NOS Kitchen-Aid Disposal

[reactor]

Will hopefully get this installed soon.

My apologies on the photos, I rotated them before saving, but they reverted back.

Info on the Manufacture's label:

ML No -- 42136
Model -- KWI 200A
Serial -- 260 605 272

Can anyone decipher the production date? There is a partially obliterated number printed onto the bottom of the unit, the first three digits are 271, the last two digits are smeared and cannot be read.

I suspect this was built soon after Whirlpool purchased Kitchen-Aid, but before the design was sold to Viking. The Manufacture's label does not state "Hobart" but gives the Kitchen-Aid Co. address, still as Troy, Ohio.

 

[whirlykenmore78]

I am fairly sure it is a Hobart model:

Every Hobart machine I have ever worked with/on has an ML Number. I have never seen that from any other MFR. That does not mean someone else did not build it for them. Like the first internal booster heaters on their AM-14 dish machines were made by Hatco
WK78

 

[reactor]

Hobart

I assume that Whirlpool kept all the Hobart protocols intact (model numbering, serial codes, etc.), at least initially, until they sloughed off Kitchen-Aid designs to Viking and contracted ISE to put the KA name on In-Sink-Erator built units.

 

[combo52]

KitchenAid national disposer

This is definitely a national design disposer improved by Hobart.

Hobart Added the stainless steel grind chamber and the cast-iron drain chamber when they beefed up the national design.

When you got might be built under whirlpools ownership but I don’t think anything has changed yet, whirlpool never really change the disposer they continued selling it for half dozen years before switching to the ISE built units.

I have had the same disposer in one of my kitchen sinks for the last 10+ years, found it brand new but an appliance dealer was cleaning out their warehouse and the plastic housing was all busted up. I took a plastic housing offer another KitchenAid you know if it was worn out and put it together.

It’s a very good disposer it’ll grind up a 20 pound turkey carcass in two or three minutes sending it right down the drain.

John L

 

[reactor]

great machine

Yes, the only thing that differs on this machine from the Hobart, John, is the name "Hobart" has been deleted off the label.

I had a cheap bottom of the line National disposer at one time, but it was terribly noisy, not only because of lack of sound insulation but because of tranmission of vibrations to the sink which amplified them. If I recall, it had a metal to metal mounting bracket, no rubber to absorb vibration. It was hands down the noisest disposer I ever had. It was a great grinder however. Couldn't take the noise and threw it away with no regrets.

Have had three Vikings (pre-ISE) and loved them, and we're much quieter in the grinding noise department, but all three transmitted too much motor noise to the sink. You can actually hear the harmonic beats from the motor rotation. Nothing as bad as the National though.

Miss the old monstrously heavy cast iron sinks that didn't act like an amplifing sounding board for disposals as do many of today's flimsy stainless steel sinks.

I add additional mastic to reduce resonance and put fiberglass batting around the underside of the sink, and it helps, but only marginally.

 

[mattl]

Got to believe  a SS sink would easily amplify the noise of a disposer.  I will only use cast iron sinks and that is a minor reason.  In the past 57 years there have only 3 disposers in my home , the first a BOL builders ISE special put in when my folks built the house,  a few years later it was replaced with a Maytag I helped pick out, and it was replaced with another Maytag 20 some years later that is still going strong, but awaiting the shredder ring replacement when I replace the counters and sink. 

 

Those vintage powerhouse disposers just keep going.

 

[circlew]

Obviously a cast iron sink is going to be quieter, due to the massiveness of such a material. For stainless, 18 gauge has been the standard for many decades. Both Elkay and Just also offer many models in 16 gauge, and 14 gauge on a custom basis. For several years we had a cheap SS sink (20 gauge or thinner) that had no undercoating. It made the disposer sound like a jet taking off.