POD 6/6/12 (basic math) HOTPOINT PUSHBUTTON WASHER

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tomturbomatic

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Not going into the claim that the pushbuttons do everything, can anyone discuss the effectiveness of the long neck agitator? Someone here has or had one. What is turnover like? Was Hotpoint still using the term "Thriftivator" or was it now called something like "Aquatator?" The "automatic" water levels: are they supplied by selecting either the Normal or Delicate cycle? While the Delicate cycle is shorter, it would seem that the lower water level would make the one speed agitation harsher, rubber ticklers on the agitator fins notwithstanding.

I wonder why if yellow is the color for the warm rinse button, it is not also the color for the warm wash button.

Did all Beam machines have die cast dials?
 
It's one of my favs because it's the only Taylor Avenue Hotpoint, at this point that I possess. It's fitted with what they called the "Thrifivator" which is the "Aquatator" without the little rubber fins. Turnover is just fine. It's long neck brings the agitator cap right up to the underside of the lid and I too have been a little curious why some manufacturers chose to extend the agitator up that high, like Whirlpool and Sears, and others, like Maytag, were content to leave some of their agitators under water at the highest setting:

bajaespuma++6-6-2012-07-12-41.jpg
 
I know there are a couple of these agitators out there in member's machines but I've never used one.  The later versions without the ticklers had larger lower fins without the steep angle coming up higher on the agitator shaft.   As to the effectiveness, the commercial from 1953 pretty much sums what you already know; it does a good job washing unless the fabric bubbles get in the way and then most turnover is hindered.  I use my Hotpoint with the later, long-neck agitator fairly often and if you don't open the lid and look inside, clothing bubbles and turnover don't matter - LOL.   
 
I think most of these colored dials were plastic.   If it is die-cast metal, that didn't last much longer.  My 54 Speed Queen has die-cast dials but then, I think the only plastic on that machine is the lens of the panel light.  Weren't some of these pushbuttons lighted from below?
 
I don't think the delicate cycle water level is much lower than the normal, full level.  The whole cycle is shortened but I'll bet most women with any laundry experience wouldn't have trusted their truly fine washables to most any washer, conventional or automatic. 
 
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Thank you. The ad states that the "Hotpoint fills automatically--," which I guess is a huge step from the early Hotpoint washer where you had to be there to advance the dial from fill to wash. That was the machine that looked like the cabinet was a box with a top and a big ridge between them.
Anyway, going on the ad states, "--with the exact amount of water for full or partial loads." I am assuming that does not involve a water saver button like on Ken's washer. I have looked at the dial more than once and do not see a partial fill provision which is why I thought the "Delicate" cycle provided a partial wash fill since the 1954 or 55 Kelvinator had the little lighted square that said Regular Fabrics Full Load and a second lighted square that said Delicate Fabrics Partial (or Small) Load. One or the other was lighted depending on which cycle was selected.
 
What year is that Hotpoint? It just looks so (forgive me for saying this) but cheap and plastic...
 
Long Neck Agitators

I always thought the long necked agitator had to do with the post drive. Maytag had a low post drive so there wasn't much need for the tall tube.

Whirlpools on the other hand had the drive block above the water line and the need for a higher cap.

Thoughts?

Malcolm
 
You're right, Malcolm, it is a high-post drive. Several inches or more above the water line. I'm sure there's a psychological element in the long agitator - if it LOOKS big, the whole machine looks deeper and larger capacity. Whirlpool must have known this as well, 1/3 of the DD agitators were above the water line but it *looked* bigger and deeper.
 
There was a girl in my elementary class who had a creek behind her house and she was not afraid to catch things! Boys used to come over to catch snakes and lizards with her as well as tadpoles in the spring. Her parents had a Hotpoint like this in the kitchen. The houses in our neighborhood that did not have basements either had the washer in the kitchen or in the little room off the carport where the water heater was. Only trouble with those was that the washers froze in cold weather so people learned to keep a 150 watt bulb behind the machine to turn on when needed. This was the first automatic I had ever seen without a hinged lid. Her father sold Employers Mutual of Wausau Insurance and she would bring us the little plastic calendars with the picture of the train station on the front. She also shared her wildlife finds so we usually had jars & fish bowls in the classroom with her creatures. What a shame she had to go through puberty which stopped all of that.
 
Hotpoint!

If I remember correctly their was 3 washers in the 1955 series - this one we had without the hinge lid was the BOL. The rest of the series was like this.

peteski50++6-8-2012-20-21-36.jpg
 

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