Bendix washing machines were sold as standard equipment in the kitchens of Levitt homes back in the fifties. These were front loading machines that fit under the cabinets. Kenmore mentions that the White-Westinghouse machines were still on the market, so were household grade versions of speed queens.
I am one that tends to perfer front loading machines myself, even from my youngest days. They were fun to watch as a kid because I was eye-level with the glass door windows and could watch the tumble actions going on. My grandmother had an old Westy Laundromat that she ended up getting rid of when I was about 10 years old when the timer broke. She wanted another FL but couldn't find anyone selling one. I was dissapointed with her new TL too, because I couldn't watch it run.
I was working at Sears when the Fridigaire FL came out, and I thought that was a great machine! They were so quiet, and used so little water. They sounded really professional while running because they didn't rumble and whine like FL's did, they had a subdued whir in spin cycle, and that was about it. The insides looked very well engineered too. Despite the interest in mechanical components here, I believe properly engineered electronics will actually outlast mechanical timers and components. The Fridigaires impressed me being having more electronics, and less mechanicals than the TL's.
As much as I like FL's, I hope that they do not dissapear from the market. It's nice when buyers have a choice, and I think that they have a place on the market. One of the things that TL's are great for is soaking heavily soiled clothing, and their fast cycle times. Being single, fast cycles are not an issue with me...I just start the machine and go do other things. I imagine this could be if one had kids, and need to do a lot of clothing in a short amount of time. Oddly enough, it's not something that salespeople bring up with shoppers.
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