My grandmother's Pulsamatic

[norfolksouthern]

While doing a search for a specific model of vintage Frigidaire, I came across one of Robert's videos. This one is of a Pulsamatic, an extremely rare machine.

The video that Robert made very accurately reproduces the sound and action. Hers was not a control tower. Instead, it had a shiny steel timer dial with a black, ribbed plastic knob. It also had a push button, which, from what I can remember, started the cycle. I never quite realized how completely rare this machine was. To keep the memories alive, I would certainly like a complete video in all its glory one day.

Among the features I especially liked about the Pulsamatic was the absence of any safety feature. You could open the lid, and watch the whole action from the beginning until the end. It had this unique sound while agitating that, for some reason, reminded me of the local school yard bully beating up on the cloths. Why? I really haven't a clue. On spin, it would throw out the water fairly quick and ramp up to speed, while you could hear the pump throwing out the water. The most interesting and fun part, however, was the end of the spin cycle: The agitator would start bobbing up and down while the tub came to a complete stop, squealing in delight like a my little sister when she got her first bicycle. Yes indeed. What a great machine it was.

So there you have it. My dream machine, and I seriously doubt it will ever materialize. But keep an eye on the garage sales, just in case I win the lottery!

NorfolkSouthern

The photo and link are both from Unimatic1140. I hope you are OK with my borrowing them for a moment, Robert. And, thanks for keeping these machines alive so others can enjoy them.

Link to the video, spelled out:

http://www.automaticwasher.org/VID/PULSAMATIC/Pulsamatic.mpg

http:// www.automaticwasher.org/VID/PULSAMATIC/Pulsamatic.mpg

 

[norgeway]

MY...Grandmothers Pulsamatic...

I too grew up with a Pulsamatic...we lived with my grandmother in the house where my mom grew up, in 1955 my Grandmother went to W.E. Shaw furniture co. and bought a T.V. and a Pulsamatic washer,I never saw the T V as it was replaced in 62 with a Silvertone, but the washer was around until I was 4 or so ,being replaced in 69 with a Custom Deluxe,model W C D A N ,I can remember my Grandmother leaning on that 55 model while it was spinning to keep it from walking away!..funny what we remember from childhood.

 

[Unimatic1140]

Hey Norfolksouthern, you are describing a 1958 Frigidaire Pulsamatic washer and it looks like we've got something in common! My grandmother also had a 1958 Pulsamatic! She had the WD-58, there were 3 Pulsamatics in '58. WS-58, bottom of the line with out any way to regulate the water temp except for turning the hoses on and off, the WD-58 same as WS-58, but with a Hot/Warm water temp selector and the WDP-58, same as WD-58 but with an all porcelain cabinet and full width flourscent light. Its also a dream of mine to someday find this machine.

 

[Unimatic1140]

[No message]

 

[Unimatic1140]

Oh and be sure to check out our Grandmother's machine in this Wisk Commercial from 58 or 59...

<object width=425 height=344><param name=movie value=></param><param name=allowFullScreen value=true></param><param name=allowScriptAccess value=always></param><embed src= type=application/x-shockwave-flash allowfullscreen=true allowScriptAccess=always width=425 height=344></embed></object>

 

[mrcleanjeans]

How well did it wash?

 

[norfolksouthern]

That darn timer knob!

I often confuse the timer knobs of my machines. You see, I *sometimes* have this weird habit of pushing the knob --IN-- to start the cycle instead of OUT. Now I know why! I would spend a few days at my grandparents, where I would run loads through the Frigidaire. And then when I went home, it was back to my mother's Whirlpool (I hated that machine), where I would have to pull the knob OUT to start the cycle.

Also: My grandmother acquired her Pulsamatic some time around the mid 1960s, used. I think I was around 3 or 4; just old enough to remember the wringer she had before. To her, a washer didn't have an agitator. But rather, she called the agitator "the dasher".

From around 1964 or 1965, on up until at least 1978, that WD-58 stayed in the house. It outlasted both my mother's Whirlpool Supreme, and the BOL Kenmore she got in 1975!

mrcleanjeans: You asked "how well did it clean?: The Pulsamatic did a much better job of cleaning than my mother's Whirlpool. But, the 1-18 has a slight edge over the Pulsamatic in my opinion.

NorfolkSouthern

 

[lebron]

How well did it wash?

They do an excellent job! Pulsamatics are some of the coolest (and rarest) washers ever! I just love Robert's control tower, and it is usually the first machine I use when I'm in his basement.

 

[norfolksouthern]

My father used to sell Amway, and my grandmother would buy the large boxes of SA-8 from him. Her Pulsamatic would suds very little, if any. I may sound a little off the track, but she would often make a lemon meringue pie. The meringue looked a lot like that water surface when it came out of the oven. Without the "dasher", obviously!

Washing: Of course it did an excellent job. It was a Frigidaire by General Motors! And for the life of me, I'll never understand why people bought Maytags and Whirlpools. What advantage does a standard agitator have over this? None that I can see! And it takes a front loader at least twice as long do half the amount. I think a little reverse engineering is in order here.

NorfolkSouthern

 

[frigilux]

Robert---I tried to watch your Wisk commercial, but I get the "This video has been removed by the user" message. What up?

 

[Unimatic1140]

I'm not the owner of that video, it was from an old post so it must have been removed. Sorry. :-(

 

[scott55405]

I hope at least one more time in life I'll be able to be in the same room as Appnut when a Pulsamatic is operating.

 

[appnut]

I hope so too Scott. Reading this threaad since early this morning, I cannot tell you how many times I've relived that moment!!! And I hope it's far more than one more time in life!!! :-D

 

[laundryshark]

Corrected Washer Link

There was a space in the URL of Robert's washer link. So I am reposting it here.--Laundry Shark

http://www.automaticwasher.org/VID/PULSAMATIC/Pulsamatic.mpg

 

[whirlcool]

Wow, that Pulsematic sure does sound different than a Rollermatic does. The oscillations seem much more intense.

 

[joelippard]

Now that's just cool!

those peaks it forms in the water look similar to the oscillations I notice in the Philco.

 

[appnut]

The oscillations seem much more intense.

630 on Pulsamatic vs. 330 on "regular" Frigidaires.

 

[norfolksouthern]

Come to think of it...

I think the washer my grandmother had was a WS-58 rather than the WD-58, as I can't say I remember an extra knob next to the timer dial. I could be wrong. And I also don't remember selecting a wash temperature. She would always complain that my grandfather chose "the oldest, cheapest clunker he could find" and "was that way with everything he bought". And I also think I recall her complaining about having to select the wash temperatures with the hoses. Little did she know! My grandfather may have been a bit smarter than she thought.

Had I known what was going on, my mother would have never had the Magic Chef!

NorfolkSouthern

 

[easyspindry]

Very fast washing action

. . . but as I remember, the spin was not all that fast. I could certainly be wrong, but I remember a disappointment that the spin was not very fast.

Jerry Gay