Has anyone ever made a single knob front loader? How many are in existence? I am mostly interested in seeing timer models, but anyone will do really.
Single Knob Front Loaders
- Thread starter Chetlaham
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Most of the Australian made Hoover Zodiac washers had a single knob and a single rocker switch. The switch was just for normal or gentle action. Also no dispenser - just put detergent in the drum with clothes. No way to do fabric softener. About as simple as you can get.
Each model had 2 versions - if the model number ended in 0, it had no heater. If it ended in 5, it had a heater. Heater models still had hot&cold fill depending on the cycle. First increment on timer was hot fill, second was warm, third was cold wash.
Each model had 2 versions - if the model number ended in 0, it had no heater. If it ended in 5, it had a heater. Heater models still had hot&cold fill depending on the cycle. First increment on timer was hot fill, second was warm, third was cold wash.
You forgot about the Hoover Electra
Single knob, multispeed induction motor and five pushbuttons, three are for hot warm, cold wash, one is rinse hold And the last one is for the power on off
Single knob, multispeed induction motor and five pushbuttons, three are for hot warm, cold wash, one is rinse hold And the last one is for the power on off
golittlesport
Well-known member
The Frig-GE-more models from Electrolux in the early 2000's had a base model with just one control knob. It had an electro-mechanical timer. You could set it, skip, repeat cycle sequences with the turn of the dial, but timing was computer controlled. (so many revolutions of the drum per soil setting.)
Temperature and speeds were controlled by cycle and setting selected. Water level was automatic. It had dispensers. For a base model with only one control knob it really gave you most options you would need.
Temperature and speeds were controlled by cycle and setting selected. Water level was automatic. It had dispensers. For a base model with only one control knob it really gave you most options you would need.
The original Westinghouse Laundromats were single dial machines as were the BOL Space Mates and Bendix automatic home laundry machines had a single dial timer with one other switch for wash water temperature. I am surprised you have not seen pictures of them here.
About every European brand had single knob frontloaders in their assortment at some time. Most of them single timers with the temperature selection built into it. Here's a good example, A Rex DL 123 (Zanussi)
More Than I Though!
Hoover Electra, Hoover Zodiac, Frigidaire, Zanusi Rex DL 123, Westinghouse and Bendix. those are lots of names, I'm Googling them one by one. The Hoover appears to have an brushed motor with electronic drive, but I'm not to bummed about that. The rest I'll do more research on. Those mid 2000s Frigidaires were fun. I never saw a base model, but I do remember the Kenmore version well. I took one of those apart. I got a great harness and timer out of it for other projects. The cycles were good at balancing stuff and I remember the spin acceleration was infinitely gradual. The thing did was noisy but that might be because it was pulled out of a haul off.
Heaters in FLs are a must IMO!
Hoover Electra, Hoover Zodiac, Frigidaire, Zanusi Rex DL 123, Westinghouse and Bendix. those are lots of names, I'm Googling them one by one. The Hoover appears to have an brushed motor with electronic drive, but I'm not to bummed about that. The rest I'll do more research on. Those mid 2000s Frigidaires were fun. I never saw a base model, but I do remember the Kenmore version well. I took one of those apart. I got a great harness and timer out of it for other projects. The cycles were good at balancing stuff and I remember the spin acceleration was infinitely gradual. The thing did was noisy but that might be because it was pulled out of a haul off.
Heaters in FLs are a must IMO!
Also- how come that Lavatrice in your video stop tumbling while filling? Does the timer also stop when filling?
One thing that would have been so sweet would have been if Kenmore offered a center knob FL washer with 1980s control panel styling like this:
One thing that would have been so sweet would have been if Kenmore offered a center knob FL washer with 1980s control panel styling like this:
The Hoover appears to have a brushed motor
Some did and some didn't. Australian FL Hoovers changed over time. This timeline doesn't include the slant front Keymatics which were made in Meadowbank Sydney in the 1960s. They were replaced by the 455...
The first in the series was the Hoover 455, made in Wales but a unique version for Australia. Black control panel with orange switch marked A/B which selected spin/hold. (NOT normal/gentle action, that was in the cycle selected in the timer.) It had a dispenser drawer. It had an electronically controlled brush motor.
The 460/465 was the first Australian built version, simplified for Australian tastes and lower cost. It was badged as Hoover Zodiac. The dispenser drawer has disappeared. It uses the UK brush-motor and electronics, in fact it is basically the UK machine built in Australia, though I believe the door panel and latch is different. The control panel isn't a plastic moulding, just a sticker on the body of the machine. (looks cheap.) The rocker switch selects gentle or normal action.
The 470/475 is my favourite. It has a plastic moulded control panel. The Motor and electronics are Australian made (?) but the same as UK versions. The enameled steel inner basket is replaced by stainless steel, but the outer drum is still enameled steel. Due to the brushed motor, spin speed is good for the time - 750 or 800 rpm I believe.
The 480/485 is the great leap backward IMHO. Except that it brought in a stainless steel <span style="text-decoration: underline;">outer</span> drum as well as the inner basket. (I have used salvaged 480 drums to resurrect rusted out 470s in the past.) The brushed motor is replaced by a 2-speed Nuova Ibmei induction motor from Italy, no more electronics. The motor is strictly 2 speed, this drops spin speed to a miserable 400 rpm. (Fast speed is only 8 times the slow speed.) The slower spin seems to be a bad match to the suspension, from my experience it seems to hold the spin at a bad vibration point and the 480s are much more prone to wandering around the laundry. This may also be because the 480 jumps from tumble to spin with no slightly higher distribution speed in between. They would have been cheaper to produce than the 470. Previous owners of 455 and later would have been disappointed. The spin was quieter, though.
Not sure exactly what changed for the 490. Just colour of control panel?? Edit: just remembered...The drive belt changed from flat poly_V to a standard M-section V-belt, with matching changes to the pulleys of course. Cheaper again.
Later ones dropped the Zodiac name, replaced by Electra. (I think the first ones were called Electra-Economiser.)
The dispenser drawer returned, they introduced electronic control of the same Nuova Ibmei indction motor, with a larger diameter pulley the spin speed increased to 800 rpm. The electronic control slowed down the tumble speed for the wash phase; the distribute phase was a few bursts of the slow speed winding NOT electronically slowed down; the spin was the fast winding of the 2 speed motor. They had a simpler timer and temperature was selected by hot/warm/cold buttons, not by the cycle timer. They were a useful improvement over the 480/490 Zodiacs. My only gripe about them was they were inefficent - the wash motor in tumble phase used about 900 watts! So I couldn't run one on my solar power system at the time. Other machines with brush motors used only 200 watts for washing, LG had a brushless one that used only 120 watts when washing.
Some did and some didn't. Australian FL Hoovers changed over time. This timeline doesn't include the slant front Keymatics which were made in Meadowbank Sydney in the 1960s. They were replaced by the 455...
The first in the series was the Hoover 455, made in Wales but a unique version for Australia. Black control panel with orange switch marked A/B which selected spin/hold. (NOT normal/gentle action, that was in the cycle selected in the timer.) It had a dispenser drawer. It had an electronically controlled brush motor.
The 460/465 was the first Australian built version, simplified for Australian tastes and lower cost. It was badged as Hoover Zodiac. The dispenser drawer has disappeared. It uses the UK brush-motor and electronics, in fact it is basically the UK machine built in Australia, though I believe the door panel and latch is different. The control panel isn't a plastic moulding, just a sticker on the body of the machine. (looks cheap.) The rocker switch selects gentle or normal action.
The 470/475 is my favourite. It has a plastic moulded control panel. The Motor and electronics are Australian made (?) but the same as UK versions. The enameled steel inner basket is replaced by stainless steel, but the outer drum is still enameled steel. Due to the brushed motor, spin speed is good for the time - 750 or 800 rpm I believe.
The 480/485 is the great leap backward IMHO. Except that it brought in a stainless steel <span style="text-decoration: underline;">outer</span> drum as well as the inner basket. (I have used salvaged 480 drums to resurrect rusted out 470s in the past.) The brushed motor is replaced by a 2-speed Nuova Ibmei induction motor from Italy, no more electronics. The motor is strictly 2 speed, this drops spin speed to a miserable 400 rpm. (Fast speed is only 8 times the slow speed.) The slower spin seems to be a bad match to the suspension, from my experience it seems to hold the spin at a bad vibration point and the 480s are much more prone to wandering around the laundry. This may also be because the 480 jumps from tumble to spin with no slightly higher distribution speed in between. They would have been cheaper to produce than the 470. Previous owners of 455 and later would have been disappointed. The spin was quieter, though.
Not sure exactly what changed for the 490. Just colour of control panel?? Edit: just remembered...The drive belt changed from flat poly_V to a standard M-section V-belt, with matching changes to the pulleys of course. Cheaper again.
Later ones dropped the Zodiac name, replaced by Electra. (I think the first ones were called Electra-Economiser.)
The dispenser drawer returned, they introduced electronic control of the same Nuova Ibmei indction motor, with a larger diameter pulley the spin speed increased to 800 rpm. The electronic control slowed down the tumble speed for the wash phase; the distribute phase was a few bursts of the slow speed winding NOT electronically slowed down; the spin was the fast winding of the 2 speed motor. They had a simpler timer and temperature was selected by hot/warm/cold buttons, not by the cycle timer. They were a useful improvement over the 480/490 Zodiacs. My only gripe about them was they were inefficent - the wash motor in tumble phase used about 900 watts! So I couldn't run one on my solar power system at the time. Other machines with brush motors used only 200 watts for washing, LG had a brushless one that used only 120 watts when washing.
my Miele has one knob but lots of buttons.
#8
That machine tumbles only when a certain water level is achieved. The timer doesn't stop working.
That machine tumbles only when a certain water level is achieved. The timer doesn't stop working.
480/485
A great leap forward IMO!
Stainless steal for an outer drum is what you want. Its the best. I would imagine the induction motor provided many benefits to these machines including that there were no brushes to wear out, no electronics to fail and no EMI. The slower spin speed is gentler on fabrics and as you mention quieter. I think it compliments these machines well.
@foraloysius: What is the reason behind stopping the tumble when filling? Its good that the timer runs though.
A great leap forward IMO!
Stainless steal for an outer drum is what you want. Its the best. I would imagine the induction motor provided many benefits to these machines including that there were no brushes to wear out, no electronics to fail and no EMI. The slower spin speed is gentler on fabrics and as you mention quieter. I think it compliments these machines well. @foraloysius: What is the reason behind stopping the tumble when filling? Its good that the timer runs though.
#12
It's a safety feature, when there is not enough water in the machine, the machine can do nothing else but filling. So it can't overheat when the water level is too low.
It's a safety feature, when there is not enough water in the machine, the machine can do nothing else but filling. So it can't overheat when the water level is too low.
In that case you cut the power to the heater, not the tumble motor. Its like tumbling at the end of spin, I don't think it would harm the machine?
I always assumed that was the reason. Often the heater only functions at later increments, not in the first one or two. Filling can happen on the later increments too.
Some other brands that had one knob only models were Philips, Siemens, Bosch, Vendomatic (a Dutch department store brand), but also most Antonio Merloni brands and some Indesit models too. There have been so many European brands that it's hard to realise how many single knob machines were there.
Some other brands that had one knob only models were Philips, Siemens, Bosch, Vendomatic (a Dutch department store brand), but also most Antonio Merloni brands and some Indesit models too. There have been so many European brands that it's hard to realise how many single knob machines were there.
For tumble I don't think it would matter. But you are correct. Some immersion heaters (like this in tanked water heaters) will overheat and burn out in air, so the heater must be kept off until the pressure switch is satisfied. Typically in my mock designs I've done this by running the fill valve neutral through normal closed contact of the pressure switch and the heater neutral through the normal open contact of the pressure switch. Common to the neutral of the cord.
I never knew there were so many single knob front loads. I'm loving it!!!! And oh, I want one LOL.
I never knew there were so many single knob front loads. I'm loving it!!!! And oh, I want one LOL.
Not only front loaders but also European top loaders (H-axis ones).
BTW, are we talking single knob as in timers only? Or one cycle selector too?
BTW, are we talking single knob as in timers only? Or one cycle selector too?
Mostly timers. Thats my preference, but I'm not closed off to a selector if you know of one off hand.
In Europe do you have any machines like this?
In Europe do you have any machines like this?
