POD 3/18/17: Philco-Bendix Top-Loader

[frigilux]

How did the "Triple Duty Filter Dispenser" on this machine work? It sports a Filter Flo-like pan over the agitator, but no apparent means of recirculating water. For that matter, most of the pan appears to have a closed top, save for a well in which to place the detergent. What gives?

 

[brucelucenta]

I have only seen ONE of this type of Philco washing machine that was pre "flipper" style. It was sort of a typical agitator machine with an aluminum agitator and deeper, narrower tub somewhat like a Hotpoint. Never saw a lint filter/dispenser though. I do remember an old Speed Queen lint filter though. It had baffles of a sort under it that when it agitated would pump water up into it going in one direction, since it sat slightly below the water line on a full fill. It did work fairly well picking up any floating lint. Perhaps that is how this one worked too. I know at the end of the 50's they re designed it to wash with the "flipper", so this machine had to have been somewhere around '55-'57 or so.

 

[gyrafoam]

Just like the water flows into the slots of a Maytag and passes through the filter on the way to the skirt, so did the Philco work. The barrel was just wider. There was an opening at the top you could just pour detergent through. It came apart to clean. The Wizard was similar and I think Hotpoint tinkered with the same type in the early 60's. IMO most of these were just gimmicks. I always thought there were very few filtration systems that really did a good job. My favorite is any kind of self-cleaning system! I think the recirculated water systems worked best.

Some of them were a hassle to clean. Whirly's brush could get nasty. GE's Filter Flo pan was easy.

Once the automatic dryers became mainstream by the late 60's most people didn't care. Only people who were still line drying needed a system to get rid of lint. The dryers were great at removing lint.

 

[frigilux]

Thanks for the information, Bruce and Steve. I agree that lint filtering systems with high-volume recirculation were the most efficient---GE, Kenmore, Whirlpool. My 1986 Frigidiare top-loader had a recirculating stream, but it was rather anemic.