Corkscrew Agitators

[launderess]

Load sensing, corkscrew or whatever you want to call them such agitators seemed to have taken off in past.

IIRC Kenmore had them first, then when patents expired (if that is reason) everyone and their mother had a version.

Kenmore:



Whirlpool:



KitchenAid:







Even Maytag got on the bandwagon:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PGZeZm6fAU

Are these sort of agitators that much better than other designs? What gives?

 

[agiflow]

I think these agitators are better suited to the direct drives and VMW Whirlpool designs.

From personal opinion, I don't think Kenmore even needed to add that agitator.

My 1974 jumbo capacity Kenmore with its Penta-Swirl handles huge loads just fine. Even with very full loads it turns things over.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

I miss my corkscrew agitatior and a Kenmore direct-drive was where I had mine...

Sears used them on their Kenmore-line first, then Whirlpool acquired them, and I think when the direct-drive got introduced...

I am pretty sure my new 2-year old Maytag has a regular agitator and the entire tub is what actually spins...

-- Dave

 

[gelaundry4ever]

GE!

I had a GE with a corkscrew agitator in 2001. It did the job. Don't forget GE! You forgot GE!

 

[DADoES]

 
I'm of the understanding that Whirlpool developed the design, introduced via Kenmore circa 1976 and had an agreement with Sears for it to be a Kenmore exclusive for 10-ish years ... which prevented WP from featuring such on the other brands it produced until into the direct-drive era.  Non-WP brands presumably couldn't have it until the patent expired, which I believe is 20 years.  The earliest WP patent for a DA that I have saved from the daily rotation is "filed 5/8/1975."  Three others filed 6/16/1976, 10/26/1976, and 8/31/1993.

 

[launderess]

Oh all right!

Here's GE courtesy of AW family member:

 

[launderess]

KitchenAid gets my vote!

 

[agiflow]

Not too crazy about the design of that GE agitator. It looks like a cheese grater with big fins. Too bad it didn't have a Filter-Flo. We would see how much lint that sucker makes.

 

[launderess]

Lorain Appliances did an update video on Maytag commercial washer which also has corkscrew agitator.

Looks like wrestling. *LOL*

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

White-Westinghouse actually had a dual-action, I'd seen in an ad:

 

The Dual-Action Penta-Flex...

 

 

 

-- Dave

 

[johnb300m]

NEVER FORGET GE!!!!
GE!
GE!
Even though their washers after the FF were
sTuPiD sTuPiD sTuPiD! /s

 

[maytaga806]

They were what was needed for the proper cleaning action in the direct drives. But I love a good straight vane like the Maytag powerfins. The straight vanes in the DDs are garbage agitators. It seems that once whirlpool launched the direct drive with the dual actions, other brands copied them years later. Like Maytag and ge did.

 

[johnb300m]

Thinking about this more, it seems that the WP DDs needed that corkscrew agitator more than others. Their tubs seemed narrower than others. Especially the large capacity units with an extra deep and narrow tub, needed help to push items down to the fins.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I use my KA when I wash my king blanket. I fill the tub to the lowest water level add detergent and the blanket. Then I pull the drain hose out of the pipe and set the timer to drain and use it like one of the Calypso/Resource savers holding the drain hose into the tub to force water through the spinning blanket without any abrasive agitation. I stop it and let it soak for a few minutes then do a few more minutes of washing before placing the drain hose in the pipe and letting it drain and spin. I do a full water level rinse with gentle agitation then spin it in the W1986 before a quick tumble to dry. It is a wonderful washing machine and there are times when you just have to use the extra water and give the sewage pipes a good blowout.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

GE!

Yes, it was stupid what GE did! All things considered, it did get my clothes clean even though it felt cheap and shook violently during normal/fast agitation.

 

[neptunebob]

Was not invented by Sears

The spiral that is a dual action agitator was an invention of the Greek mathemetician Archimedes. I guess he was not as well known as Leonard di Vinci.

 

[agiflow]

Reply#11

Wouldn't say the straight vanes were garbage. The four and five vain lint barrel agitators were quite effective in rolling large loads over. Those wavy and straight vanes made the difference.

 

[combo52]

The dual action agitator

Was invented by whirlpool and Patented by them, Sears bought an exclusive 10 year right to use it, whirlpool did not realize how successful it would be and how it would revolutionized top load washers, whirlpool executives expressed regret to me that they had given Sears such a long lead on it.

 

The dual action agitator was simply more effective at turning loads over than any other type of agitator in especially in a large tub machine even the Frigidaire one to 18s could not compete, Consumer reports called at the greatest advance in washing machines in 40 years.

 

While almost any agitator will turn over loads of laundry if the machine isn’t packed too full, the dual action agitator simply allowed you to wash a lot more clothing, which made top loading washers, a little more energy, efficient and extended their stay in the marketplace.

 

The two piece stool action agitator has been phased out because machines do not fill with enough water any longer for it to be effective. The real interest in great washers is in front loading washers today.

 

John L

[this post was last edited: 3/19/2025-09:19]

 

[johnb300m]

Ooooph

Speech to text I see.