Loudest and Quietest washing machines

[MaytagA710]

Which machines are the loudest, and quietest in your opinion? (TL or FL)

I think Maytags are the quietest machines I have experienced, and GE FF machines are the loudest I have ever been around (of course, sometimes DD machines can be loud too).

 

[pulsator]

I would have to vote the loudest washer I've ever had the pleasure of hearing as being Robert's GORGEOUS 1956 Norge timeline!!! The quietest... I might have to say any 1955 and on GM Frigidaire Unimatic!!!

 

[yogitunes]

Quietest......Maytag

Loudest.......Frigidaire 1-18, washing.....music to my ears

 

[rp2813]

The "Quiet Pak" Kenmores were even more silent than a helical Maytag, although their pumps made more of a "whooshing" sound, which still wasn't unpleasant. Those Maytags still win over all, since across the entire model line, they are all equally quiet, unlike Kenmore. It's a tough call on loudest. I have the most experience with Norge/Signature and they certainly didn't consider low decibels to be very important. My limited exposure to GE Filter Flo and Frigidaire pulsator types places both in the running.

 

[DirectDriveDave]

I would say the quietest machine is a Helical Transmission Maytag or an original Belt-Drive Whirlpool/Kenmore.

As for the loudest, I'm really not sure.

 

[akronman]

Yogitunes is right

GM Frigidaire 1-18 is LOUD, mostly just by how it works, all that up-down action of 4 rings against so much water, no way at all to quiet the action. And it's 360 strokes per minute, much more than any oscillating agitator. AND IT DOES A FANTASTIC JOB.

After a year and a half looking, Bill FITCOILS and Kenny GOATFARMER hooked me up with a serviceable MOL 1975 model, it's now my daily driver. LOUD and effective wash and turnover, quieter spin and perfect ring of spray for best rinsing anywhere.

 

Maytag is for sure quiet and will last for ever. Other than that, it doesn't do all that much washing or rinsing. But it looks classy and will outlive me.

 

[arbilab]

In this box I live in the washer is in the same room with me unless I'm in the bathroom. It's a FL and I have to mute the TV to even tell what it's doing.

 

[cfz2882]

GE filter flo and norges are loud,my maytag neptune is the quietest in my fleet,
my big BDs and '65 maytag the quietest top loads i have.

 

[philr]

I don't think my 1-18 is that noisy, certainly less than the Inglis/Whirlpool DD with the dual action agitator that my parents had. The 1-18 washers that are very noisy probably have some play in their agitate arms.

I remember when my parents replaced their large capacity 1974 Inglis belt drive with a regular capacity Inglis direct drive in 1990, the belt drive made a terrible grinding noise while spinning in it's last year of service but the new one was much noisier during agitation. And I didn't like that noise!

It became even worse when the ratcheting pawls in the agitator started slipping after a few years. My parents didn't notice something was wrong and they didn't care about it so I bought new ones and I replaced them! Curiously, my uncle had similar Kitehcen Aid washer from 1996 and it wasn't as noisy, but still not "Whisper Quiet" like the control panel said! I don't remember if it had the exact same agitator as the Inglis but I think it was similar.
A friend of mine also has a Whirlpool "Maytag Centennial" with a similar agitator and it also seems less noisy during the agitation than the 1990 Inglis (but this one makes annoying noises while filling).

 

[supersurgilator]

I agree GE filter flo's are the noisiest that I have heard. I think Maytag and Speed Queen are among the quietest.

 

[whirlykenmore78]

Noisy washers

The loudest topload washer Ive ever heard washing was a GM Frigidaire 1-18 and the quietest would have to be my 1986 Kenmore Limited DD machine. For front loaders the loudest I've heard is a Troy-Launderite Big Boy/Mi T Boy series machine the quietest is the Speed Queen Horizon washer or a WP Duet.

 

[abcomatic]

Loudest are my Maytag wringers. Quietest would be my 2 Maytag automatics from the '70's and '80's. The quietest wringer model would be my 1955 ABC wringer. The Easy Spindrier would be somewhat louder than the ABC but quieter than the Maytag wringers. Gary

 

[tomturbomatic]

Three belt Westies were quiet while tumbling, but sure gave you a wake up call when the pump solenoid kicked in for drain and spins were noisy also.

When CU tested the TOL and BOL (or close to it) machines in a report around 1960, they said that the TOL Maytag was quieter than the BOL model. Maybe this was a result of the two different cabinets between el cheapo and el mas precioso.

 

[peteski50]

Loudest and Quietest!

I would agree the 1/18 was the Loudest and Maytags were the Quietest. I never liked the sounds like sudden solenoids, like solid tub speed queens and norge large capacity machines. To most people it is music to their ears.
Peter

 

[goatfarmer]

I think Norge washers, with the clunking brake, are some of the loudest machines out there.

 

[mickeyd]

I forgot how quiet the Unimatics from my childhood were, and when I got one, it was like a whisper. Only the water throw against the cabinet summons attention.

 

The original motor in the mid-70's GE was old and loud, a distinct wahhhh, which you could hear all the way into the kitchen from the garage. I loved it. That's the machine that once had a really quick spin ramp up, hurled heaving water back into the tub the way the new LG Hydrowaves do. The new quiet motor allows no such tricks.

 

Agree that Maytags are quiet and Norges are loud, and a few summers ago at Jimmy S.'s in Canton when all the washers were running, the one distinct sound was the thumping of the Frigidiare 1-18, a low percussive drumming, really cool, leading the symphony in washer orchestration. Amazing.

 

[rickr]

Hands down, for noise, it's a Norge built machine, and the loudest of the Norge is the famous "Monkey Norge"

 

[foraloysius]

Loudest

Definitely Norge, IMHO a well functioning 1-18 is not as loud as a Norge.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[mrb627]

Quiet Vote

My vote for quiet is the Lady Kenmore BD with the thin drive belt. As for loud, I would say the Norge burpilator machine or a rollermatic.

( Of course this only applies to TL machines )

Malcolm