Should I get a KitchenAid Dishwasher?

[bugsyjones]

So I went to the Habitat for Humanity reStore today. The first time I've been there. It's a good place to find new and mostly used furniture, appliances, building materials, etc. at a good price. Proceeds from the reStore sales go back to fund the Habitat for Humanity program.

Anyway...I went looking for a gas range, but they only had one electric range. They have two KitchenAid dishwashers. They are both the same model. I believe it's called 'Custom 21.' Probably from the 80's sometime. One has an almond front and the other has a cabinet front. Both appear to be in good shape. Inside, there's no rust or corrosion that I could see. No limescale buildup or other evidence of hard water. The cabinet front appears to be the cleanest inside. Like it was barely used. Both are very clean though. They both have metal wash arms and an upper rack wash arm. They have a timer dial with a bunch of selector buttons on the right side. The doors seem to seal pretty well. Both machines are low priced. $40 for the almond and $35 for the cabinet front.

My question is, would this be a good model to buy? I'd really like to replace the POS Frigidaire we have now. Is there anything specific that I need to inspect underneath? What is the probability that something is wrong? IF I decide to buy, can these be transported on their backs? Also, what important facts do I need to know about loading dishes and operating this brand of dishwasher?

Thanks!

~Tim

 

[appnut]

Tim, almost even a spin-tube 1960 custom Frigidaire dishwasher would be better than the modern Frigidaire you have. Anyway, I've included a link to the owners manual for these. I bet this is what it looks like. and yes, GO GET ONE IF NOT BOTH!

http://shared.whirlpoolcorp.com/assets/pdfs/literature/Use%20and%20Care%20Guide%20-%204177717.pdf

 

[laundromat]

YES!!

Get them both!!!

 

[andrewinorlando]

If it fits in the machine, it will wash it. Total random loading capabilities. Not the quietest operators in the world for sure, but solid construction, long lasting, dependable, and worth whatever they may cost to fix down the road. That old saying "they don't make them like this any more" most definitely applies to these units.

 

[maytagmightyjj]

G3et them

My mother has that dishwasher-- She bought hers in 1991. It has never given her a minutes trouble and she loves it. Another great thing about these machines is they actually get your dishes dry-- because they get hot enough to do it during the drying cycle. The government energy standards have ruined the functions of appliances. I have a new kitchen aid and you dare not open the door until several hours have passed after it has finished a load or your dishes won't be thoroughly dry.

 

[gansky1]

My parent's Asko 1585 just died this week so they're shopping for a new dishwasher. I wish they would let me put something like this in their kitchen but "quiet" is one of their priorities right after price!

 

[toggleswitch2]

How old was the Asko?

 

[gansky1]

Asko

A little over ten years. Rather disappointing. The front plastic panel has cracked in two places - from warping, age stress - not abuse and now the circulation pump is bad. A little more than five years ago, I had the lower rack, the control board and the vent wax-motor replaced under warranty. Similar situation to the Neptunes, the wax motor went bad and took out the board. One of the tines in the lower (new) rack has broken off and there are few other rust spots as well. Too bad really, I hope the quality has improved a little but I suppose ten years is a reasonable useful life?? We'll probably be installing the new one this weekend so I'll take some pictures.

 

[tlee618]

They need a KDS18 for sure!!

Greg, I don't think I have told you lately just how much I enjoy my KDS18!!!!!! I am sure you are getting tired of hearing me rave about this machine. I have just never used a dishwasher this good before!! Having some company tomorrow and did a big BOB load tonight of all the prep items. 50 min. normal cycle, everything sparkled and completely dry!! YAY for Kitchen Aid!!!
Terry

 

[autowasherfreak]

Get them both, and which ever one you don't use, send it to me, LOL.

 

[spankomatic]

Get them before they are gone.... Great dishwasher!!!
Jim

 

[peteski50]

Get It Grab It!!

Sounds real good - I wouldn't let it pass you by!
Peter

 

[stevet]

Never a doubt!

Like everyone has said so far, get them both! Put the better one in your Kitchen as a daily driver and the other one in the garage or basement as your overflow machine or as the potwasher.
Do I have to tell you that this machine will take anything you throw in it and still return a clean load of dishes?
Even the Custom models cleaned incredibly well. My Mom used one for years and now I have it sitting in the garage.

True, they are not the quietest units around but if you get some dyna-mat to surround the tank sides,top and bottom, you will be amazed at how quiet they can be.

Hope you did not lose your shot at getting them. And if only one is left, take it!

 

[bugsyjones]

Well, I bought one.

I didn't think they'd be gone. They weren't. Both were still there.

The almond-colored one was more complete, but cheaper price which led me to believe something MIGHT be wrong with it. But that doesn't mean anything. I re-inspected both thoroughly. The almond was not in as good shape as the cabinet front. There was some evidence of leaks around the door seal and some tines on the dish racks were broken.

I opted for the cabinet front, although it was missing the kickplate. It was the cleanest and seemed the better choice.

I only bought ONE because I don't collect dishwashers. Just like I don't collect clothes washers. Collections are clutter. [don't kill me!] One is enough.

The cabinet front matches the kitchen cabinets almost perfectly.

I will post a thread with some pictures when I get around to it.

It was not a perfect machine though. It was missing the drain hose, so me with the help of my dad had to 'retro fit' the "Frigidaire" hose to fit. Also, the water pump was bad and didn't work. Which leads me to believe that's why the original owners got rid of it. Fortunately, dishwasher parts, I found out are fairly universal, because the "Frigidaire" pump hooked up perfectly, and worked perfectly. Upon further inspection, there is some lime scale build up, so I'm going to have to run a cycle with some Lime-away.

We had trouble getting it to fit right under the counter, and it's in crooked. I'm going to correct that later. I'm also rigging up a kickplate for it out of some leftover trim pieces that were left from installing the house.

The timer knob and selector buttons are a bit foreign to me, but I LOVE that the wash cycles are quick on this one.

~Tim

 

[qsd-dan]

One is enough.

That's what I told myself 9 machines ago.....

Once you have pleasure of experiencing a well built, QUALITY appliance that actually does its job and does it well without perpetual fixes, you end up with a collection and several bins of parts to keep them going well into the future :>)

 

[rp2813]

We had a KA 21 series we bought new in 1991. We left it at the house we sold over a year ago and it was still running problem free. I miss it.