Best/Worst Ever Concensus

Automatic Washer - The world's coolest Washing Machines, Dryers and Dishwashers

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curious historyman..

the mid 90's amana's, i have learned here have a serious problem with their center tub seal under the agitator, be it hit or miss. If it fails its a labor intensive and expensive repair. ours failed after 7 years of use. For a toploader that was almost $600.00 in the mid nineties, sure makes one bitter. Im still p/o'd over this. I will buy frigidarie electrolux, at $280 a pop and pitch em when they break. Amana will never get $1.00 from me EVER again.
 
Just my experiences and opinions, yours may differ or vary:

Best all-around TL washer: Frigidaire Unimatics
1st Runner-Up: Helical Drive Maytags
2nd Runner-Up: WP/KM Belt Drive

Worst ever washer: WCI anything
1st Runner-Up: Bendix TL rubber tub

Best dryer: Frigidaire Wide Mouth
1st Runners-Up: WP/KM Early 1980's to present large capacity

Worst ever dryer: Any Norge/Wards "Lint-O-Matic" hot air blowing dryer.
1st Runner-Up: Maytag Teeny drum, halo-of-barely warm heat electronic dryers.

Ms Congeneality washer: The ultra fun Phico Automagic

Honorable Mention: The now-extinct Frigidaire reversing tumble dryer. (It really did unravel large comforters and other bulky items.)

Most over-rated feature: Electronic drying sensors (rather than thermostatic time/temperature sensors)

Most over-rated vintage washer: Maytag AMP

Rube Goldberg mechanism award: WP/KM Wig-Wag belt drives

Best current laundry pair: KM/WP Hetties and Duets. On a steek! Uh, I mean pedestal.
 
The earlier machines in the mid-80's were pretty reliable. I always liked the design of the flat control panel ala Kenmores of the early 70's with the sliding cover. Noisy, but a plus for people who like to hear their appliances running. Amana is now owned by Whirlpool and the Amana-Norge-Tag washer line is completely gone. Soon, the Amana name will likely be found on Whirlpool products.
 
Gansky1

somehow it did not occur to me, although i knew maytag owned amana, that we could see the amana name on WP products. hmmm when sears used to talk about brand central.little did we know they all would come in the same truck from the same factory. It's a brand new day, is it not? arthur.
 
Best got to be Hotpoint automatic made late 70s to mid 90s. They were all generally the same inside and although some went wrong parts were cheap and plentiful. They washed well although not too hot in the rinse but not as bad as modern machines. However best modern day machine im with most of the uk guys with MIELE! Worst modern day candy/hoover from a very personal point of view followed closely by modern indesits.
 
from my brit point of view.

Best vintage:i couldnt choose one. Hoover Logic 1300. Servis Quartz 6030. Newwave 1300 washerdryer A8130

best modern: has to be miele. Aeg have slipped but i love the machine.

Worst:Merloni servis. i god damn hated the one i had. bosches on rinse cycles....helloooooooo i need water!!!
 
From an Aussie perspective

Well...from an Aussie perspective, this is what i think:

Best vintage machines:

I would say the following:

1) Simpson Fluid Drive
2) Whirlpool belt drive
3) Wilkins Servis International Series (with Maytag mechanicals)
4) Hoover 700 and 800 series.

Worst:

Sorry Chestermike, but after chatting to some repairman of that era:

60's Wilkins Servis Mark 22 (they were not very reliable)

MODERN:

Best: I would have to say Miele
Worst: I think the late 90's Simpson's

Leon
 
Based on recent experience

Best performing automatic washer EVER, for both washing and rinsing: Frigidaire Unimatic
Worst automatic made, performance-wise: Bendix bolt-down

Best capacity: Frigidaire 1-18 (GE & Westinghouse w/ramp agitators come close)
Worst capacity: 18 lb. Kenmores with the Penta-Vane

Best water extraction in a TL: Frigidaire Unimatic
Worst water extraction in a TL: BD Whirlpool/Kenmore

Best reliability: Perforated-tub GE and BD Whirlpool/Kenmore when running properly (note that I don't have any helical-drive Maytags yet)
Worst reliability: Not sure as I haven't had any "repeat offenders" for breakdowns yet (not even the '55 'Tag), but I've heard Frigidaire Multimatic.

Best water efficiency in a TL: Frigidaire Unimatic
Worst water efficiency in a TL: 18 lb. GE

Easiest for service that involves a major teardown: Perforated-tub GE
Most difficult: BD Whirlpool/Kenmore

Most fun to have:
1. Frigidaire Unimatic
2. 24" BD Kenmore
3. Maytag AMP
 
Multimatics were marketed from the 1959 model year until part way or all of the 1964 model year. Rollermatics were definitely selling starting the 1965 model year and those were the first machines with the jet action, jet cone type of pulsator. The 1/18s were modified rollermatics that included a belt. Kinda simple but pretty accurate.
 
From what I have gathered, MultiMatics had some of the worst reliability issues when they were introduced for the 1959 model year. I have surmised that as the subsequent years ensued, the quality improved, but I don't think stellar. The Rollermatics had their own issues, but I"m not sure exactly. I do know if the rollers got oil/grease on them, they stopped working properly. And the 1965 & I believe the 1966 mdel Imperials and Custom Imperials, their control panel buttons had a high failure rate because the "back" wasn't strong enough and the buttons would kinda push right on through.
 
Amana-SQ

I think the connection is this (correct me if I'm wrong):

In the '70s, McGraw Edison Corp. sold their Speed Queen laundry line to Raytheon, owners of Amana refrigeration. Throughout the '80s, Raytheon produced washers with both the Speed Queen and Amana labels. In the '90s, Raytheon divested their home appliance lines; SQ was sold to Alliance Laundry Systems, Amana to Goodman Industries.

Alliance had a contract with Goodman to keep SQ out of the home market, so as not to compete with Amana. Under Goodman, Amana's quality took a nosedive, and eventually it was sold to Maytag--where it deteriorated further. This sale dissolved the Goodman-Alliance contract, so SQs are back in the appliance showrooms. While Amana...ugh.
 
Question

Ok I like this thread but I'm worried now. I have a 1966 Rolermatic that I"m planning to use as my everyday machine. I probably do about 3 loads a week. Is this machine going to be ok for me to use? I really want to be sure and if not I know someome with a coppertone kenmore that I might need to restore instead.

Joe
jamman_98
 
I would restore the Kenmore for the "everyday driver" and keep the Rollermatic for the more fun type of washing.
 
Joe, restore the Rollermatic. While Rollermatics are not as reliable as Unimatics if the machine is working fine just use it and enjoy it. Three loads a week certainly isn't heavy usage anyway. What good is it to have a washer if you can't use it?

With all of my Unimatics I've only had one repair after restoration, but it was my own fault. I had overtightened the screws on the oil pump cap and after four years of weekly use, I developed an oil leak in my '58 Unimatic. After opening up the transmission I saw that the cork seal had push out from under the cap. I replaced the cork seal and didn't tighten the screws quite so tight, its its been just fine ever since. I use my 1958 Unimatic more than any other machine in my collection.
 

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