Makes me smile. I know every sound it makes.
Superb James. Yep I’m pleased you bought it. I’m pleased I was able to sell it, rather than take it down to the council tip and scrap it, for that was what would have happened if I hadn’t stumbled on this website.
Here's how it looked just prior to selling it and sending it off to James.
It was still working and in use, but it was tired, and as you can see from what James had to do, it needed two things **immediately**, -- both of which I couldn't find. 1) A left suspension leg/damper. 2) A DECENT quality drum bearing. (I'd fitted what were obviously cheap copies, and they didn't last).
So sadly after owning this from new, bought for my mother when she was alive, it was ** VERY RELUCTANTLY **, time for me to buy a new washing machine.
Having been used thousands of times, and washed the filthiest of grease stained overalls and jeans, washed out all kinds of dirt and grime including building site filth, and on numerous occassions, it just shows you how well it was made.
Mind you, I have to say, I do look after things. When this was bought, it was because research at the time, suggested it was the best for the price, which was always and still is my philosohy. Buy the best you can afford and look after it. So once it was bought, it was ALWAYS going to be looked after. But 3 house moves, and kitchen rebuilds and decorating around it, took it's toll.
Sadly too, I threw away the top cover -- which I'd kept for years before throwing it away. Originally it stood with the matching dryer and stacking kit. When I first moved, I still had room to stack them, but my last move meant that I had to have them free standing, and the 10700 had to go under the worktop as in this picture. But by then, I'd thrown the top cover away. Bummer.
But anyway. The strap on the top of the drum is my replacement for the original which snapped one day, and allowed the rear to fall back and try and eat it's way out of the back. The noise was horrendous. This bit of webbing is from some upholstery stuff I had, and has been on there for at least 10 years. The chrome door, was always wiped and kept clean and dry, for the very purpose of preventing it rusting. But that said the quality of the chroming is very good anyway.
The programmer.
Many years ago, when I lived in Streatham (London), there was an appliance spares supplier nearby(Brixton Hill) who kept an amazing array of parts. One day the programmer got stuck mid programe. I looked at the price of a complete new assembly and baulked the price. But this supplier even kept the internal blades for the programmer. So being a bit techy -- and a bit tight lol--, I took it apart and replaced the worn blades/contacts. I didn’t have a wiring diagram or the like, so I made my own. Here’s the schematic I drew at the time, as I took it apart, so that I knew how to put it back together again. That was over 20 years ago, so I must have done it right. Lol.
Apart from that, it has had remarkably little work/parts replaced – prior to the rebuild by James, and it was actually still useable – albeit noisy and not very stable when spinning.
Yes indeed, brilliant job of restoration James. I can’t see why it can’t do another 35 plus years, worth of washes.
I hope my Miele replacement lasts at least half as long.
And meanwhile the Creda Reversair 37405 rear vent tumble dryer, that used to sit on top, just keeps on going, and is in pretty much showroom condition.
