OK Who Has Never Seen One of These Before?

[washerman8]

I would pay top dollar for a Montgomery Ward set

My childhood friend's mom had a 20lb capacity set and I loved to go to his house and sneek a peek at them. I've only heard it in operation a few times but when I opened the lid, the wash action would stop. <br
I would give up my SpeedQueens in a minute for a set in good condition. <br
If anyone has a set to sell or know of a set, please please let me know.

 

[peterh770]

Wonderful machines. Had nice long washes, rinses and spins so the entire 20 pounds of laundry really had a good chance at getting clean.

 

[launderess]

Does Anyone Have Interior Snaps?

Without laundry inside the tub of these infamous (or famous) washers? Just want to know what sort of tub/agitator deals with 20lbs of laundry <br
Is there any sort of variation of the Mongomery Wards/Norge washer being built today? Did Norge build laundry appliances for anyone else besides MW <br
L.

 

[westytoploader]

Here's a pic of the '85 Wards (up at my school) filling. The agitator has a VERY wide base. Note the dark blue tub (looks black in the picture); this is a lower-end machine which apparently did not have speckled porcelain.

 

[westytoploader]

Here's one of the Wards/Norge timer variations. Notice the temperatures on the timer, and the fact that you can only use hot water on the Regular cycle.

 

[westytoploader]

Control panel left; notice how this is not a Signature machine. Even though the temperatures are on the timer, this one still has an infinitely variable water level control!

 

[Unimatic1140]

Here you go Laundres...

 

[Unimatic1140]

Isn't He Hot?

1975 Wards Signature

 

[Unimatic1140]

The Controls

 

[westytoploader]

You tease!

I see the mighty behemoth agitator lurking atop the Pulsamatic in that last picture...;-)

 

[Unimatic1140]

Here's the Original 1960's Wards 20lb Agitator, next to the 1970s/1980s version...

 

[Unimatic1140]

You tease, I see the mighty behemoth agitator lurking atop the Pulsamatic in that last picture...;-)

May I please finish posting first Mister (hands on hips--picture it), oy, these washer kids today, I'll tell ya!/SMILES/S3.gif

 

[westytoploader]

Interesting how the curved-vane looks smaller compared to the Burpalator in the picture; when I saw both in person it was the opposite...that thing is simply HUGE!!!!!

Of course the Burpalator is no slouch when it comes to size, either.

 

[trok_99]

What I really liked about these machines is you only had to go to the MOL machine to get flexability. At one time or another, all the variations; Norge, Wards, Admiral, etc. had a MOL machine, 2 speeds 3 cycles. Regular, Gentle and Perm Press with up to 14 minutes of wash time for each cycle.

You did not have to go to the TOL to get a long gentle wash with a speed selector. I also liked the fact that it was the only big tub machine that gave you a longer rinse cycle.

They were rated very high by consumer reports in the 70's and 80's for water extraction.

 

[trok_99]

Robert,

If you get a chance it would be great to see a video of the partial neutral drain, spray, spin drain Extract cycle

 

[brettsomers]

i would be quite interested in seeing how that curved-vane agitator moves a true 20lb load, but i DO know that Robert has a life to lead, and videos require time and prep.

 

[launderess]

Better Weigh The Load

To make sure it is truly 20lbs, no cheating!

http://cgi.ebay.com/1950S-NORGE-AUT...77QQihZ002QQcategoryZ4115QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[washerman8]

A Mission!!!!

I am on a mission to find a 20lb capacity Montgomery Wards washer. This will be the first to my vintage collection.

 

[frontaloadotmy]

P No 149943 laundress

As a youth I worked at the local Montgomery Ward Catalog
Store here in Grass Valley. My best recollection of the
18-20 lb capacity on the Sigantures was that the horse
power of the motor was increased to provide the difference
in the rated capacity.

 

[washerman8]

Question?????

Does anyone know the spinning rpms on these washers? I read in earlier posts that they were very good at extracting water from clothing.

 

[gmmcnair]

650-670 RPM...

...If I remember the catalog correctly....How did I remember that???? They also spun for a long time and made the coolest noises.

They did spin the clothes much drier than comparable Maytags, Whirlpools and WCI machines of the time (I've used them all), but not as dry as my granny's Frigidaire did. She bought one to replace her 1960's model Custom Deluxe, and returned it because it loved to stroll about the laundry room.

She replaced it with a belt drive Kenmore, and the clothes were sopping wet in comparison.

 

[toggleswitch]

LOL I used to get my @$$ kicked when I'd sneak the lid open during spin *BANG* *CLUNK* *BANG*

Apparently the spin solenoid was a real clunker.

 

[oldwasherguy]

my mother had a citation that looked like that,but the agitator was black,and she bought it from western auto.

 

[gyrafoam]

Laundress-----

You can really get a huge load in those things-----and like the 1-18 it will handle the extra weight. Handles bulk such as King-Size COMFORTORS or sleeping bags, etc. These were the most fun machines to overload!

Fun to hold the water-level switch on reset----and get it to fill all the way to the top of the tub----gets splashy with the middle to the top of those upper fins under water!

Lawd knows Lightedcontrols can give good testimony on capacity. Tee Hee!

I will never forget the sound those Burpalotors make as long as I live. Or the metallic "WHACK" when the tub brake ingages!

Ka-choo, ka-Choo, ka-choo-----------------

 

[gansky1]

Robert and I weighed out exactly 20 lbs. of mixed fabrics, crammed them into the machine and it wasn't able to turn over the load once in 14 min. of washing at regular speed.

Weight has always been a poor measurement of capacity - just like an old Whirlpool training book I have shows a pound of lead and a pound of feathers to illustrate the point of weight vs. volume when loading a washer.

 

[launderess]

Listen To It Fizz!

And I thought Hoovermatics made lots of funny noises! *LOL*

How did the burb filtration system work? Did it remove lint and muck as well as say the GE Filter-Flow? Which agitatior did a better job of things? Which was more gentle? The black agitator had no holes on the bottom, so guess those machines used another type of filtration system.

Why would a machine neutral drain, then spray as it started to spin/rinse? Wouldn't a small overflow rinse while starting to spin be better for lifting the muck and soap scum off the laundry rather than allowing it to "filter" through the laundry?

L.

 

[westytoploader]

I believe the machines equipped with the "large monstrosity" had the recirculating filter with the rear-mounted basket similar to Westinghouse.

 

[westytoploader]

And those 'Noge agitators may look average-size in that particular picture, but if you see them next to a Roto-Swirl or GE Activator you'll see how big they REALLY are.

 

[trok_99]

Why would a machine neutral drain, then spray as it started to spin/rinse? Wouldn't a small overflow rinse while starting to spin be better for lifting the muck and soap scum off the laundry rather than allowing it to "filter" through the laundry?

Solid tub Norges did an overflow rinse. The early Fedders machines did a complete neutral drain. Then they added this partial drain, spin-spray which they called their "extract cycle" after the wash.

After the wash, the washer would pause for a minute,and then neutral drain. When the water level dropped enough to unsatisfy the pressure switch the spray would start during the neutral drain. When the timer advanced, the brake latch solenoid would release and the machine would drain-spray-spin. They said it prevented suds lock and on Permanent Press this was their answer to cooldown.

When Maytag took over the product, they changed the transmission and made the machine do a full "swirl away" spin drain. The spin speed is 620 and on regular the OPM is 85 and no where near 202 degrees.

When I was young, there was a "Norge Village" Laundramat and coin op. Drycleaner near where I lived. The place was huge.

The equipment-

20 Solid tub Norges
15 Fedders 18 lb Norges
30 Blackstone "Hoover style" top loaders
13 Philco Bendix front load loaders
10 Philco Bendix single load dry to dry dry cleaning machines
3 Troy 25 lb washer extractors
40 Huebsch Load Star 30 lb tumblers
3 Cissel 50 lb tumblers

The place closed at least 25 years ago. I heard it cost 1.6 million to clean up the mess from the perc. that leaked into the ground from the drycleaning machines.

 

[gansky1]

This machine didn't spray rinse until the tub was spinning at full-speed during the second increment of "extract" after wash - 4 spray rinses total. The neutral drain ended when the level dropped below the low level of the pressure switch, brake solenoid was energized and spin started. It was the same sequence after rinse but I think there were only two sprays.