Things measured in washing machines
A washing machine weighs about 55–115 kg, which makes it a usable informal unit — "three elephants" lands where a raw figure in kg does not. Every comparison below is computed from a sourced figure rather than an invented average.
Things measured in washing machines
| Thing | Mass | In washing machines |
|---|---|---|
| English mastiff | 54–113 kg | 1.13 washing machine |
| safe | 15–500 kg | 1.13 washing machine |
| elliptical trainer | 45–180 kg | 1.13 washing machine |
| snow blower | 14–145 kg | 1.13 washing machine |
| harbor seal | 45–170 kg | 1.06 washing machine |
| oven | 50–130 kg | 1.00 washing machine |
| wardrobe | 40–180 kg | 1.00 washing machine |
| transmission | 40–160 kg | 1.00 washing machine |
| concrete mixer | 40–180 kg | 1.07 of these per washing machine |
| warthog | 45–150 kg | 1.07 of these per washing machine |
| anvil | 25–200 kg | 1.07 of these per washing machine |
| beer keg | 25–75 kg | 1.11 of these per washing machine |
| Komodo dragon | 40–166 kg | 1.14 of these per washing machine |
| freezer | 35–120 kg | 1.14 of these per washing machine |
| white-tailed deer | 25–150 kg | 1.14 of these per washing machine |
| dresser | 30–140 kg | 1.14 of these per washing machine |
Why informal units work
Absolute figures fail because most people have no calibrated sense of a kilogram above about the weight of a shopping bag, or of a metre above their own height. A familiar object supplies that calibration by borrowing it from something already known — which is the same reason a scale bar on a map beats a stated ratio, and why "the size of Wales" persists in journalism despite being useless to anyone who has not been there.
The figure for one washing machine is itself a range rather than a constant — see its own page for the spread. These comparisons are for intuition, not measurement.
Common questions
- How much does a washing machine weigh?
- 55–115 kg
- Why compare things to washing machines?
- Because most people have no calibrated sense of large absolute figures. A familiar object borrows intuition from something already known.
Related pages
- How much does a washing machine weigh? Full figure and range
- Measured in school buses 6,500–12,000 kg
- Measured in city buses 11,000–20,000 kg
- Measured in African elephants 2,200–10,400 kg
- Measured in Asian elephants 2,000–6,000 kg
- Measured in blue whales 50–190 t
- Measured in giraffes 700–1,930 kg
- Measured in cars 1,100–2,100 kg
- Measured in pianos 130–550 kg
- Measured in refrigerators 70–170 kg
- Measured in horses 380–1,000 kg
Sources
- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place