Deciding on a KDS-?? KA dishwasher...can't decide

[combo52]

Unused KDS-15

Yes I would vote for this DW since you want something fairly vintage, If you wanted to move into the 80s then I would get a WP built power clean style DW, well used KDS-18-KD 23 DWs just have too many problems not the least of which is so-so cleaning and rinsing.

 

This KD-15 series DW was top rated for cleaning in CRs in 1966, it is a great performer if loaded properly and does boost water temperature slightly.

 

I you insulate the tank somewhat and use modern detergents you can get great results with incoming water temperatures in the 120-130F range.

 

John L.

 

[surfduzdaz]

I recently got a KDS-58, and made a video about it. I've wanted a vintage model for a long time. I'm still learning about the machine (not a dishwasher expert by any means), but so far I can safely say it's one of my favorite purchases ever.

 

[panthera]

Go for it!

The condition is too good to pass up.

 

[voodoochikin04]

Dang that kds-58 looks amazing. I found one a few hours away but the seller is jerking me around when I ask for pictures. I've seen one half janky picture of the front/top edge and then one picture of the tag... If I nabbed that kds-15 from eBay I feel like maybe I'll be lacking that upper wash arm And constant rinse at the top. However against that, I've read the rubber boot for the upper wash arm is impossible to find and if failed or cracked, then I'm rendered figuring out my own solution. I do think I love the look of the KA...

 

[chachp]

Best of luck..

 

<span style="font-family: helvetica;">Well whichever one you settle on, the best of luck.  I wouldn't mind a peek at the stove you are working on if you want to share.</span>

 

[qsd-dan]

I have an NOS rubber boot for the upper rack of KA-18 dishwashers and thought about sending it out and having a few custom made ones that could handle at least 200F temps, harsh environmental conditions, and be food safe (probably made out of silicone). The problem I've seen on this site many times is that everybody is Gung Ho about purchasing a part when a poll is taken and almost nobody actually follows through. Having a low production run on a custom item is not cheap, either.

 

[voodoochikin04]

I might try to get both of them, would be a whole day traveling round trip for both. @qsd-dan One of my companies does polyurethane parts but nothing with silicone. It cost us about $1000 to have some simple molds made for small parts, and around that same cost for injection molds. Feel free to post a picture of the part and ill see if I can help.

heres a picture of the chambers range im restoring. First 3 photos are the original sale ad. I paid $550 for it. Picked it up a month ago. Its currently 98% stripped down and about half cleaned. Model 15B 1946 or 47.. cant remember what the tag showed and its bagged away on the shelves.

 

[combo52]

KA DW Parts

We have more parts than we will ever use for KD15 and later KA DWs including a good supply of those rubber boots for the upper wash arm feed for KDS-18 DWs.

 

Parts for these machines are out there, during the beginning of the pandemic we finally got a chance to sort a lot of the parts we have.

 

I anyone needs a part get in touch, I will try and find what you need, I will not entertain people that say they want 2 or 3 of a certain part because they want to stach extras thus keeping others from getting a part they need.

 

John L.

 

[voodoochikin04]

Well I think someone from here for that eBay kds-15. Soon as the link was posted the watch count shot up and it sold for over what I was willing to pay for it. $200+.

 

[firedome]

that's eBay for ya...

just keep looking for the KA of your dreams, imo no other machine was built as well. My folks had a KDS-15, and several GE Potscrubbers. We've had the KA, Maytag,,and several newer GE and Hotpoints. Nothing approached the KA for build quality and longevity. And I've never understood the reluctance to do a quick pre-rinse. why start out with a lot of crud in your machine, and personally I dislike cleaning filters, so we'e always pre-rinsed. By paying even the slightest attention to loading we always had great results from the KDC-17 that we used for 15 yrs, and with 3 kids we did a helluva lot of dishes. Hobart made those 1 arm wonders for decades, including for commercial use, so they must have worked pretty darn well! Still have a real nice one out in the shed awaiting installation, along with Paul's '60s GE awaiting pickup, if the border ever re-opens that is! LOL Vintage rules...
go for it - that's my $.02!

 

[panthera]

It happens, unfortunately.

The local Habitat Restore does that to collectors all the time, too. It sucks. And, yes, we've seen this situation around here before. More experienced collectors will sometimes post an urgent request that nobody 'look' for the appliance they've found online, please.

 

The potential good news - most of the people who jack up prices on 'our' collectibles end up selling them later for much less. So, keep an eye out.

 

As to pre-rinsing, that's just one of those things where everybody is different. I refuse, flat out refuse and that's that. My brother and my father WASH and SCRUB the dishes before they go into the dishwasher and that was one of the tattle-tail fights my brother and I had throughout the 1960's and early 1970's...Panthera isn't scrubbing everything before it goes into the dishwasher! 

 

I could not care less what other people do, but refuse, absolutely refuse to be one of those aging queens who thinks there are bonus points for unnecessary work.

 

KA dishwashers of that era do need a reasonable pre-scrape. Not hysterical, just reasonable. Potscrubbers, between their outstanding filters and soft-food 'grinders' (I know, darlings, I know) actually only needed bones and olive pits removed. They cleaned better than the KA and that's been something very, very disconcerting to many, even here. Here's why:

KA dishwashers are works of art. They're super well made, very pretty, run well and sound great when they're running. Sort of like a DeSoto or a Cadillac, back when they actually weren't gussied up Chevys.

GE Potscrubbers were made of 'plastic'. They used shaded pole motors (the horror of it all). They looked as if they'd been designed by the same committee who made the elephant and then the final design was handed over to a band of dyspeptic bean-counters. Who then turned them over to a bunch of hipies on bad acid trips who threw in faux wood and chrome-plated plastic. They sounded like someone left a few screws in the sump (which explained the mysterious rattles) and, worst of all, normal earners could afford them.

Rather like my grandfather who could have afforded a Cadillac limousine and driver for each day of the week but drove a Buick because nobody else in the neighbourhood drove one and he didn't want to offend the neighbours. 

 

[voodoochikin04]

Lol enjoyable story to read thanks.

 

[voodoochikin04]

ok, so while i search for a vintage KA, because i find them beautiful, would an ISE classic 400 thats barely used be a decent buy?

 

[combo52]

ISE 400 DW

Is a good choice and this one looks good so it should give few problems for at least a number of years.

 

If you are going to go this new you would get much better performance out of a WP-KM power-clean or ultra-wash DW from 1985-1998, but this ISE will do a decent job if you work with it. Do you have soft water ?

 

John L.

 

[voodoochikin04]

John,

I haven't been able to find a WP of that age range anywhere remotely close. Managed to find that ISE fairly close for $50. Just looking for a daily worker until I can find the KA I want. Lol, worried that I'll like a WP PC so much, I won't want the vintage KA

We have well water that is not necessarily soft but has very very little mineral deposits. Take a while before you start seeing water spots on things. Idk how that will work in. DW.

 

[combo52]

Good Point Matthew, I pulled one of my 1987 WP DU8000XR DWs out around 2001 and after trying several newer DWs a KA TT, A GE TT, A GE standard tub, and a new WP TT, all TOL, I put in a KDSS-20 and it was so cool looking I kept it nearly 10 years but finally got another DU8000XR and moved the KDSS-20 to the museum where it can live out. its life.

 

The KA I had was the equivalent to a KDS-18 in performance, it had several good features but when I had the WP just 15 feet away the KA just never measured up to the WPs performance. 

 

The KAs problems were poor cleaning in the top rack, you had to sort out the dirty dishes when unloading usually about 1 in 10 items rejected,  It often smelled bad because of food left in the sump and filter, it did not dry nearly as well as the WP [ both DWs always used on Air-Dry to preserve the racks and save energy ], and it did not get really dirty pots and pans, baking dishes nearly as clean. And most of all the silverware basket was no where as convenient to use as the WPs in-door SWB.

 

All in All the KA was a very good DW and if I had not had one 15 feet away that worked so much better I may have been more of a fan of it.

 

In this business I always really valued the opinions of our few customers that had two different DWs or washing machines hooked up SXS where you can really see the advantages and disadvantages of each.

 

John L.

 

[panthera]

Go for it!

You clearly have a hankering for that classic Hobart design and engineering and quality.

As to the idiosyncrasies - every dishwasher has it's merry little ways. You either figure out a way around them (wash the damn filters on these KAs, don't let them get bogged down). Or not.

Personally, I do like our KA15 and am willing to put up with the KA limitations for the hard work and beauty she has. But, she's not our daily driver. If you're OK with the stuff John mentioned above (John is one of the two smartest collectors here) then go for it!

 

But do clean the damn filter.

 

 

[voodoochikin04]

Haha, I've managed to take heed of alot of john's writings that I've come across on here. I was massively impressed by a post he made showing pictures of the very dirty load up of dishes into his WP, and especially some baking dishes with heavily baked on crust... Sparkling clean.. I was in shock. I have not been successful finding that particular model WP. Any pointers on how to scope them out better when hunting online?

i came across this but its 6hours away lol, and slightly rough, appears to be the proper vintage of WP PC...

also found this very nice outer appearance potscrubber, awaiting interior pics... same distance.

[this post was last edited: 9/7/2020-11:35]

 

[voodoochikin04]

AND i've been a busy boy.. here is the KDS-58 I was scoping out, and am awaiting interior pictures which the seller says is very clean.. What I have spotted from the exterior.. crack on the upper left panel, possibly pitting in the chrome above the buttons maybe its dust from storage, overall dirty, bottom chrome rail where the casters are appears to be surface rust?

------------------------------
Also a KDS-15, seller says water leaks out the front... so some seal is bad, but its free. The photos below show the KDS-15 and three interior shots, mixed with the harvest gold KDS-58 outside pics. sorry for the confusion.

[this post was last edited: 9/7/2020-14:35]

 

[combo52]

Best Used DW

That KDS-15 looks good, the leak under the door is probably not hard to correct. This KDS-15 is a later build version that the one you missed.

 

The WP may be in ok shape can't really tell from the pictures, The GE is one of the good GEs, but like the KA there is really no upper wash arm so you must load carefully for best results.

 

John L.