Thanks, it's really multi-purpose. Take out 2 bolts, and the agitator, and it's ready for Saturday night!
Ozark Tom's Big Load Washtub
Built by Preppers For Preppers
100% Stainless Steel, Ruggedly Built, Ergonomically Designed, Quality Fabrication. Built to last a lifetime.
Click on the link below to watch the video. Yes, that's my sweet Bride in the video.
Who lives rural and only has 1 pair of overalls, or 2 shirts that need washing? Nobody! That’s why we built Ozark Tom’s Big Load Washtub for the real world. It washes 4 pairs of overalls, plus a several shirts with room to spare – with no more effort than sweeping your floor.
100% Stainless Steel, Ruggedly Built, Ergonomically Designed, Quality Fabrication. Built to last a lifetime.
Click on the link below to watch the video. Yes, that's my sweet Bride in the video.
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It would work with the agitator in I think, and make it faster than hand washing. The agitator (2"x2" angle) glides close to the tub wall, and it's purpose is to move the water, not the clothes/fleece. As long as whatever is in the tub is moving, it's getting clean.It's perfect for washing large fleeces in as well, if you remove the bars.
Great job!
I did tons of research on wringers, and couldn't find any built to last. Some even had plastic gears. I may design my own in the near future.Neat! I'd like to see wringers on one end -- would make it much easier to wring clothes out between wash/ rinse as well as at the end.
We didn't show it in the video, but we've been using a big mop bucket wringer from HD. It didn't squeeze quite as tight as I liked, so I fastened a 3/4" board to one side of the jaw.
What, you want me to spoil her?Just 2 thoughts:
1. I think ringing should properly be spelled "Wringing".
2. Build that lady a stool or something to set the basket on so she doesn't have to bend all the way to the ground to pick up the heavy washed jacket.
Kewl!! Very nice.
Nope, the overalls and jeans were barn mucking apparel, and the rest were typical July on the homestead stuff.hmmmmmmmmmmm Clothes looked clean to start with.
I takes about 5 minutes of slow agitation to equal our Speed Queen as far as getting clothes clean.
You spend more time waiting for the tub to fill and drain than washing/rinsing.
Yeah, it's not cheap, but I'm not making much on it. Stainless steel is expensive, the 1/4" x 2 bar by itself costs me $80 per unit! The nuts, bolts, and washers run $18, and just the box to ship it in $15.42.Thats nice work Tom, that price tag made me cringe though...
Have you considered offering different models for different budgets?
Maybe even something along the lines of a retrofit kit for commercially available tanks?
Just a Idea I had.
Aluminum would be much cheaper, but then bleach would oxidize it and turn it black. Standard drums would be extremely temporary as the pivot point would wear out, and there's no reinforcing for the supports. The pivot point on my tub is 7/16" ID stainless steel pipe, welded to the outside of the steel reinforcing strap.
Lehmans sells their "Lehmans Own Hand Washer" for $599 ($95 less) but it's about 1/3 the size, and in my opinion poorly built (read their reviews). Theirs weighs 30 lbs, mine 83 lbs.
I'd love to be able to sell it for less, but then I'd have to lessen the quality and material gauges. I'd also have to put someone else' name on it!
Thank you! A couple things - the "dasher paddle" could be bigger, but it's purpose is to just move the water, not the clothes. If you move it too fast it pushes the clothes rather than the water moving them. I didn't want the steel dasher bar wearing on the clothes. Also, it's really not too much of a workout. I built the agitator handle to have good leverage on the dasher. Our 7 year old grandson can stand at one end and move the agitator quite well by standing on a small stool.When I look at that washer I don't see a mambypamby Chinese junk pile. I see a family hand me down. That little lady is built to last. I love the design of the dasher handle. You can get a great upper body work out while washing. I would like the dasher paddle a tad bigger to beat the clothes more.
Other then that I wouldn't change it. As a mom of 9 I could see getting the job done with that girl!
I can't believe that in 36 posts nobody has mentioned our stash of canning jars in the background of the picture/video. We used to have them stacked in the garage, but didn't have room for them and our TP stash too.
Muleman, I feel the same way. I designed the tub for people who are going to use it as part of their way of life, serious folks who expect their purchases to live up to their expectations.
I could use thinner gauge steel for the tub, but then it would be full of dents in no time. Also, thinner material couldn't stand up to the weight stresses of 35 gallons of water spread over 36". I could have used plastic grommets at the pivot points instead of pipe welded through to the reinforcing bars, but in a year or two they'd break. I could save cost by using wooden dowel instead of 1 1/8" pipe for the bar, but again, wood doesn't last.
The one cost saving concession I made was to use treated 2x4s for the legs, but in reality that was mainly because short people would have a hard time using it at it's standard height. This way they just cut the legs off to suit them.
I've made some sales, but not as many as I'd hoped. Luckily, I'm not trying to feed a family from this endeavor. I saw a niche that was empty in the prepper list of needs, and decided to fill it. One bonus, I'm having fun doing it!
I could use thinner gauge steel for the tub, but then it would be full of dents in no time. Also, thinner material couldn't stand up to the weight stresses of 35 gallons of water spread over 36". I could have used plastic grommets at the pivot points instead of pipe welded through to the reinforcing bars, but in a year or two they'd break. I could save cost by using wooden dowel instead of 1 1/8" pipe for the bar, but again, wood doesn't last.
The one cost saving concession I made was to use treated 2x4s for the legs, but in reality that was mainly because short people would have a hard time using it at it's standard height. This way they just cut the legs off to suit them.
I've made some sales, but not as many as I'd hoped. Luckily, I'm not trying to feed a family from this endeavor. I saw a niche that was empty in the prepper list of needs, and decided to fill it. One bonus, I'm having fun doing it!
Absolutely! I sent you a PM.I noticed your stash of canning jars!!
I also disagree with anyone who says it is too expensive. My piece of crap front loader washing machine cost almost as much and I would venture to guess that yours won't break down after just 2 years of light use like mine did.
I am going to show this to my hubby (who is at this moment at home working on said piece of junk). If we were to purchase one would we be able to road trip to pick it up?
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