On 24" KMs and early DDs, etc.
Tim is correct - the first several years of Direct Drive washers were 24" only for Kenmore, I think WP as well. Kevin asked some questions about BD and DD washers of this era, so I'll try to address some topics while being brief (LOL):
Kenmore DDs were available in lower end plastic top AND black panel machines from 1982ish into 1986. Some of the earliest DDs were a little different with gold agitators, manual agitator mounted filters, and a rear pump/motor configuration. The rear pump and motor configuration (as well as the gold agitators) didn't hang around long. Talk about product development due to in-field experience...
There were also 24" belt-drives availalbe during this time as well. Oddly, the true BOL of the machines remained belt-drive well into 1983, maybe even early 1984. There were four or five black panel 24" BDs during this time, but there were fewer each model year (I think three in '81, two in '82 and just one in the '83 line). They used either the venerable gold straight vane or the standard capacity DA. Not super fancy models by this time, but they of decent usable capacity.
Nate is correct that the lid is probably the easiest tell-tale sign of BD/DD differentiation. The BD lid is less deep, and not quite as wide. I can see subtle differences in cycle layouts with the DDs as the timers were not the same. They needed pauses for motor reversal and later for the neutral drain kick-out, etc. These pauses are not necessary in the BD timers.
Tim has a bit more of an open mind than I, but I hated the DDs when they first appeared. I would have gone without a washer vs. having one of those. They simply weren't what I wanted to hear or use. BUT, that said, they are still out there, and obviously have been very useful and will continue to be. Today I would not judge them so harshly as I did back then.
I would LOVE to find a 24-inch BD black panel washer, especially a late model with a straight vane agitator (I would swear that the very last were actually white).
Gordon