POD 10/16/20: 1958 Frigidaire Dryer (plus "diaper washer" mini ad)

[frigilux]

The '58s sport my favorite Unimatic-era console. I love the shape and colors of the cycle dial.

Two questions:

1) Did Frigidaire not sell a conventionally-vented dryer in 1958 or is that true of only the top-of-the-line model?

2) Is the (relatively) inexpensive washer in the mini ad--often referred to as a "diaper washer" around here--a Pulsamatic, and if so, don't they pulse/agitate at somewhere in the neighborhood of 600 ppm? That would almost look like a blur, lol.

 

[swestoyz]

Great questions, Eugene.

1) the TOL Custom Imperial dryer was the only Filtrator dryer in the '58 line; all others from the Imperial down to the Deluxe models were airflow dryers, similar to the Imperial pictured in the ad. If I had to choose today between the TOL Custom Imperial and the Imperial, the Imperial would win, hands down.

2) Yes, the lower end model pictured is the WS-58 Super, which features a Pulsamatic transmission. A blur is about all you see when it pulsates. The Unimatic was saved for the Imperial and Custom Imperial models, only.

Ben

 

[qsd-dan]

somewhere in the neighborhood of 600 ppm

630 ppm

somewhere in the neighborhood of 600 ppm

 

[qsd-dan]

Bad link...

 

[frigilux]

Thanks for the information and video, Ben and Dan!

Those 630 pulses per minute create a lot of action on top of the water. Even though the 630 rpm spin speed was pokey compared to its Unimatic cousin, it was still fairly competitive in its day.

One more question: Looks like a Bakelite agitator. Was the “power ring” at the bottom Bakelite as well, or was it rubber as in the Unimatic?

 

[qsd-dan]

A round of applause should go out to Turquoisedude (Paul) for filming and posting that clip. This was the only remaining video of a Pulsamatic in action on Youtube until a few months ago.

630 RPM spin may seem poky compared to the Unimatic but it still impressively throws out a tub of water.

 

[swestoyz]

The Pulsamatics used the same rubber pulsator diaphragm as the Unimatics, under the Bakelite pulsator column.

I could have sworn I had a video of the Pulsamatic out on YouTube - apparently I don’t! Thanks, Paul for filming this great washer!

Ben