Which? Consumer Report 1977

[paulc]

Ooops,

Sorry Mike.....been LONG day. Didn't read that properly before I posted. It is interesting how times change. Having said that, all those water guzzling automatics with suprisingly long wash times, then there is the Hotpoint 1828, relatively low water usage, reasonably short wash times.....In my opinion ahead of it's time and a flipping good machine, a happy medium if ever there was one.

 

[turnamat]

Thank You so much for the scans!Gives many information about Britains machines to me!

Thomas.

 

[matchboxpaul]

Its only when you see the reports from the late 1970s that you realise the number of unusual machines that were around - the Balay, the Frigidaire, the White Westinghouse etc

When I was a nipper, an infant and junior school parent had a White Westinghouse, though can remember nothing about it - it was just a name that was mentioned, when I asked her what machne she had.

Also goes to show just how long the basic style of left hand drive Bauknecht machine, was in production for. That style was still in the shops through to the mid 80s.
To put it into perspective, from 1977 to 1985, Hoover had six style changes - A3006 aluminium style, A3060 New Magic, A3110 Smoother, A3190 Electron range 1, A3260 Electron range 2 and A3350 Electron range 3!

Paul

 

[rolls_rapide]

Which? of the era...

...was a very useful information source.

I read a recent edition and was frankly dismayed at the amount of dumbed-down, uneducated rubbish they were spouting.

For example, dishwashers: something along the lines of "a large item spray head is not necessary..." (as supplied with Bosch, Siemens and Neff models). They ("she" - female writer) seemed to think it was used for cleaning pots & pans. Er, not quite, dear!

As we all know, the large item spray head fits on the back wall of the machine, replacing the upper basket (which is totally removed from the machine). This allows large baking trays, grills, grids, oven panels and the like, to be stood upright like dishes normally would. The spray head directs the jets both left and right - onto the baking trays, preventing a powerful blast firing directly onto the door.

She obviously failed to read the instruction manuals. Shoddy research, and she should be taken to task over it. Unacceptable.

 

[ricky5050]

Fascinating!

Thanks. Mike!

It's fascinating reading old which mags like these, especially the prices!, I ve been doing some rough sums, in 1977 average weekly wage was £93 and average washer was say £250 so it would be 2.7 weeks of salary to pay for it, today average weekly wage is £722 and let's say an average washer is £350 it only takes 1/2 week now to pay for one. Which (no pun ) is why people of that era ie our parents were so precious about things they bought or annoyed if we broke them ahem!. And it's no wonder why today there is a move towards "nipping down to tesco and buying a new washer as the last one has broken it was ancient tho we'd had it 3 years!" mentality as they have become so cheap they are almost disposable. I'm not saying this is a good or bad thing , just a reality.

What were your favourite numbers?

Ha ha yes i remember this , still do with mams hottie hitting 23 this year , but in 1982 my parents replaced their 9 year old Hoover match box with a shiny new servis slimline 320 washer and matching 220 dryer, it wasn't the most reliable as came with a drum fault and seemed to eat door seals, but perhaps this was due to them, getting a pub in 1984 ( don't do it ) so there was always a load of towels table cloths and bar mats to wash as well a family clothes.

My mam used to say "bang those towels on a 1&9" as prog 1&9 had been combined as a boil wash, she used to use ariel liquid in a areilette filling it half full of liquid and half with domestos! We never had any issues with mould or smellls ha ha , but perhaps that's why so many door seals where needed. The washer died in 1989 with very worn bearings and the drum pulley snapped off. The dryer drum split and failed in 1991.

Oh if only these magazines had time machines attached !

Thanks again

Richard

 

[chestermikeuk]

Time

Hi Richard, yes to the time machine, I laugh because at least people seemed to use the different programmes back then, either 1,2,5, & 7, or C, D,E & G...LOl and know what type of wash they did, those numbers and letters where very well used!!

Funny you should say that bout the Servis slimline pair used in a pub, I remember seeing the same set in TWO guest houses in Chester that had the same in the laundry area.

Hi Callum, yes the reports of today certainly do vary in what they tell you about testing the machines of today,

Paul , yes all those style changes, although most of the machines in the report I would say 70% where not made here,

 

[chestermikeuk]

Letters

C, D, E & F....What where your favourite letters??