Need info on Kenmore washer & dryer

[kenmorelover]

Found this set on Craigslist @ a consignment shop 4 hrs away form me. Called and asked them some info on them, they didn't really know much. They told me they thought they were 5-6 yrs old, don't think so. They did say they were in really good condition and both worked. Any info someone might know about what year these are,model,and were these good machines, would be helpful. I don't really want to drive 4 hrs and not know what I'm going to look at. Also they are asking 250 for the set, little high I think, may be able to get them down on price.

Thanks,
Oren

 

[autowasherfreak]

Definitely not five or six years old. LOL

 

[appnut]

Looks to me to be about a 1969 or so Kenmore 700, their entry-level "alphabet" washer. Meaning, letters on the timer dial corresponed to cycles with water temps & speeds selected. A&B would be cottons white & colored. C&D would be Perrm Press White and colored. E&F would be Knits & Delicates. G would be prewash or an extra rinse. Has timed bleach & softner dispensers and the dispenser funnels are still there, rare for this age. In the iddle of the panel toward the top are the Letters and descriptions of the cycles along with the optional 2nd rinse cocker switch. Toward the bottom are "horizontal sliders", one for variable ater level and the otehr for selectoin of auto wash/risne temp, cold rinse temp, or all cold water washes. Ther dryer most likely has Fabric-Mastr auto dry or possibly electronic sensor dry with regular, knits/delicate, and air fluff temps as well as variable end of cycle signal buzzer. And probably Wrinkle-Guard at the end of the auto dry cycle.

 

[norgeway]

Kenmore

Fantastic washer and dryer, but more like 35 to 40 years old,see if you can find an old sears catalogue with them in it , take it with you to prove the age,then maybe you can barter with them on price.

 

[chaskelljr2]

To "appnut".....

About THIS Kenmore Set:

From the looks of the lid on the washer and the door on the dryer, this set appears to be a late 1971 or a 1972-73 set. Could be as late as 1975.

If it was a 1969-71 set, the curved metal handles would still be on the lid and the door of the machines. They seem to have went with notches on the lid and the door on this set.

BTW...... this dryer has a Fabric-Master instead of a Solid-State Sensor. I don't know what position this set was back in 1972 in the line-up back then as in I don't have a 1972 Sears Catalog. But I do have a 1971, and I do know that back then, the positioning was as follows:

(01). Lady Kenmore (Flip Down Cover w/Colored Push-Buttons On Washer).

(02). Kenmore Model 900 (Push-Button Model just like the Lady Kenmore, but without the colored stripes on the Push-Buttons..... looks like a 1966-67 Lady Kenmore. Has a 2-Speed Motor as opposed to the Lady Kenmore having a 3-Speed Motor..... Both the Lady Kenmore and THIS model had Vari-Flex Agitators).

(03). Kenmore Model 800 (ALMOST all of the cycles and capabilities of the Lady Kenmore and the Model 900..... but had all dials and no Push-Buttons...... had Side-Flip Switches on both, the Washer and Dryer.......Washer had a Super-Roto Swirl Agitator as opposed to the Vari-Flex that was featured inside the Lady Kenmore and the Kenmore Model 900...... Had Lighted Console just like the Lady Kenmore and the Kenmore Model 900........ Matching Dryer had a Solid-State Sensor just like the Lady Kenmore and Kenmore Model 900 Dryers).

(04). THIS MODEL SET (which is pictured above...... was #4 in the line-up during the 1969-71 era (and possibly, 1972-75 as well), and appeared to be the Model 700. It was indeed an All ALPHABET Washer, with most of the feautres and capabilities of Model 800. But it didn't have a Detergent Dispenser like the Lady Kenmore, Model 900 and the Model 800 did, and had a Lighted Dial as opposed to the Lighted Consoles that were featured on the Lady Kenmore, Model 900 and Model 800. More than likely, the Matching Dryer had a Drum Light just like the Lady Kenmore, Model 900 and Model 800 Dryers...... Matching Dryer had a Fabric-Master instead of a Solid-State Sensor, but it did have a Wrinkle-Guard just like the other top three Dryers. All four Dryers had Full-Width Doors).

I think all of the above sound about right, doesn't??

--Charles--

 

[chaskelljr2]

"norgeway"

35-to-40 years old sounds about right for this set. I have a pictured of this set inside my 1969 and 1971 Sears Catalogs.

If I lived closer to "kenmorelover" then I would've lent him mine if he didn't have any himself.

--Charles--

 

[appnut]

Yes Charles, all sounds right. I never once noticed the notched lid, I was simply focusing on the control panel and it being a 700. The timer dial still reminds me of the 1969-1971 version (with the black around it). The timer dial on the 1971 version was exactly liike the appearance of our 1971 800, clear with black lettering and cycle titles were kinda orangish. The Kenmore 600 pair that was POD last week was also from the "new" style timer appearance starting in 1971

 

[frontaloadotmy]

Oren

They look pretty clean to me. Here in Ca. the average going
rate for a Washer at Salvation Army thrift stores is as
high as $160 and as low as 120. I suppose it depends who
is doing the pricing. It isn't often that you'll find a
matched set that age that looks as good. You might go over them with a fine tooth comb and justify getting them down
$25 or 50, but they seem decenly priced. Here they would
probably (in some instances) try to jack up the price, because
they are "retro" . My 2 cents, Darrel

 

[washerlover]

So when did Sears/Whirlpool stop using the chrome metal handles on the washer lid & dryer door?

 

[autowasherfreak]

My mother's first Whirlpool washer early 70's had the chrome handled but the Whirlpool I bought for us in the mid 80's had a plastic handle.

 

[kenmoreguy64]

I think those machines are definitely a 700 series set, and I'd agree that an appoximate 1969-original issue is about right. The latest set I remember in this styling was a 1974 Large capacity set with a Penta-Vane agitator. Clearly that looks like a Roto-Swirl agitator.

The machines themselves were manufactured post January 1972 and pre mid-1973. I say this definitively because the washer has the notched lid handle, which was a 1972 issue on ALL Kenmores regardless if they were previous models or not. All previous but active models got the notched lid handle and a slight revision in the model number when the lid was redesigned.

One can make this determination from the dryer door handle (plastic vs. chromed metal) as well, which was changed at about the same time.

I know the machines could have been manufactured as late as sometime in 1973 but no later because of the metal tub ring that you can see in the washer. The plastic tub ring was phased-in on 29-inch machines during 1973, but was not done across the board at one time. My 5th week 1973 built '72 Lady has a plastic ring, but my 7th week 1973 built Kenmore 60 has a metal ring. It seems that by mid-year, all were plastic.

I hope this helps!

Gordon

 

[goatfarmer]

Personally, I wouldn't tell them that they're 30 + years old. Then they'll get the idea that they have something special, and the price will double.
Offer them $200.00, if they guarantee them to work with no leaks, unusual noises, or similar.

 

[70series]

They are in pristine condition from the looks of them. At first I thought they were the 1969-71 models before I noticed the handles which told me these were the 1972 versions. These are definitely worth buying.

Good luck,
James

 

[alr2903]

I think the "handles are the key too, the washer has the cutout for your fingers and the dryer has the plastic recessed door handle. definately not the big chrome handles on either one of them.

 

[appnut]

Interesting, but this was the ad I was thinking of when I composed the comments above. Guess mainly why I didn't noticed the notched lid. The timer dials are so so similar in appearance and color scheemes and this set is older than the 700 set above.

 

[alr2903]

Bob, with the grey background behind the washer lid, and the weedwacker in front of the dryer. It was like a test I always love those Kenmores in front of the glass window, that you posted, when they come up on the POD. arthur

 

[kenmore81]

I would go for it...

My 2 amps, I would try and get the prife down, Im sure they would be flexable, But like the other guys said this is a rare pair lol... Id come n get 'em if i werent 1000 miles away.
Good luck =)
Ken

 

[kenmorelover]

Thank you all for all of your help. I'm going to go for them. I will let you all know when I get them and post pix's.

Again thank you,
Oren

 

[goatfarmer]

4 hrs away? They're not in my area, are they? 8^)