Cool to win!

[peteski50]

How many would want to win this washer!

 

[appnut]

WCI59

First of the Multi-Tragics (as John and Greg call them).  Very repair prone overall.  Friends had a WI59 so I'm partial to this model. (BUT NOT IN PINK!!!).  This was also Frigidaire's very first washer with pre-programmed cycles--whites, colors, wash'n'wear, special.  also, their first dryer with auto termination drying cycle.  So a significant advancement in features, not to mention their first two-speed models in the line up. 

[this post was last edited: 7/25/2011-22:20]

 

[peteski50]

Frigidaire!

I agree not in pink!

 

[aquarius8000]

I like them! Mainly boring white here so that would brighten up the place

 

[tomturbomatic]

In 1958 the Frigidiaire washers were rated top at cleaning ability in CU's huge report and among 4 that were check rated. Because of that, it was among the 4 top rated machines from 1958 that were tested by CU for 1959. Again the Frigidaire won high marks, except that the water extraction was no longer FABULOUS, so lots of people, believeing in CU's ratings went out and bought these. I think Maytag, Kenmore and Norge were the other 3 brands. Anyway, CU did not take in to account that this machine was radically different from the WCI-58. Frigidaire had sized the motor too small for the mechanism and had a great deal of trouble with motor failure, eventually having to replace the motors with higher HP motors. It soured a lot of owners on Frigidaire and Consumer Reports, much like our neighbors who placed no credence in the ratings because, based on CU's ratings, they had purchased an ABC-O-Matic in the early 50s which was nothing but trouble while it lasted.

I personally thought that the whole 1959 Frigidaire upper end of the line line was ugly with the blue-gray color of the control panels and all of the excess decoration they put on parts of the appliances. The TOL range was especially ugly. The 1957 line was too starkly modern for many women, although the TOL 30" and 40" ranges remain as probably the most beautiful examples of modern range control panels ever made. The 1958 line was much more acceptable, but the '59 line seemed to go overboard with useless frilliness. 1960 & 61 saw great improvement but styling was never what it had been after 1963. After 1962, the TOL ranges reverted to dials for the surface units; no more vertical or horizontal windows with moving pointers. Laundry control panels after 1963 became less imaginative, as was seen in other brands. Innovation continued in many ways in the laundry and dishwasher lines especially, but the design exuberance would be never be what it had been.