Coppertone Kenmore set

[captainmoody]

Theeese followed me home today.. As if I don't have enough washers and dryers already! The pic was of them just before removal from the home. The whole basement was as clean as if it were new or sealed off for the past 40 years!
Looks like the washer is a '69 model made the second week that year, the dryer looks like a '66? made the seventh week of '69.
So they made the dryer a few years after being introduced in '66?
Anyhow, it looks like I will get to see how well the "vari-flex" agitator works now.

 

[retropia]

They appear to be as if just delivered by Sears!

 

[bajaespuma]

Aferim!

and I am seething, seething I tell you, with envy. Probably my Karma for having dissed the brand for so long.

 

Enjoy them in good health!

 

[captainmoody]

LOL! Maybe the owner did their wash elsewhere? Or never dirtied their clothes..

 

[autowasherfreak]

Very nice!

 

[polkanut]

The electric range to left of the dryer looks interesting as well.

 

[appnut]

will get to see how well the "vari-flex" agitator w

Woaaaahh Dwuight!!!  This washer has a Vari-flex in it?    Hmm, I feel gipped, cheated I tell ya!!!  OK gordon I need your expertise.  This looks just like the Kenmore 800 got around 1970 or 1971 EXCEPT there doesn't appear to be a rocker switch on the right hand side under the water temp knob like there is on the left-hand side under the water level knob (the 2-nd rinse switch).  If there is a rocker switch on the right-hand side, it's being reflected out of the picture.  If there ISN"T, then that is the major difference between this machine and the one my parents go.  the switch on the right was for auto soak-to-wash on or off.  Without that feature, seems rather useless to have the detergent dispenser.  Anyway, our 800 had the super swirl agitator and not the vari-flex.  I would have preferred the variflex.  I feel cheated and jipped.  Yes Jason is gonna have a stroke when he sees this and my comment because he'll think I"m being sacrilige, but now I feel like I got a cheapened Kenmore 800 in my childhood. 

 

Dwight, I look forward to additional photos when you can please of both the machines. 

 

[70series]

Awesome Set!

Wow, you found two great lookers there, and in Coppetone! The Vari Flex agitator is the giveaway for the washer being a 1969 model, and I am pretty sure every version of it had this agitator too. Bob, I wonder if you and Jason had the identical 1971 800 since yours and his had the Super RotoSwirl. That model, while a '71 probably debuted in the latter part of 1970, and while most of its versions had the push button lid switch, from what I recall the original model (110.7104800) may have had the mercury switch. Somewhere I remember you guys saying your washers had mercury switches.

I was wondering when we would see the 1969 model pop up. Now it has, and it has done so in grand fashion.

When you get the chance, please show us the money shot.

Have a good one,
James

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Very nice indeed!!!

I enjoy restoring a machine from an ugly duckling to a swan, but it's great to have some that have always remained swans!!! What a great looking pair.

Yes, the dryer is a '66, and Kenmore commonly kept models in production for several years if they were good sellers. I believe the record I've seen is four years. Probably the best example of that is the entire line of belt-drives that were available in 1986 - they were largely all 1982 and 1983 models with one '85 model in there for good measure. Close relatives to this model dryer were available into 1973 at least, from what started as a 1966 Lady K model.

Bob - I don't see the soak selector switch either. There was a bunch of these models in a hierarchy or family. The one I had was a '73 model (it got stolen with the theft of the trailer contents a while back), and it did have the soak selector and a Roto-Swirl. I'll post a picture of the '73 below for comparison, but so far I've seen these machines with a burlwood type surround around the controls, I've seen the 1972 era dots and dashes, and I've seen a solid copper-ish background too.

I think there have been other models that had a detergent dispenser and no auto-soak. As well, I think there was a version of this 800 that did not have a detergent dispenser at all. The timers with the complicated cams that accomodate auto-soak were generally all the quick-disconnect varieties. These became commonplace in the early 70s. Not many 1960s models had this type of timer yet, and those that did may not have had the complex cams yet. These were the cams that had to undergo some developmental growing pains before they were widely successful, as some were prone to jam and break teeth on the cam.

As to feeling slighted on the model you grew up with, don't. These were neat machines either way, and I personally would have preferred the Roto-Swirl any day of the week (I have always thought the Vari' looked ugly and is awkward to operate, though I can see how it would have been fascinating to play with as a kid).

Gordon

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Here's my '73 model - slightly altered in trim, etc.

This one did have the soak selector, and was a Roto-Swirl model also. Notice the different background around the controls.[this post was last edited: 6/5/2011-10:40]

 

[chaskelljr2]

1969-71 Kenmore Model 800 Washer & 1966-67 Lady Kenmore Drye

@ Dwight:

That's an awesome set right there. How did you manage to find these??? And I thought 1969-71 Kenmore Model 800 Washers had a Super Roto-Swirl Agitator inside of it. This is a Model 800 from that era as well. And you're telling me this thing has a Vari-Flex Agitator inside of it???

That Lady Kenmore Dryer has always been one of my favorites.

So.... back to the washer..... After looking at Gordon's picture, and looking at the picture of your washer, I'm guessing that in order gain that Vari-Flex Agitator, looks like you had to give up the Automatic Soak To Wash function, or otherwise, you might as well get a Lady K or a Model 900 Washer (both which also were equipped with Vari-Flex Agitators).

@ Gordon:

About the dryer??? So, that style of dryer was available into 1973??? So then, in 1972, wasn't the #2 Kenmore Washer/Dryer set a dial and alphabet set with lighted consoles as opposed to being a keyboard set with a click-stop cycle-timer on the washer (like the 1966-71 Model 800's/Model 900's were)????

I concur with all others, that's a great set right there.

You go ahead and enjoy that set, Dwight....

--Charles--

 

[appnut]

James, now that I've seen this model Dwight got, I would imagine this was the very first of this "new style" panel and feature set for the Kenmore 800 line.  Vari-Flex but no soak-to-wash selection.  I guess you could consider ours to be the middle child of the incarnations.  It had the soak selector, a copperish background around the dials/knobs, rotoswirl, and mercury switch.  The version Gordon showed above (which is like what Jaosn got form LightedControls) I considered the end series and also kind of bastardized.  The facia was complete different, there were no little plastic dials for the water level or temperature, just painted on the panel, the notched lid replacing the timeless chrome handle, mercury switch was replaced with a lid switch, and it had the quiet pak which removed most of the woo-oohh.  I'd kinda forgotten about the following scenario.  We no doubt got our machine in spring of 1971.  My dad gave my mom a canary or parakeet for Valentine's day that year who my mom named Roberta.  The bird was pretty much a quiet creature, occassionally making oralnoises.  The bird cage hung in the corner of the entrance to the breakfast room/kitchen that was right next to the Nuton intercom system, which was 3 feet away from the laundry room door.  After the Kenmore arrived, Roberta's quiet demeanor changed.  It didn't happen during agitation (because apparently the pitch of the woo--oooh was different.  but, when the machine finshed draining or was in spin, Roberta would chirp and sing along with that famous Kenmore pitch/noise. 

 

[captainmoody]

Thanks for the info! Yes, it only has the second rinse switch. Plus, it's also a suds saver model!

 

[combo52]

1966 LKM DRYER

This dryer had only electronic dry settings, no timed dry options and was gone by 1970. They did make similar looking machines through 1973 but they didn't have the all electronic control. But in 1975-6 the LKM dryers brought back the all electronic control dryer with pre-set timed cycles if you wanted.

 

Are we sure that this washer came with the Vari-Flex agitator ? it could have been added I never saw this model machine with this agitator but anything is possible. If you give us the model # we can look it up. Great looking machines by the way.

 

[appnut]

Kenmore 800 Suds Saver

Dwight, I think ya hit the jackpot!!!  I vaguely remember comments here over the yearss that there was like a 1969 Kenmore 800 model that had the VariFlex agitator.  I assumed it  lookedmore like the 1966 or 1967 Kenmore 800 rather than the Kenmore 800 like what my parents had.  I'm just flabbergasted still.  If it is indeed what was std. issue for this early new control panel style Kenore 800, then that's all the better.

 

[captainmoody]

No problem! Model number: 110.S6905800C00 Serial number: 04476 C902

 

[kenmoreguy64]

I pulled up the parts list - that machine was indeed standard with a Vari-Flex. Kenmore's suggestion if you need a new agitator today is a standard capacity Dual-Action. A strange substitution, but neat all the same that after all this time they still have a part available at all.

Gordon

 

[captainmoody]

Thanks for the info Gordon! I am truly thankful to have you (and all the other talented people on here!) help me learn more about the history of these faithful old machines.

 

[appnut]

gordopn, thanks I was right

I do remember someone mentioning somewhere there was a kenmore 800 with a vari-flex agitator.  as said above, I just dind't think it looked ly "my" Kenmore 800.  I figured it looked like a 1966 or 1967 model 800.  Dwight, this truly indeeed is a rare find.  and suds-saver to boot.