New acquisitions: Speed Queen commercial Fluid Drive and KitchenAid KDS17 DW

[mayfan69]

Hi guys,

Well, thought i'd show two recent acquisitions: a 1960s Speed Queen commercial Fluid Drive washer and KitchenAid KDS 17 DW.

The Speed Queen came from a laundromat in Victoria: needs the cabinet re-sprayed and a bit noisy in spin, but otherwise works fine. You don't see many Fluid Drive SQ's here in OZ anymore.

As for the KitchenAid, what i gem! In excellent condition. Came from a deceased estate, again in Victoria. I was surprised when it said 'Made in West Germany'...would that be correct?

Cheers
Leon

 

[mayfan69]

Video of the Speed Queen

Here's the video of the SQ.

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[gansky1]

Two more very nice finds!

The washer is so much fun - love those solenoid controlled functions. BANG! Great washing action too. Sounds like you need some new spin bearings and new linings in the drive cup on the motor pulley. The bearings are kind of a big job, but you'll never have to do it again once it's done. These are standard size bearings available from most any supplier.

The KA dishwasher is fascinating, would love to see some pics under her skirt when you have a chance, the tank bottom is a bit different than the U.S. version.

 

[foraloysius]

I remember ads of KitchenAid dishwashers in European interior magazines. That must have been in the seventies. I don't have any of those magazines anymore. But a few years ago I saved a picture of a kitchen in the Netherlands with a KitchenAid dishwasher in it. I didn't know they were made in Germany, just they were sold overhere in Europe.

 

[appnut]

That KitchenAid looks barely used.  slightly different looking at the bottom of the tub artound the filter.  Never known a SQ to slowly rotate while filling. 

 

[washer111]

Wow Leon, Great finds!

Two years ago now, we had another Aussie member, Ian__p61 pickup a KDS-17 from a demolition sale. In private discussion, (as I evaluated whether I might have shipping arranged), he noted the machine had both a hot and cold inlet.
On the main thread itself, the machine's data plate indicated a max loading somewhere around the 3000w mark, if I remember correctly.

From the U.S. literature, water heating was never present on machines until the KDS-19, although the European market has traditionally featured water heaters since the 1970s/1980s, if not before.
So it would be interesting to see if the "European-ised" KA would retain the U.S. functionality, or be better-suited to the local conditions...

Am very interested to see how this will progress for you.

As for the SQ, its great to see another of the "real deal" machines kicking around. I imagine it shouldn't be too long until our very own Patronis absolutis (Washman) gives his blessing on the acquisition!

One quick question on the video: Is it just me, or is the audio on that completely distorted once you start the machine? I'm only hearing muddy, "slurgy-gurgly" sounds that resemble very heavy compression artefacting. The video itself is very high quality.

 

[swestoyz]

Oh wow, what cool finds!  Hopefully you'll have fun adjusting the fluid drive on the SQ, LOL

 

The KA is totally bizzaro compared to the US version.  As Greg said, it would be cool to see a bottom shot.

 

I'll get an email over to you soon.

 

Ben

 

[hoover525]

Here's a 725

quick vid of the closest I have to one of the best - a 500 series Hoover

http://https//m.youtube.com/watch?v=lcsiI5rTtTA

 

[revvinkevin]

AWESOME finds Leon!

CONGRATS!

Great video if the SQ washer! I agree with Greg, it needs bearings.

Kevin

 

[mayfan69]

Hi Kevin

Thanks....got your email too.

I did suspect it needs new bearings and I'll have a look at the fluid due too.

Washer111: that sound is the pump, fluid drives traditionally make this sound when filling.

Ben and others: will get pics of underneath the KW this arvo. And no worries on the email Ben.

and yes Kevin.....saw that video....it's great!

Cheers
Leon

 

[tolivac]

The SQ washer shown in the video was just like the ones in the Oakrest Towers apartment building when I lived there in the early 70's.Loved watching them work.But--you had to have a screwdriver handy to unlock the lid after the spinning was done.Sometimes the lock wouldn't relaese-a gentle prying with the screwdriver did it.Later those SQ's were replaced with Whirlpools.Loved the deep rinse cycles those old SQ's did.Then the WP were replaced with Amana-Ratheon style SQ's werent as good.The ones in the apartment laundry were Turquoise.It was a sad day when those were hauled away.Hope something nice happened to them.Would be sad if they went to the crusher.Another thing on their old SQ machines-someone was breaking into the coin boxes and one time while one of the ones I was using was spinning the coin box fell out and onto the floor-spilling quarters everywhere-like a good guy at the time-picked them up and put them back.Would folks do that today???That apartment was the first home I had.The apartments were just outside Wash DC in MD.

 

[bajaespuma]

Missing timer dial?

Was it just some photographic glitch in that Dutch kitchen or does that Custom not have a timer dial on the control panel where it's supposed to be? Too bad we can't see the bottom; the Euro version might have had a timer knob on the lower panel as the old ones did.

 

[twintubber]

What a great score!

2 great appliances in one!
Love those old Speed Queens. They are awesome machines.
That model and colour as well, were very popular in Landromats here in Ontario, Canada. It was Maytags in Avocado Green and Speed Queens in Harvest Gold-that was the Landromat standard.
Whirlpool and GE weren't used a lot in commercial Laundromats very much at all. They tended to be more in apt. laundry rooms and smaller establishments.
I always preferred the Speed Queens over Maytags, but nowadays, I'd take either over the new ?*&^$...!
As for your KitchenAid, enjoy that one a lot. You'll have fun with it. They are fun to load but sure a lot of fun to hear in action. If you LOVE the sound of a dishwasher actually doing it's job, then you will definitely LOVE the sound of this machine in action. My newly acquired KDS-19 which was also in mint condition, has been been a lot of fun to use and get used to as a new experience to figure out.
I hope they both bring you lots of enjoyment!

 

[DADoES]

 
Fascinating SQ.  Never saw one perform as such, with the slow rotation during fill.

 

[foraloysius]

KitchenAid

IIRC these didn't come with a timer dial. See the pictures Leon posted, his doesn't have a dial either.

 

[chestermikeuk]

Vintage

Congratulations Leon, 2 more saved and for the collection, love the Speed Queen looks like it can handle itself, have you taken any of the commercials apart before now?

 

[akronman]

No Brake

Umm, that slow rotation during fill and the very long, no-brake slowdown after spin means your brake never engages. My SQ has the same problem, but it's very intermittent, works after both wash spinout and final spin for a dozen or more loads, then won't work for one spin. It makes no difference at the end of the cycle, but it makes a BIG difference at the end of the wash spinout. As the non-braked spinning goes on after the motor stops and the fill starts, you'd be amaazed how much water you lose up over the edge and into the outer tub, just like during powered spin. Then, with only a partially filled tub, the agitation will start and damage the clothes. I've been advised it's a difficult repair on my 1973 model, I don't know how that relates to your 1960. What I've learned to do is watch for the brake to kick in. When it sometimes doesn't, after that first spin, I just turn off the washer until the tub stops, then I turn it back on and finish the load with no interest in whether or not the brake works for the final spin. You'd be amazed how much spped the tub has with no brake, how long it would continue to spin water up and over the top while the timed fill thinks all the water is going into a stopped tub.

Having said that, it's a FUN washer, great results, clean rinses, and I'm happy to watch to see if the brake once in a while doesn't kick in. Your looks like it is entirely non-working, sorry. But still a cool-as-heck machine, and you have the larger size stainless tub, very sweet.

 

[frigilux]

Thanks for the SQ video, Leon! Great to see a full cycle---and only 24 minutes long. That barely covers the wash tumble time on my 2010 Frigidaire front-loader.

 

[revvinkevin]

Mark - Akronman, all Speed Queen washers up until the point they re-designed the drive system in the 70's, do NOT have any type of tub brake.

Question: when you start your 1973 SQ washer, does the motor run as it fills? If so, than yours does not have a tub brake either. If the motor only runs during agitation and spin (like my 1978 SQ washer), then yours has (or is supposed to have) a tub brake.

Kevin