1977 Frigidaire 1-18 "thumper" washer is home now...

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yogitunes/martin:

i understand seeing a video compared to seeing one in action, in person! after i seen nate's 1-18, i think the subconscious mental-vibes went out into the universe!

thanks for the water level tip. i did have a question regarding delicates & the GENTLE speed.

does the water level tip the same for the gentle cycle? or does the GENTLE cyle on the 1-18 work like the GENTLE cycle on a maytag, where you have to use a full tub of water to get the gentler wash action?
 
mtn1584/mike:

thanks. and thank you for the kind comment
:o)

you know, i was replying to every comment in one post but i hit something and everything i typed out got deleted. i didn't want to make so many posts & bore everybody. but i figured, if i didn't reply to everybody individually, my comments might accidentally get deleted again. and i didn't want that to happen!

so everybody please forgive me for so many comments...
 
turquoisedude/paul:

yes, i defintely like windows, buttons, and knobs on my appliances! more selections = more fun!

as for the fabric softener dispenser, i wasn't positive if it is the right one, but i figured since it says to turn one way to lock and to turn the other way to remove, and it looks like the other fabric softener dispensers i've seen in videos, it probably is the right dispenser for the "thumpers". so i went ahead and bought it.
 
frigidaireguy/bob:

i'd love to see pictures of your harvest gold 1-18. how long have you had your's?

oh i agree, everyone i've met here in tucson & online from the group are the GREATEST!! i'm so thankful to everybody!!!
:o)
 
That is the correct dispenser. You remove the agitator cap and replace it with the dispenser, turning it to lock it in place. When you add the softener add a capful of plain water to thin it out a bit or that dispenser will get gunked up pretty quickly.

I am so glad you have this in your collection. Young people marvel at them. Never seen Pulsation or a window-lid.
 
peteski50/peter:

yes.

speaking of the sound, when roger & me were doing a water test to see if everything was working ok, we didn't realize the water level was set to the smallest load. roger was leaning over the washtub, feeling the water as it came into the washer and changing the water temperatures. we were talking as he was doing this, and so when the machine reached the lowest fill level, it started chugging away and me & roger both jumped because we weren't expecting it to start up so soon!
:oD

it's a good thing i can close the door to the laundryroom when i am washing clothes!
LOL...
 
swestoyz/ben:

speaking of the spray rinse, something that roger & me noticed was that during the final spin, there is another short spray rinse that comes on? i don't know how long that last spray rinse last but i would guess maybe 30 seconds or so (maybe)?

so the cycle goes:
fill
wash
spin drain
spray
fill
rinse
spin drain
spin
SPRAY
spin

i figure it must be part of the SANITIZE cycle, since that cycle is actually the rinse cycle. and that short spray during the final spin would rinse the tub out?
 
ken:

i thought the same thing about the bronze color of the control panel with the almond color of the cabinet. and YES, i LOVE the windowed-lid!

i've read on here that "BOUNCING BETTY" is what the servicemen used to call the frigidaire washers back in the day.
:o)
 
pumpkina:

the fabric softener, believe it or not, but i found that by accident!
i found it on ebay.

after the thread about vintage fabric softeners, downy, final touch, rain barrel, sta-puf and i'm probably forgetting a couple of others. but i did a search on ebay to see if i could find a bottle of rain barrel. and in my search, i seen the frigidaire fabric dispenser. i knew i had the frigidaire at roger's house, waiting for me to bring home. and i do like downy, so i added the listing to my items being watched list. i figured somebody would probably buy it before i got the frigidaire home. but when i did a search on ebay for it, it popped up again and was still available.

i studied the pictures to make sure that it was the correct dispenser before buying and when i figured it had to be the right dispenser, i went ahead and got it. i figured i probably wouldn't get another chance to get one. and like i said, i do like my downy. and thought that using a downy ball in the frigidaire wouldn't work, with the up & down agitation.
 
bruce:

i am not familiar with frigidaire washers like you are. all i knew is what i had seen in videos and pictures. i do like the look of the bronze control panel face. and thanks to you, it has the window in the lid!

i am happy with the look of this 1-18 and so anxious to use it!!
:o)
 
gyrafoam/steven:

thank you for confirming that the fabric softener dispenser is the right one for the "thumper" washer. i was wondering if i had to remove the agitator cap or if the dispenser just goes over the cap. thank you for answering that question. and yes, i always add water to the fabric softener to thin it out. even with the water, my mom's newer whirlpool washer's softener dispenser is all gunked up. i keep saying i am going to clean it out for her. i have some little tubs i can soak it in HOT water in. i just have to do it! in fact, i think i'll go get it and soak it now!
;o)

yes, i think i'm as excited to show the agitation with whoever comes over, as i am to use it and see it myself!
:o)
 
Congratulations Christina, always warms my heart to see that someone makes a home for a worthy machine. What fun! The 1-18 certainly can handle any load that you would throw at it with great cleaning. It's such a solid built machine. I'm curious, what detergents do you use? Know that it can really suds up with the right ones. Does this machine tangle clothes? I was just wondering.
Hope that you have great fun and satisfaction with trouble free use. I'd be proud to have that in my laundry room!!!
Again congratulations!!

Barry
 
mrsalvo/barry:

thank you.

right now, we are using PERSIL. but i do have a vintage box of GAIN, and DASH. and a little bit of WISK in the bottle (i know, WISK really suds up).

as for tangling issues, i really don't know because i have washed in it yet. but i remember someone posting the instructions on how to load a frigidaire to lessen the tangling problem, that were printed on the underside of the lid , and i believe it was unimatic/robert, who posted pictures of how he loads the bed sheets & pillowcases in his frigidaire.
:o)
 
rp2813/ralph:

suzy sudsmaker, that's a good one.

there are endless possibilties when it comes to names!
LOL...
humping hazel,
jumping judy,
foaming frances,
bertha bubbles,
noisey nancy,
etc....
:oD
 
 

 

Christina, CONGRATS!   That is a really awesome machine and I love the window (jealous)!  I really enjoyed the harvest gold 1-18 I had before I gave it to Nate.   Kinda wish I still had one, or could easily find another, but it is what it is.   

 

Also yes as Martin (yogitunes) mentioned, just remember  when loading the washer and adjusting the water level that "less is more".  Under filling it (water level) for the amount of laundry in it, does surprisingly, produce much better movement / roll-over.  You may thing "Oh no, that's not nearly enough water", but then you'll be surprised how well it works.

 

Congrats and I hope it will wash many thumping loads for years to come!

 

Kevin 
 
as a standard load, always load in quadrants....never wrap items around the pulsator.....

when it comes to delicates.....slow speed agitation of course, medium water level, let the machine fill and start pulsing, you will see the live water action currents....then start dropping in a few pieces at a time, you will get a feel of how many items to add, as the clothing will coast through the water as if they are gliding on air...it really is cool to watch...

even with a regular load, switch the speed to slow, that load will still turn over

amazing how these machines are designed around the gentle speed, as in the first part of spin/pump out...then kicks into high speed....
 
revvinkevin/kevin:

thank you.
:o)

i did get a chance to see nate's 1-18 in person. and he ran a cycle so i could see it work. i even put my hand down in the tub while it was agitating to feel the water currents. i think that might have been when i was bitten, by the frigidaire spider?!
hm hm hm...

as for water level, would you happen to know about doing a GENTLE cycle? do you still fill it with a little bit of water for the rollover? or would more water be better for the delicate fabrics?
 
yogitunes/martin:

thank you for answering my question about doing a GENTLE cycle in the frigidaire. i will keep that in mind.

and i did notice how the spin would start out and after a while, it would rev up faster.
 
Congratulations! Such a nice machine, clean looking. I really like the water level selector graphics. Thanks for sharing!
 
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