Why does everyone think GE is so great?

[mrcleanjeans]

Well I'm on a roll. Why GE? We had one in my teen years,standard capacity, ramped activator, Mini Basket. I loved that Mini-Basket and used it lots. The ramped tator was great, far better than the lousy straight vane GE had for awhile. But boy, did it sometimes shake, rattle and roll on spin like a demonized washer. The concrete blocks didn't cut it. Still, I liked that machine.

 

[lebron]

GE's are some of the best cleaning washers ever. Filter system second to none. Great machines

 

[jons1077]

GE's

A few things I've learned about GE's since finally have one. Although the overall design of them did not change for over 30 years, materials did change. Older models had virtually all metal parts and heavily constructed cabinets. My 68 model is one of the quietest GEs I've ever heard and never shakes or rattles. Take a simlar machine 15 years later and they were pretty terrible. The washing action was the same and did rather well, but materials were much cheaper. A lot noisier, lighter weight so they would rattle and "walk", etc.

Is it the best washer for lint removal? Hard to say. My 1970 Kenmore does an excellent job with the self-cleaning filter. Surprisingly the 1970s Maytag lint filter does very well for being so simple. The worst filter is probably the Westinghouse or 1-18. I just don't care for them.

GE styling...I think the machines were sleak and modern. I lighted panel from the 60s never gets old to me. It's rather timeless. Perhaps again due to materials used. There is a lot of heavy chrome, stainless steel, etc. and looks excellent for its age and history.

Agitators...that one is really a toss-up to me. I honestly can't say that ramp or straight-vanes are better than the other. We judge so heavily on rate of turnover but, in fact, turnover isn't always that necessary depending on the design of the agitator. Ramp activators need rollover because rins are small at the top and are much larger at the base where the wash action really occurs. The V-16 straight vane I have has rather large fins from top to bottom and smaller angled fins at the base in addition. The smaller curved fins help move closes out away from the base to create that turnover but at a slower rate. The clothing really doesn't need a high rate of turnover because the wash action is really occuring from top to bottom with the large fins. Do I notice a difference in the end results? Not at all. It would be microscopic I'm sure.

I can't say for sure that GE had the best washer design. I do know it was a very durable, reliable, and offered very good results. Filter-flos were a design that should have been improved on, not replaced.

Just my observations...

Jon

 

[kenwashesmonday]

Dad was a GE repairman, so we had nothing but GEs.

Mom was a nurse, and every so often, oil spots would appear on here white nursing uniforms. With our family of 5, I'd say dad was replacing the transmission in our Filter Flo washers about every 5 years.

The GE can turn over quite a large heavy load, but it uses more water than a Maytag due to the size of the GEs outer tub, so that's probably a "wash" (he-he).

Ken D.

 

[mickeyd]

"so that's probably a "wash" (he-he).&quo

if you love water currents, agitation and fills, there is nothing quite as satisfying as a mini-basket doing its thing. Once the washer fills to the mini level, the motor kicks in and the filter pump fills the basket rather rapidly as the agitation unfolds. You've heard of high English Tea? Well, this is High Washer Drama at its apex.

For me, the whole joy and treasure of a GE resides in the magic of the mini-basket.

 

[bajaespuma]

What makes GE washers so great?

GE washer engineering was less simple and elegant than Maytag's(Maytag used 1 part for every 3 parts in other brands and even won US awards for parts in military aviation in WWII), GE's worked really well and offered an array of bells and whistles that were marketing gems,like the Filter-flo system, one of the first programmed bleach dispensers, the mini-wash system, and too many one-model year wonders to mention. They were louder, heavier and larger than most Maytags but they were just as solid and able to get larger amounts of clothes cleaner than the 'Tags. And, as we've seen on this site, they were almost as dependable as the tags; even though they had more parts to break they were made well enough to withstand hard use. My family has owned many of them and I can't remember a service call that wasn't because a sock had jumped to the outer tub (a design flaw, not a manufacturing flaw). Seems to me that vintage top loaders can be separated into two groups: machines where the outer tubs and inner washbaskets are balanced together(Maytags, 1-18's e.g.) and machines where the outer tub is anchored to the cabinet and the washbasket is hinged independently(Filter-flo's, early Frigidaires e.g.)

 

[mickeyd]

swirling veils of water

Sorry, but I love this stuff ! Where else but here? Why we revere and love Robert for providing us with a welcome home !

 

[tomturbomatic]

I have a beautiful V-12 with a white and gray, non-pedestal control panel, two speeds, two wash temps, three water levels, normal and short cycles on the timer. It filled with about as much water as my KA which washes a larger load. I had to be very careful which detergents I used because the GE would severely suds lock during the first spin. One thing I changed as soon as I put it into operation was the fill flume. The original shot water at the clothes-retaining ring and sprayed it all over when the lid was up, which for me was an almost permanent mode of operation. The later flume angled the water better. While beautiful, it was not that entertaining to use.

 

[bajaespuma]

yes, Tom;

and I want to buy it from you as soon as you tire of it.

 

[rayjay]

GE Americana

I took my grandmother to buy a new washer. It was a GE AMericana. It was so long ago I cannot remember what year it was. Can anyone help me out here??? Could it be eary 70's??? It was such a beaustiful machine, light up beautifuly at night. Had the both timed bleach dispenser and fabric softener too. Loved the soak cycle and the extra detergent dispenser that fit on top o the filter pan. This dropped the detergent in for the main wash. This machine lasted for over 20 years, may 25. We sold the house in 1995 and it was still there. It had the straight vane agitator but it really moved the clothes and cleaned them well.

 

[bajaespuma]

Was it this one?

We had the same one if yes.

 

[rayjay]

Hi Ken. Thanks for the pic. That was the machine. I think it was one of the best along with the Rapid Dry, 1-18 and of course the Westinghouse front loader, and Speed Queens.

Do you also like the Americana?