POD 8/17/2017

[brucelucenta]

Welcome to the early 70's with this Franklin made re badged Kelvinator washer. Quite a radical change from the last models from the 60's with the solid tub. The tub on these models was huge (overkill) and the machine itself was quite flimsy and had a tendency to walk badly when spinning. They washed, rinsed and spun out the clothes fairly well though. The matching dryers were much smaller in capacity in comparison to the washer though and required splitting up the load, if you washed a really large load. The dryer motors were bad about overheating and shutting down a lot too. Before these machines, Kelvinator contracted Norge to built re badged machines for them to compete with the larger capacity machines available in addition to their own machines until they were sold to WCI. This particular style of machine was at sometime later re designed. The tub became somewhat smaller and the suspension system was better. I believe it was after WCI bought Frigidaire, since the suspension system seemed to be a copy of the last one Frigidaire used. Otherwise the washer operated similar to the unit pictured. It was still a flimsy machine, but it no longer walked across the floor.[this post was last edited: 8/17/2017-04:38]

 

[frigilux]

Yeesh! Not an example of great console design/styling.

 

[mrsalvo]

Was this design of the indexing tubs with the multi-winged agitators? I remember seeing a Gibson washer that looked similar to this when I was a kid. It had a recirculating lint filter system, like the GE's. Capacity was large, but I was unimpressed with the wash system, roll over.

 

[gansky1]

Eddy in Vancouver has a Viking branded washer like this - very interesting washer, but as Bruce says, they were somewhat of a pig in the appliance world.

I found a Kelvinator branded version of this some years ago, the outer tub was pinholed like it'd been shot with buckshot in a Looney-Tunes cartoon, but I did play with it in the driveway for a few loads. It was very large but it's cleaning ability was pretty lame with a really large load. Though tall, the agitator had relatively small fins that struggled to move big loads and bulky items very well. The angel-wings did provide some dragging action for the wash load, but little more.

Inside a Canadian Pig

Well I need another washer like I need..... you get the point. But for $35 I figured it would be fun to play with for awhile. The Viking is home.

www.automaticwasher.org

 

[DADoES]

 
I recall seeing these "center-dial" Kelvinator machines @ a local furniture store back in the day (Granny was friends with a salesman so we visited there on occasion when staying the night with her).

 

[brucelucenta]

Well, I was trying to keep from saying that they are total pieces of shit! I thought it kind of a shame too, considering the solid tub Franklin made washers up to this model were fairly decent and held a pretty large load for a solid tub machine. They indexed too, but really managed to do a good job washing in spite of it.
[this post was last edited: 8/17/2017-15:21]

 

[gyrafoam]

They are POS.
The dreaded Angel Wing. I would imagine the lame performance did not improve the reputations of the different brands built by Franklin. Unless, of course, a lot of people had gray wardrobes, anyway.

 

[mrsalvo]

"Well, I was trying to keep from saying that they are total pieces of shit!" LOL. Good one.
Growing up, I saw quite of few of these models, or like machines, in northern California. wish there was a video of one these machines in the library, it would be a good addition I think.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

I like the control panel on that one & wish I could've had one last look at it! It can't be any more harder than those Kenmores of that same vintage that, that Kelvinator is designed like... I just don't care for the bed-of-nails-lint-filter trap...

A friend of mine had that exact same machine in his basement (not in use) in that exact same color... The machines in use were a pair of '80's Whirlpools...

I recall another ad w/ that same washer only in Harvest Gold (there was a cookie recipe behind it on the opposite page that my sister cut out, hence a top corner of the washer got clipped off... And years ago, we got a ton of those very old Better Homes & Gardens, Womens' Day, and Good Housekeeping mags, that slowly had gotten by-and-by-thrown away...

-- Dave