supposed quality

[agiflow]

Funny how different people have different experiences with WP/KM and Frigidaire or Maytag.

There have been posts in the past about how well a surgilator can roll heavier denim well and that pulsators would choke on a capacity load of heavy fabrics.

I like all the machines mentioned, i was more or less curious as to how well pulsators in particular can handle say a load of heavy denim..which is obviously a hard test for any TL washer.

Thanks Mark and everyone who answered.

 

[rickr]

Don't know about the 1-16,however the 1-18 I had sudslocked quite often. The clutch had to be replaced twice. The third time the cluch went out,the machine went to the alley. Other than that problem, I loved the wash action of my 1971 1-18, and the fast spin. However, I did not like the control panel design. In fact, the only Frigidaire control panel designs that I do like are the 1957,1958,1959, and 1960 models. (now don't we all) LOL!! They are all fun to watch, but other than the 57-60 models, I do not want one. They are still very nice to see in someone else's collection.

The WP Sugilator in my 1956 WP turns over 7 pair of jeans very well. The 58 Maytag does not turn even 5 pair of them well at all. The 65 Kenmore does not turn jeans as well as the WP,but is better than the Maytag. The Super-Roto-Swirl also has another problem with large loads of jeans: When the tub is packed,the Roto-Swirl sometimes wraps the leg of the jeans around itself,thus stopping all turnover. So much for that load...
BTW: the 56 WP runs slightly faster than the 65 Kenmore. My 58 Maytag runs slower,but has longer strokes than any Maytag I have ever seen. I am rebuilding a 56 Kenmore right now. Am wondering if it will run the same speed as the 56 WP,or the 65 KM??

I would have to say there are many reasons why one person may dislike a certain brand,or another. I do love the KM/WP 1950's and 1960's models only. But if someone else does not,I really do not care. I cannot give an opinion on any modern appliances. Do not own any,and do not care to know about them. Never read the "blue" section here. I do have to say that any vintage appliance 30+ years old is a surviver,and should at least be respected for that, if nothing else. I will only own vintage GM cars. When I attend a car show, I try to check out all the vintage brands of cars. Not that I would ever own a Ford, or Chysler, but I still have a liking for those brands, and the people who restored and maintain them. Same goes with vintage appliances for me.

 

[Cybrvanr]

I am with many here on this issue. The Fridigaires and Kelvinators are a neat design mechanically. Although I enjoy the external appearance of the older machines very much so (they are chromed beauties, just like the cars from that era!) the internals are just as interesting. Being that I'm mildly autistic, I find myself extremely interested in mechanical design, and the operation of the components. In the 50's and 60's, the manufacturers were really putting their minds into creating unique designs.

Unlike nowadays, where people just want the cheapest thing on the floor, when people spent more money on their appliances in the past, manfacturers could take the revenue and turn it into R&D. The result were some really fun and interesting designs. There's nothing wrong with Whirlpool washers, it's just that they lack a lot of unique design. I equate the Whirlpools to the Umbiquous Chevy Impala of the era. Nicely styled, but very basic, common mechanicals underneath. While nowadays, both 60's vintage Impalas are getting to be as rare as hen's teeth, so are WP's from the same era...so I'm not going to stick my nose up at ANY washer from that era!

 

[DADoES]

But hasn't there been a renaissance in the last few years with "new" toploader designs after the "boring 1980s?" Calypso, Neptune TL, Harmony, Oasis. F&P with their auto-sensing and EcoActive wash processes is different from the so-called generic Whirlpool/Kenmore. Even the Catalyst threw a bit of a twist on the traditional fill-agitate-drain-spin-fill-agitate-drain-spin wash process, although it wasn't a radical departure. True, some of these are very similar to old designs already done and one or two have had serious problems, but at least the manufs are trying.

 

[sudsmaster]

I think others have put it well. But I guess that won't prevent me from putting in my own 2 cents.

It seems to me tha the golden age of American appliances was the post-war period, up to about 1980. During this golden age, most appliances were designed and manufactuered with quality, durability, and reliability in mind. One need only compare the guage of steel and the thickness of the porcelain coatings to see the difference between an older washer and a modern one. Manufacturers like GE, GM, and others saw building quality appliances as a way to promote their names for other products. Additionally, the cost of these appliances was much greater than they cost today, relative to the average income. This means that far more labor could go into the product, as well as higher quality components.

Somewhere along the line, manufacturers started to discover that consumers could start viewing major appliances as disposable commodity type items. With just a few tried and true designs, the machines could be cheapened to the point where they had limited lifespans, but still earn a good profit. Plus, the eventual demise meant that the consumer would be back in the stores in five or ten years to buy another generic washer to replace the POS they plunked down $300 a few years earlier. I think in today's dollars, a washer that cost $300 in the early 60's would probably cost $2000 new today. Of you could find one.

I think people started to take washers and other major appliances for granted. No longer were they marvels of modern technology. And as such they didn't need to look all that great or stand up to routine use as well.

A few modern mfg's started to buck the trend in the late 90's and early 21st century. Maytag more or less started the trend, with its arguably overpriced Neptune washer series - which turned out were not really built as well as the price fixee might otherwise indicate. But to Maytag's credit, it stood by the product and offered many free repairs to out-of-warranty machines plagued by engineering and/or manufacturing shortcuts. Maytag, for a time, earned respect on Wall Street for its ability to stick with its premium pricing for what heretofore had been a boring product area. In other words, Maytag made a lot of money off the Neptune - at least until the chickens started coming home to roost. Next up was Kenmore/Whirlpool, with its HE3T series. Soon others saw the dollar signs and Bosch, LG, and others brought out their premium washers. Many of these machines are either built better than the original Neptune, or priced significantly lower. Suddenly styling was back in fashion - and some of the machines coming out look good enough to put in an entrance way, instead of hidden in a basement.

 

[agiflow]

I agree very much about how we take something like our major appliances for granted....particularly laundry appliances.

Why does spending say 500 maybe $600 for a decent TL seem so damn outragous today? I guess a lot of us still equate higher prices with better quality.... though even that is not the case anymore in our disposable society.

Laundry is just something that has probably always been and always will be seen as an undesirable chore to most people who have to do it....thank goodness the folks on this site know better.