Westinghouse like that and she saw the repair man pretty often. These machines were also prone to rust badly.

 

[retromom]

Westinghouse Tall Tub Washer

What an awesome looking washer! Since the Westinghouse front loaders were pretty heavy (with those concrete blocks inside), was that storage unit attached to the washer itself (not separate like modern pedestal storage drawers)?

I can't imagine any washer washing shag rugs without getting out of balance. Would love to see that wash!

Weren't there some other Westinghouse washers that had the weighing/load scale?

Was there a matching tall tub dryer?

Hope someone get this. It looks like fun!

 

[neptunebob]

Actually, I think there was a matching tall dryer, it was called the "Higher Dryer". Funny thing was, the people who had the Higher Dryer usually had a top loading Westinghouse washer (I live in Westinghouse territory). The fact it can wash shag rugs - definitely a 70s machine.

 

[neptunebob]

Also with the Polyester Knit cycle, definitely from the 70's. John Travolta probably could have washed his white polyester suit in there and it would have been ready and wrinkle free in time for him to get to the disco and dance with the Bee Gees.

 

[westytoploader]

I noticed a subtle discrepancy between machines in the ad. The picture of the full machine shows a painted loading door, however, if you look at the top picture in the Weigh-To-Save details, you can clearly see the chrome strip across the top and a latch button that's more flush with the door! That was part of the older design...they must have eliminated all chrome on the door (save for the latch) sometime during production of this machine. I bet that also had the chrome ring surrounding the window as well...

 

[neptunebob]

Yes, Austin, the chrome was probably phased out in the 70s because my aunt bought her Westinghouse in 1969 so it had more chrome but the control panel looked the same (although hers was on top toward the back, like a top loader). Even though a lot of people here worked for Westinghouse and could get discounts, I found that the top loader was more popular. You are probably the guy who knows the reason why (I do think it was less expensive)?

 

[westytoploader]

According to the February 1991 issue of Consumer Reports, the MOL White-Westinghouse Dual-Tumble FL they tested (stackable, front-control model LT250L; same machine as my 1993 LT350R) had a retail price of $699, when the MOL top-loader they tested was $429. The TOL machine, with controls on the backsplash, twin dispensers, and an end-of-cycle signal, had a retail price of $759! This was when a new TOL Maytag was $635 (over $100 cheaper!), so cost must have played a huge part in their limited popularity. It figures that they're so damn hard to find in decent shape; most I've seen on eBay and Craigslist, regardless of location, have been rode HARD and are rusting all over! Out of the two machines I've seen in Texas (including mine), both were the later Dual-Tumble version (the last year for the Potato-Pulley was 1988) and one was in horrible shape. Mine was still pretty bad, but now that it's been painted and has a plexiglass top, it looks better. I still haven't seen a Potato-Pulley machine near me, though. You'd think, if I was able to find an early-60's GE Combo (which, with the pedestal controls, is pretty rare in itself), one of these would eventually surface! Of course the fact that they were built like tanks (with cast iron, and later, concrete, tub weights) attributed to the cost. The rust issue was really a downfall, in my opinion; I'm willing to bet that if porcelain coating was used in the front panel (at the very least), these things would last forever!

 

[neptunebob]

Austin, I believe people either loved or hated the front loader. What I would hear is that the washer cleaned and rinsed well but would rust and leak and they would get to know the repairman. I never heard of mold issues, though. Still, it was enough aggravation to get people to switch to (sometimes Westinghouse) top loaders. I know one woman (her husband worked for Westinghouse) who had to go to Indiana PA (85 miles from Pittsburgh) to find an appliance dealer who would carry the front loader. Westinghouse, when getting ready to dump their appliance division, did not put much money into the plants and so did not spent money to improve the product and I don't WCI put money into any of the appliances they inherited. Many appliance chains didn't carry Westinghouse and it was not until late 80s that there was a Kenmore version. Aunt Mac's Westinghouse was badly rusting and leaking when she replaced it in 1992 with DD Whirlpool. The Whirlpool rusted too, but never leaked and was not replaced by my sister until last year (with the He4T - in Sedona). Westinghouse was also pretty noisy when it "shifted gears" and often jumped, it scared my sisters when they were young. Good luck finding a Westinghouse not rusted through though. Any city that had Westinghouse facilities might be a good place to look but Pittsburgh isn't - we have a lot of damp basements. Today this machine is the Frigemore and I think it is a much better design. The door that was so rust prone is now all glass and plastic and I think the gasket is less likely to become hard - which probably caused all the leaking and rust in front.

If you look at the pedestal drawers in the ad, use your imagination, take the chrome away and make them white, and you have the Frigemore pedestals. In fact, the controls of a Frigemore would look exactly like Westinghouse if they were chrome (even though my Frigemore was a GE). Hope this helps, Nep.

 

[northwesty]

Hi Eddy

Did you get the machine yet? Would love to see a picture.

Brian - Northwesty

 

[rinso]

Had one, in the late 1970's. A potato pulley model. Did an excellent job on the clothes, very low linting, tub bearing and motor never failed and it was a breeze to use. But: Non-porcelinized paint peeled off the inside of the door and panel below by the third year of use, potato pulley support flange had metal fatigue and disintigrated after 1 /12 years, rubber tub snubbers squeaked loudly during spin, extraction was poor, and by 5 years, the whole thing had already reached rust bucket status, regardless of the TLC I gave it.

 

[eddy1210]

Hi Brian

They should be arriving in Seattle today for a pickup tomorrow. Pictures with be forthcoming when it's all hooked up and tested...