Push Button Kenmore Washer & Dryer set

[mixguy]

Does any know of a Kenmore Washer and Matching dryer that was total pushbutton made in the late 50s or early 60s. An older cousin had one. The entire backsplash/console had buttons of different colors, two rows on the washer for sure. One button in the lower left of the washer was cancel/drain. This was years before Permanent Press (Wash n Wear). It had fluorescent lighting. You could hear the sounds of a timer but there was no dial. The front of the machines were somewhat rounded. Never seen a set like it in any old Sears catalogs but I have only seen catalogs from from 1964 until 1988.

 

[jasonl]

Sounds like 1959-60 Lady Kenmore. Totally pushbutton, no timer knob.

 

[DADoES]

This 1961 model is one possibility.

 

[jasonl]

Auto water level

I still would like to know how that was supposed to work.

 

[DADoES]

You and everybody else!

I was gonna post a pic of the 1959 from John LeFever's warehouse, but the board was temporarily discombobulated, and I don't have access to the pic again until later tonight.

 

[powerfin64]

that would be one interesting washer to have! I wonder what the dryer looked like??

Rich

 

[gansky1]

The 1960 Lady K - the morning wood of Kenmores!

 

[gansky1]

Here are other models, the 59 Lady looks similar to the far right machine but with a slightly different control panel styling.

 

[gansky1]

found it!

Here is the 59 Lady...

 

[sheerlookhomes]

LOVE THOSE BUTTONS!

Beautiful buttons on your '59 Lady Kenmore...any chance of a closer peek?? pretty please..

 

[DADoES]

The Big Picture

Same machine, different photog ...

 

[powerfin64]

HOW COOL!!!!!

Rich

 

[mixguy]

WOW! It's the 1959 Kemore Model 80

Great looking pics guys, Thank you very much gansky1 and DADoES! I see I was wrong about a Cancel/Drain button. I wonder what that cycle hold switch was for? Guessing the slide switch on the right was an end of cycle signal?

Wonder what features the dryers had to this was before having I guess there were 30, 60, 90 min. settings and at least three temp. choices. Could their have been an automatic cycle using thermostats? Moisture Sensors Soft-Heat and Wrinkle Guard I, II or III were not available yet.
Some Kenmore Dryers of the era had a lint storage system not required cleaning after every load.

 

[swestoyz]

59 Lady K vs. 59 Model Eighty

Here's a shot of a 1959 Model Eighty. Yes, no pushbuttons - but look how similar it looks to the Lady K. (credits to Jetaction) I apologize for the fuzzy pic.

The 59 Kenmore look is a favorite of many ~ and who could disagree!

Ben

 

[frigilux]

The pics in Post #203520 must be 1960 models; The one on the right (Model 80) was the machine I grew up with. It was in our household until I got rid of it for a Whirlpool circa 1985 or 86.

I found an never-used yellow '59 LK behind the appliance store across the street from me (I was living in a warehouse apt. downtown) and immediately carted it home, along with matching dryer (which had been used). Unfortunately, I sold it to a young couple when I had to downsize a few years later. Also sold my mid-70's Frigidaire 1-18 at the same time. It was another great find behind the appliance store.

And yes, I'm STILL KICKING MYSELF!!

 

[DADoES]

IIRC, the right-side lever is for fabric softener dosage! This machine has a liquid fabric softener reservoir hidden in the console. The top of the console opens for access. I don't find a detail picture of the control, but I did find this one that shows the console top open, and the sticker to the right side is probably instructions for the dispenser.

 

[westytoploader]

Very fascinating information here, especially that 1961 LK 80, what a neat machine with the automatic water level! I would definitely be interested to see how that works. That and the 1960 model with the air-powered dispenser or something to that effect.

The '59 LK looks interesting as well. I'm assuming the buttons operate a rapid-advance timer a la Maytag? Glenn, was/is this machine in running condition? I see the switched-on panel light in the last picture which is why I ask.

And we're all too familiar with that 1960 Kenmore 70 listed in the ad as well, that someone else on here has

Austin

 

[powerfin64]

any chance of seeing inside the tub??? Please??

Rich

 

[DADoES]

The machine was at John LeFever's warehouse in MD. There was an extension cord being moved among the machines to play with those that would at least power-up the controls if not otherwise mechanically working ... but I didn't see it done on this LK. If my picture files aren't mixed up, the last one is courtesy of Louis.

 

[mixfinder]

Cycle Hold

There was no knob to push or pull and interupt the wash cycle, so the cycle hold just turned the machine off wearever it was in the cycle. I resumed again as soon as you flipped the switch.
Kelly

 

[frigilux]

When our '60 Model 80 would trip it's unbalanced switch/buzzer, the instructions said to flip the cycle hold switch down, readjust the load, close the lid and flip the switch back up to resume. For some reason, when you flipped the switch back to the on position, the buzzer would just sound again and the machine wouldn't resume spinning.

The repair man we used (his name was LeRoy---I'm sure he'd be surprised to know some little dinkus kid remembered his name 40+ years later!) bypassed something-or-other so that when you lifted the lid to correct an unbalance it automatically stopped the buzzer and started the motor again. Didn't have to touch the cycle hold
toggle.

On another note: Our '60 had the same cycle buttons as the '59 LK except the white SPECIALS button had a Rinse & Spin cycle and the pink SPECIALS button had a Washable Woolens cycle instead of the 'lights' button. The lights turned on at the beginning of the cycle and off at the end on our '60. It was nice to have the option of turning the lights on and using them as mood lighting in the laundry room for the few years I had my '59. Sigh.

 

[mixguy]

Long lasting washer

My cousin told me their push button Lady Kenmore washer lasted for over 25 years cleaning for a family of 5 for 25 years. Required one or two belt changes. The washer & dryer was kept on the south end of a screen of a screened porch. Surprised these appliances didn't rust out. Today appliances wouldn't last like that in the same environment. South Louisiana, as JasonL and Skip can attest to, is quite humid, seldom having days below 75 relative humidity and having mild winter tempertures not often below freezing and not staying that low for any extended time.

 

[mayken4now]

Love it "Specials" button. That is great!

 

[stainfighter]

childhood memories...

My school mate's Mom had the '59 LK rapid-advance timer model pictured above. Still remember when they moved to a new home in 1970 to check out the laundry room and was shocked to see it gone (replaced with a SQ)! Asked his Mom why she got rid of it (she probably wondered why an 11 year old boy would care?!) and she just replied matter-of-fact "the water pump went out and it was going to be 'too expensive' to fix so we bought a new one" :-((((((. That was a sad day for me...