Philco POD

[westytoploader]

That has to be my favorite machine out of the Philco series, aside from Mark's 1966 Custom Imperial with the multicolored control panel! Love the cylindrical controls!!

I also think that once the mermaid reached the bottom of the tub, she'd have to watch to avoid getting squished under the flapping pulsator...

 

[appnut]

Austin, Philco called their TOL Miss America.

 

[westytoploader]

Thanks Bob, didn't realize this was the Miss America model! The name is very fitting to the stunningly good looks of the machine...;-)

 

[appnut]

Yes Austin it sure is. This is one gorgeous control panel for both the washer & dryer.

 

[kenmore1978]

Philco looks

Yes, definately a stunning control panel

 

[appliguy]

TOL in 1958 was called Predicta just like the tv's

Look at the POD and you will see it says that at the bottom plus Robert has also posted as a POD a page from the 1958 washer brochure that shows the TOL is called Predicta.

 

[toggleswitch]

Now, would Miss America actually do her own laundry?

 

[gyrafoam]

This one does.

 

[JerseyMike]

There must have been some arrangement between Pilco (and/or Ford) and the Miss America people that allowed Philco to use the Miss America name. I don't ever remember seeing a television commerical for Philco, but I can't help but wonder if Philco was one of the sponsors of the pageant?

Consumer reports may have hated Philco washers and dyers, but I always thought that they were some of the most handsome and innovative appliances ever built!

Just my $0.02.

Mike

 

[westytoploader]

Actually, in the 1959 report, CR mentioned that the Automagic was far superior to the previous Beam design Philco and was ranked about the same as the Frigidaire (which was the top-rated model).

http://www.automaticwasher.org/RATE%20PAGES/1959-02%20CU/1.jpg

 

[toggleswitch]

oh; Steve R. (Gyrafoam).

--GIGGLE--

 

[JerseyMike]

In my opinion, Philco produced some of the most innovative, fascinating, handsome (insert your own favorable adjective here) machines ever built. Unfortunately, Philco washers and dryers are extremely rare. They're rare for a reason. They didn't have that big of a market share. I can't prove it, but I suspect that Consumer Reports had something to do with their lack of market share. I agree that CR had some very nice things to say about the Philco washer that they tested in 1959. Unfortunately, that's probably one of the last times that they had something nice to say about them. The Sept. 1966 issue of CR didn't exactly rave about the Philco washer that they tested.(It ranked towards the bottom of the ratings.) To add insult to injury, Philco dryers were ranked dead last in in the Sept. 1966 and Sept. 1968 issues of CR.

The Sept. 1966 issue of CR also didn't exactly rave about Kelvinator or Frigidaire. (What did THEY know?!?!) (I'm equally convinced that CR had something to do with Kelvinators small market share, but that's the subject of another thread.) Fortunately Frigidaire managed to overcome CR's objections of their washers during the 60's. The interesting thing is that CR usually had very nice things to say about Frigidaire dyers. Two models were "check rated" in 1966 and the 1968 model was ranked third. (They didn't like the 1966 Filtrator.)

Just my $0.02.

Mike

 

[agiflow]

JerseyMike

I think you may have a point about CU making or breaking a brand. I can remember in the early to mid 90's when CU commented about the last of the FF washers as being a "dated" design. Soon after GE came out with the plastic washers they are making now.

 

[agiflow]

Does anyone in the club have a working Philco washer with a regular oscillating agitator before they came out with that rubber disc contraption ? If so, how were they at washing?

I would think the straight vane agitators they were using would be pretty effective for turnover.

 

[westytoploader]

I do agree as well about CU contributing to the downfall or (horrible) redesign of machines; especially about what Pat mentioned. The last old-style GE machines, after they discontinued the Filter-Flos, with the Hotpoint filter ring and Handwash agitator, were rated dead last, IIRC, with the biggest complaint being on capacity. This of course drove the final nail in the coffin for this design and brought about the new plastic GE. Even in their 1991 washer test, they commented on how "the GEs are the only models whose brakes clank after spin" hinting that the design was dated.

CR probably brought on the idea of Maytag's LoadSensor agitator as well. Even though they were good machines, none of the Orbital machines were rated as high as the Dual-Action equipped Whirlpool/Kenmores. Maytag wanted the #1 ratings to advertise, and that just wasn't going to happen with the PowerFlex straight-vane in the machines.

 

[westytoploader]

I wonder what the wash action of an agitator-style Philco is like; if it was based on the Beam design there would certainly be a lot of sloshing and wave action!! I wonder if turnover is as good as the flapper-style machines that followed them...