British Twintub Washing Machines 1959 - 1990

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Hello, Mike
Yes, that last pic is exactly like the one I bought back then. It had the white lids and it was pristine when I got it for the discounted sum of £80 as our repair shop was a valued customer of the vendor - a one-man firm going by the name of PB Spares Ltd. He was also a great friend of the boss and he would leave us till last after doing his round of his customers in Limerick, just so he could hang on and go out with us that Friday night for a few scoops. The machine was faultless and made a great job of the laundry, but I always ended up having to take a mop to the floor when the job was done! Hope you are enjoying the spring sun, good drying on the line...getting the trusty lawnmower out with its 31 year old Briggs & Stratton MAX motor, spent another great summer years ago fixing B&S engines for a repair shop in my native Galway. The engine has outlasted 2 decks now, and still catches on one or two pulls of the cord. They don't make them as good today. Regular oil changes are the key.
 
The frigidaire twin tub

Hi Mike
that Phillips Tt is rather nice looking much neater than the Frigidaire version .When i worked for HCT [some 45 years ago now ] i worked on mainly Frigidaire and Hoover machines sometimes there would be the odd Hotpoint. That earlier Frigidaire TT in post 6919 [very much like the rolls ] had an English electric clone .It looked the same but the controls were arranged differently on the front however the main and most important difference was hidden inside .Instead of the usual decent size motor directly driving the wash impeller a second spin motor and belt arrangement was used .Those spin motors while perfectly adequate for driving a spin dryer could not handle the load and would burn out quickly .Another thing i have remembered about the Frigidaire [the later model] is that it had two hoses on the back [one with the ball for emptying the tub and the other for draining the spinner .A really bad design in my opinion .You have the pump running constantly but the water is held back by the ball .Surely the old recirculating idea was better .Ok so we are talking about TTs can anyone tell me if there is an easy way to get the knobs off a Hoover 5090 without removing the complete top.The alloy plate with the decals on has come loose and rattles like mad when the spinner is on
 
Hi Anthony, Hoover knobs

it's a bit of a key hole surgery job, back off, the switches are on a metal section that unscrews, the knobs are linked to the switches with wire metal hooks, unhook these, then you can use some small or snipe nose pliers to squeeze the spring washers on the underside of the knobs and they should just come loose. Hope that helps, sorry for the brief description, all the best, Mathew
 
Replies 121 and 160.

121, Matthew, oh the agony of being foisted with stereotypical masculine pastimes, we understand each others exasperation?

160, Aquacycle, great to see those pics again: photo 10 of 14; that was the service twintub my mum bought 1974/5, but I think it was white spray painted may where stainless steel is pictured?

Regards, Walter
 
Hi Chris
Thanks for the 1999 catalogue page, showing the servis retro tub and the final hotpoint 9404.

I too have both those models being sold into 1999 - I wonder if they made it into 2000?

Paul
 
A couple of questions ....

The SCHARPF machines mentioned on the cover of Keith's copy of 'Switch On!' earlier in the thread - were those machines ever released into the UK market, or was it a case of you can look, but you can't touch?

Also, a name I have heard of over the years, but I have never actually seen an advert for them or indeed a photo of any of their models - TALLENT!
On Wikipedia it reads that Tallent took over production of Rolls twin tubs for about a year after Rolls went into liquidation in 1964, before they were finally rebranded as Colston in 1965.
Are there any images of these twin tubs, branded Tallent? There were apparently three models:

W151 Super De Luxe
W152 De Luxe (with round lids)
W153 De Luxe (with square lids)

Could the W152 have been a Rapide clone, whilst the W153 would go on to be the Colston Autopride and the W151 the Colston AutoPlus? All conjecture and theory and hoping someone can provide some answers (fingers crossed).

I have added some pictures - 1st the Rolls Rapide De Luxe, 2nd the Colston Autopride and 3rd the Colston AutoPlus.

Paul

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Loved that Lightburn 'Smackulator' - found it funnier watching the video over and over a few times. What an unusual, but seemingly effective wash action, couldn't stop laughing out loud despite it bringing back memories of the occasional 'visit' to the principal's office in school in the early 80's! (cue the quotation 'Assume the position' from the movie 'Dead Poet's Society').
 
ACME brochure

Thanks also from me to Louis, for posting the ACME brochure.
As with Ian, I never knew they did a wringer machine, let alone four different version of it!
I can't say I have looked out for it in the past specifically, but will have to have a look through the literature to see if it/they are mentioned anywhere and see which ones were offered to UK buyers.

Does anyone have an ACME wringer in their collections? I think we have examples of the ACME spinners preserved, representatives of both the full size and compact Sun Breezes preserved and of course a Twin Speed Combination is in existence (although sadly it can't be called preserved).

Very interesting brochure Louis - thanks again for posting.
Paul
 

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