Speed Queen microwave oven.

philr · Apr 9, 2015

I just got that thing. I thought I'd see a "Litton" tag somewhere on it but when I looked at the back, it's apparently made by Admiral... Is this a re-rebadge ?! 

 

It seems to work fine. I didn't try every feature. It does have a delay before the magnetron kicks-in but then, there's a cooking light that comes on just like on Amana Touchmatics (RR-9T) or my Frigidaire RCM-10. I haven't tried it on low power levels to see if the magnetron cycles as fast as on an Amana. 

 

The date code has been removed from the sticker at the back. Anybody could tell me an approximate built date? 

Here's the info from "Appliance 411" :

Brand: Admiral
Type: Microwave Oven
Country: Canada
Model: SM187
Serial: CW988747 According to the serial number this product may have been manufactured in Herrin, IL, September of 1984.

Did Litton sell their microwave ovens under the Admiral name too?

turquoisedude · Apr 10, 2015

Wow, I wish I had a photo of it somewhere but when I first met Hubby, I got him an Admiral microwave that was the basic version of this one! His had the countdown timer, a dial for power selection, and the same start and door release buttons.

And, I remember seeing a date sticker of 1977 inside it when I replaced the oven cavity light. It's not much, but it may give you an idea of the date!

Congratulations on getting it home safely!!

appnut · Apr 10, 2015

Looks like a Litton on the inside to me.

tomturbomatic · Apr 10, 2015

You have to admit that Speed Queen is a good name for a microwave oven. I wonder if the SQ model has extra heavy bearings for the stirrer and fan and great big LOUD solenoids, so loud that an end of cooking chime is not needed and you think that it has fallen off the wall.

petek · Apr 10, 2015

It's a Litton.. I don't think Admiral was even manufacturing anything around that time and was a name only company. A guy at work years back brought in his old mw for the lunch room and it was a rebadged Litton as well but I'm thinking that one was badged Magic Chef. Can wrap my brain around it right now but Moffat was the distributor of Litton in Canada and perchance didn't they also have something to do Admiral etc

rpms · Apr 10, 2015

Those red gas station glasses.

appnut · Apr 10, 2015

Those red gas station glasses.

My other mother had a set of 8 or 12 of those. Simple and beautiful with an air of sophistication.

philr · Apr 10, 2015

I tried heating some orange juice I was drinking for a few seconds just to see if it worked!

I would have thought that a mechanical timer with rolling numbers would have been a dated design by 1984. It certainly looks older than my 1982 Panasonic and my 1983 Hotpoint even if it is not!

philr · Apr 10, 2015

Speed Queen ranges from the 1980s were just rebadged Admiral models which were themselves based on the Inglis/Whirlpool appliances. But Admiral also rebadged the Inglis washers, dryers and dishwashers. I'm wondering Inglis washers or dryers were ever rebadged as Speed Queen. I guess not but since the real Speed Queen machines were rebadged "Econo Wash" for the Canadian market at about the same time, that would have been possible!