Brand anyone?

[Unimatic1140]

???????????????

 

[alr2903]

Spiegel, "Homestead"? would be pretty in "pank" too. Dryer looks a little like a universal. alr2903

 

[pulsator]

The washer looks pretty wide, that chrome band makes me think early Whirlpool or Kenmore?

 

[pulsator]

Perhaps their very first version that wasn't released? lol

 

[thomasortega]

GE?

 

[lebron]

My guess is Whirlpool!

 

[chestermikeuk]

Hamilton...

Is my guess!!!

 

[alr2903]

LOL i remember the timer, on my Aunt's universal but the door on hers had chrome entirely across the door. I never could figure out what side it was hinged on, I always wanted to peek inside on the sly, but was afraid i would break it. She told me she bought hers on installments from the gas company when they lived in Kansas. arthur

 

[Unimatic1140]

Universal...

Yay Arthur, I was amazed that anyone got that. As you can see by today's brand new Picture of the Day it's a Universal, made by Apex. Can you believe the "Manor House Series" model, a washer and dryer built in a single cabinet, but horizontal! Imagine having to move that 400lb+ monster and talk about rare!!!! Except for that early 1950s advertisement and one parts list manual for the 1953 Universal Automatic I have no other pictures or information about Universal Automatic Washers, does anyone else out there?

 

[frigilux]

I was thinking the same thing about the Manor House Series: How the hell would you move it? You'd practically have to build the house around it, LOL!

 

[crevicetool]

Universal.......never heard of 'em!

I was prompted (actually forced) by tlee618 (anyone ever hear of him)? to re-up my membership on the AW site. It took Universal to do it. I'm from the vacuum site and have a real interest in Universal small appliances particularly vacuum cleaners.

It is interesting to note that on this POD the Universal logo is lacking the customary Landers Frary and Clark that accompanied it. Additionally, L F & C were headquartered in New Britain Connecticut until their demise in 1965. I see that the major appliance division was based in Lima, Ohio.

I am going to assume then that other than small appliances, Universal was just a badge on other makes. I know so little about L F & C. I hope to take a trip to New Britain someday. The Public Library there is the holder of records and catalogs for L F & C. If it is a large collection, I would like to spend a couple of days there learning as much as I can.

It's good to be back on here. My name is Rick, and you may remember, I helped Terry install his new (old) Kitchenaid dishwasher.

I'll be around....

Rick

 

[qsd-dan]

Welcome back, Rick!

 

[crevicetool]

BTW.....

Robert, Thanks for posting the Universal ad.

R

 

[tlee618]

"Forced" well I am not to sure about that one but at any rate we are all happy to have you back with us Rick! Terry

 

[Unimatic1140]

Yay welcome back Rick, we are sure glad you are here. I loved seeing your beautiful Universal vacuum at the vac convention last month, it was just mint. Of course I would just die to find that Universal washer in the POD.

 

[hilovane]

My grandmother had a Universal stove.

 

[andrewinorlando]

Universal was also the original owner of Waste King dishwashers....Waste King Universal was the original brand, if I remember my history correctly, through at least 1970.

 

[jamiel]

Actually, maybe that makes some sense....Universal in the East (stoves...everything else seems to be a rebadge)...Waste King in the West (dishwashers/disposals)...merger into Waste King Universal. That said, were WK dishwashers a unique design before they were stainless steel...I think so (after reading Consumers' Reports....it seems WK were plastic (not porcelain) interior...plastic interior mfgrs were Frigidaire (post spin-tube) and GE (post-impeller???) back in that time-frame, but the design doesn't look like either of those two (cf: the mistletoe ad which comes up here occasionally). D&M/Whirlpool/Youngstown/KA/Hotpoint definitely were porcelain.

 

[hilovane]

If I remember right, Waste King was eventually bought by Thermador. My mom had a Waste King dishwasher in the late '70s.
Sadly, it became a waste of money, between its problems, and comparatively short life expectancy (maybe 10 years, if that).

 

[appliguy]

According to my research there were two Universal appliance

The one owned by Landers Frary and Clark survived until 1965 when it was bought by General Electric's Housewares division and it made small appliances. The other Universal Appliance Company was owned by Cribbon and Sexton and they made major appliances and were eventually merged with Waste King and I believe later on with Thermador. PAT COFEY

 

[crevicetool]

Thanks for the welcome, and thanks for all the interesting look back at the history of this brand! You kids are SO smart!

Rick

 

[pulsator-power]

Hi, can you repost the POD? I missed it
Thanks

 

[andrewinorlando]

Mom's 1969 Waste King dishwasher was badged "Waste King Universal Stainless Steel Dishwasher Dryer". All Stainless inside, with tower wash for the second rack. It lasted all of one year, then slowly rotted from the inside out after it stopped working. Her next one, a 1978 Waste King with two level wash lasted 12 years. The original Waste Kings had plastisol interiors at one point, before they became stainless.

 

[appnut]

Andrew, the 1969 lasted one year. Then the 1978 one. What did your mom do between 1970 & 1978?

 

[appnut]

original Waste Kings had plastisol interiors at one point

Our 1959/1960 had plastinol interior. I believe the very first version of these from like 1957 or 1958 had a porcelain interior. I'm not sure about that. There is someone around here who has one of two of these hidden, but I've never seen them, just heard about them. And I believe they had porcelain interiors.

 

[andrewinorlando]

She washed dishes by hand for 7 years until I bought her a new one for her birthday. After it stopped working, you could get it to start up once in a while, so it would get used every now and then, but it sounded like a cheap garbage disposal. It didn't wash well at all, so unless you pre-rinsed everything, and scraped anything that was stuck on, it really didn't clean the dishes, so there was no point in even trying. The noise it made was god-awful (bad motor and pump assembly). Was a big giant waste of money. The one I bought her in 1978 was actually a very good dishwasher with the steam feature. It cleaned very well, not just dishes, but pots and pans too. Was always very pleased with that machine. After that died, she got a KitchenAid. Mom is long gone, but the KA is still going.