Philips D162 Tumble Dryer

[vacbear58]

This was my parent's kitchen - summer 1976

The fridge is a Hoover badged Zanussi (as they all were) - 1971
Washing machine - Zanussi DL6 - April 1975 - 520 spin speed
Cooker - English Electric Rapide 68 - mid 1974
Toaster - Hoover, filter coffee maker - Philips and kettle - Swan

 

[vacbear58]

The rest of the kitchen

Showing the Colstron Jetstream 303 dishwasher. This used a spray tube mounted off centre from the back of the machine which was reasonably effective although it could only have plates under it, bowls etc. had to be placed above. I had tried to persuade my father to get a floor standing dishwasher with conventional sprays, but he did not think it would fit - I suggested ditching the cupboard and placing it beside the washing machine. Would have been the best option as the Colston did not last that long, when they moved the next year it was indeed mounted undercounter, next to the washing machine

 

[fl1012]

Wow

What brilliant photos Vacbear58

I love how you had the matching Philips appliances in the first photo. How well did they last? A friends Mum had the later washer with the brown & silver facia, which also did the high speed distribution-drain! It lasted about 15 years i think.

Did you leave the Zanussi washing machine behind when you moved?

Really nice to see those old photos, i think weve got a couple from the 80s showing our old Hotpoint 95450 washer & 17221 Super Dryer, plus old Lec fridge freezer. Must get a scanner!

 

[foraloysius]

I think Philips started making dryers in the 60's, this is possibly the first model. Not sure though.

 

[foraloysius]

Here's a more detailed picture of the drum.

 

[foraloysius]

It's a bit difficult to date all these Philips appliances. There were differences between countries too. I never came across a Dutch Philips washer or dryer with a brown fascia. They must have skipped that series in the Netherlands and probably introduced the models with the redesigned fascia with the plastic brown controls straight after the chrome fascia ones. There was only one toploader washing machine that had that brown control panel.

 

[chestermikeuk]

Phillips

In the 1980`s Phillips where one of the best low to midrange laundry and dishwasher appliances to be had, offering a host of features;

Al, those pics are great, now I see how it all fits together from what you explained!!, The SX2000 range and the laundry appliances washers AWB082 096, 098 and dryers D163 and D165 used to fly out of the Independants I worked at, also the Co-op stores promoted them heavily, most stores had In-Store Phillips demonstrators..

Those machines had polypropelyne outer tubs, (dishwasher had a full poly tub) motors where permanant magnet motor (permag) and all those parts offered a Ten yr guarantee which was unheard of at the time!! Heres my Electra Phillips, have just got the matching dryer which is now stacked, will take a pic later!! Al, love the cooker we had the English Electric Rapide 66...

 

[chestermikeuk]

Phillips Dryers

Morning Louis, those Phillips dryers look so simple but for me that was their beauty, simple parts, did the job very well and energy wise cheap to use!!! I also find them stylish as well, have never seen any Phillips model with the perforated drum assembly, the fan looks like it could be a direct drive etc... any pics of the insides?? Mike

 

[matchboxpaul]

OMG Al!!!

Those pictures are FANTASTIC!

They just ooze nostalgia and a really useful for appliance history studies - finally a colour shot of a Zanussi DL6! Wonderful to see the Hoover fridge and Colston dishwasher too - my gran had the 101 Jetstream on its own wheeled trolley!

My parents recently got the deeds and blueprints for their house from the solicitors and I though what a shame it was that there werent official photos of the interiors when first built. Its daft but generally people never think to take pictures specifically of their house interiors and yet they are wonderful to look at 20, 30, 40, 50 years down the line.

I know that my parents have a picture of their previous houses kitchen, with the matchbox 3236h in pride of place.

There are also pictures of the matchboxes and 95452 in the current house. Will dig them out, scan them and post them.

Your Philips washer - the flash obliterates the features on it. Was it identical to the Variatronic I posted a piccy of, or was it missing the half load (?) function button?

When I first glanced it at work this morning I thought initially it was a dial only machine.

Can you remember the model number at all?

Thanks for posting - really great viewing.
Paul

 

[matchboxpaul]

How do Louis.

I take it that you are the proud owner of that Philips dryer? What a wonderful machine it is!

As Mike mentions, how strange to see a dryer drum full of holes and that big fan right behind the drum. Certainly something that little bit different.

I have to say that Philips machines really 'do my head in' and far as trying to understand model numbers and introduction dates.
They seem to flit around quite a bit with the numbering system and, as you say, there are machines that appear in some countries but are unknown entities in others.

A colleague of my mothers, when we lived at the previous house, owned a Philips machine festooned with knobs and dials and had blue disc detailing.
Now before my interest in machines was rekindled, a few years back, I always remember her machine as being a Philips 808. Remebering it as the 808 was before I knew of the existence of the 707, 606, 505, 303 and 202 (was there a 101 and 404?)!
This mystery machine also had the block button door release and a block button powder drawer button too.
Its matching dryer was across from it (blue again) with a square porthole door.

However the only picture of an 808 I have found is of a German machine, but its the later silver series machine, although it does boast all the right knobs and buttons.

So whether the UK received a blue version of this machine, I really dont know, but it really has me perplexed.

Even as a three year old I remember it looked SUPERB.
They were really smart machines.
Paul

 

[matchboxpaul]

Taken from Das Waschmachinen forum.....

....does anyone know whether the UK received this version washing machine at all?

One assumes variable temperature and spin, but I dont ever remember seeing one like this as a kid.

Also, I wonder what the second of the two smaller dials on the dryer was for. Time delay?

Paul

 

[matchboxpaul]

Hiya Mike.

I know that you have rattled of the model numbers to me before, of the machines you remember selling.
No pressuer, but could you maybe list them here and then we can all maybe try putting a picture to them? Then I could maybe do a spreadsheet..... OMG what have I just said!

What really confuses me about them is that the AWB07X machines were the 1985 series machines.
The AWB08X had some black facias (early 80s), as well as two tone brown (mid 80s) machines in the that number range.

The AWB09X (the 096 Variatronic and 098 Super Variatronic) were 1983!

Wonder what the AWB model number for the 707 (shown below) would have been?

They seem to leap and jump around a bit, mixing up the different series of machines.

Arrrgggggghhhhhhh!!!!! Jeepers - why cant manufactureres use a bit of common sense with their numbering schemes eh!

Paul

 

[electron1100]

Classic dryers

Chris I must say what a wonderful sounding peice of equipment the Philips dryer is, it sounds like a high qaulity machine well done on getting one.
And of course the styling is something else

Nice nice very nice

Gary

 

[chestermikeuk]

Phillips Stack

This stacked set was the TOL here in the UK, it was the AWB098 variable programme time, temperature & spin speed along with economy & half load button, the dryer was the D182 if my memory is correct, the small dials are for heat and delay start.

 

[matchboxpaul]

From the wonderous world of 'Which' magazine

This is what they have to say:

September 1976
'707'
HN3156 'Slimstar'

October 1977
'707'
HN3156 'Slimstar'

January 1979
AWB080 'Variatronic' (next to a picture labelled as 707)
HN3156 'Slimstar'

July 1979
AWB082 'Variatronic'
AWB103/01 'Slimstar 555'

March 1980
AWB082 'Variatronic' (£205)
AWB103/01 'Slimstar 555' (£280)
AWB127/01 (flippin heck! - £400) ... this machine was badged '808' - my mystery machine (but mine was blue in a black era)!

Now things really get messy!

April 1981
AWB082/2 (£235)
AWB085/2 (£250)
AWB094/2 (£285)
AWB103/02 (£290) top loader
AWB117 (£275) top loader
AWB127/02 (£285)

May 1982
AWB086 'Variatronic' (£240)
AWB089 Washer Dryer (£300)
AWB096 'Variatronic' (£235)
AWB097 'Variatronic' (£250)
AWB098 'Super Variatronic' (£280)
AWB103/02 'Super Slimstar' (£270)
AWB117 'Slimstar MkII' (£270)

April 1983
AWB057 (£235) excl to Currys
AWB064 (£225) excl to Trident
AWB082 (£235) excl to Rumbelows
AWB088 (£250) '1000 electronic de luxe'
AWB089 (£295) Washer Dryer
AWB096 (£240) 'Variatronic'
AWB098 (£285) 'Super Variatronic'
AWB099 (£250) excl to ACE Group
AWB103/02 'Super Slimstar' (£290)
AWB117 'Slimstar MkII' (£280)
AWB904 (£170) a 500rpm max machine made in Italy

January 1984
AWB052 (£230) excl to Trident
AWB054 (£240) excl to Rumbelows
AWB055 (£240) excl to Currys
AWB069 (£280) excl to ACE Group .... 1000rpm
AWB075 (£310) Washer Dryer Series 90
AWB088 (£260) '1000 electronic de luxe'
AWB089 (£270) Washer Dryer .... excl to Comet
AWB096 (£245) 'Variatronic'
AWB098 (£300) 'Super Variatronic'
AWB099 (£250) excl to ACE Group .... 800rpm
AWB904 (£190) a 500rpm max machine made in Italy
AWB3147 'Slimstar MkIII' (£300)
AWB149 'Super Slimstar' (£320)

1985
Introduction of 'Series 90' machines.

Doesnt really help, does it.
Paul

 

[matchboxpaul]

Hi Mike.

I am beginning to wonder whether they played the old 'change the colour/leave the model number' game, with the blue/brass dial into black facia machines!

I say this because:

AWB080 is descibed alongside a picture of the 707 - this would likely be its model number, rather than an error.

This would then leave AWB082 and AWB082/2 to cover the brass dial and later black facia machines respectively.

It would also leave AWB127/01 and AWB127/02 to cover a blue dial 808 and later black facia machine respectively as well.
AWB127/02 would then be the washing machine in the stacked picture, as AWB098 is the Super Variatronic shown below - lovely machine.

Ohhh for some servicing information, or better still the blinking brochures!

Paul

 

[chestermikeuk]

Lol

I told you it would give you headaches...they changes fascias and colours rather than change model numbers as well!!

In 1982 I worked at Trident, we sold AWB082, AWB096, AWB098, AWB103 TL & AWB117 TL (Co-Op had AWB097 & AWB099)these had round dials like woman in pic machines dark fascia

1984 worked at Agri Electrics, we sold AWB088, AWB096 & AWB 098, these had the grip knobs, lighter bottom panel, like the pic you posted last!!

This is the Phillips AWB082 early style!!

 

[foraloysius]

Paul,

That AWB098, the Super Variatronic, wasn't that a machine with a plastic outer drum? Spin speed 200 - 1000 rpm IIRC.

 

[vacbear58]

More memories

Mike,
Seeing that cut away picture reminded me that there was a similar cut away model running in the appliance showroom (independent store) when I bought my Philips machine. They also made a great selling point on the motor.

Paul,
It was the same as the one you have the pic of just above my scanned photos, and same layout as the Electra version that Mike had. By 1984 it was developing a problem that the timer was sticking and, as I had moved and the stacked layout no longer suited, I flogged them both and replaced them with a Philips (series 90, I think) 850 washer/dryer - I never felt this was as good as the washer on its own, and the little drain tube from the door seal soon perished and developed a leak ... grrrrrr.

I think the washer dryer (vented dryer not condensor) was a Merloni - it was sold in Eire as the Thor 950. It had wheels which could be lowered down by moving levers under the front of the machine on each side. It lasted till 1990 when it was replaced by a Candy (shock, horror,gasp!!!) with a 400 spin which was given to me - I was hard up at the time having just bought my first flat in London, that was 1990 and interest rates were sky high. I soon got shot of that, when I saw a Currys "special" branded Mondia (the motor etc. were stamped Philco - so Merloni) in 1991 at the bargain price of £210. That lasted until 2002, although I had passed it onto a friend by then.

As I remember, the washing machines were made in France and the dryers in UK. Did the dryer plant not become White Knight when Whirlpool bought out Philips.

By the way, the two square buttons on the front of the 707 were door release and powder drawer release - I presume it was the same on the german version.

Liam
The Zanusssi DL6 lasted until 1980. It had to have a major repair in 1979 when the outer drum developed a hole and the whole thing had to be taken apart and put back together again. Of course we should have had the bearings done at the same time but we were not aware that they could be an issue. They failed in 1980 and that was that. It was replaced by a Zanussi 218T - my mother was a bit reluctant for Zanussi again but she was always very pleased with the washing performance of the Zanussi so that won out in the end. The 218T was still running in 1997 (it outlived both my parents!) although it was struggling a bit when rinsing (when the water level was at its higest and clothes at their heaviest) although it was still fine on washing and spinning. And no leaks or other problems. It could still be running (somewhere in North Wales) for all I know

 

[vacbear58]

Another picture

In 1999 I took out the bath from the flat, replacing it with a shower. That left room to accomodate a washing machine & dryer in the bath (now shower room) - Bosch 2000 washing machine & Zanussi condensor dryer. Although unusual in his country it is quite common to have laundry equipment in the bathroom on the continent, and those who have been at my current home know that I have a similar arrangement here. I left the equipment behind though as it would have been just too much bother to remove it and teh Zanussi alwasy has a drip from teh condensate tank. Initially I had an AEG 1200 spin (Electrolux) and Hotpoint Aquarius condensor dryer here - the AEG lasted only about 18 months when the circuit board developed a fault, so that was replaced with a Miele Novotronic in 2004.
Al