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Hi Geoff,
My mom's new Sears Kenmore Elite DD uses a three speed motor, high speed is marked for "heavy duty", and medium speed is marked for "normal" and "Perm Press", and lo is marked for delicates. The usual combinations are available for the two spin speeds. I was glad to know Sears did this, as my mom would freak out if she saw her clothes being beaten to shreads. I didn't know KD did the same. I don't know if the Elite agitator is as big as the KD.
Bobby in Boston
 
Only the KitchenAid has this large agitator in their three-speed machines. The GoldSeal motor runs at 1725, 1140 or 850 rpm. They use the Medium speed for "high" agitation and extra low for gentle agitation. High speed (1725) is only used for draining and normal spin-speed.

That large agitator creates a tremendous amount of drag on the motor/transmission so it cannot be used in a standard WP or KM washer unless you're itching to buy a new motor. The KA washer also has a much larger capacitor on the motor than the standard DD washers.
 
My KAWE-760 has the three-speed motor and the wide-base agitator, with the typical speed pattern. I never knew there are basket perfs under the skirt, have never taken the agitator out, will take your word for it, Tom. Normal agitation is medium motor. Gentle agitation is low motor. Drain is high. Spin is low and/or medium and/or high depending on the cycle. Perm Press shifts from normal to gentle agitation at the 4-min mark, and the final spin steps through all three spin speeds, 2 mins of each in turn. Was quite a thrill the first time I saw that happening.
 
Greg,
Had no idea, just figured all KD's, WP's and KM's were all the same construction. Is the degree of agitation stroke any different between the KM Elite and the KD? Is there any difference in the motor RPM's?
Bobby in Boston
 
KA's have the same tranny as other DD WPs & KMs, same agitation stroke, spin speed, suspension system, drain pump, water valve, etc. The motor RPMs on the standard agitator machines (two and three speed models) is the same as KA, 1725/1140/850 used in varying cycles and selections but because of the smaller agitator and less drag, the resulting stroke in the basket is much faster.
 
How can the stroke be faster if the tranny and motor RPM's are the same? Is it because of the smaller circumference of the agitator? And wouldn't the smaller agitators be more gentle?
Bobby in Boston
 
The WP two-speed motor runs at 1725 & 1140 rpm. The three speed motor has 1725-1140-850. For Normal agitation, KA uses 1140 rpm motor speed (this is gentle speed in a WP or KM) then uses even slower 850 RPM for their gentle agitation which is again even slower than a WP/KM. This is not necessarily true for the three-speed washers branded Whirlpool or Kenmore as they don't have the larger agitator so they run at the blender-fast speed on high agitation that we've all come to know and love and/or hate and usually have settings for low and extra-low agitation speeds.

Does anyone remember the strokes per minute on the KA's with the larger agitator?
 
Same Dryer

I have the same dryer and it's matching washer and for the most part have been happy. The washer fills very slow but that is really my only compliant and I can live with that. You KitchenAid looks great. Congrats!!!!!!!!
 
Gansky--- I think (pulling out all the stops in the memory bank) the high speed agitation on the KA is 120 and the slow is 90. KA's fast speed is 20 or 30 opm slower than WP/KM's fastest speed, as I recall. I had my KA in 89-90, so that was quite awhile ago.
 
I imagine since the KA has a more agressive agitator, it has just the same cleaning action at a lower speed than the WP agitator. The slower speed though probably makes for a quieter machine.

Sounds like a really nice machine. The only thing I don't like is the bland exterior styling. A fancy, high-end machine like that should have some more style to it. It is nice to see manufacturers still putting some engineering into their TL designs. I thought that most manufacturers were letting TL technology flounder in favor of FL technology
 
oh yes...

The cleaning action is the same and I find the wash action FAR more "vigorous" yet so much more gentle than the WP blender speed. To me it's a perfect balance and that's why I am SOOO happy with this machine
 
OH BTW...

Yes, the slower speed makes it a MUCH quieter machine. On extra low speed, it's barely audible. This model has sound proofing panels on the sides of the cabinets. I looked, it's there LOL it seems to do a pretty good job..
 
Geoff, does your washer have the fiberglas insulation panel on the bottom of the machine? That helps as much as the side panels to make one of the quietest top-loaders I've ever heard.

Much of this technology isn't new, it's been around on KA washers & dryers for 20 years now. In fact, there are fewer "step-up" features on the KA line today than there were before but they still have the strongest warranty of all t/l washers.
 
I was surprised to learn at their website that KA makes only 2 different TL models these days. I suppose the 7-models-in-a-line format from some US brands was a bit much. Lord, how many models were there in the old Sears catalogs (back when they only sold Kenmore)? Seemed like a dozen, LOL!

I also noticed that Frigidaire has decreased the number of models in its TL washer line.
 
Once I had a Lady Kenmore (shredmore - as some refer it) and just loved it from 1985. Then was at a customers house back in Tampa Florida one day, and I was a Kitchenaid. Well she was not home and I had to take a peek, and much to my surprise, it was almost identical to the Kenmore. EXCEPT, the agitation did not render the "shredmore" speed.

Steve
 
Sounds like the KD and the TOL Kenmore Elite DD have a lot in common- slower agitation and extra sound insulation.
Bobby in Boston
 
Geoff,

How is the high speed spin at removing water from the clothes? Any better or worse or the same as the Kenmore?
 

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