Rare Lady Kenmore Direct Drive Set (Ebony)
- Thread starter ddfan92
- Start date
Help Support :
repairguy
Well-known member
Very nice! Should be around 1989 or 1990.
repairguy
Well-known member
Sorry! I cut in on pictures still being added.
So how long did Sears keep the “Lady Kenmore” name? I thought that went away in the mid ‘80s..?
Lady Kenmore ----->>> Limited Edition
At some point Sears replaced "Lady Kenmore" with "Limited Edition". I'm going to estimate it was 1986. I worked at Whirlpool from 1985 to 1989. Production of the belt-drive ended in 1986. I remember seeing in the Home Economics lab, an Ebony top-of-the line microprocessor controlled washer and matching dryer. This belt drive washer said "Limited Edition" not "Lady Kenmore". I'm guessing the beautiful Ebony washer and dryer in the picture here is from 1986, which would have been the transition year.
At some point Sears replaced "Lady Kenmore" with "Limited Edition". I'm going to estimate it was 1986. I worked at Whirlpool from 1985 to 1989. Production of the belt-drive ended in 1986. I remember seeing in the Home Economics lab, an Ebony top-of-the line microprocessor controlled washer and matching dryer. This belt drive washer said "Limited Edition" not "Lady Kenmore". I'm guessing the beautiful Ebony washer and dryer in the picture here is from 1986, which would have been the transition year.
Michael, the set that's the subject of the thread is much newer than 1986. I would say late 1980s at the earliest. I bought my set October 1986, right after the DDs came out. There was no Ebony color option for the Mechanical LK. That was only for the electronic control model. Next, my washer did have ATC, but it didn't have the specified area at the top of the temperature knob that was ATC controlled. I had "Auto" temp (associated with white or colors" as well as the 5 temp combos. Electronic sensor of water temps was on all 5 settings, I had no way of cancelling that. Also, my dryer's lint filter was still on top. The dryer above had the raised door as well as the filter being inside the door. Also, it appears the set above had a light illuminating each of the timer dials, but I think that was controlled by a mechanical switch.
Yep the lint filter location......
I totally missed the fact this dryer is a 27" with the lint filter located inside and up front. Good catch!
I totally missed the fact this dryer is a 27" with the lint filter located inside and up front. Good catch!
neptunebob
Well-known member
Wasn't the direct drive phased in through the 80's with some models DD and some belt driven. I remember the Limited Edition around that time and mom almost bought the set but it was $1500 and the sales woman said it had a steel tub rather than a "polypropylene tub". It looked nice to me, like a washer and dryer in Darth Vader's laundry room.
Yes Bob, DD washers were phased in. I think Sears began with their Model 70 series as the first to transition from BD to DD in like 1983 or 1984. But full implementation didn't happen until the new line was introduced in 1986. I went to Rochester NY to visit a former neighbor of mine from suburban Houston. We went to Sears (this was September 1986) and they had the new models on display. They were radically different in appearance from the center dial, black face console from 1976. I knew I was in the market for a new washer and dryer as the F-Flo speed/clutch was not working anymore. So I wanted for the new models to show up at my Sears here before I bought a new set.
