Rob -
I love that feature with the hot wash/warm rinse. I don't use warm rinses, but if I feel there's a bit too much suds which could cause a wasteful second rinse, I will use the warm setting to get extra water through the spray rinses. It may not do much, but it makes me feel better.
About the machines you see sitting waiting for the crusher.... Yes, sadly, many could have years of life left if they were treated to some repairs or general care. But, some are just "done" as well. I've seen both.
It had one beautiful Coppertone 1977 80 series machine that must have been loved by its owner, but used A LOT at the same time. It put on a good show when it was looked at, but upon closer examination, it yielded one of the most worn out, pieces of crusher fodder I've ever worked on. My mistake was to start investing parts in it before I had fully evaluated it. It had a belt that had separated into three or four separate belts. I have no idea how the machine ran that way. The pump almost fell apart in my hand as the impeller was loose in the shaft and broken inside. The tub was leaking too. So, a belt, pump and tub re-seal and we're all set, right? No. While I was testing it I found a half-dozen bad dead spots in the timer. $70-some bucks for a new timer....Once that was in and running, I was testing the machine enjoying the woo-woos when all of a sudden the motor started making a rubbing sound, which quickly turned into a grinding, then a rubbing/grinding sound, which got louder and louder, and BANG---SLAM and only a hum remained. The armature had broken mid-cycle and the motor was totalled. It apparently rebelled against a new, properly adjusted belt. I had a used motor fortunately.
So, once that machine left my hands it had a new timer, a new pump, a new belt, re-sealed centerpost, a re-sealed tub, and a "new" motor. Was it worth it? Well I remember it fondly 17 years later.... I do know it lasted in service until a few years ago when the motor again died. Who knows after that.