Kenmore at a thrift store

[waterwitch]

A friend told me about this knowing that I'm a nut for this stuff. The manager said it was a donation, and will be priced soon. Anyone know the year? I'm guessing mid to late 50's? It's missing the back panel, and I couldn't get it to open.

 

[Chetlaham]

Id pay a lot for that. I hope you get it. That's an epic find!

 

[rp2813]

I'm guessing it's the next model after the "frog eye" Kenmores of the early-mid '50s.   I wouldn't be at all surprised if it still works.   It appears to have a standard electrical cord, which would indicate a gas model.

 

There are probably at least a few people here who could be looking for that dryer to complete a set.

 

 

 

[norgeway]

I think..

Its a 57...and it looks to be porcelain instead of a painted cabinet...Don't let it get away...lots of resale shops throw out stuff if it wont run!

 

[bendixmark]

1957 Kenmore Dryer

That is a 1957 I have the matching washer.The control panel has a fluorescent light.

 

[combo52]

Old KM Gas Dryer

It is probably a 1958, this dryer was the 57 Lady Kenmore, but it was carried over as a high end 58 model, when they did this it lost the all porcelain cabinet, drum and a few minor features like the lint alert light. I have the exact matching 58 washer.

 

[scoots]

Actually, I think this is a 56...

I bought a 57 a few months ago. As far as I can tell, the 56's are just badged "Kenmore", the have a simple pointer on the main knob, instead of 57's larger thumbnail index. Also the 56 has no lint warning light, found to the right of the main knob on 57.

As mentioned, there's a back light in the control panel, but just for the far right "eyebrow", not the whole panel. Complete porcelain cabinet.

Don't let this machine go to the crusher. I paid $100 for mine at a thrift store, but had to add heavy delivery costs since I am in Chattanoota, and the shop was in Indiana, just across from Louisville KY.

Oh yeah, and these things are rated at 37,000 BTU per hour. You can practically cook dinner in one of these. My poor little Maytag DG308 just puts out 22,000 BTU.

Images from Ancestry.com. Please do not redistribute.

 

[rickr]

.

That is a 1957, or 1958 model. Not a 56. 1956 had an all white control panel, like this one.

 

[waterwitch]

I hope...

I hope they price it at a fair amount. Most people think anything old is worth a million bucks. Question: Why would the door be hard to open? Also. How would this be turned on, the dial that you turn to choose the amout of time to dry doesn't seem to push in. A back panel will need to be made to fit this, it's missing, I would imagine the information plate would have been on it. The only thing I saw on this was a plate that said Packard on the motor. Boy, there sure is a bunch of wheels and belts on this thing!

 

[dnastrau]

Back panel

I wonder if the thrift store can contact the person who donated the dryer to see if they still have the back panel?

 

[a440]

Bill -

37,000 BTU's?  That is incredible!

I am sure you have taken the back off and watched it work.  I am very interested in the burner set up.  Is it in the round cylinder on the right of the dryer in the picture above?  It almost looks like a furnace manifold. 

Could you possibly take some pictures of your dryer? (innards) 

Sounds like an awesome.  I bet it is a fast dryer!

 

[scoots]

Hi Brent -

Actually I took some photos this week and will post on another thread so as not to highjack this one. Much to my irritation, somebody has scavenged parts off my drier, it's missing the blower impeller at least, so I haven't had a chance to actually see it run.

The link to the thread with the photos is below.[this post was last edited: 12/7/2014-23:47]

1957 and 1960 Lady Kenmore Dryer Interiors

A mid 50s Kenmore Dryer came up on another thread and somebody asked for interior shots. I actually have two dryers with similar mechanicals, one is a 1957 Lady Kenmore Gas dryer, the other is a 1960 LK Pushbutton model. I had a chance to open them up this weekend... and what I found in each...

www.automaticwasher.org

 

[waterwitch]

Bendixmark

On the matching washer, what type of agitator does it have? I'm partial to the straight vanes on these early Bakelites.

 

[gansky1]

I saw a model of this dryer back in May at an estate sale. It was in ok condition overall.

 

[combo52]

Back Panel For An Old KM Dryer

The panel for this dryer is the same panel that was used on any WP-KM dryer from about 1956-1962 so finding one is the least of your problems. The model# was diffidently not attached to the back panel [ model # plates are seldom attached to a part of the machine that is easily removable for obvious reasons ]

You start this dryer by simply turning the timer dial on, there was not push-to-start switch or button. The door is hard to open because the door latch assembly needs to be removed and lubricated, this was a problem area for WP built dryers of this era.

Hopefully you can get this dryer.

 

[waterwitch]

Boy oh boy!

So I show up to the thrift store bright eyed and bushy tailed, spoke with the manager, and he cut me a deal that I couldn't resist, $60.00. We plugged this in and it jumped right into action. The guys testing it out said they picked this up from a sweet little old lady in Pasadena that was 91. She bought this brand spankin' new!

 

[revvinkevin]

 

 

Hooray Anthony!

 

Neat looking dryer, congrats!

 

On your question about "what agitator" would the washer have, it's what's known as the Pregnant Roto-Swirl (photo credit - Unimatic1140).

 

Kevin

 

[tomturbomatic]

Congratulations!

You are lucky it is gas. Consumer Reports stated that the electric versions with the timer that only went up to 60 minutes had to be reset to completely dry a standard cotton load because the perforated rear drum was not an efficient design and let a lot of heated air pass behind the drum instead of being pulled through the tumbling textiles. The electric version was only acceptable if it was wired up to 50 amp service which gave around 8,000 watts of heat and could therefore dry the load in less than an hour. At the time, there were plenty of electric air flow dryers that used the standard heating elements of around 5000 watts that could operate on a 30 amp circuit that would dry in less than an hour. Even the 36" electric Duomatic would dry a load in less than an hour.

 

[rp2813]

Anthony, you're lucky she didn't drive that dryer like the little old lady from Pasadena for nearly 60 years!

 

You really scored!  I hope you can find the companion washer.