Those are some cheap-looking machines. You don't have to ask where they cut corners; you can see that in the control panels. The only thing cheaper looking in the Sears lineup were those machines too cheap to call Kenmores that were branded Capri.
POD Kenmore POC pairs
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pierreandreply4
Well-known member
to answer your question these are canadien kenmore models because if you notice the dryer door is a side swing door.If you ask the knemore erpert i am pretty sure that he will explain to you abit more.
I had a buddy who had those machines, they were functional for the most part.....
buthis guy was a contradiction in terms......."it's just a washer and dryer?"...and yet complained of how his clothes always had lint and wrinkled from these machines.....
you can't expect a Volkswagen to perform like a Porsche.....
buthis guy was a contradiction in terms......."it's just a washer and dryer?"...and yet complained of how his clothes always had lint and wrinkled from these machines.....
you can't expect a Volkswagen to perform like a Porsche.....
ingliscanada
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2009
- Messages
- 338
They may be cheap looking, especially the white BOL pair, but they are all mechanically the same for the most part. The washers are all BD WPs, and the dryers are the single-belt drive system, introduced in the 60s and still built today. The Canadian KMs had different instrument panels from their American counterparts, and as mentioned, the dryers came with side-swing doors. But similar to the US models, they came in a wide range of models, including the TOLs with dual-action agitators and self-clean filters.
Gary
Gary
I don't know why, but I always like the style of these plastic-console models! When I met hubby, I bought him a Canadian Kenmore dryer like the one in the picture, in Harvest Gold no less!
I owned a washer like this for a few weeks in the late 90s - I scrapped it when it filled the garage with smoke when I did the first water test.... I am sure that I could have fixed it... Ah, if I knew then what I know now!!
I owned a washer like this for a few weeks in the late 90s - I scrapped it when it filled the garage with smoke when I did the first water test.... I am sure that I could have fixed it... Ah, if I knew then what I know now!!
macboy91si
Well-known member
Plastic Console
Wow badmouthing plastic consoles in public, better run lol. I like them as well, we had a couple of BOL Kenmores over the years, one was a one-dial wonder and the other was a woodgrain console of the same make.
Personally, I don't find these very offensive, I've certainly seen worse from both KM and other manufacturers. I have actually seen at least the dryer in person, I used to visit friends in Canada and they had one of the dryers. It non-mistakable 1970's for sure.
Overall I liked these consoles, I always thought they'd look better in black all the way across though.
-Tim
Wow badmouthing plastic consoles in public, better run lol. I like them as well, we had a couple of BOL Kenmores over the years, one was a one-dial wonder and the other was a woodgrain console of the same make.
Personally, I don't find these very offensive, I've certainly seen worse from both KM and other manufacturers. I have actually seen at least the dryer in person, I used to visit friends in Canada and they had one of the dryers. It non-mistakable 1970's for sure.
Overall I liked these consoles, I always thought they'd look better in black all the way across though.
-Tim
Naturally, I have to comment....
The U.S. Kenmores didn't use the Canadian style plastic console (I suppose it's up for debate as to which style is better looking, or not) but there definitely is a difference in perception of the plastic top machines in general vs. the metal console models.
In my mind, the plastic top machines are/were a notch down on the food chain. As much as I like some of them, I perceived them as being in the cheap category, no matter what their features were. I don't think I am alone with that either. In a couple dryer models in the late 70s/early 80s, there were two models that were features-wise identical, one with the plastic console, and one with the metal console. Sears would call this out in the catalog, and would charge $20 more for the metal console (in 1980 dollars, which is probably $50 today?).
Some plastic console machines looked better than others, and the models with the chromed knobs, the black insert on the left, etc. look pretty nice on a cream colored console. Those with no insert, white knobs, etc. looked much cheaper. There was one 1976 model, it was actually an alphabet washer, which was a 60-series by its stock number, and had quite a few features. It was one of the few plastic console models in the U.S. to be available in colors other than white. The console was molded in matching colors, and was a pretty nice model. Sears only did this once, as I am betting consumers objected to the plastic panel, at least in a machine that was priced up with the higher end units.
All that said, the plastic console is nice in some ways. It doesn't resonate vibrations and buzzing sounds like a metal console will, and Sears designed the panel to have a quick removal feature (at least in the U.S.) of all the controls, which were mounted on one bezel. This made the machine very simple and non-time consuming to service when working in the console area. As it was said above, the rest of the machine was the same mechanically as the other models.
Gordon
The U.S. Kenmores didn't use the Canadian style plastic console (I suppose it's up for debate as to which style is better looking, or not) but there definitely is a difference in perception of the plastic top machines in general vs. the metal console models.
In my mind, the plastic top machines are/were a notch down on the food chain. As much as I like some of them, I perceived them as being in the cheap category, no matter what their features were. I don't think I am alone with that either. In a couple dryer models in the late 70s/early 80s, there were two models that were features-wise identical, one with the plastic console, and one with the metal console. Sears would call this out in the catalog, and would charge $20 more for the metal console (in 1980 dollars, which is probably $50 today?).
Some plastic console machines looked better than others, and the models with the chromed knobs, the black insert on the left, etc. look pretty nice on a cream colored console. Those with no insert, white knobs, etc. looked much cheaper. There was one 1976 model, it was actually an alphabet washer, which was a 60-series by its stock number, and had quite a few features. It was one of the few plastic console models in the U.S. to be available in colors other than white. The console was molded in matching colors, and was a pretty nice model. Sears only did this once, as I am betting consumers objected to the plastic panel, at least in a machine that was priced up with the higher end units.
All that said, the plastic console is nice in some ways. It doesn't resonate vibrations and buzzing sounds like a metal console will, and Sears designed the panel to have a quick removal feature (at least in the U.S.) of all the controls, which were mounted on one bezel. This made the machine very simple and non-time consuming to service when working in the console area. As it was said above, the rest of the machine was the same mechanically as the other models.
Gordon
Some pics
In the back of the '64 LK dryer are three plastic top U.S. style Kenmores. The one on the left is a 1974 200 series. At least early on when this panel debuted (in 1974) some models used an aluminum looking bezel to stand out a bit. But, the mono-color panel and the white knobs just yell "cheap model" to me.
The machine in the center is a 1982 500 model. The woodgrain insert helps, but the white knobs go the wrong direction on the cheap scale I think.
The machine on the far right is a 1981 200, which I have a much better pic of, and is my favorite by far.
G
In the back of the '64 LK dryer are three plastic top U.S. style Kenmores. The one on the left is a 1974 200 series. At least early on when this panel debuted (in 1974) some models used an aluminum looking bezel to stand out a bit. But, the mono-color panel and the white knobs just yell "cheap model" to me.
The machine in the center is a 1982 500 model. The woodgrain insert helps, but the white knobs go the wrong direction on the cheap scale I think.
The machine on the far right is a 1981 200, which I have a much better pic of, and is my favorite by far.
G
Here's the '81 200 series
I've shown this machine off in pics before, but I think it is not bad looking at all for an inexpensive machine.
I've shown this machine off in pics before, but I think it is not bad looking at all for an inexpensive machine.
Sears Kenmore's BOL, Budget-Line Appliances!!!!
That's what you can expect w/ Sears ads: The BOL, low-priced machines to get you over to the mall, into the store, and then to buy their biggest, greatest, fully-featured, most-expensive model!
Here in the US, the budget-line Kenore was branded "Galaxy" (which would have fit well in a '50's Sci-Fi sort of environment w/ a fancy sort of logo & in their ad campaigns...) and aside from Whirlpool's Roper division & the cheapening of General Electric's Hotpoint line, you wonder why Kenmore needed a different name for an "introductory model", if the main-line (single-door fridges; top-freezer fridges, w/ or w/o Manual Defrost, but in smallest capacity, lacking ice makers & using an abundance of plastic parts, lacking door-storage bins & offering one drawer crispers; basic-@$$ non-self-cleaning gas & electric ranges (w/ the former needing pilot lights, the latter only offering one 8" burner, & the other 3, 6" burners) having no clock or timer or even a windowed oven; and let's not forget those ONE-KNOBBED, washer, dishwashers & dryers! --'Cept the dryer needing an extra knob for "Push-To-Start'...!!!!)
Like Sears-Robuck had to offer such a thing!--Well, fewer letters to type?
-- Dave
That's what you can expect w/ Sears ads: The BOL, low-priced machines to get you over to the mall, into the store, and then to buy their biggest, greatest, fully-featured, most-expensive model!
Here in the US, the budget-line Kenore was branded "Galaxy" (which would have fit well in a '50's Sci-Fi sort of environment w/ a fancy sort of logo & in their ad campaigns...) and aside from Whirlpool's Roper division & the cheapening of General Electric's Hotpoint line, you wonder why Kenmore needed a different name for an "introductory model", if the main-line (single-door fridges; top-freezer fridges, w/ or w/o Manual Defrost, but in smallest capacity, lacking ice makers & using an abundance of plastic parts, lacking door-storage bins & offering one drawer crispers; basic-@$$ non-self-cleaning gas & electric ranges (w/ the former needing pilot lights, the latter only offering one 8" burner, & the other 3, 6" burners) having no clock or timer or even a windowed oven; and let's not forget those ONE-KNOBBED, washer, dishwashers & dryers! --'Cept the dryer needing an extra knob for "Push-To-Start'...!!!!)
Like Sears-Robuck had to offer such a thing!--Well, fewer letters to type?
-- Dave
sillysuds
Member
One - Knobbed washers
Capri Galaxy and roper had one -knobbed washers. loved these washer. very simple.
Capri Galaxy and roper had one -knobbed washers. loved these washer. very simple.
