POD 8/29/2017

[brucelucenta]

A very stylish and impressive looking machine. The only one of these I have had was a mid to late 60's washer/dryer that was equally stylish and impressive looking too. The console and timer knob looked almost identical to the top load washer and dryer with push buttons all the way across and wood grain, which was so popular back then. It did do an adequate job of washing, rinsing and drying the clothes, it didn't hold a very big load and was not the best at getting really dirty things clean, but adequate. It was also slow at drying. It would have been good for someone with limited space.

 

[mayken4now]

Bruce

Ford really knew how to make a nice looking machine, along with their automobiles as well.

 

[kd12]

Old Tulsa TV Ads

Bruce, I remember in the late 70s and early 80s regularly seeing commercials on Tulsa TV stations for the local Rent-a-Center and other local appliance stores advertising “washer/dryer” or “washer/dryer combo”. I had absolutely no clue what that might mean in those days, but thought it sounded odd. Were the local stores still selling or renting washer/dryer combo machines during that time, or were they talking about selling both machines as a package? I remember Whirlpool and Frigidaire brands being mentioned a lot. Haven’t been able to find any of those old commercials hanging around on the net somewhere.

 

[wft2800]

Looks identical (other than a different control panel) to the Liverpool-built UK Bendix LT washer-dryer (which has featured extensively on this forum). Nice, but not quite as nice as the old late-50s 36" Duomatic...

Was the Gyramatic washing-machine discontinued in favour of top-loaders at this time? If so, why?

 

[gyrafoam]

My '63 does a decent job, however, not as well as the larger one's IMO.
Typical conundrum of a F/L machine. If you have a really dirty load and need to use extra detergent------you will have to add extra rinses.

 

[tomturbomatic]

The reason this machine was labeled "Hi Speed" was that unlike the cheaper electric models, it had a fan which moved the air from the heating element, through the tumbling load and then through the condenser, back past the heater and into the load. The cheaper slower electric condenser models did not use a fan. They relied on the rotating tub and the tumbling load to move the air past the condenser and were slower.

 

These ceased production by 1968. It's sort of a shame that Ford downsized the Duomatic so drastically, but I think they were trying to use the 27" washer tub and cabinet, not that it was the best idea. 

 

[appnut]

On the washer, what was the difference between the wash'n'wear cycle and regular cycle.  Also for the dryer the difference between reg/wash'n'wear and heavy fabrics (other than temperature?)   

 

[tomturbomatic]

The Wash 'n Wear cycle applied only to the dryer. The washer did Wash 'n Wear with the cold rinse temps. With the dryer, the auto dry shut off the dryer after a couple of increments of cool down after the load was dry on the regular fabrics setting. With the W'nW dry cycle, the timer advanced into a cool down period of maybe 15 minutes with the heater operating at something over 1000 watts while the cold condenser water was still running. The heat kept the fabrics from getting moist while the temperature dropped. 

 

[brucelucenta]

kd12

If I recall, they were just talking about a washer/dryer set.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Oh, I forgot to ad that while the Duomatic was in cooldown, a chime rang every minute calling the user to come get the wrinkle-free laundry.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Surely if these (as few as there are) exist we could use one of these rescued from a landfill & brought back to working order someday...

I suppose this is after the Beezus & Ramona book where the older sis' is scolding the younger about "putting the cat in the Bendix"...

-- Dave

 

[tomturbomatic]

One of these is in the Belchville Museum.

 

[appnut]

Tom, I distinctly recalled there was a "W'n'W" setting on the washer cycle set of options. It was the equivalent of the temperature knob for the dryer side of the equation.  I figured it forced a cold rinse regardless if the rinse temp was set to warm.  But was hoping for maybe something else "different" than the regular cycle.