O'Keefe & Merritt Dishwasher Need Gone ASAP Early 1970's - $75 San Diego

[stricklybojack]

Ad copy:

This is a bargain price for a Vintage Okeefe & Merritt

Dishwasher made in the early 1970's.
This is a working dishwasher...it has a baked-on enamel interior with absolutely no rust and is in great shape. This antique appliance will compliment your kitchen's ambiance, especially if you already have, or are going to get a vintage stove.
Please call this AM...it will not last long.
Matthew

PS Even the heating element works!

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/app/4870141985.html

 

[tomturbomatic]

I can't think of anything, especially a kitchen's ambiance, that would be complimented by this sad, BOL DW. In its favor, I will say that it probably does help support a counter.

 

[appnut]

Looks like a Tappan Reverse-a-Jet dishwasher. 

 

[gansky1]

Reversa-Jet - I wish it were!

A Reversa-Jet would make it much more interesting.  The upper rack looks kinda Westinghouse-y.  They had a model with that same BOL blank door and single knob.  I see a spray arm toward the back and manual calls it Spray-Arm on the cover.  The curious thing is the tine tips look like their rolled on the lower rack.   I blew up the pic of the money shot - hit "view full size" to see.

 

If it were closer to Nate, we'd already have a finished report.

 

[bigalsf]

Tappan Built

This was definitely a Tappan built machine. After the disastrous "roller principle" Tappan came out with two more designs, this one & then the Reversa-Jet (i think it was in that order). After that their dishwashers were first produced by Whirlpool (short lived), then D&M, then GE, and then Frigidaire (talk about an identity crisis!)

This series of machines was produced under both the Tappan & O'Keefe names. I have a few repair manuals on these machines; I will see if Robert can post them to the library.

Here is are a couple of diagrams of the pump breakdown:

 

[gansky1]

Oh how cool! Silverware washer chute!

 

[peteski50]

Tappan!

Early 70's -

 

[peteski50]

Tappan!

Looks like this was the BOL model!

 

[gansky1]

Very nice, Pete, thank you!

 

Just making me want it even more.  I'm sure it's a miserable dishwasher, but I do like the BOL one-dial-wonders.

 

[ovrphil]

Reply #6 - Tappan Dishwasher cover

Ok, I'm trippin' on that photo and dishwasher. LOL! While I like so much of the 50's stuff, I wouldn't mind a Tappan like that.

Pizza is making me want lunch early.

Thanks for posting the photo, Pete!

 

[firedome]

Ya...

that pic is faaaar out!

 

[bigalsf]

Tappan Picture

That is a great picture! I have the service manual for this machine, but have never scene what one looks like! Thanks for sharing. Below is a pic of the tub interior & a link to the the operating instructions & cycle theory for this machine. You really could create custom cycles (almost too much choice!).

Enjoy!

http://https//www.dropbox.com/s/eyl... instructions - Feb 1, 2015, 5-26 PM.pdf?dl=0

 

[peteski50]

Tappan!

The Tappan DW that family friends had looked like the picture of the day. I remember it had a cycle selector with following:
rinse & hold, china crystal, pots/pans, normal wash, sani cycle
the main dial was pull to start and lit up in earlier days before later years when it burned out. And the switch was for the panel light (or night light) The main dial had a selection for short wash. It was a real quiet machine for being out of the 60's. I remember when being loaded the hump in the middle but I cant actually remember the actual roller. The dishes were always rinsed so I cant tell weather it was worthwhile or not. It did break a lot of times from what I remember. But lasted 18 years. I used to love the sounds - real quiet operation. I remember in the dry cycle you could hear the motor running. I would love to see more specs or a instruction book.
I remember the reversejet models in the department stores and thought that was the best design out of all of them.
These other models as listed above I dont rember seeing. I do remember when they were made by d&m and ge.
Peter

 

[combo52]

Later Tappan DW

I think this was the last design of Tappan DWs.

 

There was a condo development near us that had these DWs in it, and you are correct Greg these would make a D&M DW look good.

The pump assembly alone had more cheap plastic in it that a model airplane, the plastic parts would just disintegrate.

 

Alan thanks for all the good DW information as usual. It would be fun to get this DW and send it to Nate for testing and review.

 

 

[ovrphil]

" had more cheap plastic in it that a model airplane…&#3

" the plastic parts would just disintegrate" - REALLY? That crazy, eh? Too bad because Tappan(D&M, sorry) wrapped these fragile washers so nicely.

Another good ad photo, Pete, thanks for posting. These are lucky to be around at all, if most self-destructed after a few years. Eighteen years? I wonder what kind of costs it took to keep it that long?

Interesting, I thought Tappan was just Tappan, not D&M (aka to some known as 'dam machines")

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Get the rat trap out!

Well, my gad!  Mark the price down to a single-digit, and you just might "git rid of it"!

 

Wonder how many baby bottles you could make from that plastic, then need a dishwasher like that to at least wash 'em in...

 

 

-- Dave

 

[peteski50]

Tappan!

Yes this dual drench did last them 18 years and it was repaired quit a bit. I dont remember what was wrong at different times. But it was replaced with a reverse rack maytag in 81. What they didnt like about that one was the noise lever compaired to the tappan. These dual drench models seem to be a very rare breed I dont know anyone in the club that has one. Like I said the reverse jet seems to be the most interesting with the largest capacity!
Peter

 

[stricklybojack]

Talked to owner,

currently in 'spoken for' mode from a local party who's, "wife needs a new dishwasher."

 

[stricklybojack]

Yes,

that should read, "whose wife".

 

[tomturbomatic]

John and Jeff brought one into the shop one morning and we hooked it up. It was loaded with the dinner dishes and would not even remove mashed potatoes from plates. It probably should have been saved because of its rarity, but it was such an outrageously poor performer and this was the early 80s when we had no place to store things except in the shed in their back yard so it went to crusher land.

Peter, it was quite because it was not doing much, just like the Maytag was noisier because it was cleaning (and was a noisy machine).

 

[roto204]

Review

Only if it has the SilverBlaster.  

 

This had better have the Sweet Baby Jesus on its side, because very few spray-tower machines make it into the halls of the lauded with me.  Cool upper rack, though.

 

[combo52]

New DW for The Wife

The type of man that would get this DW for his wife would probably have bought her a new Ford Pinto with Firestone 500 radial tires back in the 70s, this DW is not much of a gift, I wounder what his mistress gets for a DW, LOL.

 

[stricklybojack]

Firestone 500s!

.
I thought i was the only one who remembered that bit of auto trivia..

And what do we have for our players tonight Don? Why a lifetime supply of Elcaset audio tapes Bob! See link

And you are absolutely right btw.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elcaset