69/70 and 1972 on the dryers
The first dryer is a lower end model from 1969 or 1970. They had 4400 watt elements and 19,000 btu burners versus the more common 5200 or 5600 watt elements and 22,000 btu burners. These may have been made for several years, but the door handle is a give-away that it was made before 1972. All 1972 production got the awning style plastic handle, which became recessed for 1973 to the 2000s. Metal handles for washer lids and dryer doors were gone on Kenmores after 1971. Bob is very observant that the dryer has a later one-piece lint screen with no cover. The original cover probably broke or came off.
A new model with another re-heated console was designed with the same cycles for 1972 with a fairly brash knock-off of the 1965 Kenmore 400 washer. As Nate noticed, this knob was used on LOTS of models from 1960 or 1961 all the way into 1973, though they had at least two insert paint colors. I would love to know why Kenmore kept a couple "throw back" time capsule models in production using old-style consoles for many years after they originally were styled, but there was often only a washer OR a dryer, and they were usually low-end.
The second dryer is a 1972 Kenmore 700. These seemed to be very popular. This has the correct lint trap door for 1972. We loved our 1972 dryer which had many of the same features.
Gordon
