Pictures of my '72 Lady K

[petebldg9]

Beautiful pictures! My aunt had a very similar model in the '70s, also gold. There were a few differences though. Only the left half of the main timer dial was exposed on the control panel. The tub was gray-speckled, and the vari-flex was gold. Perhaps this was a slightly different model in the same line (?).

Pete

 

[powerfin64]

Hi Pete-
Im thinking that is very possiable. I seem to remember, seeing a FEW gold Vari-Flex agitator's over the years in some of the older model Kenmores, but I don't remember the models they were in. I have always be fascinated with Vari-Flex agitators(probably due to I have a liking for straight vaned agitators.)Never got to see a Vari-Flex in action untill I got my Lady K set,and Im hooked on them!

 

[DADoES]

Neighbors of my grandmother had a Kenmore 800 with a gold VariFlex.

 

[powerfin64]

Vari-Flex Question

Were Vari-Flex agitators common in KM machines or were they just put in high end models? Does anyone know?

 

[DADoES]

High-end, far as I know. I assume only 800s and LKs. Maybe the occasional special promotional model.

 

[gansky1]

interchangeable agitators

The Vari-Flex is interchangeable with the Roto-Swirl, Straight Vane, Roto-Flex, later Dual-Action and even a Whirlpool Surgilator as long as they are from standard cap. machines and have a splined shaft. There is a drive block adapter for the splined drive shaft you might still be able to find that will work with the older, mostly bakelite agitators like the "fat" Roto-Swirl, etc. Good luck and have fun - I always liked the many choices Kenmore had for agitation fun!

 

[fixerman]

Just to add to Gansky's post. If changing agitators, you sometimes will need a different stud. Generally the old ones had a stud with a 9/16 inch hex. The later ones had a 5/16 inch hex. If changing agitators be sure to get the entire agitator including cap and stud and hope the stud comes out without breaking.

 

[scott55405]

What a wonderful set. I remember at that time how it was a big deal for someone to get a brand new set in harvest gold, and yours do look practically like new!

This type of unit has always been one of my favorites in Sears washer history, and probably one of the last of the really neat ones.

 

[peterh770]

Seems to me that the Veri-Flex used a splined drive block and the others had the hex drive block, no???...

 

[Unimatic1140]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the best way to tell if a Kenmore/Whirlpool agitator was a spline drive or hex drive block is to look at the color. All black agitators were hex, white and gold were spline.

 

[fixerman]

I have seen many black Kenmore (I can't say about Whirlpool though)agitators that were spline drive. There were however two kinds of hex drive blocks. The early ones thru about 1962 were pot metal and were used on the drive shaft that did not have splines, but a keyway was machined into the Shaft. One should be able to use an early hex drive agitator on a spline drive shaft with the correct block.

 

[cadman]

Nice controls! And check out the burled look, it's like the dash of a Lincoln Mark V! : )

 

[powerfin64]

Thank you cadman! She purrs like a kitten too!

Rich

 

[partscounterman]

I love Lady Kenmore

Your Lady Kenmore set has me slobbering all over my keyboard.I had a dryer like that once-NEVER any overdrying with that beauty. I remember several of these machines from my childhood. You used to be able to go to Sears and actually run one and push the buttons and play with the groovy soap dispenser and adjust the vari-flex agitator.
My friend Martha's mother gave me the instuction book and parts list that came with her 1970 version of the same machine. It was replaced in '82 with a ho-hum Kenmore 70 series with dual action thrashatator. It was strange because she had the ultra-deluxe Lady washer married to the BOL "all-american" dryer (styled to match any washer you have). That old dryer is still doing a job as far as I know...
Again i just luv ell-you-vee that fabulous Lady set! Washday must be a dream at your house

 

[powerfin64]

Thank you David. My Lady K set is a dream come true!(at least one of them..) Washday here is wonderful now, I can't get enough of it!! She is so quiet!! The roll-over on the Vari-Flex is Awesome!! The drier is great too.. NO OVER OR UNDER Dried clothes anymore!!!!!! She is truly my pride and joy!

 

[zipdang]

All them buttons

Powerfin64, can you please post a close-up of the washer's control panel? I've always wondered what all those buttons said.

 

[powerfin64]

Lady K buttons

This is from a '71 Lady K. The buttons are the same as mine, except mine don't have the color coded tabs.

 

[agiflow-action]

I never heard of a sani-rinse on a washer.Ahh,....this machine is just too cool,many happy washings to come!

Pat

 

[appnut]

Pat, that sani-rinse aws to disinfect a machine after washing items used by a sick household member. You set the water leve at lowest leve, set the cycle, and added a cup of bleach. Incidentally WCI produced Frigidaires and a couple of the other WCI produced machines had that on their cycle dial too.

 

[gyrafoam]

My 1976 Frigidaire 1-18 has a "Sanitize" setting at the final rinse on the "regular" cycle. -Steve