Frigidaire RM-35 Range

[k5carrillo]

New to the group and this is my first post.

Someone locally is selling an RM-35 Frigidaire range. It would fit in my kitchen well, both physically and visually. I am just wondering if someone could comment on this range model in general (history, features, etc.) and also how supportable it would be in todays world.

I am electrically proficient and a good mechanic, so I can handle any replacement or rewire tasks. Just wanting any info you can pass on.

Here is a picture from the local ad.

Thanks.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Welcome!

The range itself is pretty simple electrically and there are enough old three wire elements to keep the surface units going. The bake and broil units are open coil so if there is a failure, you would just have to restring the element. Having used ranges of this age from Frigidaire, I can tell you that the surface units are maddeningly slow. I got lucky and was able to replace the front 6 & 8 inch units on my 40" RT70 with 208 volt units that give good speed; as fast as a modern higher wattage unit. These 6 inchers were rated at 1250 watts and the 8 inch at just about 2000 watts. The other thing you won't know until you heat up the units is how badly they warp when heated. Because Frigidaire's Radiantubes were not attached to a frame like other thinner units like Westinghouse Corox and the GE/Hotpoint Calrod, they were free to flex. After many years of heating up and cooling, many of these will rise up in places or sink in places as they are heated on higher settings. They can be bent back into shape (I kept a crowbar handy), but they often don't hold it after a few heatings. Also the supports under the elements weaken from all of the heat over the years and they can sag and not support the element. Again, they can be bent back into shape, but often will sag again. The supports are more problematic than the elements bacause on these older ranges, they sat on little studs on the inside of the trim ring for the element. Newer supports just sat inside the trim ring on the drip pan and are too large to replace these old ones. You can always replace the front two surface units with Chromalox twin tube elements that you can use with the 5 heat switches on the range. I did that with a 30" range I had that was a year or so newer than the one you are looking at. Once I got a pan up to boiling on the higher wattage, flatter units, I could move it to one of the rear units to finish cooking. I never had trouble with cooking on five heat units. I learned on our GE with pushbuttons so that is far from a disadvantage. Most anything you are boiling on a Frigidare, you start on High and switch to Simmer to finish and Frigidaire thoughtfully places Simmer right next to High on the switch. The oven in mine baked beautifully and the broiler is very powerful.

I just want you to be aware of things that might be considered shortcomings of the range before you invest money and time into getting it home.

 

[norgeway]

My Mothers first..and favorite stove!

This was THE FIRST 30 inch stove, introduced in 1950 and made thru 1952,this is a 50 because the very early models had the oven vent on top as this one does, in my opinion, the 5 heat radiantube units can not be beat, they are wide and flat, so the heat is distributed evenly, and with the 5 heats you know exactly what you are going to get, infinite heat controls often drift with age, but these will always be the same, this range is built like a bank vault and will cook and bake like a dream, the oven has a big old Robertshaw thermostat which is very accurate, and the open coil units are much quicker responding than newer rod type elements, finally, it is so well insulated you can lay the back of your hand anywhere on the outside when the oven is on and wont get burned, unlike the flimsy junk made now, If I ever found a nice one of these, I would put it in my kitchen as much as I love my Norge, this is a better built stove.

 

[norgeway]

My Mother

Always used the timer and appliance outlet for her percolator so their coffee would be ready in the mornings, it was the only stove we ever had that the clock worked on!..our neighbor had the same stove until 1975, it also was a great stove, I always loved the radiantube units, I have seen some of the supports sag on the ones from the 70s but not on one this old., everything about these spelled quality.....Just look at a 50 Buick or Cadillac, this came from the same company!..But it is true , the Radiantubes are somewhat slower than a Calrod,,,,but they will outlast a Calrod, or at least that has been my experience.

 

[k5carrillo]

Just for the sake of discussion

So here is another local option. A 40 inch GE. I don't know the year or model number. Can someone more knowledgeable provide comments on pros/cons when compared to the Frigidaire above? Thanks. Just trying to learn.

 

[norgeway]

Well...

The GE is actually 39 inches wide, GEs were good stoves, and the Calrod units are faster heating...but GEs are notorious for the oven doors getting out of adjustment, and they are not as well insulated as the Frigidaires or Westinghouses, the Calrod units are cheaper to replace, but they dont hold up as well as the Radiantubes, to me a Frigidaire just "feels" better built.and too, the 30 inch Frigidaire has a somewhat larger oven.But I am prejudiced against GE and Hotpoint, my hometown was full of them.And I tend to like more unusual things...hence there is a Norge in my kitchen, and thats about as weird as you get!..Whatever you choose, get what YOU like better, no matter what, it will be a zillion times better than the junk sold today....and that goes for any brand!

 

[norgeway]

PS

the Norge is 41 inches wide! 2 oves a griddle and a clock that still works...and its a 1955!

 

[kenmore71]

I have the service literature on that range scanned and could email it to you if you end up needing it.

 

[circlew]

My neighbor JoAnne had (may still) a slightly later version of the 30" Frigidaire range.

Earlier this year I was in another neighbor's basement, and saw that they had one of these in the storage room. Guess they use it sometimes as it was plugged in.

The early 50's GE is one of my favorites; like it better than the 53-56 models.

Either of them should be a good choice if they're in good condition.