D&M Dishwashers

[supersurgilator]

I was looking at the "who made Kenmore" chart yesterday and discovered that our dishwasher from 1980 was made by D&M. Does anybody know anything about this company? I wasn't able to find anything online,but saw several references to Frigidaire, but wasn't sure if they are related or not.

 

[laundromat]

I'm pretty sure that WCI bought them a while ago.

 

[peteski50]

D&M

WCI / Electrolux did buy D&M in the 90's. I like the earlier D&M designs in the 60's and earlier 70's dishwasher styles. Than in the later 70's they changed the internals and added a tower wash arm and put the big wash arm on the top of the units. Most of the companies that utilized D&M design dishwashers used this design except for modern maid and kenmore. They stuck with the arm under each rach with no tower and Kenmore in my openion always had the best D&M designs. The quality of all D&M units was down in later years before Electrolux took over. I would like to see brochures if anyone has ones to post of these great machines. After Electrolux took over D&M they came out with the first tall tub dishwasher in America. I thought it was a interesting design and easy to load. But the quality wasn't their in these units. I think these Frigidaire units have improved in quality but are still considered low grade compared to other units.
Peter

 

[sensi-temp]

D&M dishwashers

Is this the same company that in the 50's made the top loaders sold under Kenmore, Whirlpool & other brands I can't recall, possibley Youngstown & Firestone. I had one of these Kenmores that came free from a garage sale about 1973. It washed excelent, only problem lid hinges were pot metal & frequently broke, I got rid of it when Whirlpool could no longer supply them. They had a main motor & seperate drain pump, at the end of each drain, it would let a little water run in to flush out the sump. They had a heater & in dry, the impeller ran as a fan for a heated forced air dry. It was my first dw & I loved it. Next was a GE with the bow tie impeller.

 

[circlew]

D&M background

Please refer to thread #26662 in the archives.

 

[alr2903]

LOL, Greg once posted Design and manufacturing, was like a hairdresser, that could do only 3 hair-do's. D&M machines were big beefy and heavy as hell. True to form the ones labeled Kenmore for sears, Seemed to have a few more cycles and convenience features, both the roto rack, and 2 square rack, machines of the 1970's, were well made and no center spray tower, you could fit lots of dishes in them. They had a pulverizer, for larger waste, but the square rack machines seemed to leave more "yiblets" on top of cups and glasses. mechanically they were all very similar. More money= more bells and whistles. We had a catalogue store so we always got one on clearance or one with free shipping. You did get a lot of bang for your buck. alr2903

 

[paulg]

Ties to Philco?

I believe D&M was founded by one of the defective top guys from PHILCO.

 

[rollermatic]

i love the old D&M dishwashers,

especially the sears kenmores with the roto racks. i spent many an hour with the sears roebuck catalog, looking at the dishwashers with the same fascination that most teenage boys would find in other parts of the catalog!!!!

i remember the 240 volt models that boasted a 180 degree sani rinse! and those big button control panels and lighted controls!

and i will never forget how sears described their washing ability!!!!!!!

TORRENTS OF WATER ENGULF EACH RACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

43 years later i still remember that one!!!

i have 4 D&M machines now, 2 kenmores, one a top loader roto rack and one front loader. a kelvinator made by D&M with the square top rack and a modern maid impeller machine.

they are definately a trip down memory lane! i found the recent D&M post on the history of the co. very interesting!!

 

[gmmcnair]

Don't know about now...

...but my 2002 Kenmore 18 inch portable is still a D & M design....makes the same sounds as my aunt's roto-rack Kenmore, my grandmother's 1970's Kenmore, and my old D&M Kenmore from the mid 80's.

They were a good machine....my aunt had hers from the late 60's until her death in 1998, my grandmother's is running at a friend's house, and my old one is at my grandmother's house. My 2002 has run two loads a day for the last eight years with no repairs.