POD 8/3/2017

[brucelucenta]

I have used this type of machine in a laundromat before. Not too bad for a laundromat washer. It held a slightly bigger load and seemed to wash, rinse and spin adequately enough. This was when Speed Queen was still KING in laundromats of course. I imagine it was probably before WCI took over Westinghouse too. The first Westinghouse machines seemed to be heavier and better built. They even had a large solenoid which kicked in, tightening the drive belt to spin after a neutral drain. The May 1967 issue of Consumer reports shows the 1966 models of these machines and the entire front was removable for servicing and the 1967 machines did not have that. They had to be accessed from the back which seems a step backward to me. Looks like the commercial units retained the removable front for access. A neighbor of ours had about a 1968 set that she raved about how heavy duty it was and never got out of balance even with heavy rugs and such. I know she had the washer till she moved around 10 years later. The dryer had been replaced by then. [this post was last edited: 8/3/2017-06:00]

 

[foraloysius]

With 515 rpm, the spin is rather anemic.

 

[frigilux]

I know a couple of people with Westys that lasted a couple of decades. One of them was finally sent packing when the entire area around where the lid sits rusted out. Both had the blue ramped agitator, but the company may have been taken over by WCI by that point. These machines (as well as their grandchild, my 2005 Frigidaire top-loader) could spin a severely unbalanced load like nobody's business.

 

[gyrafoam]

A good money maker for a coin laundry is an anemic spin. More time (coins) in the dryers!
Nonetheless, I'm sure whomever used these machines came away with clean clothes. The agitation was VERY aggressive.

There was a SQ laundry in midtown Atlanta years ago that had their SQ solid-tubs set so the first spin was only one increment of the timer! How annoying! They would just get the water thrown-out and the tub almost up to full speed when it would start the rinse fill! Were they saving time? Couldn't have made that much difference with electricity. In any event, never went back there again. Felt like the clothes had not been properly rinsed. I don't think anybody else there noticed.

 

[brucelucenta]

I think that by the 70's most of the commercial coin op washers had the option to have the quick cycle or the longer 30 minute cycle. Some laundries wisely kept the 30 minute cycle and others chose the 18-22 minute one. That really wasn't enough time to clean clothes very well at all.