Last of the Whirlpool / Kenmore belt drive washers

[kenmoreguy64]

Does anyone know when the last belt drive WPs were made and what models they were? I know in general that the last home-use belt drives at Sears were gone in early fall of 1986...I got mine in one of their sales...a few weeks later all that were left was the Lady Kenmore and the lowest 70 series.

Whirlpool once told me that they made machines into 1987, but I don' t know what they were...I think maybe some commercial models.

Does anyone know the scoop there? I'm just curious.

 

[neptunebob]

I do remember in 1986 that the Limited Edition was at Sears, we almost bought it and that I noticed some of the lower priced washers were already different. The saleslady said some of them had a "polypropylene tub, but the LE had a steel tub" as if that was better. They didn't make a big deal of the new mechanism, as if they didn't want people to think there was a change. It seems like they gradually phased out production during 1986.

 

[kenmoreguy64]

I remember stuff like that too. I was a college kid, so I was looking for something inexpensive but was not interested in one of the direct drives - I would have bought a used belt drive washer first.

I have read that the first direct drive models came out in 1980. I didn't see any for a while, so they must have been limited in production. I do know however that the lower echelons of the Kenmore line were DD by 1984 if not earlier, starting with the 24" machines. The low line 1983 models didn't stay around long. In August 1986 I tried to get a two cycle big capacity machine and the salesman told me they'd been dropped a couple years ago and that a whole new line of big capacity versions of the new design were about to come in. So, I bought the least expensive 70 series. I did this after shopping Whirlpools at Circuit City. They had a belt-drive machine that was about $10 cheaper than the Kenmore and it had a recirculating filter that I thought would be cool, but they had it left only in Toast color, so I went with the white Kenmore. Now I wish I had both.

I was in a "kiddie condo" for school, and was about the only one in the building with a washer. The girls behind me wanted one, so they pooled their money and about 3 weeks later we went back to Sears - the floor had been totally rearranged and the new washers were everywhere. I was horrified, lol! My model and the Lady K were relegated to the closeout area. This was early October 1986.

 

[DADoES]

A working belt-drive LA7800XP is in my garage, it was purchased 1985-1986. I'll have to check the serial number for the manufacture date.

 

[mickeyd]

hey gordon & guys

Here's a quote from the Bible Whirlpool which they sent to me 10 years ago. I told you & Rinso I'd look for it for an explanation of Magic Clean Filtering; found it . I'll post it tomorrow--a tad lenghty.

On page 2, they list Whirlpool Firsts. Quoting verbatim:

1947 * First top-loading automatic system * 3 wash/rinse tempeeratures * self-leveling rear legs * SUDS MISER YAAAAAAAYYYYYYY Does anyone have this machine?
.
.
.
.
1969 *Soak Cycle

1973 *Dryer cool-down cycle

1978 * First generation washer electronic control

1979 * " " Dryer " " etc.

1980 *BELTLESS DIRECT-DRIVE WASHING SYSTEM

There ya go washin' Joes! Here's a DD Portable. Happy to look up any other firsts for you.

 

[DADoES]

1973 for dryer cool-down cycle?? Huh? To what kind of cool-down cycle are they referring? Wrinkle Guard, perhaps? Surely cool-downs came into play well before 1973. Our 1964 two-cycle (timed heat and air) Whirly dryer had a cool-down, although only 5 mins. My grandmother's 1972 (LXE) dryer had a full 10-min cool-down on the timed Perm Press cycle.

There was a matching electronic control dryer to the 1978 washer. It had mechanical pushbuttons instead of touchpads, but did not have a mechanical timer. There were at least a few years of electronic moisture-sensor TOL models with mechanical controls prior to that.

 

[mickeyd]

Sorry, Glenn, they don't explain; they merely list.

"A Heritage of Innovation" >Innovation and Quality >Whirlpool Firsts"

More:

1962 * Automatic dryness selector

1963 * MAGIC CLEAN lint filter * Super Wash cycle * Solid state controlled motor

1964 * ELECTRONIC DRYING CONTROL

1965 * Permanent Press washer cycle

1966 * Permanent Press dryer cycle

Looks like the same issue with the perma press cycles. Maybe someone else did the dryers a year before they did, Maytag or Frigidiare, perhaps, or maybe they practiced with the Kenmore line first. Interesting dilemma.

 

[DADoES]

LA7800XPW1
C60630774
Clyde, 1986, 6th week, between Feb 3 and 11 depending on how the week is figured.

Note that letters are used now for the year designation. My Calypsos are CL10 and CL41 -- 2001, 10th and 41st week.

 

[gelaundry4ever]

belt drive washer

I have used a Kenmore washer which was belt driven. I would always use the cotton/sturdy to wash my clothes. The only thing that would change was the temperature according to what color type I was washing.

 

[imperial70]

I had a Whirlpool Imperial 70  washer that was from 1986.