Morphy Richards PA75 vintage iron info request.

[Macey75]

Hi all.
I'm new to this forum so please excuse me if I do anything wrong!
I'm after some information and photos of a vintage Morphy Richards Iron. I believe the earliest one they produced was a PA75 Iron.
My dilemma is that my child has decided to do a school project on vintage items and has chosen the above protect to write on. But I don't have much information on them nor can I find any photos he can use without taking them off eBay, which I don't want to do.
I was wondering if any members have any of these irons they could email me (photos, with photos of the soleplate with the model details showing), looking for only 3 or 4 photos? I saw some old threads here of members who have these irons so thought I may start here as everyone seems really helpful!
If you have any photos, can you email them to me at: Removed, click on the Avatar

I would really appreciate it. I'm really not sure where to start but I'm thinking this may be a good start with you all!
Thanks so much!

[teetoon]

Hi Macey, I have taken some pics of this one for you to see. It's not in the best condition as I found it outside a second hand emporium in the rain. However, once it dried out I checked for insulation before plugging it in and it works fine!
Hope these are of some use.

David.

[johnny english]

The model number for this model is CA75 there is a load of background information available on the web. This was the first product I was trained to fix
when I entered the domestic appliance repair industry. Oops just remembered the pa75 was pre 2nd world war the ca75 was from 1950`s.

[paulsherwin]

I don't know how common these were in Australia, but they sold in huge numbers in Britain in the 50s and 60s. Most homes would have had one at that time. They started to be replaced by steam irons in the 70s.

[Macey75]

Originally Posted by teetoon

Hi Macey, I have taken some pics of this one for you to see.

Thank you so much for these photos- they're amazing! Is this a PA73 Iron or a CA75?
I am such a novice. I am learning as much as I can, because I too am genuinely interested in learning more about these- how they have changed!!! I'm loving all the antiques on this forum- I'm an avid antique lover!!!

I just looked at your photos, that's the older older one, the PA75- pre world war 2?
I cannot believe it still works being that old! That is such a treasure. you are so lucky! I would love to know the history behind this one!!

[Station X]

These continued in production until at least the 1980's. My model 40250 is identical to the one shown except that it's orange and there's no provision for a pilot light. Complies with BS800-1977.

[ex 2 Base]

Before the pressed steel body arrived Morphy Richards made irons with a ceramic body of the exact same shape. At work we had a sole plate with a pyrometer used for set up the thermostat, not sure who made it. But if you had an iron which was working correct you could use it as a reference, sole plate to sole plate. Ted

[cashaw1972]

I remember being surprised when my mother came home with a brand new one of these in the early 80's. Not only did the design look old-fashioned back then, but it was replacing a steam iron, which she had never liked.

She is still using it today ! She loves it, which I find strange as the lack of modern additions like steam and non-stick surfaces makes it a pain to use. To me anyway.

[Macey75]

Thanks everyone for all your help with the information I was after! We will research the iron which was posted above with the photos. I'm really interested in finding out the era of the PA75 Iron and will be a great subject for my cold to research! You have all been amazing!

How do I delete this thread now I have all the info i require?

Thanks again, you have all been absolutely wonderful and I look forward to spending more time on this fabulous forum!

[Tractorfan]

Hi,
Deary me! That takes me back. My mother had the chrome plate one with a green painted lamp. As a youngster I couldn't get my head around something that was plugged into the mains having a 'torch bulb' in it without blowing.
I remember Dad replacing the element and struggling to undo the slotted round 'nut' which held the earth wire and the metal tab that the rear cover was screwed into. It needed a special screwdriver or tube spanner.
My first gaffer had the Morphy Richards test set as described in post 6. It had two partially insulated croc clips to power the sole plate while the thermostat was calibrated according to the pyrometer gauge.
When we got married, we bought one of these and used it for years until my wife discovered steam irons.
Nice to see the one shown having its 'period' MK plug. Ah, the days when you fitted your own!
Cheers, Pete

[paulsherwin]

David, we don't delete threads unless they are problematic for some reason. We eventually close them so that no more posts can be made, but at present people are still posting here so closing it would be premature. Threads often take on a life of their own like this after an initial request for info has been satisfied.

[G6Tanuki]

My mother had one of them in the 1960s; I remember it (or rather the cotton-braided flex) exploding - all the repeated flexing had broken the individual wire strands in the cores, which then burrowed their way through the rubber insulation until they touched.

The iron was plugged into a 15-Amp 3-pin outlet (the only 'high power' outlet in the kitchen so it got variously used for the iron, the electric kettle, the toaster, the Baby Burco and the washing-machine) so there was plenty of current available until the fuse blew!

[MrElectronicman]

My Mom had one also, except it had a black case and a green pilot light, must have been in the 1950s.
One day it packed up and I found another in a junk shop and managed to make a new iron out of the two old ones. Like other mothers of that era they did like like the new fangled steam irons and she continued to use it until she passed away.

[dseymo1]

Originally Posted by G6Tanuki

My mother had one of them in the 1960s; I remember it (or rather the cotton-braided flex) exploding - all the repeated flexing had broken the individual wire strands in the cores, which then burrowed their way through the rubber insulation until they touched.

My mother's had its flex fed through a sort of tall upright spring strain relief, which clamped to the ironing board ( a Beldray, with asbestos iron rest).
It's quite understandable that the steam irons of that era were disliked - they are heavy and cumbersome, and require quantities of distilled water. They always seem to produce huge clouds of steam except when it's actually needed!

[yesnaby]

Hello,

My mother never used any other type of iron than the CA75. Including in the early days having it plugged into a light socket ....
She had several over the years, the photos are of the last one (with orange pilot light) which was bought in 1993. Strangely the model number CA75 does not appear on the iron or the box.

Michael

[Nicklyons2]

As I understand it from a mate who repared dozens of them; the CA75 was the usual one, available in yellow, turquoise, chrome and red. The PA75 was the ceramic version (P for Porcelain he tells me) and only in primrose-ish yellow. He say there was also a 'de-luxe' (or what they'd now call a 'turbo' version) with a 1,000W element but he's forgotten the model No. alas.

A cautionary note with these: the clamp plate is asbestos and can often be seen, edge on, between the sole plate & the coloured body.

[Tractorfan]

Hi,
My mother's iron had a green painted MES indicator bulb, but the later version had a green plastic lens in front of a clear bulb.
Cheers, Pete.