Wow, the modern version of this toaster would have an ARM processor and require security updates once a week, and every Tuesday the update would fail and you would lose your toast settings.
Congratulations and thank YOU! It's one thing to post a video like this; but when someone like you tells how you were able to actually make your own toaster work like new, more people are encouraged to take up the challenge themselves. And that's what this channel is really all about: Helping people realize they can do what you did and have the confidence that when their toaster or whatever gives some problems they don't have to go get a new one. They can just fix what they have.
I had one of those toasters that I purchased back in around 1980-81. No doubt the best toaster I've ever owned. It always produced perfect toast. As I recall they were not cheap. Sadly I lost it in my divorce in 1985. I miss her so much!... The toaster, not my ex. By the time my child support was paid off and I could afford another one they had quit making them. I've been through a half dozen toasters since ~2001 and none can compare although I have finally, this past year, found one that produces a pretty good slice of toast.
I have a T-20 dated 1950 and it has been in continuous use since 1996 and before. I acquired it from my late friend. It is still used daily and it's amazing that it still works after 63 years. I imagine it will still be working long after I'm gone. Great toaster, and if you find one, buy it. You will never have to replace it because they work forever!
Thanks for all your help! I received one from my Mother-in-law 30 years ago and it worked great until about 1yr ago - toast would not go down. After viewing your video, I was able to fix it! Thanks again!
You are very welcome Brad! Thanks for the comment. It helps others to realize they also can perform these simple repairs. It's kind of cool in my opinion that with just a few simple repairs appliances like this might very likely still be in good working order long after I'm dead and gone.
I bought one of these the more modern version from the 80's. I believe Service AT-W. It was listed for parts or repair as the toast would not go down according to the seller. Being that new i could not believe it was broken. So i took a risk and bought it for pretty cheap. When i got it...all that was wrong was the trigger lever on the "ONE SLICE ONLY" side was hung up on the carriage that the toast sits on. Once the two were seperated it WORKED GREAT! I took it apart though to carefully give it a good cleaning and adjusted the screw on the bottom to give it a bit more tension and lastly adjusted the hex screw on the side as the toast was way too dark. It works marvellously now and I got it dirt cheap beacuse the "toaster was broken as the toast would not go down".
Thanks for this. Just got a "works well" T-35 on eBay that burned toast to a black crisp on the lightest setting. I got the adjustment knob off and gave the screw a turn, and now it's all fixed. The toast is amazing. So simple.
Not only are these toasters extremely durable and beautiful in their sleek, streamlined, Mid-Century Modern design, but thanks to your excellent video, I've discovered they are easy to re-adjust! Mine, purchased 10 years or more ago at a tag sale for $5.00, always made the toast too dark...way too dark...but after watching your video just now, I followed your instruction, and "presto" my T-35 toaster makes PERFECT toast (even from frozen bread)! I cannot thank you enough! My toaster is now ready to begin it's next 50 years of service! I'd also like to mention that for those of you who might be "Retro TV" fans...Samantha Stephens on the hit show of yesteryear "Bewitched" has the same toaster in her kitchen! Watch for it on the next rerun! She also has a Frigidaire Flair stove, of which I'm likewise a proud owner of! :) Thanks again! Jeff Jancarek Mountain Lakes, NJ
After removing the "doneness" knob, I found that turning it counterclockwise makes lighter toast and clockwise makes darker toast. I hope your video saves more of these toasters from the dump. Especially when your instructions teach people how to fix their toaster themselves.
One thing I've wondered about on these toasters is why they have the vertical coil heating elements on one side and the conventional small ribbon elements on the other side of each side of the two slots?
Very good question! That's part of the genius of their design. If you look down in the slot with the trigger, you'll see a slot in the side of the cooking chamber. On the other side of that slot is the bimetalic strip that gets heated by the heat radiating off the toast as it cooks. The twin coils allow the bread to be cooked without "shining" excess heat onto the bimetalic strip. If they used ribbon elements on that side, it would have been much more difficult to make the toaster so that it worked properly. It was a simple and elegant solution to the problem.
I've bid on a couple, but no; I have never seen one. Joseph Paurel "Mr. Toaster" tells me they have a lot in common with the 1B14, but I don't know anything myself. Glad you got your Sunbeams working; and thanks for posting your results! I love getting these messages!
So far so good. It's very large. The difference in function is that you have to push a button for it to lower - it doesn't go down with the bread is put in. It makes pretty loud beeps when you start it and when the bread is done. It does toast very nicely though. I wish the screen was the same as the box, with black background and blue numbers. Instead it's all backlit bright blue when is a bit annoying. However, after use, about 5 minutes later the screen turns off.
Brian Emerick For ~300ish dollars I'd hope it toasted well. Does it make the toast soft on the inside; or dry out the bread like pretty much every other modern toaster?
$300? It's only $99. It doesn't seem to dry out the bread, though it does take awhile to toast. For bagels it works great - crispy cut side, and warm/soft outside.
Thanks! You helped me fix my T-20A and I repaired a later V-40 one I got at a thrift store for $3. I also have a Toastmaster 1B18 fully automatic powermatic that I think is a better machine, but the slots are narrower than the sunbeams. It toasts more evenly. have you seen the powermatic toastmasters?
they are nice toasters.mine is a t-20b made from 52-57 and was bought at thalheimers in the mid 50s and my dad went nuts tosting bread my grandmother said.i still have it and it still works.i did put a new plug and cord on it.the original one had braiding around the cord and was in bad shape.
I've tired of 800 watt made in china junk toasters that cannot toast an English muffin in a single cycle so I bought a 20-3 AG circa 1980's on ebay last week. Look only at "make an offer" listings and offer half of their buy it now price, do this until you succeed. Many listings state only works by plug/unplug, etc - bid these even lower since they are "not working") Everyone listing seems to think these are $150-$250 items now, but you'll see those ads just sit there with no bids (I saw some listings in the $400s !?!?). I took the outer metal cover off, cleaned it up nicely inside and out, and have used it every day since receiving it. It is awesome!
Fantastic video!Very well made and informative.I watched it like sitting on the edge of my seat, did not want to lose one word.You helped me to answer my question about which toaster to buy.Thank you very much.Ted
+caveman_period Well, that's certainly the most exuberant comment I've ever received. You're very welcome. Did you watch the video about the Toastmaster 1B16 as well?
+ToasterPhreak Wow! I take it as a compliment.Thank you. I will watch this video now.Can you tell me how a toaster T-35 compares with a one from Thinline series? Are Thinline toasters also as good in making toasts?
+caveman_period As far as I know all the fully automatic Sunbeam toasters work in exactly the same fashion. When the surface of the bread is hot enough it triggers the mechanism to eject. While I've never personally examined a Thinline, I have worked on a standard Touch N' Toast of the same vintage. I've no reason to believe they'd be any different. The only caution I'd give you is that the one I worked on was MUCH harder to work on. It was not made to be repaired. It was made to be thrown away. If it doesn't work properly you might not be able to get it to work properly. All of the old style: T20, T35, AT etc, are made to be adjusted and serviced.
Our family had one like that many years ago. I wish I had kept it when it stopped working. The price on eBay has gone up to $80 - $150 before shipping!
Ken Molinkiewicz Just keep an eye out for them. I find one or two in the local thrift shops at least once a year. My last one was unused and I got it for less than ten bucks. There's one on ebay right now for $35.
At the end of my rope, and halfway through a loaf of burnt bread, pulled the knob off gently, and kept turning right (knob says right means lighter) until the whole darned stem now feels loose, but still more smoke in my hard-to-ventilate place, and no toast. What next? Just got this Sunbeam t-20c, listed as "working", and really want to handle it myself. Last year, I studied the process and then replaced my oven heating element all on my own (much to hubby's delight), so I don't fear having to figure things out and fix them. In fact, I find it satisfying, once I get past the hurdles. Any thoughts? Signed, Stuck on Smoke :)
Things can be difficult. First thing; stop feeding it bread! It will cycle without bread in it. ua-cam.com/video/xgz1MKxzioM/v-deo.html Here's a video where the function is explained somewhat. Also, in ua-cam.com/video/5rIo6MoF7Uo/v-deo.html I explain how to get the toaster adjusted without using bread. So, to start out with, using a wooden or plastic tool, push the trigger and time it to see how long it takes to cycle. Next, adjust it to somewhere in the middle of its range and time it again. If it takes the same amount of time, try a turn or two either way and try again. Assuming you don't need to take the toaster apart you should be able to zero in on a point where it takes only a few seconds to cycle. At that point you can risk some bread. I haven't got anywhere near as deep into these things as some people have; and you may be the one to make a really good video showing just how to deal with this problem. Please keep me informed; I really want to know how this turns out! Best of luck. Joe Sevy ToasterPhreak
Hi Thanks for the video. Just wondering if you know the metal composition of the heating element? One of my Physics students brought one of these toasters into class for his investigation assignment. We need to know the composition of the elements to be able to do a study of resistance. Looking forward to your reply.
While there's no way to know the precise formulation of any given element. I can tell you virtually all toasters, old or new are made with "nichrome" elements. An online supplier lists 60% nickel, 16% chromium, 24% iron as the alloy of their particular wire. Another which describes their wire as being particularly for heating appliances lists their content as 40% nickel, 20% chrome, and 38% iron with a couple of other trace ingredients. Still another lists 80% nickel and 20% chrome with no iron! You can see there's a very significant variation in available supplies and manufacturers never told what formulation they chose to use. As you no doubt understand, the gauge of the wire as well as the length can be varied in order to achieve any given resistance and therefor power consumption. You'll note that each slot contains both a ribbon element on one side, as well as a coil element on the other. I've never tested the resistance, but I'd expect the ribbon element to have about half the resistance of the coil elements. The reason being the ribbon element is shared by both slots and needs to radiate half it's energy into each slot. Therefor it needs to draw twice the power and have half the resistance. It's entirely possible that that the coils and ribbons are of entirely different formulas. I'd be interested in finding out whatever you discover.
Anyone know when the T35was manufactured. I think I purchaser it in 1962. It still works perfectly and my son has bought six new toasters in the last 10 years as none of them last very long.
I just got a T-35. When I plug it in it turns on for a bit heats up then clicks off, is that normal? Very informative video. Also then the toast goes up and down it is not smooth like many videos I see. Will that tension adjustment stop or improve this?
Sorry to take so long to respond. Generally, in the course of handling the toaster before you plug it in the trigger will often be tripped. So, when you plug it in it will quickly cycle and reset the trigger. I couldn't say from your description if that's what's happening or not. The jerkiness of the transport mechanism is due to the friction inherent in the mechanism and the source of motive force. It may be reasonably simple to 'correct' this, but it makes no difference in the overall function of the toaster and I've never investigated it.
@@ToasterPhreak Thanks for your reply. I also seem top have issue with the burning of my toast. I have done what you've suggested and turned the dial way way way to the clockwise but with nothing changing at all.In fact if I don't unplug it I think it would just catch fire. But when I unplu it it does raise back up. Sound like something wrong with he thermostat. Any thoughts on why this might be happening?
@@MattBrandon Again. Sorry to take so long to respond. These toasters have an ingenious mechanism to determine doneness, and the the only method (assuming the mechanism is functioning correctly at all) that I've found to get the baseline timing dialed in to the point where there's even any point in trying to use bread to test it is to try it without bread. I honestly don't have sufficient in depth knowledge of the inner mysteries of this toaster to say for sure what problem you're having from what you're describing. Firstly: Is the toaster reseting at the end of it's cycle? I get the impression it's not. That being the case you'd be well advised to adjust the screw in the bottom so it raises high enough to shut off. Second: How long does it take to cycle WITHOUT bread in it? Does it make a difference in time if you adjust the timer? Without bread in the toaster it should take about 7 seconds from the time you trip the trigger till the toaster stops heating and begins to rise. But, I can tell you from the experience of burning up a LOT of bread trying to make the adjustment that there's absolutely nothing but dumb luck that's going to get a really badly adjusted Sunbeam back on track if you're doing the initial testing with bread. Half a turn on that adjustment screw is the difference between luke-warm and burnt black toast. Get the toaster cycling properly first, get that seven second on-to-off cycle established next, THEN fine tune it with bread! I know it seems obvious you need to adjust it with bread, but all you're going to accomplish is burning up a lot of bread. I show the "seven second rule" in this video: ua-cam.com/video/5rIo6MoF7Uo/v-deo.html
Hi, I have the Sunbeam Radiant Control toaster model T-40-1… has worked really well but yesterday after making first 2 toasts, it would no longer allow bread to go down… have tried the screw under the crumb tray… no luck… this toaster also has a screw under the handle opposite the cord side… any suggestions?
Apologies for the delay. I want to make sure I understand. It doesn't move, start heating up, nothing? If that's the case, then I believe it's most likely a damaged power cord. The other screw you mentioned should be the one that adjusts doneness. If you've fiddled with that you've got another problem to deal with once you get the power cord fixed.
Sure, as some people have pointed out, you can't get these for $20 anymore. They are more like $100 - $150. I paid $60 for mine about 3 years ago. Even at $150, they are worth every penny. If you buy a new toaster in the store for $50+, they are all cheaply made in China, and loaded with useless extra buttons and controls. And none of them make toast as fast and dependibly as this thing.
Finally adjusted to screw enough to get the slice of bread to go automatically go into the toaster....but within only about 2 seconds, it slowly pops back up again and turns off. I don't know why?? Still feels like the spring has too much tension, yet the screw will not go any further counter clockwise without striping the screw. Something else I can do perhaps?? I have the Sunbeam T-40-1, looks just like the American model VT-40-1 Thanks.
+canadagirleh I'm a little confused as to what exactly you're doing. The 40 series is essentially the same, but what screw are you adjusting? If it's the screw in the bottom under the crumb tray; it only needs to be tight enough to raise the bread rack high enough to reset the trigger when the toaster cycles. I made another video ua-cam.com/video/5rIo6MoF7Uo/v-deo.html that shows how your style of toaster is adjusted. If the toaster cycles normally, but the bread is uncooked; you'll need to insert a 3/32 inch hex key in the hole in the end of the toaster to adjust it properly. I'll be happy to help as much as I can.
+ToasterPhreak Yes the screw under the crumb tray. I have adjusted it enough so the bread rack is high enough to reset the trigger. So its either not triggering fully or not reset. The bread does start to go down and the toaster starts to heat up, then the sound of the working heating element stops right away and they bread and rack rise back up within 2 seconds of going down. I think it is beyond what I can do and will just use it as kitchen art. Thanks again
Good friend, hello! I'm from Brazil and bought a T-20 C at an auction for $ 5. In the beginning was calling, but now began to short circuit. You can override the resistance?
João Ruth I don't understand what resistance you want to replace. Do you mean the part that gets hot? If you do mean that part, the answer is that it is not easy but it can be done. I would not replace the resistance wire. It is too difficult. It is better to replace the toaster when this happens. I am sorry. If that is not what you wanted to say. Please try again. Thank you João Ruth for your question.
ToasterPhreak Yes, it is! The hottest part is bad. I want to do it again. I have pieces of wire, they sell here. Another toaster does not exist here in Brazil. It's rare! You already replaced the hot part ever? thank you my friend in the USA.
João Ruth I have not replaced the wire before. I just went and examined my own toaster and I think I was wrong about how difficult it will be. Is it the straight wire or the coils? If it is the straight wire you would have to remove the whole outside of the toaster and somehow get the middle part where the wire goes so you can wrap the new wire around it. Then carefully remove the old wire. Use the longest piece of the old wire you can get from the toaster to find the resistance with an ohm tester. When you know how many ohms per meter the old wire is you can buy the same for the new wire. Also get the same diameter if you can. You should be able to change the wire if you do this. I hope you show us your good work with a video if you repair your toaster!
I grew up with one of these. I never realized it was different untill my friends would come over and trip out the the toast goes down on its own. My mom was all about this toaster because it's what she grew up with (same one). Would always be yelling about not breaking the toaster (not that we cared at the time). Now I'm 37 and saw one for $2 and am all about it! So stories aside I do have a problem. Ultimately my bread does not come back up. It just burns up and who knows what if I didn't unplug it....total meltdown?? At first it was working albeit a little dark. So I adjusted the knob and it just stopped coming back up. If there is no toast in there it will come back up but even with the knob off and the lil guy turned all the way to the right it won't come up if there is bread in there. Any suggestions?
Well. If it was working (poorly), then you adjusted it and it stopped working, then you need to adjust it differently. I did a lot worse with my wife's toaster before I learned how to deal with it. Since it comes up without bread, you should be fine. All that happens without bread is that the heat can get to the bimetallic strip that turns it off much faster. The way it's designed makes this one of the easiest toasters to adjust. Now, before you get started adjusting. The way it sets right now. Time it without bread, all the way to the left, all the way to the right. Do the left first. Make sure it's at least doing less time turned to the right than turned to the left. With the toaster plugged in and no bread, with the knob off. Time the toaster by tripping the trigger with a wooden spoon or plastic spatula or something. Time how long it takes to cycle down and turn off. I demonstrate this in ua-cam.com/video/5rIo6MoF7Uo/v-deo.html When it takes about 7 seconds you can try a piece of bread and fine tune it. Clockwise for lighter counterclockwise for darker. You can only make it harder by trying to do a big adjustment all at once. Turn it no more than a quarter turn and then time it. Once you've got your toast just right, carefully slide the knob back on. When I started making these videos there was just about nothing available showing how these things work. Now there's a number of really good videos showing just about everything. Let me know if you have any further problems.
Sorry I didn't check my messages sooner. Yes, Ash; as you have probably noticed by now, if the trigger has been tripped, then the toaster will need to go through a cycle in order to reset. You could throw a slice of bread in the trigger slot to see how it will do, but it usually only takes a few seconds to cycle when there is no bread in the toaster.
Thanks mate. Yes I got it going properly by adjusting the screw underneath. I think the platform was always too low so never actually reset the switch. Cheers, Ash
I have a Sunbeam T20B that my husband insisted we replace the cord on. An electrician neighbor did so, but now the doneness knob spins loosely all the way around and just burns the toast no matter where it's set. Obviously, the knob is not adjusting the doneness anymore so there is some disconnect between the screw that calibrates it and the knob. How do we fix this?
Matthew Flynn Sorry to hear about your problem. In all likelihood the knob didn't get pressed all the way in. It can be tricky to find the point at which your toaster needs to be set. But the first thing is to try it without toast. All that the toaster "knows" is how much heat is getting through the little window on the "One Slice" side of the toaster. So, what you do is, trip the trigger with a wooden spoon or plastic spatula or some-such, and count how many seconds it takes for the bimetal spring to 'click' and end the toasting cycle. Then adjust the knob, about half a turn toward the lighter setting (clockwise) and try again. At some point you'll notice a distinct decrease in the amount of time required. A slow count of seven before it shuts off is about right. Don't hesitate to ask more questions. For some reason I'm unable to post links, but look for another video of mine called Sunbeam AT-W Radiant Control Adjustment...
The problem is that the knob doesn't adjust anything right now. It is just spinning around rather than going only a half turn each way. It appears that it is not attached to the pin or screw that adjusts the time of toasting. So we need to know how to attach it so that it does so before we can adjust where the pin is so that the center spot when the knob is actually working is the right amount of time for "perfectly" toasted piece of bread. So do we have to remove the knob and put it back on more firmly so it is actually moving the pin inside? We did not remove the knob ourselves, so we don't know how to remove it. Do we just pry it off? I am concerned about breaking the bakelite knob itself. I saw that video but it didn't help as the problem we have at the moment is not that it is calibrated wrong but rather that the knob doesn't affect the calibration at all. It is not catching to move the pin that adjust the length of time the toast is in the toaster. It was calibrated perfectly before the electrician took the toaster apart to put a new cord on it.
Matthew Flynn I'm sorry if I've been unclear. If the knob is attached at all it is turning the pin, that's all that it attaches to. It simply slides on and off, though it can be pretty tough to remove. However, the electrician did remove it in order to remove the shell to change the cord. If you pull the knob off you'll see that there's a projection on the back of it that stops it from turning when fully inserted. Without having the toaster in front of me I can't say if it's possible or not that there are other issues. That it turns freely indicates only that it's not seated far enough onto the pin. Assuming that the only problem is that it's maladjusted and the knob isn't properly seated on the pin; all that needs done is to turn it to find the point at which it works properly, pull the knob off, set it in the middle position, and push it back on. I understand your reluctance to use enough pressure to remove the knob, but, yes, as I stated in the video, you simply pry it off with an appropriate tool. Although I've never seen one actually damaged I suppose it's conceivable that the electrician did damage the mechanism, but I'd imagine the knob would seem extremely loose, perhaps even able to rattle in it's hole. But I don't think that's very likely. Even an electrician should be sufficiently competent to change the cord on a toaster without destroying it.
Yes, you would think so. We did get the knob on securely so it would only turn 90 degrees one way and 90 degrees the other way. However, it was still burning toast. So we took the knob off again and tried to calibrate the pin (looks like a screw head) the knob was covering to get a nicely browned piece of toast. However, once we put the knob on again, we found that the first piece of toast when put in the cold toaster came out much lighter than when we had calibrated the pin (knob), and the second piece of toast came out much darker. Subsequent pieces of toast are getting burnt and we're having to pull the plug from the socket to prevent this. All with the knob having been calibrated. So we turned the knob all the way to light and this has made no difference. So we don't know what has happened with this toaster. Do you think that perhaps the electrician somehow damaged the thermostat or perhaps the pin the knob attaches to has been loosened so that it does not stay calibrated? I am fit to be tied as I love this toaster and it was working fine until this electrician got a hold of it. Of course, he is now not returning our calls. How do we fix this?
Matthew Flynn I wish I could be of help here. But, I'm afraid I can't. I have no idea how he would have damaged the toaster, and short of having it in front of me to play with, I don't think it's something I can figure out. Nor, do I have any certainty that I'd figure it out if it were in front of me. The only advice I can give is to remove the knob and find the point at which it works properly. I can say that if the toaster has been adjusted to some extreme point, then it's possible that the bimetallic strip has taken a slight bend and may take some cycles to 'relax' to a neutral point. It might be the case that if you keep fiddling with it, getting closer and closer to that 'sweet spot', that it'll start working properly again. But that's really just conjecture on my part. I know in essence, how these toasters work, but I've never had to work with enough of them to truly understand them. I have one, that I took apart to clean; it doesn't work, but it works perfectly, as long as I don't have the shell on. And I haven't figured out what's going on with it. I also don't have the time to spend with it and develop that level of understanding.
Thanks for the question. This is very common. What's happened is the toaster has been triggered. All you need do is plug it in and wait for it to go through its cycle to reset.
Good info. I have a similar vintage Sunbeam, it used to work, but now when I push it down it starts smoking. I took it apart, but don't see any obvious issues. I'm afraid to plug it in while it is apart. Does anyone have any ideas? I hate to junk it.
You'll have to be a bit more specific about how it starts smoking. What exactly is smoking? I've seen this before, but it was caused by someone putting buttered bread in the toaster. I don't think there's anything in there that's even capable of smoking unless somebody adds it in there.
Interesting...Thanks. We were testing it out and a thin stream of smoke arose, from what I recall. My husband fears there could be a short. Again, I saw no issues burnt wires, etc when I took it apart. I think I will put back together and hope for the best.
If there was a short of some sort I think it would be very energetic and very short lived. I doubt very much you'd 'think' you had a short; it would be quite obvious. A "thin stream of smoke" is exactly what I'd expect from a bit of bread that stuck to the guide wires or something similar. I've worked on dozens of toasters and never seen anything that ever shorted other than a metal utensil stuck into it. Reassemble and enjoy your toaster. It's surely a better toaster than whatever you're using now.
Thanks, that was helpful. I taped some of the wire paper cover in spots where it rubbed and even corroded the metal. Who know, but now it works. This and the Dualit will have to share time on the counter.
The screw in the middle, that adjusts the tension on the trigger, threads into a nut attached to a bar. The bar is bent. I'm not going to tell you how that happened, but let's just say a little bit of knowledge can sometimes be more harmful than helpful, when one gets a bit over exuberant about fixing one's own toaster, haha. Your videos have been very helpful, and I now know that a little adjustment can go a long way, haha. What would you do? I know I can buy another one, but this one was only 5 bucks, so I'd kinda like to fix this one, haha.
I just hot a t35 and Ill need to adjust the doneness setting but whoever have this before put a grounded plug on it and these did not have or even needed grounded plugs so do I need to replace it with the non grounded type it orig had
Eric Monse Thanks for the question Eric. It's reasonable to suppose that since they changed one thing they might have messed it all up, but unless they changed the cord as well, and hooked the ground wire to the chassis, it won't present any problem. In all likelihood it wouldn't cause any problem anyway. I'd be on the lookout for a two prong plug, and possibly cord, just to restore it. But, it's probably fine. Just check to see what they actually did before you plug it in, you'll likely find the ground prong isn't connected to anything.
Wow, the modern version of this toaster would have an ARM processor and require security updates once a week, and every Tuesday the update would fail and you would lose your toast settings.
at least my house won't burn down lmao
Congratulations and thank YOU!
It's one thing to post a video like this; but when someone like you tells how you were able to actually make your own toaster work like new, more people are encouraged to take up the challenge themselves.
And that's what this channel is really all about: Helping people realize they can do what you did and have the confidence that when their toaster or whatever gives some problems they don't have to go get a new one. They can just fix what they have.
I had one of those toasters that I purchased back in around 1980-81. No doubt the best toaster I've ever owned. It always produced perfect toast. As I recall they were not cheap. Sadly I lost it in my divorce in 1985. I miss her so much!... The toaster, not my ex. By the time my child support was paid off and I could afford another one they had quit making them. I've been through a half dozen toasters since ~2001 and none can compare although I have finally, this past year, found one that produces a pretty good slice of toast.
You can still find them on ebay and in second-hand shops.
I have a T-20 dated 1950 and it has been in continuous use since 1996 and before. I acquired it from my late friend. It is still used daily and it's amazing that it still works after 63 years. I imagine it will still be working long after I'm gone. Great toaster, and if you find one, buy it. You will never have to replace it because they work forever!
Not everyone has such great results; but they seem fairly typical. With the occasional adjustment they seem pretty unlikely to ever fail.
Thanks for all your help! I received one from my Mother-in-law 30 years ago and it worked great until about 1yr ago - toast would not go down. After viewing your video, I was able to fix it! Thanks again!
You are very welcome Brad! Thanks for the comment. It helps others to realize they also can perform these simple repairs. It's kind of cool in my opinion that with just a few simple repairs appliances like this might very likely still be in good working order long after I'm dead and gone.
Great! Someday I hope to decipher (most) all the mysteries of the Sunbeam Radiant toaster and post some solid in depth information.
I bought one of these the more modern version from the 80's. I believe Service AT-W. It was listed for parts or repair as the toast would not go down according to the seller. Being that new i could not believe it was broken. So i took a risk and bought it for pretty cheap. When i got it...all that was wrong was the trigger lever on the "ONE SLICE ONLY" side was hung up on the carriage that the toast sits on. Once the two were seperated it WORKED GREAT! I took it apart though to carefully give it a good cleaning and adjusted the screw on the bottom to give it a bit more tension and lastly adjusted the hex screw on the side as the toast was way too dark. It works marvellously now and I got it dirt cheap beacuse the "toaster was broken as the toast would not go down".
Thanks for the comment! Far too many of these things have been thrown away because no one knew that they could make a simple adjustment, and fix them!
Thanks for this. Just got a "works well" T-35 on eBay that burned toast to a black crisp on the lightest setting. I got the adjustment knob off and gave the screw a turn, and now it's all fixed. The toast is amazing. So simple.
That's great Sarah! Happy toasting!
Not only are these toasters extremely durable and beautiful in their sleek, streamlined, Mid-Century Modern design, but thanks to your excellent video, I've discovered they are easy to re-adjust! Mine, purchased 10 years or more ago at a tag sale for $5.00, always made the toast too dark...way too dark...but after watching your video just now, I followed your instruction, and "presto" my T-35 toaster makes PERFECT toast (even from frozen bread)! I cannot thank you enough! My toaster is now ready to begin it's next 50 years of service!
I'd also like to mention that for those of you who might be "Retro TV" fans...Samantha Stephens on the hit show of yesteryear "Bewitched" has the same toaster in her kitchen! Watch for it on the next rerun! She also has a Frigidaire Flair stove, of which I'm likewise a proud owner of! :)
Thanks again!
Jeff Jancarek
Mountain Lakes, NJ
Thank you very much for your commentary; and you're very welcome for any help my videos can give you.
Thank you! Your guide to adjust the temperature control was just what I needed. I'm loving this toaster.
After removing the "doneness" knob, I found that turning it counterclockwise makes lighter toast and clockwise makes darker toast.
I hope your video saves more of these toasters from the dump. Especially when your instructions teach people how to fix their toaster themselves.
Thank you. That is my hope as well.
One thing I've wondered about on these toasters is why they have the vertical coil heating elements on one side and the conventional small ribbon elements on the other side of each side of the two slots?
Very good question! That's part of the genius of their design.
If you look down in the slot with the trigger, you'll see a slot in the side of the cooking chamber. On the other side of that slot is the bimetalic strip that gets heated by the heat radiating off the toast as it cooks. The twin coils allow the bread to be cooked without "shining" excess heat onto the bimetalic strip.
If they used ribbon elements on that side, it would have been much more difficult to make the toaster so that it worked properly. It was a simple and elegant solution to the problem.
I've bid on a couple, but no; I have never seen one. Joseph Paurel "Mr. Toaster" tells me they have a lot in common with the 1B14, but I don't know anything myself.
Glad you got your Sunbeams working; and thanks for posting your results! I love getting these messages!
That's great! Glad you aren't stuck with modern 'low'tech' toasting solutions.
Loved this toaster. My parents had one in the 80s/90s. I just bought a new Kitchenaid auto-lowering toaster because I liked that feature so much.
Thanks for the comment. Does the Kitchenaid do a good job?
it just came in today. I will report back!
So far so good. It's very large. The difference in function is that you have to push a button for it to lower - it doesn't go down with the bread is put in. It makes pretty loud beeps when you start it and when the bread is done. It does toast very nicely though. I wish the screen was the same as the box, with black background and blue numbers. Instead it's all backlit bright blue when is a bit annoying. However, after use, about 5 minutes later the screen turns off.
Brian Emerick For ~300ish dollars I'd hope it toasted well. Does it make the toast soft on the inside; or dry out the bread like pretty much every other modern toaster?
$300? It's only $99. It doesn't seem to dry out the bread, though it does take awhile to toast. For bagels it works great - crispy cut side, and warm/soft outside.
Thanks! You helped me fix my T-20A and I repaired a later V-40 one I got at a thrift store for $3. I also have a Toastmaster 1B18 fully automatic powermatic that I think is a better machine, but the slots are narrower than the sunbeams. It toasts more evenly. have you seen the powermatic toastmasters?
they are nice toasters.mine is a t-20b made from 52-57 and was bought at thalheimers in the mid 50s and my dad went nuts tosting bread my grandmother said.i still have it and it still works.i did put a new plug and cord on it.the original one had braiding around the cord and was in bad shape.
I've tired of 800 watt made in china junk toasters that cannot toast an English muffin in a single cycle so I bought a 20-3 AG circa 1980's on ebay last week. Look only at "make an offer" listings and offer half of their buy it now price, do this until you succeed. Many listings state only works by plug/unplug, etc - bid these even lower since they are "not working") Everyone listing seems to think these are $150-$250 items now, but you'll see those ads just sit there with no bids (I saw some listings in the $400s !?!?). I took the outer metal cover off, cleaned it up nicely inside and out, and have used it every day since receiving it. It is awesome!
Living in the same world, Mitch!
Thanks, but I wasn't trying to be precise. Just pointing out they made some version of this toaster to fairly modern times.
Fantastic video!Very well made and informative.I watched it like sitting on the edge of my seat, did not want to lose one word.You helped me to answer my question about which toaster to buy.Thank you very much.Ted
+caveman_period Well, that's certainly the most exuberant comment I've ever received. You're very welcome. Did you watch the video about the Toastmaster 1B16 as well?
+ToasterPhreak Wow! I take it as a compliment.Thank you. I will watch this video now.Can you tell me how a toaster T-35 compares with a one from Thinline series? Are Thinline toasters also as good in making toasts?
+caveman_period As far as I know all the fully automatic Sunbeam toasters work in exactly the same fashion. When the surface of the bread is hot enough it triggers the mechanism to eject. While I've never personally examined a Thinline, I have worked on a standard Touch N' Toast of the same vintage. I've no reason to believe they'd be any different.
The only caution I'd give you is that the one I worked on was MUCH harder to work on. It was not made to be repaired. It was made to be thrown away. If it doesn't work properly you might not be able to get it to work properly. All of the old style: T20, T35, AT etc, are made to be adjusted and serviced.
Fantastic video my friend, learned a few things here!!
@starwalker9 Perfect! That's what it's all about! Congratulations!
Our family had one like that many years ago. I wish I had kept it when it stopped working. The price on eBay has gone up to $80 - $150 before shipping!
Ken Molinkiewicz
Just keep an eye out for them. I find one or two in the local thrift shops at least once a year. My last one was unused and I got it for less than ten bucks. There's one on ebay right now for $35.
At the end of my rope, and halfway through a loaf of burnt bread, pulled the knob off gently, and kept turning right (knob says right means lighter) until the whole darned stem now feels loose, but still more smoke in my hard-to-ventilate place, and no toast. What next? Just got this Sunbeam t-20c, listed as "working", and really want to handle it myself. Last year, I studied the process and then replaced my oven heating element all on my own (much to hubby's delight), so I don't fear having to figure things out and fix them. In fact, I find it satisfying, once I get past the hurdles. Any thoughts? Signed, Stuck on Smoke :)
Things can be difficult. First thing; stop feeding it bread! It will cycle without bread in it. ua-cam.com/video/xgz1MKxzioM/v-deo.html Here's a video where the function is explained somewhat. Also, in ua-cam.com/video/5rIo6MoF7Uo/v-deo.html I explain how to get the toaster adjusted without using bread.
So, to start out with, using a wooden or plastic tool, push the trigger and time it to see how long it takes to cycle. Next, adjust it to somewhere in the middle of its range and time it again. If it takes the same amount of time, try a turn or two either way and try again. Assuming you don't need to take the toaster apart you should be able to zero in on a point where it takes only a few seconds to cycle. At that point you can risk some bread.
I haven't got anywhere near as deep into these things as some people have; and you may be the one to make a really good video showing just how to deal with this problem.
Please keep me informed; I really want to know how this turns out!
Best of luck.
Joe Sevy
ToasterPhreak
Hi Thanks for the video. Just wondering if you know the metal composition of the heating element? One of my Physics students brought one of these toasters into class for his investigation assignment. We need to know the composition of the elements to be able to do a study of resistance. Looking forward to your reply.
While there's no way to know the precise formulation of any given element. I can tell you virtually all toasters, old or new are made with "nichrome" elements. An online supplier lists 60% nickel, 16% chromium, 24% iron as the alloy of their particular wire. Another which describes their wire as being particularly for heating appliances lists their content as 40% nickel, 20% chrome, and 38% iron with a couple of other trace ingredients. Still another lists 80% nickel and 20% chrome with no iron! You can see there's a very significant variation in available supplies and manufacturers never told what formulation they chose to use.
As you no doubt understand, the gauge of the wire as well as the length can be varied in order to achieve any given resistance and therefor power consumption. You'll note that each slot contains both a ribbon element on one side, as well as a coil element on the other. I've never tested the resistance, but I'd expect the ribbon element to have about half the resistance of the coil elements. The reason being the ribbon element is shared by both slots and needs to radiate half it's energy into each slot. Therefor it needs to draw twice the power and have half the resistance.
It's entirely possible that that the coils and ribbons are of entirely different formulas.
I'd be interested in finding out whatever you discover.
Thank you have a same toaster
the older they are the better they are in my opinion.
Anyone know when the T35was manufactured. I think I purchaser it in 1962. It still works perfectly and my son has bought six new toasters in the last 10 years as none of them last very long.
Hi Mary.
Thanks for the comment. 62 sounds about right. You might look under the crumb tray and see if you can find a manufacturing date.
I just got a T-35. When I plug it in it turns on for a bit heats up then clicks off, is that normal?
Very informative video. Also then the toast goes up and down it is not smooth like many videos I see. Will that tension adjustment stop or improve this?
Sorry to take so long to respond.
Generally, in the course of handling the toaster before you plug it in the trigger will often be tripped. So, when you plug it in it will quickly cycle and reset the trigger. I couldn't say from your description if that's what's happening or not.
The jerkiness of the transport mechanism is due to the friction inherent in the mechanism and the source of motive force. It may be reasonably simple to 'correct' this, but it makes no difference in the overall function of the toaster and I've never investigated it.
@@ToasterPhreak Thanks for your reply. I also seem top have issue with the burning of my toast. I have done what you've suggested and turned the dial way way way to the clockwise but with nothing changing at all.In fact if I don't unplug it I think it would just catch fire. But when I unplu it it does raise back up. Sound like something wrong with he thermostat. Any thoughts on why this might be happening?
@@MattBrandon Again. Sorry to take so long to respond.
These toasters have an ingenious mechanism to determine doneness, and the the only method (assuming the mechanism is functioning correctly at all) that I've found to get the baseline timing dialed in to the point where there's even any point in trying to use bread to test it is to try it without bread.
I honestly don't have sufficient in depth knowledge of the inner mysteries of this toaster to say for sure what problem you're having from what you're describing.
Firstly: Is the toaster reseting at the end of it's cycle? I get the impression it's not. That being the case you'd be well advised to adjust the screw in the bottom so it raises high enough to shut off.
Second: How long does it take to cycle WITHOUT bread in it? Does it make a difference in time if you adjust the timer? Without bread in the toaster it should take about 7 seconds from the time you trip the trigger till the toaster stops heating and begins to rise.
But, I can tell you from the experience of burning up a LOT of bread trying to make the adjustment that there's absolutely nothing but dumb luck that's going to get a really badly adjusted Sunbeam back on track if you're doing the initial testing with bread. Half a turn on that adjustment screw is the difference between luke-warm and burnt black toast. Get the toaster cycling properly first, get that seven second on-to-off cycle established next, THEN fine tune it with bread!
I know it seems obvious you need to adjust it with bread, but all you're going to accomplish is burning up a lot of bread. I show the "seven second rule" in this video: ua-cam.com/video/5rIo6MoF7Uo/v-deo.html
@@ToasterPhreak thanks for the in depth instructions! I’ll give this a shot and let you know. Thanks again.
@@MattBrandon You're very welcome. Please keep me updated.
Best way is to haunt the local thrift stores. Watch Craigslist. Watch ebay. Sooner or later you'll find one at a price that's right.
Thank you for the video.... I want to own one of these... maybe two.
Hi, I have the Sunbeam Radiant Control toaster model T-40-1… has worked really well but yesterday after making first 2 toasts, it would no longer allow bread to go down… have tried the screw under the crumb tray… no luck… this toaster also has a screw under the handle opposite the cord side… any suggestions?
Apologies for the delay.
I want to make sure I understand. It doesn't move, start heating up, nothing? If that's the case, then I believe it's most likely a damaged power cord. The other screw you mentioned should be the one that adjusts doneness. If you've fiddled with that you've got another problem to deal with once you get the power cord fixed.
$20 range on Ebay... not any more! All the great UA-cam reviews have jacked up the price tenfold.
That was nine years ago.
@@ToasterPhreak Exactly. Worth way more than $20.
Sure, as some people have pointed out, you can't get these for $20 anymore. They are more like $100 - $150. I paid $60 for mine about 3 years ago. Even at $150, they are worth every penny. If you buy a new toaster in the store for $50+, they are all cheaply made in China, and loaded with useless extra buttons and controls. And none of them make toast as fast and dependibly as this thing.
Great video but Sunbeam stopped making these in 1997 or 1998 not 2000
Finally adjusted to screw enough to get the slice of bread to go automatically go into the toaster....but within only about 2 seconds, it slowly pops back up again and turns off. I don't know why?? Still feels like the spring has too much tension, yet the screw will not go any further counter clockwise without striping the screw. Something else I can do perhaps?? I have the Sunbeam T-40-1, looks just like the American model VT-40-1 Thanks.
+canadagirleh I'm a little confused as to what exactly you're doing. The 40 series is essentially the same, but what screw are you adjusting? If it's the screw in the bottom under the crumb tray; it only needs to be tight enough to raise the bread rack high enough to reset the trigger when the toaster cycles.
I made another video ua-cam.com/video/5rIo6MoF7Uo/v-deo.html that shows how your style of toaster is adjusted. If the toaster cycles normally, but the bread is uncooked; you'll need to insert a 3/32 inch hex key in the hole in the end of the toaster to adjust it properly.
I'll be happy to help as much as I can.
+ToasterPhreak Yes the screw under the crumb tray. I have adjusted it enough so the bread rack is high enough to reset the trigger. So its either not triggering fully or not reset. The bread does start to go down and the toaster starts to heat up, then the sound of the working heating element stops right away and they bread and rack rise back up within 2 seconds of going down. I think it is beyond what I can do and will just use it as kitchen art. Thanks again
+pikabitch Then all you should need is the 3/32 hex key/wrench to stick in the little hole in the end of the toaster and adjust the bimetal strip.
+ToasterPhreak Thanks....disregard the fowl name, I replied when my daughter didn't sign out of her ill named account. I will try the 3/32 hex key.
+canadagirleh Best of luck.
Good friend, hello! I'm from Brazil and bought a T-20 C at an auction for $ 5. In the beginning was calling, but now began to short circuit. You can override the resistance?
I don't actually understand the question.
Joe Sevy Existe uma como fazer uma resistência elétrica para substituição?
João Ruth I don't understand what resistance you want to replace. Do you mean the part that gets hot? If you do mean that part, the answer is that it is not easy but it can be done. I would not replace the resistance wire. It is too difficult.
It is better to replace the toaster when this happens. I am sorry.
If that is not what you wanted to say. Please try again. Thank you João Ruth for your question.
ToasterPhreak Yes, it is! The hottest part is bad. I want to do it again. I have pieces of wire, they sell here. Another toaster does not exist here in Brazil. It's rare! You already replaced the hot part ever? thank you my friend in the USA.
João Ruth I have not replaced the wire before. I just went and examined my own toaster and I think I was wrong about how difficult it will be.
Is it the straight wire or the coils? If it is the straight wire you would have to remove the whole outside of the toaster and somehow get the middle part where the wire goes so you can wrap the new wire around it. Then carefully remove the old wire.
Use the longest piece of the old wire you can get from the toaster to find the resistance with an ohm tester. When you know how many ohms per meter the old wire is you can buy the same for the new wire. Also get the same diameter if you can.
You should be able to change the wire if you do this.
I hope you show us your good work with a video if you repair your toaster!
I grew up with one of these. I never realized it was different untill my friends would come over and trip out the the toast goes down on its own. My mom was all about this toaster because it's what she grew up with (same one). Would always be yelling about not breaking the toaster (not that we cared at the time). Now I'm 37 and saw one for $2 and am all about it! So stories aside I do have a problem. Ultimately my bread does not come back up. It just burns up and who knows what if I didn't unplug it....total meltdown?? At first it was working albeit a little dark. So I adjusted the knob and it just stopped coming back up. If there is no toast in there it will come back up but even with the knob off and the lil guy turned all the way to the right it won't come up if there is bread in there. Any suggestions?
Well. If it was working (poorly), then you adjusted it and it stopped working, then you need to adjust it differently. I did a lot worse with my wife's toaster before I learned how to deal with it.
Since it comes up without bread, you should be fine. All that happens without bread is that the heat can get to the bimetallic strip that turns it off much faster. The way it's designed makes this one of the easiest toasters to adjust.
Now, before you get started adjusting. The way it sets right now. Time it without bread, all the way to the left, all the way to the right. Do the left first. Make sure it's at least doing less time turned to the right than turned to the left.
With the toaster plugged in and no bread, with the knob off. Time the toaster by tripping the trigger with a wooden spoon or plastic spatula or something. Time how long it takes to cycle down and turn off. I demonstrate this in ua-cam.com/video/5rIo6MoF7Uo/v-deo.html When it takes about 7 seconds you can try a piece of bread and fine tune it. Clockwise for lighter counterclockwise for darker. You can only make it harder by trying to do a big adjustment all at once. Turn it no more than a quarter turn and then time it. Once you've got your toast just right, carefully slide the knob back on.
When I started making these videos there was just about nothing available showing how these things work. Now there's a number of really good videos showing just about everything.
Let me know if you have any further problems.
I've just picked one of these up and found that it powers on as soon as power is provided, even if bread is not in it.
Any thoughts on this?
Sorry I didn't check my messages sooner. Yes, Ash; as you have probably noticed by now, if the trigger has been tripped, then the toaster will need to go through a cycle in order to reset. You could throw a slice of bread in the trigger slot to see how it will do, but it usually only takes a few seconds to cycle when there is no bread in the toaster.
Thanks mate. Yes I got it going properly by adjusting the screw underneath. I think the platform was always too low so never actually reset the switch. Cheers, Ash
I have a Sunbeam T20B that my husband insisted we replace the cord on. An electrician neighbor did so, but now the doneness knob spins loosely all the way around and just burns the toast no matter where it's set. Obviously, the knob is not adjusting the doneness anymore so there is some disconnect between the screw that calibrates it and the knob. How do we fix this?
Matthew Flynn
Sorry to hear about your problem. In all likelihood the knob didn't get pressed all the way in. It can be tricky to find the point at which your toaster needs to be set. But the first thing is to try it without toast.
All that the toaster "knows" is how much heat is getting through the little window on the "One Slice" side of the toaster. So, what you do is, trip the trigger with a wooden spoon or plastic spatula or some-such, and count how many seconds it takes for the bimetal spring to 'click' and end the toasting cycle.
Then adjust the knob, about half a turn toward the lighter setting (clockwise) and try again. At some point you'll notice a distinct decrease in the amount of time required. A slow count of seven before it shuts off is about right.
Don't hesitate to ask more questions. For some reason I'm unable to post links, but look for another video of mine called Sunbeam AT-W Radiant Control Adjustment...
The problem is that the knob doesn't adjust anything right now. It is just spinning around rather than going only a half turn each way. It appears that it is not attached to the pin or screw that adjusts the time of toasting. So we need to know how to attach it so that it does so before we can adjust where the pin is so that the center spot when the knob is actually working is the right amount of time for "perfectly" toasted piece of bread. So do we have to remove the knob and put it back on more firmly so it is actually moving the pin inside? We did not remove the knob ourselves, so we don't know how to remove it. Do we just pry it off? I am concerned about breaking the bakelite knob itself. I saw that video but it didn't help as the problem we have at the moment is not that it is calibrated wrong but rather that the knob doesn't affect the calibration at all. It is not catching to move the pin that adjust the length of time the toast is in the toaster. It was calibrated perfectly before the electrician took the toaster apart to put a new cord on it.
Matthew Flynn
I'm sorry if I've been unclear. If the knob is attached at all it is turning the pin, that's all that it attaches to. It simply slides on and off, though it can be pretty tough to remove. However, the electrician did remove it in order to remove the shell to change the cord.
If you pull the knob off you'll see that there's a projection on the back of it that stops it from turning when fully inserted. Without having the toaster in front of me I can't say if it's possible or not that there are other issues. That it turns freely indicates only that it's not seated far enough onto the pin.
Assuming that the only problem is that it's maladjusted and the knob isn't properly seated on the pin; all that needs done is to turn it to find the point at which it works properly, pull the knob off, set it in the middle position, and push it back on.
I understand your reluctance to use enough pressure to remove the knob, but, yes, as I stated in the video, you simply pry it off with an appropriate tool.
Although I've never seen one actually damaged I suppose it's conceivable that the electrician did damage the mechanism, but I'd imagine the knob would seem extremely loose, perhaps even able to rattle in it's hole. But I don't think that's very likely.
Even an electrician should be sufficiently competent to change the cord on a toaster without destroying it.
Yes, you would think so. We did get the knob on securely so it would only turn 90 degrees one way and 90 degrees the other way. However, it was still burning toast. So we took the knob off again and tried to calibrate the pin (looks like a screw head) the knob was covering to get a nicely browned piece of toast. However, once we put the knob on again, we found that the first piece of toast when put in the cold toaster came out much lighter than when we had calibrated the pin (knob), and the second piece of toast came out much darker. Subsequent pieces of toast are getting burnt and we're having to pull the plug from the socket to prevent this. All with the knob having been calibrated. So we turned the knob all the way to light and this has made no difference. So we don't know what has happened with this toaster. Do you think that perhaps the electrician somehow damaged the thermostat or perhaps the pin the knob attaches to has been loosened so that it does not stay calibrated? I am fit to be tied as I love this toaster and it was working fine until this electrician got a hold of it. Of course, he is now not returning our calls. How do we fix this?
Matthew Flynn
I wish I could be of help here. But, I'm afraid I can't. I have no idea how he would have damaged the toaster, and short of having it in front of me to play with, I don't think it's something I can figure out. Nor, do I have any certainty that I'd figure it out if it were in front of me.
The only advice I can give is to remove the knob and find the point at which it works properly. I can say that if the toaster has been adjusted to some extreme point, then it's possible that the bimetallic strip has taken a slight bend and may take some cycles to 'relax' to a neutral point. It might be the case that if you keep fiddling with it, getting closer and closer to that 'sweet spot', that it'll start working properly again.
But that's really just conjecture on my part. I know in essence, how these toasters work, but I've never had to work with enough of them to truly understand them. I have one, that I took apart to clean; it doesn't work, but it works perfectly, as long as I don't have the shell on. And I haven't figured out what's going on with it. I also don't have the time to spend with it and develop that level of understanding.
I just picked one of these today...however the toaster turns on as soon as I plug it in. Any ideas?
Thanks for the question. This is very common. What's happened is the toaster has been triggered. All you need do is plug it in and wait for it to go through its cycle to reset.
Good info. I have a similar vintage Sunbeam, it used to work, but now when I push it down it starts smoking. I took it apart, but don't see any obvious issues. I'm afraid to plug it in while it is apart. Does anyone have any ideas? I hate to junk it.
You'll have to be a bit more specific about how it starts smoking. What exactly is smoking? I've seen this before, but it was caused by someone putting buttered bread in the toaster. I don't think there's anything in there that's even capable of smoking unless somebody adds it in there.
Interesting...Thanks. We were testing it out and a thin stream of smoke arose, from what I recall. My husband fears there could be a short. Again, I saw no issues burnt wires, etc when I took it apart. I think I will put back together and hope for the best.
If there was a short of some sort I think it would be very energetic and very short lived. I doubt very much you'd 'think' you had a short; it would be quite obvious. A "thin stream of smoke" is exactly what I'd expect from a bit of bread that stuck to the guide wires or something similar.
I've worked on dozens of toasters and never seen anything that ever shorted other than a metal utensil stuck into it.
Reassemble and enjoy your toaster. It's surely a better toaster than whatever you're using now.
Thanks, that was helpful.
I taped some of the wire paper cover in spots where it rubbed and even corroded the metal. Who know, but now it works. This and the Dualit will have to share time on the counter.
You're welcome!
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Of the ones I've actually messed with; I prefer the T-35.
The screw in the middle, that adjusts the tension on the trigger, threads into a nut attached to a bar. The bar is bent. I'm not going to tell you how that happened, but let's just say a little bit of knowledge can sometimes be more harmful than helpful, when one gets a bit over exuberant about fixing one's own toaster, haha. Your videos have been very helpful, and I now know that a little adjustment can go a long way, haha. What would you do? I know I can buy another one, but this one was only 5 bucks, so I'd kinda like to fix this one, haha.
The plate under the bar is also somewhat bent.
I just hot a t35 and Ill need to adjust the doneness setting but whoever have this before put a grounded plug on it and these did not have or even needed grounded plugs so do I need to replace it with the non grounded type it orig had
Eric Monse
Thanks for the question Eric.
It's reasonable to suppose that since they changed one thing they might have messed it all up, but unless they changed the cord as well, and hooked the ground wire to the chassis, it won't present any problem. In all likelihood it wouldn't cause any problem anyway. I'd be on the lookout for a two prong plug, and possibly cord, just to restore it. But, it's probably fine.
Just check to see what they actually did before you plug it in, you'll likely find the ground prong isn't connected to anything.
Thanks I tested it and all I need to do is adjust doneness setting. Everything else is great
Great!
I never seen them for less then 80$ on eBay
Average prices go up and down. Most of mine have cost about $20.