POD 6/23/2017

[brucelucenta]

What a bargain!!!! No wonder Kenmore became the most popular washer and dryer in America!!! Who could beat those prices?!! Good machines too! Never been a better dryer than a Whirlpool/Kenmore and the washers were as good or better than most. How could you lose???

 

[frigilux]

Scroll down a bit on today's POD and there's the set I grew up with: The magnificent Model 80 from 1960. The cycle pushbuttons were held over from the '59 Lady K. It had, in my opinion, a fantastic list of features considering it isn't the brand's top-of-the-line.

FLEXIBLE AUTOMATIC CYCLES: The most frequently used cycles featured heavy and light soil options.  Heavy soil whites had a wash time of 12 minutes; Light soil 8 minutes.  Heavy soil colors was 10 minutes; light soil 6 minutes.  A cycle for any need was right there.

 

FOUR WASH TEMPS:  Hot, medium (used on Cottons/Linens Colored and Wash 'n' Wear Sturdy), warm and cold.  Most rinse temps were warm.  Reach around the right side of the console and there's an energy saver toggle switch.  Flip it to the down position and medium wash temps were reduced to warm; all rinse temps changed to cold.  Hot washes were not changed. Warm wash temps were not reduced to cold.

 

TIMED DISPENSERS: Solenoid-activated timed dispensers for bleach and fabric softener.  Bleach was released during the last 4 minutes of the wash cycle, giving detergent time to work before chlorine was introduced.

 

LIGHTED CONSOLE AND TUB:  Brilliant, literally.

 

EXCELLENT FILTERING SYSTEM: The waterfall lint filter, while not self-cleaning, was very effective.  And it looked wonderful in action.

 

A strong case of Frigidaire envy prevented me from appreciating the Model 80 when I was growing up. The damn thing was still in the house when I moved back after college, although my stepfather had switched all the innards with those from a lightly-used mid-60s Kenmore.  He thought the automatic cycle selection was cool, so he performed a transplant.  

 

[gyrafoam]

It would be a dream come true to walk into a Sears store now and be able to select from that menu.

 

[e2l-arry]

And MORE in the Sears store.

They likely 20 more models, including a selection of Kenmore wringer washers. So this is from 1960 you think? I was wondering because my Grandma had this BOL electric dryer. Last time I was up to"the farm" in 2008 that dryer was still sitting in the barn. It still worked when my Aunt retired it when she remodeled the kitchen but after 25 years it's probably full of mice or raccoons living in in it or something. I preferred the old kitchen myself. All those old appliances, the Kenmore dryer, a Speed Queen washer new in 1947 and a 40" Westinghouse electric stove, complete with deep well cooker from 1950. Now just sitting in a barn.

 

[mixguy]

The weight of the Combo Units!

Did you notice the shipping weight of those units?! Nearly 400 lbs! To install in such a unit would be so back breaking!

 

[gyrafoam]

The weight didn't matter because help was cheap and in those days people didn't move around like they do today. The machine was expected to serve out its lifetime in the same location once it was installed.
I remember trying to move a '58 Bendix Combo and thinking it must be bolted down because I couldn't budge it. I had no idea how much it weighed.

 

[frigilux]

Larry-- The ad is definitely from 1960, although models closer to the bottom of the line had consoles dating back several years. The console on the Lady Kenmore washer/dryer combo made its debut in 1958.

Steve-- It would absolutely be a dream come true to walk into a Sears store and find appliances from the 1950s-1960s. My dream find in the Kenmore line would be the elusive 1961 Lady Kenmore washer and dryer.[this post was last edited: 6/23/2017-17:28]

 

[cornutt]

Prices

That $235 for the Model 80 washer works out to just short of $2000 today. What does a TOL Whirlpool run for now? It's over $1000, is it not?

 

[appnut]

My Kenmore world after moving to the new house in September 1961.  On one side, the neighbor had the LK Combo and on the other side was the $193.00 washer (it was a 70 series washer). 

 

[twintubdexter]

I had a better childhood than the Beaver...

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;">Next to "plain Jane" 1955 and earlier Frigidaire's, I saw more of those "hump timer console" Kenmore's come in as trades than anything. Sears must have sold tons of them. They were fun to rebuild for the sales floor. The worst thing you'd ever see was a bad spin-tube bearing and there were special tools to remove and install those. Most of the dryers just needed delinting and maybe a belt. Sometimes a gas unit needed a new glow coil. I wish I owned a set of those. They remind me of good times.</span>

 

[henene4]

8400W

Wondering why the more up the line combo had such high heating power, even higher then the more bottom of the line one.

Anybody an idea?

 

[jamiel]

To compete with the better-spinning Bendix, i'd presume...these still spun at only 200 rpm or so.

 

[gansky1]

Early WP/KM combo

I believe they were a little above 200 rpm, but not by much.   Despite the huge diameter drum, the spinning somewhat negated the good washing ability as the rinsing was not as effective and of course, drying efficiency was just as bad.  No Energy Star here...

 

WP introduced a completely redesigned combo in '61 so this ad was probably clearing the last of the big body machines.  I can imagine some deprived washer kids were really let down when a 400lb combo with no window was delivered by a group of Sears pallbearers.   But that seemed to be corrected with the redesign as well. 

 

[peteski50]

kenmore combo!

I never saw this above model before with the knob it looks like early 60's??

 

[appnut]

Me either Peter!!!