Dream Machine Found - Simplicity SuperTwin ST4

[macboy91si]

 

SO!

I have FINALLY found a Speed Queen/Simplicity twin tub. After years and failed attempts I now have one. I'd be lying if I said I didn't get all spazzy and jittery about it. I could barely contain myself as I was on my way back from VA Sunday. The story goes that the machine was originally from Ontario and was taken down to Florida in a move. The machine was gong to be discarded and then ended up with a niece in VA where it remained until she got a full-size set. So this is actually a Canadian Simplicity. I removed the back panel once I got the machine home and the machine is in GREAT shape. The lady said she took good care of it and she was right. I cleaned the machine up a little and ran some water through it and everything checked out. Quiet, smooth and no rust. The ONLY thing "wrong" with the machine I discovered was the timer motor. It looks like a generic Mallory motor, so I took the timer motor from the gearbox but the motor won't start. The machine does still work though, 2 speeds and all.

 

The one really interesting thing about this machine is that it is actually a Simplicity brand, not a Speed Queen which makes it super rare. There are differences, big ones even though the machines appear to be the same. This machine is the same machine that our member Brad Ross has right down to the Devo lint filter, which is functional (but weird). Other differences are well, everything. The cabinet and agitator are almost the same, but the rest of the machine is almost completely different.

 

Differences:

<span style="font-size: large;">Pump:</span>

[COLOR=#000080; font-size: medium]SQ[/COLOR]: 2 pumps, one electric for the spinner, one mechanical pump for wash tub driven from wash belt with outlet in tub

[COLOR=#800000; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: medium]Simplicity[/COLOR]: 1 electric pump with an electric switch to toggle between and pinch valve for washer hose. 1 unified drain hose.

<span style="font-size: large;">Transmission/Motor:</span>

[COLOR=#000080; font-size: medium]SQ[/COLOR]: Pulley on side of transmission inline with pump & 1-speed WH motor mounted to lower frame sideways.

[COLOR=#800000; font-size: medium]Simplicity[/COLOR]: Pulley on top of transmission. 2-speed GE motor mounted upright and anchored to baseplate midway in chassis.

<span style="font-size: large;">Spinner:</span>

[COLOR=#000080; font-size: medium]SQ[/COLOR]: Direct drive spinner with galvanized, full-height outer tub. Spinner mounts to bottom of frame with drain outlet on side.

[COLOR=#800000; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: medium]Simplicity[/COLOR]: Direct drive spinner with shorter porcelain outer tub. Mounted to baseplate in chassis, motor exposed underneath.

<span style="font-size: large;">Chassis:</span>

[COLOR=#000080; font-size: medium]SQ[/COLOR]: Steel chassis with motor and spinner mounted to lower frame. Wash tub and transmission mounted to crossmember section.

[COLOR=#800000; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: medium]Simplicity[/COLOR]: Steel chassis with both tubs, motor and transmission mounted to a baseplate about 10" above the lower frame.

<span style="font-size: large;">Controls:</span>

[COLOR=#000080; font-size: medium]SQ[/COLOR]: 3 dials: (L to R) wash drain (mechanical linkage), mechanical wind-up washer timer w/bell, spinner pump/motor (controls elec. pump)

[COLOR=#800000; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: medium]Simplicity[/COLOR]: 2 dials: (L to R) drain control switch for both wash and spin tubs (off, spin, off, wash) also opens pinch valve, 2-sided electric wash timer w/ low and hi speed sections with 15 minute max wash time.

 

It's amazing how many differences there are for the "same" machine. Both the SQ and Simplicity machines are 1972, so I'm guessing these might actually be based on different Servis models or Simplicity just made their own alterations. With the SQ, you can really see that it is a Servis machine, the Simplicity is a more modern internal design though and I prefer it to the SQ, so I lucked out.

 

Who ever thought I'd not only find a SuperTwin, but a Simplicity branded one at that!

 

-Tim

 



(machine prior to cleanup)

 

[mr-maytag]

Congratulations, Tim! Very cool!

 

[macboy91si]

Control Dials

2 Dials, drain control and timer. The drain control knobs is electric and mechanical. When you turn it to "EMPTY" it opens a pinch valve under the wash tub AND operates an electric switch for the pump. The "SPIN" location turns on the electric pump with the washer valve closed. The pump will run whenever this is set, also it powers the lid switch for the spinner, the dial has to be in the SPIN position to use the spinner. The dial can be rotated all the way around, so there are 2 OFF positions. It's effective, but the pump is so quiet that it's hard to remember to turn it off...

 

 

[macboy91si]

The Guts

As you can see here there is a baseplate that the major components mount to. Here you can also see the porcelain spin tub and wash tub drain valve. You can also see the rod that comes down and controls the drain pump and valve.

 

 

[launderess]

"Who ever thought I'd not only find a SuperTwin, but

Excuse you? Who found? *LOL*

That's my boy!

L.

 

[macboy91si]

Pump Setup

Here is a shot of the pump. It has a pot-metal housing, which I don't like, but it's in good shape. I may take this off and coat it with some epoxy to prevent future corrosion. It's a weird pump, basically the cover from the mechanical pump bolted to a motor. On the silver capacitor you can see the date "August 1972" printed on it and "Made in England" this print is on most of the machine, some pieces with the SERVIS brand on them.

 



 

 

 

 

 

[macboy91si]

Pinch Valve

Here is a better shot of the pinch valve for the wash tub. One of the things that amazes me about this machine is how good the rubber bits are still. This hose is near new like. It's simple yet effective.

 



 

 

 

[macboy91si]

Whip It Good

Here is the little Devo filter hat thingy. Basically the way it works is the water flows into the "cage" from sloshing and back into tub through the filter portion. It's more of a skimming filter but it's neat. It's hard to judge where to put it, as it slides down the fins of the agitator with no set adjustment. You basically set the lower edge of the "cage" on the water. It's somewhat cumbersome, you have to remove it to unload he machine and suds usually take it over if there's a lot in the water.

 

 

[aldspinboy]

Tim that machine looks great !
I loved your last post on the machine that you got last.
Sorry I forgot the name of it but sure did MOVE water !
I hope to see this one up and running congrats !
The word BRISK for fast agitation is too cool.
Good luck on it.

Laundress the fairy Godmother of washers what and eye>

Darren k

 

[macboy91si]

Video

Here is a video of the machine running the 1st load. I couldn't edit it down on YT, maybe later. Might want to skip the horrendous filling part of the video.

Darren, it was a Fridgette (Hitachi) twin tub.

<iframe width="640" height="480" src="" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[revvinkevin]

 

 

KEWL machine Tim... CONGRATS on getting it!    YAY!!

 

Kevin

 

[bradross]

Mission accomplished!

Hey Tim...so glad you got it, and more importantly, that it's in such great shape! Interestingly enough, after reading your comparison of Speed Queen and Simplicity variations, here's something to further add to the "confusion". My Speed Queen model looks EXACTLY like your Simplicity. The pump arrangement with the "pinch" valve, the plate on which both tubs are mounted, and the spin basket/tub all look identical. I wish I knew what year my Speed Queen model was manufactured, but I'm thinking it must have been early 70s.

Have fun with it (as I do mine!) It's a great little machine - efficient and quiet.

...Brad

P.S. I've attached a pic from an old Eaton's catalog.

 

[chestermikeuk]

Speed Queen, Simplicity, Servis Supertwins

Congratulations Tim, glad you finally got a dream machine that wasnt a rust bucket...AND what a supertwin it is, the basplate midway must be a Simplicity feature as it certainly wasnt on any of Servis machines, have never seen a porcelain outer spin can either, or that wacky pinch valve..that little piece of rubber must be durable so it doesnt split!!

Does your washtub have the outlet hole in the top side like the Servis / Speed Queen for emptying - is it blanked off??

Can you take more pics of the transmissions and motors please, am intreiged as to where the wash transmission is situated I can see the pulley above the midplate...

Sounds lovely and quiet on the spinner which is the noisiest part, the DD motor would help in that score..

Happy Washing, Mike

Heres a pic of the internals on the Servis machines, this carriage was introduced in 1966 and never changed until their demise in 1985...

 

[chestermikeuk]

Eatons

Hi Brad, the Eatons add shows the dryer as the Servis Compact dryer made here in Darlaston, West Midlands, UK, this was introduced with the compact front loader in 1972....

Its great seeing the different colours, which we never had over here!!!, heres a link to the Servis Dryers...

Servis FL Washers & Dryers (1972 - 1991)

The First Servis front loading washing machines and tumble dryers where built in the Servis factories @ Darlaston , West Midlands - The Home of Servis Laundry Appliances and Head Office. They where first produced in 1972 and continues being updated from the Compact first series (1972) to the...

www.flickr.com

 

[yogitunes]

Tim

That is out of this world!.......what a great find......I am getting hooked on these TT's too.....just unique machines to use.....

Thanks to Kevins idea, I have mine lined up, wash in one and rinse in the other...non-stop....

did any TT's out there ever have an overflo rinse option.....I could see that on something like this, with that suds return port adding water, overflowing from a slot into the spinner side and pumping out

those fill ports for the suds return/fill...and the spin/rinse...great and handy options.......

suprised Hoover or Maytag never used electric pumps...especially the A50...wonder if one could be added....

 

[revvinkevin]

 

 

Hey Tim, that is awesome, CONGRATS on your new, exciting fine!   I'm sure you will enjoy running many (small) loads of laundry through it!

 

YAY!

Kevin

 

[macboy91si]

Overflowing TT's

Yes, most Japanese machines from the 1970's-90's could overflow including that little Hitachi/Fridgette machine that I posted a while back. They usually have a grille/cover/filter and a pipe behind the right-rear of the tub that water flows down and into the pump. On the older models like mine that had a belt-driven pump, the pump was driven off the wash motor so the spinner didn't need to run to do this. On the newer machines that utilized an electric pump, there was a water switch in that return pipe that triggered the electric pump when you did this. The newer machines started touting this as an overflow safety feature but it was the same system. The new Danby DTT-420 that they still sell has the feature even, it is based on the same machines.

 

As far as US machines go, no, not really. Almost all used belt-driven pumps from the spinner and only the Maytag has any cross-over to the spin tub like that and it's too small for that amount of water plus the pumps in machines like the Hoover wouldn't have held up to that let along the vibration and noise from running the spinner for the time it would take to do an overflow.

 

-Tim

 

[mickeyd]

No end to new things

Before you bought this, the earlier pic showed two columns of numbers on the wash control, suggesting perhaps time and temp. Now thanks to your nice big pic, we can easily see one side is for normal speed, the other for delicate. How cool is that! A de facto delicate cycle on a TT. Glad you got this. Delighted to see the filter work; Brad's Flickr flick, alas, wouldn't open on my old bag computer.

 

The agi cap & corrugated neck are identical to those of the earlier wringer agi. Like the full size drain hose. How quiet the operation, how familiar the agitation--classic SQ-- but I'm having sacrilegious thoughts: Move ovah Hoovuh! How 'bout you, tired of the screaming spins?

 

Loved the vid; missed your voice.

[this post was last edited: 1/31/2012-13:15]

 

[macboy91si]

Small Loads

Yes small loads though, the wash tub in this thing is tiny. 2 pairs of giant elephant pants and maybe a shirt, 5 polos, 1 light jacket. The rollover is great though when loaded properly. It's not a big deal to me really, it holds a hare more than the Maytag and about the same as the Hoover. It's quiet and smooth and there is something nice about having an agitator washer on it. Smaller items fare much better and it cleans very well. This is also a true 2-speed machine and gives generous amounts of time on the timer. Spray rinsing is nice, and the spinner motor is quiet and powerful, it spray rinses better than the Hoover.