Chome Super Surgilator?

[cadillackid]

Ok.. so recently ive been fascinated reading about older washing machines... so i admit as a kid it was tough for a single load to go through the washer without me popping the lid, sticking a Bic pen in the lid switch and watching it run...

I remember vividly a washing machine my grandmother had.. it was a whirlpool top loader.. I remember it sounded really cool as it switched from drain into spin...

I also remember that the top of the agitator said "super surgilator" and was chrome (the rest was black)....

am I just imagining this or did they really have a chrome top on the agitator? I would dearly love to find one of these machines if they exist... where does everyone find these neat old appliances?

seesm when i go to yard sales, read the newspaper, surf the internet all i find for sale are 1990's plastic-y washers that are 10-15 years old and the owners always say "its only 2 years old!"......
-Christopher

 

[qsd-dan]

WELCOME!

Craigslist.org seems to be the best option in finding those treasures. The really old machines that have a definite vintage look to them occasionally pop up on Ebay, but that doesn't usually happen too often. Making friends with people who are in the scrapping business will churn out tons of vintage machines!

As with both sites, you must check them (and this site) daily in order to swipe up a machine before others get to them.

 

[gyrafoam]

Yes, you didn't imagine it. My '58 Whirly Imperial has the chrome cap on a Surgilator.

 

[maytagbear]

Our 64 Imperial

was exactly like that, too. No hallucinations (on this subject) for you.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[cadillackid]

was there also a more squared off cap on the agitator? the same shape as the plastic but in chrome?

glad to know I didnt imagine... now if I could only find one of those.. I remember it sounded so cool when it switched from agitate to drain and then shifted to spin.... I remember it didnt spin nearly as fast as my mother's "mini basket" machine but it sounded more cool...

although i wouldnt mind finding one of those GE achines with a Mini-basket too
Christopher

 

[gyrafoam]

I think the chrome caps were on the Surgilators until they went from (black) Bakelite to (bluish) plastic agitators----1966? The same year Whirlpool was spun-off from RCA I think.

The chrome cap on my '58 has the bullet-shape to it with the three little tabs. The later ones were the same shape as the plastic caps they used right up to the end of the DD's.

 

[westingman123]

Mom's Whirlpool had a black agitator and a chrome cap as well as a chrome and glass lint trap. She took the cap off after every wash day and lifted the agitator to dry underneath, wiped the lid and tub, and turned off the water faucets. Guess who she trained to do so as well?

 

[Unimatic1140]

 

[alr2903]

Robert now thats the real deal, there was also some that had white sides on the plastic cap, and the very top only was chrome. It kind of made one feel, like things are not as great as they used to be. Thats a minty Whirlpool. alr2903

 

[toploader55]

Welcome

You were not imagining that.
Welcome Aboard. Eddie

 

[70series]

I have seen that first Whirlpool photo in the Cyber Museum link. It is the 61 Whirlpool featured. Is the second photo also that of a 61? I always thought this was a very cool model.

Have a good one,
James

 

[tolivac]

I have a WP Imp 90 that has the chromed metal agitator cap-but the agitator in mine is a white Surgilator.Guess in mine the agitator was replaced?The machine has the metal clothes ring.Like the machine very much-much better than that KN DD machine I traded for!Was the black Surgilator Bakelite?Mine has the agaitor drive shaft that is splined.

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Rex,

In Surgilators, the black agitator was Bakelite. It differs from the plastic (polypropylene) blue and white agitators in that the bottom vanes protrude out from the skirt on the blue/white agitator, but not on the black bakelite. This was done to improve rollover and was touted in mid-60s house Whirlpool tech literature (thanks to a friend of mine here for the cool paperwork!)

Kenmore had a black plastic Super Roto-Swirl for a couple years that many people mistake for shiny bakelite, before the color was changed to Gold. I do not think the Whirlpool splined plastic agitator was ever offered in black.

There were some models with blue and white agitators in the early 70s made with chromed caps. The commercial machines that I used at my Grandmother's condo were made in 1972/1973 and they all had chromed caps. I am sure I've seen this in residential models as well.

Gordon

 

[rickr]

Love the chrome topped Surgilator!!

My winged cap is from a 1957-58, but looks fine on my 56 Imperial.

 

[rickr]

.

Stopped action on spray rinse....

 

[yogitunes]

jumping over to filter flo's for a second, Rickr is that a whirlpool machine you have it in, never seen a whirly with that kind of filter flo, thought that style was exclusive to kenmore, maybe I'm wrong....

 

[rickr]

Hi Martin! Yes this machine is a 56 Whirlpool, but has a Kenmore filter cartridge in it. I could never find a WP cartridge that did not leak, so I used the KM in it's place.

 

[yogitunes]

Thanks Rickr...

self cleaning filter or not....I still prefer the waterfall filters of these machines in any configuration, I always liked the way that it showed how dirty the water was.....kenmore styles were always the best cause they threw the water out to the agitator, could watch for hours...I rigged a whirlpool up once with a magic clean filter to also have the magic mix filter up top also...

 

[norgeway]

Chrome cap

I have a W-Pool with a light blue surgilator and chrome cap .