I have a love/hate relationship with them so I will decline to comment until I give everyone else a chance to do so.
O.K., in Dave's honor: Why does everyone think (GM) Frigidaire is so great?
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mickeyd
Well-known member
Is Dave the tall slender quiet genius I met in Canton who ac
?
?
mickeyd
Well-known member
opps!
As laundress might say: "One should never stay away from Automatic Washer."
I see that Dave is mrcleanjeans and even more miraculously, I kept wondering what had happened to Jed, only to learn just now that he has become
the wonderful French Canadian lebron. ;'D
I love it when I'm a moron.
But who was that cool Dude you brought to Canton? How is he doing?
I'll talk about Frigidaire later tonight; off doctoring:YIKES!
As laundress might say: "One should never stay away from Automatic Washer."
I see that Dave is mrcleanjeans and even more miraculously, I kept wondering what had happened to Jed, only to learn just now that he has become
the wonderful French Canadian lebron. ;'D
I love it when I'm a moron.
But who was that cool Dude you brought to Canton? How is he doing?
I'll talk about Frigidaire later tonight; off doctoring:YIKES!
rollermatic
Well-known member
frigidaire is great
because it simply is
because it simply is
The Ticket to Acceptance
I was so terribly poor in my childhood, shamed, teased by the kids on the school bus and forever scarred. I silently studied the patterns of all my friends’ parents when I went to their homes. Most of my mom's Dutch relatives were hitting the gold and built and remodeled houses. The standard was always quality that merits envy. The huge majority of wealthy had Frigidaire. The chrome, design features, heft and absolute array of intimidating controls and features made on slack jawed. I begin to work for money in the fields of neighbor and as soon as I was old enough to get a work permit went to work in restaurants. I painted houses, babysat, cut asparagus before school and worked anywhere I could for money and an escape from my father's cruelty. Every cent earned had a goal that either, Sunbeam, Frigidaire, Electrolux, Farberware, Corning Ware, and all the products I saw successful people using. It becomes a faith based love affair. There is nothing as elegant, musical or comforting that cooking on a Custom Imperial range. The gentle swish of the water filled dishwasher turned crystal clean results. People would gasp and marvel as I loaded gunk covered plates and vessels into my Custom Imperial dishwasher with pushbutton cycle operation. The beautiful grand refrigerator with enough lights to run a high security prison, gleaming sliver shelves that rolled out, the hydrator door that folded down like a table and the lid opined to give full access to the crisp and fresh garden produce. Casually step on the pedal that opened the freezer and roll out the shelves or grasp a handful of cubes from the bin that was on the door. Pressing the GM medallion let the door swing open with a whirr and whoosh. Year after year, the stunning glory of dazzling porcelain, reflective chrome and glamour of lights and glass made say to myself, "I have arrived". I was finally one of the monied, the elite, the ones who draped themselves in shades of casual elegance. My kitchen was the object of everyone's desire amazed meals for 12 or 50 or even 2000 rolled effortlessly from those iconic machines. I didn’t clean them; I gave then a massage and finished with caress. I spoke to them in supportive and nurturing tones and was so grateful that which I had desired so long became manifest in the flesh.
I had one Frigidaire washer and dryer, a matched Sandalwood Custom Imperial from 1964. The washer cleaned well and rinsed well, though I was more impressed with the Flowing-Heat dryer. It turned permanent press perfectly and the auto dry was spot on without getting too hot. Frigidaire held less than Maytag so smaller loads in the dryer played a part in wrinkle free operation.
My first frigidaire range purchased for mom in 1967. I was a sophmore.
I was so terribly poor in my childhood, shamed, teased by the kids on the school bus and forever scarred. I silently studied the patterns of all my friends’ parents when I went to their homes. Most of my mom's Dutch relatives were hitting the gold and built and remodeled houses. The standard was always quality that merits envy. The huge majority of wealthy had Frigidaire. The chrome, design features, heft and absolute array of intimidating controls and features made on slack jawed. I begin to work for money in the fields of neighbor and as soon as I was old enough to get a work permit went to work in restaurants. I painted houses, babysat, cut asparagus before school and worked anywhere I could for money and an escape from my father's cruelty. Every cent earned had a goal that either, Sunbeam, Frigidaire, Electrolux, Farberware, Corning Ware, and all the products I saw successful people using. It becomes a faith based love affair. There is nothing as elegant, musical or comforting that cooking on a Custom Imperial range. The gentle swish of the water filled dishwasher turned crystal clean results. People would gasp and marvel as I loaded gunk covered plates and vessels into my Custom Imperial dishwasher with pushbutton cycle operation. The beautiful grand refrigerator with enough lights to run a high security prison, gleaming sliver shelves that rolled out, the hydrator door that folded down like a table and the lid opined to give full access to the crisp and fresh garden produce. Casually step on the pedal that opened the freezer and roll out the shelves or grasp a handful of cubes from the bin that was on the door. Pressing the GM medallion let the door swing open with a whirr and whoosh. Year after year, the stunning glory of dazzling porcelain, reflective chrome and glamour of lights and glass made say to myself, "I have arrived". I was finally one of the monied, the elite, the ones who draped themselves in shades of casual elegance. My kitchen was the object of everyone's desire amazed meals for 12 or 50 or even 2000 rolled effortlessly from those iconic machines. I didn’t clean them; I gave then a massage and finished with caress. I spoke to them in supportive and nurturing tones and was so grateful that which I had desired so long became manifest in the flesh.
I had one Frigidaire washer and dryer, a matched Sandalwood Custom Imperial from 1964. The washer cleaned well and rinsed well, though I was more impressed with the Flowing-Heat dryer. It turned permanent press perfectly and the auto dry was spot on without getting too hot. Frigidaire held less than Maytag so smaller loads in the dryer played a part in wrinkle free operation.
My first frigidaire range purchased for mom in 1967. I was a sophmore.
I don't think they are so great!
We serviced Frigidaire 1-18's when they were new, and under warranty. They were horrible!
Never had less than 2-3 of them in the shop at one time for transmission replacement. The bellows seal would get punctured, and water would wipe out the transmission bearings. Then you usually had to torch off the tub support, which had rusted to the shaft, to be able to remove the transmission.
They were inexpensive to buy, cheaply made, and glad I don't see them anymore!
kennyGF
We serviced Frigidaire 1-18's when they were new, and under warranty. They were horrible!
Never had less than 2-3 of them in the shop at one time for transmission replacement. The bellows seal would get punctured, and water would wipe out the transmission bearings. Then you usually had to torch off the tub support, which had rusted to the shaft, to be able to remove the transmission.
They were inexpensive to buy, cheaply made, and glad I don't see them anymore!
kennyGF
laundromat
Well-known member
FRIGIDAIRE-ITUS Carefull,you may catch it too!!
I was almost as fortunate as Mixfinder in that a lot of our neighbors were "piss elegant" and Had to always replace their old (5 years) appliances with the new and improvd models. Most of them had FRIGIDAIRE appliances and delt with either Rudolf's Appliance,Norman R. Mitchell or Eckes Appliances.Rudolf's and Eckes also serviced the equipment and would let me watch in their shop as the techs worked feverishly on those gems. Nine out of ten times,the breakage was the fault of the user and their lack of appliance maintanance Eckes always had the needed parts for replacement and were amazingly fast in the labor end.The nicest kitchen was the one in the kasey's house. They had a FRIGIDAIRE Imperial in charcoal gray bottom mount freezer refrigerator,a charcoal gray Custom Imerial Three Ring Agitator washer and electric dryer,a stainless steel KitchenAid Superba dishwasher and a stainless steel Suburban gas cooktop with matching double wall ovens.The washer died in 1977 but I was able to replace the faulty pump and sold it to a friend for $150.they still have it and use it on a daily basis.Everything else was still their when I was visiting them for the last time in 1985. They are both gone now but their nkitchen and the rest of their home was imaculately clean.
I was almost as fortunate as Mixfinder in that a lot of our neighbors were "piss elegant" and Had to always replace their old (5 years) appliances with the new and improvd models. Most of them had FRIGIDAIRE appliances and delt with either Rudolf's Appliance,Norman R. Mitchell or Eckes Appliances.Rudolf's and Eckes also serviced the equipment and would let me watch in their shop as the techs worked feverishly on those gems. Nine out of ten times,the breakage was the fault of the user and their lack of appliance maintanance Eckes always had the needed parts for replacement and were amazingly fast in the labor end.The nicest kitchen was the one in the kasey's house. They had a FRIGIDAIRE Imperial in charcoal gray bottom mount freezer refrigerator,a charcoal gray Custom Imerial Three Ring Agitator washer and electric dryer,a stainless steel KitchenAid Superba dishwasher and a stainless steel Suburban gas cooktop with matching double wall ovens.The washer died in 1977 but I was able to replace the faulty pump and sold it to a friend for $150.they still have it and use it on a daily basis.Everything else was still their when I was visiting them for the last time in 1985. They are both gone now but their nkitchen and the rest of their home was imaculately clean.
norgeway
Well-known member
What I grew up with...
We had a 55 pulsamatic and a 69 custom deluxe, my dads sister had a 63 custom imperial,they just were plain better than about everything else, ditto for everything else they made, best product g m made, much better than any of there cars.
We had a 55 pulsamatic and a 69 custom deluxe, my dads sister had a 63 custom imperial,they just were plain better than about everything else, ditto for everything else they made, best product g m made, much better than any of there cars.
mrcleanjeans
New member
Thanks Steve for the honors. In fact, Frigidaire would have been next in "my series."lol. I love Frigidaires because of their up-and -down agitator in all of it's forms, the looks of them ,the super high spin speeds on many of the models,the overflow rinse and solid tub on alot of them,and the fun factor in the whole kit and kaboodle.
I am only a recent convert...
But, my, do I love my one Frigidaire washer and the spray-tube dishwasher! I think the 'rollover' action that the Frigidaire Pulsator-type washer generates is the best wash action I have ever seen! And despite what might be seen as awkward racking, I just love the design of the older Frigidaire spray-tube dishwasher. Can't wait to get more! A matching dryer to that washer of mine is a new goal...
Hmmm... Come to think of it, the very first cooking I ever did was on Mom's 1956 Frigidaire range, too... I remember the distinctive 'clunk' the oven thermostat made when it cycled the oven element on and off.
But, my, do I love my one Frigidaire washer and the spray-tube dishwasher! I think the 'rollover' action that the Frigidaire Pulsator-type washer generates is the best wash action I have ever seen! And despite what might be seen as awkward racking, I just love the design of the older Frigidaire spray-tube dishwasher. Can't wait to get more! A matching dryer to that washer of mine is a new goal...
Hmmm... Come to think of it, the very first cooking I ever did was on Mom's 1956 Frigidaire range, too... I remember the distinctive 'clunk' the oven thermostat made when it cycled the oven element on and off.
rinso
Well-known member
GM Frigidaire washers were never very repair-free, though there are some exceptions, like the Unimatics. For one thing, they had too many different mechanisms over the years, which drove washer techs nuts. There was also a bit of car repair mentality in the engineering. I'm sure GM thought one repair per year should be considered normal as long as they designed in plenty of horsepower. They did a superb job of washing clothes.
One has to really compliment manufacturers like GM Frigidaire, Kelvinator, and Philco, for daring to think outside the back-and-forth agitator box, and for that matter, think outside the box for all their appliance lines.
One has to really compliment manufacturers like GM Frigidaire, Kelvinator, and Philco, for daring to think outside the back-and-forth agitator box, and for that matter, think outside the box for all their appliance lines.
First of all, I grew up with a Solid Tub Rollermatic and the sounds it made are burned in my mind. It never had one repair in the first 18 years. The timer went and the dumbass repairman told mother it could not be fixed. Also noteworthy is the fact that the machine ran every single day when I was a baby washing diapers, this went on for years (of course) then handled laundry for 3 people including all my dirty childhood play clothes, couting in my playing with it also and I think many other machines would have choked under those conditions. I know some of the neighbors with Maytag's had to have service, and Grandma burned thru a Whirlpool about every 5-7 years. The Ol' Frigidaire just kept on thumping.
They are unique among all others. I've compared the quality of their cabinets and paint to others and they are superior in finish and in weight of metal, these days anything metal no matter the weight is a rarity. The beautiful designs and the loads of features. They are hell to work on, make no mistake, but when you get one fixed right it seems almost rock solid, I find the rinsing ability in my solid tub versions to be outstanding. I love the blue agitator in my '65, the "Haulin' Ass" spin speed in the '67 Rapidry, and the huge capacity in the 1-18, not to mention it's power. The first time I ran the 1-18 it made me jump when it came on as I had not been around a Frigidaire in 20 years or more.
When I went from my previous Whirlpool DD to my 1-18 I immediately noticed better looking, cleaner looking, more well finished clothing and I have become accustomed to such luxuries now and would stop at nothing to keep my Frigidaire's running.
Frigidaire Washers: Great styling which changed radically every few years. And I always admired their "We don't care if every other brand on earth has oscillating agitators" attitude.
I grew up in a town of 1,800 people. The local Frigidaire dealership did the most business, so the town was loaded with Frigidaires. Maytag, Speed Queen and Coronado (Wizard--Go Franklin! Go, go Franklin!!) brands were also available. And there was a Sears catalog store.
My parents? SEARS people. I felt completely ripped-off. I've come to appreciate vintage Kenmores, but the whole time I grew up, I wanted a Frigidaire washer in the worst way.
When I returned home from college to live in my parents' house, I marched right to the Frigidaire dealership, and to my utter horror, found WCI's had taken their place. Of course, I've come to like WCI's now, but at the time it was terrible.
I grew up in a town of 1,800 people. The local Frigidaire dealership did the most business, so the town was loaded with Frigidaires. Maytag, Speed Queen and Coronado (Wizard--Go Franklin! Go, go Franklin!!) brands were also available. And there was a Sears catalog store.
My parents? SEARS people. I felt completely ripped-off. I've come to appreciate vintage Kenmores, but the whole time I grew up, I wanted a Frigidaire washer in the worst way.
When I returned home from college to live in my parents' house, I marched right to the Frigidaire dealership, and to my utter horror, found WCI's had taken their place. Of course, I've come to like WCI's now, but at the time it was terrible.
toggleswitch2
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 23, 2008
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Did those fat radiant tubes glow red on *high*?
Never saw even one Frigidaire anything in my city/area.
Did see one Frigidaire 70s washer in the late 80s at a summer-home on the far east end of Long Island.
Saw many a southern home with Frigidaire. Thought the brand to be more popular there. Those homes I did see with Frigidaires tended to have ALL appliances by Frigidaire, so again I assumed it was the builders' choice.
Never saw even one Frigidaire anything in my city/area.
Did see one Frigidaire 70s washer in the late 80s at a summer-home on the far east end of Long Island.
Saw many a southern home with Frigidaire. Thought the brand to be more popular there. Those homes I did see with Frigidaires tended to have ALL appliances by Frigidaire, so again I assumed it was the builders' choice.
Rather than getting all bogged-down in the nightmare of repairing some of the machines I'll keep my comments to the art of using them.
I grew up with Frigidaire laundry equipment. First a Unimatic and then a Multimatic. Bought a few on my own including a used '68 WXN that I will forever kick myself for selling, and a new Poppy 1-18 set in '79.
I've used a spray-tube dishwasher in an apartment I once lived in (it sucked) and I've had an early 70's Custom Imperial dishwasher with the little extra spray-arm on one end of the main spray-arm. It was a great dishwasher and it would hold a huge load. I've used countless Frigidaire refrigerators, stoves, food waste disposers,and air conditioners.
Every generation of washers and dryers were so unique. They all had plenty of quirks. You had to be careful how you loaded a Unimatic or Multimatic and how much wash time you set or you could suffer a really tangled mass of clothes. Coupled with the Rapidry Spin and you could end up with some pretty wrinkled stuff as well.
Washing anything less than a half-load was in invitation to unbalance the machine and you could come back to find it stopped in mid-cycle. The Deep Action Agitator did a great job if the tub was packed full.
Better make sure you have good water pressure as well or you may only get a partial tub of water.
IMO the best of the best washers were the '63 and '64 Three-Ring equipped machines mainly because of the larger-tub. The best cleaning Frigidaires ever---- even if the spin was pretty lame. Of course, one could always convert a Rapidry Rollermatic by replacing the Deep Action Agitator with a Three-Ring. That way you get the best of all worlds.
The 1-18's were feature-packed and strange birds. Unlike the solid-tub Rollermatics, if you packed a 1-18 full the rollover would stop.With a TOL model that had "infinite" agitation control, you could slow down the agitation just a bit and greatly increase the rollover! I have only recently discovered that REDUCING the water-level to less than you think it needs, makes for decent rollover in a 1-18. Strange.I never use a water-level higher than Large even for the biggest load. They sudzlocked easily as well, although they sure did do a through rinse. The Spray-Ring is kool.
The dryers were great as well. Of course, the Filtramatics and Filtrators were unique, and could be a pain in the ass on a busy wash day. But you could put them just about anywhere since venting wasn't an issue. From '65-'69 the Gas Dryers had the heating mechanisms in a strange arrangement under the top panel of the machine. All you had to do was lift up the panel and take a peek to see what all the trapped moisture from burning gas could do as far as surface-rust is concerned. A shame. The electric versions were excellent and I never had a complaint about using an electric 1-18 Dryer either. No problems.
If I have any regrets it was that I guess I thought they would always be around. Too bad I didn't sock-away a '58 Ultra-Clean set in Sunny Yellow or that wonderful WXN.
The American appliances have never been the same without them and there will never be another GM Frigidaire.
I grew up with Frigidaire laundry equipment. First a Unimatic and then a Multimatic. Bought a few on my own including a used '68 WXN that I will forever kick myself for selling, and a new Poppy 1-18 set in '79.
I've used a spray-tube dishwasher in an apartment I once lived in (it sucked) and I've had an early 70's Custom Imperial dishwasher with the little extra spray-arm on one end of the main spray-arm. It was a great dishwasher and it would hold a huge load. I've used countless Frigidaire refrigerators, stoves, food waste disposers,and air conditioners.
Every generation of washers and dryers were so unique. They all had plenty of quirks. You had to be careful how you loaded a Unimatic or Multimatic and how much wash time you set or you could suffer a really tangled mass of clothes. Coupled with the Rapidry Spin and you could end up with some pretty wrinkled stuff as well.
Washing anything less than a half-load was in invitation to unbalance the machine and you could come back to find it stopped in mid-cycle. The Deep Action Agitator did a great job if the tub was packed full.
Better make sure you have good water pressure as well or you may only get a partial tub of water.
IMO the best of the best washers were the '63 and '64 Three-Ring equipped machines mainly because of the larger-tub. The best cleaning Frigidaires ever---- even if the spin was pretty lame. Of course, one could always convert a Rapidry Rollermatic by replacing the Deep Action Agitator with a Three-Ring. That way you get the best of all worlds.
The 1-18's were feature-packed and strange birds. Unlike the solid-tub Rollermatics, if you packed a 1-18 full the rollover would stop.With a TOL model that had "infinite" agitation control, you could slow down the agitation just a bit and greatly increase the rollover! I have only recently discovered that REDUCING the water-level to less than you think it needs, makes for decent rollover in a 1-18. Strange.I never use a water-level higher than Large even for the biggest load. They sudzlocked easily as well, although they sure did do a through rinse. The Spray-Ring is kool.
The dryers were great as well. Of course, the Filtramatics and Filtrators were unique, and could be a pain in the ass on a busy wash day. But you could put them just about anywhere since venting wasn't an issue. From '65-'69 the Gas Dryers had the heating mechanisms in a strange arrangement under the top panel of the machine. All you had to do was lift up the panel and take a peek to see what all the trapped moisture from burning gas could do as far as surface-rust is concerned. A shame. The electric versions were excellent and I never had a complaint about using an electric 1-18 Dryer either. No problems.
If I have any regrets it was that I guess I thought they would always be around. Too bad I didn't sock-away a '58 Ultra-Clean set in Sunny Yellow or that wonderful WXN.
The American appliances have never been the same without them and there will never be another GM Frigidaire.
Growing up a GM guy, I've naturally gravitated towards Frigidaire appliances. Sleek styling, a plethora of options on all lines, and unique solutions to commonalities in the white good industry have helped build the 'if it's in the drive way, it may as well be in the kitchen' attitude at my place.
By far one of my personal favorite design feats is Unimatic transmission. The Unimatic design is completely unique and screams automotive theory. During the post War years through the mid sixties Frigidaire appliances were built like TOL Buicks/Oldsmobiles/Cadillacs. Thick porcelain finishes, glamorous control panels, and a fit and finish that I've always felt only trumped by Maytag.
I'll admit that they may not be the easiest to work on, are even harder to procure replacement parts for, and doubly complicated by GM's infinite wisdom to classify unique parts for each model year. And while the Jet Action washing is a wonderful washing method it didn't rub everyone the same way. I've always had good luck washing in any Frigidaire washer, but I must give credit to those pioneers in this hobby who have washed thousands of loads, way be before me, and have freely given tips and tricks to everyone on the best way to use these machines. You certainly can't assume that you can use it like a Maytag!
So, with that said and with all the points that hurt GM and Frigidaire, the uniqueness and glamor that have surrounded these machines build enough of a case to make them one of my favorite to use. Well, at least with towels anyway. ;-)
Ben
By far one of my personal favorite design feats is Unimatic transmission. The Unimatic design is completely unique and screams automotive theory. During the post War years through the mid sixties Frigidaire appliances were built like TOL Buicks/Oldsmobiles/Cadillacs. Thick porcelain finishes, glamorous control panels, and a fit and finish that I've always felt only trumped by Maytag.
I'll admit that they may not be the easiest to work on, are even harder to procure replacement parts for, and doubly complicated by GM's infinite wisdom to classify unique parts for each model year. And while the Jet Action washing is a wonderful washing method it didn't rub everyone the same way. I've always had good luck washing in any Frigidaire washer, but I must give credit to those pioneers in this hobby who have washed thousands of loads, way be before me, and have freely given tips and tricks to everyone on the best way to use these machines. You certainly can't assume that you can use it like a Maytag!
So, with that said and with all the points that hurt GM and Frigidaire, the uniqueness and glamor that have surrounded these machines build enough of a case to make them one of my favorite to use. Well, at least with towels anyway. ;-)
Ben
laundromat
Well-known member
Radiantube elements
The many neat features the FRIGIDAIRE ranges had were remarkable to say the least.Yes,the radiantube elements got up to a bright orange glow and because their desing was like that of a triange or cone shape,the heat was automaticaly radiated up to the serface where the cookware was.One of the demos was to place an ice cube into the drip pans that would hold up to a cup of spillage,place a tepot or small sauce pan onto the right front burner and let it come to a rapid boil.Once that was acomplished,you'd take a wooden spoon and lift the radiantube upright showing the customer the still frozen ice cube.That proved that the heat was in fact radiated upward. Don't even attempt tha on any other electric range.Another fact was the reason the FRIGIDAIRE ranges had porcelain drip pans is that the competitors had to use crome or stainless steel to reflect the heat to the cookware shortining the length of time needed to radiate enough heat for whatever you were cooking.They were also the first self cleaning oven that had their insulating door seal located on the inner cavity,not the door.GE,and others, always had theirs on the door and it needed to be replaced at least twice during the lifetime of the product.
The many neat features the FRIGIDAIRE ranges had were remarkable to say the least.Yes,the radiantube elements got up to a bright orange glow and because their desing was like that of a triange or cone shape,the heat was automaticaly radiated up to the serface where the cookware was.One of the demos was to place an ice cube into the drip pans that would hold up to a cup of spillage,place a tepot or small sauce pan onto the right front burner and let it come to a rapid boil.Once that was acomplished,you'd take a wooden spoon and lift the radiantube upright showing the customer the still frozen ice cube.That proved that the heat was in fact radiated upward. Don't even attempt tha on any other electric range.Another fact was the reason the FRIGIDAIRE ranges had porcelain drip pans is that the competitors had to use crome or stainless steel to reflect the heat to the cookware shortining the length of time needed to radiate enough heat for whatever you were cooking.They were also the first self cleaning oven that had their insulating door seal located on the inner cavity,not the door.GE,and others, always had theirs on the door and it needed to be replaced at least twice during the lifetime of the product.
Thats right, Ben. I completely agree. Unimatics are the best "towel-washers" ever and the Filtramatic/Filtrators are the best "towel-dryers" ever!
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