Found a picture of our Kenmore 700's

[jmm63]

I was going through a box of photos and found this. The set I grew up with. Purchased new either very late 69 or early 70. Served a family of 4 until 1996. My mothers basement looks exactly the same except for a pair of uninspired Kenmore DD 70's in place of these. I don't think the dryer ever had a repair, and the washer had a few but nothing major. Mom said she was tired of giving the agitator a "helping hand" to get started so she got rid of them one day. I remember we took this picture to enter one of Sear's "show us your old appliance" contests. Duh, we didn't win. Not a very good pic you get the idea, I actually took a picture of the picture with my cell phone and sent it to my email.

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Very cool Jim! I wish we had a good pic of my childhood washers.

 

[jmm63]

Gordon,
What years did they make this set? We moved into our new house in April of 70 and that when my parents bought it. I remember them putting the old set out at the curb and being very upset watching the "crusher" destroy it in front of my eyes. I remember nothing about that set other than they were white and my mom said they were "old kenmore's"

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Jim -

I don't know exactly when this set left the market, but there were at least two versions, one with the wood applique on the panel and a console light, and one like this one below without a light and without the fake wood trim.

I believe this set was still available in one form or more in 1972, when they would have received the notched lid in place of the lid with the chrome handle, and the dryer would have had the plastic handle in place of the old chrome one.

The Kenmore 800 of this period had several versions and was long-lived also, but it was gone by the end of 1973. Interstingly, there was a large capacity version of your machine in 1974 that had a larger woodgrain section on the panel. I've seen that one in a catalog only.

Gordon

 

[kenmoreguy64]

Here's the 1972 Sears Christmas catalog, thanks to Petes

It shows the change to the lid, yet the stock numbers still reference the 1969 roots of the machines.

The Christmas catalogs always seemed to price machines more aggresively vs. the two main issues during the year. This 700 series is priced among the lower end 60 series machines in the two 1972 big books.

Jim - if your machine had the permanently attached softener dispenser, by '72 it was removable. They tended to obstruct clothes removal...

G

 

[gansky1]

That's very cool that you have a picture of them, did you get scolded when the pictures came back from developing?  I was continually scolded about that - pictures cost money!

 

I don't think I still have any pics of our GE set, they were probably tossed out during the scolding

 

[circlew]

My neighbors up the street had that '72 700 set in Avocado. They got it when they renovated their house that Summer.

 

[combo52]

Age of Km pair

Jim I would guess that the pair in your picture would be 1968 or 9  and no later due to the design on the control panel and the machines color.

 

[jmm63]

You have to wonder what the reasoning was behind all these little tweaks to a machine that otherwise was unchanged. Ours had the permanently mounted softener I believe. I also remember seeing an add once that said it had a fluorescent lighted panel and ours was small appliance bulbs, 2 on the washer, 1 on the dryer. It looks like the picture that Gordon posted may have been fluorescent. I always liked the fake wood with the Shaded coppertone.

Greg- no scolding, at least that I remember, Mom probably just rolled her eyes, Gold bless her.