Hey guys. When was Whirlpool ahead of their time? Why or why not? Please discuss. In my opinion, it was the direct drive under their own and Kenmore brands.
When was Whirlpool ahead of their time?
- Thread starter gelaundry4ever
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cfz2882
Well-known member
About 1943 when Whirlpool had designed an automatic washer mechanism that would become the classic belt drives that lasted into the mid-1980s 
What about other washer designs, dryers and dishwashers? What features stood out from everybody else? When did they become the juggernaut?About 1943 when Whirlpool had designed an automatic washer mechanism that would become the classic belt drives that lasted into the mid-1980s
vacerator
Well-known member
Whirlpool dishwasher in the 1960's were good, but Hobart "Kitchen Aid' held the lead I think, but were more expensive. Sears may have actually been selling more. The new Powerclean models around 1970 offered 3 level wash on a few models. Styling was more trendy with slanted consoles and a new latch handle. Competition was fierce though, with new GE Potscrubber models, and Kenmore. Kitchen Aid remained the higher standard.
What about other appliances? How about their laundry? I'd love to know more. I would love to see that trend return but I doubt that would happen.
They became the Juggernaut because of Sears largely. Whirlpool sold most of the machines they made through Sears as the Kenmore brand. Sears easy credit also got more of those machines into people's homes. Sears had a brilliant strategy. Quite possibly had it not been for Sears. The 1900 Corp would have died on the vine so to speak.... There were already more well known established brands.
I'm curious about how big the Whirlpool plant was, considering they claimed to be the largest washer factory in the world. When did they incorporate advanced technology? I am interested to know when their design was ahead of their time. The prime example for me would be the direct drive washer.
Actually, a prime example of being ahead of their time was in 1947 when they came out with the perforated wash basket and neutral drain. Everybody other than speed Queen (North American market) does it now
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What about the advanced technology? I always thought that was a 1980's thing, considering the direct drive platform which was built on a computer-driven assembly line and was called laundry engineered advanced product (LEAP). How many square feet was the plant? When did it grow to the current size of today?
Didn't Whirlpool have a few plants in this country making washing machines?
vacerator
Well-known member
Juggernaut for Washers and dryers yes, but until 1982 DM or Design Manufacturing in Indiana was the maker of Kenmore dishwashers for Sears.
The Clyde Ohio Whirlpool Laundry plant opened sometime after 1955 I believe. Dishwashers are made in Findlay, along with some dryers still Ranges in Marion Ohio.
The Clyde Ohio Whirlpool Laundry plant opened sometime after 1955 I believe. Dishwashers are made in Findlay, along with some dryers still Ranges in Marion Ohio.
When did Whirlpool incorporate robots in Clyde? That too seems to me that Whirlpool already would've been getting into the computerization of manufacturing. Or was it in the 2000's that this really took off?
Another thing to mention was that Whirlpool claimed to be the world leader in laundry. How was this possible? Why did Kenmore have higher end features first before Whirlpool had them later?
vacerator
Well-known member
No, Whirlpool had all push button models along with Kenmore, just fewer. Suds saver too.
Wow! You would've thought Whirlpool would've had more features than Kenmore since it's their own brand. Interesting.
vacerator
Well-known member
Sears designed their consoles. My dad retired from Sears. The high end Whirlpool's were the MK X.
What set agitator apart since they were similar? Which performed better getting out tough, ground-in dirt? How did the LEAP plaform enhance the cleaning power even further?
Imperial Mark XII and Imperial Mark 18 (for 18lb capacity). And Solid State Mark Series.
I had always been of the understanding that the end of the best Whirlpools was the mid ‘80’s when they switched away the long stroke agitation. Switching to (cheap, “consumer grade”) electronics would definitely be a downgrade in reliability.
Companies often use acronyms like LEAP to disguise cheapening of their products, not improving.
Keith
Companies often use acronyms like LEAP to disguise cheapening of their products, not improving.
Keith
Interesting. I would've thought Whirlpool would've used high-tech manufacturing.
For one year, I think 1990, Whirlpool offered a water saving recycling washing machine. It was direct drive. I have one and it's still going strong. The only thing I've had to replace is one plastic knob. I don't use the recycle function very often but do when we are in drought. You can get water saving recycling machines now, but in this, I think Whirlpool was decades ahead of their time.
There’s been some debate as to when Whirlpool started to decline, but I’d argue the decline began once they went to the direct drives. The direct drives have (and still have) issues with the transmission and slipping into spin when it’s cold or the neutral drain pack fails, the belt drives could never slip into spin because of the design.
Belt drives could have issues with the transmission, but was seldom compared to the direct drives.
The biggest gripe about the direct drives is the rinsing performance since they don’t do multiple spray rinses on the first spin to rinse away the soapy water and detergent. Another thing that affects the rinsing performance as well on the direct drives is the pump runs in either direction vs the belt drives which have it only run on a single direction. My hypothesis is on the direct drives is the soapy water that’s left in the drain hose gets pumped back into the tub when it begins the agitation for rinse. Since the pump aerates, it can kick up some suds in the rinse.
The belt drives on the other hand only have a pump running in a singular direction, since there’s multiple spray rinses on the first spin, it essentially pushes away the soapy water away as much as possible. There will be some of the soapy water in the pump, drain hose that will make it’s way back into the tub but will be pumped away for a second or so before the transmission engages for the rinse agitation. Since there’s even more spray rinses on the final spin, it pushes away even more of the soapy water (what little there is left in the rinse) away. Just an observation I’ve made over the years.
The whole premise of a thread entitled when did whirlpool start to decline is ridiculous.
Yes, you can go on endlessly about this or that was worse, but you’re not looking at all. The things that are better, by any major whirlpool is building better appliances today than they have ever built and they’re building more of them.
They have a significant presence in more than 60 countries, building millions of appliances a year.
Brands, like whirlpool KitchenAid and Maytag or some of the most highly respected appliance brands today.
It’s really better to talk about specific problems and appliances here and there but to start a thread saying when did whirlpool start to go bad or Maytag or GE or anybody else for that matter is really not getting anywhere or helping anybody understand appliances better
Yes, you can go on endlessly about this or that was worse, but you’re not looking at all. The things that are better, by any major whirlpool is building better appliances today than they have ever built and they’re building more of them.
They have a significant presence in more than 60 countries, building millions of appliances a year.
Brands, like whirlpool KitchenAid and Maytag or some of the most highly respected appliance brands today.
It’s really better to talk about specific problems and appliances here and there but to start a thread saying when did whirlpool start to go bad or Maytag or GE or anybody else for that matter is really not getting anywhere or helping anybody understand appliances better
I agree.
But some people here are OpinionATED
LOL! This whole thread is just “opinion”
And noooo data.
Hot take.
I don’t even consider the Direct Drive “technologically advanced.” There’s nothing “advanced” about it. If anything it was cheaper for WP to make vs. the belt drive. We customers were just lucky it was also durable.
The Maytag helical is I think more technically advanced, just for the inventiveness and sheer simplicity of the helix engagement and NO clutch. Just using the slipping belt as a clutching mechanism.
Marketing-wise, I guess you could argue Whirlpool’s self cleaning filters were nifty technology.
Performance is mostly in the cycle programming, which WP had was pretty good. Sans the poor spray rinsing.
The Dual Action agitator launched via Kenmore was pretty revolutionary I’d also say. But those were launched on the belt drives, so….
I don’t even consider the Direct Drive “technologically advanced.” There’s nothing “advanced” about it. If anything it was cheaper for WP to make vs. the belt drive. We customers were just lucky it was also durable.
The Maytag helical is I think more technically advanced, just for the inventiveness and sheer simplicity of the helix engagement and NO clutch. Just using the slipping belt as a clutching mechanism.
Marketing-wise, I guess you could argue Whirlpool’s self cleaning filters were nifty technology.
Performance is mostly in the cycle programming, which WP had was pretty good. Sans the poor spray rinsing.
The Dual Action agitator launched via Kenmore was pretty revolutionary I’d also say. But those were launched on the belt drives, so….
Sean, I have definitely found that my Whirlpool belt drive has the clearest rinsing. With the KitchenAid the water seems cloudy a lot. Oddly enough, it clears up if I use some fabric softener, but the belt drive the rinsing for the most part is clean with a little bit of suds on top, but that also gets sprayed off during the spin.
The Kenmore belt drive on the other hand always has foam in the wash when you hear the pump running. Sometimes it foams up and other times it doesn't. All because it's an active filter I assume.
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