Oh, Frigilux...

Automatic Washer - The world's coolest Washing Machines, Dryers and Dishwashers

Help Support :

Oh.My.God. That's the one! Possibly the worst agitator for rollover I've ever come across. Loved the circle-spray fill, though. And the spin-drain.

If I recall correctly, the console still looked quite a bit like a 1-18 at this point. I bought my machine in late '86 or early '87.

Nate, you big tease; let's see the dashboard!!
 
Let's go there...

Eugene--This one has a production date of 1989, so you get the carbon-composite look control panel. :-) And no, I don't have a Jet-Circle on this one, alas.

Lawrence--*wink* ;-) Hey, I said I'd have an all-Frigidaire household. I didn't say how.

I love being the champion of vintage WCI schwag. So without further ado...

roto204++8-10-2009-00-46-40.jpg
 
The control panel

It's low-MOL, but has a nice set of options cycle-wise. Single-speed, though! (As if this agitator would somehow damage your clothes--you're lucky if it turns them over once during the cycle.)

roto204++8-10-2009-00-50-26.jpg
 
The dryer

And lookie what came with! This is, I have to say, one of the best (and quietest) dryers I've used. Even with timed dry, everything emerges perfect--no static or damp spots--just right-on. I never have to use fabric softener.

roto204++8-10-2009-00-52-4.jpg
 
And yes...

You aren't kidding, that agitator sucks almost as badly as the new-vintage single-actions. I think the curved vanes were to allow the agitator to release the clothes on the back-stroke, so that tangling was minimized. Unfortunately, so was rollover :-

I've already ordered the Kelvinator angel-wing agitator to replace this (with fabric-softener dispenser, so as to treat m'self ;-) ); that agitator was kick-butt in my old Kelvy Franklin. The wings pulled everything in, and the super-high vanes on the bottom created quite the current.

Oh, and I sure as heck disabled that lid switch. Being locked out of the washer at the end of the cycle is almost as infuriating as always locking the keys in your car.
 
Thanks, Nate! That definitely brings back memories. That was my first Frigidaire washer. I had it for about a year. I'm trying to remember if the circle spray was offered on the full line or just the upper-end machines when I bought mine.

When Frigidaire briefly offered a rear-control front-loader (WCI/Westy clone) I snapped one up and sold the top-loader. I can't believe they actually used that agitator for more than one year! It was so wimpy. It looks like the hand-wash agitator in an early '70s Westy.

Having come to really love my '06 Frigidaire top-loader---in the same way a parent loves their odd, zitty, middle-child "C" student--- I've nutured a growing, perverse, desire to snag a historical line of post-GM washers.

I'd love to have one of the first WCI Frigidaires, when they were kind of a Frankensteinian WCI/Westinghouse mash-up in Frigidaire clothing.

Then I'd have to have one of the middle-80's machines (like the one above); one of the hard-to-find-because-they-were-only-offered-for-about-fifteen-minutes front-loaders; and I have my '06 to round out the collection.

I would probably have to ventilate my laundry room better to avoid being overcome by the plastic fumes, LOL.

At last...something to aspire to!
 
Hi Nate, so good to see you posting again!! Look at it this way, it sure beats having to go out to do your laundry!!! Terry
 
Roto Idol

Nate,
I remember the frigidaire wall oven in the Tucson house we had waffles. I was touched to see the chrome model 11 "hostess" gift and wished it had arrived early enough to mix waffle batter. Did Roger and Terry have a hand in delievering the Sunbeam? I stuck a little something in the bowl for the first bag of flour. I didn't realize you were a GM devotee until this last move. I thought Frigidaire bespoke the pinnachle of affluence as a child. Every extra cent I had was spent of Frigidaire appliances in my "appearnces of success" and all it's trappings. I bought the last new GM Frigidaire for a kitchen remodel in 1979. We had to find a GM fridge still in the pipleine and have it brought to Michigan from Kentucky. I ache when I think about selling farmette in 2002. It was filled with a lifetime of sourcing and saving the best of the best. I have another Flair and the eye level control tower range. I hope to find a bottom freezer Frigidaire, dead or alive. I'm moving back to my home town. The local Frigidaire dealer closed in the early 80's and their repairguy is now in his 80's but he'll still do a special project for money and homemade food. The way to tell him from the refrigerator is look for the boots. They're both about the same size, white and square!
 
omg, i remember that machine, lol, even thought alot of u dont like it, i would LOVE to see a video of this machine, my friend used to have the GE spacemaker, which was a small version of this machine, couldnt fit much but the agitator had much bigger fins on it, i LOVED watching it, it did have good turnover, and i loved the circle spray.
 
My grandparents had a set similar to this washer, I enjoyed using it very much. It had the circle spray fill. It didn't have curved agitator vanes I don't think. Awful washer but fun
 
"Well, well, well, well, well..." (stubs cigarette repeatedly into ashtray; rises from chair)

"Jed. So nice to see you." (rattles glass of scotch/rocks; lights new cigarette)

"I see you've flown in to reprise your role as 'The Negative Vibe Merchant' in our little discussion about post-GM Frigidaire washers. Jed, Jed, Jed...never one to miss an opportunity."

(gulps last of drink, blows smoke in Jed's general direction, saunters out cooly, stage right)

;)
 
Frigidaire

My daughter had a Frigidaire washer in a house they rented. The top half of the agitator looked like an auger formed into the post of the agitator. The top of the washer was missing the clips that held it to the cabinet and you had to hold it in place while it was spinning. They set bottle of water on top to hold it down. One of the hinges had rusted through as well. It was very quiet and for 18 months while they lived there it faithfully swirled away.

Don't let the throb in your knees make you take on a little kid, wet behind the ears, that will temper his enthusiams for opinions with age. We must give each other space to grow.
 
I'm so kidding with Jed---who is a sweet guy with an expanding collection of awesome vintage machines. We've been jokingly going back-and-forth on this topic for awhile, now. Absolutely no meanness/seriousness intended.

Now, back to my scotch, cigarettes, and Jed...my arch nemesis.

:)
 
Thomas

I'd love to see the reintroduced agitator. Usually, my mantra is, "If they'd designed these machines to have tub brakes, the turnover'd be great," but in this case, I can literally hold the tub stationary, and nothing really happens. It just sucks.

I'll get some video of it in its current state, for you purists ;-), and then we'll see the difference when it gets upgraded with the Kelvy agitator.

It also needs a new belt; I suspect the current one is just spaghetti strands hanging over a pile of powdered rubber at the bottom of the machine, but for now, it goes. :-)
 

Latest posts

Back
Top