Oh Melvin.. Melvin!!!!!

Automatic Washer - The world's coolest Washing Machines, Dryers and Dishwashers

Help Support :

It's pretty rare for those black consoles to fade that bad. I wonder if these machines were located in direct sunlight or saw heavy use.
 
Yes, my parents had that washer. It had an OOB with buzzer and would go oob if you looked at it cross-eyed. The companion dryer was slightly above the model in the ad-our dryer was just like this, but had a two position fabric switch to the leftof the timer dial and a 45 minute wrinkle guard after the auto dry cycle.
 
I wonder if it was this size tub with this agitator?

I have a 1974 70 with this agitator and it goes off balance quite a bit.

The loads have to be pretty much similar weight. One video I did of throw blankets through the thing into an unbalance multiple
times.

Despite all that though, that's a fun agitator and will move the load around very well.
 
"It had an OOB with buzzer and would go oob if you looked at it cross-eyed."

My family had a Coppertone Kenmore washer around this age and it did the same. Something happened with it not working in 1986 (details are foggy now 39 years later, I was 7), probably a wig wag or linkage, maybe timer because the belt was still intact. The Montgomery Wards Maytag A490 (an A412) took its place and never went out of balance except on very rare occasions when washing throw rugs.
 
my mom used to get so frustrated with it at times. My experience with the machine steered me away from Kenmore when I bought my Filter Flo set Spring 1978.
 
Thanks for always thinking of me launderess. These are 1976 models so if the washer was built before 1978 it is the large capacity before they shrunk. I may have to have these.
 
 

Penta-Swirl!  This was probably a Sunday-ad pair, usually would run "on sale" for a week or two and then the model would change slightly in features, etc.  but was always within a few dollars of the usual replacement market price point.  Sears got slammed hard on bait-n-switch schemes and "permanent sale price marketing"  and had to switch models, features and prices regularly to stay clear of FTC scrutiny.

 

I always wondered if the control panel printing flaked away after years of steam coming up around the lid condensed on the cool aluminum face of the controls.  We have very hard water here and many were pitted and corroded nearly-bare aluminum from the minerals reacting with the metal.  Maytag '06 series would also corrode and lose paint over time, especially if the washer was located in cooler space, saw lots of those gold aluminum dials and panels with steam/vapor damage.  The Launderall dealer I used to frequent had after-market decals for a number of these 70's KM models hanging on the wall. 
 
Basic super capacity, Kenmore pair mid 70s

These have obviously been out in the weather or something or in a bad environment, a lot of those washer control panels, particularly the paint would come off from using spray and wash products, etc. on top of the machine. There were at least two companies that sold aftermarket stick on control panel stickers when all the writing came off.

There was never any reason to put up with a Kenmore belt drive washer going out of balance. Just take the off balance switch out or just break the lever off if you like we must’ve defeated over 1000 of those. It was never necessary belt drive machines will not walk. They might bump once or twice as they get going into spin, but there was never any reason to shut them down even whirlpool and Kenmore commercial versions never had an off balance switch. And of course, even top-of-the-line whirlpool Mark 12 models never had an unbalanced which was totally unnecessary.

John L
 
1976 Kenmore 70 series set

These were probably Kenmore’s best sellers in the 1976 line up. When these weren’t on sale, the 1975 500 and 1975 70 were offered on sale instead. Later, a 1977 70 series was available to swap on-sale slots with the 76. The only difference in the 77 being the Knit-Delicate cycle of the 76 was separated on the console into separate Knit and Delicate cycles, though this was just a print option and no difference in the timer.

The 1976 consoles were more apt to have printing flake off vs later versions, and the black would even turn bronze and look semi transparent if they spent a lot of time in direct sunlight from a sunny laundry room. The pitting from stain remover sprays seemed to be an equal opportunity destroyer in all 11 years of black panel production.

The tub of this model is indeed the same size large capacity that originated in the later 1960s. These were in production until summer 1981 when the “Energy efficient Belt-Drive” was introduced. They saved four gallons of water per high-level fill with not much reduction in useable capacity. The Penta-Swirl was discontinued at this time as well.

Regarding the effectiveness of the Penta-Swirl — There is no way the new Dual Action was not a major improvement. I use both agitators regularly, in a ‘77 70 (penta swirl) and a 1980 80 series (DA). The DA is far superior, especially in rinse agitation where a full load in the 77 does not even begin to roll over when the two-minute rinse ends. I often use the pre wash cycle on the 77 to extend the rinse agitation.

Melvin - I would get these too if they were nearby…though neither of us needs them !!!!

Gordon
 

Latest posts

Back
Top