Todays POD-----

[gyrafoam]

The debut of the "Cruel-Action" agitator finally gave the signal that it was now all right to stuff the machines full.

Note it is the GE than got the load the next best cleanest. The Whirly and the Maytag look to be the same.

Well Sears got it right-----they sure have sold a pile of 'em, and "America at large", sure can stuff 'em!

 

[gansky1]

Epidemic Capacity!

"America at large" has only gotten bigger since then!

It's curious that Whirlpool was OK with this ad, but I suppose the knew with the panel covered, most people would never be able to identify the brand by the lid & handle.

 

[jasonl]

That ad only reminds me when I first heard about the DAA. I broke away from my mom, hauled @$$ through Sears and opened the lid of the new washer with DAA, and then saying to myself "This is the washer of the future!"

 

[tomturbomatic]

This was 1976 or 77 and the agitation was still the long stroke action of the old transmissions. I sure was amazed almost 30 years ago when this ad first ran that they could even get a 15 lb.load into the Maytag and surprised that the WP Surgilator and larger tub did not circulate and clean better. GE was claiming up to 18 lb. loads so this was slightly under the claimed capacity, but I had never seen the big GE straight vane agitator circulate loads that effectively and was surprised at the GE's cleaning. Since the detergent was put on top of the loads, the Filter Flo might have distributed it faster when the agitation started. I wonder if all of the machines were set for the same wash time, or just started at the maximum wash time that the cycle provided, which is what the ad implies. Maytag's wash was 10 minutes. It seems like GE had a setting at the start of the Normal wash cycle for a maximum load that would have provided a longer wash agitation. I remember our V-12 had a nice big * at the start of the wash cycle to the right of the 12 minute mark that was supposed to be the start if you were washing a full 12 lb. load so that it washed for 14 minutes. I don't know what the maximum wash time was on the WP and KM machines, although many of you will know, but I think it was a maximum of 12 or 14 minutes. I still don't understand how they put a 15 lb. load in the Maytag without a good bit of packing down.

 

[brettsomers]

so when did Whirl start using the DA? how soon before others reacted to the DA? and indeed, that sure sounds like the numbers werent in Maytags favor.

 

[agiflow]

I can remember seeing a WP washer with the DAA as early as 1984. GE and Maytag didn't switch over till about mid ninties.

 

[wash&where?]

frigidaire jetcone washers not included in test

I remember right after that ad ran for Kenmore Washers that Frigidaire started their own television ad where they put a Kenmore Dual Action and a Frigidaire Jetcone side by side. They packed the load so tight that it was almost impossible for the Kenmore Dual Action Agitator to circulate a sock that was dropped in on top of the load. However, when they dropped it in the Frigidaire, it immediately was pulled to the bottom. Funny how Sears only picked the next three best selling washers for their test. It is a shame the GM Frigidaire design was laid to rest with the aquisition by WCI.

 

[westytoploader]

Very interesting ad to say the least, but let me just say this: without either of the Surgilators or the Dual-Action agitator, you CANNOT put a full 18 lb. mixed load into a BD Kenmore. I know by experience; the Super Roto-Swirl and Penta-Vane will absolutely refuse to roll the load over. The clothes on the bottom get a vigorous thrashing but what's on the top hardly moves at all; haven't really experimented fully with the Penta-Swirl yet but I'm willing to bet that it will probably be the same. I find it strange that the Whirlpool did not clean the load well, because when I was using the bakelite Surgilator in the Frankenmore, it did a decent job of circulation, so there's really no doubt that the Super Surgilator will work effectively as I've also heard good things about that agitator. I'm interested to see how it works as I have one on the way that should be here this week, and I'm also interested see how the pregnant Roto-Swirl will handle a full mixed load. But the Dual-Action is the clear winner; constant, steady turnover on all loads combined with a lot of waves crashing against the tub ring, especially if there are a few pairs of jeans thrown in.

Now for full loads of "soft" clothes, large bedquilts, etc., any of the agitators work great. I also know this by experience. It's just the really bulky items such as jeans, hooded sweatshirts, and the like that will really slow down the turnover.

As for the GE's good performance, I'm not the least bit surprised (and look, it's the Dispensall!). Talk about an awesome machine; I've said before that when you look at the 18 lb. tub of the GE, you don't think it will hold as much as it really does; definitely seems a bit smaller than the tub in the Whirlpools or Kenmores. The straight-vane Activator gives everything an even thrashing, and the ramp Activator is even better, turning over the load regardless of what you have in it. I think it's that 100 OPM agitation that really makes a difference; does a fantastic job with air bubbles as well. Really, besides the Frigidaire 1-18, the GE is one of the few machines that can actually wash its claimed capacity, IMHO.

--Austin

 

[agiflow]

Does anyone know if WP at the time of this ad was using that winged surgilator? If they were..i do not see how their sister machine scored so much better in cleaning when that Surgilator was very effective in load turnover itself.

The DAA seems to be the frustrated culmination of straight vane and roto-swirl in one agitator.

 

[westytoploader]

I agree, I'm quite surprised they didn't pit the DA against the Frigidaire...perhaps they knew who the real winner was?

 

[agiflow]

Didn't consumers reports complain of the 1-18's for having uneven cleaning at the time though?

Austin, how well does the 1-18 do with heavier denim fabrics? That seems to be a good test of how these machines can handle rollover..admittedly a tough test for any TL washer.

 

[westie2]

1 - 18 vs DAA

Frigidaire came outh with their own commerical against the Kenmore DAA. Had clear washers both with full loads staarted them and dropped in a red sock. The 1-18 had like 9 or more rollovers against the one of the DAA. Aclassic to me.

 

[agiflow]

I remember that commercial. Though every BD DAA i have seen had much better turnover than what they showed in that video. I think it was rigged.

 

[mrtide]

Weren't these first DA's belt drives?

So did they make the clunka-clunka-clunka like my DD DA KM does? Except that the motor wasn't the same? I never heard that c-c-c sound until the DDs came on the scene. As you all know they can be very noisy at times, but seem to do a good wash job. Mine is a 1989 or a 90.

 

[agiflow]

The early DAA had a sound that sounded like a ratchet turning.
I also have a DD DAA now that actually does a good job as far as cleaning goes...but i really like these new Cabrio washers WP has just released with DAA and a see through lid.

From what i understand WP is sharing technology with Fisher&Paykel,..so i imagine these machines are going to be a big hit..only time will tell though.

 

[Unimatic1140]

Today's POD is a brochure that I picked up when I was 13 years old in a Sears store in New Brunswick, NJ back in 1976. It was a stand-alone Sears store (not connected to a Mall) that we always went to as when I was a kid. They day I picked this up was the very first time I had ever seen a Dual-Action agitator and when I saw the spiral, my first reaction was that it must pulsate up and down. No such luck!

Anyway, those pictures of those bib are very suspect. If you look closely it seems that some didn't get clean at all and others are completely clean. Why aren't there more bibs on any of the other machines that sort of came clean with just light spots left? And we know why they didn't included 1/18 in this test. I would think that the Whirlpool would have beaten more of those bibs clean as well so I have a hard time believing that this was a totally fair or accurate test.

 

[agiflow]

Yes Robert that store is still standing today and doing pretty well i would imagine.

I don't have to go that far anymore to get to Sears now as they have opened one up here in Woodbridge mall.

 

[DADoES]

Austin, I sometimes ran an 18-pound load (weighed on a bathroom scales) in our Supreme 80 with a Super Surgilator (not winged), and there was turnover. It was typically a mixed-cottons load of towels, socks, underwear, etc. Not usually any bulky/heavy items like sheets or jeans mixed in.

A goodly-loaded 1-18, like what I saw run at John Lefever's, has relatively slow turnover. I have a video clip of it.

 

[appnut]

And let's not forget the towel BobLoad at Austni's in December in the 1-18