Gasoline Wringer Washer

[johnrk]

I know that my mother's mother had a gasoline-powered wringer washer until the early 50's because she had 13 children and they didn't get electricity on their farm until the late 40's.

I noticed in the ephemera 'for sale' section that Maytag was still issuing user's guides for their gasoline-powered wringer washers into the seventies.

Does anyone here have experience with using one of these? I've seen brief videos on YouTube with them and they seem like they'd be awfully hot and noisy. But, of course, still beats a rub board!

 

[launderess]

There were then (1970's) and still are persons either living off the grid and or for other reasons still using gasoline powered wringer washers. IIRC the Amish come to mind, though *think* many have at least moved to adopt some use of electricity.

IIRC Maytag sold an exhaust pipe that could be used to direct fumes away from machine. But either way any one with sense wouldn't be operating a gasoline powered machine indoors. Maybe on an enclosed porch or wash house/barn or something, but that is a different matter.

As for heat, that gasoline motor couldn't be any more worse than coal or wood fired cast iron "laundry" ranges, and or having to heat water and irons on a kitchen range of same. Don't think heat wise those Maytag motors were any worse than say a gasoline law mower in terms of heat. Fumes were and still are the main factor to worry about.

For the record all sorts of laundry appliances could be operated off gasoline or even alcohol back in the day. Those huge ironers come to mind, and those things gave off huge amounts of heat along with fumes from burning fuel. Oh and yes the motors aren't that quiet either. Have one and am here to tell you after thirty minutes or so have had more than enough.

 

[cuffs054]

Let us not forget the Crosley "Icy Ball"!

 

[kenwashesmonday]

I got a kick out of this;

"Maytag Gas Engine 72 / Runs On Coke"

http://https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=d45AxDhawI4

 

[gyrafoam]

Those old "hit 'n miss" engines still show up in the strangest places.
Maytag made their name with farming implements and there were lots of attachments for the farm wives to use to get their chores done.

 

[tolivac]

My Dad told me he used one of these motors to run his homemade go-kart when he was a boy---he borrowed the motor from his mothers Maytag washer and got in trouble for it!He had to put the motor back in the washer.

 

[norgeway]

The Maytag motor

Is a two cycle engine that was also used on a lawn mower Maytag made, Every 4th of July week there is a antique farm machinery show in Denton NC called the old Threshers Reunion,they always have a couple of Maytags washing clothes, they have a long exhaust hose, that allowed you to run the hose outside and use the washer inside.

 

[launderess]

Can you imagine!

Think I'd rather prefer a washboard and hand mangle.

And one thought the Hoover TT was annoyingly noisy.



Seem to recall reading somewhere that down on the farm they would shove that exhaust hose down rodent/varmint holes to gas the creatures to death.

 

[tolivac]

Shove the exhaust hose down the rodent-varmint holes to gas them---Yes,that would work well.Being done today!!There is a device that uses a weed eater type motor just for this-and farmers have rigged exhaust devices on their tractors to gas varmints in their burrows.

 

[mrsalvo]

"Seem to recall reading somewhere that down on the farm they would shove that exhaust hose down rodent/varmint holes to gas the creatures to death." LOL. LOL.
Laundress, you crack me up.

Yes, many families in northern Arkansas used them well into the 60's - 70's in the Ozark Mountains. I've seen them on the concrete porches and back yards.

 

[jeb]

Gasoline "Gray Ghost" Maytag

I have a couple that I take to antique farm shows and get lots of stories from the old timers. Some of them talk about coming home from school and seeing their mother in the basement through a haze of blue smoke if she had been washing that day. When the exhaust hose gets worn it is not air tight. There is a muffler on it that does help with noise but this is to be put out the basement window, usually not used on an open porch. Another story I like is when mom would have dad start it before he when to work and she would hurry to get the wash done before it ran out of gas because she could not get it started again (even though Maytag advertised them easy to start and had women in their ads posed starting them).