Gas Pink Lady Kenmore Combo

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I think I just passed out. Feeling quite melanchology tonight and seeing this, as this was in the house next to mine (but white) when we move in fall of 1961. They'd bought it when they moved in that previous spring. Robert, I love your WP combo, but this was the epitome oof the 33" WP produced combo. It had timed bleach & softener dispensers as well as auto dry cycles for regular, delicate, and wash 'n' wear. Just wish I could go back home as a child and have my mom.
 
Yes, yes... hello? I'm here!

Dam that would be just AWESOME.... but ebay... (ugh!) I'm sure the will go WAY beyond what I can afford to spend!

It is close though, Anaheim is only 20-30 minutes away!

Kevin
 
The Pink Lady Kenmore Washer/Dryer Combination

I have never seen one of these in person before, but I do have a picture of this machine in one of my Sears Catalogs.

@ Unimatic -- Did you find this machine in the Minnesota area in which you live??? And if so.... being that you already have a 1958 Whirlpool Washer/Dryer Combination with the lighted panel on the front, are you going to keep this one as well??

@ RevvinKevin -- You got a nice collection in your own right. Are you thinking about adding this beauty to your collection if you want such a beast to be part of your collection??

@ LeBron -- Same Question???

@ Gordon -- She's a beaut..... isn't she???? When was the last time you saw one of THESE????

And lastly..... to all that has viewed the machine listed above, keep in mind that this is a 1960 machine. I have one EXACTLY like this pictured in my 1960 Sears Catalog. The "Toggle-Switch" separate Lady Kenmore Machines (the washer with the detergent dispenser that's adjacent to lid handle), and the "All Push-Button" Kenmore Model 80 Set are all pictured in the same catalog.

1960 must have been one hell of a year??? All the cool stuff seemed to have came out that year.

--Charles--
 
Based on the story, you probably do not have to worry about the tank being burned through next to the burner, either. When we found one of these, the pump was leaking badly, but John took it apart and saw that it used the same seal as a 17 series KA pump and fixed it in a jiffy. That was in the early 80s and it still works today.

The view is not as good through the small, rectangular window as it is through the big round window of the WP.

The most surprising thing about these machines is how very noisy they are. In tumble-type washing machines with a suspension system, the motor and drive components are not mounted to the base, but with no suspension system, everything, including the very noisy speed changing mechanism, is mounted to the base plate in all combos except the Duomatics. The noise level is something else, even more so in these older larger machines than in the 29 inch WP/Kenmore combos. I wonder if the noise was one of the factors that made their long wash & dry programs so noticeable, especially when so many of these machines were installed in living spaces because there was no basement or utility room as an alternative. People who now complain about dishwasher noise would have gone crazy if they had to listen to one of these rumble away for two hours at at time and it was not like they were quieter when they were drying because all of that heavy machinery was operating all of the time. In the WP-made gas combos, the blower ran full time also so unlike the electric WP combos, the dry cycle did not get much louder than the wash cycle. And, when washing heavy items like towels, any time the tumbling pattern varied and a heavier portion of the load landed at the bottom of the drum with a thud, you felt it through the floor.
 
Yes Gordon, but this is NOT a '67 Kenmore 600!

IF anyone else here is planning to bid on this, PLEASE e-mail me privately and let me know. I'm SERIOUSLY considering bidding on it, but I don't want to compete with anyone here and drive the price artificially.

This would be an INCREDIBLE addition to my collection... AND a Kenmore Combo IS one of two dream machine for me (tho I'd prefer the 29" model), but this one would be just AWESOME to have!!!!

Thank you!
Kevin
[this post was last edited: 5/7/2010-11:05]
 
1960 LK COMBO

This is the 1960 model I have a fully restored 50 amp electric model that Tom found for me many years ago. I restored it when you could still some parts from wp like a new seal. This was the top rated electric combo in consumer reports in 1960 in the only exhaustive test of combos they ever did. Both this KM and the WP gas combos were top rated in the gas models. So Charles there is one right here in the Washington D C area if you want to get off butt to see you have been invited before also hope to see some new faces in Minneapolis next week.
 
Those small dials...

are immediately identifiable as + or - 1960 Kenmore which we see all the time. Weird but cool to see them on a giant layered combo control panel without the lid.

Tom, such a satisfying post. I love it when you do that.

Jon, it'll be great to see you again. Are you bringing the suds hose with you? If so, I'll leave room for it in my suitcase, since we don't need any extra clothing--Robert expects us to bring laundry to the house on Saturday;+D
 
This was the only version of this style of control panel I'd ever seen at all until Lightedcontrols got his pink LK set with the same style of panels as well as Ross' washer that as the next model down from the LK, I do believe.
 
Hi Bob

I was referring to the row of three dial/buttons/switches along the bottom. As soon as I saw them, my brain said Kenmore. They're every where on Kenmores of that period, sometimes even smaller, I think. I always thought they were kinda cool, tiny buttons, even though one usually loves the big ones like the those of the LK keyboards.
 
Knobs

Our 1958 green LK had the tape kit originally and the dial to turn it had a cameo of Lady Kenmore in the middle. When the tape kit lost its moorings and moved erratically, the control panel had to be replaced. Instead of the clear rectangular window where the cycles appeared, it was all translucent. The formerly blank gray area around the dial was now black with the cycles printed in their same colors--orange, blue and yellow-- in such a way that the light came through them and the new knob had to have a pointer so it was one of these with the big K instead of the cameo.
 
One of my neighbors---

The Reeses had this same unit and replaced it with another one in 1965.They had 7 children who I went to school and still keep in touch with. Their eldest daughter,Reenie, is now my sister in law.I talked her into replacing their GE filter flo with an LG set.They have had the LG now for 6 years.
 
What a beauty!
I hope it has as little use as the owner claims.
What an awesome contribution to any collection!
Very nice!
Brent
 
Charles

I know nothing of this incredible machine. All I hope is that it goes to someone in the club (how could it not?) my vote goes to Kevin! good luck!
 
Kevin, I hope you get it. His ad states he will deliver it, pretty cool considering you would need a football team to move it. Is it about 500 pounds? Are there dispensers?
GO time tunnel. alr2903
 
Yes Kevin

it is your DUTY! Did you get that beauty Westinghouse last week?
Keeeep filling up that laundry room pretty soon those useless '55 Bendii will be crowded out and needing a new home!
YAY!

If this was ELECTRIC I'd jump on it but one GAS combo is enough for me.

Kevin, I"ll make some room downstairs, say,, two spaces???????
 
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