POD 1/20/2021

[kd12]

Does anyone recognize the washer in the ad, or was this a made-up machine from different parts to keep the washer generic for advertising purposes?

 

[frigidaireguy]

Philco

It is a Philco - If I'm not mistaken

 

Bob

 

[DADoES]

 
Definitely Philco.  Not a construct.

 

[kd12]

Thanks! I didn't recognize it as a Philco. Forgot they made top loaders too.

 

[tomturbomatic]

And going back to the Philco Bendix washer with the agitator blades made of water, this was the "nutating" mechanism that Whirlpool had to obtain patent rights to use to make the  Flapulator with the wash plate at the bottom of the tub.

 

[DADoES]

 
Some videos from the site's library of Unimatic1140/Robert's 1959 Philco Automagic.

How the Philco Works
Loading the Philco
The Philco Washing

A video of Robert's that I copied and placed on my YouTube account years ago showing how the "bare" agitator flapulates.  I don't find it in the site's library or elsewhere on YouTube (unless I'm just missing it).

IIRC from previous discussions, Philco changed the design of the mechanism (maybe more than once) such that only the base/flapper oscillated, not the centerpost (which is shown clearly oscillating the last few seconds of the video).


Videos of Jetcone/JonCharles's 1966 Flex-A-Wash, which has the redesigned mechanism.
The machine of the POD is probably from this period, a less-featured model without the fancier agitator top and with temperature settings in the timer (hot wash warm rinse on Regular, warm wash cold rinse on Durable/Permanent Press) instead of a separate console knob.

 

[chaskelljr2]

It’s a Philco.

The design and agitator gave it away.

Look like the one my great grandmother had too with exception of the control panel.

—Charles—

 

[lotsosudz]

BENDIX ECONOMAT

I know that Robert did a video of his wringing the clothes, but I, as of yet, have not seen a video of one washing, and rinsing. Does anyone have the ability to video one in action? I would be most interested in seeing one in action. Thanks in advance.
Hugs,
David

 

[tomturbomatic]

The Bendix Economat and Dial a mat had fabulous agitation. With the tub flexing, the agitation really dragged the load under.  The owner's manual states that to determine the proper suds level when getting used to the proper amount of washing powder to use in the machine, the user was to unplug the machine and give it a minute for all of the suds to rise to the surface. With a high sudsing detergent there should be 2 to 3 inches of foam if the proper amount of product was used. You could not see any head of foam while it was agitating because the strong agitation dragged all of the suds underwater and all you saw was like ribbons and patches of foam race across the top of the water. Even with the same shaped agitator as a Maytag, but with perforations, the wider tub gave the needed area for the water currents to form.  Water often sloshed over the top of the agitator barrel.  It puts on quite the performance. I saw it when I was 4 years old and it is still imprinted on my mind.