The Green Kenmores Arrive Home

[combo52]

1968 KM 800 Pair

Mark glad you got these and that they will be staying in the AW Group. A good friend of mine was seriously considering getting this pair and was talking to the seller but decided to pass on them. Shortly there after he found a Harvest LKM pair that he got so it looks like you guys both got great sets.

 

These KM 800s have long been one of my favorite washer and dryer pairs from this time period and I hope that you find that they look as good mechanically as they do cosmetically when you do your rebuild. You may have seen our posts about how we are adding a SS sleeve on the outside of rusty center-posts to give the washer better than new durability, that and double top seals will just about guarantee that these washers will outlast us. If I were you I would try to get an extra timer and maybe timer dial for the washer and electronic control and knob for the dryer. These parts were originally good and don't fail that often but they would be the most difficult to find and important to the operation if you ever needed them.

 

[sears9000]

I know that washing machine anywhere!

That is the washer I grew up with. Even the color is the same. In fact, I learned how to do laundry with this particular model. I hope you get many years of service with it. I agree with combo52 about getting an extra timer for it, as well as the knob, and skirt for it. Unfortunately, it was the timer that killed ours back in 93. It got to where it would suddenly stop during the cycles, and one day I went to use it, and it was totally dead. When I tried to get a replacement for it, Sears told me it was obsolete. I hope you can find one, because that is a good machine.
Say, if it's not too much trouble for you, when you finish replacing the bearings in it, would you please if possible make a video of it going through a cycle so we can see, and hear it in operation? I would appreciate it.
The dryer looks very good. We didn't have the matching dryer, it was a different Kenmore model. Again, I hope you enjoy your machines. Have a nice day.

 

[dnastrau]

Beautiful set

Great find! I am pretty sure that this is the set is the same or similar to the set that my parents had (probably purchased fall '67.) I remember around '73 they had to have the dryer "Start" switch replaced and I watched the service man replace it (and probably talked his ear off too.) Your dryer definitely has the same switch. He gave me the bad switch to play with, so I must not have annoyed him too much.

Enjoy that beautiful set!

 

[beekeyknee]

Mark,

Did Sears deliver those? The truck is wrong. There's an anomaly in the space time continuum. It's obviously the early 70's. What a find. Hope everything will work well. Check the hoses for brittleness. I guess you could check the solenoids manually. Not as familiar with K/W as I should be. My utility room is too small and K/W parts don't seem to be as available around here as Maytag. If I lived in a bigger city I'd probably have better selection.

When I was little we had an 800 series BOL Roto-Swirl. I've never seen a Rotoflex in action, but I'd love to. They looked more efficient. The Roto-Swirl seemed to pull down and then just let the clothes back up.

FMI. What is the next or top model up, the A,B,C...whatever one called it? Did one push the button and usually not have to move the dial? Thanks.

Brian

 

[DADoES]

 
One of my aunts had an almost identical model in white ... same panel, but with RotoSwirl instead of RotoFlex.

 

[aldspinboy]

Mark I had no idea that I was an insperation ...
but I am glad you got the pair the Avocodo really makes it pop.
Wishing you all the best in your new room for the pair !

John thanks on the advice on that Kenmore...
I'm not sure why you like this model over other Kenmore washers.
Put it's good to here that you do.
Reinforced stainless sleave to the shaft is great as well as some other parts.
Unfortunetly my collection is on hold.
Since then the belt has been changed and this machine had low wear.
Which is a plus.
I will contact you for more pointers and a possable teardown in the future.

Gordon if you read this I would appriciate more information on the models
if your free for time and thanks.

Some requested some wash action ..
Here it is in a test run before belt change and tighten.
Roto-Flex seems gentle and a relax water action.
And I had no problems with clothes getting stuck under the vanes.
I guess proper loading.
Check out the first floting sock.

Darren k

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[70series]

Congratulations on getting this set, and I am glad they are working. Enjoy them well.

There was also a version of this model with a Vari-Flex agitator, except it had one shift lever for temperature, and the auxiliary dial was for load size adjustment.

Have a good one,
James

 

[bendixmark]

sleeve

No John I have not seen the thread for the sleeve but sounds like a great idea.I plan on finding an entire spare panel for this machine.I am big on having spare parts(Its called hoarding)I plan on installing new bearings to the lower depth with the 2 big seals on top.The truck that brought the machines was actually a flying time machine ,Doc Brown got out and said"Mark!I got them for you kenmore 800s!"

 

[bajaespuma]

What are the words that are faded on the Electronic Sensor?

 

[DADoES]

 
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