vintage front loaders, but a little newer

[thedrycleaner]

hello fellow washer lovers. I wondered if you nice people could show me some front loaders that are a little vintage like maybe the 70s or 80s? I know about the nice vintage bendix console washers ect and of course the highly sought after slant front westies which I believe are awesome. but there must be some that are a little vintage within the last few decades anyway. please let me know. thanks Bill

 

[rinso]

We loved our 1979 White-Westy, but by that time WCI had cheapened them considerably, including a painted-not-porcelain top and door. The door paint started peeling after about 2 years, and the top was prone to scratching very easily. It did a great job with its potato pulley, and could hold more laundry than it looked like from first glance.

 

[cfz2882]

mostly "3-belt"Westinghouse in 1970s/80s

there was also a commercial machine often branded Westinghouse,that I think may have been Bendix design-pump on end of motor-saw these at Laundromat~1973 and some were installed at a new Laundromat in 1982,so built at least that late.When kick panel below the door opened,a pin trap and motor-mounted pump can be seen.

 

[appnut]

I had a former coworker (late 1980s-mid 1990s) his family had purchased one of the Laundromats that had the side-swing door from the mid-1960s. Dan had nursed that washr along until he couldn't keep it going any longer. Rust had finally claimed the machine. His wife was despondent beause WCI had stopped making the Laundromat in preparation of the eventual announcement of the Elux designed Frigiaire. Marge had only had front loaders in her life as her mother had only had front loaders from the beginning. It just killed Marge to have to settle for a top loader.

Kinda similar with a lady I'd met at work while I was still in Houston that had only had GM-designed Frigidaires from the beginning of her married life. She was part of a group that came up for a retirement party in the 1980s and Bernice was hoping her 1-18 would keep running for a long time as she didn't want a typical agitator washer. Bernice passed away a few years later.

 

[ea56]

I had a ‘87 White-Westinghouse FL that we bought new in ‘87 along with the matching dryer for $995.00 and used them as a stacked set for 7 absolutely trouble free years. We then sold the condo to a buyer that was going to rent the unit out. As far as I know they kept that stacked set in use for several more years.

It was hands down the BEST automatic washer I’ve ever owned or used, and I’ve owned 23 different washing machines since ‘72.

And like Eugene stated in reply #1 the capacity was way more than it looked like it would hold. The cycles were fast and efficient. I truly wish that I still owned that dynamite Westinghouse FL.

That being said the BOL Roper RTW4516 that I’ve owned for over 3 trouble free years is a close second to that ‘87 White-Westinghouse FL. I’d buy another one in a hot second. Basic, simple and gets the job done with zero drama.

Eddie