Does anyone remember washers or dryers of thier childhood?

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We had only one automatic washer from 1960-1985, which was a Kenmore Model 80, with the colorful toggle-pushbuttons and rhythmic rapid-advance timer. There were so many times I wanted that damn thing to konk out so I could talk my parents into a Frigidaire, but it kept on working. And working. And working.

Oh, it needed service plenty of times during its life, but my stepfather (who came into the picture in 1974) thought the machine was cool and wanted to preserve it. So, he'd find parts at junk yards and kept it running.

After college, I returned to the family home. Within a year my Mom passed and my stepfather moved to Arizona. As soon as I'd saved up the money, I went to our local Frigidaire dealership, opened the lid on a 1-18 and found....A WCI!!

I was crushed.

I settled on a large-capacity Whirlpool with a winged Surgilator (and matching dryer). Only had them until mid-'86 when I moved; they stayed with the house. As did my TOL KitchenAid dishwasher.
 
stop picking on Chris,

LOL......but he's so cute when he gets flustered.....Still coming over Sunday Chris?
 
Growing up with washers

I guess when I was growing up just about everyone in my family had Kenmores. The very first machine I have any recollection of was a portable/convertable Kenmore beltdrive from the mid 1970's. I have the same machine now but from 1984. Mom and Dad then upgraded to full-size Kenmores in 1980 or so with Kenmore 80 series machines. Nothing fancy though. My aunt had a 70 series and my Mom's parents also had 80 series. Dual-Action Agitators...blah! I eventually did a swap with a neighbors machine and put the penta-swirl in ours and it was at least a little more fun.

I guess with all of the boring Kenmores around me it is no wonder why, to this day, I still lust over a 1960's GE pair. My Dad's mother had that absolutely beautiful 1968/69 GE pair that was near TOL. There is a picture on the site of me as a very young boy watching these. The filter-flo fascinated me to no end as well as a washer that actually spun out the water. (Everything else neutral drained in my life.) And THREE washing speeds!!! Made my head spin!!! Loved those. One day I'm going to find them again I know it! Thanks for reading.

Jon
 
Hi everybody - new member here. I remember my grandmother's '53 or '54 Frigidaire washer. She also had a '50's Frigidare refrigirator with the freezer on the bottom and you stepped on a little pedal to get it to open. She later got a '65 Frigidaire Deluxe dryer (all the appliances were white). My aunt (her sister) had a early '50's range and a late '40's refrigerator (all white). She had an early '60's GE washer and then got a late '70's Frigidare washer and dryer. My parents had a '61 or '62 Frigidaire Custom Deluxe washer and dryer and Custom Imperial double oven range and refrigerator with top freezer. (all were pink and lasted into the late '80's) My mom still has the double broiler as well as the pancake griddle that came with the range. Does anyone have any pictures of the '61 or '62 Frigidaire appliance line? If I would have known then what I know now, I would have latched on to those appliances when my folks got rid of them!
 
I remember...

My mom had an almond 1981 Wards pair. Large size, but I don't remember the model. No bleach dispenser so I guess they were near BOL for their size, but it did have the huge almond or white burpalator with the lint filter pan and a fabric softener dispensor. The dryer could hardly turn the drum without coating everything nearby with lint. The washer had so many clunks and bangs, it was like listening to a war while washing, and when it spun, it shook the house. The dryer had only one heat setting, scortch! It had only the timer knob, and the end of cycle buzzer seemed to be the only thing on it that wouldn't die!
This set was replaced in January 1994 with a Kenmore 80 series pair. They were boring, but were effective, and lots quieter than the MW pair. They were also noticeably lighter in their construction. The dryer's timer failed around 1998 or so, so you had to manyally stop the thing (my dad was too cheap to fix it). A fuse or a thermostat failed around 2001 or 2002 and my father threw it away and got a new one. I have since majored in, and dedicated my life to, historic preservation and believe me, it was through no influence of my parents who firmly believe that because something is new, it must be better. The dryer was replaced with a new Kenmore dryer with the lint filter in front. It had a light in the back of the drum which never worked right. This dryer wasn't as good as the one it replaced.
In 2006, my parents gave away the pair when they renovated the kitchen and got a GE Adora? front loading pair. The dryer, while effective, has the worst lint filter I have ever encountered. Lint sticks to it like glue! The washer, for lack of a better term, sucks! I can wash 3 loads in my Maytag A208 in the time it takes her new GE to wash 1. Also, the Maytag is better at washing, the clothes come out of the GE with every piece of lint and cat hair they had when they went in. I hope that GE Adora dies a horrible, painful, and rapid death in the very near future! It gets the clothes wet, but it won't clean or rinse.
My mother's parents have a mid 1970s GE Filter Flo with a black control panel and toggle switches. It also has a straight vane agitator. It is very well equipped and does a great job washing. They have had it all my life and it just got a new pump, but is still going strong. It was originally paired with an unknown Kenmore dryer, vintage 1966? It had a metal-style handle on the door. It was replaced around 1985 with a Kenmore center-dial, large capacity gas dryer. That dryer is still going strong.
My father's parents had a Whirlpoo of unknown model from about 1971. It lasted into the late 1990s, but the matching dryer is still going strong. The washer's lid had a metal handle, and the surgilator was either beige or white. The dryer has a plastic door over the lint filter. The washer was replaced with an unknown post-Filter Flo GE of poor quality.

That's all I can remember for now,
Dave (Maytag A208 & DE308)
 
Not only do I remember my Mom's first automatic, Im one of the few people that actually stll have it! My Mom bought a GE FilterFlo in 1956 when I was 3 yrs old. I clearly remember my aunt and uncle coming over after it was delivered to do the hook up on it as my Dad was not very mechanical. It gave my Mom excellent service without any mechanical breakdowns until 1974 when she got a new GE set. The only problem she ever had with it was our socks going over the top of the tub and getting caught in the pump.......I saved the washer even after she got her new one/long before anyone was collecting appliances. Im thrilled that I still have it and the memories it brings back when I wash with it and even the smell of the inside of the tub............

8-7-2007-14-09-1--FilterFlo.jpg
 
Yes....... I most CERTAINLY do.......

"Hooverboy1":

Mine Washer/Dryer Memories Goes Down Like This:

Mom and Dad:

(01). 1967 Kenmore 24" BOL Washer with Black Tub and Black Straight Vane Agitator (the One-Speed/One-Cycle Model) -- 1967-78....... No Dryer Until 1976.

(02). 1975 Kenmore "All American" Dryer (the one that SUPPOSEDLY matches up with whatever Washer you owned), Solid-State Sensor, the 2.5 Hour Wrinkle-Guard and Full-Width Door (but NO Drum Light....... BUMMER!!!!!)........ Purchased in January 1976 at a closeout sale.

(03). 1978 Kenmore 2-Speed/4-Cycle Large Capacity Washer with Penta-Swirl Agitator, Agitator Mounted Fabric Softener Dispenser, Self Cleaning Lint Filter and Off Balance Switch with Buzzer (1978...... and it was still working when I left home in 1987, and was working still when my parents sold their house in 1992 when my Father retired from the government).

Grandmother (Father's Mother):

(01). 1967 Kenmore Model 600 or 700 (can't remember) with 2-Speeds and 3-Cycles, Speckled Porcelain Tub and Black Straight Vane Agitator, Waterfall Lint Filter and Off Balance Switch with Buzzer (conked out in 1990).

(02). 1987 Kenmore Super Capacity Dryer with Solid-State Sensor and 2.5 Hour Wrinkle-Guard. One of the mid/upper line models I think, but no drum light (we still have the dryer now).

(03). 1990 Kenmore Super Capacity Washer with Direct-Drive Mechanism and Dual-Action Agitator. Also had Bleach and Fabric Softener Dispensers. Console of this washer matched that of the 1987 Dryer (see above). Conked Out THIS Year, and replaced WITH (see # 04 below),

(04). 2007 Kenmore Elite Oasis King Sized Washer with Electronic Controls, 3.8 Cu./Ft. Stainless Steel Tub, Dual-Action Agitator (not the one with the 4.5 Cu./Ft. "Canyan" Capacity" and Wash Plate at the bottom of the tub...... GOD, I was hoping she would get that one....... Oh Well) and dispensers for detergent, bleach and fabric softner (that's still a cool machine, and man, that thing is quiet as shit)(WAY TO GO, GRANDMA!!!!! :)).

Aunt (Mother's Sister):

(01). 1963 Lady Kenmore Model 800 Set (in Pink) (lasted until 1980)(best of the three sets they've owned).

(02). Whirlpool Set (MOL, I believe)(1980-01).

(03). "Whilpool Made" Roper Set (2001 to Present (man, they downgraded big time, didn't they)).

Aunt (Father's Sister):

(01). 1969 Kenmore 24" Portable Automatic (the one dial model with 2-Speeds/3-Cycles, Waterfall Lint Filter, Gold Straight Vane Agitator and Off Balance Switch with Buzzer).

(02). 1969 Westinghouse Deluxe Electric Dryer with "Cross Vane Tumbling".

(03). 1973 Kenmore Large Capacity Washer with 2-Speeds and 3-Cycles, Gold Roto-Swirl Agitator with Fabric Softener Dispenser and Off Balance Switch with Buzzer.

(04). 1981 Kenmore Large Capacity Washer (in Gold) with 2-Speeds and 6-Cycles and Dual Action Agitator and all the feature of the 1973 Large Capacity Kenmore.

(05). 1981 Kenmore Electric Dryer with Center Plug Drop-Down Door (nothing special).

(06). 1996 Kenmore Direct-Drive 3-Speed Washer with Triple Dispensers and Dual-Action Agitator.

Great Grandmother (My Grandmother's Mother - Now Deceased):

(01). 1965 Philco Washer (the one that was made by Ford Motor Company) with the Right Opening Lid and "Blades Of Action" Undertow Agitator.

(02). 1976 Speed Queen Multi-Speed/Multi-Cycle Washer with Stainless Steel Tub.

(03). Speed Queen Dryer (don't know what vintage, but let's figure mid/late 1960's).

Great Aunt (Grandmother Sister):

(01). 1966-67 Lady Kenmore "Keyboard" Set (with Roto-Flex Agitator (the one that "SPANKS" your clothes until they are clean.......). Washer had 14 Push-Buttons with Click-Stop Cycle/Timer, Detergent Dispenser with Aluminum Lid on the right side of the lid and Bleach and Fabric Softener Dispensers under the lid on the left side of the machine, a 3-Speed Motor, Off Balance Switch with Buzzer and a Full-Width Lighted Console. Matching Dryer had Solid-State Sensor, Lighted Drum and Console, 3 Push-Buttons in the center of the console and a Full-Width Door (1966 or 1967 until 1986).

(02). Early 1980's Kenmore Belt-Drive Washer with 2-Speeds/6-Cycles, Bleach and Fabric Softener Dispensers and a Dual-Action Agitator.

(03). General Electric Electric Dryer (not sure of the vintage, but it was during the time GE was doing the "match all" consoles).

Great Uncle (Father's Uncle...... Now Deceased, AND..... He gets the vote for the MOST ENTERTAINING laundry set of the family (BOTH SIDES!!!!)):

(01). 1966 Frigidaire Imperial Model with 3-Speed Motor, Jet Cone Agitator (I loved the way that thing went "up and down") and Rapidry Spin (in Coppertone) and Matching Dryer. Washer lasted until 1994, and Dryer was still working when he passed away in 2001.

There you have it........ These are the laundry appliances I had the pleasure of growing up with.

Any Questions????? :)

--Charles--
 
My Mom had a Thor Automagic semi-automatic washer. That is where I got my start with washing machines.
One aunt had a Norge timeline.
Another aunt had a Westinghouse slant front but one day, she replaced it with a Norge timeline.
My grandmother had a Maytag gray ghost in the basement with
double stone wash tubs for rinsing.
When my Mom went shopping, she dropped me at the laundromat where they had Philco Bendix front loaders.
Down the road from my grandparents was a laundromat with
Bendix front loaders.
I could always be found where the washers were located.

Ross
 
My earliest memories are my parents washer. They were the second family on the block to get a 1951 Frigidaire unimatic WO-65 that lasted until 1963 with the transmission repaired in 1959. They then purchased in 1963 a Frigidaire Model WCDA-63 that was still running in 1990. If I had known that the outer tub could be repaired due to rusting spots that leaked, the machine probably would still be running today. In Christmas 1990 the family purchased a bottom of the line Maytag that is still running like new but not up to the quality of the Frigidaires of the past. My mother was so disappointed with the spin speed of the Maytag. There was no dryer until 1970 when a GE gas dryer Model 7100 was purchased and is still being used today.
My older sister had a 1964 Kenmore programmed washer Model 700 that lasted until 1987 when they purchased the top of the line Maytag that still is being used.
My other siblings have a 1991 Maytag top of the line still in use, a 1983 Maytag Model 409 still being used, a 1987 Maytag Model 612 still in use. My youngest brother replaced a center dial Maytag Model 606 with suds-saver with a 2001 Whirlpool washer.
I myself am still using my 1987 Maytag Model 512 Fabric Matic which replaced a Frigidaire Skinny-mini that came with the house that I purchased in 1979. I purchased a used 1980 Maytag gas dryer Model 608 in 1985 that I am still using today.
 
My grandmother had 1960 Frigidaire Custom Imperial washer and dryer in sunny yellow. My grandfather bought this set in late August 1960 for my grandmother's 50th birthday! I remember my grandmother "Mimi" would put a step stool in front of the Custom Imperial washer and let me put in the soap powder in the three ring agitator. My grandmother had the 1960 Custom Imperial washer until early summer of 1968. It just died one day. We had the Custom Imperial dryer until December 1980 when I called the Salvation Army. My biggest wish is to find a 1960 Frigidaire Custom Imperial washer and dryer ( working or not )
so I can honor my "Mimi" for all the endless loads of diapers, towels, clothes she washed in that sunny yellow set from Frigidaire.
 
Right before I was born my parents bought a new 1973 Whirlpool set. I think the washer was an Imperial, but I'm not certain. It had a lighted console and a shiny chrome agitator cap. I so wished it had a recirculating waterfall filter instead of a Magic Clean filter. The dryer was a '73 purchased at the same time, but didn't match the washer due to an appliance store mistake. My mom told me it was a nicer dryer than the one they'd originally paid for, so they kept it. In 1986 the Whirlpools were replaced with 90-series Kenmores, which was pretty much a step backwards in the excitement department. In late 2001 the washer emitted a loud bang that rendered it past tense and the Kenmores were replaced with a Frigidaire Gallery front-load pair, which are still in use. Finally, something somewhat exciting. (It figures it would eventually happen years after I'd moved out of my parents house.)

My paternal grandparents had a coppertone Westinghouse pair from the '60s or very early '70s. The washer was a front-load model with the side swinging door, and a little sticker near the tub seal that recommended using Dash. The sticker was still on there when the machines were replaced in 1984 with an MOL Maytag set.

My maternal grandparents had a center-dial Maytag with suds saver and lighted console mated to a slant-front Westinghouse dryer (the one with the colorful toggle switches). The dryer was replaced around 1985 with a GE dryer, and the washer replaced a couple years later with a Maytag. My great-grandmother had a fancier Maytag center-dial than my grandparents had, but no dryer. She also had a wringer washer pushed into a corner of the basement, and I think the center-dial was the only automatic she ever owned.

Odd, but with all the Maytags in my family neither my parents nor I have ever owned one.
 
My mom had a Thor washer in West Virginia, then in Kentucky she got a new '58 BOL GE washer that went to Lynchburg, VA, then here in this house in '61. In the mid '60s we got a Kenmore, somewhere in the '70s we got a Wizard, then the last regular washer we had was a Maytag. My brother bought us a White/Frigidaire stacked heavy duty washer-dryer in the '90s after mom broke an elbow and knee. It's a great machine, but it isn't old like I want.
 
I've got pictures!!!

1972 maybe, my sister's birthday party. Thats her in the orange.
In the background is the Maytag A702 and the 1959 Hotpoint dryer
The appliances are long gone, but that damn wallpaper is still there!

8-7-2007-20-59-38--hoover1060.jpg
 
Childhood Washer Memories...

From what I could remember: Mom told us she first got a Norge prior to her old Kenmore set. We grew up with a white Kenmore set from the late 60s to the mid 70s. This was a lighted console type, but do not know the model. After the washer broke down, Mom used a twin tubbed ringer model till she got a used early to mid 70s Speed Queen. Then (in about 1983) we got a new Whirlpool washer in almond and a used Maytag dryer that was white in color. Again, don't know the models. Last I knew, Mom had an early 90s Maytag model that was of the faster revved or short, quick stroked agitation type. Childhood memories also consisted of my hanging around the neighbors Maytags, Norge, Kenmore, or GE sets. Have also seen Monkey Wards, Westinghouse, and Frigidaire dryers and some washers, but not the Frigidaire washers. Also hung around Philco-Bendix washers at the laundry mat when Mom had to use those whenever we had water problems on the farm. My favorite washers to watch are the older Bendix frontloaders, along with those high revved spin cycles of older Speed Queens and Frigidaires, such as what I have collected demos from AW.--Laundry Shark
 
Maytag 608's

from 1993, after the new floors were installed. The original kitchen was remodeled in 1978, and the bar added in 1982, featuring a new Maytag dishwasher, which faced the sink

8-7-2007-21-02-29--hoover1060.jpg
 

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