Kenmore washer, anyone know the year?
- Thread starter saltysam
- Start date
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Mark, I believe that's like 1974-1975, very early 1976 at the latest. That was the interrum style before the uniform black panel center dials came out, but this already did have the center dials.
Bob is basically correct. That is a 1974 70-series, though it was produced into 1975 I believe. It was replaced with a 1975 version that did not offer a second rinse. I somewhat doubt that this washer was produced toward 1976, but you never know. With that "upper balcony" of controls, I never thought it was very attractive. The 1975 version had the level, temp, and soak selector switches brought down to timer level and had the brushed aluminum top, which I've always thought were so cool.
Neat machine though - gold Penta-Swirl, skinny quiet-pak belt, and all the features you'd ever need including solenoid activated bleach, softener, and detergent dispensers.
You gonna get it Mark?
Gordon
Neat machine though - gold Penta-Swirl, skinny quiet-pak belt, and all the features you'd ever need including solenoid activated bleach, softener, and detergent dispensers.
You gonna get it Mark?
Gordon
Gordon, don't forget the auto soak/prewash to wash option with the automatic detergent disepnser.
golittlesport
Well-known member
weird looking Kenmore
what were they thinking?
what were they thinking?
You gonna get it Mark?
I'm thinking about it, for that price it's kind of hard to pass up. Now the problem is getting it into the basement without the wife finding out. lol She loves the convienence of have the ability of using 7 washers at once but she also thinks I have a hoarding problem.......which is partially true, I hate to see a vintage machine go to the crusher.
Mark
I'm thinking about it, for that price it's kind of hard to pass up. Now the problem is getting it into the basement without the wife finding out. lol She loves the convienence of have the ability of using 7 washers at once but she also thinks I have a hoarding problem.......which is partially true, I hate to see a vintage machine go to the crusher.
Mark
powerfin64
Well-known member
correction...
that's a 72-3 model Kenmore. A buddy of ours, who runs a used appliance shop, where I get all my machines, has one exactly like it right now, with a gold "penta swirl" agitator.
Rich
that's a 72-3 model Kenmore. A buddy of ours, who runs a used appliance shop, where I get all my machines, has one exactly like it right now, with a gold "penta swirl" agitator.
Rich
I really shouldn't argue, but...
That model wasn't available yet in 1972, probably not until late 1973 at the earliest, but it's a 1974 model.
1974 models got a new model numbering system. The number of this machine is probably something like 110.72470100. After the 110., the 7 means 1970s decade, the 2 is for 29-inch non-suds machines, and the 4 is for the year. Washers and dryers were numbered like this for the next 20 years at least. The previous numbering scheme had one fewer digit and the first two numbers after 110 meant the year of issue. Any letters in the number that show on the rear tag are excluded in the real model number, which can be found on the underside of the lid.
The Penta-Swirl was not out yet in 1972 - in fact they were still selling the five 72/73 18lb. machines as "one-offs" meaning no matching dryers, aiming to a small market niche. They were sold along with the 24-inch models in the first or last pages of the section in the catalog and often in out-of-the-way spots on the sales floors. The Penta-Swirls were part of a marketing focus by Sears beginning with the 1974 models to capitalize on a growing market for more capacity by offering better equipped machines with better features and dryers to match.
The original 1972/1973 18lb. machines came to market with the last of the giant Roto-Swirls, but were replaced in '73 briefly in revised models by the first Penta-Vanes. None of these were highly common sellers.
This is definitely a 1974 model. It could be an early-build, but a 74 model.
Gordon
That model wasn't available yet in 1972, probably not until late 1973 at the earliest, but it's a 1974 model.
1974 models got a new model numbering system. The number of this machine is probably something like 110.72470100. After the 110., the 7 means 1970s decade, the 2 is for 29-inch non-suds machines, and the 4 is for the year. Washers and dryers were numbered like this for the next 20 years at least. The previous numbering scheme had one fewer digit and the first two numbers after 110 meant the year of issue. Any letters in the number that show on the rear tag are excluded in the real model number, which can be found on the underside of the lid.
The Penta-Swirl was not out yet in 1972 - in fact they were still selling the five 72/73 18lb. machines as "one-offs" meaning no matching dryers, aiming to a small market niche. They were sold along with the 24-inch models in the first or last pages of the section in the catalog and often in out-of-the-way spots on the sales floors. The Penta-Swirls were part of a marketing focus by Sears beginning with the 1974 models to capitalize on a growing market for more capacity by offering better equipped machines with better features and dryers to match.
The original 1972/1973 18lb. machines came to market with the last of the giant Roto-Swirls, but were replaced in '73 briefly in revised models by the first Penta-Vanes. None of these were highly common sellers.
This is definitely a 1974 model. It could be an early-build, but a 74 model.
Gordon
70series
Well-known member
My relatives had the dryer match to this, which they bought in the spring of 1974. I think this console looks better on the dryer; why I don't know. One cool feature is the light over the dial. I always liked that.
Have a good one,
James
Have a good one,
James
It does look "harsh" in white, with that control panel. It looked very nice in Harvest Gold. They were on the showroom floor @ Sears when the parents bought the one described in post 426899, In true 1970's fashion the Use and care Manuals were covered with a field of daisies. We had a MT A106 prior to this, these new lg cap Kenmores' were truly cavernous. alr2903
alr2903....
Yep, I remember that too. We bought our 1974 Kenmore (same model that you had I think) in October 1974 and this model was on the floor nearby, as was the last floor model washer that matched our '72 dryer (wrong color though - the washer was gold and our dryer white). My Mom choose the 60-series machine instead of this model in the thread because she surmised that she wouldn't use the extra features so why pay for them, saying that she wouldn't use the pre-wash and pre-soak that were on the 60 already. She was right...
This machine was either twenty or thirty bucks more expensive than our model, in the catalog anyway.
I have seen several of these - never white though. They were all Tawny Gold. One a neighbor had, one is featured in SpatsBear's video on youtube, and the most recent was at the Arizona appliance lot last May. It had seen better days, but all three were gold.
This would definitely be a fun machine to play with!
Gordon
Yep, I remember that too. We bought our 1974 Kenmore (same model that you had I think) in October 1974 and this model was on the floor nearby, as was the last floor model washer that matched our '72 dryer (wrong color though - the washer was gold and our dryer white). My Mom choose the 60-series machine instead of this model in the thread because she surmised that she wouldn't use the extra features so why pay for them, saying that she wouldn't use the pre-wash and pre-soak that were on the 60 already. She was right...
This machine was either twenty or thirty bucks more expensive than our model, in the catalog anyway.
I have seen several of these - never white though. They were all Tawny Gold. One a neighbor had, one is featured in SpatsBear's video on youtube, and the most recent was at the Arizona appliance lot last May. It had seen better days, but all three were gold.
This would definitely be a fun machine to play with!
Gordon
polkanut
Well-known member
Mark,
Send her out on some sort of wild goose chase to keep her occupied for several hours. lol
Send her out on some sort of wild goose chase to keep her occupied for several hours. lol
Get This Machine!
My mom had that one--I steered her to it when it finally and thankfully came time to give up on the '67 Signature Norge.
That was in 1974 or 1975. 1972 is way too early.
This machine was still working well in the fall of 2000 when she got rid of it while I was out of town, insisting it had problems. All it ever needed was a belt (forget about it being anywhere near as easy as changing one on a vintage Maytag) and a filter.
It had the Soak & Wash and Extra Rinse features. The detergent dispenser sat over the left rear of the tub and when using Soak & Wash, would drop the detergent into the wash water after the timer advanced from the soak cycle into the wash cycle.
This is a super quiet machine, which is what we wanted since it was located adjacent to the TV room.
Like I said above--Get This Machine!
My mom had that one--I steered her to it when it finally and thankfully came time to give up on the '67 Signature Norge.
That was in 1974 or 1975. 1972 is way too early.
This machine was still working well in the fall of 2000 when she got rid of it while I was out of town, insisting it had problems. All it ever needed was a belt (forget about it being anywhere near as easy as changing one on a vintage Maytag) and a filter.
It had the Soak & Wash and Extra Rinse features. The detergent dispenser sat over the left rear of the tub and when using Soak & Wash, would drop the detergent into the wash water after the timer advanced from the soak cycle into the wash cycle.
This is a super quiet machine, which is what we wanted since it was located adjacent to the TV room.
Like I said above--Get This Machine!
These are great machines. Being used to 60 and later 70 series machines that did not have solenoid controlled dispensers, the various popping sounds on the '75 version I have stunned me a couple times until I got used to them.
Here is a pic of my '75. You can see the family resemblance to the '74. The only real difference with the '75 is the exclusion of a second rinse.
Gordon
Here is a pic of my '75. You can see the family resemblance to the '74. The only real difference with the '75 is the exclusion of a second rinse.
Gordon
What was it with Kenmore and their narrow water level range with these 18 lb. JUMBO wash baskets? Whirlpool water level controls were wider on the dial with those big tubs and the "hand washables" gives you a very low level.The 74 70 series Kenmore fills quite a bit on the lo water level setting.Though the Penta swirl does have a rather large base to it.
