I picked up this number of Habitat yesterday

[chachp]

<span style="font-size: small; font-family: verdana,geneva;"> </span>I picked up this KUDS21 at habitat yesterday for $25.  It was pretty filthy but I am working on cleaning it up.  I don't know what the previous owners did to this machine.  The inside appears as though in was run somewhere with awful water but the Water Inlet screen was clean.  I guess hard water doesn't' always mean clogged screen but I thought I would check it.

 

The machine seems to run perfectly except for the flow thru drying unit.  I can see it glowing red on the inside when it calls for heat but the fan does not seem to want to spin.  I have tried kick starting it a couple of times.  It will run for about 10 seconds and then stop.  I have been hitting cancel when it gets to the dry cycle for fear of doing more damage.  I wonder if that is why they got rid of it?

 

Here are some pics of the machine.  I will follow this with a link to a You Tube posting of the machine running.  The lower wash arm seems to move much slower than in my KDS17A.  Is that normal given it is feeding the upper was arm as well?  Just curious to know if the speed seems normal of if there are any other issues I should address.

 

Here are the issues I see with this machine.  Any help/advice is always appreciated:

<ul>
<li>The soap dish works but is so badly stained I'd love to find a replacement if anyone has one they would like to part with.  I haven't found one on line unless I'm looking in the wrong place.</li>
<li>I'm not sure yet about the rinse dispenser.  One thing at a time I guess.</li>
<li>Not sure how to deal with the Flo Thru drying unit.  Should I take it apart or anything like that or is this a common occurrence and I should look for a replacement.</li>
<li>The machine did not come with a bottom panel.  Not sure why someone would throw it out but they did so I'd love to find a bottom panel and then I would figure out a way to match the upper and lower panels once I have a replacement.  I am likely going to use this in my utility room so it doesn't have to be perfect.</li>
</ul>
On a side note I couldn't get my photos to reorder the way I wanted and it seems to want to show one less than I have uploaded.  As I am typing this I am wondering if that's one of the IE vs. Firefox issues.  I am using Firefox.  Anyone else have that issue?

 

http://automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/00ShowCollectionGETD.cgi?dir=/COLLECTIONS/CHACHP/

 

[chachp]

The machine in action

Here is the machine running.  Does the speed of the two wash arms appear normal?  I am used to my KDS17a which does close to 50 RPMs.  It did fill longer than it does in the video I just had to shorten it.  I fills to exactly where is it supposed to so it appears to be getting enough water.

 

[chachp]

Here is the front of the machine

This pic shows in my list but is not displaying.

 

[badgerdx]

Oh wow...that's what like my folks had to replace our original, I beieve. What year is it?

 

[chachp]

I'm not sure.

I hope someone knows.  I think early 90s maybe.

 

[appnut]

Online manualsw have copyright date of 1987.

 

[stevet]

Nice unit, Raplh!

Glad to see you were able to get this machine for a great price.

This machine looks very much like a Whirlpool built machine as it lacks the Hobart built motor and the Hobart built machines like the Monterrey I have had the thick black mastic coating covering the top sides and bottom of the tank. Remember, WP kept producing the 21's for a while after they bought the division from Hobart. Does the data plate say "Hobart Kitchenaid Division: on it?

As far as the wash arm speeds go, according to WP literature, the arms on the 18 series, both turned at approx. 35 rpms and would probably be a bit faster on the 21 given is slightly more powerful pump. The service manual for the 21 states that the lower arm should turn approx 35-50 rpm in clear water. So you have some leeway to go by. It looks like there is plenty of water pumping around inside the tank per the video.
I should put the 18 on line again and take a video of the Hobart single wash arm I have in it. That one is probably going much faster than the 4 way Hydrosweep arm. Just have to figure out how to seal up the door like you have.

Anyway, whatever parts you need, I definitely have. dispensers, blower motors and lots of front panel kits. Tops and bottoms!

Let me know what you need and we can talk about it. You know how to contact me!

 

[a440]

Very nice Kitchenaid.
I think this is the original Hobart design pump. If you can take a picture with the rack pulled out we can tell you for sure. The WP design was much larger in diameter than the Hobart.
In your video were you running a Rinse Only? Or was it the actually Wash portion of the cycle? Reason I am asking is the Rinse portions of the cycle uses a less water than the Wash cycle. It would be pumping more water during the Wash cycle.
Very nice find. Have you run it through an entire cycle to figure out how many rinses it has? There were two different versions as far as the number of rinses were concerned.
Brent

 

[pdub]

I like!

Very nice dishwasher. It does look like a machine made during the transition but I'm sure it's just as good as a true Hobart.

You'll get lots of clean dishes out of this one. Great find.

Patrick

 

[aldspinboy]

Love a good steale of a deal for 25 bucks.

And a great machine congrats it sounds and looks good.

 

Darren k

 

[chris74]

Congrats

Think it will wash fine... Interesting that the middle spray arm goes anti-clockwise as opposed to the lower arm...

 

[combo52]

KA KD-21 Dishwashers

WP kept the Hobart pump design through the 22 series, but during the 21 series they switched to a better Emerson motor [ better built quality and fewer replacements during the 5 year parts warranty ]. The 23 machines were the last DWs that looked like a real KA but WP changed the tank base to accommodate a modified WP power-clean pump and motor assembly, this was the first really big improvement in KA DWs in a decade as it was the first KA DW ever that did not have a filter that had to be cleaned.

 

[chachp]

Thanks folks

<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll get a better pic of the machine open with the Bottom rack pulled out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I think it is the WP design because it is a wider design than my 17 series machine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I was running a Rinse cycle so I will have to try a video again of the wash cycle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  This machine </span>has only one rinse (.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I’m not sure how I feel about that but we’ll see how it goes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I ran a full cycle last night with some really dirty dishes and they came out very well.</span></span>

 

<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I doubt I will make this my daily driver because I really love my 17 series machine but this will be a great machine in the utility room for larger items that are awkward in the older machines with the single wash arm.</span></span>

<span style="line-height: 115%;">This one does have the real Soak n’ Scrub that actually, sprays, heats, and repeats a few times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Some of the older ones seem to fill, spray, heat and drain which seems kind of pointless to me.</span>