A Nice Belt Drive Find with a history

[jaytag]

I found this on CL, I took a chance there was no pic. I was amazed to find this Whirlpool LA5500XM. I haven't used a super surgilator in a long time. Anyway I have the original receipt from Feb 18 1985 and the canceled check...I m sure she forgot that. It was Mom and Dad's from San Diego Ca. They bought the set for $629.00, amazing less than you can buy a new WP set today with similar features. I have all the guides tucked in the holder in back. Has been repaired, a new pump, wigwag and the tub pulled and cleaned. It is in great shape. Oh it has been in Marietta for the past 12 years. So total in use for over 24 yrs. And amazingly quiet.

 

[jaytag]

Controls

My new tank!

 

[jaytag]

Inside tub

video soon on u tube

 

[toploader55]

Certainly Is,

WOW. Grab It. Seems like it's in good condition. Eddie

 

[lebron]

Nice looking machine! Definitely looks like it will last a long time.

 

[peteski50]

Whirlpool!

This is a Great find. They were really great washers. My sister had one like this bought in 1984 and lasted 17 years with heavy use. Hers was more towards the TOL with pushbuttons and adjator with curved bottom and super capacity. This one is a keeper!
Peter

 

[70series]

Congrats on finding that awesome Whirlpool. It looks pristine, and I love the tub shot. From above I cannot tell for sure, but it looks like a standard capacity model. This could explain why it has the Surgilator without the wings coming out of the base. The standard capacity Whirlpools/Kenmores are my favorites. I look forward to the videos.

Have a good one,
James

 

[jamiel]

That was my mom's second washing machine---bought in about 1985 as well. Her 1st was a coppertone Kenmore from 1963 or so...lasted 22 years. Stopped running so my dad pulled it out in preparation for getting the new one in, and started running again. My mom liked the standard capacity...don't really know why but it was why she didn't buy from Sears again...apparently that year they didn't have much of a standard capacity lineup. They left that behind in the house when they sold it in 2004. Got a new large capacity Sears when they moved into the new house.

 

[mrb627]

Standard Capacity Tubs

I always preferred the standard capacity tub machines. For some reason, I think they outlive their larger kin due to the mechanics being the same but with 2/3rds to load on the machine.

 

[gyrafoam]

I have one nearly identical to it---a model LA5700XKLO.
Only difference I see is mine has an addition water temperature setting of: Hot/Warm.

It is kind of funny that the Whirly folks had this type of filter instead of a self-cleaning one. It doesn't move nearly the quantity of water through it as the old "Tragic-Mix" did with that nasty brush.So I think it is not nearly as effective. The up-side of this thing is just a tap against anything will easily dislodge any lint. Yay!

Hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine. That Surgilator sure is aggressive!

 

[autowasherfreak]

I bought my Mother a new Whirlpool set in late 1984, but ours was TOL. It had the self cleaning filter, push buttons for the water temperature, and infinite water lever control. The only thing I didn't really care to much for was the timer knob. I like the plastic ones from the 70's better.

 

[amyswasher]

My parents had the exact same washer as autowasherfreak mom. It still worked till last year. The matching dryer was a different story. They bought it in '82. The dryer has been worked on twice. First blown fuse. Second the autodry went out so we used the time dry(mom wanted w&d to match,so no new dryer).

 

[kenmoreguy64]

The washer featured here is a neat one in that it is of the 1981 and later design that had the interrupted perforations on the bottom of the tub, even in standard capacity form. I recently got one of these in Almond from out west that is very similar however has only 1-speed. If anyone wants it, let me know!

These "standard" tubs are slightly wider than the original Whirlpool and Kenmore standard capacity baskets, and are about 1-inch wider overall. This was done to make the baseplate/superstructure common between standard and large capacity machines.

I am not sure that 1-inch in diameter would make a huge difference in usable capacity?

To my knowledge Kenmore did not market a machine with this basket for home use, as the 1980 Standard Kenmores were the last belt-drives in Standard capacity, then replaced by DDs in 1981. These were unique to Whirlpool. Kenmore did however use them for the coin-ops. Whirlpool kept the standard tub alive for home use into 1986.

Gordon

 

[supremewhirlpol]

That's a heck of a machine!! It will stand up to a lot of abuse. Now that I remember, the Whirlpool that I have was very similar to that model as it had a magic clean filter. I would get models that were much higher end than the machine pictured above, but they would always suffer from rusted out tubs and extreme leaks. So what I did to mine was I added the lint filter spashguard, as the 3rd port on the pump had a plug on it. Then I added the super Surgilator with the flaps on it, next I swapped the tops, so , now it is Whirlpool Regal Supreme with 5 cycle 2 speed. The tub and tray on this machine did not have a spec of rust on them. I did have a 6 cycle 2 speed machine with the console being the same design but, I sold it some years ago.