The Big Question - Extraction Ability

[Unimatic1140]

First of all Greg and John the towels I got at Target yesterday were the Bath size towels that were $1.58 each.

Next Rich has a very good point about the towels losing mass over time and skewing the results. We must have accurate results!!!! So what I think we need to do to make this test more accurate is every four or five rinse tests we need to reweigh the towels when they are full of water. So the first thing I’m going to do is reweigh the towels wet. Let’s just say for example I go home and find that the towels (after six rinse test cycles) now have dropped two full pounds of mass and now weight 33.6lbs. When I first weighed the towels wet before the very first test they weighed 35.6 lbs. So what I can do is average the weight down mathematically over each of our six test runs and our final results will not be what they weigh but the actual percentage of water removed from each machine. See the spreadsheet below.

Do you guys think this is a good way of testing or do you have some other ideas to keep it accurate, I am certainly open to suggestions? How do you think Consumer Reports makes these tests?

 

[48bencix]

Target announces run on $1.58 bath towels

Target management may be curious why 12 towels are selling at various places throughout the United States.

When I visited Greg in October 2004, he performed a similar test with the towels going in the Kelvinator with 330 rpm spin and then in the Unimatic. The Unimatic removed about 5 more pounds of water from the load.

My mom had a Bendix like the 1941, but I believe it was a 44 or so, did they all spin at 250 rpm?

That was the washer that hooked me, having a window was great because you could sit in front of it. We had no TV then, and it was great entertainment for me.

 

[exploder321]

I think it's perfectly accurate.. I am quite curious about the unimatic and the kenmores...

As far as the $1.58 towls... We don't have any here at both our targets..They should be getting some though..

 

[Unimatic1140]

Actually the tests are very close to accurate!

I'm home on my lunch hour and so I did a retest on the Bendix, but first I measured the weight of the towels dripping wet again. In measuring the wet towels again I'm reading 35.2 down only 0.4 lbs from the first time I weighed them. This means the towels are losing mass at a much slower rate than we were worried about. I did not dry the towels last night, I kept them wet in a sealed plastic bag. I suspect a lot of loss of mass in towels happens in the dryer.

In redoing the Bendix test, the clothes came out nearly exactly the same at 17.1 lbs. But since the wet weight was down a small amount our poor Bendix did slightly worse with extraction in the second test. Here are the photo finishes, the spreadsheet now shows our OFFICIAL results! I think tonight its time to do some more exciting machines, like the Unimatic and GE. Mike the Asko is no more, it died and I no longer have that machine.

 

[chestermikeuk]

Residual Moisture Testing

Hi Robert , interesting figures, (and sorry to hear about the ASKO)

The other way we could do this is by Residual Moisture Content LEFT in the towels....

So the test is:
Dry Weight of Towels fixed at 7lbs
Into each individual machine for a Rinse and Final Maximum Spin
Weigh the Towels following the spin and note the difference,
Calculate the % to find the Residual Moisture Content.

BUT, does this mean we would have to use dry towels for every test??? my brain is hurting thinking about which way is best!!!

Definition of Spin performance as per Eurolab Standards:
Defined as ratio of the remaining water in the load after the final spin to the bone dry mass.

Mike

 

[mrboilwash]

You have weighed the dry towels in the first picture without a laundry basket.
The test results show the spun out towels including the weight of the basket. Isn`t there a mistake happening ?

 

[Unimatic1140]

You have weighed the dry towels in the first picture without a laundry basket.

No Stefan, if you look down in my next post I say:
"Before I put them in the plastic bag I zeroed out the scale with the bag and basket on top of it so we are just weighing the towels"

 

[mrboilwash]

Sorry I`ve overlooked that. Thought you`d muck around with us, because some of the results are so hard to believe.

 

[jaxsunst]

Glad to see my beloved Kelvinator doing so well.

 

[westytoploader]

Robert, very fascinating results!!! I can't wait to see more! For me, I'll be interested to see how the AW6, Unimatic, and Neptune TL extract, and which one ends up as the top performer. I also wonder how the Philco Duomatic will do since it spins faster.

What about the Whirlpool combo? You could just put a bucket underneath that hose to catch the water...;-)

*ducking and running hard*

 

[bingwsguy]

Robert......Maytag Wringer

I am anxious to see the results from the wringer. My Bosch FL (with 1200 RPM) has been down for 3 weeks and while waiting for the motor replacement, I have been using my 54 Maytag Wringer. I am putting things throught the wringer twice and heavy items 3 times and the dryer is still taking twice as long.

 

[Unimatic1140]

Sorry I`ve overlooked that. Thought you`d muck around with us, because some of the results are so hard to believe.
Hmmm, actually Stefan the only results that have surprised me so far was the Kelvinator beating out the Maytag. Out of curiosity which results are you surprised at?

What about the Whirlpool combo? You could just put a bucket underneath that hose to catch the water...;-)
You keep quiet Mister, I haven't mentioned that new little problem yet.

Here are some new results, I've added the 1957 Frigidaire Pulsamatic, 1957 Unimatic and the 1959 Philco Automagic. I'm keeping the Unimatic hidden until later to keep the suspense up. mwa ha ha ha. Much more tonight come stay tuned....

 

[exploder321]

I am actually quite suprised to see 4 of them so close to the GE (61% and above)...
Quite curious about the unimatic...

 

[frontaloadotmy]

Don't forget to test some post "quiver action"

extraction results.

 

[exploder321]

Excuse me, i ment 60% and above!!!!!

 

[brettsomers]

i predict a wringer can do just slightly better than a Bendix.

 

[mickeyd]

I love this Brother Robert, but I have a counterpoint:

Since these towels are undergoing very little agitation, I really doubt that they're losing any mass. The tiny differences in weight are the result of variation in the amount of water, sopping, etc in your separate measurements-- it's the water weight not the towel weight.

The Easyspin leaves the clothes pretty dry, but My Hoover kicks but. However, the Hoove won't hold 12 towels; maybe 8. 12 Stuffed and Bobloaded ??? Laundress where R U?

This weekend, I'll try the Hoover test for you, but they just had a news bulletin on TV saying that " Unfortunately for the Holidays, all Buffalo and Suburban Target stores are suddenly and mysteriously out of Jetcone towels. A cult of hot, handsome washer freaks is claiming responsability."

 

[mickeyd]

Just saw it

If the Pulsamatic removes 61% spinning at 660? rpm, then the Unimatic's 1180? rpm are going to devastate every other contestant.

Hunks, hotties and gorgeous chicks, Prepare yourselves for the inevitable.

 

[jetcone]

Got mine!!

Now we'll see what a real Bendix does!!

 

[exploder321]

We need more towels and i want some.. Plus i wanna see how my Frigidaire Does...

Time to go find a target in another area...