Vintage photos of wringer washers

[mickeyd]

Lyle and Pat

Just wanted to share the beauty, and when asked, I yield. A man in Michigan had the Norge in a closing appliance shop, old stock, and he sold it on ebay. The candy stripe wrappers on the rollers were so cool, I almost didn't use it. The pic on the deck are from the day it arrived via U-Crate. I think the price was &250 ish. I'll have to do some fact checking. The iphoto library says her birth photo was June 1st, 2008, so I've had her 5 years. No extant vids, but I'll add it to the list. It is a very quiet machine. All you hear is the soft swish of the water jets. Even the pump is quiet.

I most love the Wash & Soak feature. With a load of heavily soiled stuff, you set the control, walk away for the afternoon, and come home to really clean clothes. If you're not satisfied, you dial up another wash cycle. Of course, you could have set the dial to HOLD, and let the load wash all afternoon. Wringers have a whole host of not commonly known advantages.

I need to take new pix of the restored modiified Visimatic. Here's an old one.

 

[wayupnorth]

Norge wringer washers all had the drain in the side of the tub, as I believed, unlike under the agitator unlike the rest. My mothers old Kenmore did have a drain on the side and I loved watching it slurp every drop in the tub.

 

[eddy1210]

Norge and Kenmore wringers

Mickey, you must be so proud of that Norge!   What's the story with the open Visimatic style wringers?  I thought Kenmore had a patent on that, or maybe not as Norge used the same design. 

 

[mickeyd]

Gee, Eddy, I haven't thought about that.

Like spinning, wringers and wringing is pretty much standard. They all rotate 360 degrees, go forward and reverse, have automatically reversing drainboards for waterflow, and a variety of safety releases.

But the open tops--like convertable cars--I don't know who was first or even if any other brands besides the Whirlpool Surgomatic, Lady Kenmore Visimatic, and Norge "Deep Rinse" models featured an open wringer.

Does anyone else know?

Visimatic cheating with the Norge's agitator ~

 

[mixfinder]

Beautiful Mess

Mikey, you make my soul sing hallelujah. You are the most beautiful car crash of energy, art, playfulness and wild abandon. The Norge is such a powerful beast with the mighty four vaned dasher. Does it sound anything at all like a Norge automatic when it agitates with a big earthy groan and an occasional gear slap? I have a pink Visimatic with a bad pump which I haven't played with since putting it in storage before moving to Seattle in 2002. Maytags were all around when I was a kid and I thought they were too common but I'd happily adopt a square tub with the aluminum liner if it happened along. This was such a good idea Brad and I love the way it involves the love of differently abled machines and their masters.

 

[mickeyd]

Kelly

I want you to know that I chuckled all the way through the pre-bedtime rituals last night thinking of myself as a car crash which is so funny and so true. Even funnier that I'm not a train wreck...... YET...... LOL

Please get that pink Visimatic out of storage and onto the boards.

Have an Easy day.

 

[waterwitch]

Reply# 75

@bradross;

Dear god, this is absolutely beautiful! Are there any other pictures of this machine? Any other information on it?

 

[geoffdelp]

Here's a little "2-fer" shot; I really have to work on getting some new photos of my machines. I have a couple that were added in the last couple of years that no one has seen yet ... they aren't done with the resto work, that's why!!

 

[geoffdelp]

This is one of my Model J's; 1963, I believe??

 

[geoffdelp]

Here's a 1968 version; a month or two before the crazy safety pedal was introduced. I have found I really like the Model J's; not sure why they were discontinued sometime in 1969, I believe.

Great thread, Brad!!

 

[oldskool]

Wow!

This is an absolutely great thread - Brad - great idea!

I have enjoyed reviewing the many great pictures, over and over!

Geoff - your laundry room is "off the chain" as the kids say! I love the light, brightness of it - and so clean. Even your furnace and water heater are clean and beautiful!

John

 

[abcomatic]

Hi everyone , Geoff

Geoff, I have a 1954 Commander and love it too; I wonder why they discontinued them too? I have a question for you. The rubber strip around the bottom of the outside of the tub. When it gets wet, some black water streams down the side. What can i do about that?
Gary

 

[abcomatic]

my Easy center dial

Here is a picture of my Easy center dial. I have no idea how old my machine is but i sure do like using it. The only problem that i have is that the spinner basket must be out of balance because it sure makes a racket when it spins. Any ideas there? Thank, Gary

Ya Brad!

 

[mickeyd]

Geoff, if you come back,

I remember when you got the Maytag automatic. Before that did you only have wringers?

Do you do most or all of your laundry in the Conventionals, aka wringers ?

Agreed, his laundry room is over the top. The chrome & turquoise radio is priceless.

 

[wetguymd]

My Maytag

on laundry day!!

 

[stan]

Lyle

what's the story with that agitator ?
Never seen one like that on a maytag wringer?

 

[mr-maytag]

Thanks for starting this string, Brad. It's fun to see everyone's machines all in one place! Here's a picture of my February 1964 Maytag Model J:

 

[mr-maytag]

Here's my (brand new) October 1983 model E:

 

[geoffdelp]

Thanks guys ... never really left; been here all the time. Just nothing new to share!!

Mickey ... no; I do most of my laundry in the automatic. I do use the wringer more in the summer time, especially for blue jeans and outside clothes. Love doing white sheets and pillowcases in hot water in them and use the rinse tubs and then out on the line; super nice.

Gary ... the black band gets hardened from time/use. You could put some Armor-All on it and that might help for a while. Phil from Ovid, NY sells those; you have to fully remove the tub first, however. Also love your Easy dial; those are great machines!!

Lyle ... love your E with the lint filter agitator; so cool!

Still not too sure why the J, or Commander, was discontinued. I'll have to ask some friends who sold them ... my guess is they weren't the price leaders like the N and E. The N was appealing because of its size/convenience, price; the E had other features like the hinged lid, double-wall to keep water hotter. The J was in the middle and priced below the E. My guess is that women would pay the $40-$50 more for the E and get the extra features ... I really don't know.

The funny thing is the J had the same water gallon content (18 gallons), same wringer head/frame as the E ... I like it because the lid comes completely off and you have all this work space. Washing rugs or blankets is easier in the J; you have room to move around. I think it was discontinued at the end of 1969 ... November or December. It had about a year with the safety pedal. Sure do love Maytag's; they have been great machines for me and I learned the wringers pretty well. Not so hot with the actual gear in the wringer head; that is a tough one. Pounding out the stem for the worm gear in the transmission or adjusting the thrust is no picnic, either. I still learn a lot when I work on them.

 

[geoffdelp]

And Ted ... those are truly fabulous machines, also!! Certainly fun to use!!