In 1990, when I was 18, moved away and bought a washer, that was one of my requirements that it had this kind of agitator. My grandma's Kenmore had it and it got clothes SO clean because the roll over was so good. I realize lots of people call these shredmore's because of it being rough on clothing, but I can honestly never remember anything being damaged from the washer.
The kind I bought from Sears in 1991 (I think) was the smaller one that was portable that you rolled to the sink since my apt didn't have washer dryer hookups. About four years later when I moved I put an ad in the paper and someone snatched it right up.