Does anyone remember washers or dryers of thier childhood?
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Kenmore 800
bingwsguy
Well-known member
Hence my love of Maytag
My Mom's was a Maytag model?? Hot/Warm/Cold, Regular/Gentle Action, Small/Medium /Normal buttons. My Dad's Mom was maybe a Maytag AMP, then a 606 pair. My Mom's Mom was a Maytag model E which she had until she was about 82 years old.
My Mom's was a Maytag model?? Hot/Warm/Cold, Regular/Gentle Action, Small/Medium /Normal buttons. My Dad's Mom was maybe a Maytag AMP, then a 606 pair. My Mom's Mom was a Maytag model E which she had until she was about 82 years old.
jasonl
New member
The beautiful Kenmore 800
blackstone
Well-known member
Obviously....
The Blackstone model 350, with stainless steel top and tub. My father, who had the TV & appliance store in front of the house, had that washer in service for 50 years. It still works, but is resting in my cellar for the time being. Matching dryer also still works. I used to climb inside that dryer drum, although it was frowned upon.
I also remember the Westinghouse frontloader. My father took out the tubs, put the inner tub into the back of the outer tub, standing on the ground, which made a cool merry-go-round for us in the back yard.
And who else used round wringer covers for sliding down snowy hills?
The Blackstone model 350, with stainless steel top and tub. My father, who had the TV & appliance store in front of the house, had that washer in service for 50 years. It still works, but is resting in my cellar for the time being. Matching dryer also still works. I used to climb inside that dryer drum, although it was frowned upon.
I also remember the Westinghouse frontloader. My father took out the tubs, put the inner tub into the back of the outer tub, standing on the ground, which made a cool merry-go-round for us in the back yard.
And who else used round wringer covers for sliding down snowy hills?
abcomatic
Well-known member
In the 1950's on the farm. Mom had used washers because we washed in salt water from the well.
Wringers: Maytag Grey ghost, 1930's Thor, Montgomery and Wards,Speed Queen
Automatics: 1963 Cornado, 1971 Kenmore, 1987 Hotpoint, 1999 Kenmore.
Wringers: Maytag Grey ghost, 1930's Thor, Montgomery and Wards,Speed Queen
Automatics: 1963 Cornado, 1971 Kenmore, 1987 Hotpoint, 1999 Kenmore.
The first washer I remember was a Westinghouse Laundromat that my mother had. She later traded it in for a Sears Kenmore push-button set (1962-63 vintage). She taught me how to run it and from that point on, I did the laundry every Saturday--usually three or four loads in the Kenmore, and hung them out to dry in the backyard. Mom always picked the detergent, however. Never Tide, she was partial to Cheer, Ajax, Bold (and later Drive, Punch and Gain). Never liquid bleach--always Action chlorine packets. And her favorite fabric softner was Final Touch. (Good thing we had a fabric softner dispenser in the Kenmore, which broke down at regular intervals.)
After years of begging, my father found a used Kenmore "bug eye" gas dryer and hooked it up in the garage, ending the chore of hanging up the laundry. When my grandfather moved in with us to live out his final years, we took possession of his Kenmore washer--newer and with fewer cycles than ours. I loved it; it never broke down. But it had no self-cleaning lint filter like the old Kenmore; had to pull the plastic bed of nails out and tap out the lint in the toilet. Such fun.
We later sold the house and moved to an apartment, where I spent years doing wash in the complex's laundry room. When I got my own apartment years later, I was determined to have one with a washer and dryer. I bought a Hotpoint washer and electric dryer in 1983; it was a good pair and lasted for years until I sold them.
Today, I have my own condo, and after nearly a decade, my Roper (Whirlpool-built) washer and gas dryer continue to do load after load with no service problems whatsoever. Occasionally, I think seriously about buying a new front load pair such as a Duet or one of the Bosch models like Lynette has on "Desperate Housewives." But as long as the Ropers do their job, I'll stick with them.
After years of begging, my father found a used Kenmore "bug eye" gas dryer and hooked it up in the garage, ending the chore of hanging up the laundry. When my grandfather moved in with us to live out his final years, we took possession of his Kenmore washer--newer and with fewer cycles than ours. I loved it; it never broke down. But it had no self-cleaning lint filter like the old Kenmore; had to pull the plastic bed of nails out and tap out the lint in the toilet. Such fun.
We later sold the house and moved to an apartment, where I spent years doing wash in the complex's laundry room. When I got my own apartment years later, I was determined to have one with a washer and dryer. I bought a Hotpoint washer and electric dryer in 1983; it was a good pair and lasted for years until I sold them.
Today, I have my own condo, and after nearly a decade, my Roper (Whirlpool-built) washer and gas dryer continue to do load after load with no service problems whatsoever. Occasionally, I think seriously about buying a new front load pair such as a Duet or one of the Bosch models like Lynette has on "Desperate Housewives." But as long as the Ropers do their job, I'll stick with them.
easyspindry
Well-known member
Wish I had pictures
Growing up with parents from the Great Depression, there was never any money for a lot of appliances. My first memory was getting my fingers caught in our Maytag wringer. Mother had to hook up a hose at the kitchen sink on the other side of the kitchen to fill it. It gravity drained through a hole Daddy cut in the floor.
Next was a Thor Automagic that could be turned into a dishwasher, but we couldn't afford that.
Next came the Maytag AMP, lighted logo on the front and 2 dials on the top front. That machine lasted 16 years with never a problem.
After that was a Frigidaire Rollermatic that was still working when we gave it away.
Daddy had died and I didn't want Mother going down in the basement to do laundry, so I got her a Westinghouse front load pair that could fit under the kitchen counter.
Our neighbor had a bolt-down Bendix which fascinated me. Whenever I was lost, my frantic mother soon learned that I probably was at Kate's watching her Bendix. It drained into a sump pump. When the pump came on, I could rush up the stairs and out into the back yard to watch the water drain away.
Another neighbor had a Bendix Economat with the rubber tub. It worked great. But another neighbor had a Bendix rubber tub that never worked properly.
Daddy was on the faculty at a small college in NC, and in the gymnasium were several Jacob Laundryalls used for cleaning the athletic gear. They were replaced with commercial equipment, and other faculty members bought the old Jacob Laundryalls which I remember using. It was a tumble action, but a top loader with glass in the top so you could watch. And the tumble action would reverse. And had to be bolted to the floor.
A friend of the family had a Norge timeline. I remember it being very noisy.
There were several friends with Kenmores from the early '50's. Flat top, 2 dials on the front sticking out at 45 degree angle. Didn't take me long to figure out that you could turn the timer dial past 10 and it would start agitating with a partial level of water.
When the whole college moved from one town to another, many friends built houses and bought GE appliances in 1956 -- first year for the filter-flo. Most of those seemed to give the same problem at the same time when the seals wore out and water ran all over the floor.
Many other friends installed Bendix Combos, the ones with the front mounted contols on the right under a door that lifted.
I drove our friends crazy on Saturdays when I'd call them to see if they were going to do washing and could I come over and help. It was fun.
Jerry Gay
Growing up with parents from the Great Depression, there was never any money for a lot of appliances. My first memory was getting my fingers caught in our Maytag wringer. Mother had to hook up a hose at the kitchen sink on the other side of the kitchen to fill it. It gravity drained through a hole Daddy cut in the floor.
Next was a Thor Automagic that could be turned into a dishwasher, but we couldn't afford that.
Next came the Maytag AMP, lighted logo on the front and 2 dials on the top front. That machine lasted 16 years with never a problem.
After that was a Frigidaire Rollermatic that was still working when we gave it away.
Daddy had died and I didn't want Mother going down in the basement to do laundry, so I got her a Westinghouse front load pair that could fit under the kitchen counter.
Our neighbor had a bolt-down Bendix which fascinated me. Whenever I was lost, my frantic mother soon learned that I probably was at Kate's watching her Bendix. It drained into a sump pump. When the pump came on, I could rush up the stairs and out into the back yard to watch the water drain away.
Another neighbor had a Bendix Economat with the rubber tub. It worked great. But another neighbor had a Bendix rubber tub that never worked properly.
Daddy was on the faculty at a small college in NC, and in the gymnasium were several Jacob Laundryalls used for cleaning the athletic gear. They were replaced with commercial equipment, and other faculty members bought the old Jacob Laundryalls which I remember using. It was a tumble action, but a top loader with glass in the top so you could watch. And the tumble action would reverse. And had to be bolted to the floor.
A friend of the family had a Norge timeline. I remember it being very noisy.
There were several friends with Kenmores from the early '50's. Flat top, 2 dials on the front sticking out at 45 degree angle. Didn't take me long to figure out that you could turn the timer dial past 10 and it would start agitating with a partial level of water.
When the whole college moved from one town to another, many friends built houses and bought GE appliances in 1956 -- first year for the filter-flo. Most of those seemed to give the same problem at the same time when the seals wore out and water ran all over the floor.
Many other friends installed Bendix Combos, the ones with the front mounted contols on the right under a door that lifted.
I drove our friends crazy on Saturdays when I'd call them to see if they were going to do washing and could I come over and help. It was fun.
Jerry Gay
mielew4840
Member
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2007
- Messages
- 14
My first washer memory
This Is the brandnew washer my Grandma got around 1987:
AEG Öko Lavamat 530
This Is the brandnew washer my Grandma got around 1987:
AEG Öko Lavamat 530
Hoover Logic + Matching dryer
I remember we had an early 1980s Hoover Logic and the matching "Tumble Dryer De Lux". They lasted years!
Ultimately replaced by a pair of Mieles in the 1990s.
Neither hoover had any problem, just seriously outdated by then.
I remember we had an early 1980s Hoover Logic and the matching "Tumble Dryer De Lux". They lasted years!
Ultimately replaced by a pair of Mieles in the 1990s.
Neither hoover had any problem, just seriously outdated by then.
mrcleanjeans
New member
We had the Hotpoint Silhouette 15 washer with the turquoise lint filter and its matching dryer.The dryer was SO cheesy in build quality that it had bend-tabs over the dryer cover and a bakelite impeller,and the washer's curvy and pretty agitator couldn't move a load of clothes if it tried,but they were cool looking.I'm guessing 1966 to be their year.
We had 1959 Whirlpools, second from the TOL. Lighted consoles and the famous sugilator! But the really cool washers were at others homes:
One aunt had 1958 Kenmore 4-stars which I thought were beautiful.
Another had a 1958 or 9 Kelvinator that fascinated me. It wasn't until seeing the video of the ABC-O-Matic here that I knew how it worked.
And a cousin had a (oh, '58 or 9, I think) Frigidaire pulsematic. At that time the BOL models used that older mechanism while the others were unimatics. I did know how it worked and loved to watch it!
Kelly
My mother's first washer was a twintub, I think it was a DRU, made in the Netherlands. She also used a laundry service while she had that twintub. Then in 1965 she got a Candy frontloader that didn't have a long life. In 1966 she bought a Bosch V550 frontloader. In 1976 that was replaced by a Miele W423. In 1997 she bought a Miele Frontstar that she still has.
70series
Well-known member
The first washer we had was a 1964 Hotpoint Silhouette. It was replaced in 1972 by a Maytag A206. Until I figured out how to trip the lid switch, I got my first views of it washing by lifting the lid a little bit, and sticking my thumbs between it and the top of the machine. Once I figured out where the lid switch was, and how to bypass it, I would use the handle end of a letter opener to keep it pressed in when the lid was up. That machine lasted until 1999, replaced by a 90 Series DD Kenmore 110-20902. It was a relief to have a washer that would operate with the lid raised without having to resort to measures. My parents moved almost three years ago, leaving the Kenmore behind. Now they have another Maytag LAT900BAE, which was left behind by the former owner.
Our first dryer was a 69 GE (gas), which lasted until 1986 when the motor burned out. It was replaced by a Whirlpool Imperial Seventy LAG811XP. This lasted until September 2003, when the gas valve failed. It was replaced by a Kenmore 80 Series 110-72822. This made for the first (almost) matched set my parents had. It was also left behind when they moved. Now they have a 2003 Maytag of Norge design, also left by the former owner. It was the first electric dryer they had. A coincidence: The Maytag dryer was purchased within two weeks after my parents bought the Kenmore.
In the house where I grew up, our washers emptied into a pipe. The house my parents moved to has a two tub slop sink which the washer empties into. Because the sewer line is above the sink, the only way for the sink to empty is with the aid of an electric pump hooked up under it. The one they have now works automatically. For the first year though, they had to contend with an old system which operated manually. This of course meant you had to be near the washer during the cycle. Although the replacement of this pump was already in the works, a week before this took place, my father decided to do the wash one morning. He forgot completely about it, and went out for a ride with my mother. Oh what a flood.
Our relatives had the following;
Grandma: Late 60s Westinghouse washer with spiral vane agi. This was replaced in '79 by an early 60s 24 inch RCA Whirlpool, which originally belonged to my great great aunt. This was replaced in '87 by a BOL Hotpoint, which she had until she died in 1994.
Aunt and uncle on Long Island had an unmatched '74 Kenmore set.
Aunt in Forest Hills Queens had a '67 RCA Whirlpool Imperial with chrome capped Super Surgilator, and console light. She had it 28 years.
Aunt and uncle in Northern Virginia had later 60s near BOL Kenmore, which used to belong to my aunt's mother. It had a center dial, and the gold str8 vane agitator. The dryer was a 1974 model with the funky console that was a match to Trainguy's '74 washer. The washer was replaced in 1988 with a GE Filter Flo with Mini Basket. They also had a '71 Kenmore gas dryer which they could not use because their house did not have a gas hookup. They moved into the house in 1974, after renting for 2 years. They had to bring the dryer with them. Unfortunately it was not used again, but they had a big family. It was 2 years of use, but it dried a fair amount of laundry.
Friends and Neighbors:
Next door:
Left: 1966 Kenmore 800 set.
Right: 1968 GE Filter Flo
Across the street: (6 houses)
1. '82 BD Kenmore set
2. '75 BD Whirlpool 80 set
3. '69 BOLish Kenmore set with center dials. The washer had a gold Roto Swirl.
4. '66 or 7 Kenmore 600 washer with the latch filter and black str8 vane agitator, and a late 60s-early 70s Kenmore 70 dryer.
5. '72 Maytag A407 set.
6. '66 RCA Whirpool washer, and Hamilton dryer from same year.
My best friend from around the corner had a '68 Kenmore 70 washer with gold Roto Swirl, and the Match All dryer.
I would post more, but I don't want to add to the clutter.
Have a good one,
James
Our first dryer was a 69 GE (gas), which lasted until 1986 when the motor burned out. It was replaced by a Whirlpool Imperial Seventy LAG811XP. This lasted until September 2003, when the gas valve failed. It was replaced by a Kenmore 80 Series 110-72822. This made for the first (almost) matched set my parents had. It was also left behind when they moved. Now they have a 2003 Maytag of Norge design, also left by the former owner. It was the first electric dryer they had. A coincidence: The Maytag dryer was purchased within two weeks after my parents bought the Kenmore.
In the house where I grew up, our washers emptied into a pipe. The house my parents moved to has a two tub slop sink which the washer empties into. Because the sewer line is above the sink, the only way for the sink to empty is with the aid of an electric pump hooked up under it. The one they have now works automatically. For the first year though, they had to contend with an old system which operated manually. This of course meant you had to be near the washer during the cycle. Although the replacement of this pump was already in the works, a week before this took place, my father decided to do the wash one morning. He forgot completely about it, and went out for a ride with my mother. Oh what a flood.
Our relatives had the following;
Grandma: Late 60s Westinghouse washer with spiral vane agi. This was replaced in '79 by an early 60s 24 inch RCA Whirlpool, which originally belonged to my great great aunt. This was replaced in '87 by a BOL Hotpoint, which she had until she died in 1994.
Aunt and uncle on Long Island had an unmatched '74 Kenmore set.
Aunt in Forest Hills Queens had a '67 RCA Whirlpool Imperial with chrome capped Super Surgilator, and console light. She had it 28 years.
Aunt and uncle in Northern Virginia had later 60s near BOL Kenmore, which used to belong to my aunt's mother. It had a center dial, and the gold str8 vane agitator. The dryer was a 1974 model with the funky console that was a match to Trainguy's '74 washer. The washer was replaced in 1988 with a GE Filter Flo with Mini Basket. They also had a '71 Kenmore gas dryer which they could not use because their house did not have a gas hookup. They moved into the house in 1974, after renting for 2 years. They had to bring the dryer with them. Unfortunately it was not used again, but they had a big family. It was 2 years of use, but it dried a fair amount of laundry.
Friends and Neighbors:
Next door:
Left: 1966 Kenmore 800 set.
Right: 1968 GE Filter Flo
Across the street: (6 houses)
1. '82 BD Kenmore set
2. '75 BD Whirlpool 80 set
3. '69 BOLish Kenmore set with center dials. The washer had a gold Roto Swirl.
4. '66 or 7 Kenmore 600 washer with the latch filter and black str8 vane agitator, and a late 60s-early 70s Kenmore 70 dryer.
5. '72 Maytag A407 set.
6. '66 RCA Whirpool washer, and Hamilton dryer from same year.
My best friend from around the corner had a '68 Kenmore 70 washer with gold Roto Swirl, and the Match All dryer.
I would post more, but I don't want to add to the clutter.
Have a good one,
James
dubstar85
New member
My parents first washing machine was a hoover with a round door from 1982 i guess. They had a hoover dryer as well but that had the square door. I remember the washing machine having a silver plated door and big white door catch. It was an 800rpm model. That broke down in 1989 and mum wanted a dishwasher so she sold the Tumble dryer and bought a Hotpoint 9934 washer dryer and a 7128 dishwasher. The dishwasher was apparently made my Siemens and was cool. It lasted till 2002 when it sprung a leak and was uneconomical to repair. It got replaced by another hotpoint dishwasher. The washer Dryer was a fun machine to watch. It had Pulse Spining so the spin cycle kept stopping and starting. Sadly it ripped clothes and died in 1994 after gradually declining for the past 2 years. We got an Indesit omega 1296. I didn't like it really cos i had my eye on an Asko (I was only 8 mind, so i didn't have much sway. That and money was very tight!) The machine is still going, even after i broke the door in 1997 haha.
Other machines i loved were: My Auntie's Zanussi WDI9091 (1987- 1998) Spent hours watching the machine! It was so quiet and i liked how it tumbled then span instead of our machines which distributed then span.
My grannie has a philco until 1987 then she got an electrolux that was made by Zanussi. It had the blacked out door and i thought that looked pretty cool.
My friends back then had various hotpoint and hoover washing machines. A couple of others i saw was an ariston washer dryer, a very old colston washing machine, a servis quartz and a phillips front loader from the late 80's.
Other machines i loved were: My Auntie's Zanussi WDI9091 (1987- 1998) Spent hours watching the machine! It was so quiet and i liked how it tumbled then span instead of our machines which distributed then span.
My grannie has a philco until 1987 then she got an electrolux that was made by Zanussi. It had the blacked out door and i thought that looked pretty cool.
My friends back then had various hotpoint and hoover washing machines. A couple of others i saw was an ariston washer dryer, a very old colston washing machine, a servis quartz and a phillips front loader from the late 80's.
fredriksam
Well-known member
Hi there. Good thread.
My family had 2 washing machines. A Hoover Keymatic 3224 and a machine i dont know the name of. The nameless machine was replaced 1975-76 with a Miele w433. I have included a pic from the german forum where you see the nameless machine. In germany it was called Brocke. I asked mum if it was named the same here, but she didnt think so. The only memories of this machine i have, is that it was terribly noisy and what it looked like.
The Keymatic still worked when they gave it to me in 2004-2005. I had the Keymatic until 2006, when it began showing weakness and faults. I later sold the Keymatic to someone in Sweden that also collected washing machine. He later sold the machine to someone in Norway.
They still have the Mile W433 and a Asko 10 005. The Asko has broken down one time (changed cole in motor). The Miele has never broken down. We have just changed the belt and the door seal. Also i have helped mum getting out 2 bh metallic from the drum
My family had 2 washing machines. A Hoover Keymatic 3224 and a machine i dont know the name of. The nameless machine was replaced 1975-76 with a Miele w433. I have included a pic from the german forum where you see the nameless machine. In germany it was called Brocke. I asked mum if it was named the same here, but she didnt think so. The only memories of this machine i have, is that it was terribly noisy and what it looked like.
The Keymatic still worked when they gave it to me in 2004-2005. I had the Keymatic until 2006, when it began showing weakness and faults. I later sold the Keymatic to someone in Sweden that also collected washing machine. He later sold the machine to someone in Norway.
They still have the Mile W433 and a Asko 10 005. The Asko has broken down one time (changed cole in motor). The Miele has never broken down. We have just changed the belt and the door seal. Also i have helped mum getting out 2 bh metallic from the drum
My parents' first set was a mismatched combination of Kenmores. There was a circa 1960 washer, the details of which I can't seem to recall properly. Several people here have tried to help me by posting pics of dials and consoles, but I haven't seen one that looks quite right. Possibly I don't remember it properly. I know it had infinite water level, a knob that selected one of five temp combinations, and three cycles including a lo-speed delicate cycle. It had the cartridge filter, which my mom hated to clean. Possibly as a result, I recall the hose from the pump to the filter bursting twice and flooding the garage. (What is it with lint filters and the women in my life? My DW refuses to touch the lint filter on our dryer. She says the feel of it grosses her out.) It also had a socket for a tub light, but it seldom worked because the bulbs didn't last long and my dad thought it was too much trouble to open up the top just to change the bulb. It had a white basket and black agi.
The dryer was the '61 Lady Kenmore with the big pastel rocker switches that was a POD a couple of weeks ago. I recall that the timer mechanism seldom worked properly. Dad was always having to work on it. Eventually he just wired it so that it ran anytime the door was closed. (Actually, I can, just barely, recall that this was our first dryer. Before that, everything was dried on the line. The line was one of those four-sided things that rotates on top of a pole. It remained in service for some time after the dryer arrived, since my mom preferred towels and linens to be dried on the line.
My maternal grandmother and great-aunt (who lived a few doors apart on the same street) both had identical Maytag wringers. It was the one with the red push-pull knob for turning the motor on and off, and the red release bar on the wringer. My great-aunt had hers on her back porch, and my grandmother had hers in an unheated back room in her house, so in the winter they took their clothes to a laundromat the next street over. Washing with the wringers had a certain rhythm to it: put stuff in, agitate it, run it through the wringer and into a galvanized washtop full of water for the rinse. Dunk the clothes in the rinse water a few times. Switch the wringer to run in the other direction (and the little drain plate tilts the other way), run the rinsed clothes through, toss them in a basket to go out to the line. Then start the next batch. Same water used for all, unless there was a really big pile, in which case the rinse water might get changed halfway through. My grandmother filled hers from a hose attached to an ancient wall-hung sink. My great-aunt was more gonzo than that. She liked her wash water hot. She'd get out a huge old canning pot, fill it with water, boil it on the stove, take that to the washer, and dump it in. Then, a couple of pots of cold water in on top of it (got the temp down to bearable, just barely). At end of washday, grandmother hooked the hose from hers over the lip of the sink and engaged the pump. Great-aunt just wheeled the machine over to the door of the bath adjoining the porch, and let it gravity drain into the toilet. Once it was empty, there was the ritual of removing the agi, greasing the shaft, cleaning the lint filter, and drying out the interior with towels. In all of her life, my grandmother refused to allow an automatic washer to cross her threshold. She didn't believe in those new-fangled things. (She never had any beef with the ones at the laudromat, though...)
An aunt on my father's side (wife of one of my father's brothers) I recall having a frog-eye Kenmore. It was sort of built into the kitchen cabinets, with some kind of foam rubber material to try to isolate the vibration from the adjoining cabinetry. Once, my aunt was trying to wash a largish rubber-backed bath rug by itself. It agitated okay, but when it tried to spin, the rug bunched up on one side and it went off balance (setting off the horrible Kenmore buzzer). She tried to rearrange it several times, to no avail. Then she had an inspiration. She took the rug out of the tub and draped it over the top of the agitator. It spun just fine that way!
Another aunt had a mid-'60s Kenmore washer, the one with all of the curlicues on the panel and the pincushion-shaped areas where the water level and temp knobs were located, on either side of the timer. I had not seen her or that uncle in years (he was my father's oldest brother, and they were both in ill health for some time). The uncle died last year. After the funeral, the whole family went to their house to eat. (It's a family tradition; we eat after a funeral. Or a wedding. Or at a holiday. Or pretty much any time, come to think of it...) The house was like a time capsule. It still looked like what I remember of it from their mid-'60s remodel. Kitchen table with stainless steel banding and a red speckled laminate top. Vinyl-covered chairs. Etc. Anyway, I was poking around a bit and I went out onto the porch. I was stunned to find that same Kenmore still there! It was in pretty bad shape, though. Lots of rust. No telling when was the last time it worked.
The dryer was the '61 Lady Kenmore with the big pastel rocker switches that was a POD a couple of weeks ago. I recall that the timer mechanism seldom worked properly. Dad was always having to work on it. Eventually he just wired it so that it ran anytime the door was closed. (Actually, I can, just barely, recall that this was our first dryer. Before that, everything was dried on the line. The line was one of those four-sided things that rotates on top of a pole. It remained in service for some time after the dryer arrived, since my mom preferred towels and linens to be dried on the line.
My maternal grandmother and great-aunt (who lived a few doors apart on the same street) both had identical Maytag wringers. It was the one with the red push-pull knob for turning the motor on and off, and the red release bar on the wringer. My great-aunt had hers on her back porch, and my grandmother had hers in an unheated back room in her house, so in the winter they took their clothes to a laundromat the next street over. Washing with the wringers had a certain rhythm to it: put stuff in, agitate it, run it through the wringer and into a galvanized washtop full of water for the rinse. Dunk the clothes in the rinse water a few times. Switch the wringer to run in the other direction (and the little drain plate tilts the other way), run the rinsed clothes through, toss them in a basket to go out to the line. Then start the next batch. Same water used for all, unless there was a really big pile, in which case the rinse water might get changed halfway through. My grandmother filled hers from a hose attached to an ancient wall-hung sink. My great-aunt was more gonzo than that. She liked her wash water hot. She'd get out a huge old canning pot, fill it with water, boil it on the stove, take that to the washer, and dump it in. Then, a couple of pots of cold water in on top of it (got the temp down to bearable, just barely). At end of washday, grandmother hooked the hose from hers over the lip of the sink and engaged the pump. Great-aunt just wheeled the machine over to the door of the bath adjoining the porch, and let it gravity drain into the toilet. Once it was empty, there was the ritual of removing the agi, greasing the shaft, cleaning the lint filter, and drying out the interior with towels. In all of her life, my grandmother refused to allow an automatic washer to cross her threshold. She didn't believe in those new-fangled things. (She never had any beef with the ones at the laudromat, though...)
An aunt on my father's side (wife of one of my father's brothers) I recall having a frog-eye Kenmore. It was sort of built into the kitchen cabinets, with some kind of foam rubber material to try to isolate the vibration from the adjoining cabinetry. Once, my aunt was trying to wash a largish rubber-backed bath rug by itself. It agitated okay, but when it tried to spin, the rug bunched up on one side and it went off balance (setting off the horrible Kenmore buzzer). She tried to rearrange it several times, to no avail. Then she had an inspiration. She took the rug out of the tub and draped it over the top of the agitator. It spun just fine that way!
Another aunt had a mid-'60s Kenmore washer, the one with all of the curlicues on the panel and the pincushion-shaped areas where the water level and temp knobs were located, on either side of the timer. I had not seen her or that uncle in years (he was my father's oldest brother, and they were both in ill health for some time). The uncle died last year. After the funeral, the whole family went to their house to eat. (It's a family tradition; we eat after a funeral. Or a wedding. Or at a holiday. Or pretty much any time, come to think of it...) The house was like a time capsule. It still looked like what I remember of it from their mid-'60s remodel. Kitchen table with stainless steel banding and a red speckled laminate top. Vinyl-covered chairs. Etc. Anyway, I was poking around a bit and I went out onto the porch. I was stunned to find that same Kenmore still there! It was in pretty bad shape, though. Lots of rust. No telling when was the last time it worked.
vintagekenmore
Well-known member
When I was little..Mom had a Wizard Citation..one of two she had up until I was 9..then she switched to a Speed Queen....we had that one for about 9 years til it died and we went to a coin op(YES coin op) turquoise Frigidaire..it had the gold light to let ya know it was working and the red when it went out of balance...we never got a dryer until after Dad died..then it was a Kenmore 70 series with Suds Saver and a Kenmore Match-All dryer...when those finally died, Mom bought her first brand new Speed Queen washer and dryer..which she had up until 99 when the dryer went kaput and she moved to a Frigidaire dryer.....after she died...all that went to my youngest brother...who lost every bit of her stuff when he quit paying on the storage unit.
first g'day to all on this board ....as a newbie here i should intro myself briefly .... (as an Aussie a special g'day to the other aussies here) ...I have always been fascinated by washers, dryers, dishwashers etc... but never though that anyone would collect them wow was I wrong!!!!...it is great to find this board!!!
My earliest recollection is around the age of 4 or 5 the Kelvinator lady came to demonstrate my mother's brand new Kelvinator semi auto ...I was entranced by sight of the washing through the perspex lid she put on the machine!!!!
My earliest recollection is around the age of 4 or 5 the Kelvinator lady came to demonstrate my mother's brand new Kelvinator semi auto ...I was entranced by sight of the washing through the perspex lid she put on the machine!!!!
pturo
New member
We had a 1957 Whirlpool Imperial suds saver in White with matching dryer. Robert has posted the exact model in pink as picture of the day. I remember it lit up somewhere and that my mother never used the suds saver thing, she wanted fresh water washes each time. I also seem to remember the push bar on the dryer to open it, but the push bar on the washer did not do a thing, just decorative, I think. Then we got a Norge, with lots of pushbuttons which was a crummy washer, then a Maytag, which is still in use. So it was the Whirlpool from 57 to 68, 11 years. Then the Norge from 68 to 74, 6 years, then the Maytag from 74 to 2007-33 years and still running with new belts and water solenoid.
laundromat
Well-known member
The first washer I remember was a Bendix Economat with a rubber tub.I can't tell you how many times my grandfather cussed that machine out after replacing the tub just weeks earlier and having to replace it again from it imploding during the wringing out of the clothes.He finaly got rid of it and bought an Easy Rivera automatic.We already had a 1954 Kenmore gas dryer.After replacing the pump 7 or 8 times in 6 years,My mother wanted another washer.Now mind you,the home we had in B'more was a rancher with 4 bedrooms,1 bath and nowhere other than the utility room which was seperate from any entrance in the house and had to be entered by going out the back door into the cold,wet,raw winter air with a basket of wet or dry vclothes to take to and from the dryer.Mom hated that as well as my grandmother who had a sister in law that ahd a Bendix combination washer dryer.
We went to Sears and as we escalated down to the appliance department,I saw a washer dryer combination that looked different but did the same functions as my Aunt lou's Bendix.As my mom and grandmother looked around,I saw a saleslady and pointed to my mom telling (begging)her to sell them on the Lady Kenmore gas combination washer-dryer.On my birthday while my smartalec dad took me out to learn how to rollerscate,Sears had come to our house and installed that gem.By the time we got home,all the laundry had been washed,dried and out away.I knew there was a raeson to have dad take me away from home but mom could hsve at least saved a load for me to watch.Nontheless,I did get many chances to watch it and was able to bring home my schoolmates gym clothes to show off to them how great it was.we owned it from 1963 to 1981.My dad remaried after mom died and Betty(my stepmom) hated it.She came from a Jet Action 12 pound tub Frigidaire Gold crown model in coppertone.She and my dad went and replaced the combo with a Montgomery Ward (norge)washer and a cheap ass Whirlpool gas dryer.
We went to Sears and as we escalated down to the appliance department,I saw a washer dryer combination that looked different but did the same functions as my Aunt lou's Bendix.As my mom and grandmother looked around,I saw a saleslady and pointed to my mom telling (begging)her to sell them on the Lady Kenmore gas combination washer-dryer.On my birthday while my smartalec dad took me out to learn how to rollerscate,Sears had come to our house and installed that gem.By the time we got home,all the laundry had been washed,dried and out away.I knew there was a raeson to have dad take me away from home but mom could hsve at least saved a load for me to watch.Nontheless,I did get many chances to watch it and was able to bring home my schoolmates gym clothes to show off to them how great it was.we owned it from 1963 to 1981.My dad remaried after mom died and Betty(my stepmom) hated it.She came from a Jet Action 12 pound tub Frigidaire Gold crown model in coppertone.She and my dad went and replaced the combo with a Montgomery Ward (norge)washer and a cheap ass Whirlpool gas dryer.
Reading all your postings, brings back many memories of me growing up as a little boy who always wanted watch the washing machine work (aunts, cousins, friends).
1956 – Bendix Duomatic Combo Washer and Dryer
1965 – MOL Kenmore Washer
1972 – TOL Kenmore Washer
1979 – TOL Inglis Washer
1985 – A608 Maytag Washer
1987 – A510 Maytag Washer
My mom and dad first washer was a 1956 Bendix Duomatic. My mom hated this machine, it was always breaking down, clothes didn’t spin well and took forever to get the laundry down. She didn’t like the ordor it produced (I bet she never left the door open to dry). Eventually the washer was not fixable in 1965 and she decided to buy a MOL Kenmore. This was the first washer I remember. I spend hours rotating the agitator and watch the drain hose bang against the cabinet while it was spinning. (get this my dad surprised me on my 8th birthday with this washing machine after it broke down at the shop...this was the best bday present I ever had...I had a playhouse that was 12'x10') After my younger sister was born (1972), my mom decided to by a TOL Kenmore. This washer was really cool, it had the 2nd rinse, self-cleaning filter, lots of cycles and an automatic water temperature control. I remembered when it was delivered I would poke my head in the tub and take a sniff of the new washer smell. This washer had an orange Roto-Swirl and agitator mounted fabric softener. This washer had a lot of problems with the water level switch and fill valve in the beginning. Tub overflowed several times.
Then in 1979 the washer wouldn’t drain. The self cleaning filter was plugged solid. My dad taken the filter out and blow it with compressed air at the shop. This worked OK for a few months and plugged up again. My mom was quite frustrated and we went washing machine shopping. We ended up getting a TOL Inglis….well this machine was crap. It was really quiet and washed the clothes well, but it started leaking water about 2 years later. I placed a tray to catch the water and eventually it was full of oil. The tranny needed replacing and the spin tube. Then a year later the timer broke. After a while the washer will make a clunking noisy while washing.
About 1985 I bought my mom an used A608 Maytag. This machine was amazing and powerful compared to our old Inglis.
1987 I bought my mom an used A510 Maytag. This machine lasted to about 1997.
My mom and dad moved and decided to buy a new Maytag in 1997. They still have it and seems to be working well.
Bob
1956 – Bendix Duomatic Combo Washer and Dryer
1965 – MOL Kenmore Washer
1972 – TOL Kenmore Washer
1979 – TOL Inglis Washer
1985 – A608 Maytag Washer
1987 – A510 Maytag Washer
My mom and dad first washer was a 1956 Bendix Duomatic. My mom hated this machine, it was always breaking down, clothes didn’t spin well and took forever to get the laundry down. She didn’t like the ordor it produced (I bet she never left the door open to dry). Eventually the washer was not fixable in 1965 and she decided to buy a MOL Kenmore. This was the first washer I remember. I spend hours rotating the agitator and watch the drain hose bang against the cabinet while it was spinning. (get this my dad surprised me on my 8th birthday with this washing machine after it broke down at the shop...this was the best bday present I ever had...I had a playhouse that was 12'x10') After my younger sister was born (1972), my mom decided to by a TOL Kenmore. This washer was really cool, it had the 2nd rinse, self-cleaning filter, lots of cycles and an automatic water temperature control. I remembered when it was delivered I would poke my head in the tub and take a sniff of the new washer smell. This washer had an orange Roto-Swirl and agitator mounted fabric softener. This washer had a lot of problems with the water level switch and fill valve in the beginning. Tub overflowed several times.
Then in 1979 the washer wouldn’t drain. The self cleaning filter was plugged solid. My dad taken the filter out and blow it with compressed air at the shop. This worked OK for a few months and plugged up again. My mom was quite frustrated and we went washing machine shopping. We ended up getting a TOL Inglis….well this machine was crap. It was really quiet and washed the clothes well, but it started leaking water about 2 years later. I placed a tray to catch the water and eventually it was full of oil. The tranny needed replacing and the spin tube. Then a year later the timer broke. After a while the washer will make a clunking noisy while washing.
About 1985 I bought my mom an used A608 Maytag. This machine was amazing and powerful compared to our old Inglis.
1987 I bought my mom an used A510 Maytag. This machine lasted to about 1997.
My mom and dad moved and decided to buy a new Maytag in 1997. They still have it and seems to be working well.
Bob
When I was first born my dad bought my mom a bottom of the line 1962 Kenmore. In the fall of 1968 the white coated lever of the safety lid switch had fallen out so it would not spin anymore. So my mom sent my dad and my 5 year old self out to get a new washer and my mom's only request was that it be a "large capacity" machine. So my dad got her a middle of the line 1968 Kenmore, the only difference in the tub between the old and the new machine was was the new tub was white. I remeber her reaction when the machine was delievered, "wow this tub looks a lot bigger".
My parents bought the house in 1964, they also bought a new Maytag A700 in pink. It had the backlit console, a tub light (VERY neat!!) and a little knob on the top right of the control console to select the rinse temperature (automatic or cold). I used to wedge anything I could between the lid and the safety switch (car keys, wooden ruler, a spoon) so I could watch it with the lid open.
At some point my parents had to do a repair (themselves!!), which was either a bearing or seal at the bottom of the tub (not sure). After that repair (and one drive belt later) it worked fine for many years.
It was eventually replaced in the mid 80's (with a used late 70's Maytag, also adding a used Maytag dryer too) but ONLY because I wanted machine with a larger capacity. That large cap Maytag lasted until about 2 years ago (something finally failed) when it was replaced by a new Whirlpool Duet front loader.
My Grandparents had a mid-50's(?) Westinghouse front loader (I LOVED to watch it), probably a near the B.O.L. as (from what I can remember) it only had only one control knob and "Laundromat" printed in red across the window glass. Unfortunately something happened to it and was replaced in the late 70's with a new (basic) Maytag washer. They never had a dryer other then the sun and the wind.
At some point my parents had to do a repair (themselves!!), which was either a bearing or seal at the bottom of the tub (not sure). After that repair (and one drive belt later) it worked fine for many years.
It was eventually replaced in the mid 80's (with a used late 70's Maytag, also adding a used Maytag dryer too) but ONLY because I wanted machine with a larger capacity. That large cap Maytag lasted until about 2 years ago (something finally failed) when it was replaced by a new Whirlpool Duet front loader.
My Grandparents had a mid-50's(?) Westinghouse front loader (I LOVED to watch it), probably a near the B.O.L. as (from what I can remember) it only had only one control knob and "Laundromat" printed in red across the window glass. Unfortunately something happened to it and was replaced in the late 70's with a new (basic) Maytag washer. They never had a dryer other then the sun and the wind.
I used to do that for fun with our 1962 Whirly -- drape towels and wash cloth over the agitator for spinning. Had a couple incidents of the smaller items flying off and almost going under the tub ring between the basket and outer tub!
pierreandreply4
Well-known member
washers i rembers
inglis libarator push to start pull to stop (do not know the year) (my grand mother)
inglis superb washer and dryer bought before my birth
1988 kenmore (grand mother) broke recently
Ps: is it possible to see inglis libarator washer push to start pull to stop picture and inglis superb washer and dryer pictures.
tank you
inglis libarator push to start pull to stop (do not know the year) (my grand mother)
inglis superb washer and dryer bought before my birth
1988 kenmore (grand mother) broke recently
Ps: is it possible to see inglis libarator washer push to start pull to stop picture and inglis superb washer and dryer pictures.
tank you
Great thread. You opened a pandora's box.
Lets see, Mom had a 1950's Speed Queen that Dad fixed and fixed kept it running until 1969 when it finally died. I hated that machine, I found it boring and LOUD. Next was a 1969 M. Wards Norge that had a huge capacity, like 20lbs with a continuous lint filtering system...but that washer was LOUD too. Sometime in a mid 70's was a new Speed Queen that was ok but smaller capacity, not so loud. That lasted into the mid 80's when Mom got a cool TOP filter-flo. The first great washer we ever owned. After it started leaking oil, another GE and it started leaking oil only after 5 years of use. The last machine my Mom bought before she passed on was one of the last Dependable Care Maytags that were made, a true Maytag and is the one I own now. I seem to remember nothing but LOUD washers that you could hear a mile away, I thought it was embarrassing whenever company came over, esp. the Speed Queen monster. Like a Toyota, you couldn't kill a Speed Queen.
As I wrote in my profile, my babysitter had the best washer ever...to this day I wish I had it. Early 60's Kenmore with the different colored control panel, scrubber cap, and lint filter. Oh and don't forget the Salvo!! KEWL!
Grandmother (Dads mom) had an early 60's Frigdaire. Loved that up and down action.
Grandma, Mom's mom, had a wringer washers as there was no indoor plumbing in the farm house at all. Oh the memories of washday. Drawing the water from the cistern, heating it on the stove in buckets (usually 4-6 large buckets of hot boiling water mixed with 3 buckets of cold water) and poured into the Western Auto Wizard wringer washer. Fab was the detergent. More buckets of water was pulled from the cistern for the two wash tubs for rinsing, the same wash tubs that we bathed in on Saturday nights (no I'm not kidding here). The last tub of rinse water she would put in Final Touch. [Water was NEVER wasted, after finishing the wash, the wash water was used to wash down the porch and the rinse water used to water the plants around the house and yard...yes plants do thrive on Final Touch rinse water!] All clothes were hung out on the line, or on the porch, no matter the weather. This process took all morning with an early start, right after breakfast, no later than 8:00am. Tuesday's was ironing day, and that would take all day. Life on the farm in northern Arkansas. It was the best. Move over Beverly Hillbillies, you had nothing on us. Life was good!!!
Lets see, Mom had a 1950's Speed Queen that Dad fixed and fixed kept it running until 1969 when it finally died. I hated that machine, I found it boring and LOUD. Next was a 1969 M. Wards Norge that had a huge capacity, like 20lbs with a continuous lint filtering system...but that washer was LOUD too. Sometime in a mid 70's was a new Speed Queen that was ok but smaller capacity, not so loud. That lasted into the mid 80's when Mom got a cool TOP filter-flo. The first great washer we ever owned. After it started leaking oil, another GE and it started leaking oil only after 5 years of use. The last machine my Mom bought before she passed on was one of the last Dependable Care Maytags that were made, a true Maytag and is the one I own now. I seem to remember nothing but LOUD washers that you could hear a mile away, I thought it was embarrassing whenever company came over, esp. the Speed Queen monster. Like a Toyota, you couldn't kill a Speed Queen.
As I wrote in my profile, my babysitter had the best washer ever...to this day I wish I had it. Early 60's Kenmore with the different colored control panel, scrubber cap, and lint filter. Oh and don't forget the Salvo!! KEWL!
Grandmother (Dads mom) had an early 60's Frigdaire. Loved that up and down action.
Grandma, Mom's mom, had a wringer washers as there was no indoor plumbing in the farm house at all. Oh the memories of washday. Drawing the water from the cistern, heating it on the stove in buckets (usually 4-6 large buckets of hot boiling water mixed with 3 buckets of cold water) and poured into the Western Auto Wizard wringer washer. Fab was the detergent. More buckets of water was pulled from the cistern for the two wash tubs for rinsing, the same wash tubs that we bathed in on Saturday nights (no I'm not kidding here). The last tub of rinse water she would put in Final Touch. [Water was NEVER wasted, after finishing the wash, the wash water was used to wash down the porch and the rinse water used to water the plants around the house and yard...yes plants do thrive on Final Touch rinse water!] All clothes were hung out on the line, or on the porch, no matter the weather. This process took all morning with an early start, right after breakfast, no later than 8:00am. Tuesday's was ironing day, and that would take all day. Life on the farm in northern Arkansas. It was the best. Move over Beverly Hillbillies, you had nothing on us. Life was good!!!
Funny how in the early 50's water conservation was quite important....I believe we are going back that way today. Good potable water becoming hard to come in many cities and urban areas. When I talked to people about water wastage, they mock me and laugh. They could not imagine using less water for watering their lawns, gardens and doing laundry/ dishes. In Victoria, I work for an employer who offers $125 rebates to each home owner (in the local area connected to the drinking water supply) buys a new front loader that meets the water reduction requirement (one time offer). We also offer $75 rebate if the homeowner replaces their old toilet with a low flush toilet. The catch is that the old vintage washer and old toilet must go to the local recycling depot.
Bob
Bob
washers of my childhood
My Mom had a 1960's model chrome finished BD Sears washer in the late 1970's with the black 'Duralite' straight-vaned agitator that I always took out and put back-even put a toad in it once. The first house it was in had hook-ups for it, but the second house-Mom had to heat water in a pan and pour the water in the washer to fill it up-eventually the washer got parked, we had no use for it, and sadly my Dad hauled it to the creek side and got rid of it on the creek bank. She also had a Maytag wringer that when we sadly had that house fire(electrical)it got burned up in it-we lost our home! My Grandma had a late 1960's BD Kenmore with a gold straight-vaned agitator. One aunt of mine had a mid-to-late 1970's BD Whirlpool washer with the standard capacity tub, wavy-vaned white Surgilator agitator-this washer also had the L-shaped console endcaps that the hold-down screws went into. This washer had a unique "woo-woo-woo-woo" sound during agitation-but the problem with this washer was the spin clutch was going bad-excessive slippage. She eventually got rid of it and replaced it with a green BD Kenmore with scrubber cap gold Roto-Swirl agitator. Another aunt of mine had an early 1970's BD Kenmore, gold Super Roto-Swirl agitator, but in a few months time, it developed a problem. When it first started agitating, it would make a loud noise-bearings, and as the bearings warmed up, the noise would go away.
My Mom had a 1960's model chrome finished BD Sears washer in the late 1970's with the black 'Duralite' straight-vaned agitator that I always took out and put back-even put a toad in it once. The first house it was in had hook-ups for it, but the second house-Mom had to heat water in a pan and pour the water in the washer to fill it up-eventually the washer got parked, we had no use for it, and sadly my Dad hauled it to the creek side and got rid of it on the creek bank. She also had a Maytag wringer that when we sadly had that house fire(electrical)it got burned up in it-we lost our home! My Grandma had a late 1960's BD Kenmore with a gold straight-vaned agitator. One aunt of mine had a mid-to-late 1970's BD Whirlpool washer with the standard capacity tub, wavy-vaned white Surgilator agitator-this washer also had the L-shaped console endcaps that the hold-down screws went into. This washer had a unique "woo-woo-woo-woo" sound during agitation-but the problem with this washer was the spin clutch was going bad-excessive slippage. She eventually got rid of it and replaced it with a green BD Kenmore with scrubber cap gold Roto-Swirl agitator. Another aunt of mine had an early 1970's BD Kenmore, gold Super Roto-Swirl agitator, but in a few months time, it developed a problem. When it first started agitating, it would make a loud noise-bearings, and as the bearings warmed up, the noise would go away.
pierreandreply4
Well-known member
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