British Twintub Washing Machines 1959 - 1990

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chestermikeuk

chestermikeuk

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Heres a fun compilation video of British Twintub washing machines (or twinnies) have put together after requests from our overseas friends comparing different styles/actions etc. I`ve also shown some inside money shots to get an idea how they work,
its interesting from initial feedback you get to see how different washers perform etc...youll hear the banter from our members here lol

The 4 main makes are Servis Supertwins, Hoovermatics, Hotpoint Supermatics and Philips Toptwin, am editing individual videos at the mo..

Hope You Enjoy !!

 
Amazing Twin Tub Water Ecstasy

Oh Mikey,

That agitator that squirts steamy water--are you kidding me?!And then the two spinners that circle spray water, one of them at criss-crossed variable angles--Oh My God ! Can't help but wonder if that is where GM Frigidaire got the idea for the 1-18 circle spray fill & spin rinse.

One of the two black agitators moves like crazy, almost like a speeded up movie. Fred would know that it's a lot like the non-hydrator agitator in the Blackstone wringer washers. Those built-in suds-return systems are so satisfying. And then...... there is....... the BOILING! LOL. You've got it all.

Speaking of sleep, I watched this last night at about 2 am, and toward the end, I drifted off to blissful repose. Thank you for such a satisfying dream of twin tub heaven. You are the bomb, Michael. :'D
 
Afternoon Mike,

Thanks for compiling the all the "Great's" in action just what I needed to lift my WFH day amongst the mayhem and uncertainty.

With regards to Servis and Philips doing the "Lessiveuse Style" action there is no mention of this action in the instruction manuals and its potential dangers, is this because you had the water level below the required level ??

Cheers
Keith

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WOWZERS...

That was a really cool video!
I do like the twin tub washers, especially the ones with an agitator (Speed Queen, Hotpoint, Simplicity) but they are more work than an automatic. The fact that they're smaller makes them cute.
But after having & using the HOOVER twin tub, I would only think about getting one with an agitator. The impeller disc just isn't for me. But I definitely like the spinners!

One thing that has me scratching my head though...
Why didn't GE make their portable washers with the Filter-Flo design? You see that it can be made because of that one Hotpoint twin tub that has the Filter-Flo workings. And also the other one with the red filter pan on the agitator, I don't know what brand that one was. So why didn't GE make their portable washers with the Filter-Flo design and an agitator, instead of with that reversing impeller disc at the bottom of the tub?
:o(

Thanks for posting that video chestermikeuk/Mike. That was really cool to see.
:o)
 
British Twintub Washing Machines 1959 - 1990

Oh Mickey, we aim to please ha ha, when I saw the "Lessiveuse Style" boiling burping agitator I knew you would approve. its the reaction of the heater being directly under the agi, so when boiling in a small amount of water you get the "Perc" effect,

The faster moving twintub is the Philips Toptwin, which moves at 120 OPM (oscillations per minute) and is the fastest of all twinnies, the Hotpoint will be 100 and the Servis is 86 opm and has the widest sweep @ 210d arc.
The Philips also has a nifty filter system under the agitator or "Gyrator" as they call it..

The Hotpoint spinner with the Circle Spray is more effective than the hose or jet straight in, that shot had the water pressure controlled from the tap just right, too little and it dribbles down the side, more tha the pic and it overshoots..

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"Lessiveuse Style"

Morning Keith, totally understand how you feel, weird days indeed and more to come, forcing myself to get stuff done and enjoy it..

The only time I ever saw people "Boil" in twinnies was just with a small amount of water over the clothes and then either ditch the water or top up to wash normally, yes am not surprised its not in the instruction book ha ha...

Obviously the "Perc" effect only happens when the water is below the holes on the agitator and pressure from the powerful heater forces the water up the inner tube.
 
British Twintub Washing Machines 1959 - 1990

Hello Christina, the Hoover twintubs where marketed here as "The Washdog" races through washday, they are fun to use but as you say John in the video, always best to keep the mop handy and I think using any twinny the way we do with lids open ya floor will always have a wash ha ha.

The agitators are great more like the top loaders, The Rolls Royce of twinnys has to be the Servis / Simplicity / Speed Queen a long wide sweep to move the clothes through the water also having four vanes on the agitator and a square tube so the clothes get washed into the corners and out again..

The red filter pan is the first UK Hotpoint twintub, produced 1959, the later models then had the Spiralator agi like the Easy. I wonder if it was trademarks and such that GE didnt do a mini filter flow system,

We also had a GEC twinny which was really special and it was two tubs in one, and had two wash impellers in the base a bit like the Maytag, alas we dont have one of those at the moment.

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A real treat

Hello Mike,

Great compilation, it takes me back seeing the glass lid on the hotpoint spinner; thinking about it, it must have been around 1963/4 when I saw that in a playmates mothers kitchen. Much more interesting than playing in the little lads sand pit!!!

Regards, Walter.
 
Hey, Mike,

you are quite right when you say the Servis-SQ-Simplicity are 'The Rolls Royce of twinnys' ! I've had (and used) a Simp Supertwin which definately was impressive, both in terms of washing efficiency and spin speed, while still being very quiet.

I only use, from time to time, my Hoover Rinse-O-Matic (same as Washdog UK). And now my 'new' Maytag A50 (of which the wash tub leaks a little bit--will have to put some silicone up around the tub before i run it next time). The A50 is so quiet when compared to the Hoov., probably the less noisy thing next to the Servis-SQ-Simp. So glad i managed to find one in good working condition, 'as is'. I've also found a belt that works just fine for its impellers: 3L510 v-belt (Gates Truflex 1510, Ind Nr 6751, 3/8'' x 51'').
 
Mikey

What a riot that little GEC twinny is; would love to see one day when you find one--which, of course you will !-- the movement pattern in the cool double elbow tub.

Speaking of yellow Hoovers, last winter you had a grand thread up that motivated me to get the Oovuh going with a winter load of fleece & flannel. Don't know if I got the pix to you, but they're right here on the laptop. Enjoy.

Footnote: Always wondering why American washers couldn't boil, when all of yours did. Even the Frigidaire you pixed in Christina's 1-18 thread.
Imagine-- A Frigidaire boiling !Too funny ! How an American Unimatic might protest: "We don't need heat; we already have achieved a rolling boil!" ;'D

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Thanks Mike, a great trip down memory lane for me. 1970s UK was dominated by TT, front load automatics were slowly gaining popularity. My Mum had the Hoovermatic de lux washdog which had the fill hose going in thru the back next to the rubber drain hose. It had the white water spout mounted in the spin deck and swung round to fill the wash tub. It also had the auto rinse feature which was very useful. I had lots of fun with that machine until it pegged out early 80’s and we got the service top load automatic machine. That is another interesting washer but was short lived unfortunately.
 
British Twintub Washing Machines 1959 - 1990

Good morning Walter, well yes at that age one of those twinnys would be christmas comes early over said sand pit ha ha...I never knew anyone with that model other than the English Electric like Darrens with the brush filter but that was red and red agitator.

This is Johns that he actually had found a brand new in bag spinner lid as with many of them at that time they corroded from the alkali powders etc.

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British Twintub Washing Machines 1959 - 1990

Hello Jean (UncleJohn) oh yes I think it was because I grew up with the Servis that had me spoilt etc..Is the Simpson an agitator twinny. Glad you got a belt for the Maytag was the original a V belt then or round ? making me think now !!

But you have the Holy Grail of Hoover Twintubs dont you with the Rinse-o-matic and the wash filter system ? [this post was last edited: 3/22/2020-05:17]

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