Simplicity solid tub washer

[appnut]

Another question--with the selectable on or off bleach option, did that mean one could put more tha a single wash load worth of bleach in the resevoir and select whether you want bleach or not for that particular load or was it still a case-by-case (load-by-load basis) and one added the bleach and turned on the option for just that single load?

 

[alr2903]

Eddy1210, do find solid tubs are more plentiful in Canada? It's pretty tough to find one in these parts. Thanks for the cool pics of that SQ cousin. Is there any mention of McGraw Edison on your Simplicity? alr2903

 

[cfz2882]

bleach pump

i found a bleach pump on a speed queen once-it was a nice SS
tub 1978 found at the dump in 1983(it was in really nice shape,
the spin belt was loose and glazed)The pump was an inline
oscillating plunger type like some carpet cleaners use.
The washer was stripped for certain parts at the dump,today
if i were to find that washer it would be added to collection
asap!
i have not seen a solid tub speed queen in many years-last ones
i saw in person were some mid-'60s ones at a laundromat in '89
-might be almost as rare as a solid tub hotpoint these days...

 

[eddy1210]

TOL Simplicity

Hi Bob, this was TOL Simplicity. That being said, I have never come across a Simplicity washer with a S/S tub. SQ drew the line, that was theirs only. Simplicity liked to use the push buttons as opposed to SQ's knobs, and sometimes like you noted, it doesn't give full flexibility. The bleach dispenser holds about a cup and a half of bleach and it only dispenses it during the regular cycle IF you push the Bleach button. If Bleach is Off, it remains in the reservoir but the water flush (replenishment) at the 4 minute mark still happens. So in other words, if you select bleach, everything in the bleach tube gets pumped into that one load.
alr2903, I wouldn't say the solid tubs are more plentiful here, but I've been lucky because Speed Queen (and of course Simplicity) were very popular brands in the 70's and 80's and many have survived even up to now. I found this one just browsing Craigslist. You will also find many Simplicity wringer washers here too, and this was their own design. On the nameplate, no mention of McGraw Edison, just Simplicity Products, Hespeler Ontario Canada.

 

[alr2903]

Thanks Eddy1210, You have some very nice washers. arthur

 

[bendix99]

simplisity is just another name for speed queen.you can tell because the agitator is the same as a speed queen

 

[djmjlcst]

SQ Infinite Water Fill

Hey Eddy, we had a mid-70's model SQ stainless steel solid tub washer with the infinite water level. We were fools to throw it to the curb when we kept having to replace the pump as it leaked every few years or so. That was before I discovered AW.org! Had I'd known about this club I would've kept the machine! Other than that it was a good machine and had the famous overflow rinse. Ours was harvest gold, just like your Simplicity machine. Judging from your agitator cap it looked like it either had a lint filter or fabric softener dispenser. Did you happen to get one with your machine? Great find! - Mike L.

 

[eddy1210]

SQ

Hi Mike, nice to hear that story, wonder why you had so many problems with your SQ pump leaking like that? They are normally very reliable. I hardly ever have one leak, and some of my pumps are original to the machine! Did you have hard water? My machine actually came with 2 fabric softener dispensers, the owners had lost the original one and ordered a replacement. Then a week later they found the lost one. So they gave me the one NIB too.

 

[bradross]

Simplicity / Speed Queen factory location in Canada

Hello Eddy (and others!)...just thought I'd mention my Speed Queen SuperTwin has a manufacturer's plate showing "Speed Queen - Hespeler, Ontario, Canada". It would appear Simplicity took over the factory? IIRC McGraw-Edison was located in a different city.

 

[djmjlcst]

SQ Pump

Hey Eddy, we don't have hard water here in Bloomington, since our water comes from Lake Evergreen north of Normal. But we purchased the machine for $50.00 from a subdivision south of town that only had well water. I could tell the high iron content because the original agitator and rubber gasket around the rim had a rust color on it as well as the tub guard. After a time the rust disappeared since we have softer water here in town. Damn we should've kept that machine! We got the machine around 1985 or so and it was our 2nd washer next to our SQ HA700l. When we purchased the machine the lady said it would wash just fine but wouldn't spin. She had a repairman come look at it and said it couldn't be fixed so they ended up selling the set. After getting it home in the freezing cold winter weather we unloaded it and I filled it with hot water and let it sit to melt any ice in the lines since the machine was out in a unheated garage. Then after removing the front panel I found the problem. The cotter pin that attaches the motor to the fluid drive was seared off. I put a new one on and we had a perfectly functioning washer. I ended up having to replace the agitator cap and agitator since I broke them trying to pry the agitator off. We got brand new replacements from our local repair shop (for a price)! I also tightened the belt to the pump too tight and ended up breaking the motor shaft. Hard lesson learned here! For another $75.00 we had to purchase a new motor but after that it was fine until we replaced the 3rd pump then we decided to get rid of it and purchase a new SQ digital control model AWE931L in 1990. The lady was selling both the washer and dryer but we only purchased the washer since we already had good SQ dryers. - Mike L.

 

[superbeebill]

SQ

I have close to the same machine, no adjustable water level on mine however I've seen it on other machines. Mechanism operated by solenoids. motor spins in one direction. Been using it since late 80's. Needed a piece for it to keep it going, was able to obtain one locally, albeit for a Speed Queen, had to modify it slightly. that's what brought me here, i need to see what's out here.

 

[frigilux]

Interesting that a warm or cold rinse is labeled Regular/Detergent (cold rinse) and Regular Soap (warm rinse.) I don't recall seeing it put that way on US machines. Ours always say Hot/Warm or Hot/Cold.

Extra points for the timed bleach dispenser as well! Gives the detergent time to do its job before adding chlorine to the wash water.

Cool machine!

 

[bradross]

Soap vs. Detergent in Canada...

@frigilux I'm guessing the labels are like that perhaps because real soap flakes were used in Canada longer than the U.S. I remember my grandmother on the farm (and therefore, with a septic system) preferred to use soap flakes in her wringer washer, right up until the mid 1970s. She had some notion that detergent in the septic was not a good thing.

The brand she always used was "Maple Leaf" soap flakes, made by the Canada Packers corporation - a meat packing company! I'm guessing that fat from the meat processing was used to make the soap.

 

[jamiel]

Yep, the meatpackers were looking to offload their tallow---though the soapmakers were more than happy to take it, why not just saponify it and earn from both ends of the reaction. Dial Soap was Armour's big win...Cudahy also played both sides of the equation.

 

[eddy1210]

This is the first solenoid controlled Simplicity I've seen! Most all were reversing motor models. Can I ask what part you needed to keep it going? I forgot all about this thread...