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Automatic Washer - The world's coolest Washing Machines, Dryers and Dishwashers

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maytagbear

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At the bottom of the page, there is the Kenmore washer which fascinated/horrified me the most.....the one with the dial ON the panel......no backsplash, just a tiny edge at the back.

Anyone ever see one outside of the store?

Anyone here own one?

I could only imagine them being bought for commercial/institutional use....a hair shop, or maybe a restaurant....way too BOL for me. I at least want temperatures and water levels!

Lawrence/Maytagbear
 
Good friends of mine, when they got married and purchased their first house had the low end dryer at the bottom of the page. Dial in front no backsplash. This was paired up with a 1-18. It lasted through that washer and another before it finally died. Not a bad little dryer. I had no idea it was $79.00 back then.

Jon
 
Jon,

Dryers used to outlast washers, and many still do. It's cheaper to replace drum rollers and a belt. Fewer moving parts.
Whirlpool dryers still are among the best. A GE is quieter, but the front bulkhead nylon slide bearings wear in a few years. Still not an expensive or difficult repair.
 
Answers for Lawrence and Mike - vacerator

 

 

The washer is actually a FULL size, standard capacity machine.   "Apartment size" for those who didn't have 60" of floor space for a pair of 29" machines.   A stacking rack was available to free up that all important floor space.   It has the compact 24 inch wide cabinet and it uses a different motor and pump so they could lower the overall height by 3-4 inches.  

 

Mine is the 3 cycle / 2 speed model, with 1 water level and a manual (waterfall) lint filter.  The inlet valve (on this one) is only a single port, so water temp is controlled at the faucet.   This is the 1967 version (but built in '69 or '70).  

 

Hmm, I have to do laundry tomorrow, maybe I'll dig this one out and run a couple loads thru it!   
smiley-laughing.gif


 

This dryer is a 110V version and the timer has a setting up to 2.5 or 3 hours as I recall.   Other than testing it I never used the dryer, so Gordon (KenmoreGuy64) has it now. 

 

Kevin 

[this post was last edited: 2/27/2016-09:59]

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Bottom of the line kenmores

I spent 30+ years in Sears as a technician and grew up with these machines. What always amazed me was the same quality of the transmissions , drive assemblies and etc. that top of the line shares with the bottom models. There were basically two replacement transmission and the only difference was the length of the agitator shafts. The major difference in those days were features that separated the line. The bottom of the line was as good as the Lady K in basic structure and just as dependable. If fact fewer features meant fewer service calls. Great machine!
 
Back about 20 years ago, I actually had that bol set and sold it to someone. Easy to see why Kenmore got to be the brand of preference by everyone. With those prices, anyone could afford a washer and dryer. That bol set is the one they used to advertise on sale for $98 for the washer and $68 for the dryer.
 
Kevin, Kenmoreman,

The avocado were the set my grandma had. The chrome trim on the front is also a handle to pull it.
Kenmoreman, Correct, you and my dad both were Sears service techs for over 30 years.
The taller agitator was for the larger capacity taller tubs.
I think the superstructure base weighed more than todays entire drive system and motor.
 
this set was in the first house I moved into......

washer was a 3 cycle, I think only two water levels, and three temps.....3 vane bakelite agitator, and a manual filter.....also, two port fill valve...I don't recall this being the one with wheels...

the dryer was 220 electric, and had the lint filter on top as with any Kenmore....the door catch always broke on this unit...

basic as you could get, but it filled the need....
 
The center dial washer featured was my favorite, and I knew several people who had it including one of my aunts. A childhood friend had the set.
 
About the BOL models in the ad...

Kevin is a little confused with the portables and their stationary counterparts.

There were a couple portables (a single cycle model, and a two-speed three cycle model) that looked a lot like this machine, but the machine in the ad is a stationary model, in a standard height, 24-inch cabinet.

Starting as early as 1960 or 1961, similar looking machines were made into the early 70s. I was fascinated to read the owner's manual for one not long ago, as the machine features a full length wash, but nearly the entire fill sequence, something like 14-minutes down to 5 minutes or so) was for hot only, and only a brief period for warm. The most strange part though was a 1-minute rinse! These features surely changed over the years 1961-1970-something.

Maytagbear asked if anyone had seen any of these. As recently as October 2014 I found one for sale in Virginia. I resisted buying it, but am now sorry. I think it was a 1963 model. I have a pic saved on my tablet. I'll post it in a few.

Interestingly, there was a re-heat of this pair for 1976. Just slightly revised knobs were about all that changed. Saw one of those sets in a Shopper's square type ad here maybe three/four years ago?

Did anyone notice that the dryer has a bulkhead mounted internal lint filter? This is similar to the portable dryers. This was done also in 1976, but the one-notch up dryer had the filter on top.

Gordon
 
Old thread with pictures of the 76?

www.automaticwasher.org

Dryer mystery

I know there's no line forming outside to buy this dryer, but what is it? http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/app/4446111007.html
www.automaticwasher.org www.automaticwasher.org
 
24iin model

Gordon,
I believe this is a rare 24 inch version of that machine. They are generally found in full size. In all my years I've only seen a couple like this.
 

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