A couple of Old Ladies

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bajaespuma

bajaespuma

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As you can see, I'm trying very hard to improve my Kenmore Karma. Can any of you Kenmore Kids post me some good clear close up shots of the control dials on these models so I can finish them? Also, any corrections would be useful.

 

I first saw this model dryer at a friend's parents' beach house in Cape Cod. I was drawn to it first by the colored porcelain and then the acrylic slide buttons that turned on the dryer (wish I could remember what was written on the two of them) and then shocked and awed (sort of like Lily Von Stupp) at the size of the newly invented Electronic Sensor in the drum. I've only seen pictures of the washer, but the design is amazing.

bajaespuma++4-16-2012-08-58-32.jpg
 
WOW - Ken, I just got that washer!  I have some photos that I can send or re-post tonight and I can take some better close-up photos this coming weekend.  

 

The agitator in mine is a gold coloured one with the 5 fins and no bottom, though...  Makes me wonder if it's the orignal one to the machine now....
 
Ken,

These are 1965 Ladies Kenmore. I have a pair, I will try to snap a shot for you at some point in the next day or two.

The only thing that I see right away in your amazing drawing is the agitator - all 65 LK washers had the gold Roto-Flex, in fact the RF debuted in this machine.

Humorously, when I got my first 65 Lady, I so disliked the appearance of the non-standard agitator that I took it out and put in a black Roto-Swirl, and I know that several folks have done this over the years with RFs.

Gordon
 
Great Drawings Ken

The dryers two buttons are labeled Air and Heat and you push in either one all the way to start the dryer. I think that this was the first official model from WP corporation to feature the Electronic Sensor dry, although the later 1964 LKM dryers also came with the same Electronic control. The turquoise 1964 pair that I have has the Electronic Control.

 

Having used KM washers with the Roto-Swirl and the Roto-Flex agitators I will take RF any day as you can wash a larger load and the actual turnover is better when heavily loaded.
 
Here's one part of the control panel (I had it on my PC a work...); I hope I have more at home!

 

turquoisedude++4-16-2012-10-38-10.jpg.png
 
Those three lights for the speed: Do they just apply to the agitation speed or motor speed like if you were in the normal Wash 'n Wear cycle would the lights change from Normal to Slow when it started spinning? Likewise, if you were in the delicate cycle and the motor switched up to high speed for draining would the lights go from Slow to Normal and then back to Slow for the spin? That would be worth watching.
 
Hmmmm....  Not sure when/how these lights light up, Tom - the washer is still in my garage and needs a wee bit of TLC before I dare do any wash tests. 

 

Gordon, what does your 65 LK do??

 

Dang, now I'm curious....
 
Paul,

To be honest, I am not 100% sure, only because I have not used mine much. The one I had earlier, the one in which I put a black Roto-Swirl in, I did play with quite a bit (it needed bearings badly and was in my storage trailer of machines when its contents were stolen). I am fairly sure that the speed lights illuminate with current going to the motor, so when the blue wire is active, the highest speed light would be on. When slow, or the orange wire is active, the slow light would come on, etc.

In cycles which normally use the slow speed, these machines switch to high speed for pump out/drain. If the 'extra slow' button is activated for the delicate cycle, my thinking is that we can see three lights on at different times in one cycle - Extra slow for agitation, slow for spin (I think these machines will not spin in extra slow), and high for drain.

This is making me want to dig out my machines!

Gordon
 
Here is a picture of the machines which I put into the ill-fated trailer on July 4th weekend, 2009. Fortunately, some of these machines escaped as I kept the coppertone Lady set, the coppertone '64 70-series, the little 24-inch machine, and the hybrid '61 70-series with the plastic panel on it.

To be honest, I still feel guilty about this. I put these machines on the trailer because they were least-likely to be accessed by me in the near future, only to consign them to death, lol. In there was the two white '65 Ladies, the '66 Lady, the '72 Lady, two interesting 1970 500s, and some other stuff. In a few cases it is good that they are gone, but I wish I could have done something with the Ladies, or sent them to someone here who would have liked them better than the scrappers did.

kenmoreguy64++4-16-2012-13-09-3.jpg
 
Paul, Gordon, John and everybody thanks for the responses and the pictures. If it's not too much to ask can someone post a couple of close-ups of the dryer panel and the dryer control dial? Then I'll have all the information I think I'll need. You all are agreed that the agitator on this machine was the orange one with the five straight vanes and no base? This one, you mean (Greg's collection, the one on the left):

bajaespuma++4-16-2012-20-10-26.jpg
 
"Yes, officer, it's positively the agitator on the left"... Oh, right - that was another agitator I had to identify... LOL

Ken, here are some photos I have on the computer and I can take more on the weekend as needed.

turquoisedude++4-16-2012-20-22-23.jpg
 
And a less-than-perfect shot of the timer dial.

Again, I can take more on the weekend - just let me know!

turquoisedude++4-16-2012-20-25-25.jpg
 
...and another thing:

I'd be grateful if you Kenmore Kids did a thread on Kenmore agitators. If there was another company that had more permutations of agitator design from 1950 to 1990, I'd be very surprised. Especially when you compare them to their parent manufacturer Whirlpool. I counted about 14 for GE (not counting coin-op versions) but I bet that doesn't come close.

 

I still think those Mango-colored agitators are disturbing (mixing that color is a bitch and a half for some reason and I still don't have it right), but hey, I'm warming to the Kenmore Kosmos more and more every day. I blame each and every one of you.  It occurs to me that one of the joys of living a long time is witnessing a dislike or distaste within yourself transform into a "like" or an appreciation. It's like finding a new room in a house you've lived in for a long time. Gordon, if you ever have any TOL vintage Kenmores, especially like the Ladies I just missed outside of Pittsburgh, give me a holler. Here's another thank you to the Kenmore Kids (even before I ever knew what a sex toy was, this agitator always reminded me of one):

bajaespuma++4-16-2012-20-19-0.jpg
 
Ken when I first got here ..

There was a guy here in the archives Named Calypsobruce..

He had the machine that you posted In the first picture brand new in the box mint.

In the tub was a Roto-Flex.

Here are two pics .

[this post was last edited: 4/17/2012-03:48]

aldspinboy++4-17-2012-03-27-43.jpg
 
The Roto Swirl looks like it is for a Ex..large tub..

Gordon has Two Standard Swirls and a one large in the middle.

Forgot to say that the lights on my 64 guys..
Red - normal
Orange- Slow
White- Ex-slow
The red light stays on mostly in normal with the self clean light which is in red.
It will blink real quick in the orange light..
then shift back to red in normal for spin.

In Wash n wear it stays in the red for wash ..
put in cool down it goes to the orange light..
then back to red for draining then back to orange for slow spin.

Gordon I have to see it do all the colors on Ex slow
I have not used it for
a complete cycle. [this post was last edited: 4/17/2012-05:44]

aldspinboy++4-17-2012-03-43-4.jpg
 
Thank you D! That agitator looks like it could catch clothes underneath those vanes and shred them. Was that a problem? Thanks for all the photos of Roto-Swirls; I think if I ever found one I would try to swap out the RF (and turn it into a lamp or something) and go for a black RS. But who knows? The more I do this, the more I feel like an arts conservator where you don't want to make any unnecessary changes. Thanks also for the picture with the dispenser in it; I needed to see that.
 

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