Kenmore round front design - pictures

[atuten]

Hi all. Here are the pictures of the washing machine I posted about earlier. I am interested to know as much as possible about this unit. It is an automatic and it is a bolt down as it's bolted to a large block in the basement and likely has been sitting there all these years. I did send high res. pictures to the webmaster email address. You're welcome to post them on the site if you like.

This unit will be for sale as I have no need for it. If anybody is interested, please email me. It's in great shape, very clean. I only had to wipe a bit of dust off it today to photograph.

Thanks for your time!

 

[northwesty]

Wow

That sure is a neat washer!

 

[mavei511]

World's first top loader automatic

That's Kenmore's first automatic washer(1947)-I believe it's also the first top load automatic washer ever made.

 

[tolivac]

Very nice!!and in beautiful condition!

 

[pdub]

I think Dick_S. in Palm Springs has this same washer.
If not, it's very close.

Dick? Where are you......

 

[partscounterman]

Oh, pooh-Nobody wants that old thing here!

(Ducks and runs)

Didn't some one post a link to a very interesting article or paper regarding the development of this machine and the marketing decisions involved in introducing Sears customers to the automatic washer. I should have saved a copy of that and didn't (dunce hat time!).

Seriously, I am sure someone is warming up the engine on a large truck as I type this. I have seen one of these ONCE.

 

[mavei511]

1948 kenmore requirements

Here's the article.

 

[gansky1]

Very nice looking machine - it's amazing it's so nice considering it's age and location for all these years!

Ross (westyslantfront) has one in his collection in Tucson.

The first top-loading automatic washer was Blackstone in 1940.

 

[brettsomers]

is this it, David? everyone on this site should read this!

Home | The Business History Conference

www.h-net.org

 

[agiflow]

The article about the WP/Sears relationship has to be one the best success stories in the appliance business.

From the reading it seems WP was trying to perfect the wringer machines while many companies were already making automatics.

It seemed at the time the mechanisms were rock solid, though the execution of the final product was not polished.

Why did WP/KM early autos have such a deep opening into the wash tub? It seemed like an afterthought. Funny too how the first bolt down had an nice round opening to the D shape that they became so known for? Aerated spray??

Funny this company (WP) was never the darlings of wall street, yet they made everyone involved with them a nice dividend.

Who would have ever thought that of all the competiton they had through the years, Whirly and GE would be the last of the Giants?

Whirly has been an extremely shrewd company, deserving or not.

 

[pturo]

That is a cool machine. I just love the morphed appearance! A foot in the past and one in the future design.

 

[westyslantfront]

It is a fun machine. Here are some pictures of my machine....

Ross

 

[westyslantfront]

Here is another picture.

Ross

 

[golittlesport]

Thanks for all those cool pictures, guys. I love those bolt down Kenmores with their big round openings. They almost looked like a wringer washer, sans the wringer.

Ross, yours looks like an older model...maybe the very first. I remember my aunt had a bolt down Kenmore in her basement that looked more like Atuten's but had the agitator in Ross' machine in it.

 

[westyslantfront]

Hi Rich. Perhaps you can make it to Tucson Wash In March 23, 24, and 25. My Kenmore bolt down is one of the many interesting machines you would see.

Ross

 

[sharples]

Still For Sale?

How much are you asking for the washing machine. I am very interested. 717-468-8050

 

[48bencix]

We had one too

My mom's first washer was the 1948 Bendix. With a couple of main bearing replacements, it washed for a family of six for many years. One of our friends had the 1947 Kenmore, and when they moved, gave it to us around 1964 or so. The Bendix also being a bolt-down, was removed and the Kenmore installed, it had outlasted the Bendix, it's previous owners also had a family of six. It was like a wringer, in that the top lid removed completely, no hinges.

Out cousins in Lake County, CA had an AMP. My dad convinced them that it was cheaper to go to the laundramat (electric water heater), and they gave my dad the AMP. So the Kenmore was removed and the AMP installed. We got the use of 3 late 1940's machines! One reason the AMP lasted longer than the others is that only washed for a family of 4.

Of course I wish I had all of the old machines that I watched over the years.

After the demise of the AMP, my dad bought a dd kenmore which lasted until the 1990's

Martin

 

[exploder3211]

Love it

 

[sudsmaster]

The squared off area on later Whirlpool/Kenmore machines is used to provide a surface for the snubber to work against. The snubber is a hard white rubber block that dampens the tub oscillations. Crude, but it works well enough.