It's Sears Kenmore Week!

[Unimatic1140]

For my last post of ephemera in the library this year I have a real treat. A big thanks goes out to Justin (countryford) who dropped off his Sears Kenmore Brochures to Ben (swestoyz) who was kind enough to send me the scans of these absolutely beautiful Sears Kenmore Laundry Appliances brochures from 1958 and 1959. If anyone would like a copy...

1959 Kenmore Laundry Appliances
1958 Kenmore Laundry Appliances
1966 Kenmore Washer Owners Manual

 

[repairguy]

That’s great! Thanks Justin, Ben, and Robert!

 

[appnut]

If anyone would like a copy...

Well, of course I do!! Justin, thank you for willing to share these with us. Ben thank you for making the scans. Robert thank you for posting these and for all you do for us.

I look forward to seriously studying these.

 

[countryford]

All. You are more than welcome. Thank you to Ben who took the time to scan them all and then to Robert for taking the time to upload them into the database.

 

[peteski50]

Kenmore!

This is such great reading thanks for all the hard working posting!

 

[frigilux]

Awesome! I have to purchase the 1959 Kenmore brochure. Back in the early ‘90s—pre AW days—I hauled home a ‘59 LK washer and dryer from the recycle area outside the appliance store across the street from my warehouse apartment. The washer had never been used!! The dryer had, however, but was still in very good shape. Unfortunately it was an electric dryer and I had no 220 outlet, only natural gas hookup, so never used the dryer. Kept them for about a year.

Our 1960 Model 80 dryer had three cycle selector buttons in the same style as those seen on the ‘59 line. However, when you pressed a cycle button on the dryer, it just started. You can imagine my surprise when I saw a video of a ‘59 LK dryer. When you pressed a cycle button, a rapid advance time (just like on the washer) set up the cycle! Who knew?!

Also want the 1958 brochure because the ‘58 LK pair have one of the all-time great consoles. Super-stylish.

Thanks Ben (and Robert) for making these documents available to us!

 

[swestoyz]

Thank you, Justin, and thank you Robert, for adding these to AE. The scans are just as impressive as the brochures are in person.

Someday the pair will be up and running. Someday...

Ben

 

[appnut]

Ben, super swoon!!!!

 

[frigilux]

First: I missed thanking Justin in my post above. Thank you, Justin for sharing your brochures!

Ben, that ‘59 LK pair is gorgeous. I’d forgotten about the red light on the right side of the console. If I recall correctly, it was to let you know the self-cleaning lint filter was engaged. At the start of each draining period, the stack of little balls in the self-cleaning filter sphere would bounce around, releasing the accumulated lint. It sounded like a container of marbles being shook for just a second or two. So many great features on that washer! It was about as deluxe as they come. And yours has a suds-saver, to boot.

 

[combo52]

Beautiful 1959 LKMs Ben

The red light on the right side of the console indicates that you are low or out of fabric softener in the reservoir.

 

The 59 LKM is the first BD WP-KM washer my brothers and I rebuilt back in 1966, we then used it as our families washer for the next several years and it was a joy to have and use after our families other 3 WAs.

 

First was a 55 Kelvinator, 2nd was  a 1960  CO-OP by Franklin,  3rd was an original 1951 Maytag AMP.

 

By far the best performing machine was the 59LKM, then the Kelvinator, then the CO-OP and by far the worst performer was the MT.

 

John L.

 

[maytag85]

Wasn’t the Whirlpool Imperial Mark XII Whirlpool’s equivalent to the Lady Kenmore washer?

 

[DADoES]

 
Lady Kenmore and Imperial Mark XII are equivalent top-of-the-line positions in the model offerings ... but LK typically had features that WP didn't offer so as to be touted as exclusive at Sears or some such.

 

[combo52]

Lady Kenmore and Whirlpool Imperial Mark 12

Were both lines TOL offerings, Sears generally got a few more bells and whistles, but WP also kept a number of features for their line such as the Two-Way dryer door and interchangeable front panels on their Mark 12 1969 models.

 

The 1995 Easy-Clean 100 dryers were another very advanced idea that never made it to the KM side.

 

How many other examples can you think of that were exclusive to KM or WP laundry appliances ?

 

John L.

 

[DADoES]

 
Referencing Lady Kenmore vs. Imperial Mark XII (or Imperial Mark 18) ...
 
WP briefly had multiple dryer tumble speeds, KM did not.

KM auto-dosing softener & liquid detergent dispensers.

KM rapid-advance "one-touch" timers.

KM agitator variations (RotoSwirl, RotoFlex, VariFlex, PentaSwirl) ... WP had only the Surgilator (Double-Duty but that wasn't until the first electronic Solid State Mark Series).

KM 30-minute Enzyme Soak cycle (WP added a separate soak later, but not on any Mark XII or Mark 18 models).

KM 2nd Rinse option (WP didn't have a 2nd/extra rinse option until the Solid State belt-drives and later on direct-drives).

KM variable-speed washer model.

 

[neptunebob]

Top of the line for both genders..

Mark was the male version of a Lady Kenmore.  But they would not brand it like that today.