POD 7/3/2017

[brucelucenta]

Right after I was born, my father carefully consulted consumer reports before buying a new Norge automatic washer and dryer for my mother to use, along with a refrigerator, since they had bought their first home. They were 1957 models with all the bells and whistles they could get. I'm sure the washer came with this dispenser, but I don't recall ever seeing it growing up. That washer and dryer lasted until about 1963, when the washer ate up another pump and my father was tired of having it repaired. Again, he consulted consumer reports and my mother got a GE washer and dryer, since they were fairly high in the ratings at that time. They didn't want to spend the extra money for a Maytag at that time.

 

[gansky1]

Bruce, did your 57 Norge have the burp-up filtering agitator? I have a couple of different versions for this machine, I think I had the Hamilton in the washer for this video - with Blue Cheer:


I used this machine just the other day for a big load of colors, it always amazes me that despite the lack of "surging turnover" this washer gets a big load really clean. The dispenser wheel blocks a lot of the action but it's nice to have a big reservoir (over 1 cup) to dilute the softener really well.

 

[brucelucenta]

The machine my parents had just had the plain agitator without the built in filter. I don't think they came out with the agitator with the built in filter till 1959. The reason I remember that so clearly is because the neighbor across the street had an old GE FF solid tub machine. The agitator in the Norge was so wide that it covered almost the entire bottom of the tub. That is probably why they washed even a huge load well. Even overloaded, it would move the entire mass of clothes back and forth. It seems like the Norge washers from the 50's had all but disappeared even by the 70's when I started working on washers. I NEVER saw even a '56, '57 or '58 model washer in the 70's. Sure have run across many of the matching dryers though.[this post was last edited: 7/3/2017-10:49]