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why is my hoover washing machine washing for unusually long time without — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.176.125.109 (talk) 13:37, 23 August 2012 (UTC)

What happened after they were invented? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 139.168.127.202 (talk) 20:39, 20 March 2007 (UTC).

Nospamtodd 00:15, 7 May 2007 (UTC) The introduction of direct drive machines, such as most Whirlpool/Kenmore top loaders and the Kenmore Oasis platform simply eliminates the belt, but doesn't decrease the complexity of the unit. For example, on the Oasis, the direct drive motor is a highly complex electronic component that must be driven by the main control unit. On the simpler Whirlpool direct drive top load washers (direct drive here is sort of an in-house technical and marketing term), these use a regular motor and a motor coupler instead of a belt. This eliminates some problems, but creates others, as the motor coupler is a highly breakable component.

Direct-drive is a somewhat ambiguous term since it only specifies how a motor of any type is attached to a load, and doesn't describe the motor technology itself. Washers have traditionally been driven by an AC induction motor that runs at a single speed only, and is attached to a gearbox that creates the complex agitator motions.

Computers and electronic motion sensing now allow the use of servomotors that have infinitely variable speed and motion, permitting the use of just a servomotor and its servo-controller to perform the same actions as the old motor and gearbox. Servomotors can also function as an electronic brake, using magnetic fields. This arrangement is mechnically less complex and the servo-controller has no moving parts, though it is not a perfect solution because failures can still occur due to electronics overheating, moisture intrusion and corrosion, and electronic component aging.

DMahalko 16:18, 31 May 2007 (UTC)

The yukon plunger needs to be mentioned, its manual agitator, hand powered, conical plunger, for washing clothes in a wash basing , bathtub, or a bucket ... over one hundred years old ... patent US7162897 references lots of the older patents ... if you want to do laundry without electricity this is the simplest idea (step up from foot agitation) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.51.144.118 (talk) 07:43, 21 January 2014 (UTC)

As I was reading the first mention of a date was: "The earliest special-purpose washing device was the washboard, invented in 1797.[2]". Further down under it states that the first patent was in 1752 and that in the 1790's Edward Beetham sold numerous 'patent washing mills'. So there's a definite contradiction as to the earliest washing machines. The washer board in 1797 or the washing mills patented in 1752 and in subsequent years? I'm totally new to any wiki changes and though I read it often I don't know how to change the article to be more precise. Thank you to anyone who can fix this issue. Livingrisky (talk) 22:46, 27 July 2015 (UTC)