GM Frigidaire 1-18 Washtub Capacity

[scrubflex]

Does anyone know how big is the 1-18 tub? How big a load it's capable of handling...it's dimensions (L x W), cubic foot measurements. What washer is the 1-18 equal in size to, vintage or modern?

 

[gansky1]

One pound to eighteen pounds of laundry.  Timeless, really.

 

As with any washer, there are things that the 1-18 handles really well like towels, mixed cotton loads, etc. and some loads it doesn't do quite as stellar of a job with.  Large loads of blue jeans, bulky comforters and the like won't turn over as rapidly.  Your mileage may vary.

 

I love mine for super-sized towel loads, nothing washes towels like the plunging Jet-Action of a Frigidaire and rinsing is excellent.   The fibers of towels in particular seem to fluff up, even old towels have been revived to a degree with that wash action.  Less wear it seems, too.  I have a set of microfiber fleece sheets and a couple of throws that it does a great job with, never a tangle and always well rinsed.

 

[scrubflex]

Hey Gansky, I've seen the video with large load of jeans and thought shouldn't they have 'balled-up' the jean and placed it in sections around the Jet-Cone and tub? And for the comforter, suppose using a lower water---would that help power-up the turnover? Have you ever washed a super-sized load with the water level raised beyond the top cone? I've never seen any videos with the water level and washloads pass MAXI. Does anyone load the tub up to the rim...I'd like to see what the top cone can do. The Jet-Cone is only top loading agitator that uses 'water turbulence' to clean clothes. No fins or vanes to beat and move the clothes through the water making it the 'gentlest'. I want a 1-18 especially after learning how to make them much quieter. I just wish there was a way to muffle-out the water sounds from inside the Jet-Cone...1-18's in NYC???

 

[brucelucenta]

Actually with the jet cone agitators you no longer needed to put the clothes in sections as in previous models. The washing action was different, the jet cone agitator actually pulled the clothes down instead of plunging the water so vigorously to move the water making the clothes move so vigorously and making them tangle so badly. The jet cone agitator was designed to eliminate the tangling that the earlier machines had. When you overfill the 1-18 washer past the top cone it only splashes and creates more suds and does nothing to pull the clothing down for turnover. With the jet cone agitators the lighter weight clothes such as permanent press and synthetics tend to float and not plunge under easily. I don't know exactly how much a 1-18 will hold, but it is more than any other top loader I have ever used before. I used them in a commercial shirt laundry myself and they cleaned and spun out the shirts as well as the commercial 50 pound front loader.

 

[joelippard]

My Experience

Is that you can load that thing up and the Jet Cone always wins.  I have done many a Maxi load in my two with fine results.  I still resort to the old X loading patern with mine because it is a habit and it also produces a better balanced load.  I always start the bottom with pants or shorts and then the shirts on the top.  Pants are folded in half and dropped loosely, the same with shirts.

 

I have a huge bulky queen comforter for winter and it fills the machine to the top when loaded dry.  The water entering reduces it size somewhat.  This comforter is so huge that it will not turn over however it still comes clean because...  The Jet Cone and the recirculation keeps water on the move, the Jet Cone forces sudsy water through the comforter while the filter is catching all the nasty stuff.  I do a double rinse and a two 50 minute drying sessions in a 1-18 dryer because the comforter balls up and has to be flipped to dry the other parts.  It's a laborious task but the machines produce good final results even when taxed in this manner.

 

[gregingotham]

Hey ScrubFlex

I just joined AW and also had the good fortune of picking up a 1-18 on Craigslist while I was in Kansas City for the holidays (still can't believe the coincidence and timing.) It's in my sisters place there and needs a new water intake valve but anxious to get it up and running. I live in NYC so we may have to start an NYC 1-18 support group. I have wondered if neighbors would put up with this noise in the cramped living quarters of NYC. I have, however, thought a perfect place for one would be a house on fire island. I have a friend who has a five bedroom house and the volume and type of laundry he deals with would be the perfect test, which I think the 1-18 would pass!

 

[scrubflex]

Okay, I figured because of the 12 upper holes inside the column and the vents at the upper edge of the larger cone, water forced through would be strong enough to help push the clothes down to the bottom of the tub from the top...just like the water turbulence from the 3 cones at the bottom of the agitator.
Just a thought, maybe the (3-slotted hole) reduces or hampers the water surge as it passes through it...weakening the water-flow force. If this is the case, then making a bigger hole will cause the top cone to be more effective in pushing water through the vents and forcing the load to the bottom better than as is.
In terms of tub size, do you think the 1-18 washtub's is big as Maytag's 806 or 712 washer?

 

[scrubflex]

I'm in...now all you need for your 1-18 is to check out Jetcone's NOISE REDUCTION application and also add the'Cotton Blanket Soundproof Insulation' to line the cabinet and top for complete quiet operation. That's what I'm going to do when I get my 1-18...model WIC-A.

 

[appnut]

A Maytag 806 or 712 cannot come close to what a 1/18 holds (and expect it to get clean or moved around). 

 

[scrubflex]

Excellent, thanks Appnut. That means the 1-18 can hold a whole lot more laundry than I imagined.

 

[scrubflex]

What do you guys think about my top cone (3 slotted hole) thought and idea???

 

[appnut]

Frankly, I don't think original designs that are vintage and rare should be mutilated at all.  Don't mutilate a jetcone!!!!!

 

[scrubflex]

Will you guys be so kind and post some pics of the Jet Cone agitator. That show closer up views of the design inside the column walls and bottom. Also, pics of the bottom cones (underneath to see the vents and cone (undercarriage). I wish there was a 'cut-away' that show the design of the agitator.

 

[philr]

Harry, did you post a picture of your WIC-A washer's tub? Mine has the newer style tub as seen in this thread.

If the tub is from your machine, I'd be curious to see it's serial number!

http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?49213

 

[brucelucenta]

Being old enough to have been around when these machines first came out, I do remember a lot about them. The first style of tub had holes at the bottom of the tub and the second style did not. I would think that getting rid of sand and sediment would be better with the first style of tub. These machines were very unusual in the fact that most machines washed better with smaller loads and this machine did it's best job with a full or even slightly overfull load of clothes. They washed a much bigger load of clothes than anything else on the market then and probably even now. I worked on a great many of these machines and they were real work horses. One downfall they had was the tub seal on some would wear out quickly. When this happened the consumer would usually use the machine leaking and eventually it would ruin the bearings fairly quickly when water would get into them. By the time they called the repairman it would cost a fortune to fix it and not worth repairing in most people's mind. I worked at a used washer and dryer place in '74 briefly and he had a matching set about a year old that the seal had gone out on the washer and the rollers in back of the dryer had gotten off track and tore up the felt seal on. He ended up selling the poor woman a kenmore set that was at least 10-15 years old and she gave him her Frigidaire 1-18 set. I had more problems with the dryers and their rollers than the washers myself. Particularly the later dryers that only used two rollers at the back. They used to somehow let the drum guide cut part of the rubber roller and the entire rubber cover would come off and make the drum sit lower and thus tearing up the felt seal.

 

[scrubflex]

I get it Bob...no Phil it isn't mine, the WIC-A is the 1-18 washer I hope to fine here in NYC...Bruce the holes I was referring to are the slotted-holes inside the top area of the Jet-Cone agitator's column. It's capacity ability sounds AWESOME and just what I wanted to hear and the only way to handle the tub seal problem is to act quickly.

 

[appnut]

In 2006 at the Texas Washin, I washed a load in the 1/18 of my own towels.  I normally washed these as two separate loads in the Lady Shredmore, both about 3/4 full.  the 1/18 didn't even hiccup.  I think everyone at Austin's house that evening were amazed at just how much of a BobLoad I got in that 1/18.  I'm estimating 16 bath towels, 16 wash cloths, and at least 10 hand towels.  And these are not the postage stamp size bath towels. 

 

[washerlover]

So are we saying that the 1-18 is truly the largest capacity vintage washing machine? What about Norge/Wards 20-lb capacity machines? The turnover in them isn't too shabby...

 

[appnut]

Norge/Wards 20-lb

Wellllll Todd, I can't say from experience.  I've never had an opportunity to BobLoad a Norge newer than our 1964.  I'd love to find out.  As Hans says, nothing outcleans a Norge!!!   If I ever go visit my sister & BIL in Petaluma, I won't pack anything.  I'll simply load up several boxes of dirty laundry and ship it out there and come on over for a wash-in

 

[washerlover]

I'm only about an hour and a half from Petaluma. Bring on the dirty duds! I just began working on the laundry center (an extra fourth bedroom in the house) that will be the new home to the '74 Wards/Signature, '66 Whirlpool and Kenmore sets, '62 Maytag set, '77 GE, '75 Frigidaire, '66 Norge, and '72 Lady Kenmore. The '64 Kenmore set gets the special indoor laundry hall closet and the '76 Frigidaire set get to stay in the garage. Will begin posting pics of the progress in the coming months. Hopefully I'll be able to host a mini Wine Country wash-in this summer!

 

[gansky1]

One evening while visiting in Minneapolis, I spied a 20lb green Montgomery Ward (Norge) out for pickup. We picked it up on our way home and schlepped it into the house. Robert and I weighed out exactly 20 pounds of "play laundry" from his stash. Mixed cottons; jeans, shirts, etc. While it seemed too much, the washer was able to turn over the load and did pass the test "technically" with a full load at stated capacity. As I recall, we were both quite surprised but agreed there were probably no other washers that could have even touched that much laundry in one load. Certainly not a 1-18 Frigidaire.

CR stated in their ratings that the performance of the 1-18 wasn't consistent from load to load. One load would wash perfectly and the next, below average. I've watched some loads turn over and clean very well and other, similarly comprised loads utterly fail to turn over at all. It does help to follow the dry load level guide on the water level control, water level should be below the dry clothes level and usually the load will turn over well. Usually. It's weird how that machine can be so finicky. The Norge 20lb would probably be an easy match for capacity but Hans is right, it wins for consistent washing ability.

But I still love it and use it 3-4 times a week. And my BOL Wards

 

[scrubflex]

Ahh, so the Jet Cone agitator is not really strong enough to wash anything? Or, turnover anything it washes. Water levels raised above the top cone would just keep the clothes always sitting on top of the tub. I suppose the washtub is too big for the Jet Cone agitator to always work it's best...with anything it washes. That's kind of disappointing. It just looks so powerful in action.

 

[alr2903]

Scrubflex, I think the 1-18's are very good washers, if one knows how to assemble the correct size load and select the appropriate water level.  All brands  have different strengths and weakness.  CU years ago tested capacity and featured a photo of folded towels on a ST Speed Queen and Frigidaire 1-18.  The 1-18 had  many more folded towels. Does anyone have that photo?

[this post was last edited: 1/8/2015-00:27]

 

[joelippard]

I've never had the problems that Greg posted from the CR article.  I think a big issue that can come up with any Frigidiare washer is a lack of knowing how to use it properly which could have easily been the case with CR.  Of course CR lost it's credibility with me a long time ago.  I think it's all about the money with them, who pays the most to get the best rating

 

[scrubflex]

Yeah, I first learned about CR's dishonesty and favoritism, from an appliance sales guy Joe...but I believed them. So, it still kind of depends on the way you load the washtub for the Jet Cone to move the laundry. And, it seems the less water you use to wash the load the better the Jet Cone turnover the clothes. Once again, is it really impossible for the Jet Cone to effectively turnover and clean a load so full that the water level is at the TOP row of holes? Is the top cone really that useless? Greg, do you or anyone have CR's test and ratings article or issues of the 1-18 washer you can post?

 

[scrubflex]

Could one of you guys measure the (length and width) of the 1-18 washtub? You don't need to remove the Jet Cone to get the width...(that could be or is an inconvenience)...All you need to do is measure the width of the Jet Cone agitator (diaphragm) base then, measure out toward the side(s) of the tub at the bottom. The side(s) measurement (twice) plus the agitator diaphragm base gives you the full width of the tub.

 

[mrb627]

Patented?

Does some entity currently hold the patent on this washing action?

Malcolm

 

[alr2903]

Malcolm, that is a very interesting question.  I wondered about both the "Jet action system" and the old ST

" SQ" technology?

 

[combo52]

Biggest vintage washer ( before 2000 )

I would diffidently put the super capacity WP built BD washers as the largest T L washers built ( 1967-1981 ) and the ability to handle huge loads got even better on the KM versions in 1976 when Sears interdicted the dual action agitator. The next biggest TL washers would be Norge, GE FF, WP built DD Super Capicity washers with DA agitators, and then FD 1-18s.

The 1-18s are an interesting machine, I have one in my regular laundry room line up and love many things about it. But performance is tricky, about 10 years ago I put a Bob load of whites in it that also contained about 10 pairs of underwear with elastic waste bands. Much to my horror the very aggressive agitation destroyed the waistbands on at least 8 of the pairs of underware by badly stretching them out of shape.

If you want really good turn over and cleaning in a 1-18 don't set the WL much higher than small. Frigididare should have put an agitator in with extra fins at the top that would be hinged so as the agitator moved downward the fins would swing out and pull large items and loads down. As the agitator moved up again the fins would swing down again.

 

[yogitunes]

always wondered why the 1-18 Jetcone did not have cones all the way up to match the higher water levels.....

wash performance seemed best if your load stayed at half way, and the med to large water level setting....

have had on a few occasions of using the MAXI setting, and saw good turnover, but that was dependent on the load, which was mainly towels and washcloths...and a very packed load at that....

one thing for sure, it does excellent rinsing.......everyone boasts the circle spray, but that feature was to benefit of soaking the entire load and pushing it down before agitation, more than the rinsing part of it....

filtering could have been better for these machines, they call it a Jetstream, but more like a trickle....bed of nails seemed more effective, once that pan style got clogged, everything else ran over the back.....

still fun machines to use.....