Is there any classic machine you dislike or hate?

[mattl]

I always look at the Picture of the Day and 99% of the time I like the machines. But today's mid 70's Kenmores elicited an instant dislike. Something about them I find annoying, don't know if it's the angled control panels, but there is noting I find attractive or worthy of wanting to save if I came across these units. I'd guess I'd call them crush worthy for lack of a better term. Just my personal feeling, they may be someone else's dream machines.

Ok, anyone else have some dislikes?

 

[gmmcnair]

Post GM Frigidaire...

....the first WCI Frigidaire washers were dreck in my opinion. I loved GM Frigidaire washers....my cousin's 1-18 was awesome, and my grandmother's Rollermatic was a great machine as well. WCI scrapped a long history of innovatively designed, quality machines, and replaced them with something that didn't wash that well, didn't hold as many clothes, and couldn't even do a decent job of extracting the water. And they rusted out....quickly....or at least every model I've seen had a terminal case of rust. I've seen Maytags, GE's, and belt drive Whirlpools of the same age that are still almost pristene. Even the Fedders/Magic Chef Norge machines of that era fared better, and they washed and extracted water well.

 

Just my opinion....sorry if I offended anyone who likes those machines.

 

[foraloysius]

Norge

I bet I do a better job at offending... lol

At the first convention in 2001 I got acquainted with so many American machines. I liked them all except for that noisy Norge Robert had in his basement. It didn't turn over the laundry either, so I found it much ado about nothing.

Apologies on forehand to the Norge fans!

Louis

 

[gmmcnair]

Norge...

...I never had any problem with turnover in the Norge machines, but I hear ya on the racket they made.  Back in the 80's, we sent one back to Montgomery Ward and replaced it with a BD Kenmore because it was just so stinking LOUD. (That and the fact that a slightly unbalanced load and the washer would walk out to greet you).

 

[mixfinder]

Kenmore

As a child the few appliances we had were BOL Sears.  I identified them with poor people.  As a teen I worked for Sears through the Decca program at school.  We all got canned when the lead service man was exposed for stealing, hardly fair.  As an adult I deplore their policies on race and diversity.  Factually I am weary of the double dip on service and parts, just buy the machine from the original manufacturer and leave Sears out of the loop.

 

[appnut]

that noisy Norge Robert had in his basement

Luigi, you are right about it being quite poor in rollover unless way underloaded.  Can you imagine an entire laundromat full of these thihngs in the late 1950s and early 1960s? 

 

[rp2813]

Put me down for Norge/Signature.  I don't mind a washer making noise when it's pleasant and provides an indication that it's a very well-made machine, but the noise from a Norge speaks volumes about their poor design and resulting unreliability.  Just the worst machines I've ever had the displeasure to experience.

 

Norge deserves to "win" this survey by a landslide.

 

[polkanut]

Ralph,

Nate is going to slap the $&#% out of you for those slanderous remarks! lol

 

[combo52]

WORST WASHERS AND DRYERS

I would vote for all the WCI stuff 1970s through Frigidare TLers today.

 

The solid tub Norges were not great at turning big loads but they did wash well anyway and after the big tub models came out in 1963 the performance with big loads was very good.

 

As far as disappointing performance goes almost all MT washers & dryers. While I have 6 sets of MTs from 1950- the 2000s none of them is good enough to make it into my home laundry room for regular use. The closest one would be the last helical drive washers with the load sensor agitators as they finely got the belt tension system working so the drive belt didn't slip when trying to wash a large load.

 

Actually the only MT branded laundry appliances that will be in the main laundry room are the gas MT drying cabinet dryer and the MT Neptune TL touch screen washer and these two are really out of the Norge plant. I selected these not so much for superior performance but because they do things that no other laundry appliances do.

 

[norgeway]

MAYTAG!

I have never understood what all the hoopla is about,yes they lasted forever, but the reason was they dont work fast enough to ever wear out, I say the BEST washer ever is the later Norges, they agitate about twice as fast as a Tag.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Matt, you are right. Those Kenmores were butt-ugly; sort of a step between the ultra-cheap Capri brand even Sears was too embarrassed to call Kenmores and the rest of the Kenmore lineup.

Speaking of Sears policies, I remember being told in 1971 that Sears Allstate Insurance would cancel your policy immediately with no explanation, no grace period, nothing, if they found out you were gay.

 

[pierreandreply4]

me i would say tha the best washer dryer set i have known to last longer than today 's models would be inglis whirlpool because my grandmother evndo she change her dryer this year had an inglis whirlpool dryer that lasted 40 years from the 70 to 2010 picture included as proof.

 

[turquoisedude]

I never had a Roy appliance that was any good! They were low-end Canadian models, made by the Gibson branch of WCI. I had a washer in a rental unit and I swear that I moved because of that blasted machine (and it's matching flamethrower range... LOL)

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

I'm just being the devil's advocate here:

Sears: Why did EVERYBODY buy a SEARS KENMORE???? So over-rated!!!!

Maytag: Good machine, but why no infinite water level on the center-dial design?

Norge, Mont. Wards, etc. Definitely "clunker" machines, though later models improved considerably! (Maybe because my mom owned a Bradford, which reportedly had that design, according to her; though it was really manufactured by Franklin)

Speed Queen: The stainless steel tub & drum could definitely be used as a planter, when the machine, usually not as pristine, wore out...

WCI-built, Frigidaire, Gibson, Kelvinator & White-Westinghouse: Bring back "the real deal", especially the non-WHITE Westy's...! (So disapointed, when "White" got added, as I was when "Product of General Motors" & "Product of American Motors" disappeared...!)

Hotpoint: The carbon-copied GE models w/ the lid opening towards the back! The left-opening lids, to me, are more greatly preferred!

So what washers & dryers DO I like?

Whirlpool, CUSTOM CRAFTED Hotpoint (w/ LEFT-opening lids) & General Electric (though don't care for "SOIL" on the timer dial of the stuff manufactured by GE...)

-- Dave

 

[gmmcnair]

Sears: Why did EVERYBODY buy a SEARS KENMORE???? So over-rat

In my neck of the woods....easy credit (if you were a white male).

 

[rp2813]

Tim, Nate's Norge is long gone.  It began peeing out oil onto the floor in short order -- which came as no surprise to me. 

 

As for the topic, there are going to be trade-offs with almost any brand of machine.  This isn't about machines that do a good or not so good job of cleaning clothes, it's about machines we just plain hate for one reason or another.  I love the dependability, durability, simplicity of design, and build quality of the helical Maytags, and the sound of them running through their cycles.  Some may say they don't wash well, but I'd rather have one of those Maytags than a Norge any day.

 

If you like buying washers and earplugs, buy a Norge.  If you just want to buy one machine and be done with it, buy a Maytag.  We're talking vintage, of course.

 

[akronman]

Sears credit

Sears-Kenmore credit is what kept my folks coming back for 30 years of raising 7 kids, so Kenmore was the usual brand of laundry, kitchen appliances, etc. Also, Sears distribution and delivery and repair helped. It shouldn't be any surprise that Sears Kenmore outsold everyone year after year.

Personally, my favorite vintage washer (from the large tub era) is GE Filter-Flo, great washing, great rinsing, variable cycles, etc. My Maytag is NOT as aggressive, but it DOES turn over any load I've ever tried, and I do believe it may outlast me.
On the other hand, this thread is about machines we HATE. I haven't found that one yet, fortunately.

 

[washerlover]

I agree with the over-rated Kenmores...the Penta-Swirl agitator did nothing for any kind of turnover.

Sorry kids, I'm an avid Norge/Wards lover and like to hear that a washing machine is doing its job! Clunks, bangs and all!

 

[gansky1]

Some of us have joked that if there were any given number of appliance lovers in the same room with a BOL direct-drive Kenmore washer from last year, we'd all stand around it watching every twitch the machine made!

 

Can't say as there is any machine I really dislike completely, they all have their charm when viewed in a collection of machines.  That said, there are probably a scant few that I would consider using as a daily driver with no other choices. 

 

Fondly (and aptly) named "The Pig", this is one I would dread as an "only" washer.  It's absolutely a brutal horror show on clothing fibers with the strong agitation and the devil-wing fins at the top of the agitator.  It's loud, clunky, relatively cheaply made but it's still fascinating to watch.  Huge capacity for a solid-basket washer and by almost shaving fiber from the clothing, it does get things clean.