Help with my GE Twin Tub

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schaicho24

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Mar 3, 2015
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I just acquired a General Electric Model 2G! My washer died, so I am using this until I get a new one, but now the motor is making a very loud sound and it seems to be leaking a little oil or grease out of the bottom of the unit along with some water. Do these machines require oil? I can't really find any information on these ANYWHERE, and it is such a cool machine I just don't want to ruin it. Any help would be much appreciated! I'll see if I can attach some photos later if it would help.
 
GE made twin tub washers from about 1930's until WWII. Production was discontinued after the war with focus on wringer washers and fully automatic machines. GE saw which way wind was blowing and soon enough stopped production of wringer washers as well.

As to OP's query GE twin tubs have been discussed here in group previously but there isn't lots of information.

https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?7476

https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?92018

https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?64012

There's a whisper going about that GE sourced their TT washers for all or some of production run from Easy Corporation (makers of famous Easy SpinDrier). You may want to look up repair and other information on those washer/extractors to see if of any use.
 
IIRC GE got shot of twin tub washers by 1941 or 1942.

Despite all their merits (especially doing away with dreaded mangle/wringer) twin tub washers never really caught on with American housewives.

Besides Easy and GE there was Norge and some others who also offered such machines, in end only Easy with their "SpinDrier" kept things going past WWII years into 1950's or so. Then of course came Hoover and Maytag twin tub washers....

Post WWII wasn't best of times for semi-automatic washers in USA market, released from wartime restrictions fully automatic washers began flooding market much to happiness of pent up demand.

Main disadvantages of those early TT washers were their size. Unlike many wringer washers those units commanded quite a bit of kitchen or wherever real estate. Nor could they always be easily slotted away stored in a corner or under something when not in use.

In common with any extractor those spin driers vibrated, shook and sometimes even went walkabout. Easy sold little rubber cups one could place under legs of washer to assist in keeping it stable. How useful the things were in aid of that endeavor cannot say.

Some also objected transferring wash between tubs. With a power mangle on washer one simply fed things through that device and was done.
 
Early 1940s GE twin tub washer

You will ruin it if you keep using it, using this machine today without restoring it it’s like taking a 1940 car out of the barn and driving it. It will destroy all kinds of parts of it, especially if it’s already leaking oil and water.

These were not real popular machines back in their day, but it’s a very cool machine if you’re so inclined, you could restore it but there’s almost no parts or information available for it so it would take a lot of effort, good luck with it let us know how you do.

John L
 

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