Secrets of Keeping your Automatic Washer Trouble Free

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Unimatic1140

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I just happened to stumble upon this Febuary 1969 issue of Popular Science, scanned into Google Books. Great article and pictures starting on page 131...

ps Google's scanning quality is sub par in my opinion compared to the way I do things lol, but it still is fun non the less!


unimatic1140++2-7-2013-15-00-20.jpg
 
1976 LK

for the win. Grandparents had a set of 1976 Lady Kenmores that were still working 29 years later when Gramps sold the house. For many years my aunt even used them to wash horse blankets. Only 2 repairs the whole time. Not sure what WP did when making these but they did it well. They seem quite elusive though. Never see them show up anywhere.
WK78
 
I would just like

To mention the one and only final word on troublefree dishwashers/warewashers and that is HOBART!
Sound the sirens, John and Andy are firing laundry warheads between Reno and DC. Will the IOWANEWTON-806POWERFIN or the OHIOCLYDE-IMP70DDSURGILATOR strike the fatal blow? I'm sheltering from radioactive detergent residue and fabric softener fallout here in the flyover zone of MN. Keep on fighting and I'll fire a TROYOHIO-AM-14 High Temp washarm at both of you. With booster heater backup.
WK78
 
Power-Fin Agitators

Were the only design that CRs ever reported on that ruined material in just one washing, even Norge, Whirlpool Surgilators, Kenmore's Rotoswirl and GE FF washers did not ruin curtain material when washed at hi-speed like MTs PF agitator. Ever notice that MT discontinued this ell fated design on their own without pressure from anyone but dissatisfied customers.

 

This missile will land in Reno in 15 seconds, response at 10 AM
 
And any way this is all ballyhoo as we all know the tumbler in the Bendix was and is and has been the best performer since 1938!

Uh huh, so good in fact front loaders aren't even mentioned in the article lol ;-D. Besides we all know the most thorough way to wash clothes is in a top loader with an agitator that has lots of RUBBER on it. Such as rings or wings! The only other acceptable way is bouncing them off of nice soft fiberglass!
 
Washer service and proctology...

That's why a tub bearing and seal job on a MT takes anywhere from 30-45 minutes (with transmission in place i might add) while on a WP/KM it takes a degree in proctology (with about the same mess and finger cramping) and that's IF the center post isn't rusted out. Hmmm, when is the last time I saw a tub rust out on a MT? By the way, you GE guys don't have much to brag about in that department...

Interesting that MT's agitator design lasted forever with out much change while WP/KM had more agitator designs then some people here have shoes, with some changes seemingly more for marketing than anything else.

Was that our Webmaster just now trying to insert a Frigidaire or the like into a ease of service discussion? The pioneers had figured out that nothing made clothing last longer than grinding it up and down a scrubbing board and then Frigidaire figured out how to automate the process. Besides, didn't someone here (who's name escapes me at the moment...) actually have a washer, which wasn't a Maytag by the way, break down and flood the floor on national tv? ;^)

Reno to Beltsville and beyond in three two one...

RCD[this post was last edited: 2/8/2013-10:27]
 
Isn't the reason Maytags lasted forever is that that they barely moved the load? Little movement = little wear = little maintenance = longer life? To be fair, I've only seen a few Maytags in action and they were 30+ years old. Nowhere NEAR the turnover in our 15 + year old WP built heavy duty Kenmores.

Duane
 

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