Heavy Duty Vintage Kenmore Washer In Los Angeles
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Is that a bleach dispenser there? Usually you would see just a fabric softener, both, or none... It's pretty rare for it to only dispense bleach...
-- Dave
-- Dave
Nice one! I'm guessing 1975 or 76. I'd be tempted to bring that one home to be my back patio machine if it were nearer to me.
Pico and Beverly is a nice area. The machine appears to be in beautiful shape for its age, even if the timer knob isn't original.
Pico and Beverly is a nice area. The machine appears to be in beautiful shape for its age, even if the timer knob isn't original.
Pictures
1974 Kenmore 60
That machine appears to be in very nice condition.
This is the model that replaced our 1961 Kenmore 70, in October 1974.
The bleach dispenser is very common for this time period, to the end of the belt drives. Most of these drain into a tray that feeds via a hose directly into the outer tub, as was done in most DD machines. There were still some reservoir based, timed release bleach dispensers in the mid 70s, and yes, they were often set-up with a split reservoir and bezel for fabric softener. This model came with an agitator mounted softener dispenser.
Found out earlier today that the machine is already sold. Hopefully a site member or collector got it. Ironically, the control panel structure (two screw quick removal) was the ancestor to the black panel machines of 1976-1986, but today this panel looks less dated to casual observers than the newer black consoles.
Gordon
That machine appears to be in very nice condition.
This is the model that replaced our 1961 Kenmore 70, in October 1974.
The bleach dispenser is very common for this time period, to the end of the belt drives. Most of these drain into a tray that feeds via a hose directly into the outer tub, as was done in most DD machines. There were still some reservoir based, timed release bleach dispensers in the mid 70s, and yes, they were often set-up with a split reservoir and bezel for fabric softener. This model came with an agitator mounted softener dispenser.
Found out earlier today that the machine is already sold. Hopefully a site member or collector got it. Ironically, the control panel structure (two screw quick removal) was the ancestor to the black panel machines of 1976-1986, but today this panel looks less dated to casual observers than the newer black consoles.
Gordon
Gordon, I thought the selector knobs were mounted on the slanted section of the console top on the '74 models, and were moved down to the panel front in '75. Was this machine an exception, or was my mom's machine (with top mount selectors) the exception?
I remember seeing a lot of these green schemed timer dials at the Sears outlet when hunting for my mom's new machine in 1975. We ended up at a regular Sears store for the purchase, but apparently the machine my mom ended up with was a '74 due to slow moving inventory for that model, which as you know had the gold/rust color scheme.
I remember seeing a lot of these green schemed timer dials at the Sears outlet when hunting for my mom's new machine in 1975. We ended up at a regular Sears store for the purchase, but apparently the machine my mom ended up with was a '74 due to slow moving inventory for that model, which as you know had the gold/rust color scheme.
forgot...
The timer knob is definitely not original, but this is at least the third time I've seen other more sturdy knobs substituted for the original.
These timers were quite complicated with the pre-soak and pre-wash, and there is a dead second rinse in this particular model. These busy timers became stiff or sticky to turn, and usually the timer's knob is the weakest link and it splits or cracks and becomes useless. A few years after this model was made, since this knob was standard in nearly all Kenmores in the later 70s, a modification to the design and to the pointer was made that allowed the part to be more sturdy. Timers were improved as well and don't get hard to turn like these did.
This is not a hugely common model. I know that Rodrigo in Brazil has one in Tawny Gold, in fact his pictures have been hijacked on Craigslist once or twice. I have seen at least five white machines including ours, and at least one in Coppertone that was for sale on ebay many years ago. Don't think I've ever come across one in Avocado yet.
Gordon
The timer knob is definitely not original, but this is at least the third time I've seen other more sturdy knobs substituted for the original.
These timers were quite complicated with the pre-soak and pre-wash, and there is a dead second rinse in this particular model. These busy timers became stiff or sticky to turn, and usually the timer's knob is the weakest link and it splits or cracks and becomes useless. A few years after this model was made, since this knob was standard in nearly all Kenmores in the later 70s, a modification to the design and to the pointer was made that allowed the part to be more sturdy. Timers were improved as well and don't get hard to turn like these did.
This is not a hugely common model. I know that Rodrigo in Brazil has one in Tawny Gold, in fact his pictures have been hijacked on Craigslist once or twice. I have seen at least five white machines including ours, and at least one in Coppertone that was for sale on ebay many years ago. Don't think I've ever come across one in Avocado yet.
Gordon
74s and 75s
Ralph -
Your Mom's 74 70-series is/was the only model with the raised "balcony" of controls as I like to call it.
There weren't a huge number of 1974 models, but this is the year that a number of matched washer/dryer sets in large capacity were introduced. Other pairs though were a machine that used a warmed-over 1969 700 style panel, and a couple low end plastic panel machines. In later 1974 a 300 series machine using the 60-series' panel design was introduced that stayed in production for several years, but the follow-on 1975 large capacity models employed the woodgrain from the 1974-70 but used the same console as this machine.
Give me a few minutes while I go looking for a few pics...
Ralph -
Your Mom's 74 70-series is/was the only model with the raised "balcony" of controls as I like to call it.
There weren't a huge number of 1974 models, but this is the year that a number of matched washer/dryer sets in large capacity were introduced. Other pairs though were a machine that used a warmed-over 1969 700 style panel, and a couple low end plastic panel machines. In later 1974 a 300 series machine using the 60-series' panel design was introduced that stayed in production for several years, but the follow-on 1975 large capacity models employed the woodgrain from the 1974-70 but used the same console as this machine.
Give me a few minutes while I go looking for a few pics...
Some photos, including a 1974 300 standard capacity in Harvest, a 1975 500 in Avocado, and a white 1975 70.
Thanks Gordon. It looks like they dropped the extra rinse selector on the 70 series in '75.
The "balcony-mount" selectors weren't the best idea. Some of the painted setting markers wore off from my mom's machine.
That 300 is an odd looking thing.
The "balcony-mount" selectors weren't the best idea. Some of the painted setting markers wore off from my mom's machine.
That 300 is an odd looking thing.
The 300
It is not the most attractive thing that Sears offered, and I had never seen one when I bought one for $5 from a used appliance dealer in late 1989. It had been outside for I don't know how long. It became the first machine that I completely tore down and rebuilt. It was also Harvest Gold. I had to completely repaint the cabinet it was so rusted.
When I saw this one I wanted it as a tribute to the first one.
It is not the most attractive thing that Sears offered, and I had never seen one when I bought one for $5 from a used appliance dealer in late 1989. It had been outside for I don't know how long. It became the first machine that I completely tore down and rebuilt. It was also Harvest Gold. I had to completely repaint the cabinet it was so rusted.
When I saw this one I wanted it as a tribute to the first one.
My Mom had these machines in Avocado. As Gordon posted there was much clunking and clanking to dial through all the timer options. These timers were pull/stop, push/start. Iirc, they required 29 gallons to fill. I think they were the bigger of the large capacity machines. At some point in time after these, WP/Km narrowed the perforated basket a little. The OP has the perforated basket with 3 larger clusters of drain holes in the bottom. I think these machines had the extra 2 minutes of drain time before spin.
D opening
I always liked the "D" shaped opening of these machines. I owned several different models of Kenmore belt drive. Comes from the days of more distinct brand identification. Those Kenmores opened to the left and were inconvenient if placed in a laundry area designed for Maytag which had the dryer door opening to the left and generally resulted in placing the dryer on the left.
I remember taking the back off to watch the wig-wag and solenoid action. Really seems like a Rube Goldberg system compared to the Maytag helical drive system. It is hard to believe how reliable that system was with all that flexing of electrical wires on that wig wag. But a lot of fun to watch as the solenoids pulled on the transmission to operate the spin.
I appreciate that a lot of these machines had the self cleaning filter that requires no attention.
I always liked the "D" shaped opening of these machines. I owned several different models of Kenmore belt drive. Comes from the days of more distinct brand identification. Those Kenmores opened to the left and were inconvenient if placed in a laundry area designed for Maytag which had the dryer door opening to the left and generally resulted in placing the dryer on the left.
I remember taking the back off to watch the wig-wag and solenoid action. Really seems like a Rube Goldberg system compared to the Maytag helical drive system. It is hard to believe how reliable that system was with all that flexing of electrical wires on that wig wag. But a lot of fun to watch as the solenoids pulled on the transmission to operate the spin.
I appreciate that a lot of these machines had the self cleaning filter that requires no attention.
Neat machine:
Does not seem to have too many miles on it. Turnover was slow with full loads in the 26 gallon tub with this Agitator. If you could replace it with a DAA or Whirlpool DD Surgilator the machine would perform much better.
WK78
Does not seem to have too many miles on it. Turnover was slow with full loads in the 26 gallon tub with this Agitator. If you could replace it with a DAA or Whirlpool DD Surgilator the machine would perform much better.
WK78
