The best of the best

[fester]

I'd like to get some suggestions on which pre 1970 vintage washers and dryers are the cream of the crop. I dig the way cool atomic or space age looking stuff and the more rounded models from the late 40s early 50s most. That square, flat 70s and later look just doesn't send me.

I know everyone has their faves for reasons that range from rarity to childhood memories. I'd like to see if there are a few hero models that just stand out from the crowd. Which ones are the coolest looking, the best engineered, best cleaning, the most features, the driest spinning, least problematic, etc. You get my drift.

Feel free to toss in a favorite stove, fridge or other along the way as you see fit. If something gets talked up, we can take it to the appropriate forum. I'm remodeling my pad using some modern materials with a strong mid century vibe and fully functional mid century American technology.

 

[goatfarmer]

You're going to get about 27 different answers.

I've always preferred Maytag. Dependable is their middle name, easy to work on, solid performance.

 

[fester]

Lots of opinions.

That's what I want. I'd like to hear the "looks awsome, but troublesome" or "spins clothes drier than brand X" or "cleans better than model B" stories. I'd like to learn a bit about the real deal, bomb proof, better ideas from American know how to better decide how to outfit the pad in 50 year old "modern" appliances.

Yeah, I know. Y'all Probably figure I'm a full bore lunatic, but like the fat guy on the beach with the glass of SOCO, I gotta be me!

FEster

 

[norgeway]

For pur washing and rinsing ability!!

I say NORGE!!! Noisy,yes,uses a ton of water, yes,rough on clothes oh yeah, but for nasty work clothes,aint nothing better!

 

[norgeway]

???

PURE..Not PUR!!LOL.

 

[whirlykenmore78]

Pre 70's washer with lots of options.

You'd be very happy with a Lady Kenmore from the 50's or 60's. They were very solid WP built machines had had every feature available.
WK78

 

[joelippard]

Of course

I'm voting for Frigidaire, you'd be better off with a post 65 model as they're more reliable than the multimatics of the early 60s.  Good luck in finding one however, and you need to parts and know how if something happens to it.  Here is to the space capsule agitator!

 

[combo52]

All Around Best Laundry Appliances 1950s-the 1990s

Whirlpool and Kenmore, there is a reason that throughout much of this time period they had almost 50% or more of the market.

 

[turquoisedude]

I'd have to vote for GE - just because I have used vintage GE washers most of my life. I really liked the 'mini-basket' feature on the mid-range and higher-end models in particular. It was nice to have the option of washing just a shirt or two without wasting a tub full of water.

 

[fester]

Getting some good info!

I really dig the glass backed Maytags, but some of the other brands have that atomic age style that is soooo cool. I just wouldn't want to score a beautiful train wreck of a machine that would be totally unreliable for daily use. Most of my experience has been with Kenmores and Tags. I've had stellar service both and all were well used before I go them

On the other hand, I like the idea of over the top styling like the old Kenmores and such or a unique mechanism like a Frigidaire as well. Most people have never seen such a thing.

When the remodel finally comes together, I'd like to have a DD pair behind glass bi folds or something like that, to keep them clean and quiet yet highly visible.

Any more fave models or models to avoid? I'm also not against Frankensteining parts or models to get looks and reliability in one unit.

This will really help until I get hip to the ins and outs of various models.

Thanks and keep it coming!

FEster

 

[kenmore71]

In terms of parts and repairablilty I would say stick to Kenmore/WP & Maytag. The Frigidaires are GREAT fun to watch and play with, but parts are getting mighty hard to find. Frigidaire totally reworked their drive mechanism 4 times between 1947 and 1970, AND the last mechanism has been out of production since 1980. Kenmore/WP basically used (with some notable minor exceptions) the same belt-drive mechanism from 1949 until 1986 and then their direct drive mechanism from 1982 until about a year ago. I would personally stay away from the original AMP-style Maytag (1949-1956) and look at the helical drive machines that were produced (much like the Belt-drive Kenmore/WP machines) with largely interchangeable parts from 1957-2006. If you like the rounded corner, glass-panel Maytags I would look at the 141, 142, A700 & A702. The beauty of these machines especially is that with the exception of the actual glass panels, almost all of the other parts are interchangeable with ANY Maytag machine built from 1957-1965 and many components from even later machines. Even the same timer used on the 141, 142 & A700 was also used on the lower 131 & 132.

Now, I would agree that Maytags were not necessarily considered the best washing or rinsing machine on the market from their time period, but they were rugged, used modest amounts of water, and relatively easy to repair compared to Frigidaire and GE. They were also priced relatively high for the features that they offered. People who bought Maytag tended to be fiercely loyal to the brand AND to their local appliance dealer. They also did not reinvent their "look" all that often compared to the other manufacturers. In fact, near as I can tell the Maytag look only changed drastically in 1956, 1966, 1980, 1994 and 1997. In those early years, Kenmore, GE and Frigidaire did a significant overhaul almost EVERY year.

 

[fester]

Some more good info!

Lots of good info in that last post!
I agree with you about Kenmore and Maytag being bomb proof. My folks had The same pair of gold Kenmores from around 1970 and I've owned battered, garage sale Kenmores and Maytags since I left home. Sadly I never really paid attention to what years or models I had back then. While friends with various brands of far newer models replaced them often, my old ratty looking stuff just kept on going like the energizer bunny on meth. I also kept my stuff wrenched up. That helps.

I guess I'll revive my A700 and similar dryer until something sweeter comes along. I'll post some pics of them as soon as I can get them dug out and some clutter squared away.

I saw a set of Maytag parts manuals on flea bay. I recon that would be a good place to start. Is there such a thing as a repair manual or just the parts book? I'll try to acquire a set of those books as soon as I'm solvent again. I've been off work for over a month with sciatica issues and just got released for duty again. YEAH!!!!

 

[danemodsandy]

FEster:

As has been said here, all of this is a matter of opinion, so take mine with a grain of salt too, okay?

I'm partial to Maytags, and before I got my first one, I heard a few people knock them for washing ability. Well, my experience was very different - my vintage Maytags were replacing a late-'80s Whirlpool set with a direct-drive washer.

The very first load out of the 'Tags had a very noticeable difference in cleanliness and brightness. Clothes that had gotten a bit dingy brightened back up like new after a few washes.

I have never found anything to complain about in the performance of Maytag washers. I have owned both a near-BOL machine - an LA108 - and the TOL LA806 I currently use. Both washed equally well, with the major difference being more bells and whistles on the 806.

Anyway, that's my story, and I'm stickin' to it....

 

[fester]

whirlpool direct drive

My experience is limited to the older belt driven Kenmore/Whirlpool stuff. They cleaned as well as anything I've ever used and were anvil reliable as as well. I sure wouldn't hesitate to own one again. When did Whirlpool switch to direct drive ?

FEster

 

[kenmore71]

You can download the 1962 Maytag Helical Drive service manual from this very website for $6. If you find that manual on ebay you're most likely gonna pay at least $20. Parts lists are amusing to study but not all that useful without the service manual in tow. If you need the parts list for the A700 I have it scanned and can email it to you.

To download the service manual, go up to the picture icon just to left of the login information and click on it. It will take you to the "Automatic Ephemera" site. Do a search for materials published by "Maytag". It is the first of the 3 service manuals at the bottom of the search results.

If I remember correctly, Whirlpool began manufacturing the first direct drive machines in 1982 on the Kenmore 24" models. By sometime around 1986 they had transitioned the entire Kenmore line to direct drive. I'm not sure when Whirlpool made the transition on their own machines but I would assume that it would also have happened within this 4 year window.

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Whirlpool / Kenmore belt drives and direct drives

The first direct drives did enter the market in 1982 as Kenmores I believe, though there was one model in Kenmore's line in 1980 and 1981 which show up as DDs. These could have been limited production models however, and may be the ones with the rear mounted motors.

The two designs, BD and DD, co-existed for more than four years, as the last Kenmore belt-drives were manufactured in mid fall, 1986, but Whirlpool continued limited belt-drive production into April, 1987. I have been told that some of this limited production was used to manufacture a warehouse storage lot of LA7800 machines, which were used for several years to pacify angry DD customers, when necessary.

Gordon

 

[autowasherfreak]

For me Maytag, WP/KM, and GE.

 

[fester]

Manuals

Once I'm solvent again, I'll definitely be downloading the service manuals. I had thought the model specific pats list would be good to determine model to model parts interchange. I figure it would be handy when scrounging parts. from the white goods heap.

Seems like most brands changed for the worst in the 80s. Too bad. I still look for the made in USA on stuff. Not much made here these days. That's why I'm here learnig how to wrench on Tags and whirlmores.

Thanks for the intel on these cool old machines. Like I said, I wrenched on a few in the past. I recall being 20 and pulling my hair out, blindly diagnosing a bum wig wag. Too bad I didn't note the year models at the time to learn what fits what.

FEster