Aussie Philips TL

[gizmo]

I have just picked up a Philips TL, a badge engineered Japanese top loader. I don't know who the manufacturer is,my guesses are Sanyo or Hitachi.
The interesting things about this machine are the timer - the knob and cycle indicator are separate, connected by a plastic gear, and the cycle - it has three deep rinses! I have posted some photos of it.
The machine does a wash up to 8 minutes only, then drain, rinse, drain, rinse, spin, drain ,rinse, spin. For a top loader that is heaps of rinsing yet only one intermediate and one final spin so rinsing would still probably not be much good. A real water hog.

It has a small diameter, fast spinning impeller (tangler) and a small bed of nails filter built into the side of the wash tub.

The machine is in very poor condition - beaten up, the motor doesn't work, the plastic top is cracked and the lid smashed. So I probably won't keep it. I rescued it mainly to get pics for this site, but I doubt it's worth keeping.

 

[gizmo]

interior

 

[gizmo]

the cracked top

Chris.

 

[nickuk]

Cool machine

I've never seen one quite like it.

Shame it's in a poor condition and you probably won't restore it but thanks for going to the trouble to get the pics for us

Nick

 

[tomturbomatic]

Thanks for the pictures. The impeller looks like the one in the Sanyo-made GE machines of the early 70s, I think.

 

[hoovermatic]

When I lived in Sydney, I rented a unit that had one of these only it was not as old and the impeller was beige. It was much bigger capacity also and a very good machine. I would love a machine like this.

 

[pulsatron]

Philips top loaders in Oz

What an interesting little machine Chris,you know I am fairly certain that Philips had an entire range of washers here in Oz in the 80's I think,from memory I believe they were called the"Philips Gentle Care" range and consisted of 2 family size top loaders(one of which looked suspiciously like the old Hoover 720),a front loader and a little twintub.
I think I might have a picture of them in an old Family Circle magazine so I will have a look,although I don't have a scanner so I can't download the pictures,perhaps if you are interested I could mail the magazine to you as I don't have any real use for it anymore,if so just e-mail me and give me your address details and I will be happy to send it to you.
Cheers.
Steve.

 

[gansky1]

Interesting washer - the poor dear looks like it's been through hell! I think all washers should have an "overfill" setting ;-)

 

[westytoploader]

Very cool machine, it does remind me of the earlier GE Portables with the 5-vaned impeller! LOVE that offset timer control...wish they had them like that here!

 

[arrrooohhh]

WOW

What a cutie i just love these old impeller machines.

I think the ultimate would be the Hoover Cadet the cutest washing machine ever made IMHO

Are you sure its beyond fixing? How hard are these little fella's to fix?

Thanks Gizmo!

 

[gizmo]

Hi Arrrooohhh

Not hard at all to fix, but I don't think much of them. I am not in a hurry to get rid of it but I'm not in a hurry to fix it either. I certainly won't be spending any money on it. If I get a spare motor then well and good. But it will be hard to find a good plastic top, they always break. This is bigger than a Cadet.

Hi Pulsatron

Philips had two ranges I am aware of: They had an Italian made Philips front loader, AWB904??, I have one in the shed needing reassembly, I made one good one out of a rusty one and one with battered drum and buggered bearings. At that time they also had some Japanese TLs along the lines of the one in these pics, smaller ones (my Mum had one for a while), and a medium size which was better built and I think quite a good machine. I think these better machines were made by Sanyo. They had something about "dual action" on the dashboard, which I think only means the impeller turns both ways.
They also had a Hoover-sourced lineup including a Hoover Zodiac FL and a Hoover 720 TL, both wearing Philips badges. Hoover AU and Philips major appliances were going to merge sometime in the 80s but it was blocked by the relevant Government authority. Hoover ended up moving into the old Philips factory in Oakleigh after Philips stopped doing whitegoods here.

I'm not sure which line came first, though I'd guess the Hoover sourced ones came later.

Hi Greg

I love the "overfill" setting, just the thing when the laundry floor needs a wash. Hoovers called it "reset".
Chris.

 

[bobofhollywood]

lid and motor

I think I have a lid and motor for that machine that I could even part with~

A few years ago I converted a sanyo version of that to an all spin model to use beside my Bendix bolt down washer. Today that spinner is just being used to store hoses and to decorate the studio..but for you..I could part it out so you can save that really cool looking machine!~ LOVE the dial.

Just let me know. I'll post a photo of mine later so you can see how similar they are.

SAVE IT!~

Holla from Hollywood!~

Bob

 

[gizmo]

Hi Bob

Thanks for your kind offer. I did that same thing to a little Sanyo, changed it to be a spinner only. Actually I made up 1 out of 2 - half Sanyo and half Hoover Cadet.

I don't think it would be worth shipping parts around the world. I can hold on to the machine and see what turns up at the recycle centre. The motor is 240 volts, I'd guess yours would be 120 volts. I haven't actually checked the fault, it could be motor or timer - it fills, drains, spin/brake solenoid works, but no activity from the motor.

Anyway as someone thinks it has merit, I'll keep it. For now at least. I do like that timer dial.

thanks Bob.

Chris.

 

[bobofhollywood]

no motor action

check the wiring to the motor.

there's a lot of vibration under there..and I've seen that before...broken wiring...

Good luck.

 

[bobofhollywood]

lid switch

..it occurs to me that without a lid you cannot expect this thing to have motor action - it wants it's lid closed.

It's a cool machine though. Save it. Another will pop up that'll be WAY less cool and have good parts you need.

 

[gizmo]

Good thinking 99

the lid switch was already bypassed when I found it. Wires joined then covered in teflon plumbing tape!!! EEK! But I'll check for voltage at the motor.

Chris.

 

[chestermikeuk]

Control Panel!!!

Hi Chris

That control panel is deffo a keeper, it screams Phillips of old, looks similar to the AWT 119 range of top loaders from the 80`s..

I love the "See It Wash" controls, that looks like the old Bendix & Philco-Ford Italian made machines...

What I would do is find a new plastic top to add to the console, ditch the innards and put in place your round Frigidaire, ( I know Robert will go ape but..!!!!) then you will have the Pulsing Frigi with that FAB panel giving you ALL those spray rinses...

Mike

 

[gizmo]

Hi Mike

Not only would Robert go ape, I would too. Robert even committed the sin of suggesting I fit an automatic timer to the Frigidaire. I LIKE the manual control.

The Philips does not do spin rinses, it does three deep rinses!! That's why it'such a water hog.

The Frigi will remain unadulterated and the Philips will have a home here too. Sanyo derivatives are very common here so I should eventually find one with a good top.

How's your Keymatic going?
Best Wishes
Chris.

 

[arrrooohhh]

Choice November 1979

This machine is included in its test of Small and medium automatics.

I always liked the picture of this machine but never saw one. Always used to see heaps of other machines in that test. Apparently it used 177 litres of water to wash the same sized load as the Simpson Minimatic which used 100.

I remember Philips had a bigger impeller machine in the mid 80's with a lid similar to the simpson and four vertical push buttons next to the timer dial. It had a funky brown impeller with a centre post about a quarter of the way up.

 

[gizmo]

Hi Arrrooohhh

Any chance of you posting that Choice test???

Thanks

Chris.