OMG - Name that Washer!

[Unimatic1140]

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[westytoploader]

I know what it is! Although I can't really tell the year...is it a 1958 model?

Live-action footage, who would have thought!

 

[peteski50]

Name that Washer

Hi Robert,
Great commercial I wish I could have watched the whole cycle.
Can I be right if I say a 55 or 56 Frigidaire Pulsematic?
Thanks again,
Peter

 

[DADoES]

Pulsamatic.

 

[neptunebob]

Is that Floyd from the Andy Griffith show? Also, love seeing the sheets on the line.

 

[agiflow]

I think that is groucho Marx

 

[foraloysius]

1955 Unimatic I think.

 

[chestermikeuk]

Year

1956 Unimatic...

 

[gyrafoam]

1958 Pulsamatic.

Very kool old ad. Wisk was great stuff and made PLENTY of suds.

 

[appnut]

Yeah looks like a 1958 Pulsamatic, but I couldn't see quite clearly behind the lid, so it could be a 1957.

 

[westyslantfront]

Hi Robert. It looks like a pulsamatic. I remember those metal cans of Wisk for "ring around the collar". When I would hang out at the laundromat down the road, there were Philco Bendix front loaders and anyone who used Wisk would have suds coming out of the top of the machine. I would advise them to put fabric softener in to cut the suds. Meantime, suds were all over the place.
A blessed Thanksgiving to you and Neal.

Ross

 

[gansky1]

1958 - the last of the pulsamatics

That's your grandmother's washer isn't it?

That is too cool - I didn't expect the action "money" shot!

 

[Unimatic1140]

Yes it's a 1958 Pulsamatic, and it was my Grandmothers washer when I was little that I could watch for hours! She had the WD-58 (middle model of the Pulsamatics). My grandfather was an avid reader of Consumer Reports so its no coincidence that they got a Frigidaire washer in '58 as the WCI-58 (TOL Unimatic) was rated #1.

I can't exactly tell in the commercial if its the Deluxe or Super Model, but it sure is fun to see. I love the fake outdoor scene behind the window with the wash blowing in the wind!

 

[Unimatic1140]

.

 

[geoffdelp]

That is a great commercial! I can't believe how fast the Pulsamatic is; 630 pulses a minute! That's 10.5 times per second; incredible!

Wisk used to be a great product and it suds like crazy; just like a lot of the other vintage brands did.

I don't know; the wash on the line looks sort of real to me.

I'd say that's one happy homemaker!

Groucho Marx does not seem to be the right person to "hawk" laundry detergent, however. I always thought he was up to something; he'd lift those eyebrows up and down ... hmmm.

 

[retromom]

Pulse away......

Great commercial Robert!! I suppose Wisk is responsible for the demise of all those yucky powdered detergents! ;-)

Now I'm curious. Looking at the dials and temp selects made me wonder; who was the first manufacturer to introduce a cold water wash cycle?

 

[swestoyz]

Hey Robert - that was a fun commercial! Where did you ever find it?

Venus - great question. I'm not sure of the answer, but didn't a few mfg's by 56/57 had a cold water wash option on their TOL machines? I know my 58 Kelvinator has a cold water wash, as well as my BOL 58 Maytag.

Ben

 

[frigilux]

I believe there is a Maytag ad that pops up every now and again which talks about the new 'cold water wash' option on their 1956 washer. Don't know for sure if it's the earliest machine to have that particular feature, though.

 

[hreodbeorht]

The Wisk commercial and many more come from the Groucho Marx DVDs, "The Best Episodes" and "The Lost Episodes." If you are a fan of Desotos and Groucho Marx, you will absolutely love these videos. I have both. Each box has 3 DVDs, each DVD has 6 episodes, commercials, outtakes considered too racy for the time, "stagreels" and that memoriable music "Hooray for Captain Spaulding!" I love Groucho!