What DON'T You Care For?

[perc-o-prince]

Steering Wheel Mounted Controls

Oh, I gotta say that between my steering wheel stereo controls and my automatic headlights, I'd be hard-pressed to choose which I'd settle without on my next car! The steering wheel volume/mute alone is, as far as I'm concerned, a great safety feature once you become used to it. I use it regularly, as well as the channel/band changer.

And as far as a gas stove goes, we'll be remodeling the downstairs kitchen again (ugh) and will be looking to see if we can run propane instead of being stuck with electric. Probably won't happen, but we both prefer the control and even heat gas gives.

Unfortunately, natural gas stops about 1/5th of a mile down the street from our house. Otherwise we'd convert both cooking and heating!!!

Chuck

 

[tomturbomatic]

Chuck, you might save yourselves grief and purchase a couple of 220 volt induction units. Even the cooking shows are showing them now. I caught the end of an episode of Lydia this weekend. She was visiting two guys with a small Italian eatery in NYC and they made a point of telling her that the little counter where they were standing was the kitchen and all they had was induction cooking. I saw a couple of Cook Tek induction units and I think there was another where they were cooking the pasta.

I have three units, one 1800 watt that runs on a 20 amp 120 volt circuit, one 3000 watt that runs on a 220 volt 15 or 20 amp circuit and a 3500 watt that takes the same. The two larger ones are Cook Tek and the smaller one is a Volrath. You would not believe the speed and you can drop a full boil to nothing in about 3 seconds which is just the heat in the base of the pan dissipating. I have not turned a surface unit on my ranges to "HIGH" in a very long time because the induction is so much more efficient. I still use some skillets on the regular elements but those don't go over high heat. Boiling water for pasta and raising a head of steam in a pressure cooker take no time with induction because you are creating the heat IN the pan, not transferring heat to the pan. The only thing you have to get used to is the power settings. It helps to remember that in standard electic surface unit controls, medium high is half of full power, medium is about 30-40% of high, low about 15-20% and simmer somewhere between 7 and 10%. Frying is almost never done above 40% of full power and you can't turn on the power until you have the food AT the pan or IN it; the preheating is too fast to heat an empty pan and go for the food until you realize the power you have.

If you invest in an induction unit or two, you can start the cooking on it for the crucial early stages and then transfer the pan to the electric element for the finishing stage where a nice low heat is easy to maintain.[this post was last edited: 1/15/2013-08:44]

 

[hydralique]

I've never liked laundry pairs where the dryer is wider than the washer, it makes an otherwise matched pair look a little un-matched. I also dislike most woodgrain on control consoles, in particular the 1-18s, as nobody would use real wood in such fussy patterns. One of the first rules of designing using materials wisely is to use any artificial material in the same manner as you'd use the real thing. "Garage door" Lady Kenmores are some of the better designs using fake woodgrain but they are an exception. Modern consoles with swirly or wave-like designs marching randomly across the front are another dislike, why can't buttons and knobs be presented in an elegant fashion with a nice surface behind them? Frigidaire in the early '60s had probably the prettiest of all.

 

Regarding steering wheel controls on cars, I really hate them because the relative position changes when the wheel rotates. I can't count the number of times I've made an emergency maneuver in the VW to avoid someone else doing something stupid and hit the horn only to get nothing because the actual button isn't in the center of the wheel, probably due to the airbag. It's below the center  identified by a tiny embossed horn that can't be seen without a careful look. In the straight ahead position it works but twirl the wheel in an emergency and you'll never see it. My Saab had buttons on the spokes that worked better but were too easy to hit when looking backwards to parallel park. Give me an old-fashioned stalk and I'm happy. Citroen had my absolute favorite for many years on the right side of the column, it rotated to turn the lights on, flicked back and forth to dim them, and you pushed in for the horn. A little push got the town horns, a big push town and country horns, and if you did the big push and held it you got town horns, country horns and the compressor for the air horns would cycle. Nobody could miss those!

 

 

 

[rickr]

What don't I care for?

These. In fact, I hate them.
Washer tangles,wrinkles, and tends to go out of balance if washing less than a full load.It's a great towel washer, but thats about it. The dryer takes too long to dry, and can only be used during the winter because it fills the basement with humidity. It is also very hard to clean the lint out of the cabinet, which must be done from time to time. I rarely use either of these, and the washer is my least favourite of my three Frigidaires.

And brussel sprouts. I hate those too!

 

[tolivac]

Ah Ha!!We have the culprits for the Maytags "Whipped Wash" ad in the old Better Homes and Gardens magazines!Those are sure pretty machines!!Like the pink and turquoise together.Just makes an attractive combination.That Maytag ad showed a picture of tangled clothes and someone trying to untangle them.Did any other washers make the "Whipped Wash"In the few times I used my brothers Frigidaire "jumping jack" agitator washer-didn't have the tangling issues-loaded the machine as suggested in the instructions on the top-no problem for me.Replaced the timer in his machine at one time-looked like the ones shown in the picture on the home page here.

 

[mieleforever]

Kardashian sisters

As seeing we are talking about appliances I suppose they are as plastic as today's appliances!!!

 

[davey7]

hydralique -

Didn't the Citroen have manually cancelling tun signals (and of course height adjustable suspensions?

 

[qsd-dan]

Hi Rick,

 

   Nice to see you posting. Is your complaints about the '57 uni washer strictly apply to that year only or does is it apply to all unimatics in general?

 

[paulg]

Portacolors

Portacolors? I've fixed a bunch of them - both tube and Solid State.
The tube ones were fine, the solid-state ones with the bad feed throughs were tricky.
That being said, the first new color TV I ever bought was a Portacolor.
In 30 years I replaced the tuner once. Other than that it always worked. Gave it to the recycler just about a year ago. Still worked.

 

[hydralique]

Davey7 . . .

The first Citroen to have self-cancelling signals was the '73 SM, '71 and '72 SMs did not.  I'm not sure when other Cits got self-cancelling signals as '73 was the last year they sold here in the US; I can't recall if my dad's '76 CX did. For many years one pulled the signal stalk toward the steering wheel to cancel, it was very easy to do and IMO much nicer than self-cancelling signals that often cancel when you don't want them to. All the big Citroens had the hydropneumatic suspension that self-levels and can be adjusted for ride height or to change a tire.

 

[rickr]

Hi Dan, This is the only Unimatic that I have used, so I don't know for sure. I would guess that they all wash the same, same stroke, same spin speed, same tub size, so I would guess that it would not matter what year the machine was built.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Woodgrain: Yeh, pretty tacky & almost purposeless! It seemed to get washed off along w/ most of the control markings on most machines... (Norge, Whirlpool et. al.)

GM-built Frigidaires seem to be as superfluous w/ it as if confused whether it were on a washer or dryer or the dashboard of one of their cars! (GE, somehow also made it out of place... And doesn't that Mont. Ward washer for sale seem like a Kelvinator w/ Whirlpool woodgrain on it?)

"Kardashians", I see? Well, put me down for a "Chaz"...!

-- Dave

 

[norgeway]

Unimatics...

Yes, they tangle your clothes..BUT.....That means they have been WASHED!!!! not just lazily swished around!