POD 3-30-21

[repairguy]

I’ve always wanted a Norge/Wards Signature set like this in color. I think copper tone would look great. I brought home a nice wards washer about 25 years ago but after being stored in a non climate controlled building it is nowhere near nice anymore. For machines that were so popular at one time they sure don’t exist anymore.

 

[appnut]

That's because they didn't have very good longevity designed into them. They were extremely good cleaners, but ...

 

[DADoES]

 
Those Wards machines had nice console aesthetics, especially the near- and TOL models with all the pushbuttons.  The catalog illustrations were a bit humorous filled so high that water would slosh over during operation.  The closest I got to them was a couple neighbors who had Catalina versions, one was TOL.

 

[maytag85]

Norge/Wards Signature washers were good but their dryers for example tended to accumulate lint fairly quickly and the area surrounding it would have quite a bit of lint around it as well.

 

[tomturbomatic]

How did they figure 5 speed combinations; the usual 4 and no agitation and a spin?

 

[appnut]

Tom, the 5th was ex-low agitation (hand wash) with slow spin speed.

 

[repairguy]

So would these have been mid 70’s?

 

[appnut]

Melvin, if you are referring to the control panel style, I've looked at a 1972 MW Spring/Summer catalog and it has this style control panel. It also featured the burpolater agitator column filter system. So 1971 or 1972 was the beginning of this last rendition that Norge kept until their end. But their 1970 Fall/Winter still had the control panel that was slanted toward the back just like our 1964 Norge. That 1970 washer still had the rear recirculating filter system with the lint catcher under the filter spout just like our 1964.

 

[appnut]

This is their TOL model from 1970.

 

[repairguy]

Awesome! Thanks for the info Bob.