DVD arrived today !

Gather App
Automatic Washer - The world's coolest Washing Machines, Dryers and Dishwashers

Help Support AutomaticWasher.org:

J

jmirawm

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 21, 2004
Messages
733
Location
Barling Arkansas
YAY ! The DVD of "the pig" arrived in the Mail today. Cant wait to WATCH IT ! I will probably have to wait till tomorrow:(
Kind of busy with things today.
Thanks ROBERT !
 
Pig, pig, pig, pig, pig!!! Could a washer possibly use more water? Better watch the water level in local rivers, streams and lakes when you start doing laundry in this machine!

Robert, is there a missing or bad gasket between the agitator and its top?

And the pig has a problem trying to digest jeans it seems. Like the uneven stroke of the agitator isn't enough to pull them under, but it is enough to move the rest of the load around it.

Very interesting! Thanks so much for making this!

-ph
 
When pigs fly!

Yay! I got mine today, had to put towels around the television because ofthe water splashing out of the screen.

Thanks you Robert! Hope to see more Washer Exotica from your collection.
 
what a diversion

The DVD arrived today. What a thrasher, Robert when you listed the cycle format including, "Replenishment fill" I had no idea just how much water it splashed down the drain during the first few minutes of wash. It was like being right there. Thanks again alr2903 P.S. The Westy Ad. was great too.
 
Hi Guys, I was wondering if the first round of DVD's would start arriving today! YAY.

Isn't that machine a pig, they should have never made such a monster! It just keeps on filling and filling and filling. Then all that thrashing and splashing after that.

I can't wait to hear what other people have to say about our little Arnold Ziffle of the Laundry.
 
I love the way it sounds when it starts spinning. Whooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Has a nice groan to it. I think Appnut should see this video and he'll appreciate how gentle his Kenmore is.

Were the later Franklin machines this rough? I kinda remember my aunt having a later model Wizard machine but it had a different sound. It made thing clang-clang-clang when it agitated. I figure something was wrong but it did work. I remeber it stopping as soon as I lifted the lid.
 
Another question or two:

Is this a timed fill, or one of those deals where it has to overflow a certain amount to trip the water level pressure switch?

What does the agitator drive block look like? Just wondering if it is the hex block or the 5-point star block that Westinghouse had.

-ph
 
Hi Peter, no it has a float in the outer tub. In the video, you can see all the extra water that has to overflow (at least a couple of gallons) in order to trip the switch. The Philco works the same way, but Philco was smart enough to place the switch down in a sump so it only takes 1/4 of a gallon overflow to start agitition in the Philco. The '51 GE is even worse it takes about 3.5 to 4 gallons to get it started!

The drive block is a hex drive block.
 
Frigidaire?

Doesn't the Frigidaire Rollermatic machines have a water level switch in the bottom of the outer tub to sense the tub is full or is it timed?
 
I didn't realize the 51 GE was such a water hog too. But my mon's old 59 was the same way. It took quite alot of overflow to get it started. Probably the same amount. I hope you make a dvd of the 51 GE soon!
 
water level control

Only the TOL Rollermatics toward the end of their run (1967-1969?) had metered fill. For every 10 parts of water that entered the washtub, 1 part was diverted to the outer tub. That 1 part went into a special sump that had a variable water level pressure switch attached. The user controlled the amount of water with a knob on the control panel.

This differs from the GE, Philco and now Wizard in that a certain amount of water had to fill and overflow the wash tub to trigger the water pressure switch. The user has no control over this system -- except for either setting a shorter fill time or by pressing a button on the control panel to cut off the water and start agitation.

I think only certain WP/KM machines had an actual float in the outer tub. Then there is the float in the Maytag agitator.

-ph
 
floats

Right, the early KM/WP had a toilet bowl type float that triggers agitation when the water reaches a certain level. The float on the old Maytag hits a switch on the lid.
 
Piggy Arrived

Interesting and surprising that it has rather poor rollover. I imagine that's mostly because of the indexing, but it must be rough on clothes! With all that water and overflowing, it's also surprising that there's a touch of suds left in the rinse. And that loooonng coasting to a stop from spin! Is there a balance ring of some sort on the basket that adds intertia or is it just an effect of not having a brake?

Is it a two-speed machine? I don't recall from the console pictures. It'd be cool on future videos to show a bit of the various speeds on multi-speed machines. Not an entire cycle at all the speeds, but switching speeds (if possible) during a cycle to show the difference.
 
Hi Glenn, glad you enjoyed the video. Yes there is a balance ring on top of the tub, its the yellow-tanish colored tub ring that you can see in the video shot at the 45 degree angle.

That's a great idea, I'm sorry I didn't think of it before I made the DVD of showing a minute of gentle agitation. It goes from very rough, to probably too gentle. What a pig!

I washed five pair of jeans in the machine and after just one load it took off a snap button on the of the jeans. Its really way to rough of a machine, people probably went through a lot of clothes using this machine.
 
I wonder if the jerky stroke and violent indexing add to the roughness, or could it be that wide angel-wing agitator? I do remember my mom complaining about the White-Westinghouse TL tearing things up, however, it still had the metal tub and rear-mounted recirculating filter and wasn't one of the newer, crappy, plastic, "clothes-cutting-tub" models. It did agitate fast, but was very smooth.

Yes, I was very surprised not seeing any turnover, but I don't remember any of the indexing-tub machines I used turning over or cleaning well (especially the Frigi-Lux...YUK), which is one of the reason's I'm not partial to them; the agitators travel around in a circle with each stroke. The Wizard's splashy, sloshy action convinces me otherwise (the Wizard and Westinghouse are the only indexing tub machines I would use), and from Robert's statements the Wizard seems to wash pretty well even with the indexing tub.

As another comment, love the Wizard's selector switches! Cottons...SNAP! Cold Water...CLUNK!

--Austin
 
Mine arrived yesterday. It looks great, Robert! Thank you so much! You can even hear the slight clicking of the timer as it prepares to advance. Looking forward to the next one!

Les
 
DVD arrived today

Hi Robert
It just arrived a short time ago. This is real Great. I never realized that the franklin design could realy kick ass like this one does. Realy has exciting clothes movement. But does seem real rough on the clothes. I just finished watching part 1
I will finish the rest of the DVD later
Thank you again,
Peter
 
PAL & NTSC

Is there going to be a problem trying to play a DVD made in USA (NTSC) on a DVD player designed for the European (PAL) format? Or how about the TV? Computer? Glen.
 
Got my DVD 9-24.

Watched the programs and love that splashy sloshy pig-In watching both film clips on it-It looks like the agitator "steps" or indexes like the tub.I watched a water spot on the top and it looked like it steps around during the agitator strokes.I was wondering if it was my imagination.The indexing washbasket is something as well.While watching the machine fill-noted the water was well above the top blades of the agitator.Then after the washer went thru its wash or rinse cycle-even after the "overflow" part-You could see a good part of the top agitator vanes.Looked like it "splashed" out a good portion of the water!In the first episode-those jeans looked like they caught quite a drubbing from that agitator!Bet they are soft now!So far have watched it once-will watch it some more-and that cool commercial at the end!
 
Glen,

I can't play the CD on my computer because it has a CD+R player in it. But the new DVD players can play all formats. PAL vs NTSC is hardly a problem anymore since newer equipment can play both. When I got the first video tapes from the US I had to buy a new VCR however, the one that I already had (a Sharp) was only able to play PAL tapes. I bought a Sony that could play both. Ofcourse taping is another thing, my VCR can't tape in NTSC format.

I guess this website is a very expensive one to me LOL. Not only did it make me come to the US a few times, but also makes me buy new equipment now and then. Perhaps I should be treated!
 
Thanks!!!

Robert, I guess a severe case of money spending. Although I didn't do too bad today, I bought a nice Sony DVD player for 89 Euros which is quite a good price. So I was able to watch the DVD! Good heavens, that is not an agitator but a beataroundalator!!!! Thanks Robert for this great DVD!!!!!
 
Thanks, Robert. Great video. That machine is indeed a rough, noisy, wasteful pig! But fun to watch. I almost got dizzy seeing that tub spinning around during agitation. Very similar action to a friend's WCI apartment sized washer-dryer. Have you tried to hold the tub still and see how that affects the wash action?
And I loved the Westy/Dash commercial. I didn't realize they had two models of the Space Mates. I had always thought the single-knob version was an earlier model. I wonder why they didn't show the different Laundromat models. I did notice the washer/dryer combo in the background. Thanks again for making that!
 
Love the pig

I enjoyed this DVD, especially the sound track. The picture is very crisp also. My aunt had an earlier Wizard, I remember the "float over rinse" which got rid of all of the soap scum and floating lint. I love the way this machine coasts after the spin, no brake here. I saw no turn over, I guess they thought that if the agitator thashes violently enough that will clean the clothes.

Robert, It would be great in one of your future DVD's if you filmed the workings below, showing changes in solenoids or direction of drive motors, etc. This could be edited to match the action in the tub, much like you showed the timer. This way those of us who have never seen the machine could learn how it works, and of course it would add to the entertainment value of the DVD!
 
It came! It came!

The DVD arrived yesterday. I was like a kid on Christmas morning. I couldn't wait to get it upstairs and into the machine. Now that I've seen it ... all I can say is WOW! I've never quite seen anything like that before. It was fun to watch, but I couldn't help but think to myself "That poor laundry." LOL.

I know that this model was rated dead last by Consumer Reports, but I help by wonder how many of these machines were actually sold? Also, did Western Auto sell any other appliances? I don't think that I've ever seen a Consumer Reports rating for anything but a Western Auto (Wizard) washer.

Thanks, Robert.

Mike
 
Got Mine Too!

I got my DVD yesterday. I can't believe that I spent 90 minutes watching a washing machine on my big screen. I especially liked the side view on the second cycle. That's about the angle I would have been viewing this machine back when I was a kid.

I also like the coast to a stop spin instead of the harsh braking of more modern machines. Although I think the Frigidaire top loaders of today may still do this. I wondered why it didn't begin filling for the rinse during that coast down minute like the Speed Queens do, but I guess they didn't want to splash any water prematurely over the side of the tub. It could have triggered agitation too early.

And what loads of clothes. All that and a throw rug. Not much of a light loader on these vintage machines are you UNI.

I noticed that there is a water level or water saver button on the control panel. What does that do?

Anyway, thanks for the DVD Unimatic. I eagerly await Volume II.

MRB
 

Similar threads

thatwasherguy
Looking forward to this acquisition…
Replies
0
Views
254
thatwasherguy
thatwasherguy
U
Roberts 1947 Frigidaire Unimatic
Replies
0
Views
116
user 12105
U
Chetlaham
My Detergents Arrived
2
Replies
54
Views
1K
yuccadew
yuccadew
T
Original website account email didn’t arrive
Replies
1
Views
136
petek
petek
servis-dream
one more childhood machine found (the story so far of my 2000 Maytag Orbital MAT12PD)
Replies
8
Views
813
servis-dream
servis-dream

Latest posts

Sponsored
UnlistMe
Back
Top